Tsunade's voice slowed, as if she were teaching, yet also speaking to herself.
"What you need to learn is to understand why such thinking exists, then find your own boundaries and path within it. Understand which methods you can use, which bottom lines you must never cross, and for the sake of protecting the things that truly matter, just how far you are willing to go."
Shizune opened her mouth, but in the end, she simply nodded silently and did not argue further.
Outside the window, the lights of Konoha gradually lit up. Beneath the peaceful night, undercurrents were gathering for tomorrow's arena.
The next day, at the Konoha's Dome.
This magnificent venue, which was usually only used for major events such as the finals of the Chunin exams, was now packed with people.
The seats on the circular stands were almost completely filled, and the noise was like a boiling ocean.
Unlike the casual spectators by the training ground the day before, most of the villagers who arrived today had a clear purpose.
They wanted to personally watch that arrogant and despicable samurai from the Land of Iron suffer a miserable defeat in front of Konoha's true strong ninjas.
The air was filled with heat and excitement, almost like a festival, except the theme of this festival was the expectation of an unquestionable victory that would wash away yesterday's displeasure.
On the special viewing platform reserved for the higher-ups, the third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stood calmly by the railing wearing his ceremonial robe, overlooking the dense crowd below and the empty center of the arena. His expression carried his usual gentle smile.
Beside him stood the two hokage advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.
"At times like this, letting the village become lively, diverting some attention, and easing the recent tense atmosphere isn't a bad thing."
The third Hokage looked toward the arena and said with a smile to the two advisors.
Homura Mitokado pushed his glasses and showed little expression, merely nodding slightly to indicate understanding.
Koharu Utatane's expression, however, was clearly not as pleasant. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and she was quite dissatisfied with that samurai from the Land of Iron who behaved eccentrically and had stirred up public opinion throughout the village.
What bothered her even more was that Hiruzen had not handled the matter quietly. Instead, he had taken advantage of the situation to create such a grand spectacle, continuing to build a stage for the other party to gain fame.
"Koharu, don't keep such a stiff face. Hiruzen can only handle it this way. Look, at least it's lively, isn't it?"
Seeing Koharu's displeased expression, Homura smiled and spoke.
Hearing this, Koharu's lips moved slightly, but in the end, she merely gave a light snort and did not voice opposition.
After thinking about it carefully, she also understood Hiruzen's difficulties and considerations.
The other party was a legitimate client who had formally submitted a commission and paid a huge deposit. The content of the commission is clearly stated in black and white: No restrictions on methods, and any opponent is welcome.
Konoha could have refused the mission.
But since they had already accepted it, if the people they sent lost and were humiliated, then it simply meant their skills were inferior.
Could they kill the client just because the client was too strong?
Konoha certainly had that strength.
But if they did that, what would Konoha become?
Who would dare to bring them commissions in the future?
Their credibility would completely collapse, and the impact would be a thousand times worse than losing a few matches.
Therefore, despite her dissatisfaction, despite feeling somewhat humiliated by that samurai, the best solution right now was indeed the one Hiruzen had chosen.
Using a more formal and flawless method, in full view of everyone, relying on Konoha's true strength to beautifully resolve this troublesome challenge.
Not only could they recover their reputation and consolidate their authority, but they could also smoothly obtain the subsequent mission rewards, while at the same time giving a reminder to people in the village who had grown somewhat complacent due to peace.
...…
At this moment, the gate of the passageway on one side of the arena slowly opened under the focus of countless gazes.
The clamor suddenly fell silent. All discussion and noise seemed to be wiped away by an invisible hand, leaving only the faint whimper of wind passing through the massive circular stands.
The first to walk out was that tall, burly figure, dressed in dark, simple samurai clothing, with a katana at his waist.
He was alone, his steps steady, as he entered this vast and magnificent venue capable of holding tens of thousands of spectators.
Isshin thus exposed himself, without any buffer, to the blazing midday sun of Konoha and the overwhelming torrent of gazes, like a roaring sea.
The light outlined the hard lines of his face and his broad shoulders.
He slowly raised his head, his calm gaze sweeping across the densely packed crowd in the stands around him. Those gazes were filled with anger, curiosity, and contempt.
Faced with a pressure that would suffocate ordinary people, there was not the slightest hint of stage fright on his face. Instead, he bared his teeth in a pure, wild, and unruly grin, his snow-white teeth flashing in the sunlight.
"Now this looks like something."
Isshin's voice was not loud, yet it seemed to carry a strange, penetrating force, clearly spreading throughout the suddenly silent arena.
The show was finally about to begin.
Let this match, watched by countless eyes, become the final and most important whetstone before the storm of the Third Shinobi World War descends, allowing him to obtain that crucial recognition and transformation.
To set up this stage, he has staked even his coffin savings, the royalties from the serialized manga, the rewards he painstakingly saved from carrying out missions, even the consultation fees earned from making rounds at the hospital… No!
He can't think about it!
The more he thinks about it, the more it hurts!
He took a deep breath, completely casting aside distracting thoughts. His gaze became sharp as a blade as he looked toward the passage from which his opponent would soon appear.
At this moment, he was Isshin of the Ashina Style. A foreign samurai who longed for strong opponents and did not hesitate to spend heavily in order to fight one.
And on the high platform, the gaze of the third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, also truly fell upon the young samurai in the arena for the first time.
Yesterday, there had only been words and photographs in a report. Today, seeing the real person, an inexplicable feeling rose in his heart.
Strange, this young man somehow gave him a subtle sense of familiarity and an indescribable feeling of closeness.
Not only him, but the two advisors beside him also seemed to have noticed something as well.
Homura Mitokado pushed up his glasses and asked quietly with some confusion, "Hiruzen, have we seen this samurai somewhere before? Although his face is unfamiliar, looking at his figure and bearing, he somehow feels slightly familiar."
The third Hokage nodded, his tone equally puzzled. "I feel something similar, but I am certain that I have never seen this samurai before."
Koharu Utatane also frowned slightly and carefully examined Isshin below, then snorted coldly.
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