The Anbu squad leader, San-Xiao, gritted his teeth and addressed Tsunade: "I will dispatch one squad to return to the village and explain the situation to the Third Hokage. However, the remaining twelve of us must stay as... as Lady Kushina's guardians!"
He was well aware of the disciplinary measures awaiting him for his slip-up, but as long as he wore the mask of the Anbu, he could not abandon his current directive.
Tsunade knew that expelling them completely was unrealistic; Kushina did indeed require protection. She met his gaze with a cold, hardened expression. "I won't interfere with your mission, but stay out of my sight."
San-Xiao retreated as if granted a divine reprieve. Their job was to protect Kushina from the shadows anyway; as long as Tsunade permitted them to remain, they didn't need to be seen.
Logically, because of the Anbu's security breach, the safest move for Kushina would have been an immediate return to Konoha. Even Tsunade hesitated, reconsidering her earlier decision to let her stay. However, Kushina remained adamant. The chance that a single slip of the tongue within a high-level command center—protected by layers of elite shinobi—would leak to a spy was statistically low.
What piqued Kushina's curiosity was how Hagoromo seemed so well-informed about her status as the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. She didn't press him for his sources, though. She had known from the start that her disciple was exceptionally perceptive and acted with a maturity far beyond his years. After months of training together, it wasn't surprising he'd pieced it together. Perhaps she had let a detail slip in passing, and he had simply connected the dots.
More than anything, she was touched by his defense of her. Even knowing she carried the "monster" within her, Hagoromo's attitude toward her hadn't shifted an inch. He showed no fear, no hostility, no pity—just the same calm respect.
To Hagoromo, a Tailed Beast was essentially a "Rare Beast" (尾兽=珍兽). Having come from another world, he viewed these chakra entities with curiosity rather than prejudice. He understood that a Jinchūriki is a human being and the beast is a beast; while the former acts as a vessel for the latter, they remain an individual. Most people in this world, unfortunately, were blinded by fear and hate.
Once the Anbu had left, Tsunade looked at the boy. "Kamishiraishi Hagoromo. You did well. I'll remember that name."
It was a statement of genuine approval. Hagoromo's willingness to strike at an Anbu for his teacher's sake won her over. While shinobi are often molded to be emotionless tools, Tsunade—who had lost so much—valued that spark of loyalty.
And so, Kushina and Hagoromo's stint on the front lines began.
From Hagoromo's perspective, life at the command center wasn't drastically different from Konoha, aside from the palpable tension. In fact, without specific missions assigned to him, he was arguably more bored. He spent his downtime refining the Reverse Four Symbols Sealing technique. He even asked Kushina to teach him the Reaper Death Seal (Dead Demon Consuming Seal), but she flatly refused.
Hagoromo might be "mature," but he also had a reckless streak—one that Kushina knew all too well from their shared "incidents." She didn't refuse him out of stinginess or village regulations (the Uzumaki seals belonged to her clan, not the Hokage), but out of fear. She knew Hagoromo was the type of person who might actually use a suicidal seal if the situation demanded it.
Surprisingly, even the restless Kushina managed to sit still and help Tsunade with paperwork. She understood the gravity of the situation; being allowed to stay at the HQ was a privilege, and pushing to go to the actual front lines would likely result in an immediate escort back to the village.
Hagoromo took the time to study the tactical layout of the Konoha defense. The line against the Sand was organized into a three-tier system:
The Vanguard (60km away): Located within the Land of Rivers, this was a loose line of roughly 600 shinobi. Its primary purpose was early warning and reconnaissance.
The Main Force (20km behind the Vanguard): Consisting of 1,500 ninjas, these were organized into mobile strike groups. Once the Vanguard identified an enemy breakthrough, these forces would move rapidly to intercept and neutralize the threat.
The Command Center (30km behind the Main Force): This was the heart of the operation—HQ, supply depots, and the field hospital. It was guarded by 500 elite ninjas directly under the command of the Sannin.
This vertical-depth formation allowed Konoha to maximize its limited numbers against a numerically superior foe. For now, a full-scale counter-offensive into the Land of Wind was out of the question; they were playing a game of attrition.
Strategic Depth: The Three-Tier Defense
By layering the defense, Konoha trades space for time, allowing them to identify the Sand's "Main Effort" before committing their 1,500-man mobile reserve.
[Table: Konoha Defense Distribution]
| Layer | Distance from HQ | Strength | Role |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Vanguard | 50-60 km | 600 Ninjas | Early Warning / Scouting |
| Mobile Force | 30 km | 1,500 Ninjas | Active Combat / Interception |
| Command | 0 km | 500 Ninjas | Logistics / Med / Strategy |