Front Line and Military Police Force Discussions

"Tsunade, why are you here?"

When Sarutobi Hiruzen saw Shiranui Genma, Namiashi Raidō, and the third man bring Tsunade over with the Flying Thunder God, his eyes widened in surprise.

Tsunade had come to the front line—what about the village?

"Old man, you don’t need to worry about the village. I promoted several assistants to help handle affairs. I wouldn’t have left the village without a reliable plan."

Before Sarutobi Hiruzen could speak, Tsunade already knew what he wanted to say and answered first.

"You should know that I’m the Hokage now. I know exactly what responsibilities I bear."

Yakushi Kabuto, Kimimaro, Shizune, Kimura, Kakashi, and members of several other neutral ninja clans had gradually been promoted into key village departments by Tsunade, filling the positions Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura had previously left vacant.

After Sarutobi Shinnosuke led the Anbu to deal with the Suna-nin behind Kikyo Castle, Danzo had been confined to his home, with Kimimaro watching him closely.

Furthermore, Tsunade and Kimimaro could communicate remotely. If anything happened within Konoha, Tsunade would absolutely be the first to know.

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed. "As long as you know what you’re doing. After all, you’ve already become Hokage."

Tsunade snorted and said to Sarutobi Hiruzen, "You’re worried about your old teammates, aren’t you? As long as they don’t cause me trouble, I don’t have the time to deal with them for now. But if they try to make trouble while I’m away from Konoha, old man, don’t blame me when the time comes."

"…"

Tsunade had guessed every thought in Sarutobi Hiruzen’s mind. He silently began smoking his pipe. Even on the battlefield, he found it difficult to quit this habit.

After the two Hokage finished speaking, Nara Shikaku stepped half a pace forward and asked, "Tsunade-sama, did you come to the front line because something happened?"

"Of course. When I heard you mention the Rinnegan, I suddenly remembered something."

Tsunade had already prepared an excuse before coming. When Nara Shikaku asked, she immediately replied, "During the Second Shinobi World War, Jiraiya took in three disciples in the Rain Country. He stayed there for three years to care for them. One of them was named Nagato. He was the boy who possessed the Rinnegan."

"What?" Sarutobi Hiruzen’s expression froze upon hearing this. He immediately put down his pipe and asked, "Jiraiya knew about the Rinnegan back then? He stayed in Amegakure to care for three disciples? Why didn’t I know about this?"

"Jiraiya probably had his own plans. He spends all day immersed in the toads’ prophecies. Besides, even if the Rinnegan had been handed to you, could you have protected it?"

Tsunade let out a scornful laugh. Even Kushina’s son had been taken by Root, and Kushina herself had nearly been killed by Root ninja. If her teacher had been able to restrain Danzo even a little, how could he have become so arrogant?

The Konoha White Fang had been driven to suicide by criticism after abandoning a mission that caused losses to the Land of Fire. How much of Konoha’s strength had Danzo squandered? Yet all he received was dismissal from every post.

Tsunade had long made up her mind. Once the war in the Rain Country ended, she would deal with Danzo as the Fifth Hokage.

After committing such grave mistakes, he wanted to simply walk away as though nothing had happened? Keep dreaming.

"Slug Princess, so what if the Rinnegan leader of Amegakure is Jiraiya’s disciple? Are you planning to make peace with him?"

Ōnoki rose to his feet and spoke to Tsunade. If that was Konoha’s intention, then the Iwa-nin he represented would certainly break with Konoha.

"Even if I wanted peace, the other side wouldn’t agree, Old Man Two Scales."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly and addressed everyone in the tent. "I’m afraid you’ll die at his hands. You only know a little about the Rinnegan, yet you think defeating six puppets means you’ve defeated the Rinnegan? Then Konoha’s elite will truly all be left behind in the Rain Country."

When she said this, Tsunade saw everyone in the tent fall slightly dazed. She could not help laughing softly before continuing, "I don’t care in the slightest what happens to the Iwa-nin. But if Konoha suffers such massive casualties just after I become the Fifth Hokage, that would be quite a blow to my reputation."

"Alright, that’s enough. I’ll take over command from here on. Shikaku, arrange a tent for me."

With that, Tsunade rose and left the tent.

After she left, Nara Shikaku gave Sarutobi Hiruzen a helpless smile before withdrawing. Once she was gone, Hyuga Kiyomi and the others also left the command tent.

That final statement had clearly been a display of the two Hokage fighting over authority. However, both authority and righteousness were on Tsunade’s side. Even Nara Shikaku, who had always been close to the Sarutobi Family, had no choice but to obey Tsunade’s orders.

"Haah…"

Sarutobi Hiruzen picked up his pipe again and took a puff. He felt himself growing older and older. Faced with his aggressive disciple, he had seemingly not even entertained the thought of arguing just now.

No, that would not do. At the very least, he had to wait until his younger son, Sarutobi Asuma, started a family before retiring completely. Before then, the Sarutobi Family had to retain a certain degree of power in the village.

Sorry, Tsunade. You’ll understand your teacher, won’t you?

Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a ring of smoke as he thought to himself. By the time he finished thinking, no one remained in the tent. Even Ōnoki had no desire to involve himself in Konoha’s internal power struggle and had left early.

The Iwa-nin’s treatment for their wounded still depended on Konoha. If they angered the Slug Princess for no reason, Konoha might even halt treatment for their casualties going forward.

Not long afterward, Tsunade’s tent was arranged, and she forcefully took command of the Rain Country battlefield.

The intelligence she had brought was highly valuable and could spare the front line’s intelligence division much useless effort.

Because Tsunade needed to establish her authority, she did not take the initiative to seek out Pain. Instead, she waited for him to come knocking.

However, inside her tent, Tsunade still summoned Hyuga Kiyomi and Yuhi Kurenai. Although Tsunade had not managed to probe any specific information from Hyuga Mirai, based on her understanding of that White-eyed Kid, there was no way he did not care at all about former acquaintances.

Moreover, Tsunade needed to sound out the Hyūga Clan in advance regarding the reform of the Military Police Force. Although Hyuga Kiyomi was not the Hyuga Clan head, Tsunade had long heard of this Main House Elder’s "unusual" conduct.

Whether in terms of strength or manner of action, Tsunade felt that Hyuga Kiyomi was the best choice to be Captain of the Military Police Force.

"Fifth Lord."

After Hyuga Kiyomi and Yuhi Kurenai arrived at Tsunade’s tent, they respectfully greeted her. They both deeply admired the legendary Sannin and Konoha’s foremost female ninja.

When female students at the Konoha Ninja Academy introduced themselves upon enrollment, many of them said their dream was to become female ninja like Tsunade-sama.

"No need to be so formal. Sit wherever you like."

After saying that, Tsunade sat directly on the bed. Though she had told them to sit wherever they liked, Hyuga Kiyomi and Yuhi Kurenai looked around and found only two cushions. They brought them over and sat directly before Tsunade.

"You both know about the Uchiha matter, so I won’t beat around the bush. Konoha cannot be without a Military Police Force, so I intend for the Hyūga, Inuzuka, and Aburame to build its framework, then supplement it with civilian ninja. Kiyomi, Kurenai, what do you think?"

Hyuga Kiyomi and Yuhi Kurenai were both slightly startled upon hearing Tsunade’s words. Rebuilding the Military Police Force… Was she telling them in advance because she intended to put them to important use?

"Thank you for your favor, Tsunade-sama. After this war, I intend to contend for the position of Patriarch. Once I succeed, I will certainly lead the Hyūga Clan in serving Konoha."

Hyuga Kiyomi did not deliberate for long before speaking to Tsunade. However, her words greatly surprised both Tsunade and Yuhi Kurenai beside her.

Tsunade had only wanted Hyuga Kiyomi to lead the Hyūga Clan into the Military Police Force. She had never expected her to intend to contend for the position of Hyuga Clan Head. Tsunade spoke with some difficulty, "Um… Hyuga Kiyomi, about this…"

Tsunade did not want turmoil to arise in Konoha, yet she did not know how to say it. Hyuga Kiyomi’s gaze was incomparably resolute. Someone with such conviction could not be persuaded by a few words.

Hyuga Kiyomi said, "Please rest assured, Tsunade-sama. There will not be a bloody coup d’état. The position of Hyuga Clan Head has changed before. Two hundred and seventy years ago, because the Patriarch at the time committed a grave error, the position was handed to the ancestor of the current Patriarch."

"But Hiashi…" Tsunade had originally wanted to say that Hyuga Hiashi had not made any major mistakes, but she swallowed the words before they left her mouth.

What she wanted was stability within Konoha, and Hyuga Kiyomi had promised that no one would die. Unless Tsunade intervened in the ninja clan’s internal affairs as Hokage—but if she did that, it would be utterly foolish.

Tsunade suddenly regretted asking Hyuga Kiyomi about this.

"Forget it. Do as you wish. But when the time comes, I’ll have Anbu standing guard outside. I hope you understand me. Konoha cannot have another Uchiha incident."

Tsunade scratched her golden hair, wishing she could drag Hyuga Mirai or Yakushi Kabuto over right now to help her think of a solution.

"Kurenai, what about you? Do you want to join the Military Police Force? The rebuilt Military Police Force won’t be like the old one."

Facing Tsunade’s question, Yuhi Kurenai smiled faintly. "Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Tsunade-sama, but the Military Police Force’s duties are too peaceful. Once the war ends, I still want to take missions that can train me and improve my strength."

Tsunade lowered her head slightly. She had not expected her first attempt at inviting people to end in almost complete failure. One wanted to launch a clan coup d’état, while the other thought the Military Police Force was too peaceful.

"Kurenai, why are you in such a hurry to improve your strength? With your current strength, you’re already among the elite Jonin." Tsunade asked curiously, then seemed to think of something and narrowed her eyes at Yuhi Kurenai.

"Because… without strength, there are many things I can’t do." Yuhi Kurenai gave a vague answer, but it was enough for Tsunade to guess.

She still wanted to find Hyuga Mirai, just like Jiraiya back then. But Yuhi Kurenai was a woman, so perhaps companionship weighed a little less heavily for her.

Tsunade thought to herself. Setting aside what that brat had done, he really did have considerable appeal. If he remained in Konoha, his popularity would probably exceed that of the Fourth Hokage and Kakashi combined.

"Alright. Since you both have your own plans, I won’t say more. But Kurenai, if you want to improve your strength, come find me in the future!"

Tsunade said with a faint smile at the corner of her lips, "If I have time, I can give you some guidance."