102 Master of Changing Faces

At night, the lights in the Hokage building were still on.

"Hokage, the current battle situation is perilous. We cannot afford such bold offensives. Just maintaining the situation in the east is enough. At least, we must wait until..."

Homura Mitokado spoke worriedly in the office.

The next moment, with a loud bang, Tsunade kicked the door open and entered.

The Third Hokage rubbed his temples.

Headache!

Dealing with one Homura Mitokado was troublesome enough, and now Tsunade had arrived, suggesting another complicated discussion was imminent.

He stood up, about to scold her, but Tsunade slammed a scroll onto the desk.

In fact, Tsunade had thought about smashing the desk with her palm for more impact, but considering she might need it later, she restrained herself.

"Enough of the old generation's dilly-dallying, Grandpa, take a look for yourself!" Tsunade glanced at Homura with a mix of contempt and disDuyn.

Always bossing around, do you understand warfare?

Ridiculous!

The Third Hokage was momentarily stunned, then quickly realized that the report Tsunade brought must be important intelligence from Kyōichi, perhaps a significant battle report. He gestured for Homura to be quiet and then opened the scroll.

At first glance, the Third Hokage's breath caught, almost overwhelmed with joy.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

"Hokage, what's wrong? As I was saying..."

Homura rushed to comfort him, thinking the Hokage was upset and about to reprimand Tsunade. But then he caught a glimpse of the report, which read:

"The Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, accompanied by one other, launched a surprise attack on the eastern border. They were intercepted by Kyōichi, Might Duy, and Hayama Shirakumo, resulting in four killed, three captured, and only Mangetsu Hōzuki escaping via Water Escape.

The Hōzuki Clan is notoriously elusive.

It was common knowledge in the shinobi world that capturing a member of the Hōzuki Clan was rare. Kyōichi's previous capture of Hōzuki Mangetsu was an exception. Therefore, Mangetsu Hōzuki's escape was not surprising. However, the unexpected part was that the three of them wiped out the Seven Swordsmen?

Are you kidding me?

He opened his mouth but was speechless for a long time.

"Unbelievable, truly unbelievable... I agreed to let you discuss plans with him, trusting in Kyōichi's capabilities not to be disadvantaged, but he has almost resolved the situation in the east!"

The Third Hokage was somewhat incoherent.

He was too excited.

Each of the Seven Swordsmen wielded a unique ninja sword, and combined with their Hidden Mist and assassination techniques, they posed a significant threat to their ninja forces.

With the death of these seven, the threat from the Mist Village's border was significantly reduced.

"Hey, I don't quite understand your generation. You're all so powerful yet so hesitant, like... With three villages besieging us, we need to break through somewhere. If not attacking the Mist Village, do you plan to start with the Cloud Village?"

Tsunade swept a cold glance.

Homura was silently speechless.

In the face of such facts, any words were futile. He looked at the report, still disbelieving, but reality was more persuasive than anything else, especially with Yamanaka Clan's seal on it.

The Yamanaka Clan would never lie about such matters.

The Third Hokage was speechless.

Tsunade wasn't just criticizing Homura; she was also indirectly targeting him, but he had nothing to say.

Holding the report, he was excited and overjoyed. After a while, he gently tapped the desk and turned to Homura, "Old friend, why don't you go to the front lines..."

Homura was stunned for a long time. He looked at the Hokage and then at Tsunade.

Seeing Tsunade's anxious and desperate demeanor, he chuckled bitterly and said, "Perhaps I really am old. Going to the front lines might actually hinder everyone. If needed, I won't hesitate to offer my life!"

"Senior Homura, don't say that. Everyone knows your past contributions. Now that you're of age, it's time for us, the younger generation, to exert ourselves to protect the village, without burdening you with the battlefield."

"The Hidden Leaf is not yet in such dire straits!"

Tsunade's attitude changed in an instant -

Just a moment ago, she was criticizing the older generation, and now she referred to Homura as 'Senior Homura'.

Her swift change in attitude left even the Third Hokage astonished.

But he understood Tsunade's stance.

She didn't want Homura on the front lines, as his high status and seniority could significantly impact frontline operations.

Interference in the middle of a battle, even for someone like Jiraiya, would be a headache.

Better to have him stay behind.

He felt somewhat sorry, but Homura's decision to step back was the best outcome. If he actually went to the battlefield...

With their aging limbs, it might indeed be a donation of life to the enemy.

However.

He didn't know what to assign Homura to for the moment.

After some thought...

The Third Hokage asked, "The war hasn't fully started yet. Why don't you guide the genin and chūnin in the village?"

"That would be good. Please trust that I won't be stingy with my life when needed."

Homura couldn't help but say.

After speaking, he didn't linger and sighed as he walked out of the office.

With Homura gone, Tsunade had no need for harsh words. She chuckled and said to the Third Hokage, "Teacher, Senior Homura still has many merits."

"Sigh, it's best if you understand. Let's leave it at that. You two have different ideals, that's all."

The Third Hokage shook his head and said no more. He took the scroll and looked it over again, then frowned, "What about the six swords?"

"To prevent them from being reclaimed by the Mist Village, Kyōichi sealed them and placed them in the Shikkotsu Forest."

Tsunade blushed slightly.

Kyōichi's intention was obvious. Preventing the Mist Village from retrieving the swords was one aspect, but more so, he feared the Third Hokage might find an excuse to take them—like the Mist Village coming to negotiate a peace using the swords.

She also believed the Third Hokage was capable of such actions.

Silent, the Third Hokage finally spoke after a few seconds, "Tsunade, has your illness... improved?"

Tsunade's mood darkened, and she gently shook her head. But then, she said, "It has eased somewhat, but not completely healed. However, having decided to succeed, I will carry their beliefs and become a worthy Hokage!"

"That's good to hear. I can truly rest easy knowing this. After the war, you shall succeed the position," the Third Hokage said, relieved.

Kyōichi's performance had exceeded his expectations, crucially balancing the power in the eastern lands. He could imagine that once the war ended, Tsunade, bolstered by Kyōichi's prestige, would face no obstacles in succeeding as the Fourth Hokage. His only concern was Tsunade's "illness" - its improvement signified her emotional burdens were lifting.

"Lord Kyōichi,"

"Reduce the patrols by half, let everyone take turns. If the Hidden Mist Village seeks reconciliation, ignore it for now. We'll discuss this in a few days."

"Yes!"

Back at the camp, Kyōichi issued a series of orders. Although six of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist were gone, the Mist's main forces remained a significant threat. Unless they openly betrayed the Hidden Cloud, he wouldn't lower the guard.

After arranging these, Kyōichi dispelled his shadow clone and visited the tent where Might Duy was.

"Kyōichi-sensei!"

Might Guy, wiping away tears, looked worried.

"I'll check on him."

Duy was unconscious. He often used the Sixth Gate, but the Seventh Gate and the Daytime Tiger were new to him. Kyōichi examined him carefully.

After a while, he smiled and said, "Guy, your father is fine, just exhausted."

"Really?"

Hearing this, Might Guy was overjoyed.

"Yes, but he needs to rest for a few days after waking up. Don't let him train during this period. You take care of guarding your father."

"Yes!"

Might Guy was thrilled.

Kyōichi patted his shoulder and walked out of the tent. Asuma and the others looked worried but dared not approach.

"It's okay now, everyone rest."

"Yes!"

"Sensei, that technique by senpai Duy..."

Shisui was curious. That technique seemed beyond normal ninjutsu or taijutsu.

"I assume that beyond the Sixth Gate, each gate brings distinct changes, possibly leading to unique taijutsu techniques. That technique must be one Duy developed himself," Kyōichi said, addressing everyone. "If your talent isn't enough, maintain focus. Even mastering one technique can forge it into steel."

"Yes!"

Everyone was inspired, believing Kyōichi's teachings were spot on. Focus on one path could still lead to success.

Of course, this was somewhat misleading. Focusing on one path could lead to success, but it didn't guarantee exceptional strength – certainly not on par with the Eight Gates.

For example, Kurenai in the anime and manga. Focused on genjutsu, but in the end, she was just that.

Indeed, Kurenai was only a year older than Asuma's group but only became a jōnin just before the Twelve Ninja Guardians graduated.

So, such advice should be taken with a grain of salt.

A system notification sounded, but Kyōichi didn't pay much attention, just giving it a cursory glance.

Ordinary ninjutsu.

Nothing significant.

After bidding farewell to the kids, he visited Inoichi.

Inoichi had to work overtime.

Seeing Inoichi's exhausted face, Kyōichi pondered. Could his chakra absorption technique be further developed and reversed into a chakra transfer technique?

It was an idea worth exploring.

However, not a priority for now. Chakra absorption was hard to generalize; it required precise chakra control. Weak control meant erratic absorption and conversion rates.

By late night, the second batch of the Uchiha clan arrived.

Led by Fugaku Uchiha, he expected to face a dire battlefield and take on a significant role. He even contemplated how much effort the Uchiha should exert, wary of causing alarm in Konoha.

But upon arriving at Nagano Mountain, he found calm.

Meeting with the Eighth Uchiha, their conversation left Fugaku stunned.

The Seven Swordsmen gone? The eastern front relatively safe?

This...

A well-laid plan, only to end up outwitting the air!

Fugaku, dumbfounded, didn't know what to say.

After a long pause.

"Anything else happen these days?"

"The next Hokage might be Tsunade."

"I guessed as much. Anything else?"

Fugaku wasn't too surprised. Kyōichi's appointment and Tsunade's return clearly signaled her impending leadership.

Yashiro Uchiha shook his head.

Fugaku stared into the night sky, realizing his trip had been in vain.

If the Hidden Mist surrendered...

Would he have to return the next day?