Chapter 52: Tsunade Awakens

After the Sand shinobi were wiped out, Hatake Sakumo appeared next to Uchiha Jin.

"You finished that fast?"

Jin looked at Sakumo in surprise, referring both to the speed at which Sakumo had eliminated the Sand shinobi and how quickly he used the "Swift Step" technique.

Sakumo had dispatched the Sand shinobi as if he were slicing through vegetables, with little effort. His speed using Swift Step was also astonishing—Jin couldn't keep up at all, even at the basic level of the technique. He might only be able to follow if he activated his Sharingan.

However, Sakumo gave Jin a serious look and said, "Men shouldn't be described as 'fast.'"

"Seriously!? You're making dirty jokes now? Get a grip, you're a jonin!"

Jin hadn't expected Sakumo to be so cheeky. Meanwhile, Aburame Mushi, reformed from her insect swarm, blushed and lowered her head.

Jin: (=_=).

As someone who considered himself "serious," he was really struggling to handle these two quirky individuals.

"Let's keep moving," Sakumo said, putting away his blade as he continued quickly through the forest.

Jin and Mushi followed behind, leaping from branch to branch, their speed remarkable. Jin could feel the wind rushing past as they moved.

While it seemed like Sakumo was leading the way, in reality, Mushi was using her insects to scout the surrounding area. Jin, on the other hand, felt more like a tag-along, with little to contribute.

Suddenly, the buzzing of insects reached Jin's ears, causing his eyes to narrow. His once-relaxed expression instantly turned serious, but after a quick glance at Mushi, he pretended nothing had changed.

The three of them stopped and quickly took cover—there were enemy shinobi nearby. Jin couldn't help but wonder how and when Mushi had managed to place an insect in his ear. If she could do that so easily, she could also kill him if she wanted.

But since they were teammates, he had no choice but to suppress the unsettling thought for now.

Sakumo glanced at Jin briefly, showing no indication that he had noticed anything. Through the thick foliage, they watched as a three-man Sand shinobi team moved through the forest.

The insect in Jin's ear buzzed, transmitting information.

"That group is bait. There are five more shinobi teams hidden behind them."

Jin grew even more puzzled. Didn't Sakumo kill everyone at the previous sentry post? What were the Sand shinobi trying to probe?

It wasn't the right time to ask, so Jin stayed quiet.

As the Sand shinobi team disappeared into the distance, the three remained in hiding, waiting patiently. Almost an hour later, the same Sand shinobi returned, now running along the ground.

Moments later, a group of about fifteen Sand shinobi emerged from their hiding spots.

The Sand shinobi didn't speak; instead, they communicated through quick hand signals, using a method unique to their village.

"They're really cautious," Sakumo remarked quietly, drawing his blade.

The number of enemies had been confirmed.

In the next instant, Sakumo's figure vanished, reappearing amidst the group of Sand shinobi.

"Who's there!?"

"A Leaf ninja!?"

"Was it you who wiped out the sentry post!?"

The Sand shinobi shouted in anger, but their rage quickly turned to fear as they saw the white light emanating from Sakumo's blade.

A moment later, he moved like a white crescent moon, slicing through the group.

As the blood dripped from his blade, Sakumo sheathed it, and five Sand shinobi collapsed to the ground, their heads separated from their bodies.

They hadn't even had time to react.

Jin and Mushi, the team's two "accessories," emerged from hiding.

"Do the Sand Village shinobi really communicate that quickly?" Jin asked.

"Never underestimate the Five Great Shinobi Villages," Sakumo warned. "Konoha also has ways of instantly knowing when a sentry post has fallen, and the Sand Village is no different."

Jin rubbed his nose awkwardly. He hadn't known that Konoha had such methods.

The three continued their journey, though the Sand shinobi were appearing more frequently.

When the enemy group was small, Sakumo would eliminate them. If the numbers were larger, they would hide and wait.

Eventually, the three of them found refuge in a cave, where they concealed themselves using a disguise jutsu.

"Are we going any further?" Jin asked, now feeling like the forest was swarming with Sand shinobi. Almost every few steps, they encountered a squad.

If they kept going, they might end up running into the Sand Village's main forces stationed in the Land of Rivers.

Sakumo leaned against the cave wall and closed his eyes.

"We'll rest here for now. The road ahead will be even more dangerous."

Although Sakumo didn't answer directly, it was clear that he had no intention of turning back.

Jin was now sure that Sakumo intended to head straight for the Sand Village's main forces.

---

Elsewhere, Tsunade woke from her unconscious state.

As she sat up, she saw her reflection in a nearby mirror, her face marred with dark purple marks.

Without hesitation, she sat cross-legged and began to focus, reforming the seals in her hands.

After extensive use, she had gained a deep understanding of the technique Thousand Spiders Poison Hand. Soon, the dark marks on her face began to recede, as if something were absorbing them, and her face returned to its youthful and beautiful state.

"It really is an incredible jutsu," Tsunade muttered, knowing that she now owed Uchiha Jin a significant favor.

A technique like this could have made an entire clan famous during the Warring States Period.

And this was a debt that couldn't be repaid simply by granting Jin one viewing of the Sealed Scroll.

With a sigh, Tsunade set that thought aside for now. She pulled out a scroll, bit her finger, and summoned a heap of medical tools in front of her.

She needed to develop a new antidote.

After completing her work, Tsunade immediately went looking for Sakumo, only to be greeted with unsettling news.

"Sakumo took Jin and Aburame Mushi to infiltrate the Land of Rivers?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," the bespectacled kunoichi nodded calmly. "Sakumo-sama has left me in charge of the camp."

Hearing this, Tsunade narrowed her eyes and looked at the kunoichi.

"Are you sure?"

The kunoichi nodded firmly.

"Yes, I'm sure."

In the next instant, Tsunade moved, grabbing the kunoichi by the throat and lifting her off the ground.

"Tsu-Tsunade-sama…"

The kunoichi struggled, but she was no match for Tsunade's monstrous strength. Purple liquid began to seep from Tsunade's arm, corroding the kunoichi's skin. When the kunoichi opened her mouth to gasp for air, Tsunade tossed her to the ground.

"As I thought… the Tongue-Curse Seal," Tsunade muttered. The mark on the kunoichi's tongue was a symbol of Danzo's Root organization.

The kunoichi coughed violently.

"Go back and tell Danzo—he's not allowed to interfere with the frontlines."

"Yes…"

The kunoichi gritted her teeth, furious that her plan had failed, but she knew better than to think of revenge against Tsunade.

"And one more thing."

As Tsunade donned her armor once more, she ordered, "Tell every capable fighter in the camp—prepare to follow me. We're taking back our land!"

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