Chapter 154: Chapter 154: Departure

Yuto opened his mouth and spit out the thin needle hidden under his tongue. This habit, developed over the years, was deeply ingrained in his body.

He shook his sleepy head and pushed open the window. The sky in the east was already getting light, and the cool dewdrops slid down the window frame, dripping onto the back of his hand.

The night was over.

Yuto stepped out of his room and leaned against the railing of the corridor, gazing at the Hokage Rock in the distance.

In the early spring morning, even the air was filled with a slight chill. However, the ninja world was very conducive to plant growth. Even though winter had just ended, the trees were already lush and green.

Cold was good for the body. Yuto let the cold wind hit his skin to quickly wake up his well-rested body and nerves.

Creak...

The door next to him opened, and Tsunade stepped out in a navy blue robe. Despite just waking up, her hair was smooth and not at all frizzy, even adorned with a jade hairpin.

---Yuto didn't know when it started, but Tsunade began consciously maintaining her appearance in front of her student, always looking beautiful whenever they met.

"Yuto, awake so early?"

"Yes, I'll be training in the back mountain in a while," Yuto replied with a smile. "If I don't train for a day, my body will rust."

"But you also need to make sure to rest," Tsunade said, tossing him a gourd. "Drink this to warm up."

"Is this sake?"

"If I don't drink for a day, my body craves it."

"Haha..." Yuto laughed, taking a swig before handing the gourd back to the blonde woman.

The two of them took turns sipping from the gourd, leaning against the railing and having a small drink in the early spring morning.

"This won't do, sensei, drinking like this is a bit boring."

"What do you suggest?"

"Let's get some snacks to go with the drink."

"It's early morning, and the eateries aren't open yet," Tsunade said, frowning. She suddenly noticed her student's mischievous grin, eyes fixed on her earlobes. If she showed him even a little kindness, he would definitely pounce on her, playing and squeezing her ears.

"...You brat, if you want to swim in the pond, I can throw you in."

"Sensei, why so violent? There should be harmony between teacher and student," Yuto said, scratching his chin. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. "Shizune hasn't woken up yet, right? How about we wake her up by something? Watching her reaction would definitely make the sake taste better."

"Are you the devil?" Tsunade glared at him. "What if we damage her eardrums? Let's just catch some bugs and put them in her bed. It's quiet and entertaining."

As they were discussing mischievously, an Anbu member suddenly descended from the sky and knelt in the courtyard.

"Tsunade-sama, Yuto-sama, the Hokage requests your presence at the Hokage building immediately."

Yuto knew instantly that this urgency meant the Battle of Kannabi Bridge had likely erupted.

They quickly put on their standard green Konoha armor and arrived at the Hokage's office.

"Onoki is determined to capture Kusagakure," Hiruzen said as soon as they entered. "Yesterday, Minato already led the army to the front lines. A large-scale war is imminent. Although Jiraiya is in Amegakure, just in case, Yuto, you should go to the front lines as well."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Yuto replied, accepting the mission.

Hiruzen then turned to Tsunade. "You've been too idle lately... From today on, you should attend high-level meetings like Yuto."

"Ah? Old man, I've been listening to you argue since I was a kid. I know all the ins and outs. Why waste more time?"

"You know everything? Fine, tell me, how many Uchiha members have died in this war? What did we promise Fugaku to compensate for the Uchiha clan's sacrifices? Who are the candidates for Mizukage in Kirigakure? The Daimyo of the Land of Fire is about to visit Konoha. Do you know his intentions?"

Hiruzen rattled off a series of questions, and Tsunade couldn't answer a single one, mumbling in response.

"Tsunade, I won't be Hokage for much longer. You'll soon become a senior advisor and need to take on responsibilities..."

Hiruzen, clearly feeling his age, rambled on for quite a while. Finally remembering Yuto's mission, he waved them off.

"Oh, right, Yuto," the Third Hokage added as they were leaving, frowning. "The Anbu at the front told me Jiraiya led thousands to attack Amegakure last night. There's no report on the battle's outcome yet. Can you check on him and get me a report?"

'Attack Amegakure?' Yuto was surprised but bowed and left with Tsunade.

He found an excuse to go to the back mountain and performed a reverse summoning.

In a hidden corner of Shikkotsu Forest, Yuto moved a rock to reveal a scroll.

This spot was his and Ruri's fixed intelligence exchange point. With Shikkotsu Forest, they could transmit items and messages across distances.

There were two scrolls, each containing a few lines written in English.

The first scroll: "The powder made from Black Receivers has been put into Uchiha Obito's eye drops. He seems to have dry eye syndrome. Within a day, this powder will spread throughout his body. Before it fully metabolizes, you can easily locate him."

The second scroll: "Iwagakure is attacking Kusagakure. The three of us have been assigned to the expedition team. The Battle of Kannabi Bridge is about to erupt. Be careful. Oh, and I'm not in Amegakure, so I can't relay the information sent by Kitsu in time."

'She's such a model student,' Yuto thought, feeling impressed. He moved the stone back and burned the two scrolls.

Though he had some doubts, he didn't take Jiraiya's attack on Amegakure too seriously. With Nagato's hostile attitude toward surrounding villages and the threatening Rinnegan, getting attacked was inevitable. But without a chakra weapon like a tailed beast, Amegakure would be hard to conquer.

"But on the front lines, I need to find a chance to discuss diplomacy with Nagato. Just play along; without political wisdom, he can't survive among the three great nations..."

With these thoughts, Yuto left Shikkotsu Forest.

Tsunade helped him check his armor and wristbands. Shizune, now awake, sleepily went to the kitchen to prepare some bento, which Yuto stored in a sealing scroll before leaving the village gates.

This mission was solo support, meant to prevent any top-level enemy attacks, so he had no subordinates. Yuto, lightly equipped, left Konoha alone.

(End of Chapter)