Chapitre 126: Chapter 126: On the Road, Master and Apprentice
In the Land of Waterfalls, a Konoha team is moving swiftly.
The team is divided into two parts: at the front are three individuals: a short man in ceremonial robes, a boy with white eyes and black hair, and a beautiful blonde woman.
Trailing far behind is a standard wartime unit configuration: fourteen Jonin, two hundred and sixty Chunin, and five hundred seventy-seven Genin, along with ambush, reconnaissance, medical emergency, and frontal combat units.
This is the Konoha unit heading to rescue the Third Raikage, A!
Hiruzen, Yuto, and Tsunade are at the front, with the support team following distantly. Further behind, a massive Konoha force of nearly ten thousand has set off, just four hours behind Hiruzen's team.
The goal of this rescue mission is to free the Raikage from danger. As long as Konoha intervenes strongly, Iwagakure will retreat.
"Sensei, how is Jiraiya-sama doing?"
Yuto suddenly asked, turning to the blonde woman beside him.
"He's out of danger, but his throat was crushed and his spine is broken. He won't be able to fight for a long time," Tsunade sighed.
"And Minato? I heard he got stabbed in the lung by an enemy's strange weapon," Yuto said with a wry smile.
"He's better off than Jiraiya, but he still needs to rest," Tsunade replied.
"Damn Moon God and Akatsuki. If only Grandpa were here," Tsunade gritted her teeth but then deflated, "The village he treasured is being bullied like this. Thinking about it, I've really let Grandpa down, and Nawaki too..."
"Sensei, losing to the Rinnegan isn't shameful. It's the eye of a sage," Yuto consoled. "One day, we'll defeat those two bastards."
Tsunade patted her apprentice's shoulder, not responding. Despite Yuto's talent, fighting against the Rinnegan was a daunting task. In the shinobi world, a kekkei genkai represents at least a decade's worth of advantage, and for the Rinnegan, the gap could span generations.
As for the Moon God... the blonde woman considered him a more terrifying enemy than Nagato with his Rinnegan. His ability to see through her battle tactics with a single glance was an impressive talent.
Yuto was still a child, impulsive. It was best to avoid mentioning Akatsuki and the Moon God in front of him to prevent any rash actions. If anything happened to Yuto...
Lost in thought, Tsunade's gentle hand on Yuto's made the boy feel sleepy.
In this brief day, Yuto had used God's Mask twice in fierce battles, managed matters at the Konoha camp in Minato's absence, and now was following Hiruzen on a mission. He was exhausted and hadn't even dealt with the Uchiha "bait" and Meiko's corpse.
If not for the urgent mission to rescue the Raikage, he would have already gone home to sleep.
Yuto activated his Byakugan, seeing the support team five kilometers behind, not even their shadows visible. Hiruzen, at the front, was deep in thought, planning for the future, and had no time to notice his apprentice's small movements.
The Byakugan is truly useful, Yuto thought.
"Sensei," he said nonchalantly, moving closer to Tsunade, whispering in her ear, "I'm so tired... let me rest on you for a bit."
He wrapped his arms around her shoulders, leaning on her, his face buried in her golden hair, his lips brushing her slender, pale neck. "Sensei, keep an eye on the Hokage for me... don't let him see..."
The warm breath from his lips on her neck made Tsunade shiver. "Yuto! Are you a child?" she scolded softly.
There was no response. Yuto's breathing was steady; he had fallen asleep.
"You..." Tsunade twitched her mouth, wanting to drop him but couldn't bear to. Instead, she supported his half-leaning body, letting him sleep more comfortably.
Afterwards, Tsunade stole a glance at the empty space behind and then at Hiruzen ahead, her heart inexplicably racing.
'Why does it feel like we're thieves?' she thought.
...
The wind's flow suddenly became erratic. Even this slight change, undetectable by most instruments, was like a thunderclap to a master like Hiruzen.
It was the taste of "jutsu," Hiruzen thought with a sigh. Finally, A, you managed to hold out until now...
"Tsunade, Yuto, it's coming!" Hiruzen called out loudly.
Bang!
A dull sound came from behind. Hiruzen instinctively turned, seeing Yuto clutching his head in pain and Tsunade hurrying along.
"Sorry, Hokage-sama," Yuto said sheepishly, rubbing his head. "I hit a tree."
"Hmph, and you call yourself a Lion," Tsunade teased him unusually.
Hiruzen was stunned. With Tsunade's head lowered, he didn't see her blushing cheeks and assumed it was just a reprimand. He comforted, "Yuto, you've worked hard lately. After this mission, take a good rest."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," Yuto beamed. "I really want to sleep on a soft pillow..."
Boom!
A tree fell with a crash. Tsunade casually rubbed her wrist, as if she hadn't just knocked it down.
Yuto immediately shut up and focused on moving forward.
Hiruzen shook his head, thinking it was just a minor disagreement between the master and apprentice. He continued, "I sense chakra in the wind. We're close to the battlefield. A is indeed tough, holding out till now. It's his fate."
"Hokage-sama, should we charge straight in?" Yuto asked.
"No, intelligence reports Iwagakure deployed nearly ten thousand shinobi, while Kumogakure has only the Third Raikage holding the rear. Charging in isn't wise. Let's wait until the support team closes in," Hiruzen said.
The three stopped. Hiruzen, still worried about the village's future, took out his pipe, looking towards the battlefield, puffing away.
Yuto approached Tsunade.
The blonde woman gave him a warning look, but to her surprise, he was only discussing the attack plan seriously, respectful and earnest, like an ideal apprentice.
Tsunade blinked, feeling uneasy but, as the elder, too embarrassed to bring up the earlier incident.
Helpless, Tsunade huffed, standing beside Yuto, slightly raising her head.
In that moment, she realized something.
Yuto had indeed grown, taller since he left the village.
His lips... could touch her forehead.
Tsunade's mind flashed with this unsettling thought.
(End of Chapter)
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