Talent System In The Naruto Universe

"Lady Tsunade, how is my teacher doing now?"

Hyūga Kazama quickly asked as Tsunade finished the surgery.

"He's fine; he just fainted due to excessive blood loss," Tsunade explained, shaking her head. "Biwa Juzo's Executioner's Blade has a blood-absorbing ability."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade!"

Hyūga Kazama breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

"Sensei, are we continuing the mission?"

Once they were done talking, Hanekawa spoke up.

"We've already alerted the enemy. Kirigakure will likely relocate that camp, so there's no point in continuing," Tsunade replied before smiling. "Besides, taking down Biwa Juzo and Kurosuki Raiga is far more valuable than this mission."

"That's true."

Hanekawa was momentarily surprised but quickly understood.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were frontline commanders, with status equivalent to Tsunade herself.

The loss of two of them was a much greater blow to Kirigakure than losing a supply base or outpost.

After all, such elite jōnin were rare, even in the Five Great Nations.

Although, to Hanekawa, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen didn't seem all that formidable.

"Kazama, you and your team handle Hyūga Saku. The rest of us will return to camp," Tsunade instructed.

"Yes."

Hyūga Kazama and another teammate lifted the unconscious Hyūga Saku, and the group began retracing their steps.

Two hours later, they arrived back at the camp.

"Lady Tsunade, what happened?"

Nara Suzaku, who had been guarding the camp, quickly approached.

When he saw Hyūga Saku's condition, his expression turned to surprise.

To him, it was unthinkable that two jōnin—one of whom was one of the Sannin—would return in such a state.

"We encountered Biwa Juzo and Kurosuki Raiga," Tsunade said with a smile. "Spread the word—they're dead."

Although Tsunade wasn't one to boast, eliminating enemy commanders during a war was a morale booster. Letting every shinobi know would undoubtedly improve their spirits.

"Understood!"

Nara Suzaku was momentarily stunned but quickly responded with excitement.

This was a major victory! Even though he hadn't contributed directly, a victory over Kirigakure would mean rewards for all participating shinobi.

"Have the Hyūga clan keep an eye on Kirigakure's movements," Tsunade instructed. "With Juzo and Raiga dead, they'll definitely take action."

"Yes."

Nara Suzaku bowed and left.

"You all can rest now," Tsunade said, waving them off. "You didn't fight much, but you've been on the move for hours."

"Yes."

Yūhi Kurenai, Nohara Rin, and the others quickly complied.

Hyūga Kazama and his team carried Hyūga Saku back to their tent.

---

"Hey, kid."

Tsunade looked at Hanekawa and extended her hand.

"...?"

Hanekawa blinked and held her hand.

"What are you doing?"

Tsunade glared at him and swatted his hand away. "I meant the two ninja swords you picked up."

"Oh, those."

Hanekawa coughed lightly. "I found them, so naturally, they're mine."

"I'm fine with you keeping them, but those swords don't suit you. Don't use them in battle—they'll only drag you down," Tsunade said seriously, withdrawing her hand.

Hanekawa raised an eyebrow.

She's letting me keep them just like that?

He'd thought she would make him hand them over, but it turned out she was just concerned he might misuse them.

"This Executioner's Blade is yours,"

Hanekawa said, taking out a scroll. "As for Raiga's Lightning Blades, I plan to reforge them with my lightning... uh, my other sword."

He almost let slip the name of his Thunderfire Sword.

Each of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen's blades had unique abilities.

The Executioner's Blade could absorb blood to repair itself.

Raiga's Lightning Blades could generate and summon lightning.

If reforged with his Thunderfire Sword, the blades would sever their connection to the summoning scroll.

If someone like Uchiha Sasuke had these blades, he wouldn't need to go to such lengths to create thunderclouds for Kirin.

"That's a good idea," Tsunade said approvingly as she accepted the scroll.

A lightning-conducting blade wouldn't just enhance Lightning Release jutsu but also conserve chakra.

"Here's a tip," Tsunade added with a sly smile. "When we return, ask the old man to arrange it. That way, you won't have to pay for the reforging."

"Sensei, you're so cunning!"

Hanekawa's eyes lit up as he laughed.

"What are you saying?"

Tsunade flicked his forehead.

"Sensei is brilliant!"

Hanekawa quickly corrected himself.

At that moment, Tsunade pulled Hanekawa closer.

The faint scent of her fragrance surrounded him, and Hanekawa's gaze was instinctively drawn into a captivating abyss.

"Kid."

Tsunade leaned toward his ear and whispered, "I'm hungry. I want you to cook for me."

Having skipped breakfast and spent the entire morning out, she was starving.

However, with so many shinobi in the camp, it wouldn't be appropriate to prepare a private meal out in the open, so she needed to be discreet.

"I understand," Hanekawa replied with a knowing smile. "Let's head back to the tent."

"Let's go!"

Satisfied, Tsunade nodded, released him, and walked toward the tent. Hanekawa followed closely, locking the tent behind them.

---

Meanwhile, Kirigakure's camp was engulfed in a heavy silence.

When the bodies of Biwa Juzo and Kurosuki Raiga were brought back, disbelief was etched onto everyone's faces.

To them, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were supposed to be invincible—how could they possibly die?

"Mei Terumi, who killed them?"

A burly, orange-haired young man, Jinpachi Munashi, stepped out of the main tent.

Although the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were nominally equals, someone had to take charge during a war, and that role fell to Jinpachi Munashi, the current commander.

This was because he had long performed covert operations for Kirigakure, akin to Danzo Shimura's Root. With his immense strength, tactical mind, and deep foresight, he was the ideal choice.

"Tsunade," Mei Terumi replied gravely.

"Why did you encounter her?" Jinpachi frowned deeply.

Mei explained the situation briefly: Hyūga Saku had fallen into their trap, and during the pursuit, they had run into Tsunade.

"Idiots!"

Jinpachi's dissatisfaction was evident.

Unlike Raiga's ignorance, he understood Tsunade's strength. It was sheer arrogance, cultivated by their dominance in Kirigakure, that led to this disaster.

"You must relocate that camp immediately!" Jinpachi ordered.

The camp where Mei, Raiga, and Juzo had been stationed wasn't their main base but Kirigakure's largest supply point, crucial due to its proximity to the Land of Rivers. Now that it had been discovered by Tsunade, it could no longer be used.

"I've already ordered the relocation. They'll leave soon," Mei assured him.

"Good."

Jinpachi nodded. "What about their swords?"

"Tsunade took them," Mei replied.

In reality, it was Hanekawa who had taken them, but she attributed it to Tsunade to avoid drawing the attention of the remaining Seven Ninja Swordsmen to him.

Mei silently reflected that she was only repaying a life debt to that strange boy.

"Troublesome."

Jinpachi fell silent for a moment before saying, "We need to find a way to retrieve them."

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were defined by their seven legendary blades. Losing the blades was a much greater loss than losing the men who wielded them.

"Summon all jōnin to the main tent for a meeting," Jinpachi commanded after a pause.

"Yes."

Mei turned and left.

---

Soon, all of Kirigakure's jōnin had gathered in the main tent.

Standing at the forefront were the remaining five members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.

"Tsunade is really that strong?" asked Jinin Akebino, who carried the massive Blaster Sword: Splash, a large scroll-like blade wrapped in explosive tags, known for its terrifying destructive power.

"She's one of the Legendary Sannin, after all," Jinpachi said solemnly. "Not long ago, she even killed Hanzō of the Salamander, who was known as a demigod. If you encounter her, do not fight her alone!"

"Commander Jinpachi."

A jōnin reported, "We've just received word that five of our outposts in the Land of Rivers have been destroyed."

"As expected."

Jinpachi was unfazed. "It seems we'll need to change our strategy."

"What's the plan?"

Jinin Akebino asked calmly. "Don't forget to avenge the two of them."

While he had no personal feelings for Juzo and Raiga, as a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, failing to avenge their deaths would tarnish their reputation.

"I haven't forgotten," Jinpachi assured him before continuing, "With the outposts gone, it's the perfect time to implement our new strategy: guerilla warfare."

Kirigakure's shinobi excelled in Water Release and the Hidden Mist Jutsu. By relying on the sea and thick fog, they could harass Konoha and Sunagakure forces.

In essence, they would operate in small squads, leveraging their mobility to hunt enemies. If successful, great; if not, they would retreat to the sea.

This was, in fact, their original strategy. With only about a thousand shinobi, large-scale battles were out of the question.

They never expected Biwa Juzo and Kurotsuchi Raiga to fall so easily.

"One last thing," Jinpachi Munashi reminded, "Konoha has deployed many Hyūga clan shinobi this time. Be cautious of them."

Kirigakure's ninja excel at silent killing techniques, which rely on the Hidden Mist Jutsu, but the Byakugan can counter them effectively.

"Prepare yourselves," Jinpachi waved his hand. "Dismissed!"

---

Outside the main tent, Mei Terumi gazed at the vast ocean and exhaled deeply.

Looking down at the thigh-high boots she had just changed into, she gritted her teeth in frustration.

"That pervert! Next time, I won't let him off!"

But the thought quickly faded, her gaze becoming distant. She couldn't defeat him anyway.

---

A New Day

The morale that had been boosted by the deaths of Juzo and Raiga was soon overshadowed by new problems. Kirigakure's guerrilla warfare tactics were taking a toll.

"We lost nine shinobi today, and over twenty were injured," Nara Suzaku reported gravely during a strategy meeting in the main tent.

"And the enemy?" Tsunade asked, frowning.

"They lost only four," Suzaku replied.

"This can't continue!" Maki, a Sunagakure jōnin, said angrily. "Their Hidden Mist Jutsu is infuriating!"

As Konoha and Sunagakure were working together, Sunagakure's jōnin were also participating in the meeting.

"Build more outposts," Tsunade suggested after a moment's thought. "Each outpost should have Hyūga clan members and Wind Release users."

The Byakugan could see through the mist, while Wind Release could disperse it. Fortunately, Sunagakure had a large number of Wind Release shinobi.

"Hyūga jōnin will form special reconnaissance teams to locate Kirigakure's main base," Tsunade continued. "Destroying their main base is the only way to effectively stop their guerrilla tactics."

"Yes!" Hyūga Saku immediately agreed.

After receiving treatment from Tsunade and a subsequent blood transfusion from the medical ninjas, he had mostly recovered. Although his earlier failure to avoid the enemy's trap had compromised the maritime exploration mission, Tsunade's success in eliminating Juzo and Raiga prevented the situation from worsening. Now was his chance to redeem himself.

With the meeting adjourned, Hanekawa's team also received their mission. Unlike others building outposts or searching for the main base, their task was counter-guerrilla operations—essentially, acting as a rapid response team. With Tsunade leading them, their strength was unparalleled.

---

Hokage's Office

There was a knock at the door.

Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane entered.

"I've called you here to share..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's smile froze as an uninvited guest appeared—Shimura Danzo.

"Why wasn't I invited?" Danzo asked, displeased. "I'm an advisor to the Hokage and have both the right to know and the right to participate."

In the past, Danzo wouldn't have attended meetings this frequently. But now, he needed constant access to information to relay it to Orochimaru. Having staked everything on Orochimaru, he couldn't afford to be complacent.

"How did you know about the meeting?" Sarutobi asked sharply, his expression darkening.

He suspected that some former members of the Root still secretly reported to Danzo.

"It's nothing," Danzo replied, maintaining his composure despite a flicker of unease. "I saw Homura and Koharu heading here, so I assumed something was happening."

Homura and Koharu exchanged glances but chose not to speak, silently acquiescing.

The four of them had always maintained a delicate balance, and excluding Danzo would upset it.

"Hiruzen, let's focus on the matter at hand," Homura said, changing the subject.

"We just received a report from Nara Suzaku," Sarutobi said, his smile returning. "Tsunade's team and Hyūga Saku have killed Biwa Juzo and Kurosuki Raiga."

"A joyous occasion indeed!" Homura exclaimed. "In just two days, we've achieved such remarkable results, fully showcasing Konoha's strength!"

The Third Shinobi War was, at its core, a demonstration of power. The victor would gain more missions and resources from the daimyo, fostering the growth of their village.

Danzo's heart tightened instinctively.

The Seven Ninja Swordsmen weren't minor figures but renowned warriors in the shinobi world. Tsunade's victory would undoubtedly elevate her reputation further.

This couldn't continue.

He needed to alert Orochimaru and ensure their own achievements were made soon.

(1.000 Power Stones, LFG)

_

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