"Uzumaki Lin Yu? That orphan from the Uzumaki clan?" Green-haired Jonin Yamamoto Ichiro interrupted in disbelief.
"How could that brat have the ability to cooperate with three lords to face the 'Demi-God' and 'Two-Headed Dragon' of the ninja world, Ohnoki? With his negligible combat power, he's probably not even strong enough to defeat a Genin. It's laughable!" Yamamoto Ichiro chuckled mockingly and shook his head.
Kurenai Yuhi, a Jonin with red eyes sitting beside Tsunade, frowned. Hearing the green-haired man so scornfully mock Uzumaki Lin Yu, even though he himself didn't quite believe Lin Yu could cooperate with the Sannin, Kurenai still said, "Since Lord Tsunade says Uzumaki Lin Yu can cooperate with them, there must be a special reason."
"Heh, laughable. If a Genin can assist three lords, then if I were to cooperate, wouldn't I be able to crush Hanzo of the Salamander and Ohnoki?" Yamamoto Ichiro's smile deepened when he heard someone contradict him.
Orochimaru looked at the self-important Yamamoto Ichiro before him with a cold expression, remaining silent.
Tsunade couldn't hold back any longer and said angrily, "What do you know? Lin Yu's usefulness is ten times yours!"
This was the truth! Jiraiya silently gave a mental thumbs-up. He also had no good feelings for this green-haired ninja, especially since, in a way, Uzumaki Lin Yu had saved his life.
"Hmph, although your status in the village is higher than mine, Tsunade, this is a battlefield. Apart from Lord Orochimaru, our statuses are equal. I'll make it clear here today: where Uzumaki Lin Yu is, there I, Yamamoto Ichiro, will not be!" After speaking, Yamamoto Ichiro crossed his arms and looked at Orochimaru with an inexplicably confident expression.
This guy is finished! Jiraiya thought to himself. He wondered what was wrong with this guy for him to dare provoke Tsunade and force Orochimaru's hand!
"Then leave." Orochimaru didn't even look at Yamamoto Ichiro, his head bowed as if he were about to fall asleep.
"Did you hear that? Lord Orochimaru said to... What? Lord Orochimaru, you..." Yamamoto Ichiro's confident expression froze. He hadn't expected Orochimaru to tell him to leave.
"I don't want to say it a second time. Scram!" Orochimaru looked up at Yamamoto Ichiro with an icy gaze, a killing intent emanating from him, as if he would kill him if he said another word.
Yamamoto Ichiro's face flickered like a traffic light for a moment, and then he slunk out of the main tent.
The discussion inside the tent continued.
...
Damn it! It's all Uzumaki Lin Yu's fault, he's the one who got me kicked out of the tent! I have to find a chance to kill him!
The reason Yamamoto Ichiro was so arrogant and dared to defy Tsunade was because he had the backing of Danzo Shimura. Monitoring and ostracizing Uzumaki Lin Yu was his mission. Although Danzo had mentioned it casually, Yamamoto Ichiro had taken it as his greatest assurance.
But now, looking at the mocking eyes of his companions around him, Yamamoto Ichiro felt his mind was about to explode. Surveillance and ostracism were all thrown out of his mind, leaving only the thought of killing. He didn't dare to kill anyone in the camp, but if Uzumaki Lin Yu went to the battlefield...
"How is it? Do you all agree with this proposal?"
"If it's as the three lords say, then I agree!"
"I agree too!"
"Agree!"
...
Orochimaru saw Hatake Sakumo, who was still contemplating and hadn't expressed his opinion, and slowly asked, "Senior Sakumo, do you have any other thoughts?"
Hatake Sakumo chuckled heartily, "I'm a simple man and don't understand these things. I agree. However, I would like to meet this young boy named Uzumaki Lin Yu."
"No problem, Tsunade, please handle it."
Tsunade nodded and led Hatake Sakumo towards Uzumaki Lin Yu's tent.
At this moment, Lin Yu was tending to the wounded. The timed mission was complete, and he wasn't in any hurry, just waiting for the war to end and to return to Konoha to collect his new "colored contacts." So, he was quite lazy.
Of course, he had to maintain appearances, so he treated the wounded very diligently, ensuring that each person jumped off the bed as if they were alive and kicking, with not a single scar, before moving on to the next.
In this way, he only treated seven or eight people a day, a far cry from the hundreds of ninjas he and Tsunade treated together in the previous days. Life was comfortable.
Since Lin Yu wasn't in his tent, Tsunade brought Hatake Sakumo to the casualty station.
They happened to see Lin Yu finishing treating a wounded soldier, wiping the sweat from his brow, looking exhausted.
Tsunade looked at Lin Yu strangely, about to speak but stopping, as if to say, "So you're this kind of person."
Hatake Sakumo, however, saw only the exhausted Lin Yu, who, after healing a patient, endured his fatigue and continued to treat the next one. What a good young man!
What surprised him even more was that the ninjas healed by Lin Yu had no scars at all and could get out of bed and jump around immediately.
From their first impression, Hatake Sakumo developed a good feeling for the young man before him. He was a good person!
"Ah, Tsunade, Senior Sakumo, what brings you here?" After a while, Lin Yu, after healing another wounded soldier, finally noticed the two watching him.
"You should call me Big Sister Tsunade!" Tsunade corrected him with a dark expression.
"Tch, with a chest as flat as Kushina's, and you want me to call you Big Sister..." Lin Yu pouted and muttered.
"You!" Tsunade glared at him fiercely with her beautiful eyes, as if to say, "You little brat, just you wait, I'll show you!"
"Ahaha, is this Uzumaki Lin Yu? Truly a hero at a young age. No wonder the Sannin praise you so highly. You've earned Hanzo's recognition at such a young age, remarkable."
Hatake Sakumo smiled at Lin Yu, completely unfazed by the silent exchange between Lin Yu and Tsunade.
This made him feel even more that this was the youthful vigor a young man should possess: full of energy, intelligent, capable, and with a passionate heart. Hatake Sakumo grew more satisfied the more he looked at him. If he had a daughter... too bad his child was a boy.
Lin Yu was unaware that on their first meeting, this handsome uncle had almost arranged a wife for him.
"Yes, Lord Sakumo. May I know why you and Tsunade have come..."
"Lin Yu, heed my command! You are now ordered to be the Sannin's personal mobile medical unit, assisting us in fighting Hanzo and Ohnoki." Tsunade's expression immediately became serious.
However, after speaking, she playfully winked at Lin Yu. It seemed she was gradually recovering from the grief of Nawaki's death.
"Ohnoki? Has the Third Tsuchikage also come?" Lin Yu was surprised.
The destructive power of Ohnoki's Kekkei Genkai, Dust Release, was not to be underestimated. Without unsealing the Rinnegan, Lin Yu would also be unable to escape decomposition. Moreover, his speed was not fast enough, making him susceptible to being caught off guard, which would be troublesome.
"There's no definitive news, but we must be fully prepared." Tsunade's expression was serious, a mix of worry and pride.
This ten-year-old boy was already capable of participating in Kage-level battles. Tsunade felt a sense of shared honor, a bit like... raising a child husband. Damn it, how could I have such a thought!
Just as Lin Yu was hesitating, a loud explosion sounded outside, and countless broken stones, mixed with dust, tore through the tent and flew in.
*Clang!*
The sound of a drawn sword echoed in Lin Yu's ears. Countless sword energies flashed, precisely shattering all the flying stones.
Lin Yu only perceived a flash of light, and then he saw the White Fang Blade being sheathed. The flying stones in the air shattered and scattered on the ground.
Such a fast sword! This was Lin Yu's first impression. As expected of Konoha's "White Fang."
After repelling the debris, Hatake Sakumo did not delay, calling out to Tsunade and Lin Yu as they flashed outside.