Hokage: I Traveled Through Time With The Tenseigan

Jiraiya slapped his chest hard several times, swallowed the meat in his mouth, and roared at Orochimaru:

"It's my suggestion, but don't you agree? Why are you blaming me alone now?"

"Because you look the ugliest when you eat," Orochimaru remarked in disgust.

Shigeru said to Hatake Sakumo, "Senior, you don't have to feel restricted. This is how I get along with them."

"No, no, I just..." Hatake Sakumo smiled awkwardly, wanting to explain, but the words failed him.

Deep down, he still harbored some resentment against Shigeru. The previous incident had almost cost him his life. Although Shigeru's actions were intended to save him, the experience had left him shaken. Anyone would feel some lingering bitterness after such an ordeal—anyone, that is, except for someone as carefree as Jiraiya.

Jiraiya, known for his shameless antics, had already forgotten about it within a few days.

Shigeru smiled and raised his cup. "Senior, I wish you success!"

"Thank you," Hatake Sakumo replied, feeling a bit more at ease.

Jiraiya's teasing lightened the atmosphere, and the small grudge in Sakumo's heart soon dissipated. Still, being reserved by nature, he remained mostly quiet, listening to the lively banter between Jiraiya and Shigeru, much like Orochimaru, who sat silently with a faint smile.

The difference was that Orochimaru didn't talk much because he didn't want to interact with Jiraiya unless absolutely necessary. If he were chatting with Shigeru, however, he might actually outtalk Jiraiya.

Hatake Sakumo, on the other hand, was simply honest and introverted. That same honest nature and the influence of the so-called samurai spirit would later lead him to take his own life over a small scheme by Shimura Danzo and a bit of public opinion—leaving his helpless son Kakashi to face the harshness of the world alone.

When the meal ended, Hatake Sakumo and Orochimaru left first, while Jiraiya refused to leave. His intention was clear without needing explanation.

As soon as Sakumo and Orochimaru were gone, Jiraiya grinned mischievously and handed over a stack of manuscripts.

Shigeru rolled his eyes. "Come on, I trust your writing skills. There's no need for me to review it. Just have someone send it back to the village. It'll definitely be a hit once it's printed."

"Hahaha, I thought so too," Jiraiya laughed, visibly excited.

Clutching the manuscript like a precious treasure, he hobbled away in a hunchbacked posture to shield it from the rain.

After seeing everyone off, Shigeru took out a blank scroll and began drafting plans for changes in Anbu. Tsunade had handed the task to him, clearly uninterested in dealing with it herself.

Regarding Anbu, Shigeru decided not to suggest any major changes for now. It was wartime, and Anbu operatives were already overburdened. Besides protecting the village from spies, they were actively gathering intelligence on the battlefield.

He concluded that Anbu should maintain its current structure until the war ended. Reforms could wait.

Meanwhile, in the camp of Sunagakure, Chiyo grew increasingly frustrated with the results of the war.

"Is it the Hyuga again?" Chiyo, who had initially dismissed Shigeru as insignificant, now found herself taking him seriously.

Before the war, only Tsunade among Konoha's medical ninjas had caught Chiyo's attention. The nickname "Chiyo Killer" was no exaggeration; Tsunade completely countered her in battle.

Yet, when the war began, Tsunade didn't appear on the battlefield. Instead, Shigeru—who had previously embarrassed Shimura Danzo—stepped into the spotlight.

"Could he become the next Tsunade?" she wondered grimly.

Sand's puppet troops relied heavily on poison to maintain their combat superiority. However, with Shigeru continuously developing antidotes to counteract their poisons, that edge was quickly disappearing.

Without the fear of poison, the puppet army's lethality diminished significantly. Their weapons—be they poisoned needles, stingers, or blades—were less effective without their toxic effects.

If possible, Chiyo thought, this man needed to be eliminated. Medical ninjas like Tsunade and Shigeru posed too great a threat to Sunagakure's forces.

Adding to her frustrations was the disadvantageous environment of the Land of Rain. Its persistent storms and damp conditions hampered Sand's Wind Style ninjas and limited their power.

Taking a deep breath, Chiyo turned her thoughts to other potential allies. "What about Iwagakure? How have they responded?"

The reporting ninja hesitated. "Chiyo-sama, Iwagakure hasn't responded to our messages."

"A bunch of fools!" Chiyo snapped. "As stubborn and idiotic as Ōnoki himself!"

Chiyo cursed under her breath. The battlefield in the Land of Rain was a chaotic free-for-all, but Chiyo had hoped to secretly collaborate with Iwagakure to strike a decisive blow against Konoha. Unfortunately, Iwagakure had completely ignored her overtures.

Having declared war on them earlier, Iwagakure wasn't about to suddenly join forces with Sunagakure. For all their flaws, the Tsuchikage and his forces still had their pride.

Red-faced with frustration, Chiyo ranted, "Ōnoki's son is just as stubborn as his old man! The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!"

Chiyo's attempt to negotiate with Iwagakure had been doomed from the start. Ōnoki's son, Kurotsuchi, was every bit as obstinate and principled as his father. He refused to entertain any alliance.

Left with no choice, Chiyo focused her attention elsewhere. "And Rain's forces? How are they positioned?"

The reporting ninja responded cautiously, "Hanzo remains focused on attacking us, likely as part of his vendetta."

"Fine, leave me," Chiyo said impatiently, dismissing the ninja.

Left alone in her tent, Chiyo massaged her temples, muttering under her breath about Ōnoki, Hanzo, and the dire state of the war.

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