Tsunade Senju POV

"We're finished here. Next," she declared upon completing the healing process for the shinobi on the emergency table. Swiftly, he was wheeled out of the emergency room, making room for the arrival of another patient.

This one suffered from severe 3rd degree burns caused not by Fire Release Jutsu but by a Lightning Release Jutsu. And if not for Minato's quick teleportation as well as the work of their emergency healers, the shinobi before her would not have survived long enough to reach her.

Her team already knew what they needed to do, and together, they got to work and saving the life of yet another shinobi.

Ultimately, the surgery extended for a full hour, and though they succeeded in saving the young shinobi, his right arm, having sustained extensive damage, couldn't be salvaged.

A good thing then that they were already working toward making artificial limbs with her grandfather's cells.

He wiped the sweat from her eyebrows and gestured for her to team to remove this guy. "Next!"

"Um… Tsunade-sama, we're done for the day." One of her subordinates told her and she frowned in confusion.

"Weren't there two more?"

"There were, but their injuries weren't as severe so Ren-sama healed them."

"Ren healed them?" She asked, having mixed feelings at the notion of a 6-year-old boy performing such complex surgical procedures.

It was not like the task wasn't within the boy's abilities either. Everything that she knew, the boy had already learned as well, thanks to his strange ability to absorb knowledge by consuming Medical scrolls and books.

The only thing he now needed was a lot of training and experience. Which it seemed he was already getting. Without her permission.

Still…

"Bring those injured shinobi to me for a check up. I want to make sure that they aren't suffering from any hidden injuries that Ren might've missed." She ordered and her subordinates jumped to follow her orders.

She pressed her lips together, contemplating what she would have given to have such devoted and skilled subordinates during the 2nd and 3rd Shinobi Wars. If she had their support alongside all the innovative Iryojutsu she had recently developed, perhaps Dan would still be...

She shook her head to dismiss those thoughts. Despite her deep love for Dan, he had been gone for over two decades. Dwelling on the past wouldn't do her any good.

Her musings were quickly cut short as the two shinobi that Ren had healed were brought in.

She swiftly examined them and noted that although Ren's healing wasn't as proficient as hers, it was still more than satisfactory, without any overlooked issues or lingering side effects.

"You both are in good condition," she declared her verdict. Before the two could express their relief, she exited the room, heading in search of her new apprentice.

Although, labeling Ren as her disciple wasn't precisely accurate either.

After all, she hadn't really taught him all that much in the past two months. She simply provided him with Iryojutsu scrolls and books, and he absorbed them, acquiring all her lifelong skills in an instant.

Admittedly, he wasn't as proficient as her in those skills, but he was swiftly narrowing the gap with the assistance of his army of Shadow Clones who trained tirelessly day and night.

A weary sigh slipped from her lips as she walked past the ward where shinobi with less severe injuries were being attended to by the rest of the Medical staff.

2 and a half years. That's how long it's been since the 3rd shinobi war ended. Yet, their village was now under attack from all directions, and the looming possibility of another war hung in the air, ready to erupt at any moment.

And the reason behind it all? Ren Uchiha, who the other major villages wanted to kill before he grew too strong.

Was it any wonder that she harboured conflicting feelings toward the boy.

She finally reached the hospital backyard where her two disciples were supposed to be training. To her chagrin, they weren't, and she couldn't help but facepalm at the sight before her, even as her lips curled upward in amusement.

Ren was currently chasing a 12-year-old Shizune with a dead fish in his hand, playfully threatening to tuck it into her clothes in a sing-song voice.

To think that the same boy who can act so mature at times can also act childishly.

"Shizune-senpai. Hohoho. Running from me is futile~" Ren said as he reached close enough to wiggle the fish over Shizune's head who let out a shriek and started running even faster.

...and this was the boy with a higher bounty than her and her two teammates. Their respective bounties were 82 million for her, 79 million for Orochimaru, and 68 million for Jiraiya.

She stopped the smile forming on lips and adopting an annoyed expression before she stomped toward her two disciples.

"What the hell is going on here!?" She barked out and her two disciples froze instantly.

"Ah… what's up granny." Ren said with a smirk and her eyes twitched before she brought her fist down on his head.

Boink!

"Ow"

"Now… wanna explain why the two of you are playing around instead of training as you should be?" She asked.

"It's all Shizune-senpai's fault!" Ren immediately spoke up, getting a look of shock and betrayal from Shizune.

"Oh. Explain how it's her fault when you were the one chasing after her with that dead fish."

"It was her break time but she refused to take a break. So I had to force her to take one." Ren said as he crossed his arms and gave her a smug look.

Her gaze softened as she turned toward her older disciple. "Is that true, Shizune?" she inquired.

Her senior apprentice bit her lip, glanced away, and then nodded.

"Hm... We'll discuss this later," she informed her senior apprentice before redirecting her attention to Ren. "And what's your excuse for taking a break?"

"Eh, I've got a dozen Shadow clones practicing Iryojutsu at the moment. Plus, I've wrapped up my daily tasks. So, I can afford to slack off a bit." he said with his typical nonchalant demeanour, leaving her to question if letting him become a medic was truly the right decision.

Which was rather arrogant of her, considering that Ren had the potential to become a far better medic than she herself could ever hoped to be. Provided that he took this seriously.

"Show me," she demanded, and Ren led her to a forested area where dozens of his Shadow Clones were diligently practicing to master the Iryojutsu techniques he had already learned.

If anyone else attempted what Ren was doing at the moment, she would probably give them a good smack on the head.

After all, Shadow Clone jutsu was a Forbidden Jutsu for a good reason. Its main purpose was to scout for enemies, and overusing it to learn complicated stuff could result in, at best, a severe migraine, and at worst, permanent brain damage.

But somehow, the boy had gained Resistance to the brain damage caused by the overuse of Shadow Clone Jutsu and could now use it with impunity.

No wonder he mastered Iryojutsu skills at such a rapid pace.

…she was so jealous of him for this. As were Orochimaru and Minato, she had no doubt about that.

It was just one of those aspects that elevated Ren above the typical shinobi. And another reason why the other villages would want to kill him before he reached adulthood.

"We're done for the day here. Come. I'll treat you two to some food."

""Okay, Sensei."" She students chorused together.

Five minutes later, all three of them found themselves in a private booth within a high end Akimichi restaurant. Her two disciples feasted on the delicious food while she sat there, gazing at the picturesque view of Konoha visible from their vantage point.

The legacy left behind by her grandfather.

"Umm... Tsunade-sama, why aren't you ordering anything for yourself?" Shizune hesitantly inquired, and she offered a gentle smile to Dan's niece.

"I'm not hungry at the moment." She replied, which wasn't entirely untrue as her concerns about the looming possibility of another war left her without much of an appetite.

She took a subtle glance at Ren once again before she went back to staring at Konoha.

She wondered what the boy was thinking right now. Despite his usual nonchalant attitude, the boy was very smart and must have realised that he was the reason why Konoha was facing increased skirmishes at their borders.

How would she have felt if the other major villages went to war with Konoha in order to get her head.

If she had manifested Wood Release abilities at a young age and possessed even half the potential of her grandfather, that could have been a plausible scenario.

However, the mantle had been passed to the young boy before her, whom everyone feared might become the second Madara Uchiha.

No one talked about this in the open, but she knew that many of the old warhawks of Konoha were wary of what the boy might become in the future. Understandable, as they had seen the damage caused by Madara Uchiha with their very own eyes.

If her sensei held the position of Hokage instead of Minato, she wondered how things might have unfolded for the boy.

Would her sensei have surrendered the boy to Danzo, transforming him into a devoted weapon for the village? Or would have taken the boy under his own wings, driven by a sense of caution to ensure his unwavering loyalty to Konoha?

She let out another weary sigh.

"Hm… Jiraiya-sensei wasn't wrong."
Ren muttered to himself. She turned to look at him, only to find his gaze fixed on her chest.

Her irritation flared slightly as she inquired, "What wasn't he wrong about, brat?"

"106," the boy said with a serious expression. "The largest in Konoha."

She released an exasperated yet affectionate sigh, giving the boy another gentle bonk on the head.

"Ow."

"Aren't you too young to be thinking about such things?" She asked, half annoyed at what Jiraiya was teaching young children and half amused.

"You're never too young to be a man of culture!" The boy announced proudly and she let out a scoff while reminding herself to have a 'talk' with Jiraiya once he returns from the border.

'If he returns from the border.' A dark voice said to her and she easily ignored it.

Yes, there was a slight chance that Jiraiya might perish in a battle. However, that likelihood was minimal, and further diminished by the presence of Minato.

She pushed those thoughts aside and redirected her focus to her students once again.

"If you're both finished eating, then come. I want to demonstrate a few of my medical tricks before you go," she instructed her students as she got up and left the restaurant.

"Are you going to showcase your grandfather's cells again?" the boy inquired, as he followed behind her and she shook her head.

"No, this is something specifically reserved for emergency healing," she informed the boy, who became visibly disappointed at her words.

Ever since she shared information about Konoha's confidential research on her grandfather's cells, the boy had displayed a peculiar fascination with them.

She couldn't fathom why those cells intrigued the boy so much. Nonetheless, it seemed as if he had a plan in mind, as he had already approached the Hokage seeking a substantial supply for his clan members.

They eventually arrived at the hospital and proceeded to an underground chamber—the morgue—where the bodies of deceased shinobi were being stored.

"Um... why have we come here, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune inquired with a hint of hesitation, reaching the freshly preserved cadavers placed here under her directive.

"I'm going to teach you two how to extract organs from a corpse and label them correctly. Watch and learn as this might save the lives of many shinobi in the future."

Her two students nodded and she took out her scalpel before going to work.

—

Obito Uchiha POV

He stared at the corpse of the old man he'd just fought and felt a faint sense of fear creep over him at just how close the battle had been despite all his advantages.

Truly, you should fear an old man in a profession where most die young.

"You did well Obito." Black Zetsu's voice came from behind him and he nodded, shivering slightly due to the cold, as the Mizukage had turned the entire battlefield into a frozen hellhole.

"Of course." He replied, unwilling to show any weakness after his last battle with his former Sensei.

If Zetsu was aware of how closely contested the battle had been, he didn't reveal it. He merely motioned to the White Zetsus and began planting the corpses of Konoha shinobi across the battlefield.

"Will this really work?" He asked Black Zetsu as the creature took some of the 3rd Mizukage's DNA. "All this evidence seems too convenient. Will they really believe that this was done by Konoha?"

"Probably not," Zetsu remarked. "But keep in mind, Kiri is a bloodthirsty village. Even if the higher-ups are reluctant, the average shinobi is already eager for war. Besides, Konoha did capture their 3 tails. So, Kiri will be forced into this conflict with them whether they like it or not."

"…I still think that it's too convenient." He said with a frown before his eyes narrowed. "Have you planted White Zetsu among the villagers?"

"Finally, you're using your head. And yes, the White Zetsu I've embedded among the villagers will stir dissent against Konoha. They'll frequent shady taverns, spreading rumors about how Konoha seized their tailed beast. When the Mizukage demanded its return, Konoha had him assassinated."

"This still seems too convenient to me. Too easy."

"Perhaps." Black Zetsu agreed. "There's a small chance that we might fail. But with Kumo and Iwa already testing Konoha's defences and preparing for war, it is much more likely that Kiri will join them. If only due to the opportunity of violence and resources."

He hummed at those words and then nodded.

"Very well then. Once you're done here, return to the base. I'm leaving." He said and before Black Zetsu could say anything, he used Kamui and left the place.

The pieces were already set. Now… he only needed to see them fall into place.

—

AN: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.