Hattori , Puppet Tyrant in Sand

After extensive observation and discreet questioning, Hattori had essentially gathered a thorough understanding of the situation on the Eastern Front.

The current situation on the Eastern Front could be summed up in two words—stalemate.

Even though the Hidden Sand Village and Hidden Leaf Village were enemies, neither was solely focused on the other.

Presently, the Hidden Sand Village was preoccupied with fighting both the Hidden Stone and Hidden Mist Villages, while the Hidden Leaf Village was occupied fighting the Hidden Stone, Hidden Mist, and Hidden Cloud Villages. Due to these multiple fronts, neither side had enough manpower to overpower the other.

With neither side able to win in the short term and unwilling to retreat or negotiate, both were left holding each other in check, waiting for a shift in the situation.

Thus, on the whole, the conflict between the Hidden Sand and Hidden Leaf Villages was not particularly intense. Most engagements were mere probing encounters or small skirmishes, without any large-scale battles.

This was precisely why Hattori dared to cross the border at this time; he had calculated that there wouldn't be any large military presence stationed there.

Sure enough, as he crossed the border, he discovered that apart from the puppet troops led by Chiyo's brother, Ebizo, there were no signs of other stationed forces.

Hattori was familiar with the location of the Hidden Sand puppet troops, so under the cover of night, he easily bypassed the checkpoint and took a small path into the Valley of the River Country.

The Valley of the River Country served as a natural barrier between the Hidden Sand and Hidden Leaf Villages and was their primary battlefield. Due to its terrain, the environment of the River Country differed vastly from the Land of Wind.

The Land of Wind was full of deserts and arid plains, while the River Country was rich in rivers and waterways, with abundant vegetation that provided ample hiding spots.

Entering this area, Hattori immediately heightened his alertness, keeping a keen eye on his surroundings.

His caution proved useful; not long into his path, a few Leaf ninja in green armor blocked his way, pointing their kunai at him.

"Stop. Who are you?"

Hattori promptly halted upon seeing them.

"Don't worry, I'm one of you!"

He stretched his hands out from his black robe, palms open to show he meant no harm.

Ninjas needed to form hand seals to cast jutsu, so showing his open hands reduced their suspicion to some extent.

After noticing his gesture, the Leaf ninjas, though not fully convinced, seemed to relax slightly.

"You said you're one of us. How can you prove it?"

"I'm afraid I can't prove it directly."

Hattori shook his head slightly and pointed behind them.

"I came here following Kame and Motake. They should have just passed by here."

Kame and Motake were members of the Leaf's Anbu squad Hattori had observed earlier; he had memorized their names after seeing their information.

Upon hearing the names, the Leaf ninjas paused, frowning in thought. "Are you sure it's them?"

"Yes, I'm certain!"

Hattori nodded immediately.

"Though they were wearing masks, I could identify them by their build and voice. I encountered them several times while training under Lady Tsunade."

"Lady Tsunade?"

At this mention, the three ninjas widened their eyes in disbelief.

"You're a disciple of Lady Tsunade? That's impossible!"

"Yes, Lady Tsunade left the Leaf Village years ago. There's never been any mention of her having a student!"

"Even if you were her disciple, suddenly appearing like this is too suspicious!"

They clearly didn't believe Hattori.

But he had anticipated this reaction, so he remained calm. Naturally, he shrugged off his black robe, revealing his youthful face.

Seeing his appearance, the formerly wary Leaf ninjas were taken aback.

"A… kid?"

Their surprise was evident, as Hattori's age wasn't what they had expected.

With a slight smile, Hattori waved at them.

"I'm no kid. I'm a ninja, just like you. The only difference is that you're combat ninjas, and I'm a medical ninja."

With that, he gently raised his right hand.

"Palm Healing Jutsu!"

As he spoke, a rich green glow emanated from his palm, its life-giving energy palpable even from several meters away.

The sight left the Leaf ninjas stunned.

"This… this is Lady Tsunade's Palm Healing Jutsu!"

"Yes, only a few possess medical jutsu of this caliber besides Lady Tsunade!"

"And he knows Kame and Motake's names… could he really be her disciple?"

The group wavered, unsure. Sensing his moment, Hattori decided to solidify his story.

"I understand verifying my identity is difficult since Lady Tsunade's status is so high. But I have one more way to prove it!"

He immediately bit his right thumb, smearing his blood onto his left palm before quickly performing hand seals.

"Boar, Dog, Rooster, Monkey, Sheep…"

He didn't actually need the blood or seals for the summon—it was a skill that only required MP. But to avoid drawing suspicion, he went through the traditional summoning ritual.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

With his chakra running low and wishing to avoid drawing too much attention, he used only 1 MP to summon a small slug.

With a puff of white smoke, a palm-sized slug appeared and addressed him.

"Lord Hattori, is there anything you need?"

"Oh, nothing important," he replied, nodding toward the stunned Leaf ninjas in front of him.

"They were just giving me a hard time, so I called you here to show them. That's all; you can go back now. I'll call you if I need anything."

"Ah, I see. I'll take my leave, then."

With that, the slug disappeared with a pop.

Finally snapping out of their daze, the Leaf ninjas looked ecstatic.

"That… that was a slug! Did I see it correctly?"

"No mistake, I saw it too—Lady Tsunade's slug!"

"Haha! This means Lady Tsunade is really back!"

Watching the delighted Leaf ninjas, Hattori raised an eyebrow and let a satisfied smile play on his lips.

"Looks like that did the trick!"

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(End of Chapter)