9 Tsunade’s Decision

In the Hokage’s office in Konohagakure, Tsunade was giving orders and taking action like there were eight of her.

“Shizune, have we still heard nothing from the Land of Waves yet? According to Ino’s report the leaders are a pair named Rahyo and Kahyo. Tell Waves that and get them to tell us whatever they know about them! Shikamaru, what’s happening at Hozuki Castle? If they see any unrest among the prisoners, shut it down immediately! I don’t care how! Sakura, put together a medical team and get over to Hozuki Castle right now! Shizune, put the Anbu on standby!”

She then closed her eyes and prayed silently. “Ino, what’s happening with Kakashi right now!”

“According to Sai’s report, he’s slipped into the Tobishachimaru once more.”

The office door opened with a bang, and Guy came flying in, leaning on Sai’s shoulder. “Lady Tsunade! I, Might Guy, have returned this very—”

Konk!

Tsunade’s iron fist came down squarely on Guy’s head.

“Ooh… Aaaaah…”

“Guy, you—!” Tsunade grabbed Guy’s collar and shook him roughly as he held his head and moaned. “You abandoned your position and boarded the Tobishachimaru!”

“No, uh, that’s—don’t be absurd! Th-the truth is… um, the truth is, you see… Oh! Right, right, my leg was not so great, you see. And my personal doctor is in the Land of Waves, so… Right right right right! And I happened to be on my way to the clinic when the Tobishachimaru—”

“You—! Enough with the lies.”

“Lady Tsunade, this isn’t the time for that!” Shizune grabbed Tsunade’s arms from behind as she tightened her fist, about to deliver a second blow to Guy’s head. “Lord Ohnoki from Iwagakure is on the wireless!”

“Th-that’s right, Lady Tsunade!” Guy breathed a sigh of relief. “Right now, our first priority should be the Tobishachimaru!”

“Hnnngh. Guy, sketch the faces of our enemies for us.” She then turned toward the wireless set up on her desk. “What is it, Tsuchikage?”

“So no hello then, Princess Tsunade?” The wireless spat out Ohnoki’s voice. “Well, fine. What’s important here is that thing floating in the sky above your land. Isn’t that the ship the Land of Waves developed in utmost secrecy?”

Tsunade was at a loss for words.

“Come, come, we too are shinobi. Someone like yourself, Princess Tsunade, couldn’t actually believe you could hide something that enormous?”

“So from Ishigakure…you can see it?”

“Not just Ishigakure. I expect the other nations have noticed too. They’re just pretending they don’t see it, out of respect for a comrade they fought alongside in the Fourth Great Ninja War. Since it seems that guarding that ship is Konoha’s top secret mission.”

“Trying to play both sides, old man?”

“I never dreamed myself it would be so large as that.”

“I’m busy right now!” Tsunade roared. “Just have out with what you want already!”

“My, my, young people are so impatient.” A sigh slipped out from the wireless. “Well then, I’ll speak. A few days ago, some unfamiliar fellows showed up in the village of Rokoku and stocked up on a large quantity of blue fire powder.”

“What?!”

“As you know, Rokoku is a village of chemists. The explosive power of the blue fire powder they create is several times greater than any explosive tag.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“We chased it down. After all, if something like were to be brought into Ishigakure, it would be quite serious. Well, that aside, it does appear all that blue fire powder is stockpiled in the ship bobbing along up there.”

“What!”

“The Land of Waves is trying to use that ship to disrupt the world of commercial transport and usher in a new era of trade.” The Tsuchikage’s voice started up again. “But, well—Princess Tsunade, there’s always a dark side to any technological innovation. Someone comes up with an anesthetic, someone else turns it into a drug. Someone comes up with a cooking knife, someone else uses it to cut another person down—”

“Someone comes up with a flying ship, someone else uses it for aerial war, is that it?”

“The other ninja villages are quiet right now because they’re carefully watching the path of that ship. If it hadn’t turned its snout in the direction of Ishigakure, we’d have kept quiet ourselves.”

Tsunade remained silent.

“Listen carefully, Princess Tsunade,” Ohnoki said. “I don’t intend to pry into what’s happening on that ship right now. But, well, if that ship doesn’t change course, if it flies into Ishigakure, I’ll shoot it down.”

If Kakashi’s guess is right, Tobishachimaru is heading toward Hozuki Castle in Kusagakure, Tsunade thought. And Hozuki Castle is on the border between Kusagakure and Ishigakure.

“The ship is heading for Kusagakure.” Tsunade glared at the wireless. “In the event that it passes Kusagakure, I will shoot it out of the sky myself.”

Nervous tension filled the office.

“Hearing that sets my mind at ease,” the Tsuchikage said, before cutting off the call. “Having a ship jam-packed with blue fire powder hovering overhead is not my most favorite of feelings.”

Double-dealing old man. There’s no way he’s satisfied with just this, Tsunade thought as she stood in front of the now silent wireless. He’s probably setting something up on the border with Kusagakure right now.

Guy, Sai, Sakura, Shizune, Kiba, Shino, the members of the Anbu—not one of them said a word.

Ksh. Ksh ksh. Ksh.

After letting the static echo for a long while, the wireless came back to life. “Hokage!” An irritated man’s voice reverberated in the room. “Has Lord Garyo been released yet?!”

“…Rahyo?”

After a beat, Rahyo snorted in laughter. “We’re already found out, are we?”

“Change direction, Rahyo,” Tsunade insisted. “If you continue this way, the Tobishachimaru will be shot down. Even if Konoha doesn’t do it, the other villages will not stay silent. You still have time. Bring the ship back to the Land of Waves.”

“I’ll decide where the Tobishachimaru goes.”

“Listen to me—”

“Shut up! Release Lord Garyo right now! In three minutes—if you don’t give in to our demand after three minutes have passed, we will resume the executions!”

The wireless was disconnected violently with a loud chak.

Three minutes… Tsunade gritted her teeth tightly. What on earth can Kakashi do alone in that amount of time? At any rate, we can’t release Garyo. If we give in to ruffians like Rahyo, Konoha will lose its standing among the five great nations. Our economy will collapse, and the people of the village will starve.

Dammit, what am I supposed to do here?

The office was enshrouded in a painful silence when a commotion came in from the outside.

“Hey! Look there!” Kiba called out, as he raced over to the window and pointed at the sky. “I can see the Tobishachimaru!”

Dark clouds had filled the sky without her noticing it. Below them, the enormous carp was slowly moving westward.

“W-what is that?!” the stunned villagers shouted in surprise as they looked up from their daily business out on the streets. “An enormous flying fish!”

“Sai.” Tsunade set her chin down over her laced fingers and closed her eyes. “How long before the Tobishachimaru reaches Hozuki Castle?”

“There’s a good tailwind up there,” Sai said. “At this rate, in about twenty minutes.”

“Lady Tsunade, are you serious?” Sakura put forward timidly. “About shooting down the Tobishachimaru? Even though Master Kakashi is still inside?!”

A silence that seemed eternal settled over the room, only to be broken by the voice of Tsunade.

“Sai, stand by in the air!” Tsunade ordered, firmly, eyes popping open. “Have Ino communicate the Tsuchikage’s words to Kakashi! And everyone head immediately for Hozuki Castle without Naruto noticing!” And then she said, “In the event that the Tobishachimaru does pass near Hozuki Castle—even if it is simply blown off course by the wind—shoot it down immediately!”