The Konoha shinobi who had been poisoned were all in critical condition. At this moment, they were being tended to by others.
"Lady Tsunade!"
Upon seeing Tsunade arrive, the Konoha shinobi in the area greeted her one after another.
"Mm." She acknowledged them with a nod before turning her attention to the poisoned wounded. "How are they?"
"It's very bad," one of the shinobi responded, shaking his head grimly.
None of the poisoned ninja had survived so far. Their comrades, lying motionless on the ground, could only await death helplessly. Those assigned to care for them were filled with unease. Seeing their companions like this today made them feel as if they might share the same fate tomorrow.
Tsunade remained silent as she moved between the poisoned victims, carefully examining them one by one.
"Their bodies are completely breaking down."
"Their regenerative and healing abilities are nearly nonexistent."
"Their chakra pathways are almost entirely severed."
…
As she checked more and more patients, her expression darkened. Even if she managed to save them, their futures would not be promising. Forget continuing as shinobi—just getting through daily life would be a struggle.
"Is it that difficult?" Saigoji Youmu asked, reading the look on her face.
"Yes," Tsunade admitted. "Developing an antidote will take time." She didn't give a specific timeframe—because, truthfully, she wasn't sure.
"Let's go," Saigoji Youmu said.
"Mm."
…
After leaving the medical area, they immediately sought out Hatake Sakumo.
To tackle the poison issue as quickly as possible, Tsunade made a request: she needed a group of shinobi skilled in precise chakra control to assist her. She intended to form a specialized medical team to focus solely on counteracting the poison.
This request was not difficult to fulfill. Hatake Sakumo agreed without hesitation and assured her that the team would be assembled within two days.
…
While Tsunade and Saigoji Youmu were occupied with their tasks at the Konoha camp, accommodations had been arranged for Konan, Uchiha Mikoto, and Uzumaki Kushina.
"I didn't expect us to be on the battlefield so soon," Uzumaki Kushina muttered, her emotions complicated.
Excitement, nervousness, fear, hesitation… all swirled within her. Though she had a lively and carefree personality, she was, at the end of the day, just an eleven-year-old girl. No matter how strong she was, war was terrifying.
"The teacher must have a reason for this," Uchiha Mikoto said. "No matter what, I won't disappoint him."
Hearing Mikoto's words, Konan and Kushina gradually hardened their resolve.
…
Unlike the heavy atmosphere at the Konoha camp, Sunagakure's side was filled with celebration.
The supreme commander of the Sand Shinobi forces, acting in a private capacity, had arranged a banquet to honor the puppeteer couple responsible for their recent success in battle.
"Hahaha!" he laughed heartily. "Now Konoha should be much quieter."
Since the start of the war, Sand Shinobi had been on the defensive, suffering loss after loss, to the point that Konoha had nearly pushed them back to their doorstep. But now, at last, there was a glimmer of relief.
"The situation is finally in our favor," he continued, "but we mustn't let our guard down."
"Konoha's shinobi are not so easy to deal with," the puppeteer couple cautioned.
"Mm." The commander's smile faded slightly.
"And then there's… Hatake Sakumo."
At the mention of his name, the couple tensed instinctively.
A flash of fear crossed their eyes—clear evidence that Hatake Sakumo had left them with unpleasant memories in the past.
…
In the Land of Wind, the battle between Konoha and Sand Shinobi continued.
As per Tsunade's request, Konoha had taken a defensive stance, avoiding direct confrontations with Sand Shinobi whenever possible.
Two days later, Hatake Sakumo delivered on his promise. A team of shinobi skilled in precise chakra manipulation had been assigned to Tsunade. With everything in place, the development of the antidote officially began.
Konoha's silence did not go unnoticed by the Sand Shinobi. However, because Konoha was avoiding direct engagement so thoroughly, Sunagakure found themselves unable to pinpoint a weakness to exploit.