Naruto : A Fool's Errand.

Tsunade returned just as Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura woke up, each of them feeling ashamed to have fallen unconscious in front of someone as great as Tsunade.

Naruto was just embarrassed that he wasn't able to protect Sakura.

"Any plans?" Tsunade asked Inoichi, assuming that he had stayed in contact with Shikaku.

Tachibana hoped for a retreat order but his mouth fell open-

"Yes Tsunade-sama." Inoichi said and once he got a nod from Tsunade, he continued, "We were asked to set up a forward operating base camp for the reinforcements to arrive at so that they can secure the frontline."

Tachibana wanted to curse but mindful of Tsunade he simply maintained an annoyed look which stopped when Yamato slapped the back of his head.

Tsunade kept her eyes closed as she contemplated what they would do next.

"Inoichi stay behind, you're not needed anymore for now since we're too close to the frontlines. You may return when ANBU takes back the captured shinobi. Good work."

Inoichi nodded quickly, understanding that his best use would be back at the base camp where he could direct the other Yamanaka.

And just like that Tsunade, Shizune and the rest of Team Seven were on their journey towards their borders once again.

As they journeyed however Tachibana moved closer to Tsunade and asked her a question-

"Why are we moving the war front closer to Kumo? Shouldn't we camp for them inside our territory? We could slow them down with spread-out teams and ambush them using guerrilla warfare to keep them on their toes until they come face to face with our front line?"

Tsunade sent a short glance Tachibana's way while the geinin paid close attention too since he seemed to make sense.

"It isn't that simple. First of all, it is very hard to communicate with each other like that. How will you know which of those smaller teams fighting in the forests to tire the Kumo shinobi won their fights and which died? You can't have precious yamanaka on the front lines can you?"

Tachibana nodded but then asked another question.

"You said first of all, so there are other reasons?"

Tsunade sent another glance his way, this time longer before she looked back ahead.

"Yes. If we're just that much stronger, why do we need to play coy? Konoha hasn't survived for so long while hiding behind trees."

Tachibana looked annoyed.

"If Kumo is being so aggressive they obviously have something planned right? Isn't this us being too hardheaded?"

And for the first time ever since Tachibana had seen Tsunade she chuckled as if she'd heard a funny joke.

"How silly. Who taught you in the academy? Did you pass with the worst written test scores?"

Tachibana didn't want to disrespect Maruboshi's name sho he simply said, "I wasn't taught in the academy, I became a shinobi only a few months ago."

"Ho." Tsunade said softly as she scanned Tachibana once again. "Is that so."

"So? Why are we being so hard-headed?"

It wasn't Tsunade who responded this time but Yamato instead-

"Because we more of less know what they have in store for us."

"Ah…you mean spies?" Tachibana suddenly understood.

Yamato simply nodded but Tachibana suddenly asked an even stranger question-

"That makes things easier. If that's the case, why don't we simply not fight them? Isn't that better? Zero casualties?"

Everyone frowned but Tachibana continued-

"I mean, hear me out, if we know what Kumo has prepared for us with relative certainty, and since we only need to establish a front line, why don't we just prepare a simple fort?"

Seeing everyone still frowning, Tachibana explained in more detail.

"Naruto-kun here can make more than a few hundred clones without tiring himself out. Why don't we simply make a fort using Yamato sensei's wood release technique and leave Naruto to man it using shadow clone and transformation jutsu while we lay hidden to attack at any shinobi that dare to come close."

"Isn't that just attacking with extra steps?" Naruto asked, confused since he couldn't understand what was going on but everyone else seemed like they had an epiphany.

"It serves two purposes." Tachibana patiently explained to Naruto. 

"The fort signifies to them that we have already arrived with an army to the border. Which will make them reluctant to attack us with smaller teams like the ones we just defeated. And killing any teams they send to scout the fortress will give them the idea that it is well protected."

"Ohhhh." Naruto nodded sagely.

But Tsunade shook her head.

"No. We're going to follow what Shikaku said."

Tachibana frowned but then he shook his head.

'They probably know this stuff better.'

Meanwhile, at Konoha, Shikaku looked at the giant map spread around on his table with several troops spread around with a frown.

He moved around several troupes on the map, trying to concentrate it around a single pawn, but each time he did he faced several problems.

Either the battlefront from where Kiri would be arriving in their ships would fall weak, or the other fronts from where Kumo was attacking would be spread too thin.

Eventually, Shikaku simply looked at the pawn standing alone at the border with a slight frown.

'Tsunade-sama and team seven will have to suffer quite a bit…'

'Was sending Naruto to face the Eight-Tails the right move though?'

'Maybe he'll learn something from the Killer B?'

'....I hope Tsunade-sama is able to hold off Killer B so that Yamato can seal away the eight-tailed beast so that Kumo loses their Jinchuriki…'

'I hope nothing goes wrong.'

'Should I send reinforcements after all?'

'How troublesome…'

Some distance away-

"Danzo-sama, the ROOT shinobi that were sent to the west as part of the advance infiltration force unit were killed. The Shōkaichū that returned from the scene informed us that a blonde woman with vibrant chakra along with another man with vibrant chakra was spotted at the scene."

Danzo smiled as he noticed this.

"Tell Suna to send their jinchuriki to that location. Inform Kumo that he will be coming."

The shinobi who was talking to Danzo froze when he heard the order but then without delay nodded and walked away from the place, aiming to deliver the order to the right people through the correct channels.

Stepping out of the shadows was Hiruzen, who revealed himself after the shinobi had left.

"How long will you keep hiding Sarutobi?" Danzo asked without even looking at Hiruzen who was missing an arm, just like him.

"....Orochimaru will not hesitate to kill me as long as he sees me. I can't go any place else. Too bad, I can only hide in your shadows. But haven't I hidden you in mine for so long?"

"...Orochimaru will know of your location eventually."

"Yes…he will…won't he…"

"Perhaps your time has come. Don't you want to go out as an honourable shinobi? Or has the reality of having to face your disciple in battle forced you to become a coward?"

".....Tsunade doesn't deserve to die after all we've done."

"Hmpf! All we did was for Konoha!"

Tachibana lightened his footsteps by cushioning them with chakra as did Yamato along with the rest of Team Seven as Tsunade extended her hand and signalled all of them to slow down and come to a silent stop.

Tachibana activated his spirit vision and looked around, there was a small team moving closer to them consisting of only three people which confused him all the more.

'Why did we stop?'

Fortunately, he didn't have to wait longer as he heard Tsunade explain-

"Yamato take everyone on team seven, apart from this brat, ahead. Kill anyone you encounter."

Yamato nodded without question and simply indicated that Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura follow him.

They all gave Tachibana a confused glance at which he simply shrugged before following Yamato away.

"Are we going to flank the enemy?" Tachibana asked, attempting to make an intelligent guess.

Tsunade nodded, "Yes. I don't want to waste my strength before fighting the eight tails."

"But why did you separate me?" Tachibana asked.

But Tsunade didn't respond. She just looked at Tachibana for a few seconds before shaking her head as they continued their journey, taking a different route so that they could flank whoever Yamato encountered.

But Tachibana could swear he heard Tsuande say–

"Troublesome stinky brat."

Shizune seemed to have heard it too since she almost fumbled and bashed her head straight into a tree.

Tachibana, confused, smelt himself and became even more confused.

'Do I stink so bad that people will detect us from a mile away?'

'....I mean I didn't take a shower before we left since it was so sudden…but do I really stink that much?'