Naruto: Starting by Teaching Tsunade Modernization

Outside the Owarayama mountain fortress, the battlefield had become an endless forest.

Thick with greenery, it extended for miles.

It was nearly identical to the Death Forest outside Konoha.

Within the shadows formed by the massive tree canopies, a head silently emerged.

A head pale beyond normality.

Of course, it was White Zetsu.

He had been tasked with monitoring the battle between Konoha and Kumogakure and relaying intelligence back to Madara Uchiha so he could analyze and intervene if necessary.

Thanks to his mastery of stealth techniques, White Zetsu had gone unnoticed—until yesterday's battle, when he faced his most dangerous threat yet.

He felt certain that Haruki had discovered him.

Because of this, he used every technique at his disposal to conceal himself within the forest, not daring to move even slightly ever since.

Only today did he cautiously peek out again.

"Jeez, he's like Hashirama reborn! I bet Lord Madara's thrilled," White Zetsu muttered, his tone as usual rather irreverent.

If Madara Uchiha heard that, he'd probably get beaten within an inch of his life.

Recalling the previous encounter with lingering fear, he thought back—it wasn't even a fight, just a brutal adult picking on a child.

"Haruki… so he was the mysterious Wood Release ninja who fought Lord Madara before."

White Zetsu let go of his sarcastic tone.

Even he found the situation troublesome.

Nowadays, Madara Uchiha was already in his twilight years, far from his former strength.

As for Black Zetsu, unless the plan failed, he wouldn't personally intervene, so as not to risk exposure.

He had hidden himself away for thousands of years with absolute patience, maintaining a low profile until victory appeared certain.

Yet Madara was one of their best hopes.

Finding another target like him would be extremely difficult.

Sighing, White Zetsu sank back into the earth.

For now, he had no other choice but to return and report to Madara Uchiha.

In the dimly lit underground base,

Madara Uchiha leaned against the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path to conserve what remained of his life force.

Moments later, he lifted his head, seeing White Zetsu appear, and asked, "How did the final battle between Konoha and Kumogakure go? Was it a bloodbath?"

Though he never left this place, he had earlier received reports from White Zetsu.

He knew Haruki had forced Kumogakure all the way to the Owarayama mountain fortress through a series of maneuvers.

Kumogakure hadn't failed to impress him either—they quickly assembled an army of twenty thousand ninja.

And Iwagakure joining the conflict midway was an unexpected bonus.

All things considered, this battle was bound to be extraordinarily brutal.

"Konoha won decisively."

White Zetsu got straight to the point without unnecessary words. "Kumo and Iwa suffered crushing defeats; twenty-five thousand Allied Ninja Forces were wiped out."

"What did you say?"

Madara Uchiha revealed an expression of shock. "How is that possible? When did Konoha become so powerful?"

"It was Haruki. The same Wood Release ninja who confronted you in the Land of Water."

White Zetsu explained softly, unusually serious this time.

...

Madara stood frozen in place.

After a long silence, his face darkened with rage.

He remembered how Haruki had utterly humiliated him, just like Hashirama Senju once did.

To make matters worse, Haruki was also Tsunade's lover.

That would mean I've once again been outmatched by Haruki, the descendant-in-law of Hashirama Senju... Thinking this, he felt like spitting blood.

The Senju clan really goes too far!

"Lord Madara, what should we do now? With Haruki in Konoha, the unification of the Land of Lightning seems inevitable."

White Zetsu frowned. "Perhaps it won't stop at the Land of Lightning. If he's willing, the entire ninja world might fall under his influence—it's just a matter of time. But this severely undermines our plans."

"I naturally understand that!"

Madara Uchiha felt extremely annoyed inside. Just when his resurrection plan had finally found hope of success, how could someone like Haruki suddenly appear?

Even more troubling was that Obito Uchiha was Haruki's student.

"We must finish everything before Haruki gets involved in the Land of Rain; otherwise, things will become a hundred times harder later."

Rubbing his forehead, Madara realized he couldn't afford the time it would take to outlast another Wood Release ninja.

If Haruki got involved, his control over Obito and Nagato would be impossible.

It was sheer folly to attempt petty tricks against someone who could rival even Hashirama Senju.

"Since Tsunade appeared in the Land of Rain, Hanzo has lost his ability to threaten them."

White Zetsu understood Madara's thoughts but now faced an issue.

"Tsunade and Jiraiya together neutralize Hanzo's greatest advantage. His poison becomes ineffective, reducing his strength by at least a third.

Though he has Amegakure's support, the combined strength of Akatsuki and Konoha isn't inferior. Let alone Haruki's three apprentices—even ignoring Nagato's Rinnegan, which alone can trap them in trouble.

While Nagato doesn't wield the Rinnegan as skillfully as you, Lord Madara, even a partial activation greatly enhances his power.

Hanzo won't last much longer."

White Zetsu shook his head, delivering his final verdict on the ongoing war in the Land of Rain.

Hanzo lacked sufficient capability—unfit for such a crucial task.

Madara Uchiha fell silent for a moment before replying, "I'll have to go in person."

[Katsugen no Jutsu] was useful, but without the Rinnegan, frequent use could cause dangerous side effects.

Still, he had no other options left.

With a sharp cry from White Zetsu, Madara occupied his body and left the underground cavity.

...

When White Zetsu departed, Haruki glanced in the distance but did nothing.

In truth, he was curious to see what White Zetsu would do next.

His actions surely shocked Madara greatly.

As for the Land of Rain, he wasn't overly concerned—except perhaps about one person: Obito Uchiha.

Under immense pressure, who knew what choice he'd make?

Haruki thought for a while—he had attended the Ninja Academy, so he likely wouldn't fall into the same pattern as in the original story.

As for how things would develop afterward, he waited with interest.

"Haruki."

Sakumo Hatake suddenly appeared atop the city wall beside Haruki.

"I've received some intelligence that may interest you."

"What kind of intelligence?"

Haruki turned his head slightly, already having a rough idea of what it could be.

"The first matter concerns the Cloud Hidden Village. Tarui, the apprentice of the Fourth Raikage, has left the village with thirty others, and their whereabouts are unknown. Should we send someone to deal with them?"

"There's no need. They're just homeless dogs."

Haruki chuckled and shook his head. He was actually curious to see what expression Tarui would make when he went through so much trouble for revenge, only to find that the original Cloud Ninja had already completely surrendered.

"Mm."

Sakumo Hatake nodded. They couldn't spare the manpower to deal with just thirty people right now.

Besides, he was confident that Tarui and his group wouldn't stir up any real trouble.

Even if they did eventually need dealing with, they could serve as a trial for the younger generation.

"The second piece of intelligence is about Iwagakure. The Tsuchikage Onoki has recalled all ninja currently out in the field and strengthened defenses at Iwagakure."

When Haruki heard this, he couldn't help but laugh.

He hadn't expected Onoki, known as the strongest Tsuchikage, to actually be scared out of his wits like this.

However, he had no intention of conquering Iwagakure just yet.

Following Flowering Clan traditions, step by step—first thoroughly digesting the Land of Lightning and Cloud Hidden Village before considering other countries.

Taking everything down all at once? He didn't have nearly enough talent to manage the entire ninja world.

Shaky foundations can bring about self-destruction.

"The third piece of intelligence is from Minato."

Sakumo passed him a scroll. "It shouldn't be anything serious. You'll understand once you read it."

Haruki opened the scroll with interest, reading the last piece of intelligence before smiling slightly.

"Perfect timing. I was planning on going there anyway."

He returned the scroll to Sakumo. "[Wood Clone] here, there shouldn't be any issues."

Further north beyond the Otagata Mountains lay a plateau.

But while called a plateau, in reality, it was surrounded entirely by towering peaks.

Only after crossing the central area would one encounter a stretch of low-altitude plains.

Going further ahead led to the end of the mountain range—the capital metropolis of the Land of Lightning.

At this moment, Minato Namikaze and his 160,000-strong army were resting in the central part of the Otagata Mountains.

After several days of pursuit, their campaign had been practically unstoppable, capturing nearly half the territory of the Land of Lightning.

Still, even seasoned armies eventually hit their limits.

And since they had encountered resistance recently, Minato decided to stop and rest for two days.

Suddenly, he lifted his head.

A familiar chakra signature.

He stood up, looking at Haruki, who had appeared out of nowhere, and greeted him: "Teacher."

Haruki acknowledged with a nod.

Looking around at the large army, he noticed minimal losses.

"What's the current situation?"

"We originally followed the retreating enemy army heading north straight toward the metropolis. But yesterday, the scattered forces of the Land of Lightning reorganized and blocked our path into Pingaowang Plain using the Otagata Mountains."

The situation wasn't complicated.

Minato had summoned Haruki simply because he believed this person was a rare talent among commanders; losing him here would truly be a pity.

"This fellow does seem quite capable."

Haruki's eyes lit up slightly.

To unify over a hundred thousand disheartened soldiers within a single day and lead them against the Land of Fire's forces?

Needless to say, this individual was an extremely rare general.

Haruki always felt that using Minato merely as a commander of Fire Country's army was a terrible waste of his talent.

It would be even better if someone could take his place.

"What's his name?"

"Shuudian." Minato replied.

"No surname?"

Haruki arched an eyebrow, slightly surprised. Someone without a surname was either an orphan or a slave.

"No."

Minato shook his head and explained, "Before Teacher came, I looked into his background. Up until yesterday, he was a household slave serving General Mikogami of the Land of Lightning."

"How did he become the current leader of the Land of Lightning then?"

"The Land of Lightning has been in chaos from our attacks, and with Teacher capturing the top military officials, the remaining authority fell to General Mikogami. Possibly out of fear for his own life, Shuudian stepped forward and persuaded the general, effectively becoming the leader."

"No wonder you said he was quite interesting—and potentially useful to us."

Haruki's eyes gleamed with surprise. Shuudian's tale was nothing short of legendary.

The only thing confusing Haruki was why he hadn't acted sooner.

He paused for a moment—the crisis hadn't reached its peak yet, and Mikogami wouldn't have trusted a mere servant before now.

Only at such a critical moment would he resort to desperate measures.

Haruki stood up and smiled. "Let's go meet this heaven-sent warrior leading the Land of Lightning."

Minato blinked slightly.

Heaven-sent warrior?

Another odd phrase from Teacher Haruki.

He was long used to such phrases and didn't respond further, immediately issuing orders.

As the Black Armor Army sprang into motion, the entire army began to mobilize.

Though Minato had never directly commanded all 150,000 troops, through the Black Armor Army, he could exert control indirectly.

The sudden movement startled the opposing forces.

Hidden among the peaks, Shuudian's eyes narrowed.

His earlier victory against Minato's forces had relied precisely on these uneven, densely packed mountains.

With remarkable coordination, he had stationed tens of thousands of soldiers across each peak, digging deep trenches and building towering ramparts. Using bows and crossbows, he had transformed the entire mountain range into a unified natural defense line.

But Shuudian knew their advantage no longer belonged to them.

With Kumogakure defeated, all the ninja factions once loyal to the Land of Lightning had scattered.

Even the Twelve Guardian Ninja had deserted them.

As ninjas, they understood much better than the nobles what this meant.

Shuudian understood as well.

It was said that Minato Namikaze, the opposing commander, was an extremely formidable ninja.

If he decided to abandon honor and strike through assassination,

they might seem dominant, but their lives would depend entirely on his whim.

Shuudian's eyes narrowed.

The Land of Fire's army was forming up in a standard battle array—it seemed normal enough.

But in such complex terrain, it was practically useless.

Sure enough, moments later, several divisions entered Shuudian's defensive zone.

After watching Minato's unit closely for a moment, Shuudian finally raised the command flag.

The messenger quickly departed.

At this time, Haruki and Minato were in the central division.

A volley of flaming arrows streaked from the right-hand peak and rained down.

"Enemy attack!"

Haruki and Minato did not speak, but the armies behind them acted on instinct. 

Facing the incoming arrows, they expertly formed a defensive formation with their shields. 

At that moment, hoofbeats rang out from behind. 

Three thousand cavalry charged forward riding two abreast at incredible speed. 

Haruki had divided his forces into fifteen divisions of ten thousand men each. 

Meanwhile, three thousand soldiers emerged from both flanks, quickly encircling them in minutes. 

Far off, Fire Country's other forces tried to rush to their aid. 

But suddenly, arrows rained from the surrounding peaks, 

and massive boulders blocked the natural narrow passages. 

Only now did Haru realize how vulnerable their position was. 

They were practically boxed in like prey. 

Unfortunately, the strength imbalance couldn't be overcome by strategy alone. 

Minato raised his long blade. 

Ten thousand soldiers discarded their shields and bared their chests. In moments, armor sets rapidly covered their bodies— 

[Exo-Skeletal Power Suits] 

They were all members of the Black Armor Army. 

The slaughter began. 

In an instant, Haruaki vanished and reappeared before a pale-faced Shuudian. 

His hiding place was well concealed. 

However, several contacts with messenger soldiers exposed his location. 

Of course, [Sensor Ability] played the most crucial role. 

By accurately reconstructing the messenger's movement path, he was able to pinpoint the center. 

"Are you Shuudian?" 

"Yes." 

Shuudian cooperated fully. 

As a household slave, his greatest skill was survival. 

The fact that Haruki did not attack immediately meant he still had value. 

"Lord, do you want me to reveal Lightning Country's remaining deployments? Or lead an assault on the Metropolis?" 

"Exactly. You're sharp." 

Haruki nodded in satisfaction. 

Shuudian's performance pleased him. 

It seemed Minato could finally be freed from heavy military burdens. 

Haruki grabbed Shuudian and brought him to the battlefield, where the two sides clashed. 

Using chakra, he amplified his voice and commanded them to halt. 

The Black Armor Army's slaughter had already filled the hearts of Lightning Country's soldiers with terror. 

Combined with Shuudian's public surrender and reassurance, 

in less than a day, the remaining Lightning Country forces laid down their arms completely. 

The mighty force of 310,000 marched northward, undefeated in every battle, arriving at the gates of the Metropolis with thunderous might. 

The defenders guarding the gate fled at the first sight of them. 

Minato Namikaze leapt onto the city wall, slicing through the ancient banner that had flown for over a millennium, and raised the Xia Organization's Red Dragon Flag in its place.