Chapter 48: I Study the Spring and Autumn Annals

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Sasame and the others cautiously circled the Hidden Cloud's main camp but found nothing unusual.

Returning empty-handed wasn't surprising—if the trap had been obvious, it would've been suspicious.

If Tsunade were alone, she might've risked infiltrating the camp. But with Uchiha Shisui's team assisting, she could afford to wait.

"That fast?"

Shizune was shocked to see Shisui's group return so quickly. Capturing enemies undetected should've been far more difficult. She could only chalk it up to luck.

But Sasame knew better—this wasn't luck. This was the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan.

Unlike its awakening, using it subtly left no visible traces. Unless someone stared directly into his eyes, no one would notice the difference. Deceiving Anko and Mōryō was child's play.

"Troubling news."

Tsunade noticed Shisui's grim expression as he approached. "What did you learn?"

"A flood attack."

Shisui pointed toward the distant riverbank. "They plan to release the dam upstream, drowning the lower reaches."

"What?"

Tsunade instinctively glanced at Sasame.

"That's just phase one."

Shisui took a deep breath. "Phase two is lightning. They've installed devices along the riverbed to amplify Lightning Release chakra. In an instant, the entire river could become electrified."

Shinobi could walk on water—but not resist lightning.

If this tactic succeeded, countless Konoha ninja would be paralyzed, handing Kumo an easy victory.

As for the devices? Not far-fetched.

In the original timeline, Kumo had developed chakra cannons capable of blasting the moon. A lightning amplifier was trivial by comparison.

The real danger lay in the element of surprise.

Shinobi weren't afraid of water. Even adding Lightning Release wouldn't normally cover such a vast area.

But forewarned, the plan was easy to counter:

Destroy the amplifiers.

Warn Fugaku to evacuate.

Still, merely stopping the attack would let Kumo off too lightly.

"Shizune, Kabuto, Anko—return to camp and inform Fugaku immediately."

Tsunade's orders were decisive. These three were the weakest links.

Sasame, Itachi, and Mōryō, on the other hand, could all fight at jōnin level.

"Lady Tsunade, what about you?"

Anko shot a resentful glance at Mōryō.

Itachi's strength came from talent and the Sharingan. But Mōryō? She owed hers to Orochimaru's cursed seal.

Why her and not me?

"We'll sabotage the amplifiers. And if possible, send Kumo a 'gift' in return."

Tsunade waved them off. "Your mission is just as critical. Don't slack off."

"Yes!"

With that, Anko and the others departed.

"How exactly do the amplifiers work?"

Once they were gone, Tsunade turned back to Shisui.

"A central control unit in Kumo's camp requires nine Lightning Release jōnin. Their chakra is channeled through cables to the riverbed devices, triggering a massive discharge."

Shisui had extracted this intel from a jōnin via Kotoamatsukami.

"Problematic."

Tsunade frowned.

With only five of them, replicating nine jōnin's output was impossible. Turning Kumo's plan against them seemed hopeless—unless they summoned reinforcements from Konoha.

But mobilizing nine Lightning specialists would alert Kumo's spies instantly.

Shisui hesitated, then chose not to reveal his Mangekyō.

After Orochimaru's ambush, he couldn't risk trusting Tsunade blindly.

With Kotoamatsukami, he could've mind-controlled several jōnin—or even rewritten the Fourth Raikage's subconscious, handing Konoha an unprecedented victory.

"One question."

Sasame, silent until now, spoke up. "Does this device need nine Lightning jōnin—or just the equivalent chakra?"

"The latter. As long as the chakra has Lightning attributes."

Shisui's answer made Tsunade's eyes gleam.

She finally grasped Sasame's implication.

With her Strength of a Hundred Seal, she could supply the chakra of nine jōnin single-handedly.

Failing that, the First Hokage's Necklace was another option.

"Shisui, lead the way."

Tsunade possessed all five basic chakra natures—Fire, Lightning, Earth, Water, and Yang.

Though Lightning wasn't her specialty, converting chakra was feasible.

Few knew of the Strength of a Hundred Seal, and Shisui was no exception. But if Tsunade said she could do it, he trusted her.

Soon, they reached the amplifier site—heavily guarded, making stealth infiltration near impossible.

"Sasame can use Water and Earth Release to divert the river toward Kumo's camp, then sever the cables."

Tsunade knew his Wood Release would be invaluable in a pinch.

As a last resort, the necklace could unleash Deep Forest Emergence—total chaos.

"I'll activate the amplifiers. But the three of you will have your hands full holding off the Raikage and his forces."

Even as she spoke, Tsunade doubted their chances.

This camp housed hundreds of shinobi, including numerous jōnin. Three defenders wouldn't last long.

"Wait—do you know summoning jutsu?"

Tsunade suddenly remembered: two of Orochimaru's disciples stood before her.

A slug plus two giant snakes? That would tip the scales.

"Yes."

Itachi and Mōryō nodded in unison.

Orochimaru wasn't one to hoard knowledge. In the original timeline, he'd trained Sasuke thoroughly—stronger vessels only benefited him.

"Then we're about to earn ourselves a major commendation. If this succeeds, the old man will owe us big."

Tsunade smirked. She didn't care about rewards, but the others did.

Shisui and Itachi, devout followers of the Will of Fire, would leap at any chance to please Hiruzen.

Mōryō's motives were simpler: power.

Reputation, as intangible as it was, had its uses.

For Tsunade, this operation edged her closer to becoming Fifth Hokage—perhaps sooner than in the original timeline.

And Sasame's modest goal? "The Hokage's man."

Almost there.

History spoke of Guan Yu flooding seven armies. Today, Sasame would flood the Cloud ninja.

See? We have something in common.

Like our shared love for the Spring and Autumn Annals.

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