"Not bad."

Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief.

Tsunade said expressionlessly, "It's just some comminuted fractures and internal organ damage."

Sakumo Hatake: "!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi: "...You call that 'not bad'?"

Tsunade glared and retorted, "Are you the doctor or am I?"

In her view, as long as it could still be treated, it wasn't a problem.

"Uh..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was choked up and could only smile awkwardly.

He sighed inwardly.

Ever since Konoha refused the Uzumaki Clan's request for aid, Tsunade had become increasingly cold toward him.

However, he believed that time would make Tsunade understand that he was right.

Seeing that Sakumo Hatake was about ready, Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, "What exactly happened?"

Sakumo Hatake glanced at Tsunade.

Tsunade was very tactful; a Ninja's mission was not allowed to be disclosed without permission, and besides, she had no interest in it.

"You two talk."

After saying this, Tsunade walked toward the outside of the hospital room.

But when she reached the door, she was suddenly stopped by Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Tsunade, you should listen in too."

Tsunade twisted the doorknob and said coldly, "Not interested."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said calmly, "It concerns the Land of Whirlpools."

Tsunade paused, didn't speak, but stopped her movement to leave.

Seeing this, Sakumo Hatake said with a grave expression, "The Land of Whirlpools has changed!"

Sakumo Hatake began to report the intelligence he had gathered during this mission with a grave expression, detailed down to each person's abilities, characteristics, and even their names.

As Hiruzen Sarutobi listened, his expression grew increasingly heavy.

Gotei 13?

When did the Land of Whirlpools get such a force?

And they supposedly mastered the technology of No-Seal Ninjutsu?

They released no fewer than five types of No-Seal Ninjutsu?

And there was even a Ninja Blade that could release Kekkei Genkai abilities?

Ice Release? Smoke Release? Fire Style? The Ninja Blade could even transform into a massive snake-like Spirit Beast???

This... why does it sound more and more bizarre???

Could it be that the Shinobi World had developed to a stage he didn't recognize?

Or was he already old? Could he not keep up with the changes in the Shinobi World??

But he was only in his thirties!

What? Every Lieutenant almost possessed the strength to kill the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?!

There were thirteen such Lieutenants?!

And above them were Captain-class figures?! Also thirteen?!

Sakumo Hatake continued to speak.

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't take it anymore; his brain was starting to crash.

Too much shocking information had been crammed into his mind at once; his head was a bit scrambled.

Hiruzen Sarutobi held his forehead and said, "Wait, you're saying that woman, who is suspected to be the Captain of the 2nd Division, kicked you into this state with one strike??"

Sakumo Hatake said with some shame, "Yes, my abilities were insufficient..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi felt weary.

If what Sakumo said was true, wouldn't he also be no match for that woman?

After all, he didn't have the strength to defeat Sakumo in one move.

If they were really that terrifying, and there were thirteen such captains...

Hiss—

"This force must not be underestimated!"

Even if not all Captain-class figures had the strength of that suspected Captain of the 2nd Division, they could not be taken lightly!

Especially with those peculiar Ninja Blades and No-Seal Ninjutsu added to the mix!

Hiruzen Sarutobi wanted to smoke again.

Having such a force rooted in the Land of Whirlpools was not a good thing.

Hiruzen Sarutobi muttered to himself, "I don't know if this force is an enemy or a friend..."

Sakumo Hatake said seriously, "Hokage-sama, there is one more thing..."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a headache, "There's more?"

Sakumo Hatake looked serious and said, "The one who rules this force seems to be a person called the Spirit King."

"...Spirit King."

Hiruzen Sarutobi brainstormed, searching his memory bank, but found absolutely no information on this title.

Unfamiliar!

Everything was too unfamiliar!

"Ah, right."

Sakumo Hatake suddenly remembered something else.

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave him a resentful look.

"I learned from their conversation that they seem to call themselves Shinigami?"

Shinigami?

Now Hiruzen Sarutobi had some leads.

After the Anbu brought Uzumaki Kushina back to Konoha, he had made a copy of the Uzumaki Clan's Sealing Jutsu scrolls under the guise of safekeeping.

There was a Forbidden Jutsu related to the Shinigami on it; he wondered if it had any connection to this force.

Tsunade had been listening for a long time; although she was also shocked by this suddenly appearing powerful force.

But she was more concerned about a person Sakumo Hatake mentioned.

Tsunade asked seriously, "That red-haired Lieutenant, is he from the Uzumaki Clan?"

...

Sakumo Hatake shook his head and said, "Although that person does indeed possess the characteristics of the Uzumaki Clan, his name is Renji Abarai, and I don't know if he has any relation to the Uzumaki Clan."

Hearing this, Tsunade's expression shifted uncertainly.

She hoped that person was a survivor of the Uzumaki Clan; as long as one person from the Uzumaki Clan could survive, the guilt in her heart could be reduced a little.

Sakumo Hatake added, "Right, when I arrived in the Land of Whirlpools, I found that the situation there was completely different from when it was destroyed."

"On the outskirts of the Land of Whirlpools, a large complex of buildings has already been constructed; they seem to be residential houses. As for the inside, I haven't entered yet."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was shocked again: "The Land of Whirlpools was destroyed only a few days ago, right? They built houses that quickly? Could it be that they also have First Hokage-sama's Wood Style?"

Tsunade: "..."

Her grandfather's Wood Style was not for building houses!

However, it could not be denied that the situation in the Land of Whirlpools had indeed brought them too much shock.

And Hiruzen Sarutobi was thinking deeper.

If it was just an organization, why build houses and develop the Land of Whirlpools?

And why did they put the Land of Whirlpools first when introducing their identity? This organization probably had big plans...

With such a strange neighbor living in his backyard, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt like he was being watched from behind by Biwako while peeking.

This feeling was very bad!

However, Tsunade's words earlier had reminded him.

The Shinigami related to the Uzumaki Clan, the man suspected to be of the Uzumaki Clan.

Various clues seemed to reveal a connection to the Uzumaki Clan.

The only thing he couldn't understand was, if the Land of Whirlpools had such a force, then how was it destroyed before?

He couldn't figure it out, nor did he know if it was really related to the Uzumaki Clan; after all, these were all his guesses.

But, he knew there was someone in Konoha who might be able to give him the answer.

The First Hokage's wife, the former princess of the Uzumaki Clan, Uzumaki Mito.

Senju Compound.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had arrived here after a long time.