The Hokage was standing above a table with a huge map of the northern shores of the Land of Fire, loudly banging his fist onto the table with passion as he explained his tactics and asked the other men in the tent about their opinion. Around him, his most trusted aides and the most powerful ninjas from Konoha that he could afford to relieve from their previous posts listened with rapt attention, occasionally giving their own two cents to the battle plans.

Hiruzen felt drained. The town of Tanera was supposedly heavily harassed by pranks of all things and he could not dispatch anyone with the current situation so their disposable weapon supply suffered. Worse yet, the economy around Tanera was collapsing and many people already moved out. The Daimyo demanded something to be done about it because Tanera mines were the only place with chakra metal, therefore very profitable for the country. But when Hiruzen was about to send Jiraiya to Tanera to find and skin alive anyone causing trouble there during wartime with pointless pranks... The toad sage appeared very pensive and troubled. Apparently, the warning from Tsunade was real and Konoha now had to protect the Land of Fire from the biggest invasion to their lands since the first shinobi war. Oh, joy... ​​

In the end, nobody was sent to Tanera. Another problem was to find out who to send to defend against the Kiri invasion. When Jiraiya told him the estimated numbers of Kiri ninjas, Hiruzen quickly decided to take a more hands-on approach and go himself, dragging a lot of strong ninjas from their posts from the Kumo front or Grass front. Even the outposts closest to the Land of Wind were almost emptied, leaving only 20% of its occupants as the others were ordered to one-by-one relocate towards the new make-shift camp close to the northern shores of the Land of Fire while being discreet about it. The gathering of Konoha forces commenced... and if Jiraiya's estimate was to be trusted, Hiruzen was still facing a situation where Konoha was outnumbered one to four Kiri ninjas.

Which led Hiruzen to the current situation. He furiously hammered his fist onto the poor innocent table as his eyes sparkled with fury while he was sweeping the uncomfortable and nervous people around him with his piercing glare.

"What do you mean, Tsunade is not coming, Jiraiya!?" Hiruzen bellowed, causing some less experienced ninjas in the command tent to take a step back from the intensity of his voice. Hiruzen, while glad he still had it in him and was capable of making even someone as strong as Jiraiya squirm like a little genin, was utterly furious at what he just heard.

"Sensei, you see, Tsun-" Pale-faced Jiraiya unsurely tried to explain but Hiruzen interrupted him by grabbing the note he was clutching in his hands as if his life depended on it.

Hiruzen looked at it and started reading out loud. "Yo, old monkey," Just from that bit he knew he would not like what would follow. The only time Tsunade called him 'old monkey' was when she was angry with him or trying to use it as a form of endearment to 'borrow' some money from him. Just the thought sent chills run down his spine as he subconsciously straightened up with a gulp, his anger quickly forgotten. "You would not believe what happened!" Hiruzen frowned. "I, the head of Konoha hospital, found an order to leave Konoha hospital! I have really no idea what kind of idiot could sanction something like that! Honesty..." He could almost feel Tsunade's fake disappointment and mockery of her tone as he read her message. Many people in the command tent shuffled at that, not knowing what to do as they knew it was the Council and the Hokage who wrote that order. What Tsunade did was incredible disrespect towards them. "So~, just thought I will let you know I am not coming. Cheers!"

Hiruzen raised his eyes from the letter from Tsunade and his frosty eyes trailed over the form of every single council member who was in attendance. "You did not tell her directly?" He asked quietly but his voice started rising. "You sent a fucking ORDER? To someone like Tsunade? Are the heads of you, dipshits, completely empty or what!?" Hiruzen panted harshly. For two weeks he was stuck in this camp to give orders and organize defence against Kiri forces, leaving the village in the hands of the Council. They were supposed to persuade Tsunade. Meaning giving her some incentive to join rather than flat out ordering her. He knew his apprentice and that never worked well. And yet, his 'esteemed' Council did precisely that and Tsunade decided to blow her gasket by saying proverbial 'fuck you'. As disappointed as that simple fact made him, Hiruzen understood Tsunade's actions as she was treated somewhat coldly by Konoha's higher-ups as of late.

Suddenly, one newer ninja, barely a boy who just reached chunin rank thanks to his ability to survive during the war, timidly raised his hand, making Hiruzen nod at him in a sign he can speak. "Lord Third... isn't Tsunade-sama still a ninja from Konoha, therefore bound to follow orders? Isn't justice on the side of the Council?"

Hiruzen just stared at the fool. "You naive idiot." He groaned, tired of it all. Tired of the war, of the general stupidity he had to deal with each day, of being attacked from every side. "Can you even imagine what kind of influence Tsunade has? Do you really think I could force her, you fool?" He drawled irritably, causing the new chunin to show a disgruntled expression. "But no, Tsunade is no longer a Konoha ninja since she left after the second war. She is officially retired and effectively a clan head of the Senju clan. That makes me unable to call her back to duty from her retirement as retired clan heads have certain... privileges." Hiruzen explained patiently, showing that his title of Professor was quite fitting.

"Sensei, I think you should look at the other side of the letter." Jiraiya suddenly spoke with a wince. Hiruzen narrowed his eyes and did so, finding a reference for a page in the newest edition of the Bingo Book which made him quite baffled. Before he could ask, however, Jiraiya just handed him a small black book. "Tsunade sent it alongside her letter." He added.

Hiruzen browsed through the book until he found the page Tsunade referenced and instantly paled a new shade of white as he saw something he never thought possible in his long life of strife. Something that made feel creep into his heart and shook him to his core.

Something even the fabled Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't expect.

---

Mei of Kiri

Affiliation: Kiri - rank unknown, Team Downpour - 3rd member.

Prowess - SS-rank.

Bounty - 250,000,000 Ryo (Iwagakure) - preferably dead.

Strength - Steam-based bloodline(?), Good at Taijutsu and weaponry, Exceptional reaction time, and superb chakra sensory abilities.

Info: A new team member of Team Downpour who single-handedly wiped out 10 000 strong force gathered by Iwagakure to deal with the Team Downpour, leaving only a single survivor.

---

"An SS-rank." Hiruzen said reverently as he remembered the feats of his teacher and Hashirama Senju. Child soldiers were a common sight on the battlefield but to think a girl of thirteen could get SS-ranking... Hiruzen was utterly speechless and could only hope the girl was far away from the soon-to-be battle between Konoha and Kiri. Inwardly, Hiruzen was very grateful for the heads-up from Tsunade as his eyes hardened. 'Kid or not... I will not hesitate if she shows up!'

Honestly, if she knew his thought process, she would just roll her eyes at him in exasperation.

Nevertheless, the name Mei of Kiri started to spread through the world like fire through the woods. A new SS-rank, the first one in more than half a century, was finally born, sending chills through the collective spines of many higher-ups of many villages. Rei could only snicker at the thought that it was actually Mei, his youngest apprentice, who attained such a rank even before him.