In the original tiline, after the Third Shinobi War, Kakashi had already shown signs of a darker personality.
Danzo had attempted to recruit him into Root but failed.
From beginning to end, Kakashi paid Danzo no attention whatsoever.
No matter how cunning or resourceful Danzo was, Kakashi remained unmoved.
With the Third Hokage's strong support, and without the ability to assassinate Kakashi, Danzo was left powerless.
"Would he really retaliate if pressured?"
Minato scratched his head. This didn't align with the Danzo he knew.
The Danzo he knew, apart from being insidious and treacherous, was especially patient.
"Enough, speculating won't get us anywhere. I wouldn't be surprised if we get assigned a mission to hunt Danzo down soon."
"What?"
The Anbu led Danzo away, with Nawaki accompanying them as the guard in charge.
Takuya and Minato followed behind, while Pakura, as always, stayed by Takuya's side like a loyal bodyguard.
As for Takuya and Minato's conversation, Pakura quietly listened without interrupting.
Minato was stunned.
Hadn't Danzo chosen to surrender?
Could it be that he was planning to escape?
Danzo would have to escape Konoha and beco a rogue ninja for any mission to hunt him down to be issued.
Otherwise, the Third Hokage would never allow such a mission to be announced.
If Danzo defected, even with the deep bond between him and the Third Hokage, Hiruzen would have no choice but to issue a pursuit order.
"Just wait and see," Takuya replied with a confident smile.
Would Danzo willingly stay in prison?
Absolutely not, because he feared being killed by Tsunade or Takuya under the guise of so excuse.
The Third Hokage's limits had been retreating step by step. In the past, Danzo could be sure that Hiruzen wouldn't take action against him.
But things had changed. Everything was different now.
Most importantly, Tsunade was in power.
With Tsunade in charge, it ant that Takuya had significant influence. Given Takuya's deep hatred for Danzo, he would undoubtedly find ways to kill him.
Even a "kill first, report later" approach was possible.
With the constant threat of assassination looming over him in prison, Danzo couldn't remain calm.
Escaping and defecting were his only options.
As for the tight security in the prison, it was hardly a concern for soone like Danzo.
Seals? Danzo himself was an expert in sealing techniques.
Moreover, he still had people loyal to him.
Although their numbers had dwindled, these individuals could assist him in escaping Konoha.
Talking to you is exhausting.
Minato wrestled with his thoughts for a while before giving up on asking more questions. Asking Takuya was pointless since he wouldn't provide straight answers.
Takuya's cryptic remarks left Minato feeling like he needed ti to process them.
As expected, Danzo was secretly imprisoned in a maximum-security cell, with Nawaki assigned to guard him. To ensure security, Tsunade even assigned an entire Anbu squad to assist Nawaki.
Nawaki couldn't keep watch over Danzo 24/7 on his own. He needed rest, and during those tis, the Anbu would take over.
Imprisoning soone of Danzo's status—a forr Hokage advisor—had to be done in secret and could not be made public.
First, the Third Hokage wouldn't allow it to be announced. That was the limit of his concession.
Second, Tsunade wouldn't publicize it either. Konoha was still at war, and such news could have many adverse effects.
Secret imprisonnt was the only option.
This arrangent also preserved so of Danzo's dignity. How long that dignity would last depended on Danzo's resourcefulness.
Once everything was settled, Tsunade personally t with Yagura to finalize a series of cooperative agreents.
Later that night, Takuya had just finished his bath and was preparing to sleep when an uninvited guest jumped in through the second-floor window.
Takuya's face darkened as he clenched his towel.
"Why not just jump straight into the bathroom next ti? That way, I won't even have the chance to grab a towel."
"I'm hungry."
Exhausted from the day's events, Tsunade ignored Takuya's complaints and collapsed onto the sofa, motionless. She looked like a giant caterpillar—a description that perfectly fit her current state.
Takuya shook his head in exasperation as he dried his wet hair with a towel.
"Pakura is resting downstairs. Ask her to make you so noodles. Her cooking isn't bad."
"I want a feast!!!"
After an entire day of work, Tsunade wasn't about to settle for a bowl of noodles.
"..."
Pakura had already noticed the commotion in the house.
In fact, the mont Tsunade approached, Pakura had sensed her presence.
After confirming it was Tsunade, Pakura decisively decided to stay in her room, avoiding anything she shouldn't see.
Reluctantly, Takuya used an hour of his rest ti to prepare a feast for Tsunade.
Watching Tsunade devour her food without any decorum, Takuya shook his head speechlessly.
"Did you settle things with Yagura?"
"It's all settled... cough, cough!!"
"It's settled. We agreed on terms that benefit Konoha. If everything goes smoothly, Konoha will enter a period of rapid developnt after the war."
Tsunade patted her chest and swallowed the food that had almost choked her. She then grabbed the rice cooker, scooping rice directly from it with a spoon, dissatisfied with the size of her bowl.
"Oh, right, Yagura had an additional request."
"He wants Sahada, doesn't he?"
Without needing confirmation, Takuya already knew what Yagura was after.
The great blade Sahada was of little importance to Takuya. Ever since acquiring the Kusanagi Sword, he hadn't used Sahada much.
For the Hidden Mist Village, however, Sahada was a symbolic weapon.
If possible, they would want to reclaim it at all costs.
Tsunade nodded. "He offered to exchange a certain amount of chakra-infused tal for Sahada."
"Give it to him."
Since it was sothing he had taken by force, Takuya didn't mind returning Sahada if Yagura truly wanted it.
Especially if it ca with an exchange.
Trading for chakra-infused tal wasn't a bad deal.
After all, Takuya didn't need Sahada anymore.
The Kusanagi Sword suited him better and felt more natural in his hands.
After devouring the rest of her food, Tsunade, now satisfied, patted her stomach and placed a mission scroll on the table.
"The mission is still classified as super-S rank. The rewards are decent, but they won't an much to you. Minato and Sakumo might benefit more."
"Yagura and his people will leave secretly at 2 AM. At dawn, you, Sakumo, and Minato will head to the frontlines and wait for further updates."
The super-S rank mission rewards included allowing Minato and Sakumo Hatake to view the Forbidden Scroll of Seals and choose one ninjutsu. However, such things didn't appeal much to Takuya.
For most missions, even S-rank was sufficient.
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to Chapter 550 at Patreon com/ Emik01.
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