Kawakaze and Sakumo stood in the shadows, their eyes fixed on Danzo as he departed, his face twisted with hatred.
"Why don't we just kill him?" Sakumo's voice was low, heavy with gloom, his words laced with unmistakable killing intent. His hand hovered near his blade, confident that a single strike would be enough.
"He's of the sa generation as the Third Hokage and holds a high-ranking position in Konoha," Kawakaze replied calmly, his tone carrying a tinge of reason. "If we just kill him outright, it'll be hard to explain. Our roots are still in Konoha," he added with a shrug, "As for those useless lackeys under his command, they don't matter."
Sakumo's jaw tightened as he absorbed his younger brother's reasoning. It was sound. Danzo's current strength was unimpressive, far removed from the level of difficulty he presented when battling Sasuke later on. His value to the Third Hokage was likely the only thing keeping him relevant. Acting rashly now could invite the Third Hokage's wrath upon the Hatake Clan—an outco that would cost far more than they could afford.
"I wonder what other tricks he has up his sleeve," Sakumo muttered, his tone laced with disdain. "An ambitious man in the shadows, always grasping for the light."
"There are always people like that," Kawakaze replied with a faint smile. "They value power but lack the luck to truly wield it."
He didn't take Danzo seriously. In the original story, Danzo t his end at the hands of Sasuke not long after briefly serving as Hokage—a fitting conclusion to his sinful life. Whether he would even make it that far in this tiline was uncertain.
"That old fool," Sakumo said, his voice heavy with quiet resolve. "Sooner or later, I'll deal with him myself."
To anyone else, it might have sounded as though Sakumo were lanting so great loss, his tone aggrieved, yet the intent behind his words was crystal clear.
"Haha, it's late, Big Brother. Ti to get so rest," Kawakaze teased, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Big Sister-in-law is waiting for you under the covers to make a baby."
He punctuated the comnt with a lewd gesture, pretending to reach for his brother's vital parts. Sakumo deftly sidestepped and shot him an exasperated look before heading toward his room.
"You're such a grown man, yet you still act like a brat," Sakumo muttered, shaking his head. His younger brother was always a handful.
As he approached the room, Sakumo's steps slowed, his expression softening. Nayuki had been waiting for him under the covers, her patience unshaken.
anwhile, Kawakaze leaned back, lost in thought. What if Big Brother's baby arrived earlier than expected? Would Kakashi still turn out to be Kakashi? The idea was oddly amusing and oddly troubling—a question worth pondering.
He drifted into sleep with Kakashi on his mind, only to find Tsunade appearing in his dreams. The realization struck him with an almost comical clarity: perhaps his nephew's existence was just a twist of fate, but Tsunade? She was the one true love in his heart.
The next day, at dawn, Tsunade arrived again, this ti accompanied by Nawaki, who, like her, hadn't eaten breakfast yet. Kushina followed closely behind, and it seed they were forming a small group just for the sake of enjoying breakfast together.
The reason was clear: the previous day, Nawaki had gone ho boasting about how delicious and abundant Big Brother's breakfast was. Kushina, intrigued and eager, had even promised to commit to learning Fūinjutsu for three consecutive days in exchange for the chance to join and eat for free this morning.
During the al, Kushina turned into a whirlwind, devouring her food with unrestrained enthusiasm. After all, she didn't want her effort to secure this breakfast to go to waste.
Once breakfast was over, it was ti for training. Nawaki headed to the weapons rack and began practicing the horse stance, while Kushina followed suit, squatting down beside him. anwhile, Tsunade and the Hatake brothers settled at the stone table, enjoying the finest tea from the Land of Tea.
"Danzo ca by last night," Kawakaze began, sipping his tea while his gaze lingered on Tsunade.
"What did he want?" Tsunade asked casually, but her words betrayed her confusion—she clearly had no idea Danzo was the topic of discussion.
"It was about the hospital," Kawakaze explained, while Sakumo looked puzzled, his expression revealing his uncertainty. Hadn't they already assud she knew?
"Haha, she just knows how to eat," Kawakaze joked, amused by Big Brother's obliviousness and by Tsunade's delayed realization of what was happening.
Feigning composure, Tsunade took a slow, deliberate sip of her tea. "I see. I was mistaken," she said, attempting to mask her embarrassnt.
But her efforts were in vain. The blush on her face gave her away, and Kawakaze could only laugh inwardly at her failed attempt to appear unflustered.
"So the person who ca yesterday afternoon was from the Root?" Tsunade asked, her thoughts connecting the dots. Nawaki had told her about the events upon her return, and hearing Danzo's na confird the identity of the ninja.
"Yes," Kawakaze replied. "He wants to be the titular head of the hospital and is offering to use the Root to protect it."
"Without participating in its operation or taking a share of the profits," he added, sparing Tsunade the embarrassnt of pointing out her earlier misunderstanding. He let her believe she had pieced it together on her own.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Tsunade asked, shrugging. She wasn't particularly attached to her position as the hospital's director, and it seed there was no imdiate downside to opening the hospital with Danzo's support.
Kawakaze leaned forward slightly, his expression sharpening. "He wants to use the hospital to gain popularity with the people. Do you think he'll keep his word once he's the director?"
The implication was clear, but Kawakaze still spelled it out, suspecting she might overlook the nuance. Sakumo, sitting to the side, sighed silently. He had reached the sa conclusion only after a night of reflection and couldn't help but marvel that Tsunade seed to grasp it so easily without much thought.
"How did your discussion go last night?" Tsunade asked, her tone hinting that she already knew things hadn't ended peacefully. Still, she wasn't entirely sure how it had unfolded.
"We killed two of them and let the other one go," Sakumo interjected, setting his tea down.
"Then he definitely won't stop," Tsunade said, her voice firm. She knew Danzo's character all too well. He was the darkest figure in Konoha, always lurking in the shadows.
"There's sothing you need to do," Kawakaze said, shifting the conversation. Even if Tsunade hadn't co, he had planned to approach her about this.
"What is it?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
"If I'm not mistaken, Advisor Koharu is a dical-nin, isn't she?" Kawakaze asked, his gaze steady and his smile open.
"Yes," Tsunade replied, narrowing her eyes. "What's the problem?"
"I want you to invite her to be the hospital's vice director, just for show," Kawakaze explained. "I'll offer her an annual salary of 5 million."
Tsunade blinked, her curiosity deepening. Kawakaze seed confident that this amount would appeal to a middle-aged dical-nin nearing the end of her career. It was a tempting offer, requiring no effort on Koharu's part beyond holding a title. Even as one of the Hokage's advisors, the lure of additional inco might prove irresistible.
"What's the point of doing this?"
Tsunade turned into a whirlwind of questions, talking endlessly.
"You don't need to worry about it, just do as I say," Kawakaze replied, keeping his plans close to the chest. He didn't want to reveal too much before everything was finalized.
"So, how much salary will you give as the director?" Tsunade's eyes sparkled like stars. The vice director earned 5 million a year; surely the president deserved 6 million?
"You'll be working for yourself—with the year-end bonus," Kawakaze answered, rubbing his head. His response, however, fell short of Tsunade's expectations.
Kawakaze struggled to keep up with Tsunade's scattered thoughts. If she loved gambling so much, why was she so focused on money?
"Okay, then I'll go find Advisor Koharu," she said, finishing her last cup of tea before rising to leave.
"Kawakaze, co back to reality," Sakumo interjected, unable to bear his brother's lack of ambition.
"Huh? Why?"
"What's the use of Advisor Koharu?" Sakumo finally voiced the question gnawing at his mind. Why bother thinking when doing nothing was so much easier?
"There's more than one person from the sa generation in the Third Hokage's circle," Kawakaze remarked. With Big Brother's intelligence, he must have already figured out most of it.
In an instant, Kawakaze used the Flying Thunder God Technique and appeared next to Nawaki. The entire house was now under the technique's influence. His sudden arrival didn't faze Nawaki, who was steadfastly practicing the Horse Stance, but it startled Kushina.
"Whoosh!" A living, breathing person materialized before her, making the feisty redhead jump in fright.
That said, the move was undeniably cool. If only Minato could master it—her thoughts drifted to a certain blond boy.
anwhile, Sakumo sat on a stone bench, tugging at his hair in exasperation.
Damn it, I already know there are five people from the sa generation as the Third Hokage. Could you just get to the point already?
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