Konoha's Main Gate.
At the village entrance stood a group of shinobi, led by the two old-tirs, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. In the middle were the younger and middle-aged shinobi like Shizune, Kakashi, and Shikaku Nara, all gazing into the distance.
"This is killing ! According to the intel, Tsunade departed from the Daimyo's residence four days ago. Why isn't she here yet?" Homura paced back and forth, his face filled with anxiety.
No one tried to calm him down. Even Koharu, who usually shared the sa pants with him (figuratively speaking), kept her head down silently, seemingly lost in thought.
Because of these two elders being present, the younger generation simply exchanged glances with each other.
Kakashi: 'Shikaku, what's going on here? These two old fossils dragged us out here at the crack of dawn—just to wait for Tsunade-sama? This is peak bureaucratic nonsense.'
In Kakashi's opinion, Tsunade hated pointless formalities. If this was rely a welco party, it wouldn't earn them any favors—and might even backfire.
Shikaku Nara narrowed his eyes slightly, sending a silent response.
Shikaku: 'Haven't you noticed how anxious they are? Sothing big must've happened. But the details... I can't say for sure.'
Even with his sharp intellect, Shikaku couldn't deduce anything useful without more information.
"They're here!"
Soone suddenly shouted, prompting everyone to look up.
Far in the distance, a group of people was making its way toward them.
"Knew it... Neji, confirm if it's really Tsunade-sama." Kakashi instructed.
As Maito Gai's close friend, Kakashi still had so sway, even when Gai wasn't around.
"Byakugan!"
With veins bulging and face contorting slightly, Neji activated his Byakugan.
"Confird. It's Tsunade-sama."
At the sa ti, Tsunade noticed the crowd waiting by the gate, and her brows furrowed in displeasure.
There was still so much to do in Konoha, and yet these people were gathered here waiting for her? Was this a joke?
If they didn't have a good reason, they were dead.
"Hikari, Gai, Kurenai—pick up the pace!" she barked.
With that command, Tsunade accelerated, using the Body Flicker Technique to appear at the village gate in just a few blinks.
"What are you all doing here? Don't you have missions to carry out?" she snapped before her eyes fell on the two elders—Koharu and Homura.
"You two better give a damn good reason for this. Otherwise, I'm going to be very unhappy."
A Hokage wasn't a Daimyo. The position was military in nature—there was no room for pointless ceremony.
Homura tensed up. Faced with Tsunade's wrath, he found himself unable to speak.
"Tsunade, we gathered here to welco you back after securing the Daimyō's approval. But more importantly, there's urgent news you need to hear imdiately." Koharu spoke up.
"Fine." Tsunade nodded, then turned to the rest. "Everyone, disperse! Juniors, go train. Chunin and Jonin with free ti—take on missions and ease the village's burden."
The mont she said that, the curious onlookers among the chūnin imdiately looked like they'd bitten into bitter lon.
Not everyone liked doing missions nonstop. Most chūnin, after completing a mission, preferred to take a break, spend ti with family, or unwind in other ways.
"You two, co with ." Tsunade motioned for Koharu and Homura to follow her to a secluded spot where no one could eavesdrop.
Once they were far enough, Homura couldn't hold it in anymore. "Tsunade, Danzo is dead!"
Tsunade: ???
Well, that's a dramatic welco ho gift.
Koharu, who had been closely watching Tsunade's reaction, finally let out a breath of relief when she saw the surprised expression on Tsunade's face.
"Well, not exactly dead." She added. "He's in a vegetative state. The situation is... complicated. Tsunade, you'd better go see it for yourself. If there's any way to save him... please do."
"We're not asking for him to regain his strength. Just... please keep him alive."
For Koharu and Homura, Danzo was one of their last remaining allies. If he died, they'd be politically isolated, with no leverage left in Konoha.
Even their recent maneuvering with Asuma had been for nothing.
"A vegetative state?" Tsunade filed the information away. "I'll need to examine him personally. I'll head to Root now. You two can follow later."
Now that she knew about Danzo's condition, Tsunade was dying to see his sorry state—just so she could decide whether to be relieved... or just plain happy.
"Go ahead." the two elders agreed quickly.
They weren't eager to face Danzo's condition again.
After seeing what had happened to him, they didn't even know what to say.
As for whether he could be saved? They only had the slimst hope—one in ten thousand, maybe.
Tsunade turned and dashed back toward the gate.
"Shizune, return to the Hokage's office and hold down the fort. Hikari, Kakashi, Shikaku—you three, co with ! The rest, back to your posts. Dismissed!"
Before Hikari could react, Kakashi grabbed his arm, dragging him along at full speed.
Once he saw where they were heading, Hikari understood.
[So we're going to see Danzo, huh.]
[But seriously, what's the point? He's already dead. Why even bother?]
Tsunade caught wind of Hikari's thoughts again, though she didn't have ti to process them clearly.
Her mind was in chaos.
Danzo is really dead.
And that ant one thing—Kamizuki Hikari's strength had reached a level beyond ordinary comprehension.
Should she be glad... or worried?
Should she feel lucky... or terrified?
Tsunade didn't know what to feel anymore. All she knew was that her emotions were a tangled ss.
Thoughts of all kinds surged in her head—joy, sorrow, suspicion. To keep them from affecting her judgnt, she had to force herself to stay calm.
---
Root Headquarters.
Entering the underground facility, Tsunade was t with Root operatives standing listlessly. So looked lost, others relieved, and a few even seed grief-stricken.
With Danzo gone, the Cursed Seal binding them had lost its effect.
They had been stuck here for days, unsure of what to do. Now, seeing Tsunade, only a handful showed any reaction. Most remained eerily blank, as if their liberation ant nothing.
"Tsunade-sama!" A blond middle-aged man approached.
"Yamanaka Fū?" Tsunade asked, a bit uncertain.
Fū nodded. "Yes. Danzo-sama is in the lowest level's resting chamber. I'll take you to him."
As one of Danzo's most loyal followers, Yamanaka Fū sincerely hoped Tsunade could save him. Even if she couldn't, he wanted to know the truth behind Danzo's fall.
Having served under Danzo for years, Yamanaka Fū knew him well.
Soone so obsessed with self-preservation would never remove the restraints on his right arm—unless he had no choice.
And he certainly wouldn't have ended up like this.
-----
Read 40 advanced Chapters on my P@treon.
/KakuzuTL
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