Night Fell.
A figure, concealed, came to the Uchiha clan grounds.
Yellow hair, the greatest thunder in the shinobi world on her chest, it was Tsunade.
Rengoku had specially sent someone to wait for Tsunade at the gate.
"Lady Tsunade, hello, I'm Rinjin. The clan head asked me to come fetch you."
Tsunade waved a hand, "Cut the crap, let's go."
"Yes!"
Rinjin hurriedly led the way, bringing Tsunade to Orochimaru's laboratory.
Rengoku, Fugaku and the others were already waiting for her there.
The moment Tsunade arrived she couldn't help but ask, "Well? Are we going to move against the Third Hokage?"
Rengoku nodded, "The other day, Sarutobi and the Akatsuki's Senku cooperated and extracted the Nine-Tails from Naruto's body."
"Now it has already been transferred onto Sarutobi Ishishu."
Tsunade froze, "How is that possible? Sarutobi's people managed to snatch Naruto's Nine-Tails from you?"
"Is Naruto dead?"
Even if Tsunade didn't know Naruto personally, the first thing she worried about was the child's life.
Rengoku shook his head, "Naruto isn't dead. Senku the monk extracting the Nine-Tails doesn't kill the person."
"Sarutobi's people couldn't have taken him from me by force, I deliberately let them take him."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "What are you planning?"
She already knew someone like Rengoku wouldn't leave such a big loophole for Sarutobi.
Rengoku, seeing Tsunade calm down, began, "Do you know how many people Hiruzen sent to surround and kill me to stop me from rescuing Naruto?"
Tsunade, sensing there was more to the story, frowned and asked, "How many?"
Rengoku held up three fingers, "Led by Jiraiya, over three hundred people."
"But I counter-killed about a hundred of them."
"Tsk!", Tsunade was a bit shocked.
For Hiruzen to deploy that many to surround and kill an advisor elder, it showed he controlled many loyal ANBU.
And Rengoku's combat power was indeed beyond Tsunade's expectations.
She hadn't expected Rengoku to be able to drive them off even with Jiraiya present.
What she didn't know was Rengoku had Null Horizon in hand and could leave anytime.
He deliberately didn't leave; he waited for Naruto to be taken, and in the meantime killed more ANBU.
Rengoku continued, "We talked last time, my goal isn't just Hiruzen himself, but to remove every one of those cancerous families without exception."
"But even if Danzo were around, Sarutobi would never admit to those pieces of evidence; in the end it'd still end in bickering."
Tsunade understood Rengoku's point: Konoha, under Hiruzen's long rule, was already deeply entrenched.
That he could send so many ANBU to surround Rengoku proved it.
Seeing Tsunade also thinking, Rengoku went on, "I intend to first remove his Hokage status."
"Then present the other elders with evidence to show how deeply he controls Konoha."
Tsunade asked in confusion, "How will you remove him?"
"Your grandfather, Senju Tobirama, gave the advisor elders the authority to check the Hokage. With two advisor elders, the Hokage can be dismissed."
Tsunade shook her head, "Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura are both Hiruzen's people."
Rengoku laughed heartily, "Have you forgotten? Besides me, Konoha has one more advisor elder."
Saying that, he beckoned Tsunade and led her into the inner room.
As soon as Tsunade entered she saw a figure sitting on a sickbed.
Though a bit thin, his frame was large and gave off an oppressive presence.
He was still wearing a respirator; hearing footsteps, he opened his eyes.
Tsunade was surprised, "Elder, have you recovered?"
When she returned a couple years ago she had checked Akimichi Torifu's body and it should have continued deteriorating.
Seeing Torifu able to sit up now surprised her a little.
Torifu took off the respirator and let out a deep laugh, "I shouldn't be dying now."
After Tsunade's diagnosis, the Akimichi clan had mostly given up.
Only a desperate attempt, seeing Rengoku's sister recover, made them come try Rengoku.
Torifu was about ten years older than Tsunade; when he followed Tobirama, Tsunade was still a young girl.
In a sense Torifu was half a senior to her.
"Elder Torifu, better put the respirator back on. Cloning lungs takes time; for now, focus on nursing your body back."
Torifu nodded and didn't speak much, and put the respirator back on.
Mist-brewed Life Water mixed with other medicines inhaled into him could let his heart and bronchi, dragged down by his lungs, quickly regain breath.
As for a lung that can't be nursed back, it would have to be replaced.
Rengoku pointed at Torifu, "First we'll use the advisor elders' authority to dismiss Hiruzen."
"Then we present the evidence to prove everything Hiruzen did while he was in power."
"Of course, Hiruzen will never admit to those pieces of evidence."
"Our aim is just to show the evidence to the other elders and expose which elders are Hiruzen's men."
Tsunade nodded slightly, Rengoku truly set trap after trap.
"And next?"
Rengoku smiled faintly, "Giving them the Nine-Tails was to increase Hiruzen's bargaining chip, to facilitate my next steps."
"Next, we'll exercise the powers of the Uchiha and Senju clans."
———
Hinata slowly woke, opening her eyes to find she was no longer in her familiar home.
At that moment a maroon-haired head peeked over.
"Hinata, you're awake!"
"Karin, you…"
"Where am I?"
Karin explained, "You're now in the Uchiha clan grounds. Shishou brought you back here."
Hinata sat up and saw Hanabi had already woken; she hugged her knees, eyes blank, sitting on the bed.
Hearing Hinata's voice, Hanabi turned her head.
Tears fell from her eyes, "Sister, Father the Great Elder, and everyone… Sob! Sob!"
Hinata froze for a moment, then memories surged over her like a tide.
She recalled the Hyuga clan's internal chaos overnight.
Her father, the Great Elder Sarumito, and other main family members were all dead.
Hinata hugged Hanabi tightly; tears plopped down.
"Hey, Hinata don't cry, Hanabi don't cry."
Karin's face puckered into a bitter gourd shape, how was she supposed to comfort them crying like that?
Rengoku had practically tossed the two Hinata girls to her, a hands-off boss.
She felt a bit at a loss.
Karin moved in like a confection Shishou, hugs, pats, rubs.
(,,´•ω•)ノ"(´っω•｀.).
But Rengoku's plan was simply for Karin to watch the two of them.
Hinata and Hanabi cried for quite a while before gradually calming down.
Karin hurriedly asked, "Hinata, you must be hungry. Eat something first."
She pulled a bag of cookies from her clothes and handed it over.
Hinata, expression gloomy, shook her head, "Karin, I'm not hungry. I want to see the clan head."
Seeing Hinata refuse, Karin shoved the cookies into Hanabi's hand.
"All right, I'll go find Shishou right away. Wait here."
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