Chapter 44: Strangeness and Disappointment
The Journey Home
"Ugh... my head is killing me."
Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, her face flushed an unnatural shade of red from lingering intoxication.
"I've told you repeatedly to drink less, Lady Tsunade," Uchiha Kazuki said, glancing at Shizune with an exasperated expression.
Even though the fake memories had been successfully implanted, making Tsunade drink continuously for two entire days was definitely excessive!
It was only thanks to the Eight Thousand Spears Beyonder ability—with any lesser technique, the deception would have been discovered long ago.
Shizune felt a pang of guilt and lowered her head to avoid his reproachful gaze, clasping her hands together nervously.
She would never tell Uchiha Kazuki that her actions were motivated by jealousy.
"Hey kid, I can't walk anymore."
To Shizune's absolute horror, Tsunade suddenly climbed onto Uchiha Kazuki's back, pinched the boy's cheek playfully, and chuckled. "We're almost there anyway. Consider the rest of this journey as payment for your medical expenses—you can carry me back to the village!"
Kunoichi typically didn't wear particularly heavy clothing, and Tsunade's... impressive assets made that fact abundantly clear.
The moment she pressed against his back, he could feel the considerable pressure from behind. As expected of the legendary Tsunade-hime, he thought wryly. She certainly lives up to her reputation!
"Speaking of medical expenses, Lady Tsunade—you still owe me 500,000 ryō."
Uchiha Kazuki spoke helplessly. He couldn't exactly throw her off his back, so he had no choice but to carry Tsunade and continue toward Konoha.
Sometimes, he even questioned himself—had the psychological suggestions he'd planted in Tsunade's mind contained anything... inappropriate?
Managing doctor-patient relationships was proving to be quite the headache.
"Ahh~~~ I'm so sleepy..."
Tsunade found a comfortable position and promptly fell asleep on the boy's back, her breathing evening out almost immediately.
Creak... creak...
"Hm? What's that sound?"
Uchiha Kazuki felt puzzled and looked in the direction of the ominous noise, only to see Shizune grinding her teeth audibly, staring at Tsunade with bloodshot eyes filled with barely restrained jealousy.
Tsk. I almost forgot.
There was another patient here with even more serious psychological problems to manage.
In any case, the rest of the journey proceeded smoothly. Under his careful supervision and control, no major incidents occurred.
When they finally approached the gates of Konohagakure, Uchiha Kazuki woke Tsunade up.
He absolutely did not want any more embarrassing rumors spreading about him—stories of being a "boy toy" or being "kept" by a wealthy older woman were more than enough already.
Return to Konoha
"Ahh~~ that felt amazing!"
Tsunade stretched luxuriously, her ample chest bouncing with the motion. "Thanks for the ride, kid."
"Don't mention it." Uchiha Kazuki rolled his aching shoulders with practiced indifference. "Just remember to pay me back my 500,000 ryō."
"Tch, what a killjoy. It's only 500,000 ryō, right?" Tsunade waved dismissively. "I'll pay you back as soon as I get home and win big at the casino!"
Wait until you win at the casino?
Heh. If that day ever comes, half of Konoha's population will probably be dead from shock.
Uchiha Kazuki thought disdainfully to himself, but nodded with superficial agreement. "Ah, sure, sure. I'll be waiting with bated breath."
As they chatted casually, the gates of Konohagakure came into view ahead.
Eager to finally part ways with Tsunade, Uchiha Kazuki quickened his pace. He needed to deliver his mission report to the Hokage so he could finally go home and rest properly.
Their movements, naturally, didn't escape the ever-watchful eyes of Root operatives.
Upon learning of Uchiha Kazuki and Tsunade's return to the village, Danzō abandoned his usual pretentious cane—barely sitting down before rushing toward the Hokage's office at remarkable speed for someone of his age.
He had been struggling to contain the mounting discontent within Root's ranks.
Being a shinobi was inherently a high-risk profession, with the ANBU being among the most dangerous divisions. When Root operatives suddenly learned they'd been rejected and blacklisted by the entire medical ninja network, they'd practically erupted in outrage.
The critical problem was that their protests were completely futile.
This time, the entire medical ninja organization was applying coordinated pressure—not only through Tsunade's considerable influence, but also with the Hokage's tacit approval behind the scenes.
Danzō understood the situation perfectly well.
Root's growing influence and expanding power had already made Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi feel threatened and deeply uneasy about the future.
This medical ninja boycott was clearly a method of using Tsunade as a proxy to suppress and warn him that certain boundaries were absolutely off-limits.
The Meeting
Having mentally prepared himself for various scenarios, Danzō pushed open the Hokage's office door. He subtly glanced at Uchiha Kazuki, inwardly sneering with dark amusement, before turning his attention to the person who truly mattered.
"Ahem... Tsunade, this old man would like to—"
"Shut up."
Tsunade coldly interrupted Danzō mid-sentence, treating him as if he were completely invisible. She continued speaking to the Third Hokage seated behind his desk. "Old man, this is my new disciple. Let me introduce you properly."
Danzō, having been so thoroughly ignored, showed no outward anger. He'd anticipated this exact situation before arriving, so he simply waited in patient silence.
"Hello. My name is Shizune."
Shizune feigned timidity, clutching nervously at her sleeve while hiding partially behind Tsunade's imposing figure, revealing only half her face. "You can just call me Shizune."
"Hehehe, I didn't expect that you'd take on a student so soon, Tsunade."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his beard thoughtfully, a look of fond reminiscence crossing his weathered features. He spoke with grandfatherly kindness. "Not bad at all—she seems like a good child. But I must say something to you, Tsunade. Now that you're a teacher and role model, you absolutely cannot continue gambling, or you'll corrupt young Shizune's character."
"Alright, alright, stop your nagging already."
Tsunade picked at her ear dismissively, speaking with obvious impatience. "I just wanted to formally introduce her. If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now."
"Hmm, wait just a moment."
Hiruzen Sarutobi raised his hand to stop her departure, glancing meaningfully at Danzō standing beside him. "Don't be in such a hurry to leave. You've caused quite the disturbance with this medical boycott—you need to help resolve it properly."
"Hokage-sama, if that's everything, I'll take my leave now."
Having finished delivering his mission report, Uchiha Kazuki immediately spoke with appropriate tact and timing.
"Yes, you may go."
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded, though he couldn't resist adding one final attempt at ideological conditioning. "I'll ensure Danzō provides you with a satisfactory explanation for this entire incident. Don't worry—we're all comrades of the same village. I won't allow you to be treated unjustly."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Uchiha Kazuki gave Danzō one final cold, measuring look before departing the office.
Danzō remained outwardly expressionless, but inwardly he sneered with contempt: A mere Uchiha brat. Once this matter is settled, I have countless methods to eliminate you permanently.
Uchiha Kazuki, having easily read the murderous intent in those thoughts, curled his lips into a slight smile as he stepped out of the Hokage's office.
"Kill me? Heh. I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing you try—but please, please don't disappoint me when the time comes."
The Negotiation
The scene shifts back inside the Hokage's office.
Shizune had been escorted away by ANBU operatives arranged by the Hokage, leaving only the three of them remaining.
Thump. Thump.
Hiruzen Sarutobi tapped out his pipe methodically, refilled it with fresh tobacco, lit it with practiced ease, and took a deep, contemplative drag before exhaling slowly.
"Well then," he said evenly. "Tell me—how exactly do you plan to resolve this situation? This level of internal disruption isn't good for village stability, and it reflects poorly on Konoha's reputation. Especially now, when the other hidden villages are already restless and watching for weakness. If this escalates further, it will become deeply embarrassing for everyone involved."
Tsunade sat on the office sofa with her legs crossed, pointedly refusing to even glance in Danzō's direction.
Seeing that Danzō remained stubbornly silent, Hiruzen felt a headache forming. His gaze, now carrying unmistakable pressure and authority, fixed firmly on Danzō.
"This entire incident began because of your actions," he stated flatly. "So tell me—how do you plan to resolve it?"
Knowing full well he would have to pay a substantial price regardless, Danzō took a deep, steadying breath before speaking in a low voice.
"Hiruzen... I will withdraw from interfering in the upcoming Hokage succession. Additionally, I will relinquish direct control over a significant portion of Root's operatives. Will that be sufficient?"
The concession, while not utterly crippling to his power base, was certainly a heavy blow to his long-term ambitions.
Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded with evident satisfaction, then turned his attention to Tsunade expectantly. "What do you think of this arrangement?"
Disappointment
"He actively planned to assassinate Uchiha Kazuki in cold blood."
Tsunade's eyes turned ice-cold as she spoke with barely restrained fury. "And you're telling me this is the extent of his punishment?"
Hearing this accusation stated so bluntly, Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression darkened considerably, his eyes narrowing with displeasure.
Those who knew him well recognized this as a clear sign of deep dissatisfaction brewing beneath the surface. However, out of respect for Tsunade's status as both his former student and a legendary Sannin, he still responded with measured words.
"Regarding the incident involving Uchiha Kazuki, I will personally provide appropriate compensation to the Uchiha clan. Furthermore, I will issue a direct and unambiguous warning to Danzō—he will not be permitted to target that young man again. Is that arrangement acceptable?"
"Is it really that simple?"
Hearing yet another instance of this infuriating "stability maintenance" approach, Tsunade's anger ignited like wildfire.
"Danzō conspired with external forces to assassinate a Konoha jōnin within our own borders—and in the end, he receives absolutely no meaningful punishment whatsoever?!"
"Tsunade, I am acting in accordance with what's best for the overall situation! You must try to understand my reasoning and good intentions!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi, having been so directly contradicted and challenged by his former disciple, felt his own anger rising to match hers.
"You need to understand my position here. Danzō, despite his methods, has rendered significant meritorious service to Konoha over many decades. The shinobi world is currently in a state of dangerous turmoil and instability. We desperately need Root's specialized capabilities and intelligence network. If we rashly punish or remove Danzō now, we will only succeed in weakening our own defensive strength considerably!"
"For the overall situation! Always for the overall situation! It's always about the damn overall situation!"
Tsunade slammed her hand down on the desk hard enough to crack the wood, standing up with barely contained rage. She looked at her former teacher—once her childhood hero—with profound disappointment written clearly across her features.
"You keep claiming it's all for the greater good and village stability, but what about Sakumo?! What about the White Fang?!"
The name hung in the air like a blade.
That single word—"White Fang"—struck like a steel needle piercing directly into Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart, hitting his deepest guilt and greatest failure as Hokage.
"SHUT UP, TSUNADE!"
He slammed his own hand on the desk with explosive force, his face becoming extremely grim and dark. His voice turned cold as winter ice.
"This matter is now closed and settled! That is my final decision as Hokage!"
Looking at her teacher—whose eyes now blazed with fierce intensity that seemed ready to devour her whole for this insubordination—Tsunade felt her last glimmer of hope slowly cool and die.
That once-familiar face, which she'd admired and respected throughout her entire youth, had become utterly unrecognizable.
A stranger wearing a beloved teacher's face.
[End of Chapter 44]
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