Chapter 14
HIRUZEN SARUTOBI
The Third Hokage sat in himself, rather pleased and intrigued, as he looked at the person sitting opposite to him.
"It is surprising to find you back in the village so soon; I had thought I wouldn't see you for quite some years when you left at the end of the war," he remarked, looking at his wayward student.
However, he was wrong in using the term the end of the war, for the war hadn't even yet ended per se. But Tsunade had been in charge of the medical division during the war, operating mainly from the village, only rarely venturing to the Northern front, though when the fighting died and everyone could feel the war coming to an end, she had packed up her bags and vanished with her apprentice.
Tsunade, on her part, didn't respond to the insult and simply hummed away as she looked around the office.
"Me neither, yet here I am," she remarked simply as her eye settled on his hat, which lay right infront of him at the moment.
"So, you are finally going to give up that hat," she said, a hint of sadness and intrigue in her tone, and he raised a brow as he replied.
"Indeed, and I would be happy to pass it on to you if you be willing," and she would be a better choice than many, he knew. Yet he didn't even need to wait for her answer, given how her expression changed at his words.
"No, thank you. And gods forgive what is it with me and being Hokage! You are the second person in this week to propose such a thing," and he didn't need to guess who as the first.
Tsunade, on the virtue of being a Sanin and her prowess, was afforded several liberties, liberties which were not available to a regular ninja. Like roaming through the continent, not fulfilling a mission quota, and so forth. Yet that didn't mean he would let his dear student roam freely, so a sharp eye was kept on her movements, and so he knew of her rather frequent visits to the lands of Shinoi and how she had been there just days ago.
"I believe that person was the current jito of Shinoi, the young lord Akihito, I believe," he questioned and saw her eyes narrow at his words.
"Yes," she replied with a raised brow.
"And what was your answer to him?" he questioned as he smoked from his pipe. She wouldn't be idiotic enough to agree to him, yet with his students, he could never truly be sure.
"The same one that I gave you," she replied, and he nodded. It seemed that he didn't have anything to worry about on that front.
"Good, though I am afraid I did notice the lack of your apprentice, Shizune," he began as his voice hardened.
"Why is she still in Shinoi lands?" he questioned, knowing that she was aware of the tumultuous times they were living in at the moment.
"She is there to treat Lady Miyuki, the newlywed wife of Lord Akihito," she replied, and he hoped that it was the only thing she was doing there.
"I hope you know what you are doing, Tsunade, if she were to break the oaths, even I wouldn't be able to protect her," he replied, making his stance clear.
And the oaths were simple. No Konoha nin would accept a mission against any land of fire noble. This was the cardinal rule, and though many tried to scurry around it, it was his duty to ensure that no Konoha nin took such a mission and, lest one did, that he be prosecuted and punished accordingly.
"You don't remind me of that. I know of the oaths and the treaty quite well," she replied, making his heart ease up.
"But I am afraid some people in the village don't," she continued, her tone sharp and cold as their eyes met, and the atmosphere in the room went tense.
"Why?" he questioned, and she raised a brow.
"I cannot say yet, but don't worry, I will find out," she replied, and he knew he could have pushed, but a part of him also knew that he wouldn't like the direction this would take then. And he didn't wish to engage in a conflict with her on the first day she was back.
"Then so be it," he said, backing off.
"But I want you to tell me if you find out anything about this. We cannot have on our hands a crisis like the land of Water," he reminded her, and she nodded.
"I will," for none would want such a crisis. In Land of Water, the daimyo had wished to depose the Mizukage over his continuous aggressions against the Kekkei Genkai holders, and in response to such actions, the Mizukage had allegedly sanctioned a mission against the Mizukage.
His assassination had rocked the country, and now Kirigakure was in civil war, with the money and support from the nobles dying out or being directed towards the rebellion.
"What do you think of the daimyo's possible successors," he questioned knowing that she was aware of the capital political landscape, unlike the rest of the shinobi force.
Plus, it would be good to talk to someone other than his council members about this.
"What's there to think," she scoffed, and he raised a brow as he took the exhaled smoke morphing it into the kanji for 'three'.
"Then let me rephrase, whom of the three main candidates do you believe is more suited to win?" he questioned, and she shook her head.
"There are not three candidates," she replied, and he frowned.
"The Third Prince, Lord Akihito, and Lord Suzuki," he counted the three names, and she shook her head.
"Lord Suzuki was born to the daughter of the late Water daimyo. He has little support and ambition for his bid. The main struggle is between the Third Prince and Lord Akihito," she replied, surprising him with her clarity.
"And which one of the two do you think would win?" he questioned and saw her eyes narrow.
"What do you think?" she questioned, and his mind raced as he recalled all the information he had on either of the two contenders.
"Lord Tatsuya is older and has more men at his back. His mother is also the daughter of a storied family with many samurai at their back. Lord Akihito is younger and derives his bid from his marriage to daimyo-sama's daughter. Yet, I believe the difference in power between them is too great," he concluded as he looked at her, somewhat challenging her to deny him.
"The Third Prince's forces will simply overwhelm him in case of conflict," he replied, knowing that a peaceful resolution was never truly an option here.
"In terms of sheer numbers, you are right," she agreed with him, surprising him for he thought she would disagree, after all he had reasoned that she held a favorable view of the young lord of Shinoi.
"But, let's just say bringing down Akihito Shirahoshi will not be as easy as you think," she replied, a confident glint in her eyes, telling her that she knew much more than she was letting in here.
But he didn't need to push, for he cared little over who took the throne.
"Interesting." He muttered as he noted down her words in his heart, looking forward to what the young jito of Shinoi had up his sleeve, for it was not easy to impress Tsunade, and the young jito of Shinoi ahd somehow managed to do so.
0000
DANZO SHIMURA
As Tsunade sat in the Hokage office, Danzo stood beneath them in the many caves that ran down below the village as he read the report about her return to the village, and her continuous visits to the Shinoi lands.
"How could you miss this?" he raged at the ANBU infront of him, kneeling down on one knee.
"We never thought it worth reporting, my lord. There was no pattern to her visits, and most of the time, she wouldn't even visit the castle of the young lord," came the answer, and he shook his head as he crumpled up the report, burning it with a quick flare of his chakra.
"Of course, there wouldn't be a pattern. She is not an idiot, and how did none of notice the erratic journey pattern she would take after her visits to these lands!" he shouted angrily, his chakra roaring in frustration and rage at the incompetence of those under him.
It seems somehow, the young jito had found himself an ally in the Senju princess, and not just that, from the way her journeys were structured, it seemed as if she had taken a special mission from the young lord.
A mission related to none other than the condemned Uzumaki clan.
"About that red-haired servant. What have you managed to find out?" he moved on, trying to piece together all the information.
"Not much, my lord. She began working in the castle around four years ago. She has no last name or any formal ninja training. Though we were able to hear that prior to coming to the Shinoi lands, she was in Kusagakure," the masked nin replied, and he nodded.
"Kusagakure?" he questioned, and the man nodded.
"Yes, Danzo-sama and she also has a daughter, a three-year-old girl named Karin. She also has red hair.
Danzo's mind raced as he processed all that. Two red-haired individuals within the same family, it couldn't be a coincidence.
No. This was something else.
It was highly likely that these two weren't just regular people. No, they were Uzumaki's, and that changed a lot of things.
"Convey to Lord Mahiro to handle any leaks about our involvement and lay low for some time. Tsunade's abrupt return means that she has returned with a purpose," he said, frustrated by this whole ordeal.
With Hiruzen deciding to keep the seat until this succession crisis was handled, it now tied down his fate to the Third Prince, something which he did not like. But no matter, he would have to live with it.
"Yes, Danzo-sama," came the affirmation, and then he recalled one final piece of information.
"And investigate this Gato, whoever he is, and what is the nature of his dealings with jito of Shinoi?"
0000
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