Takuya put on a wide-brimmed sun hat, carefully tucking his hair underneath. After checking his reflection in the mirror and confirming that he looked less conspicuous, he finally felt satisfied.
"Tsk, having a face like a celebrity really makes it hard to sneak around and enjoy some good drama," Takuya mused to himself. Even he hadn't anticipated the impact of simply sending Snowy to post a few sheets of paper.
The Third Hokage must be tearing his hair out by now.
"Going to watch the show, huh..." Kushina didn't quite know what to say.
Fortunately, she had to stay with Nami, so she couldn't follow Takuya around. If Takuya wanted to enjoy the chaos on his own, she wouldn't stop him.
Outside the Hokage's office, the atmosphere was electric.
Owners of the hot springs and bathhouses were standing around, demanding a reasonable explanation from the Third Hokage.
"So, this 'Telescope Technique'... is it really that powerful?"
"It can even let you see people bathing in the bathhouses."
"Shhh, keep your voice down! My cousin's friend already tried it, and it's crystal clear. We're in for a real treat, hehehe..."
"Make sure you include me, or I might just report you."
"..."
Listening to the whispered conversations of the villagers around him, Takuya had to stifle his laughter, his sides aching from trying not to burst out.
The faces of the hot springs and bathhouse owners had darkened considerably.
Perched comfortably in a tree not too far from the Hokage's office, Takuya found a good spot to watch the drama unfold, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle.
Inside the Hokage's office, nearly every jōnin who wasn't out on duty had gathered in the conference room. The room, which was usually half-empty, was now filled to capacity.
The Third Hokage, along with Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, were the last to arrive.
As they walked into the conference room, they noticed Tsunade sitting in Danzo's usual seat. They took their places without comment.
"Ahem!" The Third Hokage cleared his throat to draw everyone's attention before he began speaking.
"I'm sure you've all heard about what happened this morning. There's no need to go over the details again. The village needs to conduct a thorough sweep for spies. I hope you all take this matter seriously. If the ANBU requires your cooperation, please offer your full support."
"Wait!" Tsunade's hand shot up as soon as the Hokage finished speaking.
Everyone turned to look at her, and the Third Hokage's face twitched slightly as he forced himself to ask, "Tsunade, do you have any questions?"
Koharu and Homura exchanged nervous glances, subtly trying to signal Tsunade to hold her tongue.
But Tsunade either didn't notice or chose to ignore them as she asked, "As I recall, only the Hokage knows the Telescope Technique, correct? So how did it get leaked, and are the hand seals and sequence that were leaked accurate?"
"..."
The Third Hokage's expression stiffened. Everyone in the room suddenly found the grain of the wood on the conference table to be incredibly fascinating, their eyes glued to the surface as if flowers had begun to bloom there.
"They're mostly accurate, with a few minor differences. I believe this must be the work of a deeply embedded spy," the Third Hokage finally replied, his voice growing sterner as he spoke.
"Everyone, the leak of the Telescope Technique offers no benefit to Konoha. Our immediate priority should be to capture the spies and quickly calm the villagers."
"We'll support the ANBU in any way we can," the assembled jōnin voiced their agreement.
Tsunade crossed her arms, coldly watching the Third Hokage. This so-called meeting was nothing more than a formality, intended to inform the villagers that there were spies active in Konoha.
The message was clear: these spies were dangerous, and it was the spies who had leaked the Telescope Technique.
Therefore, the village would be deploying personnel to capture the spies, and the villagers were advised to disperse and avoid gathering in crowds, lest they fall prey to the spies' schemes.
If anyone was mistakenly apprehended, it would be a huge hassle to resolve.
As the Third Hokage continued with his charade, Tsunade stood up and started to walk out of the room.
"Looks like the bathhouses and hot springs in Konoha are going to shut down for good."
"..."
The Third Hokage was speechless.
It used to be just him sneaking peeks, and maybe Jiraiya perched on a rooftop or wall.
But now? With the Telescope Technique out in the open, anyone who learned the jutsu could just grab a crystal ball and start spying.
Why keep the fun to yourself when everyone can join in, right?
With things going this way, it would be a miracle if the bathhouses and hot springs stayed in business. Even men wouldn't want to be spied on while they were in their birthday suits.
Everyone watched as Tsunade left, none daring to stop her.
"Sarutobi, are you just going to let her act out like this?" Koharu couldn't hold back any longer after Tsunade left.
She believed the Third Hokage was being too lenient with Tsunade, which had allowed her to become so unruly, showing no respect even for the village elders.
"That's enough. Let's just get to work," the Third Hokage replied wearily.
Tsunade hadn't completely derailed the meeting, and for that, he was grateful. There was no way he was going to provoke her further.
If he pushed her too far and she decided to spill everything she knew, Sarutobi Hiruzen might as well dig a hole and crawl into it right then and there—his reputation would be in tatters in front of all the jōnin.
And if the word got out, how would anyone in the village see him after that?
In the end, the leak of the Telescope Technique was a done deal. The most important thing now was to calm the villagers' anger, not worry about Tsunade's attitude.
As she exited the Hokage's office, Tsunade didn't even glance at the crowd gathered outside. Instead, she looked around before zeroing in on the tree where Takuya was perched.
"How did you know I'd be here watching the show?"
"The old man's been having you followed this whole time. If he's in trouble and you don't show up, that would be weird."
Hopping over to a nearby branch, Tsunade sat down and kept her eyes fixed on Takuya, her expression a mix of curiosity and suspicion.
"Why are you staring at me? Did I get even more handsome?" Takuya teased, running a hand over his face.
Could you be any more full of yourself? Tsunade nearly choked, her expression turning dangerously sharp.
"Was this your doing?"
"Yep, it was me," Takuya replied nonchalantly, nodding as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "And I'm planning to leak all the forbidden jutsu from the Scroll of Seals next. Then our dear Hokage will really be done for."
Yeah, right, like I'd believe that! Tsunade had only asked on a whim, but Takuya's immediate confession made it impossible to take him seriously.
He was just a kid, but his ability to lie so convincingly was impressive. Who'd actually buy into that?
"This whole mess is going to have a huge impact. The Telescope Technique has definitely been leaked, and it's probably already been passed on to spies from other villages. There's no way to take it back now," Tsunade mused, more to herself than anyone else.
"The bathhouses and hot springs are probably going to see their business plummet after this. But maybe that's for the best—at least certain people won't have an excuse to keep peeping."
"..."
Watching Tsunade muttering to herself, Takuya rolled his eyes.
I told the truth, and she doesn't believe me. How has it come to this?
Humans really are complicated creatures. When you lie, they believe you. But when you tell the truth, they don't.
"If the bathhouses and hot springs close down, so what? It doesn't really affect me. Worst case, I'll just go soak in a hot spring outside the village."
***********
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