Tsunade glanced at Hatake Sakumo and Nara Shikashige, her heart filled with doubts.
Then, in front of everyone, she undid the seal on the scroll and spread it open.
"Bam!!!"
A few seconds later, as everyone was wondering what the scroll contained, Tsunade's expression turned dark. She stood up in a rage and slammed her hand down on the table.
Hatake Sakumo jumped, instinctively grabbing the map, while Nara Shikashige's hand shook, spilling tea all over the table.
The wooden table cracked under Tsunade's force, shattering into a pile of broken wood on the floor.
"Emmm…."
Who on earth upset this lady?
"This is just too much!! Why are they targeting him like this?" Tsunade seethed.
"Ahem, Tsunade, what happened? Can you share it with us?"
Seeing Tsunade fuming and about to explode, Hatake Sakumo quickly tried to calm the situation with a cough, hoping to ease the tension.
At the same time, he was curious about what could have happened in the village to make Tsunade this furious.
Could it be Nawaki?
No, that didn't make sense. In Konoha, who would dare target Nawaki?
Even though the Senju clan had faded away, their influence remained strong. As the grandson of the First Hokage, Nawaki still enjoyed special privileges.
No one would dare mess with him, and even if they did, the Third Hokage would never allow it.
After all, angering Tsunade could lead to serious trouble, potentially reaching the Daimyo, which would be a huge embarrassment for Konoha's leadership.
"That useless Danzo," Tsunade cursed, showing no restraint. "He was supposed to represent the village and negotiate with Hanzo, but instead, he was chased and nearly killed, causing heavy losses to both the Root and Anbu."
Tsunade was merciless, her scorn for Danzo evident.
"And now, despite everything, the old man still tried to pass the mission to Takuya. After being refused, he even questioned why Takuya wasn't willing to serve the village. Is that reasonable?"
"Hasn't Yagami Takuya done enough for the village? Hasn't he gone to the battlefield? Hasn't he earned enough merit?"
"Uh…"
The entire command room was silent, everyone stunned by Tsunade's outburst.
Even Hatake Sakumo and Nara Shikashige didn't dare say anything casually, as Tsunade had just openly criticized the Third Hokage.
Tsunade might dare, but they certainly didn't.
And as for calling Danzo useless—that was pretty bold, considering he was one of Konoha's advisors.
Everyone exchanged looks, and soon, all eyes turned toward Hatake Sakumo.
Why are you all looking at me? Hatake Sakumo thought, exasperated. I'm the frontline commander, but I don't deal with things like this!
Besides, this wasn't really his responsibility. However, seeing Tsunade ranting about the village leadership wasn't a good sign, so Sakumo had no choice but to step in and try to defend the Third Hokage.
"Tsunade, calm down for a moment. Who sent this message? Could it be a misunderstanding or even a prank?"
"Orochimaru sent it," Tsunade replied, handing the scroll to Sakumo, her teeth clenched, eyes blazing with anger.
The intense look in her eyes gave Sakumo a chill.
An angry woman was terrifying indeed.
"A misunderstanding? How could it be? Takuya's already preparing to file for retirement. He even confronted the old man in the Hokage's office, demanding to know why he was being targeted!"
"..."
Both parties were being bold—one for cursing, and the other for standing up to the Hokage.
But the word "targeted"…
Everyone in the command center quickly understood what was going on.
It was obvious that Takuya was being singled out.
Takuya was a rare genius with limitless potential.
But just when his star was about to rise, he was suddenly left behind in the village and, bizarrely, made into a jonin instructor. What kind of ridiculous decision was that?
Hatake Sakumo had been hoping Takuya would come to the battlefield and help lighten his load.
Takuya's mere presence on the battlefield—just by summoning his spirit beast and standing there—would have been enough to make the Third Kazekage hesitate in battle.
No one, after all, wanted to perform a pole dance in front of everyone.
Even though the pole dance was exaggerated as slander, the fact remained that the Third Kazekage had been caught in a genjutsu, making him forget himself and dance gracefully. That part wasn't fabricated.
Naturally, the Kazekage had to be extra cautious to avoid getting hit again.
But instead, Takuya was kept in the village.
Hatake Sakumo still couldn't describe his feelings upon hearing the news.
He had thought help was on the way, especially since he was still a young rising star, facing immense pressure from the powerful Third Kazekage.
But instead of backup, he received word that Takuya was stuck in the village, serving as a jonin instructor.
Sakumo had been beyond frustrated at the time.
What kind of decision was this?
Who thought it was a good idea to make a ten-year-old a jonin instructor?
With no help coming, Sakumo had to carry the burden alone, an experience he found more bitter than words could describe.
Now, it seemed things had escalated even further—Takuya was filing for retirement and didn't want to be a ninja anymore…
Everyone in the room was shocked.
This isn't a joke. A young genius on the rise suddenly becoming an ordinary person? What a waste.
What exactly were the higher-ups thinking?
Unfortunately, most of them only dared to think this. No one had the courage to actually say it out loud.
Except for Tsunade, who had no qualms about voicing her complaints.
Even though they kept their thoughts to themselves, seeing a dedicated shinobi, who had given everything to the village, being pushed to the point of wanting to retire was disheartening.
No matter how much respect they had for the Third Hokage and the higher-ups, it didn't sit right.
Today it's Yagami Takuya, but who's to say it won't be them tomorrow?
"Elder, I'm afraid I'll need to return to the village. I'll have to leave the camp in your capable hands," Tsunade said abruptly.
With everything that had happened, Tsunade couldn't stay calm. She needed to go back to the village.
She couldn't focus on fighting on the frontlines or healing the wounded with this unresolved.
"..."
The room fell silent as everyone held their breath.
Right now, the war was at a critical stage, and Tsunade leaving the battlefield could destabilize Konoha's entire advantage over Sunagakure.
With both Jiraiya and Orochimaru already gone, the pressure was mounting.
And now, Tsunade was leaving too, with no clear timeline for her return.
Everyone knew about Tsunade's close relationship with Takuya. If his situation wasn't resolved, Tsunade might not just leave the frontlines—she might never come back at all.
How was Sakumo supposed to respond to this?
Hatake Sakumo felt like the command role he held was more of a burden than anything else.
He had accepted the absences of Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
But now, with Tsunade also leaving and no guarantee of her return, the weight on his shoulders was crushing.
"Tsunade, I really hope you'll stay. The war has reached a decisive point, and your departure would seriously impact our efforts," Sakumo said, trying his best to persuade her, though with little confidence.
"I'm sorry, Elder," Tsunade replied, shaking her head as she looked toward Konoha in the distance.
"If I leave, yes, it will affect the camp. The war will probably drag on longer. But if I don't go, I fear something even worse could happen."
"..."
Hatake Sakumo could only shake his head in resignation.
"Do you think the Hokage will approve Takuya's retirement request?" Sakumo asked, though he already knew the answer.
After all, Takuya had contributed a great deal to the village, something everyone could see—although the higher-ups had never publicized it.
The truth was clear now: Takuya was being targeted.
Because of his Uchiha bloodline, he was singled out.
In the command center, the few Uchiha jonin who had come to fight on the frontlines looked visibly upset.
"From what I know of the Hokage, he won't approve such a request," Nara Shikashige added, trying to reassure Tsunade.
"Tsunade, your concerns are unnecessary. I believe the Hokage will handle this situation properly."
"Right now, our priority is the war. After all, everything we do is for the village."
Everything is for the village.
That was the Third Hokage's favorite line, often used to educate and persuade Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya.
But this time, when Tsunade heard it, it only grated on her nerves.
***************
Bonus Chapter at 400 Power Stones
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 290+ at patreon.com/ Emik01. Don't forget to give a power stone for many bonus chapters