"And besides, you never gave me the money, so I had to send the bills to your office."
So, all of this is your fault. Don't try to argue otherwise. Tsunade expertly passed the blame onto the Third Hokage.
"..."
The Third Hokage held back his rising anger, fearing that if he lost control, he might explode.
"Tsunade, let's put aside the matter of the house for now. You've done a lot for the village, and spending some money is understandable. But we can't continue like this. Do you understand?"
"The long years of war have already drained the village's finances."
Tsunade tilted her head as the Third Hokage tried to reason with her, his tone laced with frustration.
"I don't manage the Treasury. How would I know if there's any money left?"
"You... I..."
The Third Hokage was left speechless by her bluntness.
It was true; Tsunade didn't oversee the Treasury, so how could she know how much money was left in the village's coffers? Even if there was money, the Third Hokage could always claim there wasn't. What was Tsunade going to do, audit the accounts herself?
That's why spending money quickly was always better—so you don't end up getting tricked and left clueless.
"Well, if that's all, I'll head out. Everyone's waiting for me to join them for barbecue."
"Enough!!"
Tsunade clearly had no intention of changing her ways. Her attitude made it obvious—she was going to keep spending. And who knows what she'd buy next? Today it was houses; tomorrow, it might be some high-end equipment. That would be even more of a headache.
Medical equipment doesn't come cheap; it could easily run into the tens of millions or even billions of ryō. The Third Hokage couldn't handle Tsunade's reckless spending like this.
Even if Tsunade didn't buy things for herself, she could find other ways to drain resources.
Today, the Medical Department needs this. Tomorrow, they'll need that. "Pay up quickly, or the department can't function anymore."
"All of this ends here. No more targeting Yagami Takuya or anyone else, I assure you. And starting today, you'll take over management of the Logistics Department."
The Third Hokage had finally given in.
He couldn't handle Tsunade's endless spending spree any longer. Under normal circumstances, during peacetime, the Third Hokage might have been able to ignore her tantrums. But with Konoha still embroiled in war, if Tsunade started making a scene, he'd be the one suffering.
If things got out of hand, it could negatively impact the war effort and even upset the Daimyō, which would create even bigger problems.
And who would the Daimyō look to for financial support if Konoha's funds were drained?
Never underestimate Tsunade—she had the influence to sway the Daimyō more than the Third Hokage ever could.
"Huh?"
Tsunade blinked in surprise at the Third Hokage. She hadn't expected him to fold so quickly, and after just one day of pushing. That was fast.
"Here's the seal of the Logistics Department head. I'm giving it to you now. But I hope you'll refrain from making major personnel changes until the war is over."
Since he had already compromised, the Third Hokage decided to hand over the official seal of the Logistics Department to Tsunade, though he added a condition.
No major personnel changes until the war ended.
Koharu and Homura had been running both the Logistics and Medical Departments for years. Who knows how many cronies they had placed there or how many skeletons were in those closets? If Tsunade stirred things up now, it would be utter chaos.
Konoha couldn't afford that kind of disruption at the moment. The war had to be won first, and then they could clean house.
Once the war was over, Tsunade could bring in people she trusted to take over key positions.
"Fine."
Tsunade agreed without a second thought. She wasn't power-hungry, just as Takuya had said. Tsunade would much rather kick back and relax... wait, no! That little brat, Takuya, was always spouting nonsense.
There's no way I'm as lazy as he claims. Maybe once in a while, sure. Who doesn't take it easy sometimes?
Taking over the Logistics Department wasn't about power—it was about balancing the influence of the Elders and Root.
Tsunade never cared much for power.
"But I will be conducting a thorough inspection of the Logistics Department starting tomorrow. Some people have been acting without any discipline. I hope you understand, old man. I'm not trying to grab power here. I just want certain individuals to behave themselves."
"I'll make sure people cooperate with you."
"Go celebrate, and let this old man rest for a while."
The Third Hokage massaged his temples. He still had plenty of problems to deal with, including how to handle Koharu and Homura.
Luckily, he already had a plan. If things couldn't be resolved with Tsunade, then it was time to put some pressure on the Elder Council.
Using the recent unauthorized movement of Logistics Department resources as a pretext would be the perfect opportunity.
Once Tsunade left, the Third Hokage immediately sent for Koharu and Homura. As for Danzō, the Third Hokage decided it was better if he stayed out of village matters for now.
Danzō's recent actions had crossed a line. For the time being, the Third Hokage wouldn't give him a chance to make a comeback.
Since being stripped of their power, Koharu and Homura had mostly been sidelined at home. Despite that, even with the heavy infiltration of the Anbu, nothing happening in the Hokage's office escaped their notice.
Hearing about Tsunade's wild spending spree had them in a panic.
But there was little they could do. In their current positions, they couldn't just storm into the Hokage's office and demand answers as they once could.
Doing so would risk exposing the Anbu infiltration and create an even bigger mess.
So, they had no choice but to wait.
Fortunately for them, the Third Hokage hadn't completely abandoned them. When the summons came, they felt a sense of relief as they headed toward the Hokage's office.
"See? I knew Hiruzen wouldn't abandon us," Koharu said with a hint of satisfaction as they walked.
Homura smiled and added, "That's just Hiruzen's nature. He's angry about what Danzō did, and it's understandable. This meeting is probably about Tsunade and Yagami Takuya. We should be ready to let these issues go for now."
"You're right," Koharu agreed. "What's important now is to regain Hiruzen's trust and return to our original positions. The sooner the war ends, the better."
"As for Danzō, we'll deal with him later."
Neither of them knew that their control over the Logistics Department had already been handed over to Tsunade. They believed the Third Hokage had forgiven them and spent the walk strategizing their next moves.
It wasn't until they arrived at the Hokage's office and learned that Tsunade was now in charge of the Logistics Department that they were completely blindsided.
"Hiruzen, what's the meaning of this? The Logistics and Medical Departments have always been under the Elder Council's management, and now you've given them to Tsunade? Are you really going to make such a drastic change over something Danzō did?" Koharu was livid, her voice rising in pitch.
Homura stood beside her, his face equally grim.
You two really have the nerve to bring up Danzō's actions? If it weren't for your constant indulgence, would he have dared to go this far?
The Third Hokage snorted and said, "I think Danzō could use a bit more rest. And let me remind you, I'm the Hokage. Just as I appointed you to lead the Logistics and Medical Departments, I can appoint others as well."
"Tsunade's status, her strength, and her reputation in the village all make her more than qualified for the role."
"I feel very comfortable entrusting the Logistics Department to her."
"You don't trust us?" Koharu practically shrieked.