"You've got some nerve, coming in here and making a mess out of my house!" Takuya was visibly annoyed, his face darkening as he surveyed the scene. The couch was in complete disarray, the floor was littered with empty snack wrappers, and there were chicken bones scattered everywhere.
Rubbing her forehead lazily, Tsunade waved a dismissive hand. "Ran out of food at home, and with all the overtime, I just couldn't be bothered. So, I came over to find something to eat and must have… fallen asleep here." She closed her eyes for a few seconds, then snapped them open, as though recalling something important. "Wait, why are you back anyway?"
"Orochimaru gave me this half-baked mission to track down some rogue ninjas. But with so much time lost since they fled, there were no leads left to follow. So, I came back to the village to regroup with Nawaki and Minato before we all head back to the front lines." Knowing that Tsunade was unlikely to lift a finger to clean, Takuya took it upon himself to start tidying up.
"Phew, you had me worried for a second there," Tsunade said, visibly relieved. "I thought maybe you and Orochimaru got into it, and you'd decided to run back here to dodge the fallout."
You're overthinking it. Orochimaru's not Danzo. Danzo might pull something like that if things didn't go his way, but Orochimaru? He's different. Though they both operate in the shadows, Danzo takes offense personally and retaliates in a very direct way. Orochimaru, on the other hand, doesn't care for petty grudges; he waits for the right moment to finish things decisively.
"You mean there's no one else in the Logistics Department to help you out?" Takuya raised an eyebrow, looking her over with a mixture of surprise and dismay. Tsunade looked completely worn out, her hair in disarray, dark circles beneath her eyes, and her clothes rumpled, even carrying a faint, strange odor. Hard to believe this disheveled figure was the so-called "Princess of Konoha."
It was like night and day – goddess-like on the outside, but like she was living like a slob.
"Don't even start," Tsunade groaned, clearly feeling like her life was spiraling into chaos. "There's already too much work, and sleep is practically non-existent at this point. And now, because of Danzo's latest blunder, the old man has completely removed him from power, sent him off to 'retirement,' and detained the Root operatives. Meanwhile, I'm practically drowning trying to recover all the supplies Danzo managed to siphon off."
Danzo got busted? Takuya froze. It had all been kept under wraps. Just like that?
"What did he pull this time?" he asked.
"Oh, the usual – forged supply requests under the Hokage's name, even managed to get a Hokage seal stamped on them. I'd blocked his supply requests, so the old man himself came down to Logistics and figured out Danzo's scheme." Tsunade clenched her fists and slapped the couch in frustration. "You wouldn't believe it. This old geezer used every trick in the book to get his hands on vast amounts of supplies, and now we're only able to trace a fraction of it. The rest? Completely unaccounted for. And he won't say a word about where any of it went."
Takuya raised his eyebrows. A massive scandal like this, and he wasn't even around to witness it firsthand? What a waste.
"Guess those supplies are gone for good," Takuya said as he finished sweeping up the garbage and headed to the kitchen, glancing inside the fridge.
"You think Danzo already disposed of them?" Tsunade followed him, looking concerned.
"Of course he did." Takuya replied, whisking some eggs without turning around. "Root's recovery takes a lot of funding and resources. And the important part here is that Danzo and Orochimaru are partners. Why do you think they're working together?"
Orochimaru wanted funding, equipment, and research materials. Danzo wanted Orochimaru's research skills. Takuya was sure those missing resources had been funneled into experiments. Since Tsunade was handling Logistics and effectively blocking supplies, Danzo likely had no choice but to take desperate measures to secure enough funding for Orochimaru's projects. The fact that Orochimaru had tried to negotiate with Tsunade for resources was evidence enough.
So, what's left? Go straight to Orochimaru to try and trace it all? That wouldn't help. If the old man himself couldn't get a straight answer from Orochimaru, nobody could. Even if the Hokage were to confront him, Orochimaru would probably claim ignorance.
"Danzo really is insufferable," Tsunade muttered, clenching her teeth. "The old man let him off with a retirement. If it were up to me, I'd throw him in prison!"
Unfortunately, as head of the Logistics Department, Tsunade didn't have the authority to throw one of the Hokage's advisors into prison. If she did, Danzo would already be facing the interrogation department. Danzo knew this, which is why he acted so boldly. He was confident that the Hokage wouldn't deal him a harsher punishment.
But Danzo wasn't worried; he knew that with Orochimaru's presence, his position was all but secured. They were like two grasshoppers on the same rope – bound together.
"Well, looks like that option's off the table now. If Orochimaru makes it to the Fourth Hokage's seat, do you really think Danzo's just going to stay retired?" Takuya raised an eyebrow.
After all, even Anbu had been infiltrated by Root operatives. Takuya was sure that some were secretly taking orders from Danzo, masked as loyalty to the Hokage. The moment Danzo gave the command, they would reveal themselves without hesitation.
Tsunade frowned, exasperated. "Why did Orochimaru even choose to team up with a relic like him?"
Once again, she felt that frustration rise up. So long as the old man remained Hokage, Danzo could get away with nearly anything. Even the most serious offenses would get swept under the rug, with early retirement as the worst consequence.
And now, with Orochimaru in the mix, she couldn't help but imagine what might happen if he took over as Hokage. She could barely picture the mess Danzo and Orochimaru would make together.
"If only there were a way to get rid of that old man for good… wait, is that food I smell?" Tsunade's mood shifted as the aroma of cooking filled the air. She hadn't eaten all day.
In the end, a good meal topped everything else. For now, the mess with Danzo could wait. The easiest solution to dealing with him would be to take him out outright – either that or to get the Hokage to finally step down.
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Offer: 3000 Power Stones for one extra chapter
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 380+ at Patreon com/ Emik01.
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