Orochimaru and Jiraiya had returned to the camp and headed to Tsunade's tent when Danzo decided to consult with them on some strategic matters. However, just as he reached the tent's entrance, he overheard Tsunade's words, and his temper flared.
This is supposed to be the village's top secret, and you, Tsunade, are just casually spilling it like that?
One of Root's operatives pulled back the tent flap, and Danzo entered with a scowl on his face, snapping, "Tsunade, is this how your teacher taught you? To recklessly reveal the village's secrets?"
Secrets, my foot!
Hearing this, Takuya was utterly speechless.
If it's such a secret, then how did the ninja from the Cloud Village infiltrate Konoha and kidnap Kushina?
"I know what can and can't be said; I don't need a reminder from you, Danzo," Tsunade responded, her face hardening with irritation. "You just focus on doing your job, and leave me and Kushina out of your concerns."
"You…"
Tsunade's direct retort left Danzo fuming even more, without the slightest bit of respect left intact.
After all, he was Konoha's Hokage Advisor and the front-line commander on the battlefield! But Tsunade? She didn't seem to regard him as anything more than an annoyance.
Since the fall of the Uzumaki Clan, Tsunade's attitude toward Danzo had worsened significantly.
The destruction of the Uzumaki Clan, though not directly caused by Konoha, involved certain unspeakable actions by the village. In other words, Konoha had a hand in pushing things to their tragic end.
And the one who orchestrated all this was Danzo.
When the Uzumaki Clan sought aid, Danzo strongly opposed Konoha's intervention, going so far as to leverage war rhetoric to force the Third Hokage to relent.
With the Uzumaki Clan wiped out and Konoha refusing to offer assistance, the village eventually swooped in to claim the clan's remnants. These events were like a thorn in Uzumaki Mito's heart, one she could never fully let go of, even as she aged and lost the power to influence village decisions.
In the end, Uzumaki Mito had no choice but to accept the outcome, but the matter still haunted her until her death. Tsunade had witnessed all of this, so it was no wonder she harbored no goodwill toward Danzo, Koharu, and Homura. She was already doing well not to curse them out loud.
"Uh, so… what brings you here to see Tsunade, Lord Danzo?"
Sensing that Tsunade and Danzo were about to clash again, Jiraiya quickly stepped in to defuse the situation.
With one being the head of the Medical Corps and the other the battlefield commander, their arguing in the camp would not be a good look. Even if it didn't give the enemy an opening, word spreading about it could harm morale, making it seem like Konoha's leaders were at odds.
That was why Tsunade preferred to leave the Medical Corps and fight on the front lines rather than bicker with Danzo.
Thanks to Jiraiya's intervention, Danzo now had an excuse to deescalate, and his tone softened slightly.
"Anbu has received some new intelligence. The three of you should come to the command center to discuss the deployment of our forces."
With that, Danzo swept a dark look over Takuya before leaving with his Root operatives, clearly not wanting to stay a second longer.
What the hell?!
Why are you glaring at me? I'm not the one who spilled the beans about the Nine-Tails!
If you're so tough, go argue with Tsunade!
Why focus on me? It's not like I eat at your Shimura family's table.
Does this mean I'm on his radar now?
Is Root going to come after me in the middle of the night?
Takuya rested his chin on his hand, contemplating curiously.
If Root does come for me, how should I handle it?
It'd be tricky to bury bodies in the camp… maybe I could just shove them into the sealing scrolls in the morgue?
That would probably make Danzo livid.
"Hmph."
Tsunade, unafraid of offending Danzo, bluntly warned, "Be careful. That old man is no good."
Just outside the tent, Danzo stumbled at those words, while the Root operative beside him scowled behind his mask, clearly angered by what he'd heard.
"Let's go!"
Danzo pretended not to have heard, leading his men away.
Jiraiya sighed with a bitter smile. "Tsunade, was that really necessary? You know how difficult you're making things for the old man."
Jiraiya never liked Tsunade's confrontational stance toward the higher-ups, even if he knew they were often up to no good. After all, they were all part of the same village, and causing strife only made everyone look bad.
"Heh…"
Orochimaru let out a derisive laugh. This was precisely the kind of attitude he despised in Jiraiya—being so concerned and conflicted over everything.
One minute you're bothered, the next minute you're worried. What's the point?
Tsunade, on the verge of snapping, glared daggers at Jiraiya, practically slicing him with her gaze.
If you don't want to stand up to them, fine, but don't lecture me!
"Get lost, and stay out of my way."
Seeing Tsunade about to explode, Jiraiya quickly made a run for it, darting out of the tent at top speed.
First, he didn't want to get smacked by Tsunade.
Second, he wanted to find something to eat and check in on his student, Minato.
It's been a while—hope he understands.
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave as well, Takuya-kun."
Orochimaru smiled as he bid farewell and left the tent.
"Ugh, that infuriated me."
Tsunade slammed her hand down on the table, causing the dishes to jump and a deep handprint to appear on the surface.
If that slap landed on a person, they'd probably have quite a few broken bones.
Right, time to make myself scarce.
Takuya wasn't about to stick around to console Tsunade or calm her down.
Why should I comfort her?
It's not like I'm the one who upset her, and besides, I'm not the one getting yelled at or hit.
As Takuya casually made his exit, leaving the dishes behind, Tsunade couldn't help but laugh in frustration. "Just be careful and don't go wandering around. That old geezer is sneaky; he might try to mess with you."
Danzo might not dare to cross Tsunade, but she worried that he could take out his frustrations on Takuya.
"How could that happen? I'm just a nobody; your issues won't involve me. Anyway, I'm off—don't forget to come over for dinner tonight."
Mess with me?
Let him try—I'll make sure he doesn't walk away!
There are plenty of sealing scrolls in the morgue.
As for completely alienating Danzo, I'm not too concerned.
We're naturally on opposing sides anyway. Whether I upset him now or later, it doesn't change the outcome.
Sooner or later, Danzo will come after me, regardless. My close relationship with the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki and my Uchiha bloodline make that inevitable.
Takuya didn't harbor any naive hopes that being a mixed-blood with white hair would earn him any leniency from Danzo.
It's only a matter of time—might as well get it over with.
I wouldn't mind giving Danzo a little warning too.
I want him to know: Don't overreach—Takuya Yagami isn't someone to be messed with.
I won't cower like the other Uchiha.
"Where's Minato?"
Back in the tent, Takuya noticed Minato was nowhere to be seen. Nawaki was lying down, reading a book.
Hearing the question, Nawaki rolled over and answered wearily, "Where else would he be? He went off with his teacher, Jiraiya."
It was clear that Nawaki was jealous and had turned into a sour little lemon.
Minato's teacher, Jiraiya, had come to take him away, but Nawaki's teacher, Orochimaru, hadn't even stopped by to see him.
This left Nawaki feeling rather resentful.
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