"The actions of Sunagakure are clearly intended to bog us down in the Land of Rain, preventing the war from ending quickly," Tsunade said sternly, her voice firm as she continued, "Additionally, the Third Hokage has proposed negotiations with Hanzo to bring a swift end to the war, allowing us to turn our attention to the enemies invading the Land of Fire."
This was the will of the Third Hokage; Tsunade was merely conveying the message. Whether Danzo was willing to listen or not was another matter entirely.
It seemed clear that Danzo had no intention of negotiating with Hanzo. If peace talks succeeded and the war ended, Danzo would be forced to return to Konoha, where he would resume his role as the Hokage's advisor and head of Root. The tight grip he held on his newfound power would inevitably loosen.
Everyone in the room turned their gaze to Danzo, waiting to see if he would agree to initiate negotiations with Amegakure. After all, Danzo had been appointed as the supreme commander on the frontlines, and without his consent, even the Hokage's wishes would be in vain—unless a direct order was issued.
Under the weight of the room's collective gaze, Danzo finally spoke, his voice slow and deliberate: "The situation is chaotic, and Amegakure's military strength is formidable. Hanzo, known as a demigod, would never easily agree to negotiate with Konoha. This war will not end easily."
He paused, his expression grave, before continuing, "Whether or not they are willing to negotiate, we should first send emissaries to contact Hanzo. Don't you think the Hokage is being too hasty?"
Tsunade's gaze turned icy as she stared at Danzo. She had known from the start that he would not agree to this. The Third Hokage had proposed a negotiation, not issued a command, meaning that the final decision rested with Danzo. If he refused, the matter would be dropped.
Orochimaru's lips curled into a slight, mocking smile as he observed Danzo. This outcome was exactly what he had expected. Jiraiya, however, could barely contain his frustration, his brow furrowing as he pressed the issue.
As soon as Jiraiya spoke, the expressions of several Jonin in the room darkened. Like Jiraiya, they hoped for an end to the war as soon as possible. The Land of Fire was currently in turmoil, with Sunagakure's forces causing trouble everywhere. Ending the conflict with Amegakure quickly seemed like the best option. But Danzo clearly had no intention of allowing that.
"Are you questioning my judgment?" Danzo's tone grew sharp as he glared at Jiraiya, his pride wounded by the public challenge to his authority.
Here we go, just as I expected, Tsunade thought with a disdainful chuckle, folding her arms and choosing to remain silent.
Despite his reluctance to argue with Danzo, Jiraiya pressed on, his voice steady but earnest. "Lord Danzo, I'm not questioning your judgment. I merely think it would be wise to send someone to gauge Amegakure's willingness to negotiate. If they refuse, then Konoha will continue the war to its conclusion."
Are we, the most powerful of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, really afraid of a small village like Amegakure?
"I will personally see to it that someone contacts Amegakure. Do you have any other concerns?" Danzo's face was a mask of irritation.
Jiraiya shook his head. "No, Lord Danzo. I leave it in your hands."
"Then this meeting is adjourned. Everyone, return to your posts and ensure the enemy does not catch us off guard," Danzo ordered, effectively dismissing the room.
The assembled ninja rose and began filing out of the command center.
"Prepare yourselves. This will be a long and grueling conflict," Orochimaru remarked, his smile never reaching his eyes, the sarcasm in his voice unmistakable.
Anyone could tell whom his words were aimed at.
Jiraiya, exasperated, thought to himself, If you had something to say, why didn't you speak up earlier? What good does it do to say it now?
"I'm going to make arrangements at the Medical Corps," Tsunade announced, her mood sour. She had no intention of staying in the camp any longer. Just looking at Danzo's scheming face made her feel stifled. It would be better to be out on the battlefield.
"You're not staying?" Orochimaru asked with his usual smirk.
Tsunade shot him a frosty glare. "I'm this close to smashing that smirk off your face."
Why hit me? I didn't do anything, Orochimaru thought, raising his hands in mock innocence.
Jiraiya chuckled nervously, taking a few steps back. The last thing he wanted was to provoke Tsunade in her current state. He knew better than to risk getting punched.
After taking care of matters at the Medical Corps, Tsunade sought out Takuya, Minato, and Nawaki.
"You three, go rest up. Tomorrow morning, pack your things—we're leaving the camp. Someone else will take over your duties."
"We're heading to the battlefield?" Nawaki asked, his excitement barely contained, his eyes shining with anticipation.
Finally! Nawaki had been waiting for this moment for so long, yearning to join the battle. But Tsunade had repeatedly denied him permission, and Orochimaru had shown no interest in taking him along, leaving Nawaki stuck in the camp, doing menial tasks day after day.
"You seem rather pleased with yourself," Tsunade's sharp gaze fell on Nawaki, her tone menacing.
Like a deer caught in headlights, Nawaki froze, his smile disappearing in an instant. He knew better than to push his sister when she was in a bad mood, yet his old habits had gotten the better of him.
Tsk, Nawaki's at it again, Minato thought, scratching his head with a sheepish grin. But that grin was all it took.
Tsunade's gaze shifted from her brother to Minato, who stood there smiling and scratching his head in a manner all too reminiscent of Jiraiya.
That smile, that gesture—it's exactly like his sensei's! Seeing it only fueled Tsunade's irritation.
"What are you grinning at? You're just like your teacher!"
What the heck did I do to deserve this? Minato thought, bewildered.
"Alright, that's enough. Get some rest and be ready to move out tomorrow morning."
Finally, Takuya thought as the meeting ended. Staying in the camp may have been safe, but it's a relief to be done with guarding the morgue. That job never suited me anyway.
"Any word yet?" Danzo asked, growing impatient. How long does it take to scare off a mere kid? It was already late into the night, and still, there had been no report from his operatives.
"Lord Danzo, neither Saru nor Mitsu has returned," a Root operative reported, appearing in the command center.
"Useless!" Danzo cursed, his anger boiling over.
They couldn't even handle such a simple task—what a bunch of incompetents.
This just proves how weak Root still is.
If only Hiruzen would let me recruit from the village clans, Root wouldn't be in such a pitiful state.
At this point in time, the Third Hokage's power and ambition were at their peak, leaving no room for Danzo to make any bold moves. Unlike after the Third Shinobi War, where Danzo's influence had grown so unchecked that he could openly experiment on orphans and recruit spies from the village clans.
"Send someone to track them down, and while you're at it, see what Takuya Yagami is up to," Danzo ordered.
"Yes, my lord," the Root operative replied before quickly departing.
It wasn't long before he returned with troubling news.
"Lord Danzo, Takuya Yagami and his team have returned to their tent to rest—this was on Lady Tsunade's orders. Another squad has already taken over their duties at the morgue."
"And?"
"We found no trace of Saru or Mitsu nearby. However, we did find footprints and bloodstains not far from the morgue. It's likely that…"
Footprints and bloodstains…
Isn't it obvious?
They're dead!
The question now was, Who had the nerve to kill Danzo's men?
Could it have been Takuya Yagami?
He was the only one with both the skill and the motive to do such a thing. Danzo's men had been sent to intimidate him—could Takuya have lost his temper and killed them?
"Search for the bodies. If you find enough evidence that points to this kid, apprehend him immediately."
"Yes, my lord."
For now, it was only a suspicion. Danzo had no solid evidence that Takuya had killed his operatives, despite the boy's capability and motive. Without proof, Danzo couldn't make any rash moves—Tsunade and the others would cause an uproar if he acted without justification.
But then again, would they even be able to find the bodies?
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