Tsunade remained unmoved, but the atmosphere around her became heavy, almost suffocating. Her fists trembled slightly, not out of fear, but from the rage she barely contained. She moved forward slowly, each step echoing on the stone floor.
"Old wreck," she spat with disdain, her piercing gaze fixed on Danzo. "You dare speak of treason? You dare judge me, while you yourself hide in the shadows like a rat, scheme after scheme? You've kidnapped a child who, just moments ago, was on the brink of death!"
Shikai, although silent, couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Tsunade. She had an untamed and fierce character.
Hiruzen sighed deeply, his right hand slowly rubbing his forehead, as if trying to dispel an emerging headache. The Sandaime advanced calmly, adopting his eternal role as a mediator between fiery personalities.
"Tsunade, you should calm down. Maybe you've had a little too much sake..." he said in a almost paternal tone, although slightly tinged with annoyance.
He slowly approached Shikai, who stared at him with a neutral expression, although internally wary. The old man placed a hand on the boy's head, adopting a reassuring smile.
"Sorry, little Shikai. We should never have put you through this so soon after such trauma. I know that, just like your sensei Minato, the Will of Fire burns in your heart."
These words might have comforted another child, but Shikai was not fooled. Behind that warm smile, he sensed manipulation. Hiruzen wanted to maintain peace, not necessarily out of justice, but for a peace with him at the helm of Konoha.
'Hypocrite,' Shikai thought. 'That smile is just a mask. You're no different from Danzo, just more cunning, and Danzo more unscrupulous.'
Danzo wasted no time in replying. His gaze fixed on Shikai with a near-predatory intensity, and his voice cracked like a whip.
"Hiruzen, you're too lenient. This child might be hiding dangerous things. Those seals on his body... We need to investigate further. If that involves more direct methods, so be it. Konoha cannot afford another incident like Kyûbi's."
Tsunade turned her head violently towards him, her eyes burning with cold anger.
"If you dare lay a finger on him, Danzo, I swear you'll regret being born."
Danzo remained unperturbed under the crushing pressure of Tsunade's chakra. But the present ANBU seemed nervous, hesitant to intervene.
"Tsunade, calm down," Hiruzen insisted, his tone becoming more firm.
But Tsunade, this time, didn't listen.
Observing the scene, Shikai couldn't help but assess the two men who dominated Konoha. On one side, Danzo, ready to do anything to gain more power and strengthen his grip on the village. On the other, Hiruzen, posing as the embodiment of wisdom and justice, but far too calculating and cunning to be trusted.
'Two sides of the same coin,' he thought. 'Their only true objective is to preserve their own power. Enjoy it while it lasts.'
Shikai already knew he would have to be wary of both, while playing the role of a docile boy with an unwavering Will of Fire who was also very manipulable.
Tsunade, ignoring Hiruzen's attempts at appeasement, leaned towards Shikai and lifted him with disconcerting ease. She carried him like a fragile child, although he was slightly embarrassed by this treatment.
She cast a final icy glance at Hiruzen.
"I'm disappointed in you, Master Hiruzen," she said in a cold voice, laden with reproach. "You were supposed to be a pillar of justice for this village, and yet you let individuals like Danzo thrive. You've lost sight of what it truly means to protect Konoha."
Hiruzen remained silent, his expression grave, while Danzo clenched his teeth, furious at being thus ridiculed.
Without another word, Tsunade turned on her heels and left the room, Shikai still in her arms.
Once Tsunade was gone, the room seemed to be plunged into a kind of strange calm, but the tension was far from dissipated. Danzo turned to Hiruzen, his narrow eyes expressing his disapproval.
"This kind of behavior cannot be tolerated," he murmured. "Tsunade is becoming more and more unpredictable. If she continues to act like this, she could become a problem."
Hiruzen raised a hand to interrupt him. "That's enough, Danzo. We already have enough problems as it is. I'm tired of hearing you complain."
Danzo scowled, discontent, but he remained silent. Anyway, plotting in the shadows was his forte.
...
Outside, as Tsunade walked with determined steps towards a destination known only to herself, Shikai observed the streets of Konoha stretching before him.
He turned slightly towards Tsunade, wondering how long she could continue to protect him against men like Danzo and Hiruzen.
"Tsunade-sama... Why are you doing all this for me?" he asked suddenly.
Tsunade looked at him briefly before smiling, but a shiver ran down her spine.
'What was that?'
Even though Tsunade was smiling, her eyes were empty, cold, and... full of a disturbing gaze.
"Because... I've sworn to protect what matters to me, Shikai, and right now, there's only you left. You alone, I can't lose you, you understand. I hope you understand because I don't want to force you or keep you close to me all the time. That would be weird. Ah ah. But I'll make sure nothing bad happens to you, I promise. You hear me... You understand, I-"
"O-okay... I think I got it."
'Why do I feel like she's on the brink of madness? Has she become a protective Yandere?'
"Well, then we'll go back to the room, okay. When you can walk again, I'll take you far away from this village."