Upon returning to the village, the Third Hokage found himself blindsided by Tsunade's series of forceful accusations. His mind was buzzing, struggling to keep up with the sudden developments, and his focus on Kushina's deployment had quickly been derailed.
"See for yourself," Tsunade said coldly, throwing a pile of documents onto the desk. She crossed her arms, leaning back, clearly ready for a showdown.
The Third Hokage quickly began to read, while Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado stood by, their expressions mirroring the gravity of the situation. They were beginning to realize the extent of the trouble they were in.
If they hadn't come here to pick a fight, they might have dodged a bullet. Tsunade had her hands full, and though she had been itching to settle old scores, it would likely have waited until she officially assumed the Hokage position. By then, their misdeeds would have carried less weight, perhaps ending in a quiet retirement. But now, everything had been laid bare, and things looked grim.
"Koharu, Homura, I need an explanation," the Third Hokage said after quickly skimming the documents. The more he read, the more his heart sank.
The Anbu—the Black Ops—mostly carried out missions in the shadows, many of which were ethically gray at best. But these missions were always under the Hokage's orders and done for the good of the village. However, the documents Tsunade provided detailed numerous questionable and outright dark operations, carried out specifically by the Anbu members who had been "placed" into the organization. The Third Hokage didn't need much imagination to understand what had happened—this was blatant abuse of power.
"It was Danzo," Koharu quickly said before the Third Hokage could lose his temper, immediately throwing Danzo under the bus.
Everything was Danzo's fault—at least, that was the line they were taking. They had merely helped plant a few people in the Anbu ranks. They might have known what was going on, but the actual dirty deeds were carried out on Danzo's orders. Danzo hadn't consulted them on everything, and at times had even actively hidden details from them.
They might have been allies in their scheming, but when push came to shove, saving themselves was the priority. And given that they had already warned Danzo not to go too far, they felt little guilt in blaming him now.
If he could, the Third Hokage would have cursed aloud—Danzo had completely lost his mind. Instead of focusing on the Root division, Danzo had planted his agents in the Anbu? Was he trying to keep an eye on Sarutobi Hiruzen himself?
The very thought infuriated him.
The Anbu were meant to be directly under the Hokage's command. If there were infiltrators among them, it meant the Hokage's every move could be monitored by outside parties. The Third Hokage's face darkened considerably at the implications.
Suppressing his growing anger, he glanced at Koharu, who had chosen to speak first. Homura, seeing his partner's actions, also decided to come clean.
"Danzo asked us to help place a few people. We didn't think it was a good idea to refuse him, but we warned him—he promised he wouldn't do anything reckless," Homura said.
The Third Hokage gave a mirthless chuckle. "Warned him not to monitor me, or warned him not to abuse the Anbu for his own ends?"
A warning was meaningless. The moment they helped Danzo infiltrate the Anbu, they had compromised everything.
Tsunade looked like she was enjoying herself, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. These old fossils never learned, just like Takuya had said.
A knock at the door broke the tension in the room, cutting through the charged silence. Despite their heated conflict, both the Third Hokage and the Elders were careful not to show any outward animosity—appearances still mattered.
"Come in," the Third Hokage called, adjusting his demeanor.
The door opened, and a member of the Intelligence Division quickly entered. He saluted before handing a scroll over to Tsunade.
"Hokage-sama, Lady Tsunade, this is an urgent report from the frontlines," he announced before giving polite greetings to Koharu and Homura.
Though they were in terrible moods, Koharu and Homura acknowledged the greeting, maintaining their dignified façade.
"I'll take that," Tsunade said, taking the scroll. She swiftly broke the seal and decoded the message, her face relaxing into a smile as she read.
Good news, finally? Tsunade wasn't the only one hoping. The Third Hokage, Koharu, and Homura all watched her intently.
If the village fell, what would their titles and influence mean? Nothing. They understood this well. They might have clashed internally, but ultimately, they all stood to benefit from Konoha's prosperity.
"I knew it! That kid did it! Kushina didn't let me down," Tsunade said, finally letting out a breath of relief. She tossed the scroll to the Third Hokage, reaching for a hidden stash of sake in the office—a drink she had stored for times like this, to help unwind.
Seeing Tsunade relax like that was enough of a sign for the Third Hokage to smile as well. He quickly read through the scroll and soon broke into a grin. However, there was a hint of awkwardness in his expression.
Noticing Koharu and Homura practically craning their necks, the Third Hokage spoke aloud: "It's good news. Takuya and Kushina did well. Sunagakure suffered a major defeat, losing countless troops, and their future leader, Rasa, has been captured. They've been forced to seek peace talks."
With Pakura captured, the Third Kazekage dead, Sasori defected, and now Rasa captured, these were all major victories to celebrate. The only thorn for the Third Hokage was that Takuya, whom he hadn't fully trusted, was behind it all.
And Kushina? If the Third Hokage had been in the village, she wouldn't have even been allowed to leave for the battlefield. But here she was, not only deployed but victorious. Takuya kept accumulating merits, and Kushina had earned fame in one battle, striking fear into the hearts of Sunagakure. It wouldn't be long before the name of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki echoed across the shinobi world.
Most importantly, if Sunagakure wanted peace, it meant the war would soon end. Even if Konoha had to reduce its demands, the Third Hokage was prepared to accept it. Fighting on two fronts was an immense strain on the village.
"That's fantastic!" Koharu and Homura exclaimed, visibly brightening. But their smiles soon turned awkward when they noticed Tsunade, still holding her sake bottle, glaring at them. They gave sheepish smiles, barely able to conceal their discomfort.
"Since Sunagakure wants peace talks, who should we send to handle the negotiations?"
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Next Bonus: 300
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