Rumors had always suggested that Takuya and that man had a terrible relationship. But now, it seemed "terrible" was putting it mildly—getting an assignment to monitor him seemed to make Takuya's eyebrows literally dance with joy.
This was just perfect.
"Heh heh heh, Danzo, you finally have your day!!"
"Hahaha..."
Walking down the street, Takuya couldn't help but laugh out loud.
He had been waiting for this day for a long time.
Even if the surveillance wouldn't last very long, Takuya was determined to make Danzo's life miserable while it lasted.
Back then, Danzo had kept tabs on him, watched him, and made his life miserable. Now it was his turn.
Danzo, are you ready for this?
Danzo's retirement home was located in a small courtyard not far from where the Sarutobi and Shimura clans resided. Usually, there were Anbu stationed nearby to keep people away.
But with some of the Anbu pulled away to deal with the commotion at the Hokage office, and the manpower shortage since the purge of the Anbu, Tsunade had simply handed the task to Takuya.
You've always wanted to mess with Danzo, right? Here's your chance.
Danzo's residence now had two unexpected guests.
These were some of Danzo's secret pawns.
Even though Tsunade had purged the Anbu and detained all the members of Root, Danzo still had people willing to work for him.
After all, Danzo had operated in Konoha's shadows for many years—his network was extensive.
"Lord Danzo, the villagers are furious after the announcement. More and more of them are heading to the Hokage office."
The public outrage from the announcement had given Danzo an opportunity.
He was contemplating how to manipulate the situation to get out of this wretched place, to regain the power he believed should be his, and to do what he wanted.
Sitting in his chair, with his one eye and shoulder wrapped in bandages, Danzo asked indifferently, "What about the research facility?"
"Due to a lack of funds, equipment, and materials, and with Orochimaru away from the village, the research has stalled."
"Tsunade!!!"
Chakra erupted from Danzo's hand, and the cane he was holding shattered into pieces.
All he ever thought about was restoring his body, but Tsunade kept cutting off resources. And with the ongoing war, his collaborative research with Orochimaru had been put on hold.
This made it increasingly difficult for Danzo to recover his body.
The thought of his broken body, no support in the village, and even the Third Hokage having given up on him made Danzo seethe with anger.
The Third Hokage's actions had stirred public anger, and that gave him hope.
Danzo had immediately called upon his subordinates from the research facility, but before he could lay out his plan, he sensed someone approaching.
It was someone he particularly disliked.
Takuya Yagami??
Why was he here?
Takuya hadn't hidden his presence at all. He openly approached Danzo's residence, and although the mission was to monitor, the method of surveillance was up to Takuya.
He could stay in the shadows or boldly stand out in the open, eyes locked on Danzo.
Between covert surveillance and an open, blatant watch, Takuya preferred the latter.
This was a rare opportunity—how could he not take full advantage of it to disgust Danzo?
Feeling perplexed, Danzo gestured for his subordinates to hide for now.
Picking up a new cane, Danzo limped out from the secret room.
"What are you doing here?"
Emerging into the living room and standing on the wooden porch, Danzo saw Takuya lounging in the courtyard, his legs crossed, and Pakura standing behind him like an obedient follower.
Danzo's already sullen face fell even further.
"I'm here to monitor you."
Takuya flashed a bright, exaggerated smile at Danzo.
Surprised? Didn't see this coming, did you?
I, Takuya Yagami, am not here to cause trouble—I'm here to monitor you.
Besides, there's no rule that says surveillance must be done in secret, right?
When I, Takuya Yagami, keep watch on someone, I prefer to stand right out in the open, making sure you see me every second, staring straight into your soul.
"Ridiculous!!!"
Hearing this, Danzo's already darkened expression turned pitch black. He gripped his cane tightly, pounding it on the ground several times as he shouted in anger:
"I am an advisor to the Hokage! What crime have I committed to deserve being monitored?"
Oh, he's getting upset. He's really getting upset.
The angrier Danzo got, the happier Takuya felt.
"Who said you need to commit a crime to be monitored? I, Takuya Yagami, never committed a crime, but wasn't I always under surveillance?"
"Is it that when others are being watched, it's fine, it's justified, but when it's you, Danzo Shimura, being watched, it's suddenly unacceptable?"
Takuya shook his finger, an air of regret in his voice as he addressed Danzo:
"The great Hokage advisor—oh, wait, you're not the Hokage advisor anymore. You're just an old man forced to retire and live out his days here. As for crimes, haven't you committed enough of those already?
I'm too embarrassed to even mention them."
"Who gave you the authority to monitor me?!"
Danzo was trembling with rage. If he had the power, he would have struck Takuya down with his cane on the spot.
Takuya shrugged.
"Old man, do you think I'd be here just to monitor you—or, let's be real, to disgust you—without any official assignment?
Let me be clear, my mission is to keep an eye on you. Personally, I think of it as an assignment to make your life miserable.
After all, you've done plenty to make my life miserable in the past. I'm just returning the favor.
As for authority, well, who do you think has the power to assign me to monitor Danzo Shimura?"
Takuya had a mission scroll from Tsunade, bearing the Hokage's seal, but there was no way he was going to show it to Danzo.
Why should he let a watched, disgraced old man see his orders?
That would be too generous.
"You..."
Danzo's nostrils flared with fury, and he was about to lash out when he realized that this situation wasn't that simple. Takuya might hate him enough to want him dead, but he wouldn't come here to openly provoke him without reason.
For Takuya to march openly into his residence, taunting him and calling him an old man, meant that Takuya indeed had orders to monitor him.
Though Danzo's authority had been stripped away, he had once been the Hokage's advisor, and no one would dare to monitor him without good reason—unless there had been an order from the Hokage.
Sarutobi, was it you?
The thought that the Third Hokage might have ordered Takuya to watch him left Danzo unsettled.
If his suspicion was correct, it meant he had truly been abandoned.
Losing his official position left some hope of recovery, but being placed under surveillance meant Danzo had been discarded, deemed a useless piece on the board.
The best-case scenario was that he could still live out his days in peace. The worst-case scenario was that even that would be taken away.
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Next Bonus: 200 power stone
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(P)(S): If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 500+ at Patreon com/ Emik01.
And Visit Me On Scribble_Hub for the other chapters
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