"It's good that it's submitted," Jiraiya patted Minato's shoulder, his tone full of envy.
"I also wish I could return to the village for a break, but sadly, there's no way." Minato and others could rotate out for a break, but for Jiraiya and Orochimaru, there was no such luxury.
They could only stay at the camp until the war was over before they could have any time to rest.
"How long has it been since I've seen any beautiful ladies? Without my company, those unfortunate ladies must be having such a hard time." Jiraiya began to fantasize about his former happy days. His face turned sleazy, and he even began drooling, making it obvious that he was not thinking about anything decent.
Minato's handsome face went dark as he quickly excused himself. Lustful Sage is being indecent again! Minato thought it was best for him to leave quickly; otherwise, Jiraiya might hold his hand and try to pass on his "valuable lessons on becoming a real man." These were lessons that Minato felt he certainly did not need, considering he and Jiraiya were worlds apart in this regard.
He's insane! Absolutely insane!
Having been stared at by Takuya for an entire day, Danzo felt as if he was about to lose his mind. It wasn't just that Takuya stared at him—he also deliberately provoked and irritated him, making it hard for Danzo to keep his composure. And when words were exchanged, Takuya didn't hold back. He insulted Danzo in every imaginable way.
If that wasn't bad enough, Takuya even restricted his movements, ready to use force if Danzo tried to leave.
Danzo was especially frustrated that he had to rely on military ration pills to sustain himself since Takuya wouldn't let him leave to get any real food.
Takuya's words still rang in Danzo's ears: Why should I care if you're hungry? If you're hungry, just eat! No food? Well, that's not my problem, but you still can't leave the compound.
"Sir, I brought everything you asked for," Pakura had decided to adapt to local customs and began addressing Takuya the same way others did. Takuya didn't care enough to correct her; it was just a title, after all.
"Good, leave them here. I'm going to eat and take a nap. You'll keep watch for a bit, and then I'll take over again." Takuya instructed Pakura, who brought over some chairs and a lounge chair for him to rest on. He intended to stay at Danzo's place until the mission ended. Whether Danzo had any objections was not his concern.
Your opinions don't matter; the only thing that matters is that I don't care.
"Understood." For a moment, Pakura couldn't help but feel a bit sorry for Danzo—the so-called "Root of Konoha."
Being watched like this, how deep must the hatred run?
Pakura glanced at Takuya discreetly. Even though she hadn't been around him long, from what she had seen, Takuya wouldn't usually go out of his way to hold a grudge unless someone had truly angered him. For him to bear such intense hatred against Danzo, it was clear that Danzo must have done something particularly detestable.
Leaning back on the lounge chair, Takuya squinted his eyes. Tsunade should have already cleared out all of Danzo's subordinates. So why are there still two strangers hiding in Danzo's house?
Could these be people Danzo stationed elsewhere? Should I inform Tsunade?
After pondering for a while, Takuya decided to take a nap first. As for the people hiding in Danzo's house, that could wait until later.
Due to his connection with Snowy, Takuya's sensory abilities were incredibly heightened. At such close range, he immediately noticed the presence of people other than Danzo in the house, but he chose not to take action right away.
Instead, he wanted to see how Danzo would react under pressure.
Clearly, these two individuals were significant to Danzo. Even as Takuya made things increasingly difficult for him, those two stayed hidden in the secret room—a clear indication that they were crucial.
Relaxing on the lounge chair, Takuya closed his eyes and shifted his consciousness into the space within his body, where Snowy, his special tailed beast, was resting. In the unique inner world, a massive fox with silvery fur curled up, its enormous body like a mountain, using its long tail as a pillow. Its rhythmic breathing echoed through the entire space.
Standing on the ground, looking up at Snowy's increasingly gigantic form, Takuya knew that Snowy's slumber was nearing its end.
At most, it would take one to two more months—or as little as ten days to two weeks—before Snowy awoke.
"You've grown quite a bit," Takuya muttered.
Previously, Snowy had been about the same size as the Nine-Tails, but after this deep sleep, Snowy's size had far surpassed that of the Nine-Tails.
After roughly calculating when Snowy would awaken, Takuya left the tailed-beast space and comfortably drifted off to sleep.
While Takuya rested peacefully, Danzo was feeling anything but comfortable.
Sitting in the living room, pretending as though Takuya wasn't out in the courtyard, Danzo tried to make tea. The corner of his sinister eyes twitched when he caught sight of Takuya lounging in his chair, and his teacup shattered in his grip.
The fact that Danzo was being monitored was only known by a small group of people within the Anbu, along with a few key figures. The Third Hokage and the village's elder council were kept entirely in the dark because Tsunade had decided not to inform them.
As for when they might eventually find out—that remained uncertain.
Given the current circumstances, it would likely take quite some time for the Third Hokage or the elders to notice.
They wouldn't go out of their way to chat with Danzo, especially during such a crucial time for the village.
The return of the Third Hokage meant Tsunade could pass off a lot of responsibilities to him. With endless paperwork piling up, the Third Hokage had neither the time nor the inclination to check in on Danzo.
As for the council elders, they were occupied with arranging supplies and overseeing the medical unit—tasks that kept Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado more than busy.
They had been burned by Danzo more than once. Now, they had a psychological block against him. Not only would they not actively seek him out, but even if Danzo summoned them, they were unwilling to go.
They feared being caught in Danzo's schemes again, as well as the prospect of Tsunade watching their every move.
They were well aware that Tsunade had her eyes on Danzo, and to avoid suspicion or trouble, it was best to steer clear.
Thus, Danzo being under Takuya's watchful eye went unnoticed. No one would find out unless one of the informed Anbu secretly reported it.
Anyone with eyes could see that Tsunade was gradually taking control, while the Third Hokage was relinquishing it.
Although it hadn't been officially announced, Tsunade was already the only candidate for the position of Fourth Hokage.
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Next Bonus: 800
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