"Fuck!!"
Tsunade's excited hands trembled as she stared at the tiny heart inside the box. Though minuscule, its intricacy and delicacy spoke volumes—it was worth millions of ryo. A small but priceless medical feat. If the technique could be scaled to larger organs...
Tsunade-sama, are we finally going to live debt-free?
Shi Jing's voice quivered with emotion, eyes damp with unshed tears.
Living in hiding, dodging debt collectors, and juggling obligations had pushed them to the brink. Now, salvation had arrived in the form of this tiny artificial heart—an unparalleled medical advancement.
Word of Tsunade's creation spread like wildfire. Nobles, lords, and even the Fire Daimyō himself sought her treatment. The initial patient paved the way for a flood of wealthy clients.
To the rich, especially daimyō, any issue solvable with money wasn't a problem at all.
The Fire Daimyō, in particular, approached Tsunade directly, waving money and requesting a full-body medical assessment. He was particularly insistent about checking his lower back and lumbar area—perhaps due to the "stresses" of a demanding lifestyle. In addition to the check-up, he asked Tsunade to prepare a generous batch of herbal tonics.
It was clear the daimyō placed immense importance on his longevity—and virility.
Tsunade, exhausted but smiling, found herself overwhelmed by the sudden influx of wealth and work. Though most of the earnings went toward repaying her monumental debts, the shrinking red numbers lifted a weight from her shoulders.
Her mood soared—but not everyone in Konoha shared that sentiment.
Danzo, for instance, was spiraling into despair.
As negotiations between Konoha and the Daimyō's Office concluded, Danzo found himself increasingly sidelined. The people he once commanded in Root had been transferred, reassigned, or quietly "dealt with."
Even the Third Hokage, who had previously granted Danzo limited autonomy, no longer protected his interests.
Now, Root was gone. Every operative he trusted had either disappeared or was under surveillance. His personal quarters had become a cage.
Anbu surveillance shifted again.
During the transition, a tiny psychic beast infiltrated Danzo's courtyard, delivering a scroll to his feet. He untied it swiftly. With a puff of smoke, the creature vanished, leaving him alone with the message.
Though Root had been officially disbanded, Danzo still retained hidden resources. The Third Hokage was well aware that Danzo's inner circle had undergone intense mental conditioning. Leaving them unattended would be a ticking time bomb.
Danzo's operations may have been dismantled, but his reach remained—especially within Anbu.
Officially under Hokage jurisdiction, Anbu was riddled with leaks. Danzo had embedded agents in its ranks for years. He wasn't alone in that; even the other Elder Council members had similar contingencies.
These pawns were now activated.
"Useless... a bunch of useless trash!!"
Danzo hissed after reading the scroll's contents. With trembling hands, he incinerated the paper using chakra and stormed outside, his cane striking the ground furiously.
He bellowed toward the stationed Anbu:
"Bring me Sarutobi! I want to see Hiruzen now!"
Danzo understood that, for the "sake of the village," he'd been forcibly retired. He could accept being used as a scapegoat—begrudgingly. After all, so long as Hiruzen was in power, there remained hope.
The surveillance? An excuse orchestrated by the Daimyō to tighten the reins.
The Root's dissolution? Just politics.
He still had deep assets planted throughout Konoha—silent, waiting, loyal.
But when he learned Uchiha Hiko had attacked Kakashi in the Daimyō's domain and stolen his Sharingan, only to be let off with a mere apology and the return of the eye, Danzo's patience snapped.
Everything else he could stomach—but not this. Not Uchiha.
Back in the Hokage Tower, the Third Hokage allowed himself to finally relax. With the Fire Daimyō pacified and negotiations closed, the old man's spirit lightened. He even indulged in an extra bowl of rice—something he hadn't done in weeks.
The other daimyōs had attempted to stir the pot, but the Fire Daimyō remained grounded. His pragmatism prevented the situation from escalating.
He understood that destabilizing Konoha would weaken the country's military arm. Other great villages like Iwa and Kumo were always looking for a chance to exploit weakness.
Destabilizing Konoha would put the entire Fire Country in jeopardy.
If Konoha was provoked into a corner and retaliated violently, who would protect the Daimyō? Certainly not his conniving relatives and court sycophants.
Thus, despite pressure, the Fire Daimyō refrained from antagonizing Hiruzen or Konoha.
As plans for fund distribution progressed, the Third Hokage mentally reviewed how to allocate the village's budget.
Just then, a masked Anbu appeared beside him.
"Hokage-sama, Danzo-sama is demanding an audience."
The Third Hokage's brow twitched. Even though Danzo was technically stripped of power, the Anbu still referred to him respectfully—a habit forged over decades.
"He wants to see me now?"
"Yes. He claims it concerns Captain Hatake Kakashi's incident in the Daimyō's territory."
That jolted the Hokage out of his thoughts.
"How did Danzo find out about that?"
The words barely left his mouth before realization struck.
No one should have been able to reach Danzo. His agents had been removed or monitored. So how had the information leaked?
Anbu.
The Third Hokage's expression darkened.
He'd turned a blind eye to Danzo's infiltration of Anbu for years, considering it a manageable threat. But now, with tensions high and the Daimyō's trust precarious, such leaks could spell disaster.
"I don't want this to happen again. Not ever."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
The guilty Anbu lowered his head, cursing whatever idiot had passed intel to Danzo.
Unable to ignore Danzo's request and too agitated to focus on paperwork, the Third Hokage left the Tower and made his way to Danzo's courtyard.
"Sarutobi! What's wrong with you?! Have you gone soft?! Have you forgotten everything we built?!"
Danzo didn't even wait for pleasantries. His words struck like kunai, sharp and without restraint.
"The Uchiha clan has crossed the line again and again! Uchihahiko—an arrogant little brat—dared attack an Anbu captain! Kakashi isn't just any shinobi!"
He was fuming, face twisted in rage, while nearby Anbu exchanged awkward glances.
"My lord, please... don't scold the Hokage in front of us like this..."
The Hokage's good mood evaporated instantly. Coming all this way only to be verbally assaulted in public grated on his nerves.
"Danzo!" he snapped, voice icy.
"The Uchiha have already returned the Sharingan, issued an apology, and guaranteed this won't happen again. What more do you want?"
Danzo's one good eye narrowed.
"And that's enough?! A promise, an apology, and the return of a stolen dojutsu? Are we to pretend nothing happened?"
"You're not in a position to decide that!" the Third Hokage barked.
"Or have you forgotten your status? The Daimyō is watching both of us closely. And you're still obsessing over the Uchiha?!"
"What do you mean 'forgotten my status'?" Danzo growled. "I've done everything for this village—sacrificed everything! And you expect me to sit quietly while the Uchiha grow stronger?"
Hiruzen inhaled sharply, his patience thinning.
"You're treading dangerous ground, Danzo."
But Danzo's reply came cold and unwavering:
"I've never left it."
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