Chapter 76

"Yes, the Anbu. You can retain some departments within the medical system and allow Koharu to manage the rest. This is my final concession."

Tatsune Koharu was not known for her patience. If her influence were to be cut off for too long without hope of recovery, she might resort to drastic measures.

The Third Hokage wanted to avoid that scenario at all costs.

Understood.

Tsunade frowned, stayed silent, and continued eating with her chopsticks.

The Third Hokage didn't push her for an answer, and the two of them, mentor and student, ate in silence.

After finishing her meal and setting down her chopsticks contentedly, Tsunade stood up and headed out. When she reached the door, she paused to deliver her parting words to the Third Hokage.

"Give me a few days to think it over."

The Third Hokage nodded in agreement.

Tsunade hadn't outright refused, which meant the negotiation was possible.

As long as Koharu Utatane could be appeased, the village's leadership would remain united. Even though the Hokage's faction had split into two, their objectives aligned on significant issues.

Back at home, Tsunade checked Kushina's homework before retreating to her room to document her conversation with the Third Hokage in a scroll.

"Send this scroll to the front-line camp and hand it to Shinki. Tell him I need a response as soon as possible."

Since Shinki had become the unofficial strategist of her circle, Tsunade had stopped pondering these matters herself, preferring to delegate them to him.

She knew well that Shinki's analytical mind was sharper than her own when it came to such matters, and he had a knack for identifying crucial details.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

The summoned slug wrapped the scroll with its body and vanished from the room.

That evening, Shinki, who was practicing senjutsu in the Wet Bone Forest and preparing to return to the Ninja World, received the scroll.

"Ha! The Third Hokage knows how to strike a bargain."

Exchanging half of the Anbu's power for more control over the medical system to pacify Koharu Utatane. The woman had been particularly restless lately, both overtly and covertly pressing for Shimura Danzo's release.

Her impatience was apparent.

After holding onto power for over a decade, suddenly losing it was hard for anyone to accept. Koharu Utatane's anxiety was understandable.

But half of the Anbu's power? Shinki scoffed; even a dog wouldn't want that.

He pulled out a new scroll, wrote down his recommendations, and sent the scroll back to the village with a crow puppet.

Half? No, take it all!

Apart from a few teams tasked solely with protecting the Hokage, all other Anbu units needed to be under Tsunade's control to make the exchange worthwhile. Most importantly, the pharmaceutical department within the medical system had to remain under her command.

That department was too vital to relinquish.

Other departments could be handed over to Koharu Utatane.

As long as Tsunade controlled the pharmaceutical department, all other medical divisions would be subordinate to it, relying on its directives.

This would also relieve Tsunade of the burden of training medical ninjas.

Koharu could have the other departments to manage as she pleased, but they would still be beholden to the pharmaceutical department, which Tsunade would oversee.

It made sense for the Third Hokage to offer the Anbu. As long as he remained in the village, his safety was rarely at risk. Even with the Anbu relinquished, he retained the authority to mobilize them as needed.

However, certain unsanctioned activities could no longer involve the Anbu.

So, Shinki made an ambitious counteroffer: give up the Anbu entirely? Fine, but make it complete control. Half measures wouldn't suffice; the entire Anbu was needed, and the pharmaceutical department had to remain under Tsunade's jurisdiction.

If the proposal worked, everyone would benefit. If not, nothing would change, and it wasn't their side that was desperate.

Tsunade controlling the entire medical system would make Shimura Danzo's position even more precarious. With both the pharmaceutical department and the Anbu in her grasp, Danzo would have no leverage to stage a comeback.

An organization like the Anbu had to be either fully controlled or left alone. Partial control was barely different from no control at all.

Full control meant the ability to select and train Anbu members, ensuring their loyalty was to her. Without that, any progress would be to the Third Hokage's ultimate benefit.

With the crow puppet dispatched, Shinki fell into a deep sleep. He had finally mastered the balance of natural energy. Maintaining it would soon allow him to enter Senjutsu Chakra mode.

At that point, he'd reach a new level.

Otherwise, the relentless pace he kept up day and night would lead to exhaustion.

At dawn, the puppet crow delivered the scrolls to Tsunade.

There were two scrolls instead of one.

One was an intelligence report, and the other was a sealed scroll containing several flying puppets for transmitting information, including crow and eagle puppets.

Sometimes puppets were more practical for message delivery than summoning animals.

Tsunade reviewed the scroll and understood Shinki's intent. She realized that the Third Hokage would have to make a significant concession this time.

Handing over complete control of the Anbu was no small act. Only someone with Tsunade's trust and stature would be offered such an opportunity. Anyone else, and the Third Hokage would never agree.

Even among the old guard, no one could do more than mobilize the Anbu; direct control was out of the question.

Shimura Danzo had managed to build the Root by exploiting his authority to mobilize the Anbu and gradually infiltrating its ranks.

The Third Hokage's passive oversight allowed Danzo to amass considerable power.

Danzo's rise was rooted in his access to the Anbu.

Without it, even if he were released and allowed to rebuild the Root, he'd still be insignificant.

With Tsunade in charge of the Anbu, she wouldn't tolerate Root members operating under the Anbu's banner or using its resources, which would tarnish the organization's reputation.

With Shinki's strategic plan in place, Tsunade felt more confident. She allowed a few days to pass, waiting until the Third Hokage could no longer contain his impatience and approached her again.

Finally, Tsunade laid down her conditions.

"Except for the pharmaceutical department, the rest of the medical system can be handed over. But as for the Anbu, I want full control—not half, but all of it!"

"....."

The Third Hokage's initial relief at Tsunade's willingness to give up most of the medical departments was replaced by a look of stunned realization as she made her final demand.

Tsunade's terms were steep; holding onto the pharmaceutical department and taking full control of the Anbu was an entirely different game.

Giving half was one thing—Hiruzen could reclaim it whenever necessary. But full control? That was a commitment of another magnitude.

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