Chapter 230: Is It Impossible, or Are You Just Unwilling to Share Power?

The Third Hokage started coughing uncontrollably. This time, it wasn't an act—he was genuinely choking. Tsunade's words had hit him hard.

"And you did it so blatantly. Every time someone stepped back, you pushed forward three steps. It makes me wonder—will future prodigies of the village have to keep their heads down? After all, with this precedent set, who's to say they won't be next?"

Don't underestimate Tsunade. It's not that she can't throw verbal punches—she just doesn't do it often. But that doesn't mean she won't. In just a few sentences, she'd managed to leave the Third Hokage speechless.

"Do you know what happened this morning?" Tsunade asked, her voice full of disappointment as she looked at the Third Hokage. "When I went to visit Nawaki, he asked me why this was happening. I didn't know how to answer him."

"Alright, enough. This kind of thing won't happen again!" The Third Hokage could no longer sit still. Tsunade's words had hit him where it hurt, and he felt deeply uncomfortable.

"You said the same thing last time. And the time before that." Tsunade wasn't backing down.

The Third Hokage: "..."

She was right—he had said this before, multiple times. When had he become the very person he despised? When had he started targeting a child?

The Third Hokage couldn't help but question himself.

"I shouldn't have listened to other people's lies." In a desperate attempt to deflect, the Third Hokage tried to pass the blame, hoping to minimize the damage.

"Also, I've already stripped Koharu and Homura of their duties. They've done a lot of things that were detrimental to the village recently, and I think they need time to reflect."

Tsunade was genuinely surprised to hear this. Koharu and Homura being stripped of their powers was something only a few people knew about, and she certainly hadn't expected it. There had to be something more to it. The Third Hokage wouldn't just remove them from power for no reason while allowing them to keep their positions as elders and advisors.

But this was good news. It saved her the trouble of fighting them for it and getting into a heated argument.

Tsunade, who had barely slept while mulling things over all night, had finally decided to take Takuya's advice. Whether it was for Takuya, for herself, for Nawaki, or for the village's future, she had to step up and fight for what was right.

Her original intention was to let them handle things gracefully. But since they had shown no shame, she had no choice but to handle it herself.

As Takuya put it, "I'm tired of this. I'm done playing their games, so I'm joining in."

If it came down to it, they could all suffer together and see who would end up worse off.

"Well, that's wonderful," Tsunade said with a smile, her serious demeanor lightening.

Seeing this, the Third Hokage breathed a sigh of relief. As long as Tsunade's expression had softened, he felt hopeful. Whether she was angry or happy, it was better than the cold, expressionless stare she'd been giving him earlier. That stare had unnerved him, making him feel like something bad was about to happen.

And soon, his instincts proved correct.

The moment Tsunade learned that Koharu and Homura had been stripped of their power, she lit up with joy.

Maybe it was only temporary, and perhaps they'd eventually get their power back. But did Tsunade care? Absolutely not. She only cared that positions were now available, and there was no reason for the Third Hokage to hesitate.

Pulling up a chair, Tsunade sat down in front of the Hokage's desk.

"Sensei, I've made up my mind. Instead of wasting my time in a haze, I might as well do something beneficial for the village. Let me take over the Finance Department. Don't worry—I won't use public funds to gamble."

Crash!

The Third Hokage had just reached for his tea when his hand slipped, causing the cup to shatter on the floor, tea spilling everywhere. Some of it even splashed onto Tsunade's pants.

"The Finance Department? Absolutely not!" The Third Hokage jumped to his feet, completely taken aback. The Finance Department was one of the most critical parts of the village and something he had personally controlled for years.

Even Koharu and Homura had eyed that position for a long time, and yet he had never relented. Controlling the village's finances was something he'd always kept close to himself.

"Sensei, is it because you think I have a gambling problem that you don't want to hand over the Finance Department to me?" Tsunade's smile faded.

"Or is it because the Senju Clan is gone, and my grandmother isn't here anymore, that you think I shouldn't hold any power within the village?"

"No, that's not what I mean," the Third Hokage quickly tried to explain. "Tsunade, the Finance Department and the Anbu are two of the most crucial areas in the village, directly overseen by the Hokage. It's not something that can be delegated. I hope you understand."

"Then how did the Sarutobi Clan and the Shimura Clan get their development funds? And..." Tsunade didn't even get to finish before the Third Hokage interrupted her, his voice rising as he tried to convince her.

"Tsunade, I understand where you're coming from, but you have to understand me too. The Finance Department and Anbu really aren't negotiable. It's not just about development."

There was probably no one else in Konoha who could get away with saying such things out loud. Orochimaru and Jiraiya knew the truth but pretended not to. If these matters ever became public, the entire village would be thrown into chaos.

Using funds meant for training civilian ninjas to instead raise clan members? What a brilliant move. Only someone in the Hokage's position could pull off something like that.

"So, is it that it's not possible? Or is it that you're unwilling to let it go?" Tsunade pressed further.

The Third Hokage felt his head pounding. What had gotten into Tsunade? She had never cared about power before, but now she was suddenly after the Finance Department? That couldn't happen. If she took control, certain things wouldn't stay hidden for long.

"It's not possible," the Third Hokage replied, putting on a serious face. "Tsunade, any other department is negotiable, but the Finance Department and Anbu are off-limits. It doesn't matter if you're my student or the granddaughter of the First Hokage—it's not happening."

"Fine. Then how about the Logistics Department? That's fair, right?"

Tsunade wasn't going to give up so easily. If the Finance Department was off-limits, surely the Logistics Department was a reasonable request.

"Uh..."

The Third Hokage hesitated. He almost nodded before catching himself. The Logistics and Medical Departments were Koharu and Homura's strongholds. If Tsunade took over Logistics, they would both be furious.

Wait, no. Make that three people—Danzo, too.

"Tsunade, I don't understand why you're suddenly so interested in these matters, but I think you're rushing things. How about this: I'll place you in charge of the Medical Department for a while to help you get acclimated. What do you think?"

He needed to restore Koharu and Homura's power soon, or things could get messy if Tsunade started causing trouble. Danzo could wait a bit longer—he needed more time to cool off.

With Koharu and Homura out of the picture for now, the Third Hokage had no good reason to reject Tsunade's request entirely. Otherwise, dragging up the past would only reflect poorly on him.

"Fine, Sensei. You're so thoughtful. I'll stay in the Medical Department and just be a regular doctor, then."

Something about the way she said it felt off. The Third Hokage couldn't shake the feeling that Tsunade was plotting something.

Am I just overthinking things?

"Oh, by the way," Tsunade added, as if something had just occurred to her. "Sensei, I'm a bit short on money right now. Could you calculate how much merit and contribution I've earned, and exchange it all for cash? I'm practically broke these days."

"Cough, cough!!"

"All of it? Into cash?" The Third Hokage's eyes widened, his voice rising several notches.