Lover and a Rotten Konoha

Morning, Uchiha Residence No. 2, Bedroom.

Even though he hadn't gotten much rest last night, Fuma was still full of energy, maintaining his early morning routine.

Just as he was about to get out of bed to make breakfast, a crystal-clear foot with red nail polish hooked around his waist.

"Don't rush," Tsunade murmured in a soft, cat-like voice, a stark contrast to her usual demeanor.

Fuma chuckled, turning to embrace Tsunade's waist, and they lay there together, quietly enjoying the serene morning.

Yesterday, when Fuma returned home, he found the living room lights on. Initially, he thought Minato and Kushina might be studying there, but upon entering, he saw Tsunade sitting idly, sipping on some sake.

While he had been away, Tsunade had silently moved her belongings into his home.

It's worth noting that Nawaki was obediently staying at the Senju residence, ordered by Tsunade to focus on his studies.

In some sense, this was a twist of fate.

Tsunade didn't lose Nawaki, but Nawaki seemed to have "lost" his sister prematurely.

Having not seen each other for nearly a month, Fuma and Tsunade spent the night awake, exchanging their longing for each other.

"This trip to the Land of Rain, was it dangerous?" Tsunade asked, gently stroking Fuma's firm chest, her voice soft and concerned.

Fuma smiled slightly, and with a wave of his hand, he drew out a paper bomb from the bookshelf using his chakra.

Tsunade rolled her eyes playfully at him, wondering why he had to make such a big display just to fetch something.

"This paper bomb was intercepted from a Rain Ninja spy we captured in the village, and I haven't reported it to the Hokage yet."

"But this encounter with Hanzo made me more familiar with poisons, and this paper bomb seems to be infused with the deadly poison of the Salamander."

The chakra hand carefully pinched the paper bomb and waved it in front of Tsunade before putting it back in its place.

"I'll leave this to you; it might help you develop a way to counteract the Salamander's poison."

"After all, if Hanzo invades, the village's plan is to have your Sarutobi Squad face him."

Tsunade nodded. For a medical ninja like her, cracking toxins wasn't difficult, given an advance sample. The real challenge was creating a super-effective antidote that could be used on the battlefield.

After all, the difference between a three-day cure and an instant battlefield antidote is immense.

Tsunade carefully examined Fuma's body, noticing not a single scratch. She asked in surprise:

"How strong is Hanzo exactly? Did you have any direct confrontations with him?"

Fuma looked at Tsunade, choosing his words carefully. Hanzo was a ninja completely countered by his abilities, but that didn't mean he wasn't formidable.

On the contrary, for most people in the ninja world, Hanzo could achieve a "face-to-face kill."

Fuma gazed into Tsunade's eyes and said seriously:

"My abilities are something you're already familiar with. Honestly, my strength and speed are unmatched, even by the standards of the ninja world."

"My experiences aren't really applicable to others."

Tsunade nodded gently, blushing slightly as she seemed to recall something, her ears turning red.

Fuma chuckled, not teasing her further, and continued:

"Hanzo's Body Flicker Technique is as fast as my Blood Thunder Armor when it's inactive, which is enough to overwhelm many."

"His swordsmanship is extremely precise, with angles more precise and speedier than a samurai's Iaido."

"And his strongest attack is his Salamander, which, combined with his Water Release, can cover an entire battlefield."

"Our ninja would lose all fighting ability under such conditions, particularly those below Jonin level."

Tsunade's expression grew more serious. This kind of opponent was a nightmare for large-scale battles.

Fuma patted her cheek, teasing, "Now do you see how strong I am?"

Blushing, Tsunade picked up a pillow and playfully smacked Fuma with it, and they ended up having a childish pillow fight.

.......

Hokage Building

The "Konoha F4" was fully assembled, listening to Fuma's report about his encounter with Hanzo.

The head of the Nara Clan, Nara Shikaku, was sitting to the side, jotting down notes continuously.

"That's the gist of the battle," Fuma concluded his report on the fight with Hanzo, knowing that this valuable information had to be promptly relayed to them.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat in contemplation, examining the analysis of Hanzo's abilities prepared by Shikaku, his brows furrowed in thought.

Koharu Utatane squinted her eyes, finding a sharp angle to interject.

"So, you're saying that your confrontation with Hanzo could have been avoided. This exposure of your capabilities..."

"If you had retreated, the situation of us, the Leaf, Rain, and Sand Ninjas entering a three-way conflict could have been maintained."

"Now we must consider whether we'll face a pincer attack from both Rain and Sand."

One has to admit, Koharu's perspective was quite thorough, intricately analyzing the shift in the battle situation, demonstrating a certain strategic foresight.

Yet, she had still managed to find a flaw to pick on, beginning to criticize.

Fuma glanced at the Third Hokage, Hiruzen, his eyes conveying the message that such old-timers should just stay out of the way.

Homura Mitokado chimed in, "Our mission didn't require you to engage with Hanzo. With your abilities, you could have avoided that confrontation entirely."

Danzo grunted in dissatisfaction. In his mind, while the Uchiha was also a target of his scrutiny, he held no respect for his two old classmates.

Fuma looked at the so-called advisors of Konoha and replied indifferently:

"Then feel free to demote me back to Chunin; I'm perfectly willing to relinquish my command in this war."

Standing up, Fuma said flippantly, "Lord Hokage, my encounter with Hanzo left me in poor condition. I request to be removed from active combat duty to recover at home."

The Third Hokage finally spoke up, slamming the table with authority as he said:

"Enough, Koharu, Homura! Stop with these meaningless matters! Fuma volunteered to cover for the Anbu. This is the essence of the Will of Fire!"

"I propose a reward of five million ryo and one commendation for Uchiha Fuma's critical intelligence!"

Fuma shrugged, offering a nod of gratitude to Hiruzen before striding out the door.

As the Third Hokage resumed puffing on his pipe, immersed in clouds of smoke, he continued to study the intelligence on Hanzo.

Koharu protested, "Hiruzen, with such a figure emerging from the Uchiha, we need to test his loyalty to the village. You should cooperate with us!"

Danzo couldn't hold back any longer, and with a huff, he left the room. He had many issues he wanted to discuss privately with Fuma regarding this operation.

Watching Danzo's departing figure, the Third Hokage sighed, saying, "Focus on the impending war. Do not create unnecessary trouble."

Thus, the onset of war helped Fuma avoid the fallout of a "White Fang" incident.

According to their narrative, Fuma should abandon the Anbu, conceal his abilities, and fully comply with the Hokage's orders.

But that wasn't necessarily the case.

They could accuse you of disregarding tasks, lacking big-picture awareness, or abandoning Anbu, claiming you lack a sense of camaraderie or are cold toward the village.

In this Konoha, which was beginning to show signs of decay, strength and will were necessary to avoid the shadows of betrayal.

Fuma turned to look back at the Hokage building and smiled.

How long can Konoha maintain the status quo?

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