Confrontation

"Sister!" exclaimed Nawaki, with a nervous laugh while scratching the back of his neck.

His attempt to hide had failed miserably.

Tsunade frowned. "Don't call me sister here."

"Princess Tsunade!" The voice of Tian, a jōnin from the Senju clan, resonated with respect.

He was the only elite member of the clan present.

Tsunade turned to him, her eyes burning with fury. "Why the hell didn't you notify me before coming to the battlefield? Do you think I'm just a decorative figure?!"

Tian lowered his gaze with regret. "We wanted to inform you, Princess, but everything happened so quickly... Time wasn't on our side."

Taking a deep breath, Tsunade struggled to maintain her composure. "I understand that Konoha is in danger and that we, the Senju, must contribute. But how could you bring genin to the battlefield? Have you forgotten how ruthless war can be?"

Her voice trembled with rage and helplessness. She, who had seen firsthand the horrors of war, knew that even the strength of the Senju clan paled in comparison to the brutal reality of combat.

"I..." Tian raised his eyes, reflecting pain. "Princess, I too have lived through war. I know its cruelty better than anyone. But... these are direct orders from the Hokage. What other choice did we have?"

No one wanted to risk the lives of the clan's youngest members, not after the devastating losses they had suffered in previous wars.

Upon hearing this, Tsunade's expression darkened. "I'm going to talk to the old man. This cannot continue."

The fact that even the Senju clan's genin had been sent into battle chilled her blood. Was the old man seeking the annihilation of their entire clan?

....

At the front of the troops, Hiruzen was surrounded by several officers, discussing strategies. Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through their discussion, laden with barely contained fury.

"Old maaaan!" Tsunade's voice echoed throughout the camp, causing several heads to turn.

Hiruzen closed his eyes for a moment, preparing for the inevitable. When he opened them, Tsunade was already in front of him, her eyes blazing with anger.

"I need an explanation," she demanded in a low but intense voice. "Why is my entire Senju clan here? Are you using us as cannon fodder?"

Aware of the curious glances around them, Hiruzen tried to appease her: "Tsunade, please. This is neither the time nor the place. I promise we'll talk about this later, but now we must focus on the battle ahead."

Tsunade let out a bitter laugh. "Do you take me for a fool? Do you think I don't know what's going on?"

"Tsunade," Jiraiya, who had been observing from the side, intervened cautiously: "Be reasonable. The old man must have his reasons. Everything he does is for the good of Konoha. Why don't you talk in private? There are too many ears here."

Tsunade turned to him, her eyes shooting daggers: "This doesn't concern you, Jiraiya. Stay out of it."

Before the situation could escalate further, Danzo stepped forward, "Tsunade, in times of crisis, shouldn't the Senju clan, as founders of Konoha, set an example? You seem more concerned about your clan than the village. That's... disappointing."

Tsunade's face hardened even more. She turned to Hiruzen, "Is that your opinion too, Hokage-sama?"

The use of the formal title didn't go unnoticed by Hiruzen, who remained silent, unable to find the right words.

Interpreting his silence, Tsunade continued: "Do you remember the promise you made to Grandmother Mito? To take care of the Senju clan? Is this how you keep your word?"

Each of her words was like a hammer, Hiruzen tried once more: "Tsunade, please understand. The situation is complicated. I promise you that..."

"You promise?" she interrupted. "Will the Senju clan even exist by the time you decide to explain yourself?"

Unable to stay on the sidelines, Jiraiya tried to intervene again: "Tsunade, come on, be reasonable. The old man..."

"SHUT UP, JIRAIYA!" Tsunade exploded. "You have no idea what's going on here. Don't meddle in what you don't understand!"

Orochimaru, who had remained silent until that moment, put a hand on Jiraiya's shoulder, stopping any attempt at a reply. His eyes observed the scene with interest.

"If you want the Senju clan to contribute so badly, fine. But let's do it sensibly. Let the Genin and Nawaki return, and the rest of the clan will stay. It's a fair compromise."

"Absolutely not. That's unacceptable." Danzo intervened abruptly, barely finishing speaking.

Tsunade turned slowly towards him, with an icy voice, "And who do you think you are to have an opinion on this?"

"...Hiruzen, is this how you've educated your disciple? Allowing her to disrespect a Hokage's advisor?" Visibly offended, Danzo addressed Hiruzen:

Before Hiruzen could respond, a young and clear voice sounded

"No wonder in stories it's always the ugly ones who cause problems."

All heads turned to see who had dared to speak.

Chen was there, with a defiant smile on his face.

"You..." Danzo's face was reddening with anger, "Who do you think you are, brat? How dare you insult me?"

Hearing Danzō's words, Chen's smile widened, "Well. Looks like someone's taking it personally. I didn't mention any names, you know?"

The ninjas around struggled to contain their laughter.

"What are you waiting for? Arrest him!"

But before anyone could move, Tsunade stepped forward, her chakra suddenly exploding, "No one dares to touch him."

Hiruzen, seeing that the situation was getting out of control, finally intervened "Enough, all of you!" Grabbing Danzo by the arm, forcing him to step back.

"Don't you realize the situation? The enemy is at the gates and here we are, fighting among ourselves like children. This ends now."

"No! This isn't over. I want my explanation, and I want it now."

Chen, seeing that the situation wasn't going to be resolved, gently took Tsunade's arm.

"Tsunade, it's enough. It's clear we won't get answers here. Apparently they just want you to die... Let's just leave."

Hiruzen's expression darkened upon hearing these words.

Danzo, seizing the moment, approached Hiruzen "You see, Hiruzen? This impulsive and extremist youth. People like this shouldn't have a place in Konoha."

Chen, who was already walking away with Tsunade, stopped and turned slowly. His eyes, for an instant, shone with an unusual intensity as he looked directly at Danzo.

"Speaking of extremism, Danzo-san, I think no one can compete with you in that aspect."

With those words, Chen and Tsunade walked away, leaving behind a tense silence.

Hiruzen, exhaling heavily, ordered, "Everyone to your posts. Stay alert for possible enemy attacks."

However, upon turning to Danzo, he noticed something strange. His friend seemed absent, his gaze lost in the void.

"Danzo, what's wrong with you?"

Orochimaru, who had been observing in silence, intervened with a soft voice, "Sensei, it seems he's under a genjutsu."

"What?" Hiruzen, alarmed, immediately channeled chakra towards Danzo, trying to disrupt the flow, but without success.

Orochimaru's eyes shone with curiosity. "You could try with painful stimulation. Sometimes that breaks the strongest illusions."

After a moment of doubt, Hiruzen pulled out a kunai and stabbed it into Danzo's arm. To his horror, there was no reaction at all.

He urgently looked at Orochimaru, seeking answers.

"Don't look at me like that, sensei," he said, shrugging. "Everything I know I learned from you. Disrupting chakra flow, painful stimulation... nothing works. This is, without a doubt, the most powerful genjutsu I've seen. I'm... fascinated."

Meanwhile, Hiruzen's mind worked to figure out who it was. "Who could have done this? Him?"

His thoughts inevitably turned to Chen. The young man had looked directly at Danzo just before this happened.

Although it was hard to believe, that boy Chen was emerging as the main suspect.

________

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