Chapter 18 : Tsunade and Sogetsu!!

After Uchiha Sogetsu left the Hokage's office, another figure entered, his wooden cane thumping against the floor with every step.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

The Third Hokage, without looking up from his documents, continued his work, his voice laced with irritation. "Danzo, what do you want? If this is about the Uchiha clan, I've already given my answer."

Danzo's expression was as dark as his voice was hoarse. "Hiruzen, you're too complacent."

His voice betrayed his anger, and the Third Hokage could hear it. "What happened last night at the Uchiha compound isn't as simple as you think," Danzo added.

The Third Hokage paused, his pen hovering over the document he was working on. His eyes held a mix of annoyance and indifference. "So, what do you want?"

"Give me that Uchiha kid," Danzo said, his voice icy. "I'll get the truth out of him."

"No," the Third Hokage replied sharply, denying him without hesitation. "You'd be sowing chaos in Konoha, and I'm not going to let that happen. This isn't up for debate, Danzo!"

Danzo's anger flared. "Hiruzen, you're being naive! The Uchiha are a ticking time bomb, even our teacher knew that. It's your weakness that's emboldened them. There's something in that Uchiha kid's genjutsu, I'm sure of it!"

"This is my last warning, Danzo!" The Third Hokage's voice grew stern, and he stopped pretending to be civil. "Stay out of this. I have my own plans for Uchiha Sogetsu."

Danzo's teeth clenched, but he knew when he was beaten. His words dripped with spite as he spoke. "You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"

"I'm the Hokage, Danzo!"

The Third Hokage's words were final, and Danzo could only leave, his frustration palpable as he slammed the door behind him.

Meanwhile, at the Konoha gate, Uchiha Sogetsu stood waiting. He glanced around, looking for the person he was supposed to meet, but no one was there.

"Did they forget?" he wondered, scratching his head. Who in Konoha would dare to ignore an order from the Hokage?

As he puzzled over it, a shadow loomed behind him, and before he could react, a hand grabbed his head and shoved him face-first into a soft, plush surface.

"Hey, kid!" a voice called out.

Uchiha Sogetsu had no time to respond—he was too busy trying to extricate himself from the unexpected ambush.

Although the texture was soft to the touch, accompanied by a refreshing fragrance, the mature allure caused his heart to skip a beat.

But... he was on the verge of suffocation.

Uchiha Sogetsu struggled to break free from the 'waves', gasping for fresh air. "That was so close, I almost suffocated!"

"Hahahaha, you're so cute, kid. Let's go." A familiar female voice, tinged with playfulness.

"Tsunade-sama, please mind the impact next time, alright?" Uchiha Sogetsu remained composed, stepping back slightly to avoid another 'suffocation', and continued, "And you shouldn't address me by name. My current designation is Anbu, so you should use my code name."

Though the identity of Anbu was highly confidential, it wasn't surprising for someone like the Sannin, directly connected to the Hokage, to be aware of it.

"Sorry, my bad. I'm just so used to it." Tsunade patted her chest reassuringly, then chuckled, "I'll be more careful next time."

Despite being a woman, she was as magnanimous as any man; she could even be considered the most magnanimous person in the ninja world. 

Uchiha Sogetsu secretly admired her breats before steering the conversation, "Tsunade-sama, aren't you supposed to be at Konoha Hospital right now? What brings you here?"

"Hmm, any guesses?"

Tsunade's eyes glinted mischievously, her slender, jade-white fingers lightly brushing against her red lips as she tilted her head and smiled.

Impressive. Even Uchiha Sogetsu, a Beyonder of Spectator pathway, had to acknowledge that a woman exuding mature charm, with a voluptuous figure, and especially captivating movements, was incredibly tempting, pulsating with allure.

Suppressing his stirred thoughts, Uchiha Sogetsu spoke impassively, "Tsunade-sama, I'm on a mission."

"Tsk, such a boring kid." Tsunade rolled her eyes and sighed, "Alright, no more teasing. It was the old man's idea for me to come. Do you get it now?"

Uchiha Sogetsu was left speechless.

Had Sarutobi Hiruzen lost his brains, sending Tsunade to assist him on the mission?

Was this assistance, or was it like being tasked with babysitting?

Just the thought of dealing with Tsunade, who was even less reliable than Jiraiya and had a fear of blood, gave him a headache.

"What? You think you have a say in this?"

Tsunade glared at the young man with sudden anger, then playfully slapped him on the head. 

"I'm one of the Legendary Sannin! Do you have any idea how valuable a Sannin is? And I'm the strongest among them! You should be honored that I'm willing to help you with this mission, kid!"

The slap was light, but Uchiha Sogetsu winced slightly, feeling the sting. "Of course, it's a great honor, Tsunade-sama," he replied, emphasizing his words with a touch of sarcasm.

"Hmph, that's more like it." Tsunade crossed her arms, apparently not picking up on his tone, her face radiating satisfaction.

Uchiha Sogetsu felt a sense of resignation. If it were anyone else, he might have found a way to ditch them during the mission. But with Tsunade, things were different. 

If they ran into hostile ninjas, her haemophobia could leave her vulnerable. Now he not only had to complete the mission, but also make sure Tsunade stayed safe. Talk about an SS-level headache.

Tsunade's demeanor shifted back to seriousness, as if she guessed what he was thinking. "Don't think this is just about the Hokage assigning you to babysit me," she said, lowering her voice. "Most of the dangerous individuals mentioned in that scroll were sealed away by the Uchiha and Senju clans."

"Sealed away by the Uchiha and Senju?" Sogetsu was taken aback. He hadn't expected the scroll to contain such a major secret.

Tsunade grinned, then flicked Sogetsu's forehead. "Yeah, there are a few sealed individuals who hail from those clans too."

Sogetsu felt a rush of surprise at this revelation. What could it mean? Why hadn't anyone told him about this?

Tsunade pursed her lips, displaying her usual confidence. "Oh, and by the way, thanks to your treatment, my haemophobia has gotten a lot better."

"Really?" Sogetsu was genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, so don't worry about me," she said, patting her chest. "On this mission, I'll be the one protecting you!"

Meanwhile, in a remote cave, an elderly Madara Uchiha was barely clinging to life with the aid of machines. His breathing was faint, and his frail body was a far cry from the formidable super Kage-level ninja he once was. He was connected to various medical tubes, his vitality almost entirely drained.

Suddenly, Madara's eyes opened slightly, showing a hint of fatigue. "Black Zetsu, is that you?"

A shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, but it looked quite battered. Only half of its body remained. Its voice was a mix of relief and complaint. "Yes, Lord Madara, I'm back."

Madara observed the bedraggled Black Zetsu and remained silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "What happened to you?" he asked, his voice low and stern.

Didn't Madara send Black Zetsu to Konoha to find him a suitable heir?

It's such a straightforward task, and it doesn't even involve fighting. How could Black Zetsu mess this up?

"Madara-sama, here's what happened."

Black Zetsu recounted the entire story, embellishing a few details along the way.

"..."

After listening to the explanation, even the usually composed Uchiha Madara was at a loss for words.

It takes a special kind of talent to be this unlucky.

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