Chapter 44 : Tsunade's Disappointment!!

"My head is killing me," Tsunade grumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her cheeks were unusually flushed, and her voice had a slur.

"I suggest you drink less, Tsunade-sama," Uchiha Sogetsu commented dryly, shooting her a sidelong glance.

The implanted memory trick was useful, but having Tsunade drinking for two days straight was excessive. It was a miracle they hadn't been found out already.

Hikari lowered her head, her hands fidgeting. She felt guilty but kept quiet. She was envious, but she'd never admit that to Uchiha Sogetsu.

"Kid, I can't walk anymore," Tsunade said abruptly, giving Uchiha Sogetsu a mischievous smile. Then, without waiting for a response, she flopped onto his back and pinched his cheek. 

"We're almost there, anyway. Just carry me the rest of the way, would you? Think of it as payment for my medical bills."

Ninjas don't wear much in terms of clothing, and Tsunade's well-known figure wasn't helping matters. The weight on his back was... substantial, to say the least. No wonder they called her "106."

"Speaking of bills, Tsunade-sama, you still owe me 500,000 ryo," Uchiha Sogetsu muttered, carrying her on his back and continuing down the path. He couldn't just leave her there.

Sometimes he wondered if the psychological suggestions he implanted into Tsunade's mind were messing with her common sense. 

Their doctor-patient relationship was more than a little awkward, and he wasn't sure if he was helping or making things worse.

"Ahhh, I'm so sleepy..." Tsunade mumbled, shifting her position to get comfortable on his back.

Crunch.

"Wait, what was that sound?" Uchiha Sogetsu looked around, puzzled, only to find Hikari glaring at him, her teeth clenched and her eyes ablaze with anger.

Ah, right. He'd almost forgotten about her.

There was another patient at the medical center with a more severe psychological problem.

Overall, the journey was manageable, and with Uchiha Sogetsu's careful supervision, nothing went wrong.

As they neared Konoha, Sogetsu woke Tsunade. He didn't want to risk any rumors about a small horse pulling a large cart or getting involved with a wealthy woman.

"Ah~ That felt so good!" Tsunade stretched and her ample chest swayed with the motion. "Thanks, kid."

"No need for thanks," Uchiha Sogetsu replied indifferently, rubbing his sore shoulders. "Just remember my 500,000 ryo."

"Ugh, that's disappointing. It's just 500,000, right?" Tsunade said, sticking out her lip in mock irritation. "When I get back, I'll make sure I win some money, and I'll give it back to you!"

"Really?" Uchiha Sogetsu thought to himself, smirking. "If she actually did that, half of Konoha would be dead."

He nodded superficially to Tsunade's response and said, "Ah, sure, sure. I'll be waiting."

As they continued talking, the gates of Konoha came into view.

Eager to be rid of Tsunade, Uchiha Sogetsu quickened his pace, wanting to hand off his mission report to the Hokage and get some rest.

But nothing in Konoha escaped the watchful eyes of Root.

As soon as Danzo learned that Uchiha Sogetsu and Tsunade had returned, he practically leapt from his seat, not bothering with the usual cane he liked to carry for show, and dashed toward the Hokage's office.

During that time, he could barely contain his grumbling thoughts.

Being a ninja was already a high-risk profession, but working in the ANBU? It was the most dangerous of all. Those ninjas were about to rebel when they found out they had been dismissed by all the top medical ninjas.

But the tricky part was, they couldn't afford to create a fuss.

The medical ninjas were all on edge. It wasn't just Tsunade's reputation causing this tension; even the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had given his silent consent for this pressure.

Danzo, the leader of the Root, was well aware of the power dynamics at play.

The growing influence of Root had begun to worry the Hokage. It was clear that Hiruzen felt threatened by Danzo's expanding power and control, which is why he subtly supported Tsunade's actions to curb him.

Danzo, having anticipated this, walked into the Hokage's office. He briefly glanced at Uchiha Sogetsu with a hint of disdain, then turned his attention to the Third Hokage. 

"Ahem, Tsunade, I'm here to—"

"Shut up," Tsunade snapped, cutting him off. She treated him as if he were invisible and continued talking to the Third Hokage. "Old man, I'd like you to meet my new disciple."

Danzo wasn't surprised by her cold dismissal. He had expected this sort of treatment and remained calm, waiting for his turn to speak.

A young girl stepped forward shyly, clutching her sleeves and partially hiding behind Tsunade. "Hello, my name is Hikari," she bsaid, showing just half her face. "You can call me Hikari."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Hehehe, it's amazing how quickly you've taken on a new disciple," he said, his tone light. 

"She seems like a good child, but Tsunade, you really shouldn't gamble so much anymore. You have a responsibility now. What if you lead Hikari into trouble?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay, old man. Stop lecturing me," she said, tapping her ear as if to block out his words. "If that's all you wanted, I'm heading out."

"Hold on," Hiruzen said, raising his hand to stop her. He glanced at Danzo, who stood nearby.

"Don't be in such a hurry. If you're going to cause this much trouble, you need to take responsibility for fixing it."

Danzo, sensing his opportunity slipping away, spoke quickly. 

"Hokage-sama, I should be going now." 

Uchiha Sogetsu, having completed his mission report, nodded knowingly as if he understood what was happening.

"Okay, you can go," Sarutobi Hiruzen replied, though he still took the opportunity to push his own aRootda and do some brainwashing. 

"I'll make sure Danzo explains himself about this. Don't worry, we're all from the same village. I won't let you down."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," replied Uchiha Sogetsu, who cast a cold glance at Danzo before leaving the office.

Danzo's expression remained stoic, but internally, he was seething. *You're just an Uchiha. Once this is over, I've got plenty of ways to get rid of you.* 

Stepping out of the Hokage's office, Uchiha Sogetsu, who saw through Danzo's intentions, smirked slightly. 

*Want to Kill me? Haha. I'd like to see you try. Just don't disappoint me.*

Back in the Hokage's office. 

Hikari was taken outside by Hokage's personal ANBU guards leaving only Sarutobi Hiruzen, Danzo and Tsunade.

Hiruzen tapped his tobacco pipe, refilled it, and took a deep drag. 

"We need to resolve this situation. If it continues, it won't be good for internal stability, and it's not just Konoha that would be affected. The other Ninja Villages are looking for any excuse to cause trouble. If things get out of hand, it won't be pretty."

Tsunade sat on the couch, her legs crossed, deliberately avoiding eye contact with Danzo.

With the actual responsible person remaining silent, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a headache coming on. 

He fixed his gaze on Danzo with a slightly intimidating stare. "This situation is because of you. How do you plan to fix it?"

Knowing he had to make some concessions, Danzo took a deep breath before responding in a low voice, "Hiruzen, I won't interfere with the Hokage election, and I'll give up some of the 'Root' members. Will that do?"

It wasn't a price that would affect him, but it was definitely a heavy cost.

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded in approval, then turned to Tsunade. "What's your take on this?"

"He intends to kill Uchiha Sogetsu," Tsunade replied coldly. "Are we just going to let this slide?"

Upon hearing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen's brow furrowed, and his gaze darkened slightly.

Anyone who knew Sarutobi Hiruzen could tell this was a very unsatisfactory response, but because of his position, he still said, "I will compensate the Uchiha clan for Uchiha Sogetsu's case, and I'll also warn Danzo not to act against them in the future. Will that be enough?"

"Is that all?" 

Tsunade was immediately furious at yet another superficial attempt to keep the peace. 

"Danzo colluded with outsiders to assassinate a Konoha Jonin, and you're just going to let him off without punishment?"

"Tsunade, I'm trying to consider the bigger picture. You have to understand my efforts!" 

Sarutobi Hiruzen, who was not used to being contradicted by his former student, felt his temper flare. 

"You have to be considerate of my position. Danzo has made significant contributions to Konoha, and the ninja world is far from peaceful. We need Root's strength. If we move against Danzo rashly, we will only weaken ourselves!"

"The bigger picture! The bigger picture!" 

Tsunade snapped, standing up from the table in anger and glaring at her former mentor with bitter disappointment. "You keep talking about the bigger picture, but what about the White Fang?" 

Those two words pierced Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart like a steel needle. His expression turned dark, and he slammed his hand on the table. 

"Enough! Tsunade!" he shouted, his voice cold as ice. "This matter is settled!"

Tsunade saw the hard look in her teacher's eyes and felt the last flicker of hope within her begin to fade. The face she once knew so well now felt like that of a stranger.

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