"Even if you've been away from Konoha for years, you must know that Orochimaru defected from the village over a decade ago, right?"
She knew.
Orochimaru's involvement in forbidden human experimentation had shaken not just Konoha, but the entire Land of Fire. It was impossible for Tsunade, a former Sannin and member of the founding Senju clan, to not have heard about it.
Even now, after returning to the village, she'd been visited by someone—
The only surviving shinobi known to carry her grandfather's Wood Release inheritance.
That young boy from years ago had now become a man—Konoha's current Anbu Commander.
He had personally come to meet her not long ago.
So it was true—Shimura Danzo had transplanted the cells of her grandfather, the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
If he used them to suppress rejection from transplanted Sharingan... then that meant—
"Even after Orochimaru defected, the village never truly stopped its experiments on Hashirama's cells."
Tian Yu spoke words Tsunade dared not voice herself.
"Wh—What did you say...?"
Tsunade's face instantly turned pale.
She clutched Tian Yu's arm tightly, panic overtaking her.
"Then we must tell Sensei—Sarutobi-sensei—immediately! There's no way he would condone this! He won't let Danzo get away with such monstrous acts!"
But Tian Yu only sighed and shook his head.
"Tsunade... you're still too naive. Do you really think the Third Hokage doesn't know what Danzo's doing?"
"You... what?"
Tsunade looked thunderstruck, her face drained of color.
But Tian Yu wasn't surprised.
"Even though I fought Danzo tonight, I don't need to prove he was behind everything. It was never necessary."
"You don't actually think Hiruzen Sarutobi believed Shimura Jōkawa was the real mastermind, do you?"
"You mean..." Tsunade's voice faltered.
"Of course the Third knows Danzo orchestrated all of it. Every member of Root was raised by Danzo in secret. Officially, Root was disbanded long ago... but in reality, it has always existed, lurking in the shadows, serving Danzo alone."
"Hiruzen just didn't want to lay the blame on Danzo outright."
"Then... Shimura Jōkawa really was just a scapegoat?"
"That's right."
Tian Yu nodded.
"Punishing Jōkawa was just a symbolic gesture—Hiruzen's way of expressing disapproval of Danzo's actions without truly punishing him. He'll never go so far as to hold Danzo accountable, no matter the crimes."
"Why... Why?! I don't get it!"
Tsunade clenched her fists. Tian Yu's words were like hammer blows, each one heavier than the last.
"If Sarutobi-sensei knows Danzo is in the wrong... why would he keep protecting him? Why let him continue poisoning the village from within?!"
"Because Hiruzen Sarutobi is a man of hesitation. Danzo isn't just a comrade from the war—he's his longest-serving right-hand man. Even if he knows the truth, he won't act decisively."
That was Tian Yu's verdict.
In his eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi, despite being the longest-serving Hokage, was the most ineffective one.
He failed to understand the true meaning of the Will of Fire—Hashirama's vision of peace.
"Where the leaves dance, fire burns. The fire's shadow will illuminate the village, and allow new leaves to grow."
The First and Second Hokage lived and died for that dream.
But Sarutobi? He talked of peace—yet lacked the courage to act.
When Tsunade proposed integrating medical ninjutsu into shinobi squads, he didn't support her vision. Her younger brother Nawaki might have lived if he had.
When Orochimaru's horrific research was discovered, Sarutobi hesitated—despite even Enma urging him to kill Orochimaru. He let him escape.
When the Nine-Tails attacked, it was the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, who sacrificed himself—when perhaps Hiruzen should have stood in his place.
When Kumogakure kidnapped Hinata, it was Hizashi Hyuga who died for the village, not the real criminal.
One by one, tragedies unfolded—Uchiha massacre, Hyuga sacrifices, Sannin leaving the village...
And all of them, though not caused directly by Hiruzen, were born from his passivity.
Even now, with Danzo clearly orchestrating atrocities, he chose to close the matter with a scapegoat.
"Damn it!"
Tsunade slammed her fist on the table, her chest heaving.
"I should go to Danzo's house right now and beat that old bastard into the ground!"
Then she paused, narrowing her eyes at Tian Yu.
"Wait. Tonight—you disappeared early. What exactly happened between you and Danzo?"
Tian Yu answered calmly.
"He brought Root operatives toward my house. I intercepted them halfway."
Tsunade's eyes widened.
"So... the bodies on Northwest Street—was that you? Don't tell me you killed Shimura Yōkawa too?"
"I don't know." Tian Yu shrugged. "If he was among them, he's dead now. Aside from Danzo, who used Izanagi to escape me, no one else survived."
Gulp.
Tsunade swallowed hard and gave him a shaky thumbs up.
"I... I had no idea you were this ruthless."
Danzo had messed with the wrong person.
To Tsunade, Tian Yu was now the most dangerous man in the village—scarier than even Sarutobi-sensei.
"But Jōkawa's locked up now. If he finds out you killed his son, he won't take it lying down," Tsunade added. "As for Danzo... I'll give him a beating myself later."
"No need. I already got my revenge." Tian Yu said, his tone light.
"You... What did you do?"
Tsunade suddenly felt nervous. She picked up her water glass and took a sip to steady herself. She had a bad feeling.
"I burned the Shimura compound."
Pfffftt!
Water sprayed from her mouth.
She leapt up, bounded to the rooftop, and stared toward the Shimura clan estate—
Sure enough, an inferno was raging, its glow visible even across the city.
She'd been too busy escorting Jōkawa to the holding cells and rushing to Tian Yu's house to notice.
Now she turned back slowly—
And stared at Tian Yu like he was a monster.
She had finally realized the truth:
In this village, you might survive crossing anyone...
But never cross Tian Yu.
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