Even if Tsunade had once been reluctant to take up the position of Hokage, now that she held the title of Fifth Hokage, she would not tolerate anyone stirring up trouble in the shadows.
Those Root operatives who disobeyed her orders—if they died, they died.
Tsunade was compassionate, but not weak. She was one of the Legendary Sannin.
On the battlefield, her hands were stained with blood just like Jiraiya's and Orochimaru's.
"Princess Tsunade, is this how you conduct yourself?" Danzo said with a cold glint in his eye.
"You shouldn't be interfering in Konoha's internal affairs," she replied, expression unflinching. "If I recall correctly, Root was officially disbanded by the Third Hokage. Who gave you the authority to re-establish it?"
"We did."
Two elderly figures entered the room—Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, former teammates of Hiruzen Sarutobi and current village elders.
Tsunade's expression darkened. "You two? So the current Konoha Advisors are dissatisfied with me and want to undermine the Hokage's authority?"
Homura stepped forward. "No, Tsunade. We supported your appointment as Hokage. However, your compassion makes it difficult for you to make... necessary decisions. Danzo's reactivation of Root is not about rebellion. It's about safeguarding the village through means you won't use."
Tsunade's gaze sharpened, but before she could speak, a voice cut in.
"Oh my, elders, I won't meddle in your internal Konoha politics. I'd rather avoid getting silenced afterward," Kimimaro said lightly, standing up with a faint smile.
"You're not leaving." Danzo's voice turned cold. "What just happened won't be brushed aside so easily."
Kimimaro's gaze turned sharp as a blade. "And what do you want to do, Danzo Shimura? I've heard of you. You sent assassins after me; I killed them. For the sake of my former teachers—Jiraiya and Orochimaru—and out of respect for the Hokage-sama, I've let it go. But if you try anything again… I won't hesitate to kill you."
Danzo felt a flicker of dread in his chest. This killing intent… ridiculous. Why am I—
He composed himself. "The Sannin truly do protect their own. Since you mentioned them, Kimimaro, why not serve Konoha officially?"
Kimimaro nearly laughed aloud. What a shameless pivot.
He had invoked Jiraiya and Orochimaru just to avoid unnecessary escalation. Everyone knew Orochimaru was no longer part of Konoha—he was branded a traitor and a wanted criminal. Jiraiya roamed freely and certainly didn't support Danzo's methods. The idea of serving Danzo was absurd.
Kimimaro didn't deny that Danzo acted for Konoha's sake—his methods were brutal, but they weren't born of treason. Still, the man's personality was too detestable. Had the Hyuga Clan not been in the village, Kimimaro would have killed Danzo outright for threatening Hanabi.
But Tsunade had already declared the ambush resolved. Konoha had lost five ninja, and Kimimaro had not been injured. Pursuing the matter now would only reignite hostility, and the political cost would be high.
Hyuga Hiashi could voice threats toward Danzo freely. That was Konoha's internal politics.
But Kimimaro? If he killed Danzo, even Tsunade might not shield him.
And he couldn't let the Hyuga Clan suffer for his sake—Hanabi would be angry. Hinata too.
Hinata? Why did he think of her?
Kimimaro ignored Danzo and turned to Tsunade. "Aunt Tsunade, I'll be leaving now."
A vein pulsed on Tsunade's forehead. Aunt?! Didn't he just call me Big Sister earlier?
Then she caught his teasing grin and understood—he was playing off the "Three Sannin" dynamic.
"…Fine. As Orochimaru's and Jiraiya's student, you could be considered a nephew. You're not an outsider to Konoha," Tsunade said. "It was all a misunderstanding. Go ahead, Kimimaro. Tell Ino and Hanabi there's no need to worry. You're free to enjoy yourself in the village. Sakura, you know him—go along with them. You young people should spend time together."
"Okay, Master," Sakura replied with a nod.
Once the younger ones had left, Tsunade's gaze cooled, falling squarely on Danzo and the elders.
"Now tell me—why did you attack Kimimaro?" she asked, though she already had a strong suspicion.
"He stole Konoha's Wood Release and controls a small nation. That alone makes him a potential threat," Danzo said coolly, showing no intention of backing down.
"The Land of Vegetables is far from the Land of Fire," Tsunade countered sharply. "Even if Kimimaro has ambitions, geographically speaking, we're separated by both the Land of Wind and the Land of Earth. He poses no immediate danger. Tell me the truth, Danzo—you just want his Wood Release, don't you? Don't think I've forgotten about the experiments you and Orochimaru conducted using Hashirama's cells on children."
Danzo didn't deny it. "Of course I want it. Wood Release is too valuable a power to be left in the hands of an outsider. It belongs to Konoha."
"Didn't Orochimaru keep some samples?"
"Orochimaru is still Konoha-born, but even he wouldn't give up something like that lightly."
Tsunade frowned. "Then explain how Kimimaro awakened Wood Release. Besides Orochimaru, no one else could've engineered such a transplant. Yamato did track Kimimaro once and was knocked unconscious without sustaining any real injuries. I looked into it."
In truth, Tsunade had long suspected that Kimimaro's Wood Release might've come from Yamato—Tenzo, the sole known survivor of the original Hashirama cell experiment. But there were no signs of DNA theft, no missing tissue samples, and no disruption to Yamato's chakra.
She never imagined Kimimaro had extracted it using only a drop of blood—fast, precise, and undetectable.
"Enough," Homura Mitokado interjected, cutting off the rising tension. "This discussion ends here. Tsunade, you may continue diplomatic relations with Kimimaro if you wish, but remain cautious. I recommend covertly monitoring the Land of Vegetables."
"Danzo," Utatane Koharu added, "stop treating Kimimaro as an immediate threat and turn your attention to more pressing concerns."
She then turned to Hiashi Hyuga, who had been silent until now. "As for the Hyuga Clan—Hiashi, since you've allowed Hanabi to associate with Kimimaro, perhaps you can use that relationship to keep diplomatic channels open. Hanabi's involvement in that earlier incident was clearly due to Danzo's Root operatives. Hokage-sama, I propose granting the Hyuga Clan additional advisory representation as compensation."
Tsunade nodded slowly. "Approved."
The proposal had a dual purpose—mending the damage caused by Root's aggression and strengthening political ties with the Hyuga Clan. In Konoha, the Advisory Council held real sway, and while most advisors didn't oppose the Hokage directly, Homura and Koharu had always operated on a different level. Even after Hiruzen's death, they still held disproportionate influence.
Danzo, as usual, walked away unpunished. The deaths of the Root members were written off without consequence. It was yet another reminder of how deeply entrenched he was within Konoha's old power structure.
Hiashi was far from satisfied. He resented Danzo but understood the political necessity of restraint. The Hyuga Clan had no intention of repeating the Uchiha's tragic mistake—they would not rebel. Konoha remained their strongest shield, despite its cracks.
Later that evening, Kimimaro strolled through Konoha with Hanabi, Ino, and Sakura. They stopped by Ichiraku Ramen for dinner, and at Hanabi's urging, Hinata joined them.
Hinata had spent most of the day deep in thought, but surrounded by familiar laughter and light teasing, she gradually let her guard down. A small smile bloomed on her lips as she watched her younger sister playfully cling to Kimimaro. Ino, usually so confident, blushed faintly when Kimimaro casually complimented her, and Hinata picked up on the subtle change.
Was Kimimaro really that charming? she wondered.
Sakura, meanwhile, seemed to maintain her usual sharp wit, though her occasional glances suggested she, too, was unsure how to define her feelings.
Hinata quietly observed them all. She never saw Sakura as a rival, not truly. Unlike their academy days where she had envied her confidence, now, Hinata only felt curiosity.
What was it about Kimimaro that stirred such complicated feelings in so many of them?
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