As the saying goes, "Guard against petty men, not honorable ones." And Danzo was the very definition of a petty man.
"Alright, I'll go with you, Sis," Ranmo said decisively. As long as he could survive, becoming a wandering ninja or a rogue one was fine. Anything was better than falling into the hands of Orochimaru or Danzo.
"Great! It's a deal!" Tsunade beamed and dashed out of the room, elated.
Moments later, she came rushing back in, scooped up Ranmo—still wrapped in a towel—and headed straight out the door.
In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the towel-wrapped Ranmo with a slight frown.
"You really want to go with Tsunade? I need a clear answer from you."
"I do," Ranmo replied without hesitation.
The Third Hokage looked at him with reluctance in his eyes. This boy had great potential. Letting him leave now felt like a waste. There weren't many kids his age who could already mold chakra.
"Tsunade, I'll allow him to go with you for now, but when the academy term starts next year, you must bring him back to enroll—understood? And don't forget your own duties."
Hiruzen trusted Tsunade's capabilities and believed that even with a child in tow, she wouldn't abandon her responsibilities.
After refusing Danzo's request to take the child, Hiruzen had spent time reconsidering. If Ranmo were truly just an ordinary child, there was no way Orochimaru and Danzo would be so desperate to get their hands on him. Clearly, he had some extraordinary talent.
But whatever the truth was, letting him leave the village for now was probably the best option. Hiruzen also trusted that Tsunade would bring the boy back eventually, and when that time came, they could reassess the situation.
Right now, less than three days after the Fourth Hokage's death, the village was already in turmoil. The girl with the Crystal Style was still missing, Orochimaru had defected, and other ninja villages posed growing threats. Hiruzen was exhausted in every sense. Allowing Ranmo to lay low for now was probably the wisest choice.
So he agreed to Tsunade's request. She was so thrilled, she practically leapt into the air. That very night, fearing Danzo might try to snatch the boy in secret, she hastily packed and left Konoha with Shizune and Ranmo in tow.
Ranmo, on the other hand, had little choice. He hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye to people like Yugao Uzuki. Just like that, he was gone.
After leaving the village, Tsunade led Shizune and Ranmo north toward the Land of Iron. They planned to pass through it en route to a port town called Mystic Harbor. Rumors said ANBU from the Hidden Cloud Village had been spotted there recently. Their mission was to investigate who exactly these operatives were meeting with.
But there was no rush. Along the way, they traveled at a relaxed pace—sometimes gathering intel on the Hidden Cloud, sometimes just making steady progress northeast. During the day, they journeyed on foot, and whenever they reached a town in the evening, Tsunade would feel the familiar itch... and drag Ranmo off to the nearest gambling den.
Fortunately, she still remembered that kids needed rest. Every time she won enough money, she'd take him back for the night.
It was during those stolen moments that Ranmo continued his training. Over time, he made great progress. Thanks to his Mirror System, he had already mastered the techniques of Minato Namikaze, Obito Uchiha, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, as well as the Kekkei Genkai jutsu of Guren's Crystal Style that he had later copied.
During the day, he also kept up his physical training. And ever since his clone of the Nine-Tails had reached 2% synchronization, his chakra levels had begun to increase by leaps and bounds.
Tsunade and Shizune treated him well. Though this version of Tsunade still had a gambling problem, she hadn't yet gained her legendary fame—and she never let her hobbies interfere with serious matters.
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