The standoff between nearly a hundred Konoha Ninja did not last long.
After the 'misunderstanding' between Lady Tsunade and Lord Third was resolved, everyone dispersed.
The severely injured were sent to Konoha Hospital, while some with minor injuries were taken by the interrogation department to inquire about the events of the night. The others began tracking and investigating Kakuzu's escape route.
Tsunade and Sarutobi Hiruzen, the master and disciple, went aside to talk.
Sawara Kiri watched the two from afar.
Although he had witnessed Lord Third's so-called indecisiveness in the original work, it wasn't until it directly affected him that he truly realized how unbearable the bias brought by such 'bonds' could be.
It hurts, it hurts so much.
The moment Sawara Kiri thought about the stormy humiliation and targeting he was about to face from Shimura Danzo, he felt like beautiful girls were crawling all over him.
Who could endure that?
He only hoped Tsunade could carve out a few more pounds of flesh from Lord Third.
At the edge of the street.
Tsunade and Sarutobi Hiruzen stood facing each other.
In the distance lay the vast ruins caused by Sawara Kiri's battle with Kakuzu.
Stones and rubble splattered a hundred meters away silently conveyed the intensity of the battle, and the air between them was thick with silence.
Tsunade crossed her arms, simply turning to look at the battlefield that had almost destroyed half a block. She said nothing, yet it was as if she had said everything.
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood still, slowly raising his head.
Only then did he suddenly realize that the little squirt who used to follow him around had grown into a mature adult.
When little Tsuna wore high heels, she was even half a head taller than him.
Time passed faster than he had imagined.
It was a pity that things had changed beyond recognition.
"..."
"Danzo cannot be killed."
"He has also contributed a lot to Konoha over the years."
After a long silence, Sarutobi Hiruzen finally spoke in a hoarse voice.
Tsunade spun her head sharply, her golden braid swirling in a wide arc.
These old men always had an extraordinary knack for annoying people with just one sentence.
But soon, she calmed down again.
Lord Third's words actually had a clear meaning: as long as Danzo's life was spared, she could put forward other demands first.
Just as they had anticipated from the beginning.
Everyone had their weaknesses.
The decades-long bond with Danzo was Sarutobi Hiruzen's biggest and most obvious weakness.
However, Tsunade couldn't help but scoff:
"Heh, contribution?"
"Could it be that those rogue Ninja, who only wanted to survive, had no contribution to the Village before?"
"Lord Third, it's not like you don't know what he's done."
"..."
"As compensation," Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed softly, like an old man nearing the end of his days, "from now on, the Root department will no longer exist."
"Danzo has lost an arm, so… he can't really do much anymore."
"..."
Silence for a moment.
Perhaps because over a month had passed, the pain of her lover's initial passing was no longer as sharp—this wasn't to say the memory was forgotten or that she had forgiven.
Rather, it had 'passed'.
So much so that the current Tsunade had more leeway to control her emotions and continue discussing future issues:
"Not enough."
"The right for civilian Ninja to form their own organizations requires a specialized agency to oversee it."
Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly looked up at her, his expression serious: "Little Tsuna, do you even realize that you are meddling with something very dangerous?"
Public opinion, public opinion, whose public opinion?
Before, it was the combined opinion of the Hokage lineage and the Ninja clans.
But Tsunade now wanted to broaden that scope.
Who would control it?
Who would be responsible?
In this world where one person's strength could rival a thousand troops, if one easily followed the so-called opinions of the populace as a guide, it could very well lead to the emergence of someone like Uchiha Madara of old.
How many civilian Genin could defeat one Hyuga Chunin?
How many civilian Chunin could defeat one Uchiha Jonin?
A rabble, even combined, not as strong as a single individual, who would be convinced by them?
Little Tsuna only saw the present moment; her vision was ultimately too short-sighted.
However, Tsunade merely turned to look into the distance, calmly stating:
"The war will not last much longer."
"Peace will eventually come."
Just as Lord Third laughed at her short-sightedness, Tsunade also laughed at his inflexibility.
When peacetime arrived, the transformation of Ninja would begin. Combat ability would no longer determine everything for a Ninja, and the Village's scope of external missions could greatly expand into all walks of life—just like her proposal to integrate medical Ninja into squads within the Village years ago.
However, if they waited until then to try and push for power demands among Ninja at the upper echelons, what kind of obstacles would they face?
If not for Kiri-kun's thorough analysis for her these past few days, Tsunade herself might not have anticipated so many problems.
Master and disciple, each with their own thoughts.
They quietly negotiated for nearly an hour before finally settling on a framework—a negotiation framework for dividing Root's jurisdiction.
By the time they parted, it was already late at night.
Even as she turned away, Tsunade's face remained deeply shadowed.
However, when she looked up, under the streetlamp, Sawara Kiri stood there, holding a bag of still-warm yakitori skewers bought from the next block in his left hand, and two bottles of her favorite brand of sake in his right, quietly waiting for her.
Seeing her turn her head, he gently waved.
A relaxed smile involuntarily spread across Tsunade's beautiful face:
"Eating grilled skewers at night, you actually know quite a bit!"
"You brat."
"Which do you choose, the yakitori stick or my stick?"
"Hey, that was the most popular love confession line back then! After the male lead, who was turned into a slave in the manga, said that, he immediately got intimate with the female lead!"
"Later, he even lived a happy harem life with many other girls."
"If it doesn't work, you can try another: 'Madam, would you be willing to share my bed tonight?'"
"Kiri-kun, trust me! It won't go wrong."
Sawara Kiri glanced sideways at the nonsense the System-sis had popped up on his panel.
I'd believe a ghost before I believed you.
How sick would he have to be to say something so crazy?
"Another glass!"
As Sawara Kiri was muttering to himself, a small sake cup suddenly reached out and bumped against his face.
Tsunade was half-slumped on the table, her face flushed with drunkenness, yet she turned her head to stare at him: "Hey, why aren't you drinking? Finish it quickly!"
Seemingly noticing the remaining juice in his cup, the certain older single woman puffed out her cheeks in displeasure, kicking him repeatedly under the table with her leg.
"Yes, yes."
Sawara Kiri first refilled her sake, then poured himself a glass of juice, which made her burst into a hearty laugh.
Perhaps it was the pressure from various operations during this period, or the exhilaration of finally avenging her deceased lover.
Tonight, Tsunade, uncharacteristically, got completely drunk.
At this moment, she was propped on the table with her elbows, her heavy mochi-like breasts entirely resting on the table to relieve pressure on her shoulders, her golden hair spread over her shoulders, wearing only a short-sleeved top that didn't even cover her navel and a stab-proof mesh, with her dark haori scattered on the floor behind her.
She held yakitori skewers in one hand and a sake cup in the other, seemingly enjoying her drink all by herself.
"It's finally over."
Tsunade, holding the sake cup between two fingers, drunkenly turned her head to look at the young man beside her: "Now, whether it's you or Dan… you should both be satisfied, right?"
The Senju family name, the identity of Konoha's princess, unique influence throughout the Village...
From the beginning, she knew that while she was using the young man beside her, she was also being used by him.
But, it didn't really matter.
Originally, she had no lingering attachments to this Village.
If not for the things Sawara Kiri had been doing these past few days, she might have already left the Village.
Sawara Kiri, however, did not answer, merely grabbing a grilled squid skewer and taking a bite.
It was a little cold.
"Hey!"
Tsunade yelled: "That was the one I saved to eat last."
"Are you satisfied, Lady Tsunade?" At that moment, Sawara Kiri suddenly asked.
"Shimura Danzo was sent to Konoha Hospital for treatment in Konoha Prison, and will probably be secretly released soon. Although Root has been disbanded, a similar department will likely reappear in the future, though its power might not be as great."
"What's happening in Konoha now might continue to happen in the future."
Sawara Kiri said this, then turned to look at the woman beside him: "Lady Tsunade, are you already satisfied with just this?"
Is that so.
But what does it matter?
Tsunade lowered her head, her fallen golden hair obscuring her gaze, thinking silently to herself.
After a long silence, she suddenly spoke:
"The Senju was once a large clan."
"Servants, butlers, main family members, various elders and stewards, strange traditions and rules… filled this now empty compound." Tsunade pointed outside, gesturing with her finger.
"This place was the Senju Clan's territory even before Konoha was founded."
"Now, it's all gone."
Sawara Kiri listened quietly, showing no intention of interjecting.
Under the influence of the strong alcohol, Tsunade seemed to be getting carried away, even her tongue was a bit stiff: "Since the First Great Ninja War began, not a single good thing has happened around me!"
"Grandma, Second Great-Uncle, father, mother, Nawaki, Dan…"
"My family all died on the battlefield, and my first boyfriend, whom I found when I was almost thirty, also died on the battlefield."
"I couldn't save anyone."
Tsunade said, grabbing Sawara Kiri's collar, her tongue thick: "You brat, do you know what that feels like?"
She held the sake cup, patting her chest with thuds, causing a sway:
"Such a big place…"
"Only I am left!"
"Damn it!"
"You tell me, I'm already like this, why do I still have to care about so many messy things? Can't this rotten Village just leave me alone?!"
"Huh?!"
However, Sawara Kiri did not answer, merely smiling quietly as he looked at her.
"What? Are you dissatisfied with an older single woman's complaints, huh?!" Tsunade squinted her eyes unhappily, clearly quite drunk.
Sawara Kiri first refilled the sake in her cup, then asked:
"Are you really the only one left?"
"Then, what have we been busy with for the past month or so?"
"Huh?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
Sawara Kiri's voice remained calm: "You got Clan Head Inuzuka Motoyasu out of prison, Mr. Inoue's shop received compensation because of your proposal, the Ninja tools from Uncle Haruno's blacksmith shop were returned… And many, many other people will benefit from what you plan to do in the future."
"Those were all your schemes…" Tsunade was frowning, about to say something, but her voice was cut off.
Sawara Kiri looked at her: "But, once it comes out of your mouth and is told to everyone, then it becomes 'our' plan."
At this point, a smile had already appeared on his face:
"Me, Lord Hatake, Lady Tsunade, and many, many other people you know and don't know."
"Now, we are all 'accomplices'."
"How can you be alone?"
Tsunade couldn't help but freeze, staring blankly at him.
Sawara Kiri's handsome face showed a mischievous, triumphant smile.
A bit of a bad smile.
It was as if she had only just realized she had accidentally boarded this brat's pirate ship.
So, all his preparations from that moment were for this very moment?
Somehow, Tsunade, slumped on the table, suddenly felt she was quite drunk, the alcohol fumes getting to her head, her face burning.
"...Who cares about you."
After a long while, she finally mumbled drunkenly.
Sawara Kiri, however, didn't mind. He casually draped the dark blue haori over her shoulders and stood up to leave.
"Then I'll take my leave for tonight."
"If I don't go home now, Yuki will be worried."
"Lady Tsunade, don't forget to clean up the table after you wake up, or it'll stink by tomorrow."
"Get lost! You're annoying."
Tsunade buried her face on the table, her face growing hotter, seemingly scolding him in annoyance.
Once he had walked far away and there was no sound from outside the door, she laboriously propped herself up, furtively glancing around the courtyard, then quickly rubbed her still-burning cheeks.
"Guh-oh!"
"How could I have such strange thoughts? He's still just a teenager…"
"Damn, I might have had a bit too much today."
On the late-night street.
Sawara Kiri turned to glance at the brightly lit courtyard, then lowered his gaze to his panel.
"Tsunade's Shallow Emotional Entanglement (Completed)"
"Emotional Entanglement Points + 3"
"Bond Level Up ↑"
"Tsunade Bond Level: One → Two"
Even Sawara Kiri himself was momentarily stunned when he saw the Emotional Entanglement points on the panel, raising his eyebrows slightly.
"Oh, wow?"
"This time it's a great harvest."