Hyūga Shigeo tilted his head, looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Hokage-sama, can I not go to ANBU? I don't want to follow this man. I don't know why, but… his eyes feel like Orochimaru's…" Shigeo pleaded pitifully, glancing at the Third.
"You'll go whether you want to or not. Now, move!" Danzō's temper flared, and he stepped forward to seize Shigeo.
Tsunade blocked him with an outstretched arm.
"Danzō-dono, mind your status!"
The Third Hokage's eyes already held a trace of doubt. Why was Danzō so insistent on this child? Even if Shigeo could refine chakra at the age of five, it wasn't unprecedented.
"Danzō, we'll discuss this later. Don't frighten the boy. Tonight, our main concern is Orochimaru." At last, the Hokage spoke firmly.
"Don't forget what time it is, Hiruzen! After the Kyūbi attacked Konoha, all the advantages we gained in the Third Shinobi War were wiped out. Now Kumogakure stirs restlessly. We are desperately short on manpower. And now, a child capable of refining chakra at such a young age—you still intend to hide him away?"
Danzō's words sounded perfectly rational, as if every sentence was for Konoha's sake. He spoke so convincingly that for a moment no one could find a rebuttal.
Inside, Shigeo grew tense. He knew he had no real choice. But if the Hokage handed him to Danzō tonight, then his future would only lead down the path of a rogue ninja.
At that moment, Tsunade scooped him into her arms. With a sharp glance at both men, she said:
"Sensei, let this child stay with me for the next couple of days. Shizune and I will still be in the village, and you can continue your discussions. Decide later."
Without waiting for a reply, she carried Shigeo out of the office. Danzō's brows knit tightly, his gaze locked on the boy.
Orochimaru had abandoned the village, leaving even Anko behind, yet had tried to take this child with him. That alone showed how important he was.
What Danzō did not know, however, was that Orochimaru had originally planned to leave Konoha years later. It was because of Hyūga Shigeo's interference that his plans were hastened, forcing him to flee prematurely.
That night, Tsunade brought Shigeo back to her residence.
Shizune prepared bathwater for him.
"Morning is almost here. You should rest for a while," she said softly before stepping out.
Tsunade, meanwhile, sat on the floor, brow furrowed, casting dice with a constant clatter, clatter. Her heart was heavy. Orochimaru's defection weighed on her. If they met again, would they be enemies? The war still had not ended, and Kumogakure's ambitions pressed closer. In just two days, she and Shizune would head to the Land of Lightning for intelligence gathering.
If possible, they were to work alongside ANBU to sever the enemy's retreat—a defensive strategy she and the Third had already devised.
She sighed lightly, tossing the dice again and again, but the numbers never matched her hopes.
When Shigeo emerged freshly bathed, she was still sitting there.
"Big sister, I'm done!"
He looked up at her. Tsunade, only in her early thirties, carried the aura of a mature woman in full bloom. She raised her head, beckoning with a hand.
"Come here, let's play a round."
"I don't know how," Shigeo replied.
"Come on. If I hadn't taken you away tonight, Danzō would have come to your home and dragged you off himself. You owe me at least that much. Just one game…" Tsunade said idly, her mood distant and tired.
(End of Chapter)
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