Chapter 49: Danzo's Solicitation
Takahashi really didn't have the time for this. But then he thought, if he didn't give this old man some face, Danzo might get desperate and do something very annoying, which would only create more trouble.
"Alright, I have time."
What he didn't expect was for Tsunade, standing beside him, to raise her hand and say, "I have time too! Take me along." She then winked playfully at Takahashi, as if to say, Your big sister has got your back on this one!
Although Tsunade was usually careless, she was a veteran when it came to handling tricky situations. She knew that if Danzo was looking for the kid, it couldn't be for anything good. This was a team member she liked; how could she let that guy get his claws on him? If there was anyone in Konoha who could openly defy Danzo, Tsunade was definitely one of them.
Yamazaki stood to the side, his expression very ugly. "Well, Lady Tsunade... this is against the rules. Lord Danzo only invited Takahashi-kun."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes slightly. Her tone grew dangerous, and she clenched her fists, making a distinct cracking sound. "Are you saying I'm not worthy?"
"No, no, no, no!" Yamazaki quickly denied, terrified. He couldn't afford to offend this legendary Sannin, a figure who even gave the Third Hokage headaches.
But if he couldn't bring Takahashi back, he would have no way to explain himself to Lord Danzo. Caught between a rock and a hard place, neither side was a good option. He had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Alright then, Lady Tsunade, you may come as well."
A smug look appeared on Tsunade's face. "Then lead the way."
Dejectedly, Yamazaki led the two to Danzo, who received them in his secret chamber.
Danzo was hidden behind a screen. Yamazaki had to announce them before they entered. "Lord Danzo, I have brought Takahashi-kun. And... Lady Tsunade is with him."
"What?" Danzo's voice, full of doubt, came clearly from inside. Why is she here? Although he thought this, he didn't show it too blatantly. It only took him a moment to react, but his tone carried obvious displeasure. "Fine. You've worked hard. You are dismissed."
Yamazaki left, biting his lip in frustration.
Once Tsunade entered the room, she made herself at home; it wasn't her first time here. What Takahashi didn't expect was for her to sit down very properly and speak quite politely. "Long time no see, Lord Danzo."
In terms of official position, Danzo's current status was higher than Tsunade's. Using an honorific title was not a mistake. After all, personal feelings couldn't be placed above official matters in such a setting... well, except maybe for Naruto Uzumaki.
Danzo had prepared a lot of words to sway Takahashi earlier, but now he couldn't say any of them. Many of those things were fabrications, or half-truths, and some he had even already acted upon. If Takahashi refused, he was prepared to make direct threats. But now, with Tsunade beside him, he had no choice.
He looked at Takahashi and adopted a more relaxed tone. "Couldn't you trust this old man? You felt you needed to bring a bodyguard?"
Tsunade, who was the supposed 'bodyguard,' was not to be outdone. "I just haven't seen Lord Danzo for a long time and wanted to pay a visit. The two of you have things to discuss; I won't interrupt. Just pretend I don't exist."
Danzo seethed inwardly. He had tried to find this kid many times but always came up empty. Every time he knocked on his door, no one was home. Inquiries revealed the guy was out on another mission. He had only just managed to catch him this time, and then he ran into this nuisance, Tsunade. Pretend you don't exist? How can I do that when you're a living, breathing person sitting right here?!
He reluctantly suppressed his anger, forcing himself to appear more amiable. His plan was to lure Takahashi in first; he could deal with the rest later. If Takahashi dared refuse, he would simply label him a traitor and have the whole village hunt him down. He was very confident in this method he'd used for years—the carrot and the stick. It had always worked.
"Takahashi," Danzo began, "you are young and possess great strength. You should have better opportunities for development, to contribute more to Konoha, to allow the Will of Fire to bloom more brilliantly. Are you willing?"
Takahashi thought, Here it comes, the classic question. He doesn't ask if you want to join; he immediately puts you on the spot from the moral high ground. If you say yes, then there's no way out; you can only join his ranks. But if you say you don't want to, he'll continue to pressure you morally, using the Will of Fire as his excuse. As long as you, the target, still feel any sense of shame, no one with a conscience could utter such shameless words in refusal.
Just as Takahashi was thinking how to refute this without leaving a trace, Tsunade suddenly cut in. "I hope you don't mind me interjecting. This guy is the backbone of our medical department. When he's gone, our work piles up for a week. Besides, he has to help Team 7 with their missions, among many other duties. If he were to join the Root, I'm afraid many people would voice their opposition."
Danzo was furious. Didn't you just say you wouldn't interrupt? What are you doing now?! A woman's word truly is a deceitful thing! His face tightened with embarrassment. "I merely think that capable individuals should shine in more suitable positions. Takahashi's abilities are obvious. He is more suited to play his role here and could even perform several times better than in other positions."
Tsunade fired back directly, "Then are you saying our Medical Department is unimportant? Which ninja war hasn't relied on us? Without the Medical Department, the death toll in these wars would increase exponentially!"
This counterattack was potent. If you accuse me from the moral high ground, I will slander you based on status and interests, pinning a big label on you.
When Danzo heard this, it was unacceptable. This was his usual tactic, but someone else had used it on him first. So the two began a verbal sparring match, a back-and-forth game of push-and-shove, while Takahashi watched happily from the sidelines.
In the end, Danzo truly had no other way. He waved his sleeve in anger. As he left, he only said one sentence—"Do as you please"—before storming out of the room alone.
Takahashi silently gave Tsunade a thumbs-up. "Well done. Really well done. To play this game of push-and-shove with that old guy and bring it to this level is amazing."
Although Tsunade didn't quite understand what 'push-and-shove' meant, his tone suggested it was a compliment. "Your big sister is good at a lot of things. I'll teach you slowly in the future. But right now, your sister is in a bit of trouble and needs your help."
Takahashi was in a good mood. He patted his chest and agreed directly. "Of course! If my sister is in trouble, just say the word. What is it?"
"Lend me some money."
Takahashi was dumbfounded. He had been so focused on how to deal with Danzo that he had forgotten this was the original problem.
(End of this chapter)
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