"You..." Sasuke's face instantly turned ice-cold. From childhood until now, when had he ever been so blatantly looked down upon?
This crazy woman!
Sasuke gave a heavy, cold snort and slammed the door behind him without looking back.
The door to the Hokage Office closed with a loud "bang," isolating the inside from the outside.
Tsunade looked at the door, which was still vibrating slightly, and rolled her eyes in annoyance. However, deep within her gaze, a flicker of imperceptible solemnity flashed.
Handing the blade of revenge to that child was a huge gamble.
If she won the bet, perhaps it could dissolve part of the obsession in his heart and grant him a new life;
If she lost, it might completely unleash a vengeful demon that knew only slaughter.
But she had no other choice.
This was the only possible chance to untie the dead knot between the Uchiha Orphan and Konoha.
Jiraiya walked out from the side lounge, his face carrying a hint of fatigue, but his eyes were full of approval for Tsunade.
"Tsunade, you did the right thing," Jiraiya said with a tone of certainty as he walked to the desk.
"Letting him settle this grievance personally is the best way to resolve the knot in his heart. This can minimize his hatred toward Konoha itself."
"As long as he is guided properly afterward, with his talent and this experience... he can definitely become a pillar supporting Konoha in the future."
"Argh! So annoying!" Tsunade irritably grabbed her brilliant blonde hair and slumped onto the Hokage chair, completely disregarding her image.
"I understand the logic! But I really want to punch that old dog Danzo Shimura into dust! End it once and for all!"
"Letting him live for a few more years is really letting him off easy!"
Just thinking about the sins that old guy had committed against Konoha made her fists itch with hardness.
"Hahaha..." Hearing this, Jiraiya let out a low, complex laugh. There wasn't much joy in it; instead, it was filled with the suppressed laughter of extreme rage. "What a coincidence, I want to as well. That old thing... he's really not a damn human being!"
Jiraiya's laughter stopped abruptly, and his face instantly became incredibly solemn. He lowered his voice and said:
"Tsunade, do you know... what I found in the 'Root' secret archives?"
Jiraiya took a deep breath, as if he needed immense courage to speak the next words:
"Those experimental records... those hidden reports... they are simply... appalling!"
Fury burned in Jiraiya's eyes as he began to expose the darkness that could make anyone's soul tremble, word by word:
"It's not just the Uchiha Sharingan..."
"There's also... the cells of the First Hokage! He was secretly conducting human experiments with Wood Release!"
"There's even... a crazy plan trying to fuse the Byakugan and the Sharingan!"
"Those experimental subjects... many were... Konoha Ninjas, and even... missing villagers and children!"
Every word was like a heavy hammer, smashing violently against Tsunade's heart!
Tsunade's pupils suddenly contracted. She snapped upright in her chair, all the irritation on her face instantly replaced by boundless shock and towering rage!
"He... how dare he...?"
Danzo Shimura's crimes were far darker and a hundred times deeper than she had imagined!
This was no longer just a power struggle; it was the most thorough trampling of Konoha's foundation and the bottom line of human ethics!
But soon Tsunade sneered again, her voice filled with bone-chilling coldness and deep mockery:
"Right... why wouldn't he dare?"
"After all, no matter what he did, the Old Man was always behind him, supporting him, reluctant to touch a single hair on his head! Indulging him time and again, using 'for the sake of Konoha' as an excuse time and again!"
Tsunade's voice suddenly rose, carrying the resentment accumulated over many years:
"Konoha was dragged step by step to its current state by these self-righteous pieces of trash, with their dirty compromises and so-called 'balance'!"
The more Tsunade spoke, the angrier she became, even venting her anger on the late Second Hokage, her tone intense:
"My Grand-uncle... was truly blind back then! To actually promote two such 'talents'!"
Jiraiya stood to the side, looking down and focusing inward, falling completely silent.
He didn't dare respond to such direct criticism of the Second's decisions and the Third, nor could he.
That afternoon, an order signed by the Fifth Hokage Tsunade was formally announced to the entire Village at the fastest speed and quickly spread throughout the Konoha Leadership:
[Former Hokage Assistant Danzo Shimura has long abused his power, conducted illegal human experiments, and stolen Bloodline Limits from within the Village. The evidence is conclusive, and his crimes are heinous. He is now officially stripped of all positions and honors and listed as a Konoha S-Rank Rogue Ninja. Kill on sight!]
This order was like a thunderclap, once again shaking Konoha.
However, most people failed to notice something.
Although Tsunade had issued the highest-level kill order, she did not immediately form a specialized elite pursuit squad as was customary for S-Rank Rogue Ninjas, nor did she set any bounty in the Rogue Ninja handbook or the Underground Exchange.
Hiruzen Sarutobi entered the Hokage Office with Homura Mitokado and Utatane Koharu as if to demand accountability, their heavy footsteps suppressing dissatisfaction and anxiety.
However, before they even had a chance to speak, Tsunade, sitting in the Hokage's seat, didn't even lift her head. With a voice so cold it had no temperature, she blocked all their words:
"Old Man, don't say anything."
"I will not agree to any requests regarding Danzo Shimura."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's face instantly became extremely ugly, as if he had been slapped in the face.
"Tsunade!" Utatane Koharu couldn't hold back, her shrill voice breaking the silence.
"No matter what, Danzo is the disciple of the Second Hokage and your elder! How can you treat him like this?"
"Rescind the order immediately! How can Danzo be listed as a Rogue Ninja? This is simply a disgrace to Konoha!"
Homura Mitokado adjusted his glasses, his tone seemingly rational but actually harboring ill intent: "Danzo may have... made some mistakes, but the contributions he made for Konoha are also real! His merits and faults should offset each other; he shouldn't be treated like this! Doing this will discourage other Ninjas who bleed for the Village!"
"Get out."
Tsunade didn't even bother to argue with them and directly issued an order for them to leave, her finger pointing unceremoniously toward the door.
"You..." Utatane Koharu was shaking with anger.
She hadn't expected Tsunade to be so merciless, not even bothering with basic pleasantries! She completely tore off the mask and spoke with a threatening tone:
"Tsunade! You'd better listen to us! Otherwise..."
"Otherwise what?" Tsunade laughed from extreme anger, her sharp gaze scraping over Utatane Koharu like a knife. "By that, do you mean you're threatening the Hokage?"
Her gaze then turned to the silent Hiruzen Sarutobi, hoping that this teacher of hers could at least uphold some justice at this moment.