“It’s just the usual…
Thankfully Orochimaru is around, otherwise I might not even be able to afford to support Tsunade.”
Yasuka complained testily, but there was no real aversion in his words, only a helpless resignation toward this older sister’s slacking and idling.
“Hahaha…
She really hasn’t changed a bit.”
Jiraiya laughed uproariously, while simultaneously growing anxious over the dynamic between the two.
He was practically past the point of holding it in—why hasn’t Tsunade made a move yet?
Was she truly not afraid that some powerful female ninja might abduct Yasuka one day?
When that time came, the defeat CG would already be unlocked.
Shisui, who had remained entirely silent, was secretly eavesdropping on their conversation.
She had long discovered that Yasuka had a decent relationship with the Sannin.
That was why she had questioned Yasuka before, but looking at it now, the relationship between Yasuka and Tsunade was anything but ordinary.
*What should…
I do?*
Bringing Jiraiya back home, the older man walked straight into the backyard.
Watching Naruko tinkering with the Flying Raijin, he fell into a brief daze.
[Minato, she truly looks so much like you…]
Jiraiya couldn’t help but sigh with emotion.
Immediately afterward, he coughed heavily a few times to draw Naruko’s attention, and then launched into an incredibly awkward self-introduction.
Looking at this strange individual who had suddenly intruded into her home, Naruko instinctively raised her hand with a Rasengan ready to strike, which left the dodging Jiraiya thoroughly astonished.
One had to realize that the current Naruko was only five or six years old, yet she had actually mastered the Rasengan.
“Naruko.”
Yasuka called out to Naruko, then introduced Jiraiya to her.
“Hello…”
Perhaps because Yasuka’s presence had changed Naruko’s desperate desire to be validated by everyone, Naruko’s personality had become exceptionally introverted.
She was never loud or dramatic, exhibiting an almost excessive level of composure instead.
By comparison, Satsuki, who was completely spoiled by Itachi, seemed far more like the optimistic, cheerful type.
Hearing Naruko’s lukewarm response, Jiraiya felt rather awkward.
He scratched his head and asked Naruko if there was anything she didn’t understand; as Minato’s teacher, he could definitely be of assistance.
“Can you teach me the Flying Raijin?”
“…”
Jiraiya’s mouth twitched.
Changing the subject, he asked Naruko if she was interested in learning the Summoning Jutsu, but he was instantly rejected by Naruko.
She disliked toads.
Jiraiya was embarrassed to the extreme; it seemed that the skills he could proudly offer were all things he couldn’t teach Naruko.
“Jiraiya, aren’t you going to give Naruko some New Year’s money?”
Yasuka spoke up out of nowhere.
This caused Jiraiya’s eyes to light up.
That’s right—while he couldn’t teach Naruko ninjutsu right now, he certainly didn’t lack money.
This time, Jiraiya was exceptionally generous, pulling out his entire budget for visiting the brothels for the coming year.
Aside from covering up his embarrassment, it likely also contained a heavy sense of guilt toward Minato and Naruko.
“Thank you, Grandpa Jiraiya.”
Naruko accepted the New Year’s money, and then, right in front of Jiraiya’s face, handed all of the cash over to Yasuka.
“…”
Jiraiya, who was originally floating on cloud nine from that “Grandpa Jiraiya,” was instantly petrified.
Seeing Naruko so close to Yasuka made his heart feel complicated and heavy, but at the same time, it brought him peace of mind.
Suppressing his mixed emotions, Jiraiya recounted the matter of Danzo’s compensation to Yasuka, and left all of those assets for Yasuka to keep safe.
“When are you leaving?”
Yasuka knew Jiraiya couldn’t possibly stay for long.
Handing over the items with such impatience meant he would likely be departing within a few days.
“Probably in about a week.” Jiraiya scratched his head, then earnestly exhorted Yasuka regarding several matters, hoping he would look after Naruko well on his behalf.
“I will.
Though…
you look like you have a kidney deficiency?”
“I don’t!
I am fine!
Don’t talk nonsense!!!”
“I can cure it.”
“Adoptive father above, please accept your child’s deepest respects.”
Yasuka was thoroughly amused by Jiraiya’s shameless change of face.
This guy was exactly the same as he had been in the past.
Meanwhile, inside the Konoha Hospital, the Third Hokage lay on a hospital bed, thoroughly exhausted.
Danzo sat right beside him, his bandage-wrapped hands peeling an apple for him.
“Sarutobi, this matter is concluded for now.
You had better look out for yourself in the future.”
Danzo was naturally not showing genuine concern for Hiruzen; he was merely reminding him who had taken the fall on his behalf, so as to secure more benefits.
“Danzo…”
Hiruzen’s feelings were highly complex.
He knew the recent occurrences within Konoha were instigated by Danzo, but it was undeniable that Danzo had indeed shouldered a massive blame for him.
“Hmph!
Don’t misunderstand, I merely didn’t wish to see the authority of the Hokage compromised.”
Danzo casually tossed the apple to Hiruzen.
Watching him take a bite, Danzo stood up straight, his gaze locking onto the Uchiha compound.
“The Uchiha have been growing increasingly restless lately.
Sarutobi, this is no longer just any ordinary Uchiha situation; we must strike hard!”
Hiruzen immediately voiced his refusal.
He had not forgotten what Minato had stated; if they took action against the Uchiha now, it would likely bring about an unprecedented fallout.
Furthermore…
he was opposed to exterminating the clan, merely being swept along by others.
“Sarutobi!”
Danzo’s voice grew a fraction sharper as he turned back to face Hiruzen, stating with absolute certainty that Shisui was already dead.
Right now was the absolute best opportunity.
If a second Mangekyō emerged in the future, they would lose any chance of entirely eradicating the inherently evil Uchiha.
“Even so, the Uchiha are still…”
“Enough, Sarutobi!
Right now, *I* am the Acting Hokage!”
Danzo became even more aggressive.
Logically speaking, he had zero qualifications to serve as Acting Hokage.
However, because Jiraiya had absolutely no desire to become Hokage, combined with Hiruzen’s gratitude toward Danzo for taking the fall, Hiruzen had returned the favor by letting him experience the thrill of being Hokage.
“Danzo, you…”
Hiruzen was about to speak when he suddenly felt a wave of complete weakness wash through his body.
He…
had been drugged.
“Sarutobi, you are still as naive as ever…”
Danzo picked up the apple that had been bitten into from the bedside and tossed it into the trash can.
Others feared the Uchiha and dreaded the Mangekyō.
But what he thought was that a single Mangekyō was already this troublesome; if two or three more appeared, wouldn’t Konoha’s sky be completely overturned?
Furthermore, him backing down from the Uchiha’s edge?
Recalling his prior dealings with the masked man, Danzo took a deep breath.
The Uchiha had to be destroyed.
As long as the Uchiha remained for a single day, he would have to check if his head was still attached every morning he woke up.
The reason he put Hiruzen under house arrest, aside from fearing his opposition, was also to distance him from the act.
Even if the sky fell, the blame for wiping out the Uchiha would be his alone to bear; Sarutobi merely needed to rest well.
While the Uchiha were still rejoicing due to Minato’s guarantee, and even the hawks had become significantly gentler, little did they know that a sharp blade had already locked onto their hearts.
Itachi dragged her exhausted body into the medical clinic.
The moment she saw the figure inside, her mood gradually brightened.
“You’ve arrived, Itachi.”
If one were to look at who the number one supporter of the clinic was, aside from Shisui who had handed over her entire net worth, it would undoubtedly be Itachi.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been too busy lately.
I…
wanted to talk to you.” Itachi felt a bit self-conscious.
In reality, she didn’t care in the slightest what they discussed; she simply enjoyed the feeling of being with Yasuka.
But she could sense that Yasuka’s fondness for her was not that of a man toward a woman, but resembled more of an older brother’s care for a younger sister, and a doctor’s concern for a patient.
Perhaps even Yasuka himself hadn’t realized that his gentleness was excessively addictive, like quicksand, causing a person to sink into it step by step.
It was enough to allow her to temporarily step out of her suffocating thoughts.
“Itachi.”
Yasuka looked at the gloomy young woman before him.
To tell the truth…
Itachi wasn’t much better off than Shisui, but she thought far too much and in far more complex ways.
Her CPU couldn’t keep up with the processing demand, causing Itachi to fall into a bizarre state where she couldn’t resolve the problems she couldn’t understand.
Compounded by Itachi’s obsessive personality, she was becoming increasingly distorted.
Therefore, Yasuka wanted to use this opportunity to help Itachi step out of the dark.
*Itachi…