After Jiraiya's return, Danzo indeed restrained himself quite a bit.
But only just restrained himself.
Now that his power has been firmly established, it was evident that Tsunade alone—even with Jiraiya's support—could not reclaim the authority she had lost.
Tsunade understood this reality. To prevent internal strife within Konoha, she dared not act rashly.
However, she also knew the saying, "Only the one who tied the knot can untie it."
Danzo's current dominance largely stemmed from his control over the Konoha Police Force, the village's most powerful security organization.
Yet, even though he controlled the general police force, the Special Operations Squad—renowned as the "Blood Worms" and the most elite unit—remained beyond his grasp.
Since Sasuke had taken command of the Special Operations Squad, he had become eerily similar to his father, Uchiha Fugaku. His gaze was fierce enough to kill, and his demeanor suggested that everyone owed him their lives.
Not even Danzo dared provoke him. Even Fūma Arashi, his direct superior, couldn't get a glance of acknowledgment from Sasuke!
The only exception was Shino Aburame, whose presence elicited a rare warm smile from Sasuke—a kind and gentle expression befitting an older brother.
As for Shino Aburame, the vice-captain of the Special Operations Squad, she was admired by everyone in the police force. Her title had evolved from "Princess Shino" to simply "Princess."
She was not only the princess of the Aburame clan but also the princess of the entire police force.
And where there's a "princess," there naturally must be a "king."
That king was Shigeo Aburame—the true ruler of the Konoha Police Force.
To reclaim her authority from Danzo without bloodshed, Tsunade needed his support.
Her first task was to locate him.
She entrusted this mission to Jiraiya and Naruto, hoping they could find and persuade Shigeo Aburame.
However, before the two could set off, shocking news reached Konoha—
The Hidden Sand Village had been attacked by the Akatsuki organization, and the Fifth Kazekage, Gaara, had been abducted!
Even the Sand's top brass, Kankurō, had been gravely poisoned and was on the brink of death!
In this dire crisis, the Sand had no choice but to appeal to their ally, Konoha, for aid.
Tsunade, of course, could not ignore this plea.
She temporarily set aside her power struggle with Danzo and dispatched Kakashi, along with Sakura and Naruto, to assist the Hidden Sand Village.
---
Meanwhile, Shigeo Aburame, vacationing in the Land of Hot Water, received a messenger hawk from Fūma Arashi.
"Gaara has been taken. It must be Deidara and Sasori," he muttered, flicking his fingers to ignite the letter and tossing the burning paper aside. Rising to his feet, he turned to Konan.
"Let's go, Konan. Time to meet some old friends."
With that, three pairs of golden wings unfolded behind him, and with a sharp sound, he soared into the sky.
Seeing this, Konan activated her Paper Release Technique, forming a pair of massive white paper wings behind her. With a flap of her wings, she followed closely.
The two of them quickly left the Land of Hot Water, crossed the Land of Fire, and entered the Land of Rivers.
During their year away from Konoha, they had traveled extensively throughout the ninja world, making this journey a return to familiar territory.
After soaring over a massive waterfall, a vast lake came into view.
Shigeo's sharp eyes immediately spotted a mountain cave sealed with a large boulder, and his expression sharpened behind his dark glasses.
"There it is. Let's go down, Konan!"
"Understood," Konan replied, descending alongside him onto the boulder.
As she noticed the word "Seal" etched onto the rock, her brow furrowed.
"This seems to be a barrier seal. Shall we open it?"
"No need."
Shigeo gazed skyward, a faint smile playing at his lips.
"We're just in time. Our old friends are already here."
Almost as he spoke, a giant white clay bird appeared above them.
Two figures clad in black cloaks with red clouds descended from the sky, landing before them.
Deidara and Sasori.
Without a word, Sasori manipulated Hiruko to launch a venomous tail strike directly at Shigeo's chest with a sharp whistle through the air.
"Swish!"
Shigeo sidestepped the attack effortlessly, chuckling.
"Haha, Sasori, it's been years. No need to be so enthusiastic right away."
"Traitor!"
Sasori's voice brimmed with suppressed fury.
"We know you killed Kakuzu and took the Seven-Tails. Hidan told us everything. What do you have to say for yourself, *sensei*—no, Shigeo Aburame!"
"Oh? Hidan's still alive?" Shigeo's face lit up with mock surprise.
"That's wonderful. I thought he was dead. I was sad about it for quite a while—two or three days, maybe."
"You—!"
Sasori tried to retort but was cut off as Konan's paper fragments shot toward him, glowing with intense chakra.
"Not good!"
Sasori quickly retreated with Hiruko, but it was too late—
"Boom!"
A violent explosion engulfed Hiruko in flames, followed closely by a second, even more powerful blast.
When the smoke cleared, Hiruko was reduced to scattered wood and metal fragments.
Amid the debris, a figure wrapped in black cloth leaped away, casting aside the coverings to reveal a young man with fiery red hair—Sasori's true form.
Before he could react, Konan hovered above him, raising an arm.
"This is the price for attacking my husband," she declared coldly.
With a wave of her hand, her massive white paper wings transformed into countless paper spears, which rained down upon Sasori.
"Swish, swish, swish…"
Faced with the relentless assault, Sasori retreated rapidly, unfurling a scroll marked with the kanji for "Three."
"Poof!"
A cloud of smoke revealed the Third Kazekage Puppet, which Sasori immediately commanded to unleash a wave of black iron sand.
"Clang, clang, clang…"
The paper spears struck the iron sand with metallic clangs, forcing Sasori into a defensive position.
In the original storyline, Konan recruited Sasori into the Akatsuki after defeating him. This, however, was their first battle due to Shigeo's influence.
The sheer ferocity of Konan's attack left Sasori deeply shaken.
He never imagined that this seemingly delicate woman could unleash such overwhelming power.
Watching the battle, Deidara's eyes gleamed with shock.
"I didn't expect Konan to be this strong. She's actually overpowering Sasori, yeah. Truly impressive."
As he spoke, a voice sounded behind him.
"Thank you for the compliment, old friend. Now, would you kindly hand Gaara over, Deidara?"
"Uh…"
(End of Chapter)