Konoha Village, Akimichi Clan Grounds.
"Shikaku, still no sign of Tsunade?"
Akimichi Torifu sat cross-legged on the veranda facing east, basking in the warmth of the morning sun. Losing his sight initially brought him significant inconvenience, but as a seasoned shinobi, he had quickly adjusted. After familiarizing himself with his surroundings, he found he could get around without much assistance.
"It's my failing,"
Nara Shikaku, seated beside him, wore an expression of frustration and resignation.
"What does that have to do with you? Don't take this burden on yourself. Last time, it took us ages to track down Tsunade… If she wanted to escape, the ANBU wouldn't be able to keep tabs on her. Or do you think I've gone senile and can't understand this?"
"... I overthought it, Lord Hokage."
"I told you, don't take on unnecessary blame, Shikaku! And in my home, let's skip the formalities; there's no one else here." Torifu sighed deeply. The Nara clan were all known for their intelligence, but sometimes they were too aware of the obstacles ahead and ended up lacking some ambition, often choosing to play supporting roles.
"Let's leave that aside. What do you think of the rumors circulating in the village?"
"You mean the one about you being targeted by the Hokage's assistant?"
"What else? Are there more rumors flying around?"
"There are plenty. Ever since word spread about your temporary blindness, there's been an explosion of gossip. Some say it's poison from a Sand Village spy; others blame remnants of ROOT, and some even believe you're pretending to test people's loyalty. The Hokage's assistant rumor just happened to be the first one."
"Pretending to be ill? People with such vivid imaginations should try writing novels!"
Torifu was speechless.
These wild rumors were absurd, and he was astonished that people believed them. The ANBU and the Police Force had recently apprehended quite a few rumor-spreaders—some were under genjutsu, others had been bribed, and some actually believed the rumors and spread them on their own.
"What about the ANBU and Police Force? Why aren't they handling this?"
"They started controlling it right from the beginning. But… there are so many people in the village; it's like a game of whack-a-mole. We catch one source, and another pops up."
"So unless we address the root cause, this problem won't go away?"
Torifu sighed.
"Torifu-sama?" Shikaku noticed something off. Addressing the root cause… rumors about the Hokage assistant began only because Torifu, as the Fifth Hokage, had lost his vision and his ability to fully carry out his duties. Shikaku understood the implications all too well.
"You've figured it out, haven't you?"
Torifu lifted his face to the sun and murmured, "This can't keep dragging on. The longer it goes on, the worse it gets. Even if we find Tsunade, it might not change much. So I think… it may be time to bring this to an end."
"..."
Shikaku was speechless.
Logically, he knew Torifu was right—this was a matter that should be addressed swiftly. Delaying would only hurt the Ino-Shika-Cho alliance and potentially the family's standing in the village. Still, he thought it was better not to comment.
"Five years is neither too long nor too short… Compared to the Fourth, I've been pretty lucky…"
As Torifu spoke, a clan member arrived to announce the arrival of the Hokage's assistant, who was accompanied by Hozuki Mangetsu, the vice-chief of the Search Division.
"Lord Hokage, you look much better than before."
Under Akimichi Chōza's guidance, Sozen arrived on the veranda and greeted the Hokage.
"Do I? Haha! I feel alright, though my vision still hasn't returned," Torifu laughed heartily and waved off Sozen's attempts at reassurance. "I know you're going to say something comforting again, but I've heard enough of that lately. Let's get straight to the point!"
As Hokage, he knew that Hozuki Mangetsu had returned with a letter from the Fifth Mizukage but was unaware of the specifics.
Most people focused only on the non-Uchiha joining the reformed Police Force, missing the subtle placement of skilled Uchiha in strategic positions like the Border Guard. Now, Uchiha members could be seen throughout the village's institutions, except the ANBU.
"Remember the trouble with the Cloud and Stone Village envoys a few days ago?"
Following Torifu's lead, Sozen got straight to the point.
"I heard it was lively at the gate that day. Shame I couldn't see it myself. So, it's connected to that?"
"A Boil Release ninja from Mist Village was taken by Kazama and others."
"Even Mist?"
Torifu frowned.
When Sozen first mentioned the Cloud and Stone Village incident, Torifu had a hunch. But hearing that Mist had encountered the same situation surprised him. His intuition detected hidden threats stirring in the shadows.
"Mangetsu,"
Sozen called.
Mangetsu handed the Mizukage's letter to Shikaku, who opened and read it aloud. The letter, though not long, was dense with content. It explained that a Boil Release ninja from Mist had been ambushed and speculated that Kazama and his allies might have a larger plot. The letter requested Konoha's assistance to jointly pursue them.
After reading, Shikaku furrowed his brow even deeper.
He felt an intense disdain toward Hema, someone who was hell-bent on destroying the Leaf Village, as well as a healthy dose of caution. Setting aside recent troubles, just the thought of this matter alone made him wary. His sharp intellect easily picked up on the dangerous presence lurking in the shadows.
"Lord Hokage?"
He spoke softly, looking at Akimichi Torifu who was silently basking in the sunlight.
Since there were others present, it was natural to address him with respect and formality.
"Sougen-kun, what are your thoughts on this matter?"
After a brief silence, Torifu finally spoke, not rushing to express his own views but instead asking for Sougen's opinion.
"Do what needs to be done. Although I'd love nothing more than to slap down this pest once and for all, the issue is that he's been impossible to locate, so... we'll just have to give it our best shot. We can send personnel from either the Anbu or the Joint Investigation Division to track Hema and see if we can catch their trail."
"And what about the Cloud and Stone Villages?"
"Why bother with them? Unless we have solid evidence that Hema and his group are hiding in the Land of Earth or the Land of Lightning, we shouldn't waste time on them. Let them do as they please." Sougen responded with clear indifference, showing no regard for the other villages.
"Well then... as usual, I'll leave this matter to you, Sougen-kun." Akimichi Torifu said, repeating words he'd already uttered countless times before. He sighed softly as if he wanted to say more, but in the end, he stopped there.
"I will do my utmost."
Sougen wasn't surprised by this result. However, Torifu's hesitant manner at the end intrigued him; his intuition told him this might be good news—perhaps the moment he'd been waiting for all along. Since Torifu chose to keep quiet, Sougen couldn't force him to speak, yet this still felt like a promising sign.
Maybe soon, he'd be able to drop the word "assistant."
...
After Sougen and Hozuki Mangetsu took their leave, the veranda fell silent for another two minutes. Finally, Shikaku Nara couldn't hold back and asked, "Lord Hokage, have you made a decision?" He couldn't help but notice Torifu's moment of hesitation earlier.
"Yes! I can't delay any longer, though it's a pity I couldn't say it this time." Torifu sighed, clenching his fists, revealing the depth of his resolve.
"..."
Shikaku opened his mouth but remained silent, his gaze falling on Torifu's gray hair. He decided to keep quiet, sitting quietly beside the aging elder to enjoy the sunlight.
---
The Land of Fire, being the leader among the Five Great Nations, was not only densely populated and resource-rich but also home to several gambling hotspots famous throughout the shinobi world, such as Tanzaku Street, Hyakuhana Avenue, and Hyakuhana King Street, where gamblers from various lands could be seen.
Hyakuhana King Street derived its name from the nearby "Hyakuhana King Academy," an academy established by a local lord to train professional gamblers. Over its 40-year history, the academy has become the heart of the bustling Hyakuhana King Street.
In comparison, Tanzaku Street attracted most of the gamblers within the Land of Fire, Hyakuhana Avenue lured in gamblers from the western regions and neighboring countries like the Land of Wind and the Land of Rivers, while Hyakuhana King Street, located at the foot of Mount Sumiru, was a frequent destination for gamblers from northern countries like the Land of Iron, the Land of Fields, and the Land of Hot Water.
Today, someone new had arrived at the foot of Mount Sumiru.
"Lady Tsunade, w-we're out of money!"
The speaker, a young woman with short black hair and a delicate face, clutched a small bundle close to her chest, tears brimming in her eyes as she looked at the busty blonde beauty beside her, resembling a pitiful victim.
"Quit whining, Shizune! Didn't we make a good haul just yesterday? Let's get moving!"
"But, but, that was our food and lodging money! If we lose it, we'll have to sleep outside tonight!"
"Relax, I have a good feeling we're definitely going to win big today." Tsunade, granddaughter of the First Hokage and one of the Legendary Sannin, declared with full confidence.
Except—
Her words seemed to lack conviction.
Shizune looked like she was on the verge of tears. Tsunade always said this, but Shizune had never seen her actually win. The money they made from treating patients wasn't enough to make them wealthy, but it was more than enough for the best inns and meals.
Unfortunately, Tsunade always gambled away every cent, and sometimes even ended up in debt, forcing them to borrow money and accumulate quite a sizable debt.
Four years ago, the Nara clan invited Tsunade back to the village to treat the Fifth Hokage and cleared her debts. However... in just four years, Tsunade had once again managed to amass a huge debt, frequently using transformation jutsu to evade her creditors.
In the end, Shizune, as usual, had no choice but to follow Tsunade into the bustling Hyakuhana King Street, a place where brightly lit casinos operated even in broad daylight, her bundle of money feeling increasingly like it no longer belonged to her.
"Lady Tsunade, perhaps we should first find a place to stay!"
Watching Tsunade contemplating which casino to enter, Shizune made one last, desperate attempt to delay the inevitable.
"Shizune, you're too fussy. The inns aren't going anywhere, we can find one tonight."
But casinos don't have legs either!
Shizune screamed internally.
Then—
Reluctantly, she trailed after Tsunade, step by step, into the most luxuriously decorated casino ahead.
Behind them, Mount Sumiru towered silently, watching over the vibrant bustle at its foot.
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