"Don't you know why Danzo is so audacious?" Tsunade asked bluntly.
Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a flicker of embarrassment upon hearing this. After all, there were outsiders present; couldn't you give me a little respect?
"There's no doubt that Danzo's actions violated the rules of Konoha Village," Tsunade concluded, then asked, "Old man, what do you say we should do?"
What else could be done? A businesslike approach, of course.
With someone else, Sarutobi Hiruzen might have been able to quietly resolve the matter with Danzo privately. But not Tsunade. Since she had taken the initiative, there had to be a reasonable outcome.
After all, she held so many identities that no one in Konoha Village dared to ignore her.
Sarutobi Hiruzen paused in thought. He couldn't remember how long it had been since Tsunade had asked about Konoha Village. Had she emerged from the shadows? No, I'm afraid not.
Tsunade's involvement in this matter stemmed from her close relationships with Yakushi Nono and Kitazawa.
Regardless of the reason, this was her first involvement in Konoha Village affairs in years. And it involved someone as high-ranking as Danzo.
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but ponder.
"Do you need to think so long about something with such clear consequences?" Tsunade asked, a little annoyed at his silence. "Are you trying to protect Danzo?"
"Of course not," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, regaining his composure. "As the Hokage, I won't let anyone break the rules of Konoha Village."
"Very well," Tsunade snorted. "You arrange it now."
"No, you should," Sarutobi Hiruzen said with a chuckle.
"What do you mean?" Tsunade asked, her gaze fixed.
"You investigated this matter, and you know the situation best," Sarutobi Hiruzen said slowly. "I grant you temporary authority to mobilize the ANBU."
Tsunade was stunned for a few seconds before she understood. This was Sarutobi Hiruzen's conspiracy.
If she were to mobilize the ANBU to handle this matter, and since it was related to Danzo Shimura, it wouldn't be long before the entire Konoha community, even the ninja world, knew about it.
Everyone would then misunderstand her.
Tsunade, one of the Three Great Ninjas of Konoha, had officially returned to Konoha Village.
And during this period, she might be aiming for the position of Hokage.
"I'm busy. Arrange for someone else to handle it," Tsunade said without hesitation.
"No one else can," Sarutobi Hiruzen said, shaking his head. "They're bound to run into problems facing Danzo and his Root."
"Then you go," Tsunade frowned.
"I'm the Hokage, and I have a lot to do. I can't handle it," Sarutobi Hiruzen said suddenly with a sigh. "Besides, I'm old, and my energy isn't what it used to be."
"..." Tsunade hesitated, unsure what to say. She feared nothing except someone playing on her emotions.
Although she sometimes disapproved of Sarutobi Hiruzen's decisions, he was still her sensei.
"Okay," Tsunade sighed, finally agreeing.
"Haru." Upon seeing this, Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately called in the ANBU ninja Haru, who was outside the door.
"Hokage-sama." Haru bowed slightly and saluted.
"From now on, the ANBU will obey Tsunade's orders until the matter is resolved," Sarutobi Hiruzen said directly.
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Haru was a little surprised, but not much.
Normally, the ANBU are only loyal to the Hokage. However, Tsunade's status is there, and since it was Hiruzen who gave the order, it is natural that they should obey.
Kitazawa, who had watched the whole process silently, only wanted to say three words: old fox. Tsunade has such a strong personality, but she still fell for Sarutobi Hiruzen's trick.
However, saying that she was fooled is not appropriate. After all, Shimura Danzo is willing to fall for such a trick every day.
Kitazawa was thoughtful. Is Sarutobi Hiruzen planning to abdicate?
Kitazawa originally thought that the Fifth Hokage would be born after Orochimaru launched the Konoha Collapse Plan, just like in the original work. It seems that Tsunade's early return has a greater impact than he imagined.
On the other hand, Sarutobi Hiruzen managed to save his own life.
After Tsunade became Hokage, Orochimaru likely wouldn't pursue the Konoha Destruction Plan. But there's no guarantee.
After all, one of Orochimaru's goals in the Konoha Destruction Plan was to take Uchiha Sasuke with him. Unless the Night of Genocide doesn't happen, Uchiha Itachi won't defect.
Kitazawa wasn't sure if there would be another Night of Genocide, but he didn't want it to happen.
After all, Uchiha Sasuke was his student. If he had defected to Konoha as in the original story, Kitazawa would have missed out on many missions.
"Let's go to the ANBU office," Tsunade said without hesitation, leaving the Hokage's office.
Given her personality, having agreed, she had to get it done as quickly as possible. This was what they called being decisive and swift.
The ANBU had an office in the Hokage Building, usually used by captains like Haru.
The ANBU had a total of seventy members. From the highest to the lowest, there was the captain-in-chief, the vice-captain-in-chief, and the captains of four squads. Each squad had seventeen members, divided into four squads.
In the original story, Uchiha Itachi became an ANBU squad captain at the age of thirteen.
The current ANBU captain is Sarutobi Hiruzen's eldest son and the father of Sarutobi Konohamaru.
Sarutobi Konohamaru played a significant role in the original story, serving as Uzumaki Naruto's sidekick. But he was only two years old now.
"I need to know the location of Root member Kabuto Yakushi immediately," Tsunade commanded after taking a seat in her office chair.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Haru paused, then reminded her, "but investigating the location of Root members will undoubtedly lead to Danzo-sama's knowledge very quickly."
Both the ANBU and the Root are considered intelligence agencies. Their members are the elite of the elite. However, the Root's brainwashing training has made Root members slightly more powerful than the ANBU.
"I know," Tsunade said nonchalantly. "Just do as you're told."
Haru nodded and turned to leave.
"Given Danzo Shimura's personality, he'll definitely not let me have my way," Tsunade rubbed her brows. "We have to race against time to get Kabuto Yakushi back before the Root takes action."
"What does Tsunade-sama have in mind?" Kitazawa asked.
"This person must be both powerful and capable of evading tracking and infiltration," Tsunade said thoughtfully. "The most qualified person among the ANBU is Hatake Kakashi."
Kitazawa nodded. But at that moment, four lines of text appeared before his eyes.
[Genius shouldn't be confined to the Academy. With your abilities, you should become famous in Konoha Village.]
[Current Mission: Safely escort Kabuto Yakushi back to Konoha Village.]
[Mission Reward: Yin Healing Wound Destruction.]
[Accept?]
Kitazawa couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. This could trigger a mission? But the reward wasn't bad.
Yin Healing Wound Destruction, an A-rank medical ninjutsu, was used by Kabuto Yakushi in the original story. It predicts the target of an enemy attack and heals it, effectively negating the damage. If an enemy attack is too powerful, it can't completely negate it, but it can minimize the damage.
In short, it's a very useful medical ninjutsu. And judging from the original story, neither Tsunade nor Shizune can use Yin Healing Wound Destruction.
Kitazawa thought about it and decided to accept. While it was somewhat risky, it was still within an acceptable range.
With his current strength and with the help of Hatake Kakashi, even if he encountered Ōnoki and couldn't defeat him, he could still escape. Besides, Kitazawa also trusted the system.
Because the difficulty of a mission is tied to the reward. A-rank Yin Healing Wound Destruction is certainly valuable, but unless you encounter powerful figures like Ōnoki or Shimura Danzo, a jonin is already at his limit.
If the reward is something like the Rinnegan, Kitazawa will seriously have to consider his life.
"Tsunade-sama, I'm going too," Kitazawa said, coming to his senses.
"You?" Tsunade paused, then shook her head. "You're not an ANBU member, what are you going for?"
"I can help confuse Shimura Danzo," Kitazawa explained. "With the power of the Root, Kakashi's departure from the village will soon be known. Why not let me take him out with you?"
"Wouldn't it be more conspicuous if you went too?" Tsunade asked, puzzled.
"Let Kakashi transform into my student, and we can leave the village openly." Kitazawa smiled and said, "That's called hiding under the lamp."
"No," Tsunade said, her heart tempted for a moment, but she refused.
"Tsunade-sama, do you think I'm not strong enough?" Kitazawa asked, guessing her thoughts.
"Indeed," Tsunade admitted, "although your medical ninjutsu is good, it cannot be used in combat."
"I am quite confident in Genjutsu, Wind Release, and Fire Release," Kitazawa said with a light cough, "And I also learned the Rasengan and the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique."
"..." Tsunade hesitated upon hearing this.
Kitazawa's plan sounded quite plausible. Shimura Danzo would never have dreamed she would send a ninja school teacher to rescue Kabuto Yakushi.
"How about it, Tsunade-sama? Come test my strength yourself?" Kitazawa thought for a moment and asked.
He, too, wanted to test Tsunade's strength—to see how he fared against the top experts.
"So confident?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, flicked her wrist, and said, "Alright, while the ANBU still have their results, let's have a fight."
She was also curious about Kitazawa's abilities. Besides the possibility of him becoming her student in the future, it made sense to get to know him beforehand.
The two of them arrived at a nearby training ground.
"I'll show mercy," Tsunade said with a smile.
"Have I ever offended you?" Kitazawa's mouth twitched, sensing something was amiss.
Tsunade, besides being a medical ninja, was also a formidable taijutsu user. Although in the original story, she primarily relied on Chakra Enhanced Punches, her strong punch could even break Uchiha Madara's Susanoo.
"It's begun, Kitazawa." Tsunade's lips curled slightly, and she vanished in an instant.
A sound of breaking wind echoed. Tsunade's fist appeared directly in front of Kitazawa. A powerful sense of oppression washed over her.
Tsunade looked back and saw a tree wrapped around her. It wasn't Wood Release, but Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death.
Tsunade snorted softly, formed a hand seal, and broke the Genjutsu.
Whoosh! Tsunade tilted her head slightly and saw a swirling shuriken coming towards her. It was Wind Style: Rotating Shuriken.
Clanging sounds rang out continuously. The Rotating Shurikens imbued with wind chakra were engulfed by the other shurikens.
Tsunade followed closely, clenching her fist, and charged towards Kitazawa.
Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu! Kitazawa formed hand seals with both hands, and while throwing shuriken, flames erupted.
A large number of shuriken, engulfed in flames, covered Tsunade like a blanket.
Heavenly Foot of Pain! Tsunade raised her leg and stomped down fiercely.
The ground cracked, and countless broken stones flew into the sky under the terrifying force. The sky full of flaming shurikens immediately dissipated.
Body Flicker Jutsu! Tsunade passed through the flames and rubble, arriving before Kitazawa.
But it wasn't just one Kitazawa—there were five.
'Konoha Strong Whirlwind!'
The two Kitazawas in the front rushed forward, one on the left and one on the right. Undeterred, Tsunade stomped her foot, her speed exploding. Her hands unleashed a powerful punch, striking their kicking right feet with incredible force.
Two loud booms! The two Kitazawas trembled as a terrifying, destructive force spread from their right feet throughout their bodies. They screamed and vanished in smoke.
The wind whistled. Kitazawa on the left formed hand seals and used Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere. He transformed into a machine gun, unleashing a continuous stream of wind-like bullets from his mouth.
Simultaneously, two Kitazawas circled behind Tsunade, Rasengan appearing in their palms.
Facing the onslaught of three Kitazawas, Tsunade easily dodged the continuous gusts of wind. She spun around, shattering the Rasengan with a single punch, and with the remaining force, sent him flying.
Kitazawa, who was running toward her from behind, stumbled, and the Rasengan followed him into the pit.
"It seems you're the real one," Tsunade said, looking at Kitazawa, who had used the Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere.
His face paled slightly from the return of his shadow clones.
Tsunade chuckled softly, accelerated her body, and punched Kitazawa. With a bang, Kitazawa vanished into smoke.
"Shadow clone?" Tsunade paused, then heard the sound of breaking wind behind her.
'The first gate of the Eight Inner Gates: Open!'
The Kitazawa she had just sent flying instantly turned into an afterimage, his speed more than double what it was before.
Rasengan! He raised his right hand, and a highly condensed Chakra gathered in his palm.
Tsunade's pupils couldn't help but contract. At the critical moment, she jerked her head, grabbed Kitazawa's wrist with her right hand, and pushed down hard.
The Rasengan slammed into the ground, sending rubble flying and creating a large crater.
"Alright, enough sparring," Tsunade said, releasing her grip and taking a step back. "You're stronger than I thought. You're indeed capable of this mission."
Kitazawa had, in fact, surprised her greatly.
He possessed a high level of proficiency in medical ninjutsu, genjutsu, taijutsu, fire jutsu, and wind jutsu. He even mastered the Eight Inner Gates.
Tsunade hadn't seen such a versatile ninja in a long time. Counting only medical ninjutsu, she was the only other medical ninja besides herself who was so capable.
Why did medical ninjas need protection from their teammates? It wasn't because they refused to learn other ninjutsu, but because they lacked the energy and time to do so.
Tsunade had previously viewed Kitazawa as a medical ninjutsu prodigy, but now her impression had changed. He was truly a ninjutsu prodigy. Being her student was more than enough.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Kitazawa exhaled.
Seeing was believing. Tsunade, relying solely on her extraordinary strength, had already sent him reeling. And it was clear she wasn't using her full strength, or perhaps she wasn't taking the fight seriously.
But Kitazawa wasn't using his full strength either. He didn't dare use his Byakugan, his Gentle Fist, or any of his secret techniques.
If he had, he could have caught Tsunade off guard. After all, ninja warfare was a battle of intelligence. In the original work, Jiraiya was very good at gathering intelligence.
Others included Itachi, Minato, and Fugaku.
---
The two returned to the ANBU office.
"Tsunade-sama." A moment later, Haru pushed open the door and entered, handing over a scroll.
"Go call Kakashi." Tsunade opened the scroll and glanced at it. It contained the exact location of Kabuto Yakushi in Iwagakure Village.
After reading it, she handed the scroll to Kitazawa.
"Tsunade-sama," Hatake Kakashi, with a dead look in his eyes, entered the ANBU office. He glanced at Kitazawa, a little surprised, but didn't ask any further questions.
"I have a mission for you," Tsunade said straight to the point. "Team up with Kitazawa and go to Iwagakure Village to pick up a Konoha ninja."
"...?" Kakashi had no doubts about the mission itself, but he had doubts about Kitazawa.
Kitazawa, a mere mediocre ninja school teacher, taking on an ANBU mission—wasn't that harming him?
"This mission is S-rank," Tsunade said after a moment's thought.
Kitazawa's mind moved, thinking that this was a pleasant surprise. As a ninja, there is a ninja file, which records the number of missions completed and the level of mission completion.
The better the resume, the more popular it is with employers.
At the same time, in theory, there are also mission quantity requirements for participating in the Chunin Exams and Jonin Assessments.
"Kakashi, if you have any questions, Kitazawa will explain them to you on the way." Tsunade waved her hand and said, "You should set off now."
"Okay." Kitazawa paused and reminded, "At the Ninja School, please ask Lady Tsunade to send an ANBU ninja to disguise as me."
"You are very thoughtful." Tsunade nodded with satisfaction and said, "I will arrange it."
"Kakashi, please turn yourself into a six-year-old child," Kitazawa said with a smile.
Kakashi silently formed hand seals with his hands. He was an ANBU ninja, and he had to follow Tsunade's orders no matter how problematic they were.
"Haru, keep a close eye on Shimura Danzo and the Root." After Kitazawa and Hatake Kakashi left, Tsunade said calmly, "I don't think it will be long before they become aware of something."
She could stop Danzo and the Root, but only partially. Some would inevitably slip through the cracks. After all, Danzo had been operating in Konoha for so long.
"Yes," Haru replied immediately.
"If they make a move, call Nono," Tsunade thought for a moment and added.
---
Kitazawa wasn't leaving Konoha for the first time. Before becoming a Chunin, he had undertaken numerous missions.
Each one was daunting, but fortunately, he had been lucky enough to avoid any high-risk missions. After becoming a Chunin, he immediately joined the Ninja Academy as a teacher.
This time, leaving Konoha, his mindset was different; he didn't need to be as nervous as before. After registering with the two great gatekeepers of Konoha, Kitazawa and Kakashi left the village.
"Kitazawa," Kakashi warned as they left the village, "After leaving the Land of Fire, follow my orders."
Kitazawa knew he wasn't trying to seize command, but was worried about his safety. But on the other hand, it also showed that Kakashi had no faith in him.
But that was perfectly normal. Kitazawa was still the old version of Kakashi and hadn't been updated.