Telling Tsunade who it was?
Shigure thought for a moment.
"You'll know later. Don't worry, I won't force anyone to leave."
Tsunade could only let out a helpless sigh when he refused to elaborate.
"It's about time," she murmured.
Time?
Shigure immediately understood.
He stood up slowly.
"I'm here to help Danzō this time. He should already know I came to see you first."
Tsunade looked at him sharply.
"Then why come to me before going to him?"
"What do I have to be afraid of? I brought Ameyuri Ringo with me. Just say I asked you to treat her. What's wrong with visiting you first?"
If Shigure had gone to see Danzō before seeing her, that would've been suspicious.
Of course Danzō knew Shigure hated him—how could he not? Even if he pretended not to know, he could easily guess.
Danzō had used Gekkō Hayate to threaten him. For Shigure to act as if he bore no resentment would've been the real abnormality.
"Fine. Then go."
"And please take care of Ameyuri Ringo for me. If possible, arrange a treatment plan. The final treatment doesn't have to be in Konoha, right?"
Tsunade watched him leave.
Of course she knew what he meant.
Of course she knew why Shigure added that last line.
He was giving her an excuse—an easy reason for her to summon him to Konoha again.
But after this, would he even want to return?
With things escalating between the Hidden Mist and Konoha, peaceful coexistence seemed increasingly unlikely.
Shigure had barely walked out of Tsunade's courtyard before an Anbu suddenly appeared.
"Lord Shigure. Lord Danzō requests your presence."
As expected—impatient.
"Isn't it obvious I'm heading to the Hokage Building?"
Shigure rolled his eyes.
Kuji immediately stepped forward.
"Scram."
The Anbu stiffened. He hadn't expected the Mist-nin to be this arrogant in Konoha.
But after sensing their chakra—each one radiating the pressure of an elite operative—the Anbu lowered his head and stepped to the side without another word.
Even without the official title, Danzō currently occupied the Hokage Building and held practical authority in the village.
Standing before the Hokage Building, Shigure felt a surge of nostalgia.
Once, he too had thought it might not be so bad to become Hokage.
He never imagined that in the end, the possibility would slip away forever.
Who knew what Danzō—who once dismissed him without a second thought—was thinking now?
In the Hokage's office, Danzō observed Shigure's approach with a complicated expression.
Judging by Shigure's escort, his current status in the Hidden Mist was undeniably high.
In fact, Danzō had originally assumed that if Shigure went to the Mist—a village notorious for its brutal environment—he would eventually become a missing-nin.
A genius, erased by harsh circumstances.
But instead…Shigure had become even more dazzling.
His entourage alone revealed everything: multiple elite jōnin-level Mist shinobi and the one leading them might even rival Kakashi.
The Mizukage had clearly sent more than just protection.
Shigure meant something to the Mist.
Then again—he was also their Jinchūriki.
And not just of one Tailed Beast, but two.
Even Danzō couldn't have predicted that.
A knock sounded.
Shigure entered.
Seeing Danzō again, the man looked strangely rejuvenated—likely drunk on his Hokage fantasies.
"Long time no see, Shigure-kun," Danzō greeted with a polite smile.
A mask of hypocrisy.
Shigure offered no courtesy in return.
Instead, he stared at him coolly.
"Judging by your expression, Lord Danzō, you're determined to become Hokage."
Danzō chuckled.
"Of course. Haven't I schemed all these years precisely for this moment? There's still Tsunade, but she's hardly worth mentioning."
…He really looked down on Tsunade that much?
"But I'm curious," Danzō added.
"The moment you arrived, you ran to see Tsunade. Is there someone here you missed more than Hayate?"
From the shadows, Gekkō Hayate stepped forward.
Shigure's eyes narrowed.
Danzō had used a jutsu—some form of mental manipulation.
Hayate's empty gaze said it all.
His consciousness was gone.
He was a puppet.
"You want the Hidden Mist to support you," Shigure said calmly.
"I came personally to Konoha to support you. Isn't that sincerity enough?"
Danzō froze.
Indeed—if the Mist wanted to support him, there was no need for Shigure to come personally.
A simple message to the Land of Fire Daimyō would've been sufficient.
With the Hokage position deadlocked, only the Daimyō could make the final decision.
And with pressure from other nations, the Daimyō would inevitably consider foreign support.
"In addition," Shigure continued, "I'm here to pick up some people. I'm sure Lord Danzō won't object."
Danzō understood instantly.
Shigure was cutting off any possible leverage.
But it didn't matter.
Once he became Hokage, those people wouldn't remain in Konoha anyway.
"…Of course," Danzō said lightly.
It was only the Gekkō Clan, not the Hyūga. Letting Shigure take them was fine.
"But Shigure-kun," Danzō asked smoothly, "what do you think of Tsunade?"
He was probing—trying to see what the two had discussed.
Shigure smiled faintly.
"A Mist-nin named Ameyuri Ringo has exceptional talent, but she's ill. Only Lady Tsunade can treat her."
Danzō nodded.
So that was the reason.
"As for my thoughts on Tsunade," Shigure added, "I have no opinion. Whether she's good or bad has nothing to do with me."
He would not involve himself in their power struggle.
Shigure immediately caught the underlying implication.
Danzō smiled thinly.
"Very good, Hayate. Your clan brother has returned to see you—go spend some time with him."
He waved his hand, signaling that Shigure was dismissed.
Shigure shot him a cold glance.
So that was it—Danzō wanted to use a puppet to monitor him.
As for the mind-control Ninjutsu placed on Gekkō Hayate, Shigure quietly asked within:
Great Sage… can it be dispelled?
[Great Sage: Analyzing… Solution formulated.]
[Complete. Host may dispel the opponent's control Ninjutsu at any time.]
Perfect.
Shigure turned and left the office, Hayate trailing silently behind him like a lifeless shadow.
Tomorrow, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire would arrive.
The matter of the Hokage appointment would finally be decided.
Once they were far enough away, Shigure casually lifted a hand—and in an instant, the control technique was erased.
Hayate staggered, blinking rapidly.
"Shigure… what… what happened to me?"
"You were being controlled by Danzō."
"…Controlled?"
Hayate's face paled. The idea that Danzō would stoop to such a taboo—using Ninjutsu to enslave his own subordinate—left him shaken.
Shigure didn't waste time.
"I still have people I need to meet, so I'll keep this short, Hayate."
He looked him straight in the eyes.
"If you're willing to come with me to the Hidden Mist, we'll leave together. If not, you can stay."
"The choice is yours."
...
TN:
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