Tsunade couldn't understand it—why was Sarutobi Hiruzen becoming more extreme with each passing day?
Senju Hanaki, standing across from her, didn't want Tsunade to be swayed by lingering sentiment toward her former teacher. With a calm but firm tone, she said:
"Tsunade, this is your first time involved in Konoha's political struggles, so there's a lot you haven't seen clearly yet.
When Hiruzen was still training under Uncle Tobirama, he was gentle and valued his comrades. But after becoming Hokage, he grew more hypocritical. And do you know why? Because he's weak.
My father or uncle—either of them—could suppress all of Konoha by force alone. When an order came from the Hokage Tower back then, no one dared disobey it.
Forget just the village—even across the entire shinobi world, was there any hidden village that dared challenge Konoha alone?
At the very first Five Kage Summit, my father merely sent a few letters, and the other four Kage had no choice but to attend.
The Third has a reputation as a master of ninjutsu, but his strength is a far cry from that of Father or Uncle Tobirama.
The Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, and even prodigies like Hatake Sakumo—all of them have their own ambitions and interests.
He can't control them, he can't suppress them.
To achieve his goals, the Third had to rely on Shimura Danzo and his underhanded, shadowy methods.
Since the outbreak of the Second Great Ninja War, the village has suffered heavy casualties. Konoha's strength has plummeted, and his authority has been severely shaken.
You, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru fought Hanzō of the Salamander to a standstill and earned the title of Sannin. That helped salvage some of the Third's reputation.
Tsunade, the Senju can afford to lie low within the medical corps for a time.
But we both know that this is a temporary strategy at best. Sooner or later, we will return to the stage.
At the core of all power struggles is strength—combat strength.
You need to accelerate the development of those forbidden techniques you proposed.
Elite jōnin strength and the title of a Sannin aren't enough to restore the Senju.
Look at Hatake Sakumo—he was ANBU captain during Uncle Tobirama's time.
Even after retiring from the ANBU under the Third, he still had to be relied upon during the war.
In Konoha, power will always come first."
Tsunade nodded repeatedly. Her aunt's analysis was spot on.
She needed to focus on developing the Yin Seal. She had to break through to Kage-level as soon as possible.
Just then, Tsunade suddenly turned her head toward the bathroom.
With a sharp elbow strike, she shattered the wall between the office and the bathroom—only to find it empty.
She dashed into the hallway.
Nothing.
At the far end of the hall, a wall and window had been removed for renovations.
Tsunade looked down. Water had somehow leaked out of the bathroom and flowed across the floor.
It led all the way to the opening at the end of the hallway and dripped down outside.
No footprints.
No chakra traces.
But she was sure—someone had been here just moments ago.
'Who has that kind of escape technique? It was like they teleported out of here…'
Senju Hanaki followed her out. "What happened?"
"I sensed someone in the adjacent bathroom," Tsunade said grimly. "They disappeared using an extremely fast Body Flicker Technique."
Hanaki's expression turned cold.
Even within the heart of Konoha, the air felt thick with danger.
In the woods behind the hospital, Yako exhaled in relief. No one had chased after him.
While Senju Hanaki had been preoccupied, he'd hidden in the bathroom adjacent to the hospital director's office ahead of time.
He'd left the faucet dripping just slightly, letting the water slowly flow across the tiles and down the hallway. By the time it reached the end of the corridor and trickled down the wall, he was already prepared.
When Tsunade sensed him, he immediately used a Water Release Body Flicker to escape.
Anywhere with water—he could vanish from.
Once outside in the courtyard, he found a water hose dripping from brickwork. In the cover of darkness, he used a second Water Flicker and escaped Konoha Hospital entirely.
Risky, but worth it.
He'd overheard quite a lot.
First: the stance of the Senju Clan.
They'd given up their illusions. They'd recognized the reality—and fully turned against the ruling powers of Konoha.
Hanaki was no fool. She was vigilant, rational—more so than Tsunade—and held the vital position of Director of Konoha Hospital.
Tsunade, ever since earning her Sannin title, had risen in the village's hierarchy. No longer just a 'flower vase' princess.
She was developing forbidden jutsu suited to her own style. Her strength would soon rise further.
Then there was the intel on Hatake Sakumo.
If Sakumo had already been ANBU captain in his teens during Tobirama's reign… then later forced into retirement by Sarutobi Hiruzen's promotion…
That gave grounds for alliance between Sakumo and the Senju.
No wonder the higher-ups suspected collusion. There was a connection.
If Sakumo and the Senju aligned, their power could become a true threat to the village leadership.
Yako shifted awkwardly on his perch.
'Why do I suddenly feel like betraying the Anbu? Damn it…'
***
Back in ANBU HQ, Yako reported to Yellow Dog:
"Captain, I tailed Senju Hanaki and Princess Tsunade at the hospital. No evidence of contact with Hatake Sakumo."
Yellow Dog gave a slow nod. "The team tailing Sakumo also reported back. He spent the whole evening studying maps—no sign of Senju operatives."
Yako hesitated, then asked, "So the Senju really are integrating into the medical corps? How is the village planning to respond?"
Yellow Dog replied:
"Hanaki has been waging a steady PR campaign. She's emphasized how the Senju sacrificed everything for the Nine-Tails—Lady Mito, Clan Leader Senju Rinju, and nearly 700 shinobi.
She even publicized the fact that Princess Kushina is the current Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. No attempt to keep it secret.
Now the village is forced to raise her security level.
Hanaki's tactics have earned the Senju quite a bit of sympathy across Konoha.
And with the war's toll, we're critically short on medical nin. So the Senju entering the medical system? Little resistance. Most of the jōnin actually support it.
Even the lower ranks—chūnin and genin—welcome the Senju's healing skills.
Hanaki… she's harder to deal with than Senju Rinju ever was.
Rinju would never have abandoned the clan's pride. But Hanaki—she's cold and practical.
As for Tsunade… after losing her brother and her lover, she's like a living explosive tag. No one dares provoke her.
She's saved countless lives on the battlefield. Of the Sannin, she holds the highest prestige.
With Orochimaru and Jiraiya backing her, there's no good way to handle Tsunade right now.
Funny thing, huh? The older you get, the more scared you are of your students. Even the Hokage seems hesitant around his three disciples these days."
'So Hanaki becoming clan leader… turned out to be a masterstroke,' Yako thought to himself.
Under her leadership, the Senju had grown cautious and pragmatic. No more shouts of "sacrifice everything for the village," no more cries of "become Hokage."
They were avoiding risks, lying low—waiting.
Yellow Dog handed Yako a new scroll.
"Fox, that list of Sakumo's followers—we'll begin investigating each one.
There's one in particular: goes by the name Chōta. Officially just a chūnin, but holds unusually high status within the group.
He's about to be sent to the Land of Wind for preliminary intel gathering.
You're to follow him. Find out what's abnormal about him—if anything."