Chapter 72: Gambling?
Danzo's piercing gaze locked onto Tsunade, his eyes sharp as a blade, cutting through the tense air of the Hokage Office. Before anyone could speak, he launched into his accusations with cold precision.
"My son, Renji, and my subordinate, Sai, went on a mission under your command. They haven't returned, yet everyone else stands here unscathed?" His voice dripped with barely concealed contempt. "Tsunade, you owe me an explanation! Or does the Hokage now think she can simply disregard us elders of the village?"
Naruto's eyes widened in shock, his jaw practically hitting the floor. This grim old man standing before them was Renji's father? This was the first time he'd ever laid eyes on the man.
Tsunade gritted her teeth, her brows knitting together tightly, a storm brewing behind her eyes. She'd known Danzo wouldn't let this slide easily—he never did. But to barge in so swiftly, armed with accusations?
Had his intelligence network tipped him off already? Her gaze hardened as she faced Danzo Shimura. "Your subordinate, Sai, chose to leave with Orochimaru of his own accord. Elder Danzo, I'm the one who should be questioning whether you're colluding with that Konoha rogue ninja, Orochimaru!"
"Evidence!" Danzo's voice was steady, unshaken, his composure like cold steel. "Show me the proof, Tsunade."
"Kakashi can testify to it," Tsunade shot back, her stare unflinching.
Danzo sneered, his lips curling with disdain. "Who in this village doesn't know Kakashi is your loyal lapdog? His word means nothing! And what about my subordinate? Does his testimony hold any weight in your eyes?" His gaze swept over Kakashi, a dark glint flashing briefly but menacingly. "Next, you'll be slandering Renji as a traitor to the village, won't you?"
"You—!" Tsunade's voice trembled with fury, her fists clenching. Her grandfather's revival, Renji's abduction, and now Danzo's relentless verbal assault—her temples throbbed painfully, each accusation pounding like a hammer. Was this manipulative, truth-twisting man really Renji's father?
Naruto stared at Danzo, dumbfounded. The elder was so consumed with berating the Hokage that he seemed utterly indifferent to his own son's fate. "Renji was kidnapped!" Naruto blurted, unable to hold back any longer. "You're his father! Don't you care at all? All you're doing is pointing fingers—you don't even seem worried about Renji!"
His eyes stung, tears blurring his vision as the world swam before him. His voice cracked with raw emotion as he shouted at Danzo, anger and frustration boiling over.
"As expected of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—utterly disrespectful!" Danzo's cold gaze fixed on Naruto, brimming with indifference and a trace of disgust, a look Naruto had endured countless times growing up in the village. But none had ever carried the sheer arrogance and contempt radiating from Danzo Shimura now. Naruto clenched his teeth so hard he tasted the metallic tang of blood in his mouth.
"This mission was a gross misjudgment on your part as Hokage," Danzo continued, turning his icy stare back to Tsunade. "You even allowed Uzumaki Naruto, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, to participate in a battle that spiraled out of control. I will report this failure in its entirety to the Land of Fire Daimyo."
Inwardly, Danzo sneered. Just an inexperienced girl, he thought. So what if she was the First Hokage's granddaughter? She was still no match for him—a defeated opponent at best.
With that, Danzo turned and strode out of the office, Owl and Nightjar trailing behind him like silent shadows, his exit radiating the air of a victor leaving the battlefield.
The moment Danzo's figure vanished from sight, Tsunade slumped into the Hokage's chair, exhaustion etched into every line of her face. Her strength seemed to drain away, leaving her hollow.
"What did he mean by all that?" Naruto asked, confusion clouding his features. Why report to the Land of Fire Daimyo? And why did Lord Hokage look so utterly defeated?
When it came to the intricate web of village politics and power struggles, Naruto and Sakura were still too young, too naive. They hadn't yet grasped that the cruelty of the adult world was far more tangled and ruthless than a mere clash of strength.
Kakashi stepped in, his voice calm but heavy with gravity. "Elder Danzo was a classmate of the Third Hokage and a disciple of the Second Hokage. He once competed with the Third for the Hokage title and lost. But all these years, he's never abandoned his ambition to claim that seat." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle. "Danzo is a hardliner, obsessed with military might and control—nothing like the Third or our current Hokage. Reporting this mission's failure to the Land of Fire Daimyo is his way of casting doubt on Tsunade's competence as Hokage."
"The consequence?" Kakashi continued, his gaze shifting to Naruto. "Danzo could maneuver himself into the Hokage position."
Naruto's eyes widened in horror. If Danzo became Hokage, he'd be the first to suffer. Kakashi knew it too—Danzo would likely lock Naruto away, treating the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki as a weapon to be caged. And Sasuke, already branded a defector from Konoha, would face a merciless wanted order, hunted without quarter. For Team 7, Danzo's rise would spell the end of their lives as they knew them.
"What?!" Naruto exclaimed, his voice thick with disbelief. Though he'd only just met Danzo, the elder's cold, ruthless demeanor had already seared itself into his mind. Someone who didn't even care about his own son—how could a man like that become Hokage? "No way! I won't let that happen!" he declared, his tone bordering on a childish tantrum as he looked at Tsunade with fierce determination.
Kakashi's voice cut through, steady and pragmatic. "The only way to counter this now is to rescue Renji and Sasuke—and find concrete evidence of Sai's collusion with Orochimaru. Even if Danzo tries to pin all the blame on Sai, as his handler, he'd still be implicated. It could keep him in check and ruin his chances of becoming Hokage."
Tsunade rubbed her temples, physically and mentally drained, her voice weary. "The Revivalist Alliance has ninja like my grandfather—possibly my great-uncle, Tobirama, too, and who knows how many others from different villages. Rescuing Renji…" She trailed off, but they all understood the impossible odds.
Sasuke's situation was complicated by his own choices, his defection a matter of will. Renji's, however, involved enemies far too powerful to confront head-on. Both missions were beyond S-rank, teetering on the edge of suicidal. Renji's rescue, in particular, seemed like a one-in-a-million shot at survival. Anyone who went after him would face near-certain death.
"Time is critical," Tsunade said, her tone resolute despite her exhaustion. "The tracker on Sai won't stay hidden for long. The mission to pursue Sasuke must depart immediately." She looked at Naruto and Sakura. "I'll assign another ninja to join you."
"But what about Renji?" Sakura and Naruto began, only for Tsunade to cut them off sharply.
"Rescuing Renji is too dangerous!" she snapped. "Naruto, as the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, walking into an organization we know next to nothing about would be like a turtle trapped in a jar—helpless." She couldn't risk Naruto on such a gamble. Besides, in their current state, neither Naruto nor Sakura could contribute much to a mission of that caliber.
Tsunade stood, her presence commanding despite her fatigue. "I'll lead the mission to rescue Renji myself. Kakashi, you and Might Guy are coming with me."
Kakashi's eyes widened in alarm. "But… the Hokage can't just leave the village—"
Tsunade's face twisted into a bitter smile. "The enemy is my own grandfather, and my disciple has been kidnapped. How can I sit here doing nothing?" She sighed heavily. "Besides, if Renji isn't brought back, I might not be Hokage for much longer anyway."
Danzo was not someone to underestimate. He'd suffered a significant loss with Renji's abduction, and knowing the effort he'd invested in cultivating Renji's talents, he wouldn't let this slide quietly.
...
ROOT Headquarters
Danzo sat with his eyes closed, the dim flicker of candlelight casting shifting shadows across his stern face, alternating between light and darkness. His voice was steady, unshaken, like a boulder unmoved by a storm. "Owl, why the rush?"
Though Owl hadn't uttered a single word, his face hidden completely behind the Cat Face mask, Danzo could sense the anxious aura radiating from him.
At Danzo's question, Owl dropped to one knee. "Lord Danzo, do we need to rescue Renji?"
Nightjar, the Dog Face, tilted his head slightly, glancing at Owl with curiosity but remaining silent.
Danzo let out a soft, chilling chuckle, the sound unsettling in the dimly lit chamber. "No need to rescue Renji," he said to Owl, his tone laced with confidence. "He's a ninja we trained personally."
Danzo handed a sealed letter to Owl, who opened it and scanned the contents. A wave of relief washed over him, and beneath the mask, his lips curved into a faint smile. Everything was proceeding according to plan.
The letter's contents were concise and to the point: Renji's Bloodline Limit made him a prime target. By allowing the Revivalist Alliance to abduct him, Danzo could cast a shadow over Tsunade's leadership and quietly undermine her authority. Since Renji's life was bound to Hasumi Maki's, there was no real risk of death — Tsunade would inevitably move to rescue him. Danzo merely needed to exploit that impulse to his own advantage, turning the situation entirely in his favor.
Nightjar's curiosity flickered, but with Lord Danzo remaining silent, he didn't dare voice a single question.
Danzo studied the letter for a moment, a faint smirk forming in his mind. Truly, my good son, he thought.
...
Deep Underground
Beneath a pitch-black expanse of earth, faint candlelight flickered weakly, casting a dim glow that barely illuminated the immediate surroundings. The path ahead stretched into endless darkness, oppressive and foreboding, enough to instill fear in most. But for Sai, this shadowy environment felt oddly comforting, more familiar than the bright surface world above.
In the dark tunnel, the sound of their footsteps echoed sharply—Sai's, Orochimaru's, and Kabuto Yakushi's. Sai's gaze fixed on the backs of the two ahead, his thoughts drifting involuntarily.
By now, Renji must have returned to Konoha with Kakashi and the others. Maybe Renji had already noticed his absence, quicker than Sai had anticipated. Perhaps Renji would soon realize that Sai had deceived him, played him for a fool. What would Renji's reaction be? Would he be furious? Sai's lips curved upward slightly, a faint smirk forming. The suffocating darkness ahead no longer felt like an all-consuming void. A sliver of light pierced through the hazy gloom, faint but undeniable.
Sai's eyes locked forward, the smirk fading from his gaze, though the curve of his lips remained fixed. A shadowy figure sat before them, perched atop a stone-carved snake head. Scarlet Sharingan eyes spun slowly, glinting in the dim light—Uchiha Sasuke.
"Orochimaru," Sasuke said coldly, his voice cutting like a blade. "You're too slow. Didn't you say you'd train me in new Ninjutsu this afternoon?"
Orochimaru took Sasuke's icy attitude in stride, unfazed. He was accustomed to it by now. After all, Sasuke was his most prized possession—a treasure worth tolerating.
"Don't be so upset," Orochimaru replied with a placating tone, a sly smile creeping across his face. "I brought you a gift today." His gaze shifted to Sai. "A fellow Konoha ninja, just like you. You must miss your hometown—why not catch up and reminisce?"
Orochimaru's words carried a strange undertone, as if he relished poking at Sasuke's sensitivities. He knew full well Sasuke had no interest in such sentimental nonsense, but testing his reactions was a game Orochimaru enjoyed.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Sai," Sai introduced himself with a practiced smile, exuding friendliness—or so he thought. "You're Uchiha Sasuke, right?" Inwardly, though, he harbored a simmering annoyance toward Sasuke.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000!]
[Chakra (78,682,501 / 100,000,000)]
"Get lost," Sasuke spat, his voice a single, venomous syllable.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000!]
[Chakra (78,683,501 / 100,000,000)]
"Wow, you really hate me, don't you?" Sai said, his smile unwavering, betraying no hint of anger. He leaned in slightly, his tone teasing. "That's fine. Renji likes me quite a lot, you know."
Orochimaru: "…"
Kabuto Yakushi: "…"
Both turned their gazes to Sasuke, half-expecting him to brush off such a bizarre provocation. Surely Sasuke wouldn't care about something so trivial, right?
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +3,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +3,000!]
[Chakra (78,686,501 / 100,000,000)]
Sai's legs buckled suddenly, as if he'd been yanked into a warped, disorienting space. No—this wasn't right! He was standing right beside Orochimaru and Kabuto Yakushi; how could this happen? It was Uchiha Sasuke's doing! As an Uchiha, genjutsu was his forte, and Sai had clearly struck a nerve. Renji really was a sore spot for him.
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +1,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +1,000!]
[Chakra (78,687,501 / 100,000,000)]
Without hesitation, Sai channeled his Chakra, shattering the illusion that had briefly ensnared him. It was a simple warning, nothing more, but Orochimaru noticed the exchange with keen interest. Sasuke was irritated, and Orochimaru wasn't about to let such an opportunity slip. He chuckled, his voice dripping with mischief. "Speaking of which, Sai here replaced you on Team 7…"
Kabuto Yakushi raised an eyebrow, picking up Orochimaru's thread with a sly grin. "It seems Renji's taken quite a liking to him as your substitute, Sasuke. Why else would they be so close?"
Substitute?
[Ding!]
[Human Malice Value detected: +10,000!]
[Cursed Energy converted to Chakra: +10,000!]
[Chakra (78,697,501 / 100,000,000)]
He's not worthy!
...
Elsewhere, Renji's mind buzzed with the incessant, intermittent beeping of system notifications, his expression a mix of exasperation and curiosity.
Who the hell was it? Who was out there badmouthing him behind his back like this? He hadn't even shown up anywhere, yet someone was racking up Malice Value points against him like it was a game.
Could it be Sai? That guy had a sneaky streak, and Renji couldn't think of anyone else petty enough to do this. Obito, at least, didn't seem the type to waste his time cursing Renji in his head all day.
Renji stood casually, a grilled saury skewer still in his hand, the savory aroma mingling with the tension in the air. He glanced at the clone beside him—Senju Hashirama, sporting that same hearty grin. "Someone's tracking us," the clone said, his enhanced senses picking up the rapidly approaching Chakra signatures.
Renji swallowed the last three bites of saury in one go, unfazed. "Let them chase. For now, let's do something that suits Senju Hashirama's style!"
The clone's eyes lit up with understanding, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Gambling?"
Renji met his gaze, and both broke into subtle, conspiratorial smiles before diving headfirst into the nearest gambling den.
----
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