Bonus for 10 reviews as promised; thanks for your support with PS, too. More bonus for that coming soon.
I know some of you feel the MC is being a bit too passive around Tsunade right now, but that's only temporary. At this stage, he simply doesn't have the power to push back, but the tables will turn soon. xD
And as you might have noticed, while there will be lots of action in a while, it's also a bit slice-of-life oriented, so if you don't mind that, read on.
Thanks for your support once again.
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In the dead of night, the Hokage Office was dimly lit and filled with smoke.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, a pipe clamped between his fingers, was frowning at a scroll when the door groaned under an unbearable force and was kicked open with a clang.
The spark in the pipe jumped in surprise.
Tsunade strode in, bringing with her a strong aroma of meat and the chill of a dewy night.
In her left hand, she held a large, dark brown, glistening pork neck, stained with a few dried leaves. Thick sauce slowly dripped between her fingers. In her right hand, she casually clutched a scroll, its edge still smudged with dark red marks.
The Anbu on duty in the shadows by the door, intimidated by her violence, instinctively tensed as she passed.
"Old man!" Tsunade walked straight to the desk, her voice booming. With a pat, she threw the glistening roasted pork neck onto Hiruzen's document-strewn desk. The savory aroma instantly overpowered the smell of tobacco. "Still up this late?"
Hiruzen's gaze lifted from the well-worn pork to Tsunade's slightly disheveled outfit, its corners stained with grass and wet mud, then to her greasy, possibly blood-stained hands. His brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. "Oh? Coming to see me with such a grand display, what is it? …And this?"
"Ryo. Kamiyama Ryo." Tsunade wiped her mouth, as if still savoring the charred and tender aroma. "I just finished testing that kid." Her tone carried post-battle satisfaction. "Satisfied. Very satisfied. From now on, he is my official first disciple. I came specifically to let you know."
She did not shy away, explaining in a few words how she had a sudden whim to test the mettle of the guy Kushina and Nawaki had been talking about, how she disguised herself as Anbu to ambush him in the Forest of Death, how she used the kid as a punching bag until he broke his limits, and how she was "thanked," only to be conquered by his superb barbecue skills.
Hiruzen listened in silence, his pipe almost slipping from his hand.
He took a deep puff, choked, and his mouth twitched slightly. "Cough. So, you call this an assessment?"
He looked deeply at his disciple, his gaze a mix of empathy for his own teacher's headaches back then and helpless amusement. "Tsunade, your method of thanking someone when taking them as a student is a bit, cough." He gestured at Tsunade with the stem of his pipe. "Unusual."
"What is wrong with unusual? As long as it is effective." Tsunade tossed her golden hair, righteous. "Isn't the effect good? That kid is tough, perfect for grinding down his wildness. Besides," she patted the scroll stained with dark red, "didn't I pull him back into the light for you? To keep him from being coveted by certain roots in the gutters." She hinted at something, then yawned, signaling the end of the topic. "Alright, I've taken him on. That is settled. If there is nothing else, I am leaving."
"Good. I understand." Hiruzen immediately caught the deeper meaning in her words, a sharp light flashing in his eyes. He responded decisively, genuine relief on his face.
His fingers imperceptibly tapped his pipe. Ryo joining the Hokage lineage, becoming his grand-disciple. Kushina and Ryo's bond deepening daily, almost intertwined, and Kushina being the future Kyūbi Jinchūriki…
These three lines instantly braided into a clear, strong rope in his mind, held firmly in the Hokage's hand. A trace of ease and the pleasure of holding the overall situation flashed in his eyes.
Tsunade saw his expression and knew the old man was once again calculating his intricate game.
She said no more, too lazy to bother with the twists and turns, and picked up the pig's trotter on the table that had witnessed her sincerity. "I am off."
She turned like a gust of wind. The office door groaned again, and her golden-haired figure disappeared down the corridor.
Hiruzen watched her leave, and once the door closed, the relief on his face instantly receded, replaced by his usual deep calm.
Smoke once again permeated the air.
An Anbu wearing an animal mask silently knelt before the desk, as if emerging from the shadows.
"Go." The Third's voice was low and authoritative, carrying undeniable power. "Inform Danzō. Tsunade has personally confirmed taking Ryo as her direct disciple, and from today, Ryo is her only direct disciple." He paused, emphasizing his words. "Warn him. Put away any improper thoughts. No one is to scheme against Ryo again. No one."
"Understood, Hokage-sama."
…
Bang. A delicate celadon teacup shattered into pieces in the depths of Ne's secret base.
Danzō's grim face twisted and monstrous like a demon in the flickering candlelight.
He clutched the small scroll just delivered from the Hokage Tower, his knuckles white, a chilling cold and fury seeping from his bones.
"Sa…ru…to…bi… Hi…ru…zen…" A hoarse voice, like sandpaper rubbing dry bone, squeezed out word by word from between his clenched teeth.
Every word on that paper was like a red-hot brand, searing his heart. Tsunade taking a disciple, Ryo becoming part of the Hokage line, the warning…
Every line declared his failure.
The promising talent he had set his eyes on, that sharp blade that could tear through enemies and stain Konoha's foundations in the future, had been snatched away.
Bang. Another furious punch slammed into the hard ebony desk, the dull thud shaking dust from the ceiling.
His eyes seemed to burn, bloodshot and bulging, staring fixedly at the scroll, threads of red crazily crawling across his eyeballs.
This was not just losing a potential new talent. It was a blatant slap and suppression.
The Third Hokage was using the name of Tsunade and her disciple to pin down Danzō and the entire sphere of Root.
"Heh… hehe…" At the peak of rage, he laughed instead, his mouth twisting upward into a strange, chilling arc that could stop a child's crying. "Hiruzen. Tsunade."
The firelight danced on his distorted face. His sinister gaze pierced the shadowed rock walls, fixed in the direction of the Hokage Tower.
"You want it all? Good." His voice was as soft as a snake's hiss, yet it carried a coldness that seeped into every blue brick of the basement. "Just wait and see. Whether it is the Kyūbi Jinchūriki, or that sharp blade. You may hold them for a while, but can you hold them for a lifetime?"
(To be continued.)
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