Tsunade couldn't understand why Hiruzen Sarutobi had grown increasingly extreme in his actions.
Senju Hanaki, hoping her niece wouldn't be swayed by sentimentality toward her former teacher, said calmly:
"Tsunade, this is your first time confronting Leaf's political struggles. There's much you still don't grasp.
When the Third Hokage was Second Uncle Tobirama's student, he was gentle and valued camaraderie. But as Hokage, he's become hypocritical—and the root cause is simple: his power is lacking.
Father and Second Uncle could suppress the entire village. No one dared defy orders from the Hokage's office.
Forget Leaf—back then, which shinobi village in the entire world would have dared stand alone against us?
At the first Five Kage Summit, Father sent just a few letters, and the other four Kage had no choice but to attend.
The Third may be called a 'Professor of Ninjutsu,' but his strength is far below Father's or Second Uncle's.
The Senju, Uchiha, Hyūga, and even prodigies like Hatake Sakumo—all have their own interests and ambitions.
To hold control, the Third has had to rely on Shimura Danzō and his ruthless, shadowy methods.
Since the Second Great Ninja War began, leaf has suffered terrible losses. The village's strength has plummeted, and his authority has been shaken.
When you, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru fought Hanzō of the Salamander to a standstill and earned the title of the Legendary Sannin, it saved some of his face.
Tsunade, the Senju clan can use the medical corps as cover for now—but that's only a temporary measure.
In the end, strength is everything. True power decides all."
"Look at Hatake Sakumo," Hanaki continued. "He was the Anbu commander under Uncle Tobirama. After the Third took office, he retired from Anbu, yet even the Third must still rely on him in war.
In Leaf, strength always comes first."
Tsunade nodded firmly. Her aunt's words were sharp and true.
She needed to focus on mastering the Yin Seal and step into the realm of Kage-level power as soon as possible.
Just then, Tsunade suddenly turned her head toward the washroom beside the office.
With a sharp motion, she drove her elbow into the wall—smashing it open.
The restroom was empty.
She spun around and dashed into the hallway outside the office.
The corridor, too, was deserted.
At the end of the hall, where construction workers had knocked out a wall to connect the new outpatient building, the night wind blew through the open gap.
Water from the restroom had somehow spilled across the floor, trickling along the corridor until it poured out through the open wall.
There were no footprints. No chakra traces.
Yet she could feel it—someone had been there moments ago.
Who could move so quickly? It was almost as if they had teleported.
Senju Hanaki followed her out.
"What happened?"
Tsunade frowned.
"Someone was in the washroom. Their speed was incredible—they vanished instantly."
Hanaki's expression turned grim.
Even within the Hidden Leaf Village, danger seemed to lurk everywhere.
In the woods behind the hospital, Yagami finally let out a breath.
He'd hidden inside the restroom next to the director's office while Hanaki was occupied earlier.
He'd left the tap running just slightly, letting the water trickle slowly along the floor until it reached the corridor and then down the wall outside.
When Tsunade discovered the disturbance, he used Water Instant Transmission to escape.
As long as there was water—he could move through it.
In the courtyard, a hose used by the builders was still running.
Under cover of night, Yagami used Water Instant Transmission a second time and slipped away from the hospital entirely.
Risky, yes—but worth it. He had gathered plenty of intel.
First, about the Senju clan:
They had shed their illusions and seen the truth clearly—completely standing against the village's leadership.
Hanaki was cautious and shrewd, far more composed than Tsunade, and as hospital director, she held a powerful position.
Tsunade herself was no longer just a princess or figurehead, as one of the Sannin, she now commanded both respect and fear. She was even developing new forbidden techniques to increase her strength.
Second, about Hatake Sakumo:
As Yagami pieced together from what he'd overheard, Sakumo had once served as a young Anbu captain under the Second Hokage before being forced into retirement under the Third.
That history gave him a natural connection to the Senju.
No wonder the higher-ups feared a possible alliance between Sakumo and the Senju—together, they could rival the Hokage's authority.
Yagami felt a strange tug in his heart.
"Am I… starting to sympathize with the other side?"
It felt dangerously close to betrayal.
Back at Anbu headquarters, Yagami reported to his captain, the Yellow Dog:
"Captain, Senju Hanaki and Lady Tsunade were busy in the hospital all night. I found no evidence of contact with Hatake Sakumo."
The Yellow Dog nodded.
"Our other squads confirm that Hatake Sakumo spent the evening studying maps with the forty assigned jōnin. No contact with the Senju."
Yagami asked cautiously:
"Are the Senju truly transferring into the medical corps? How will the village respond?"
The captain sighed.
"Hanaki has been stirring public opinion, reminding everyone that the Senju clan sacrificed Mito-sama, Clan Head Senju Rinki, and nearly seven hundred shinobi for the sake of the Nine-Tails' containment.
She's even made Kushina Uzumaki's status as the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki public. Now, security around her must be doubled."
"These moves have drawn sympathy toward the Senju, especially with so many losses in the war.
Most jōnin support the idea of strengthening the medical corps—and the lower ranks welcome it even more.
Hanaki is far more pragmatic than Rinki ever was.
As for Tsunade—losing her brother and her lover has made her… volatile. No one dares provoke her."
"Among the Sannin, her reputation is the highest. Even Orochimaru and Jiraiya back her.
And strangely enough, it seems even the Hokage has grown wary of his own disciples."
Yagami thought to himself:
"Hanaki becoming clan head—what a masterstroke."
Under her leadership, the Senju had become measured and strategic.
No longer shouting about sacrifice or chasing the title of Hokage—they now sought to survive, to bide their time.
The Yellow Dog handed Yagami a new scroll.
"Fox, remember that list of Hatake Sakumo's followers you submitted? Anbu is investigating each of them.
One name stands out—a man called Arata Shinmei, a mere chūnin but oddly high-ranking in the group.
He's being deployed to the Land of Wind for reconnaissance.
Follow him. Observe everything. Find out what makes him special."
...***
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