Not to mention, among the Uchiha clan, only Uchiha Sasuke was left.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was about to get angry, but he saw the sneer on the Cloud Shinobi Village messenger's face.
It was like being splashed with a bucket of cold water.
What could Konoha possibly do now? Start a war with Cloud Shinobi Village?
Naruto had already left Konoha. Without the Jinchūriki and the Nine Tails, they were vulnerable.
If a war broke out, Cloud Shinobi Village would definitely take advantage of them.
By then, in order to calm the conflict, the price they'd have to pay wouldn't just be one or two people.
Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen was trying to calm himself and think—
A crisp, confident voice came from outside the door.
"Cloud Shinobi Village sure has a big appetite. Aren't you afraid you'll choke to death?"
Boom!
The office door was kicked open.
Several figures walked in from outside.
The leader was a woman holding a unique weapon.
Behind her stood three young girls.
Shizune, Ino, and Haruno Sakura.
There was no doubt—the person who had just stormed into the Hokage's office was Tsunade.
Her sudden appearance made both Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Cloud Shinobi messenger freeze for a moment.
Then—
Sarutobi Hiruzen's face lit up with joy.
"Tsunade, you've returned to the village?" he asked in surprise.
With Tsunade back, Konoha finally had someone to speak for them.
The Cloud Shinobi messenger forced a smile, suddenly feeling a little nervous.
This time, he had come to Konoha with the intention of causing trouble.
He originally thought he'd only be bullying an old man—so he was confident.
But he hadn't expected Tsunade to appear halfway through.
Tsunade was nothing like Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Hiruzen was old and cautious, but even though Tsunade wasn't young, she was anything but timid.
As one of the Legendary Sannin, she had survived countless battles against the so-called demigods of the ninja world!
After all these years of training, no one could say for sure just how strong Tsunade had become.
The Cloud Shinobi messenger froze on the spot.
Tsunade didn't plan to let him go easily. She crossed her arms and asked coldly, "What did you just say?"
The messenger forced a smile, awkwardly changing his original tone.
"Ah, yes… I came under orders from Lord Raikage, representing Cloud Shinobi Village. We intend to form an alliance through marriage with Konoha."
"If Konoha agrees, all past unpleasantness will be wiped away."
Tsunade sneered, crossing her arms as she waited for him to continue.
Seeing her expression, the messenger started to get annoyed.
What's she acting so high and mighty for?
Isn't she just one of the Sannin?
I've already backed down.
You're not a Jinchūriki or a tailed beast.
I've already compromised, and you still won't step down?
Do you really think Cloud Shinobi Village is easy to mess with?
Even if Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru all returned to Konoha at the same time—
Without any tailed beasts, Konoha still wouldn't stand a chance against Cloud Shinobi Village, which had two Jinchūriki.
Thinking that, the messenger hardened his tone.
"As long as Konoha agrees to marry Hyūga Hinata to Cloud Shinobi Village, we won't hold Konoha accountable for its past actions."
Actually—
Who was worth more, Uchiha Sasuke or Hyūga Hinata?
Of course, Sasuke.
After all, for breeding purposes, men could produce heirs faster.
But Sasuke was the only one left.
Now that Tsunade had returned, the messenger didn't dare bring him up again.
Tsunade's expression darkened even more at his words.
But the messenger's smug, self-satisfied face made her fists itch.
Before she could speak, someone behind her couldn't take it anymore.
When Haruno Sakura heard that this guy wanted to take advantage of Hinata, she couldn't help but sneer.
"What kind of system does your Cloud Shinobi Village even have? It's disgusting!"
The messenger saw that Tsunade and Hiruzen didn't say anything, and instead, a mere girl spoke up.
He looked at her with contempt. "Oh? And who are you? Do you even have the right to speak on behalf of Konoha?"
"I…" Haruno Sakura faltered for a moment.
Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly gave Tsunade a meaningful look.
Tsunade also glanced at Sakura, signaling her to stay quiet.
But Haruno Sakura was known for her stubbornness—
Especially when it came to anything involving Naruto.
Ignoring Ino tugging at her sleeve, she said sharply, "If your Cloud Shinobi Village dares to touch Hinata, aren't you afraid Naruto will send a few Tailed Beast Bombs your way in the middle of the night?"
The messenger was about to explode.
A little brat dared to talk back to him!
But as soon as he heard the words Naruto and Tailed Beast Bomb, he froze.
He frowned. "What did you just say? Hyūga Hinata knows the Nine Tails' Jinchūriki?"
Sakura snorted. "Of course! They're engaged!"
"Naruto is incredibly strong, and now you dare to provoke him? Maybe you've got a death wish!"
The messenger went pale.
Naruto's power was already well-known.
Just look at his record—
He'd easily defeated Shukaku, a perfect Jinchūriki.
And Shukaku ranked among the strongest of the tailed beasts.
Plus, Naruto himself was the perfect Nine Tails' Jinchūriki.
Although his battles with the Akatsuki hadn't been made public, and no one knew much about that organization—
Even from what was known, it wasn't hard to see that Naruto's strength was already close to that of a Kage.
And he was still young—still growing stronger.
It was definitely not wise to offend a rising star who might soon surpass Kage-level combat power.
The messenger's expression darkened, and he quickly changed his tone again.
"Then… Konoha must hand over Uchiha Sasuke instead!"
Haruno Sakura sneered again.
Ino's scalp went numb as she watched, wanting to stop her.
She reached for Sakura's arm, but Sakura brushed her off.
Ino: "…"
Sister, can you please stop being so stubborn?
Even the Hokage and Tsunade wouldn't say such things without careful thought!
But Sakura was relentless, her anger blazing.
"You must have a death wish! Sasuke is Naruto's disciple. Do you really think Naruto would let you lay a hand on him?"
The messenger's expression twisted like he'd just eaten something foul.
Sarutobi Hiruzen and Tsunade exchanged glances, instantly understanding each other's thoughts.
Let Sakura talk however she wants.
If something happens, we'll just say she's young and impulsive.
If nothing happens, we'll back her up.
Either way, there's no loss—and it'll disgust the Cloud messenger even more.
Backed into a corner by Haruno Sakura, the messenger finally snapped.
"Fine! We, Cloud Shinobi Village, have no interest in the blood of the Uchiha or Hyūga clans, nor in any bloodline limits!"
"Looking at you, you must be Tsunade-sama's disciple, right?"
"For the sake of peace between our two villages, you should make some… sacrifices."
Sakura saw the man's disgusting expression and smirked.
"Then you're really barking up the wrong tree. I'm Naruto's official wife!"
You?
What a foolish little girl!
The messenger rolled his eyes so hard he nearly fainted.
What kind of monster was this Naruto?
Why did everyone seem to be connected to him somehow?
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