A few calm days passed in Konoha after Sakura's training began. The village looked peaceful, like always. People walked the streets, children played, and shops stayed open late into the evening. But beneath the surface, things were changing fast. Hajime had set something big in motion, and Tsunade had agreed to follow through.

That morning, the Hokage Tower felt especially quiet. Tsunade sat in her office, reading a scroll with a serious expression. A single candle flickered beside her. She wore her Hokage coat but didn't bother tying it. Her hair was a little messy from staying up too late.

Outside the window, the village looked calm. But far beyond the borders, in the Land of Fire's capital, a different kind of silence was spreading. One created by ANBU.

Without any official announcement, Konoha had sent its elite. The orders were clear. Remove the Fire Daimyo. No noise, no mess. Take the family, the close ministers, and make sure no loyalists remained. It had to be fast and quiet. And it was.

ANBU teams moved like shadows. A special squad led by Yamato handled the infiltration. Kakashi led the strike force. The mission was done before the sun rose. No one screamed. No one escaped. By morning, the capital was still, just without its rulers.

At the same time, other squads had a different task. They swept through the Daimyo's vaults. Chakra metal, gold bars, sealed scrolls of land ownership, hidden jutsu contracts, emergency food stores, even noble jewelry, all were collected and sealed into secure scrolls. The teams were trained not just to fight, but to preserve value. Nothing was damaged. Everything was accounted for.

Back in Konoha, Hajime wasn't in the tower. He was outside the village, in a rocky training ground near a quiet stream. Tsunade and Sakura were with him. The sky was clear, and the ground was marked with footprints and craters from training.

Sakura stood across from Tsunade. She was sweating, breathing hard, but still smiling.

"Again?" Tsunade asked, stretching her arms.

"Yeah," Sakura replied, wiping her forehead. "Let's go."

They began sparring. No chakra-enhanced punches, just hand-to-hand. Tsunade moved faster, with more control, but Sakura was improving with each round. Her reaction time was sharp. She dodged low, blocked a kick, then countered with a quick elbow to the ribs. Tsunade grunted, stepped back, and smirked.

"You're adapting fast," she said.

"Still not enough," Sakura replied, hands up.

They kept going. Tsunade landed a clean hit to Sakura's shoulder, knocking her back. But Sakura twisted mid-fall and landed on her feet. She was breathing heavier now, but her eyes were focused.

Hajime watched from a stone ledge nearby. He didn't say anything. He just observed quietly.

After ten more minutes, they stopped. Tsunade raised a hand.

"Alright, break time."

Sakura dropped to the ground, sitting on a flat rock. She grabbed her water bottle and took a long sip.

"You're stronger than I expected," Tsunade said, walking over. "Not just your punches. Your body's different."

She knelt beside Sakura and gently pressed her fingers to her wrist, then her stomach, then her ribs.

"Your Second Heart gave you a lot of endurance and stamina recovery" She looked up at Hajime. "It that Right?"

"Yes," Hajime replied. "It helps her stay active longer, improves blood flow, and it also enhance her chakra recovery."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "And her muscles?"

"Enhanced. More efficient. She can push harder without risking damage."

Sakura looked between the two. "I feel fine, just... hungry a lot."

"That's normal," Hajime said. "Your body is adjusting and are still growing"

Tsunade stood up and crossed her arms. "You didn't just enhance her strength. Her bones are harder. I noticed it when we collided. She didn't bruise from a full contact block."

Hajime nodded. "Partial bone enhancement. Enhancing her bones, that enough to punch her whole strength to a rock, without breaking a bone."

Tsunade gave a short whistle. "No wonder she's keeping up. You really Strengthen her a lot."

Before anyone could respond, two masked ANBU appeared in a blur of motion. They knelt beside Tsunade and lowered their heads.

"Mission complete," the first said. "The Daimyo and his family have been removed. Loyal ministers handled. No leaks."

The second placed two large scrolls on the ground.

"This scroll contains liquid assets and cash. Estimated 5 billion Ryo."

He placed the second scroll beside it.

"This one holds chakra metal, precious gems, gold, and bonds. Estimated value: 2.5 billion."

Tsunade stared at the scrolls for a moment. Then she let out a breath and scratched her head.

"He only gave us 500 million a year. And we just took seven billion?"

The second anbu respond respectfully. "And more is on the way. The other teams are collecting from the estates of the nobles."

Tsunade walked around the scrolls. She wasn't smiling. She was calculating.

"This... is enough to run the village for a decade," she muttered.

"Not if we let the system stay the same," Hajime said. "Money doesn't solve control."

Tsunade glanced at him. "I know. The Daimyo held more than treasure. He ran the land, the trade routes, the tax offices."

"We take that next," Hajime said. "We secure the capital."

Tsunade nodded. She turned to the ANBU. "Summon Hiashi, Inoichi, Shikaku, and Choza. Tell them it's urgent."

—

That afternoon, a council meeting was held in a secure room under the Hokage Tower.

Hiashi Hyuga stood straight, arms behind his back. Inoichi Yamanaka sat with a thoughtful expression. Shikaku Nara leaned back, already aware of what was coming, as he was also inform of the plan. Choza Akimichi is chewing a rice cracker while sitting in his seat.

Tsunade stood in front of them.

"The Daimyo is gone," she said without ceremony. "And his wealth is ours."

No one spoke, but everyone have big reactions, with Inoichi, Dropping his jaw, hyuga stiffening a bit, and Choza stopped eating his rice crackers, then continued eating it.

She continued. "Konoha now has the chance to reshape the future. Not just our village, the whole Land of Fire."

Hiashi raised a brow. "You mean to govern directly?"

"We already are," Tsunade replied. "ANBU are in place. Our teams are moving into the capital. We're calling it 'Economic Stabilization.' The people won't resist."

Shikaku nodded. "We have the goodwill of the public. As we Control Various Industries, and The media."

Inoichi now looked serious, "Our intelligence division can replace the Daimyo's information network. .."

Tsunade looked at Choza. "Logistics?"

"I'll reroute supplies. We'll keep the capital fed and stocked," Choza replied.

Tsunade crossed her arms. "Then we move forward. Quietly. No celebration yet. Just steady change."

Tsunade turn to Hajime "Also, Hajime, you'll need to take care of the Daimyo's Twelve Guardian Ninja. They shouldn't know it yet, they're not expecting us to move on the Daimyo."

Hajime nodded to Tsunade.

Then Shikaku suddenly said "Tsunade-sama, what about Asuma? What should we do with him?." As Asuma is now currently in konoha didn't know yet that the daimyo is killed by konoha, and now making a move against the 12 Guardian Ninja, where he was a member before, guarding the Daimyo.

As Asuma was the Jonin Leader of the trio Nara-Yamanaka-Ino younglings.

Tsunade's voice was firm, serious but measured. "We'll give him a chance," she said. "But if he crosses a line, if he does what he shouldn't, then he'll face the consequences."

The meeting ended with full agreement. Orders were given. Konoha wasn't just a village anymore, it was slowly becoming a government.

—

Later that night, as the sun set, Hajime stood with Sakura near the training field. She had just finished another round. Her arms were tired, and her shirt stuck to her back with sweat.

"Am I really getting stronger?" she asked.

"Yes," Hajime answered. "Faster than expected."

She looked up at him. "I want to be someone who can help. Not just follow."

He gave her a slight nod. "You already are."

In the distance, the village lights flickered on. One by one.

Sakura sat on a stone and smiled.

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