CHAPTER 133: CHAPTER 133

"Why is Danzo acting so recklesssly? Don’t you already know?"

Tsunade’s sharp retort cut through the room.

Hiruzen shifted uncomfortably. With outsiders present, did she really have to put him on the spot?

"There’s no doubt about it. Danzo has violated the laws of Konoha," she declared firmly before turning to him. "So, old man, what do you propose we do?"

What choice did he have? Official action was inevitable.

If it had been anyone else, Hiruzen might have quietly smoothed things over behind the scenes. But this was Tsunade. Once she stepped in, the matter had to be handled properly.

She held too many titles, too much authority. No one in Konoha dared ignore her.

Hiruzen fell silent, lost in thought—and then froze.

When was the last time Tsunade had shown any interest in village affairs?

Was she... finally letting go of the past?

No. That wasn’t it. She was stepping in because of her close ties to Yakushi Nono and Kitazawa.

Still, it was the first time in years she’d involved herself in village politics—and it concerned someone as powerful as Danzo.

Hiruzen couldn’t help but fall into deeper contemplation.

"It’s a straightforward situation. Why are you hesitating?" Tsunade asked, a trace of irritation in her voice. "Are you trying to protect Danzo?"

"Of course not," Hiruzen said quickly, snapping out of his daze. "As Hokage, I won’t allow anyone to break the rules of this village."

"Good. Then arrange it now."

"Actually," Hiruzen said with a chuckle, "you should handle it."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean by that?"

"You conducted the investigation. You know the details better than anyone."

His tone was slow and deliberate. "I’m granting you temporary authority. You can command the Anbu."

Tsunade paused, realization dawning.

This was an open trap.

If she led the Anbu and moved against Danzo, the entire village—no, the entire ninja world—would hear about it soon.

People would think Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, had officially returned to Konoha. Some might even assume she was in line for the Hokage seat.

"I don’t have time for this," Tsunade said flatly. "Find someone else."

"No one else is suitable," Hiruzen replied calmly. "Anyone else would struggle against Danzo and his Root."

"Then you go," Tsunade shot back.

Hiruzen sighed dramatically. "I’m Hokage. I have too much on my plate. And I’m old—not as sharp as I once was."

Tsunade opened her mouth to argue, then stopped.

She hated when people played the sympathy card.

She might disagree with Hiruzen, but he was her teacher.

"Fine," she muttered.

"Haru," Hiruzen called out.

The Anbu outside stepped in immediately. "Hokage-sama."

"From now until this issue is resolved, you follow Tsunade’s orders," Hiruzen said.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Though surprised, Haru accepted the command. The Anbu were loyal to the Hokage—but Tsunade’s status spoke for itself.

Kitazawa, silent all this time, could only think: Old fox.

Even someone as strong-willed as Tsunade had been outmaneuvered.

Then again, calling it a trick wasn’t entirely fair.

Danzo would gladly walk into such a trap every day.

’Is Hiruzen planning to step down?’ Kitazawa wondered.

In the original timeline, Tsunade only returned after Orochimaru attacked Konoha.

But her early return now changed everything.

With Tsunade as Hokage, Hiruzen might actually survive.

Then again, Orochimaru still had other objectives—like taking Uchiha Sasuke.

Unless the Uchiha Massacre was somehow avoided and Itachi never defected—

’I hope it doesn’t happen,’ Kitazawa thought. ’Sasuke is my student. If he defects, I’ll lose half my missions.’

"Let’s head to the Anbu office," Tsunade said, wasting no time.

She was someone who acted fast once her mind was made up.

The Anbu had their own space in the Hokage building, usually used by captains like Haru.

Anbu operated in a strict hierarchy: Commander, Deputy Commander, and four squad captains. Each squad had 17 members, divided into four teams.

Itachi Uchiha had once become a squad captain at just 13.

The current Commander? Hiruzen’s eldest son—Konohamaru’s father.

Though Konohamaru would later become Naruto’s right-hand man, right now he was just a two-year-old.

"I need Yakushi Kabuto’s current location," Tsunade ordered, settling into her chair.

"Yes, Lady Tsunade," Haru said, then added cautiously, "But if we investigate a Root member, Danzo will know immediately."

Anbu and Root both specialized in intelligence.

While Anbu were elite, Root operatives were often stronger—thanks to their brutal, brainwashing training.

"I know," Tsunade replied coldly. "Do it anyway."

Haru gave a short nod and left.

"Danzo won’t let me act freely," Tsunade muttered, rubbing her temples. "We have to get to Kabuto before Root does."

"Do you have someone in mind?" Kitazawa asked.

"We need someone strong, with infiltration and anti-tracking skills," she mused. "Kakashi Hatake fits best."

Kitazawa nodded.

Then something flashed before his eyes:

[A genius shouldn’t be confined to the academy. With your strength, you should make a name in Konoha.]

[Current Mission: Safely escort Yakushi Kabuto back to Konoha.]

[Reward: Yin Healing Wound Destruction.]

[Accept?]

Kitazawa raised an eyebrow.

’A mission? And the reward’s not bad.’

Yin Healing Wound Destruction—an A-rank Medical Ninjutsu used by Kabuto. It allowed one to predict incoming attacks and pre-heal the injury site, nullifying or reducing damage.

Not even Tsunade or Shizune had mastered it.

’Worth the risk,’ Kitazawa thought. With Kakashi on his side, they could even escape from someone like Ōnoki if needed.

And he trusted the system. Reward scale usually matched difficulty.

If the reward were something like the Rinnegan, he’d be worried.

"Lady Tsunade, I’ll go too," he said.

Tsunade blinked. "You? You’re not Anbu. Why?"

"To mislead Danzo," Kitazawa explained. "He’ll definitely notice Kakashi leaving the village. But if I go with him..."

"Wouldn’t that make it more suspicious?"

"Not if Kakashi transforms into one of my students. We leave openly. It’s called ’hiding in plain sight.’"

Tsunade hesitated. "Still, I’m not sure about your strength."

Kitazawa smiled. "Besides medical ninjutsu, I’m decent with genjutsu and wind and fire release. Oh—and I’ve learned Rasengan and Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu."

Tsunade stared at him, caught off guard.

She said nothing, but her expression wavered.

It was a bold plan.

And Danzo would never expect her to send a school teacher.

"Why don’t you test my strength yourself, Lady Tsunade?"

Kitazawa tilted his head thoughtfully before posing the question. He was just as curious about her strength—this would be the perfect chance to gauge the gap between himself and one of the greats.

"So confident, huh?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, cracked her knuckles, and smiled. "Alright. Until Anbu returns with intel, let’s spar."

She too was curious about Kitazawa’s capabilities. If he was to be her student someday, this would be a good preview.

The two headed to a nearby training ground.

"I’ll go easy on you," Tsunade said, smirking.

’Did I offend her somehow?’ Kitazawa’s mouth twitched. Something about her tone didn’t sit right.

Tsunade wasn’t just a medical ninja—her taijutsu was monstrous. In the original timeline, she shattered Uchiha Madara’s Susanoo with sheer strength.

"Here I come, Kitazawa."

With a slight curl of her lips, she vanished.

A gust of wind exploded as Tsunade’s fist closed in. Kitazawa felt a crushing pressure bearing down on him. Just as her punch was about to land, she abruptly stopped.

A tree had appeared, binding her.

Not Wood Release—Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death.

Tsunade snorted, casually formed a hand seal, and dispelled the genjutsu.

Whoosh!

She dodged instinctively. A spinning shuriken raced toward her—it was Wind Release: Shuriken.

Her reaction was immediate. She threw a dozen shuriken in return, intercepting the incoming one in midair.

Without losing momentum, she charged.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire!"

Kitazawa’s hands flashed through seals. Shuriken wrapped in flames soared at her like a fiery net.

Heavenly Foot of Pain!

Tsunade stomped. The ground exploded beneath her, blasting flaming shuriken skyward. The attack dissipated in an instant.

Body Flicker!

She burst through the debris and flames, closing in.

But five Kitazawas stood before her.

"Konoha Strong Whirlwind!"

Two of the clones dashed at her from opposite angles. Tsunade didn’t flinch. She stomped again and unleashed two titanic punches, each striking a clone’s foot.

Boom!

They trembled before exploding into smoke.

Another clone formed hand seals—Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet!

Like a wind-powered machine gun, he launched a barrage of high-speed air bullets.

Meanwhile, two others circled behind her, Rasengan forming in their palms.

Three-pronged assault.

Tsunade dodged the wind bullets with ease, spun, and shattered one Rasengan mid-air with a single punch. She didn’t stop. Her punch followed through, launching the clone across the training field.

Heavenly Foot!

The third clone faltered. His Rasengan missed and dug a deep crater in the earth.

Tsunade turned to the last clone—the caster of Vacuum Bullet.

"So you’re the original."

Kitazawa was panting slightly, the return of clone memories taking a toll.

Tsunade’s grin widened. She surged forward and threw a punch.

Bang!

He vanished into smoke.

"Another clone?"

Tsunade blinked. Then—

Whoosh!

Behind her, the wind screamed.

Eight Gates Formation: First Gate—Open!

The Kitazawa she’d launched earlier appeared like a blur—his speed had more than doubled.

"Rasengan!"

He raised his right hand, chakra spinning violently.

Tsunade’s eyes narrowed. At the last moment, she tilted her head, caught his wrist, and slammed it downward.

BOOM!

The Rasengan drilled into the ground, leaving a crater.

"We’ll end it here."

Tsunade released his wrist, stepped back, and said, "You’re stronger than I expected. You’re more than qualified for the mission."

In truth, she was stunned.

Genjutsu. Taijutsu. Fire. Wind. Medical Ninjutsu. He even knew Eight Gates.

This wasn’t just a genius medical ninja—this was a rare all-rounder.

Very few medical ninja had the time or energy to master multiple battle disciplines. That’s why they usually required protection.

Tsunade had initially seen Kitazawa as a prodigy in medical ninjutsu. Now she saw something more: a Ninjutsu genius.

He could absolutely be her student.

"Understood, Lady Tsunade," Kitazawa said, exhaling.

She was even more formidable in person than legend suggested—and that was her holding back.

Of course, so was he.

He hadn’t even used his Byakugan, Gentle Fist, or other Hyuga techniques.

Ninja battles were about information. Surprise won wars.

In his past life, Jiraiya was one of the "Gods" in intelligence warfare.

Back at the Anbu office.

"Lady Tsunade."

Haru entered, handing her a scroll.

"Call Kakashi."

Tsunade opened the scroll. Inside: Kabuto’s confirmed location in Iwagakure.

She handed it to Kitazawa without a word.

Kakashi Hatake arrived moments later, eyeing Kitazawa with mild surprise.

"I have a mission for you," Tsunade said. "You and Kitazawa will head to Iwagakure to rendezvous with a Konoha operative."

"..."

Kakashi didn’t question the mission, but his eyes lingered on Kitazawa. ’Why send an academy teacher on a dangerous mission?’

"This mission is S-rank."

Kitazawa’s ears perked up. Unexpected bonus.

Mission records boosted reputation and played a key role in Chunin and Jonin promotions.

"Kakashi, if you have any doubts, let Kitazawa explain on the way. Depart immediately."

"Understood."

Kitazawa added, "Lady Tsunade, please assign an Anbu to impersonate me at the academy."

"Thoughtful," Tsunade nodded. "I’ll handle it."

"Kakashi, please transform into a six-year-old." Kitazawa grinned.

Kakashi silently formed hand seals. An Anbu obeys.

Once they left, Tsunade said calmly, "Haru, monitor Danzo and Root closely."

She could stop some of them—but not all. Danzo’s influence in Konoha ran deep.

"Yes."

"Once they act, bring in Yakushi Nono," she added after a moment.

Kitazawa had left Konoha before—plenty of times.

Before becoming a Chunin, he had survived many missions by sheer luck. But now, things felt different.

He had power. He had a name.

After registering at the gate, Kitazawa and Kakashi set off.

"Kitazawa," Kakashi said once they were outside the Land of Fire, "From here on, I’ll give the orders."

Kitazawa didn’t mind. Kakashi was only trying to protect him. Still, it showed how little trust Kakashi had in him.

But that was fair.

In Kakashi’s eyes, Kitazawa was still just an academy teacher—a relic from yesterday.

’He just hasn’t been updated yet.’

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