Before the enraged figure of Tsunade, Hiruzen Sarutobi leaned back in his chair with a theatrical sigh.
"I fear this particular desk won't survive many more of your visits."
"Answer my question first!" Tsunade's arm muscles were rigid, her brow deeply furrowed. Her fury wasn't solely directed at the mere concept of wealth centralization, but at the transparent political intent behind Sarutobi's actions—the clear move to undermine her position.
"I am aware of your thoughts." Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly rose from his seat, meeting Tsunade at eye level.
Only then did Tsunade fully register the change in her teacher. His face was firmer, the color returning to a healthy pink, as if he had shed a decade. Even the tell-tale age spots had faded considerably.
Was this the full effect of his recent Tier Three Jar rewards?
Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed quite pleased by the shock in Tsunade's eyes. He stood straighter, a confident smile spreading across his face. "But the situation is far more complex than a simple power play. Consider this intelligence."
He handed a folder detailing Gato's recent activities and demise to Tsunade.
Tsunade's intense gaze scanned the document, her frown deepening with every word.
"Do you grasp the gravity of the situation?" Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled softly, then shook his head, his smile slowly fading. "Akatsuki is a shadow mercenary organization that surfaced years ago, comprised entirely of S-rank rogue ninja from across the continent. Danzo once allied with Hanzō to extinguish them, and they failed."
"Hanzō?" Tsunade whispered, startled.
That name was indelibly linked to the Three Legendary Sannin, whose legacy was forged in that desperate battle. The fact that the notorious Hanzō himself had been unsuccessful was a grim testament to Akatsuki's true scale.
"As you can see," Hiruzen Sarutobi pulled out his pipe and took a slow, deliberate drag. "For years, Akatsuki has been amassing colossal wealth by taking on contracts in smaller, vulnerable nations. Now, even after a chaotic figure like Gato spiraled out of control, they are resorting to extreme, aggressive tactics to seize his assets."
Worry was palpable in Sarutobi's tone. Gato's death served only to solidify his own iron-willed resolve to confront Akatsuki.
Tsunade's posture shifted; her fury was tempered by concern.
"Do you suspect there are 'Can Openers'—members who purchased Jars from Lord Shen Mo and gained external power—within this organization?" she asked, using the adopted term for the powerful Jar recipients.
"They began their aggressive wealth acquisition long before Lord Shen Mo's appearance," Sarutobi said, shaking his head. "But regardless of their current intent, their reckless financial disruption is already immense. If there are Can Openers among them, imagine the devastating power wielded by an organization with their kind of money..."
The implication hung heavy in the air. Wealth, already critical, had become the ultimate weapon. An Akatsuki armed with Jar-bestowed power and bottomless funds represented an existential threat to the Ninja World's delicate balance of power.
"But how does this justify your order to the Ino-Shika-Cho clan leaders?" Tsunade pressed, refusing to let the political slight go unanswered.
"Suppressing Akatsuki will require war," Hiruzen Sarutobi declared solemnly. "And wartime demands special measures. Since we agree on the absolute necessity of strengthening our Jonin, what is the objection to centralizing and equally redistributing the available capital?"
"I know we must strengthen them!" Tsunade's narrowed eyes were slits of jade. "But! The Hyuga clan already agreed to donate money!"
This was the crux of the conflict. The Hyuga's donation was voluntary—an act of strategic support for Tsunade—whereas Sarutobi's centralization order was compulsory and served to empower the Hokage's central authority. Tsunade understood the political move: by framing it as a necessary wartime measure, Sarutobi simultaneously curbed the burgeoning political influence of the Hyuga clan and earned the fierce loyalty of the other, financially weaker clans.
"Tsunade..." Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed again. "You have been absent from the village for too long. There are harsh realities you refuse to acknowledge. Without this mandate, how much money do you truly believe the Hyuga clan would be willing to contribute to empower their competitors? Furthermore, Hiashi Hyuga does not command the entire clan."
"I would convince them!" Tsunade's fist clenched.
"My intelligence suggests that certain factions within the Hyuga clan now openly aspire for Hiashi Hyuga to become the Fifth Hokage," Sarutobi said, his voice hardening slightly. "These ambitions were dormant because his reputation and personal power were inferior to yours. However, the emergence of Lord Shen Mo changes the calculus entirely."
The Hyuga were the richest clan. Shen Mo's Jars offered the power needed to overcome their only deficiency. When ambition finds opportunity and resources, it grows into an unstoppable force.
"..." Tsunade stared blankly at her teacher, the implications crashing down on her. She spoke slowly, chillingly. "Is this how the Uchiha clan was ultimately destroyed?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's breath hitched, and his entire formidable aura solidified for a prolonged moment.
After a long silence, he took a deep drag on his pipe and exhaled, his voice coarse with regret. "Tsunade, I pray with every fiber of my being that history does not repeat itself."
"..."
Tsunade, unwilling to press the issue further, turned sharply and left.
Shen Mo, observing the scene remotely, needed no mind-reading to grasp the reality: a fundamental, ideological chasm had just opened between Tsunade and her former teacher. As Sarutobi rapidly regained his youth and ambition, a clash with Tsunade—who sought to protect the village through empathy, not political suppression—was now inevitable.
As his gaze tracked Tsunade's retreating figure, Shen Mo noticed a new, shocking arrival on the streets of Konoha.
Orochimaru.
He has returned to Konoha without notice?
Shen Mo's augmented perception immediately cut through the subtle Henge (Transformation Technique). The brightly dressed young woman was, without question, Orochimaru.
The Snake Sannin was undoubtedly plotting Konoha's destruction, yet he had taken the time to risk this visit.
The sudden sight of the female-form Orochimaru piqued Shen Mo's professional interest. That was a potential client whose desires were perfectly defined and utterly consuming.
Would you like to see Shen Mo make contact with Orochimaru or return to Itachi and Kisame's rendezvous with Akatsuki?