"Lady Tsunade," Fujimoto Tōma said, looking at her with a hint of disbelief, "you're the Hokage."
"And you're a future Sixth Hokage," Tsunade replied with a grin. "Besides, you brought this intelligence back. You must've already thought through a plan on the way here. Let's hear it."
Tōma studied her smile and felt a strange sense of déjà vu. She's learned to push responsibility off on others now… who taught her that, I wonder?
He spoke anyway. "This evidence can't be used directly. I think you already know that."
"Of course," Tsunade nodded.
"So on the surface, we keep investigating Danzo as usual," Tōma said calmly. "Let him keep hiding. At the same time, we assign someone experienced to quietly verify everything inside the village."
"Experienced…" Tsunade thought for a moment. "Kakashi?"
Tōma nodded. "Give Kakashi a public mission that takes him out of the village. Preferably an S-rank. At the same time, assign him temporary ANBU authority and give him the right to demand cooperation inside Konoha."
"That's easy enough," Tsunade agreed.
"This way," Tōma continued, "even if the advisors question where the evidence came from, they won't be able to deny its authenticity. And we bring in the Third Hokage as well."
His eyes flickered slightly. He wanted solid proof. Fine. I'll put it right in his hands.
"The old man…" Tsunade sighed, but didn't object.
"As for the other matter," Tōma said after a brief pause, "the evidence is solid, but it's from a long time ago. Digging it up again won't be easy. Still, we can let Yamato try. If he finds something, great. If not, it doesn't change the outcome. The first investigation alone is enough to pin Danzo down."
Orochimaru's grudge might be old, but a promise was a promise.
"Yamato…" Tsunade murmured. "He was one of those children, wasn't he?"
"Yes," Tōma replied. "He probably wants answers himself. And as a former Root member, he knows their methods better than anyone. He might surprise us."
Tsunade nodded decisively. "Alright. We'll do it your way."
She waved her hand, and Shizune immediately moved to summon Kakashi and Yamato. Her expression was serious. This wasn't something she could afford to mishandle.
"…You're not even going to think it over?" Tōma asked.
"What's there to think about?" Tsunade shot back. "Your plan's solid. Speed matters here. Danzo won't stay hidden forever."
Tōma could only nod. She just wants an excuse not to think too hard, he decided.
Not long after, Hatake Kakashi arrived, still wearing his usual lazy expression. That vanished the moment Tsunade explained the mission and handed him the scroll.
His gaze flicked briefly to Tōma.
Knew he wouldn't swallow this quietly, Kakashi thought. But this fast… and this thorough?
Danzo wouldn't leave trails like this in Konoha. Which meant only one source.
Orochimaru.
"Well?" Tsunade asked once Kakashi finished reading. "Can you handle it?"
"Of course," Kakashi replied seriously. "With this much groundwork, if I can't verify it internally, that'd be embarrassing."
There was a faint light in his eye.
Kakashi had investigated his father's case before. Very little had remained. The comrade Sakumo Hatake saved had conveniently died soon after, on another mission. And later, Kakashi realized something else.
The voices condemning the White Fang hadn't been many. They'd just been concentrated.
Danzo falling wouldn't bother Kakashi at all. If anything, he'd be glad to give that push himself.
It was a shame Danzo's old order for Kakashi to assassinate the Third Hokage had only been verbal. Otherwise, that could've been added too.
Tsunade nodded and gestured to Shizune again.
Shizune handed Kakashi an ANBU mask and a seal bearing the Hokage's authority.
This wasn't just an investigation permit. It was power.
Even Kakashi paused, glancing at Tsunade. That much trust?
A knock came at the door.
A masked shinobi entered. Yamato.
"Hokage-sama," he said. "You called for me? Kakashi-senpai and Tōma are here too?"
"Good timing," Tsunade said, cutting off further greetings. She tossed Yamato a scroll. "I want you to investigate Root's past activities."
Yamato opened it.
And froze.
Orochimaru. Danzo. Experiments. Children.
From the very beginning, Danzo had been involved. The test subjects had been supplied by him.
Yamato's grip tightened around the scroll.
Kakashi noticed and grew curious. What's in there…?
After a long silence, Tsunade spoke gently. "It's been a long time. If you can't find anything, that's fine."
"My memories are the best lead," Yamato said suddenly.
Tsunade looked at him in surprise.
"If Danzo worked closely with Orochimaru, then I must've seen him as an infant," Yamato continued. "I just can't remember it."
"You're sure?" Tsunade asked. Letting someone probe memories that deep wasn't easy. Especially not memories buried since infancy.
But it was possible, Tsunade knew. Difficult. Painfully so.
"I am," Yamato said, voice tight with restrained anger. "All these years, I thought Orochimaru alone was responsible. I never imagined there was someone else. A mastermind."
He clenched his fist. "For the children who died… my memories are a small price."
Kakashi understood immediately what incident this referred to. Even so, learning Danzo had orchestrated it left a bitter taste.
Wood Release was too tempting. Of course Danzo would covet it.
"Then prepare yourself," Tsunade said. "Tōma, will you do it, or should Yamanaka Inoichi?"
"Inoichi-san," Tōma replied. "Danzo and I don't exactly get along. Even if I find something, it'll be questioned."
Tsunade gave him a look. "You think Inoichi will be treated differently?"
"Still better than me," Tōma shrugged.
"Fair enough," Tsunade said. "Shizune, call Inoichi. Yamato, wait next door."
With that, Kakashi departed to begin his mission.
The office quieted, leaving only Tsunade and Tōma.
"I'm heading out too," Tōma said. "I've got things to do."
"Like what?" Tsunade asked, surprised.
"Training."
She stared at him. "Why push yourself this hard? You're already strong enough."
It was something she genuinely didn't understand. The more she learned about Tōma, the clearer it became. He trained relentlessly. As much as Rock Lee, just far less visibly.
So why never stop?
Tōma had already prepared his answer.
"Lady Tsunade," he said quietly, "you know about Jiraiya-sensei's prophecy, right?"
Her brow furrowed. "Of course. Don't tell me you believe it."
"I don't believe blindly," Tōma replied. "But chasing uncertainty isn't foolish either."
The silence that followed lingered, heavy with things unsaid.