The two old advisors exchanged a look and let out a helpless sigh before turning toward the still-silent Akira.
"If you were willing to give way and let Akira go with them, we would approve this immediately. He's the only one who can guarantee Naruto's safety."
Even Akira hadn't expected his standing in the eyes of those two old relics to be that high.
In the past, he had always found the pair annoying, dead weight clinging to old power. He had assumed they would never see eye to eye in this lifetime.
But after spending a few years around them, Akira had come to realize that while the two were conservative, their instincts were far sharper than most people's.
They might cling to power and carry their share of selfishness, but their bottom line was clear. Everything they did was rooted in keeping Konoha stable.
Of course, understanding them was one thing. Liking them was another.
Akira would never enjoy people so steeped in the stale air of old politics.
Still, over the past three years, both sides had mostly kept out of each other's way, and peace had held.
Akira looked at them calmly.
"I'm sitting this mission out. The two of you are worrying too much. With Yamato-sensei there, Naruto won't run into trouble. Besides, the world is huge. Who says anyone would even know where Naruto is hiding?"
"On the other hand, if I keep Naruto inside the village, that massive chakra presence of his is exactly what would draw the Akatsuki flies straight to Konoha. What do the two of you think?"
The advisors thought that over for a moment. It was hard to argue with.
In the end, they could only give in with a weary sigh.
"Since you've put it that way, we can't really keep opposing it. But regarding the selection for the three-man squad, Danzō has some opinions."
Akira paused, then gave a short laugh.
"So that's what this was. There's no way the two of you alone would've pushed this hard."
In the past, when the two of them argued with Tsunade, they rarely held out for long.
So of course there had been someone else behind this.
The two old advisors smiled bitterly but didn't deny it.
"When it comes to something as serious as a jinchuriki, we can't avoid informing Danzō. Naruto is too important."
Akira only shrugged.
Tsunade, on the other hand, looked openly disgusted and muttered through gritted teeth, "That old corpse still hasn't crawled into his coffin."
At that, Homura and Koharu could only pretend they hadn't heard her. Their expressions turned deeply awkward.
"Danzō, come in. Stop skulking around outside like a ghost."
One of them called toward the door.
A moment later, the heavy door to the chamber slowly opened.
Danzō entered with his cane, face expressionless, as though Tsunade's curse had never been spoken at all.
He didn't approach the meeting table. Instead, he moved directly toward the window and stood there with his back to everyone.
His cloudy lone eye watched the birds passing outside, and for several long seconds he said nothing.
Tsunade looked at her old rival and asked impatiently, "So what is it this time? Which one of your informants are you trying to shove into my team?"
Danzō's voice came out rough and dry, like dead wood scraping over stone.
"This time, I only want one slot."
That actually caught Tsunade off guard.
She had expected him to demand far more, maybe even try to force the captain's position onto one of his own loyal dogs.
Root might have been officially dissolved, but everyone knew perfectly well there were still plenty of operatives underground who answered to Danzō and no one else.
And yet this old fox was only asking for one ordinary team member slot.
Akira narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Danzō.
Something about that restraint smelled wrong.
Maybe Danzō intended to use the mission as an excuse to get someone close to Orochimaru.
Over the years, Danzō's intelligence web had spread wider than a spider's nest.
He had pieces near Hanzō in the Land of Rain, and shadows planted in Orochimaru's world as well.
For all his obsessive hunger for the Hokage's chair, Danzō still had no desire to see powerful enemies from other villages threaten Konoha itself.
After all, if the tree fell, the roots would not survive either.
Whatever else he was, he was still a man of Konoha.
Tsunade looked at him suspiciously.
"That's it? Just that one condition? Nothing else?"
Danzō gave a slight nod.
"That is all."
Then he slowly turned around, his gaze passing over Tsunade before locking directly onto Akira.
"Akira. If you truly were to face the Akatsuki head-on, how many chances of victory do you think you would have?"
"You should understand better than most what kind of force those rogue ninja become once gathered together."
The moment the question landed, the atmosphere in the room froze solid.
Yamato, Shizune, Tsunade, and the two advisors all turned toward Akira at once.
Akira, however, looked as relaxed as ever. A confident smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"I can only promise one thing. As long as I'm still standing, they won't dare set foot in Konoha."
Danzō's lone eye narrowed as he studied him for a long moment.
Only then did he slowly loosen the hand gripping his cane.
"Young people do love big words. I hope your strength is worthy of your arrogance."
With that, he dragged his lame leg after him and walked out of the room, the steady tap of his cane echoing across the floor.
Watching Akira's tall, straight back, the two old advisors were suddenly reminded of the Fourth Hokage, that brilliant figure who had once shone like the sun.
In some ways, the pressure Akira gave off now had already surpassed even Minato Namikaze.
The reason they had always held the Fourth Hokage in such high regard was simple. Minato had been their ideal successor, a Hokage raised from the proper line, a masterpiece they and the Third had personally lifted into place.
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