He appeared to be in his twenties, with handsome features and a gentle demeanor.
"Let's wake Lady Tsunade first," Kawasaki said. "I have business with her."
Shizune's interest was immediately piqued. Just when they were short on cash, could this be a client with a commission? She discreetly checked the sobriety soup, and after confirming it was fine, she carefully fed it to Tsunade.
At that moment, a server brought over some small dishes. Kawasaki began to eat as he waited for Tsunade to sober up.
"Sir, what kind of request do you have for Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked proactively, seeing that Kawasaki had no intention of speaking.
"You can't make the decision on this matter," Kawasaki replied between bites. "It's best we wait for Tsunade to wake up."
An awkward silence fell over the table, though Kawasaki seemed perfectly at ease.
About fifteen minutes later, whether due to Tsunade's strong constitution or the effectiveness of the soup, she gradually began to stir. Though her face was still flushed with a hint of drunkenness, her mind was completely clear.
"Who are you!?" she demanded, slamming a palm on the table, causing the plates and bowls to jump. "And why are you eating at my table!?"
Just like that, the food was gone.
Shizune leaned in and quickly explained the situation in a low voice. Only then did Tsunade understand that the man across from her was a potential client.
She quickly tried to smooth things over with a laugh. "Ah, right. So, what seems to be the problem? You can leave it all to me."
The surrounding chatter seemed to fade as Tsunade looked at him with amusement. So, what illness could this man possibly have?
Kawasaki sighed. "It would be better to discuss the details elsewhere."
Tsunade felt a pang of embarrassment as soon as the words left her mouth.
The three of them—Shizune, Tsunade, and Kawasaki—went up to the second floor, where there were private rooms specifically for negotiations.
"Lady Tsunade, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kawasaki Uchiha."
Before Tsunade could fully react to his words, Shizune, standing behind her, straightened up in excitement.
Kawasaki Uchiha!
The Vice-Patriarch of the Uchiha clan and the mastermind behind the famous Chinese cuisine that was taking the world by storm. Having accompanied Tsunade to the estates of nobles across many nations, Shizune had heard a great deal. A frequent topic of discussion was the booming restaurant industry that had recently emerged from the Land of Rice Paddies. This new trend had significantly bolstered the nation's strength; any merchant caravan passing through would make it a point to sample the food, which had become a signature attraction of the country.
Shizune's impression of Kawasaki was built on a very simple set of labels.
Rich! Very rich! Unbelievably rich!
"What fortunate winds have blown the Uchiha's Vice-Patriarch, Mr. Kawasaki, all the way here?" Shizune asked, her energy renewed.
She then leaned in to whisper to Tsunade, "Lady Tsunade, this man is absurdly wealthy!"
Tsunade cared little for the title of Uchiha Vice-Patriarch, but Shizune's comment about his fortune immediately captured her full attention.
Kawasaki found it odd that Shizune would bypass Tsunade to speak directly to him, but he let it slide.
"I came here specifically for you, Lady Tsunade," he began. "I hope to hire you as our medical consultant to help train our medical-nin."
Tsunade's brow furrowed. "Do you have any idea what you're asking?" she said, waving a dismissive hand. "Training medical-nin requires an immense amount of manpower and financial resources."
She recalled her own struggles when establishing the Konoha Medical Corps. Koharu Utatane had given her no end of trouble, constantly criticizing the medical unit as useless and arguing that Konoha's funds should be allocated elsewhere. It wasn't until the corps was fully formed and the mortality rate of Konoha's shinobi dropped significantly that the old crone finally fell silent.
And now, this Kawasaki Uchiha was telling her that his clan wanted to train medical-nin.
Wait a minute, didn't Shizune just say the Uchiha were rich?
Kawasaki nodded seriously. "I am well aware. May I ask how long it takes to train a medical-nin? And what are the costs?"
Seeing that he wasn't joking, Tsunade did a quick mental calculation. "It takes one to three years for a medical ninja to become proficient. The training cost for each one is approximately five million ryo per year."
This wasn't an exaggeration. From learning the techniques and gaining practical experience to the constant supply of medicinal herbs, every step of the process was incredibly expensive. Although Tsunade had developed many of the techniques herself, she couldn't just sell them for cheap. After all, she had a lifestyle (and gambling debts) to maintain.
Kawasaki, who had already anticipated this, didn't flinch. "Very well, Lady Tsunade. We, the Uchiha, need to train twenty people. In addition, two of our clan members were severely injured in a recent attack and require your treatment. When would it be convenient for you to return to Konoha?"
He decided just like that?
Tsunade's expression grew serious, a hint of disbelief in her eyes. "Twenty people? Are you certain?"
Twenty people for one year... that was one hundred million ryo! If one year wasn't enough, a second year would cost two hundred million. Were the Uchiha really that wealthy?
Without another word, Kawasaki produced a sealing scroll. With a puff of smoke, it unrolled to reveal three large chests. He opened them one by one. Tsunade's eyes instantly lit up with a green glow.
It was all cash! She could gamble for ages with this.
One chest held forty million ryo, meaning the three totaled one hundred and twenty million.
"Lady Tsunade, if you agree, I can pay you half upfront right now. The extra twenty million will serve as your fee for the teaching and the treatment."
Tsunade pressed a hand to her forehead. The amount she had quoted already included her teaching fee. Taking a separate fee on top of selling her jutsu felt a little dishonest.
She considered this for precisely one-hundredth of a second before casting the thought aside.
"Alright, I can leave right away..." Tsunade began, but stopped mid-sentence. She had suddenly remembered that the Uchiha clan was in Konoha, a place she had no desire to return to. Her mood soured. "On second thought, never mind. I'm not going back to Konoha."
Shizune, standing beside her, was frantic. The cooked duck was about to fly away! But forcing Tsunade back to Konoha was asking the impossible.
Kawasaki frowned at the first half of her statement but smiled when he heard the second. "Lady Tsunade, perhaps you are unaware, but the Uchiha clan has already moved out of Konoha. We are now located five kilometers outside the village."
Tsunade was stunned. She had no idea the Uchiha had moved. Five kilometers away... that put them outside Konoha's direct surveillance range.
"Is that true?"
"Of course," Kawasaki said with a smile. "And there's another matter I need your help with."
"What is it?" Tsunade asked.
Instead of answering, Kawasaki took a thick stack of bills from one of the chests and placed it in Shizune's hands. "Miss Shizune, would you please arrange our accommodations for the night?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. He was dismissing Shizune first. Still, while Shizune had been with her for years, Kawasaki was the client now. His word was law. Shizune didn't mind at all; Kawasaki's money was a godsend, as they hadn't even figured out where they were staying for the night.
...
Land of Iron.
After Shizune had left, Tsunade prompted him. "Alright, Mr. Kawasaki. You can speak freely now."
Kawasaki gathered his thoughts. "Lady Tsunade, you're aware of Konoha's experiments with Wood Release, are you not?"
Tsunade nodded. "Of course. But weren't those experiments shut down?"
Kawasaki shook his head. It seemed Tsunade was completely out of the loop. "Konoha has been secretly continuing them all these years. And they're conducting cruel human experiments!"
"Human experiments!?" Tsunade's brows knitted together. As a medical-nin, she despised such life-defiling acts.
Kawasaki added more fuel to the fire. "Orochimaru's defection was a direct result of this. Sixty infants disappeared from Konoha, all of them used as test subjects for the Wood Release experiments."
Tsunade slammed her fist on the table, and with a loud crack, it shattered into pieces. "Orochimaru dared to perform human experiments!?"
Kawasaki shrugged. "You misunderstand, Lady Tsunade. It was Danzo's doing. He coveted the power of Wood Release and orchestrated the kidnappings. Orochimaru was only responsible for the experiments themselves; he had no knowledge of where the subjects came from. In the end, however, he took all the blame."
Tsunade's expression was grim, a stark contrast to the drunken gambler from earlier. "Do you have concrete proof?"
Kawasaki produced a sealed letter from his robes and handed it to her. "I have some dealings with Lord Orochimaru. This is a personal letter from him to you."
Tsunade's frown deepened. How had Kawasaki gotten involved with Orochimaru? She decided to read the letter first.
Upon opening it, she recognized the secret code they used to share. The contents confirmed Kawasaki's story: Orochimaru had indeed collaborated with Danzo. Danzo had even provided parts of the First Hokage's remains for the experiments. And shockingly, someone had actually survived.
"He dared to desecrate my grandfather's remains! And someone survived those experiments?" Tsunade was first enraged, then astonished. She knew better than anyone how high the mortality rate of human experimentation was.
Kawasaki nodded. "Not only did he survive, but he also inherited a portion of the First Hokage's abilities."
"Oh!?" Tsunade's interest was piqued. Her grandfather's power was legendary. To think someone had now inherited Wood Release!
"This individual was hidden away in Root by Danzo," Kawasaki continued, "but he was later rescued by Kakashi and now serves in the Anbu. His name is Tenzo. Danzo even clashed with the Third Hokage over him, but in the end, the Third took the boy, who Danzo claimed was the sole survivor."
"Danzo claimed he was the sole survivor?" Tsunade immediately caught the key phrase.
"That's right, Lady Tsunade. A few days ago, the Uchiha clan was attacked. Two of the assailants used Wood Release."
"They used Wood Release!?" she exclaimed. "How is that possible!?"
Kawasaki shrugged again. "It is the truth. The Uchiha currently lying in their sickbeds were all injured by Wood Release. I suspect Danzo has been researching it with others for much longer than anyone knows."
Tsunade's face darkened. Tenzo was already Danzo's handiwork, and now there were two more. What did they think her grandfather's remains were?
"How pathetic, Konoha," Kawasaki said with a sigh. "There are always those who commit atrocities in the shadows, and others who clean up their mess. That's why I came to bring you into this, Lady Tsunade."
"Danzo was responsible for all of this?" Tsunade's memory of Danzo was from long ago—a quintessential warmonger who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals, regardless of the consequences.
"After the Nine-Tails' rampage, Danzo relentlessly targeted our clan, suspecting us of being the culprits." Kawasaki's tone shifted. "However, there is a flaw in his logic that proves the Uchiha had nothing to do with it."
Tsunade knew about the Nine-Tails' attack. She had been away at the time, but the incident had almost driven her to return to the village. She had also heard vague rumors about how the Uchiha were ostracized afterward, but she never imagined Kawasaki would reveal a crucial loophole in the official story.
She gestured for him to continue.
"Everyone knows the Uchiha's Sharingan can control the tailed beasts. This is why Danzo targeted us and suspected us of being behind the rampage. But what very few people know is that an ordinary Sharingan cannot control the Nine-Tails. Only the Mangekyo Sharingan is capable of such a feat."
"Lady Tsunade, as the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju, you know that Madara Uchiha possessed this power, but he left the village long ago. At the time of the Nine-Tails' attack, only Clan Head Fugaku possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan, and his every move was under the watchful eye of Konoha's high command. Therefore, it's impossible for the Konoha Uchiha to have been involved."
"As Lord Hashirama's granddaughter, you must know Madara well. Besides him, what other Uchiha has ever controlled the Nine-Tails?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, surprised by Kawasaki's shrewd use of this logic to exonerate his clan.
"No one would believe the word of an Uchiha," Kawasaki pressed, "but if you were to speak, Lady Tsunade..."
During the chaos of the Nine-Tails' attack, Obito had easily pinned the blame on the Uchiha, saddling the clan with a crime they didn't commit. Madara had been gone for years, and the villagers only knew the general fact that the Uchiha could control the Nine-Tails with genjutsu; they were ignorant of the Mangekyo Sharingan requirement. When Madara left the clan, he took many historical records with him, leaving even later generations of Uchiha in the dark, let alone outsiders.
But Tsunade remained. Her grandfather was Hashirama Senju, a man who had fought the Uchiha his entire life. She would be able to confirm that controlling the Nine-Tails required the Mangekyo.
And what about Itachi, Kawasaki, or Shisui, who all had the Mangekyo? At the time, Itachi was just a child, and Shisui wasn't much older. Although Kawasaki was an adult, he had been under constant Konoha surveillance, assisting with the evacuation of non-combatants.
The Uchiha were already distancing themselves from Konoha. If Tsunade were to speak out on their behalf, it would be immensely beneficial to Kawasaki's plans.
"A few days ago, the targets of the attack were the Uchiha clan and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki," he added. "If our enemies are bold enough to go after Konoha's Nine-Tails, is there anything they won't do? The Uchiha suffered heavy casualties, and many of our clansmen have wounds that won't heal. The two severely injured members I mentioned are among them. That's why I want to establish a medical unit. After all, in the entire shinobi world, no one's medical ninjutsu surpasses yours, Lady Tsunade."
He made sure to flatter her.
"If you become our medical consultant, you'll have a steady income and the opportunity to investigate Danzo. What's not to like?"
Tsunade tapped her fingers on the table. "The way you put it, how could I possibly refuse to go back?"
Kawasaki shrugged. "The decision is entirely yours, Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade closed her eyes, and an image of Hashirama Senju appeared in her mind. She remembered the times he took her gambling as a child. She opened her eyes, and her gaze fell upon the chests of money.
Sensing his chance, Kawasaki deftly pushed half the money toward her. "Lady Tsunade, if you agree, this is yours immediately. The twenty million for teaching is for one year. We will add another twenty million each year thereafter."
Impressed by the Uchiha's generosity, Tsunade finally nodded. "Alright. But I can't guarantee how much your Uchiha will be able to learn."
Mastering medical ninjutsu was no simple task. Many spent decades trying without success. It required not only a good teacher but also innate talent.
Kawasaki simply smiled, having already reviewed the aptitudes of his subordinates. The matter of the Hundred Healings and Sage Mode could wait. For now, he just needed to get on her good side. Once Danzo was cornered, he would pin the deaths of Nawaki and Dan Kato on him as well. Then they would see how many lives the man had to spare.
...
Within Konoha, at an Uchiha training ground.
Sasuke hadn't waited long before Itachi arrived.
"Brother, how is Father?" Sasuke asked, still worried.
"Father's eyes were injured. He's lost his sight," Itachi said, his expression calm.
"He's blind!? Father can't see?" Sasuke started to run toward Fugaku's home but was stopped by Itachi. "It's temporary. Mother just went to see him. You should stay here for now."
Sasuke let out a breath of relief, then clenched his fists. "Brother! Tell me! Who were the ones who invaded the clan!?"
Itachi ruffled Sasuke's hair. "You're still young. Clan matters are not for you to get involved in."
Sasuke swatted his hand away, annoyed. "Brother! I'm not a kid anymore!"
"Alright, alright," Itachi said with a smile. "Then let me see how much you've improved these past few years."
Sasuke nodded seriously. "You'll see, Brother."
...
Wherever Obito went, his Kamui space had a corresponding coordinate.
He paused to think. His last infiltration had been exposed. Besides their barrier jutsu, the Uchiha must have other methods of detection. This time, he would be far more cautious. Before entering the compound, he had Zetsu calculate the scan interval of the barrier and even planned his route.
Zetsu had warned him that, in addition to the barrier, the Uchiha grounds were filled with summoning animals, a dense network of eyes and ears. Now, Obito could not remain in one spot for more than five seconds, or the barrier would lock onto him. He also had to be constantly vigilant for any living creatures nearby.
However, Zetsu's reconnaissance via the Mayfly technique had revealed something else: the Uchiha had not only deployed ninja crows and cats but had also installed monitoring devices near the compound.
Zetsu had not shared this particular piece of intelligence with Obito.
With most of the Uchiha's elite shinobi currently injured, the number of summoning animals was lower than expected. It took Obito a considerable amount of time to carefully make his way deep into the Uchiha compound. He no longer warped in recklessly, unsure if the clan had set up any space-time seals.
...
The two brothers faced each other. Itachi saw Sasuke's youthful face and his activated two-tomoe Sharingan, and a proud smile touched his lips. Sasuke was truly gifted. It seemed their father had invested a great deal of effort in his training.
Sasuke activated his Sharingan, leaped back, and began to run, not rushing to attack.
Itachi stood still, watching the no-longer-childish Sasuke, momentarily lost in thought.
With his Sharingan active, Sasuke felt his body become lighter, his control over it enhanced. Seeing Itachi's apparent indifference annoyed him. Even if he couldn't win, he wanted his brother to take him seriously.
He saw Itachi's moment of distraction.
This was his chance