Hiruzen would never allow Danzo to act recklessly.
At least, not while he was the Third Hokage.
He intended to pass on a better, more peaceful village to the next generation.
"Then at least the Eight Inner Gates and the Flying Thunder God Technique..."
"Minato has already described the Flying Thunder God Technique. It's only suitable for those who have mastered it. Does Root have anyone who can use it? No? Then why are you fixating on it? Danzo, everything has its limits. Otherwise..."
The Third Hokage paused to take a puff of his pipe.
He had carefully considered these words for a long time, hesitating before speaking them.
He had to admit that Jiraiya and Tsunade deserved some credit for his decision.
Without Tsunade's return to the village to "force his hand" and Jiraiya's covert messages, he might
He had continued to endure Danzo's actions.
"You!" Danzo seethed, but when he met Hiruzen Sarutobi's unwavering gaze, he let out a cold snort and stormed out of the office.
The Third Hokage took a silent drag from his pipe, his mood growing increasingly agitated.
He had worked with Danzo for many years and understood his comrade-turned-rival well.
While Danzo was undoubtedly ruthless and cruel, he genuinely believed he was acting in Konoha's best interests.
Yet many of his methods were simply unacceptable.
In the casino, Tsunade had already lost several rounds.
Glancing at the time, she sensed something was off.
'Why hasn't he come yet?'
'By now, Raj should have confronted those old geezers and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport here for help.'
'What could be the problem?'
She pondered for a moment, feeling uneasy.
But it was no use.
Even if she lost and no one paid her debts, nothing could stop Tsunade's burning desire to gamble.
She couldn't resist playing a few more rounds until her losses became too substantial, forcing her to confront the fatal problem again: she had no money.
'What to do?'
After a moment's thought, Tsunade transformed into someone else and quietly slipped away from the casino.
As long as she wasn't caught in the act, she could deal with the consequences later.
Her Transformation Technique was so flawless that even the casino guards, who lived in Konoha, couldn't recognize her.
Blending into the crowd, she quickly vanished from the casino.
However...
"Boss, Lady Tsunade is gone."
The guards had noticed her disappearance early on.
After all, how could such a big fat sheep enter the casino without attracting attention?
That would be truly strange.
"Lady Tsunade has no money. Just put it on her tab and we'll collect from Lord Third later," the owner said nonchalantly.
Tsunade's poverty was as legendary as her reputation as a "fat sheep."
However, unlike others who might resort to violence to evade debts, she simply had no money.
If this were a casino in another village, it might be different.
But in Konoha, if anything went wrong, they could just go to the Third Hokage.
Understanding this perfectly, the owner never intended to collect from Tsunade in the first place - it was simply unrealistic.
"Understood."
While the casino owner understood the situation perfectly, Tsunade was enjoying herself immensely.
Though she didn't know what had happened between Raj and the old man, the fact that he hadn't come looking for her meant the matter had been resolved.
This trip back to the village required no work, just free gambling and a chance to relax - pure bliss.
Still, she needed to find a good time to slip away before the debt caught up with her.
After some thought, she decided to visit Raj and find out exactly what had happened.
But there was a problem.
'Where had that Dead Black Cat gone off to?'
She refused to believe it was still obediently staying in the old man's stuffy office after all this time.
Even she couldn't stand being in such a dull place for more than a few seconds, let alone a Dead Black Cat.
On a rooftop in Konoha, a black cat lay sprawled lazily.
"Meow!"
The rooftops of Konoha were far more comfortable than the tents at the camp.
Most were covered with high-quality tiles that warmed under the sun, making them feel like heated floors.
Unlike the camp, where Jiraiya's side was dry and Tsunade's camp was damp, this was perfect.
Raj glanced around and quickly spotted Guy running through the village again.
He had no intention of greeting him.
Surprises were best saved for later.
'If Guy saw me now, he'd know I'd returned, and our reunion wouldn't have that shocking, unbelievable impact.'
'The village actually entrusted Guy and the others to me?'
'Aren't they worried I'll corrupt these three honest kids?'
'Wait, Ebisu isn't exactly honest.'
'That kid always wore sunglasses and acted so proper, but underneath his facade, he was a perverted wolf in sheep's clothing.'
'Now that I think about it, everything seems fine.'
The only one Raj felt slightly guilty about was Genma Shiranui, but the Toothpick Man's family would teach him well enough.
After mentally reviewing everything, Raj felt no lingering worries.
Since the village had entrusted these kids to him, they clearly weren't afraid of them being corrupted.
He could proceed boldly and confidently.
That was for tomorrow.
For today, it was time to rest properly.
It could go home for a nap and think about everything later.
With that thought, it strolled leisurely toward the Nohara Clan compound.
It wanted to make the most of its remaining rest time, recuperate at home, and perhaps even goad Masato Nohara, who had recently retired.
After all, the joy of being promoted to Jonin would be meaningless if it couldn't share it with someone.
Originally planning to head straight home, it leaped from one rooftop to another.
A quick glance revealed a familiar figure: the cunning boy, Kabuto.
Come to think of it, it hadn't collected money from Kabuto in quite a while.
The sight of him reminded Raj of this.
Not that it was short on funds, but it needed Kabuto to handle a few errands.
In Konoha, Raj trusted few people who could actually help.
Kabuto was one of them - clever, resourceful, and discreet.
Entrusting him with acquiring Chakra Paper was the most sensible choice.
Since Kabuto was currently in Konoha and wouldn't be immediately deployed to the front lines, Raj could have him purchase some and deliver it to the Ninja Cat Castle.
Raj pursued him, leaping swiftly from the rooftop and landing with precision on Kabuto's shoulder.
The boy reacted instantly, reaching for a kunai in his waist pouch.
It was a purely instinctive reaction.