By the time they reached the Vice Director's office, Nagayama Minoru had already committed suicide by poison. Tsunade questioned a light-blonde-haired Medical Ninja who had just tried to save him.
"Yakushi Nonō, when did Nagayama Minoru commit suicide?"
Yakushi Nonō adjusted her glasses and said, "Lady Tsunade, the Vice Director suddenly committed suicide by poison just now."
Tsunade stepped forward, examined Nagayama Minoru, and slowly opened his mouth.
Tsunade opened his mouth and saw a mouth without a tongue.
"No tongue?!"
If someone's tongue was cut off, it either meant someone didn't want Nagayama Minoru to speak, or perhaps it was to hide some kind of secret.
Tsunade immediately shot a look toward Yakushi Nonō.
The crowd of onlookers grew, and Yakushi Nonō was diligently protecting the evidence in Nagayama Minoru's office, preventing it from being destroyed.
Yakushi Nonō's background showed she was the director of an orphanage, and because the orphanage lacked funds, she, possessing advanced Medical Ninjutsu, came to Konoha Hospital to work.
The Senju Clan had investigated and found that Yakushi Nonō lived very frugally, sending her monthly salary back to the orphanage.
Tsunade shook her head. How could such a kind person be a Root spy?
Tsunade felt she was overthinking things.
"Hmph! Don't think this is the end of it! I must investigate this thoroughly!"
Tsunade took Nagayama Minoru's corpse and used Body Flicker to instantly head toward the Yamanaka Clan compound.
Yakushi Nonō turned back, revealing a hint of sorrow where others couldn't see.
Lady Tsunade, do you really intend to keep investigating?
Hokage Building!
Danzo came calling again.
"Sarutobi, you've heard the Village rumors. Ryou's forbidden jutsu has Tsunade's involvement implied. How can you let her serve as the Director of Konoha Hospital before she is cleared of suspicion?"
The Third Hokage took a drag from his pipe, tapped the ash, and said, "I trust Tsunade. She is absolutely not the type of person who would participate in forbidden jutsu research!"
Danzo raised his voice slightly: "Then how do you explain the theft of her Ninjutsu data? You know what Tsunade's Ninjutsu data represents, don't you? She keeps silent about it—it's obvious she knows who the thief is!"
"Enough, Danzo. That is Tsunade's own business. Don't think I don't know who spread these rumors! Don't use the same tactics you used on Sakumo against my student's granddaughter."
Danzo fell silent, then after a moment, he continued, "Tsunade's reforms at Konoha Hospital are too rapid. She has dismissed a large number of members from various Ninja Clans, which has already caused resistance among the major clans."
"She is not suited for the position of Konoha Hospital Director. It's better to send her to the front lines!"
The Third Hokage was puzzled. Tsunade was clearly the most suitable person to be the Director of Konoha Hospital, so why was this old man Danzo so strongly opposed?
Suddenly, an Anbu appeared and handed a secret letter to the Third Hokage.
After reading it, the Third Hokage was greatly shocked. Was there such a corrupt official in Konoha Hospital?
Wait, could a civilian Ninja with no background embezzle this much money? Isn't that a joke?
The Third Hokage suddenly realized something. Clutching the note, he looked at his old friend across from him as if he were looking at a demon.
"Danzo, you were involved too?"
Danzo glanced around.
Seeing that no one was around and the walls had no ears, he handed a note to the Third Hokage.
The Third Hokage looked at the note Danzo gave him, which detailed the flow of the embezzled funds.
Most of it flowed into the accounts of Root and Orochimaru, and the remaining portion went to the Sarutobi Clan!
"No, this is impossible!"
Danzo looked at the somewhat incredulous Third Hokage and said, "Hiruzen, what do you think of your clan's conduct?"
The Third Hokage clenched the note in his hand and scoffed, "Although my Sarutobi Clan is not a major clan in the Ninja World, we are upright and honorable."
"As the patriarch of the Village, the Sarutobi Clan is under my direct supervision. They would never do something so shortsighted."
Danzo sneered: "Hiruzen, you are indeed an honorable man, but how can you be sure that the clan members under your wing aren't using your name as Hokage to do shady things behind your back?"
"Hiruzen, you can't even manage Asuma! How can you manage so many other people?"
"..."
The Third Hokage was speechless. He truly couldn't control that rebellious kid, Asuma.
His heart was too soft; he couldn't bear to use the rod.
Danzo warned: "Hiruzen, don't let Tsunade investigate this further. You must consider this carefully. There are many others I haven't listed. If they are also implicated, the entire Village will become unsettled."
...When Tsunade went to the Yamanaka Clan compound, the entire Yamanaka Clan avoided her until she grabbed Yamanaka Inoichi, who was peeking from the side.
"Inoichi, why are you hiding? Quickly investigate this person for me."
Yamanaka Inoichi quickly lay down and played dead: "Ow! My head! I must have overworked my brain while practicing the Body of Mind and Heart Switch Technique."
"Lady Tsunade, please take a look at me."
Seeing Yamanaka Inoichi's behavior, he clearly knew some inside information and didn't want to get caught up in this whirlpool.
Orochimaru, Danzo, which one could the Yamanaka Clan afford to offend?
Tsunade knocked Yamanaka Inoichi out with one punch, so now he didn't have to pretend to be dead.
"Hmph, the cowardly Yamanaka Clan. The Ino-Shika-Chō three clans are all the same."
Tsunade was taking Nagayama Minoru's corpse to the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Unit when suddenly an Anbu used Body Flicker to appear before her: "Lady Tsunade, Hokage-sama requests your presence!"
"Sensei!"
Tsunade tossed the corpse she was holding to the Anbu in front of her: "Take this body to the Torture and Interrogation Unit and extract everything from his mind."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Hokage Building.
Tsunade gave the Third Hokage the records of the embezzled funds she had previously investigated at Konoha Hospital.
"Old man, look. This is the Konoha you lead. Who knows how many filthy, disgusting things are happening in the shadows?"
The Third Hokage looked at Tsunade's investigation. Her findings were clearly more accurate than the information Danzo had provided.
The Third Hokage was furious, veins bulging on the back of his hands, but he sighed deeply in his heart.
"Tsunade, the main culprits in this matter are Root and Orochimaru, but the Sarutobi Clan was also involved!"
Tsunade narrowed her eyes and looked at the Third Hokage seriously: "Sensei, are you trying to make me stop the investigation?"
The Third Hokage shook his head: "No, I have already sent Shinnosuke to investigate the Sarutobi Clan. I guarantee that anyone who dares to harm the Village's interests will be brought to justice."
"But Tsunade, do you think your own clan was involved? Before you came, the Director of Konoha Hospital was the patriarch of your Senju Clan."
"..."
Tsunade was silent for a moment, then sneered, "The same goes for me. If anyone in the Senju Clan dared to do this, I would break their hands and personally throw them into the Konoha Prison."
The Third Hokage asked again: "What if there are more? Ino-Shika-Chō, Inuzuka, Aburame, Kurama..."
The Third Hokage basically named all the Ninja Clans in the Village, except for the Uchiha.
Because he knew that Danzo would never involve the Uchiha.
This matter was clearly political collusion.
If everyone was involved, then everyone would be friends.
"Tsunade, it is wartime now. The Village cannot handle a major scandal. I promise that after the war is over, I will thoroughly investigate these pests in the Village."
Tsunade nodded.
Suddenly, an Anbu reported: "Hokage-sama, something terrible has happened! The Torture and Interrogation Unit is on fire."
"What?!"
The Third Hokage and Tsunade were stunned. Even the Anbu had been infiltrated!
"Hiruzen!"
Utatane Koharu and Homura Mitokado arrived together, carrying a letter.
"Tsunade is suspected of assisting Ryou in researching forbidden jutsu and aiding his defection. The Jonin Council proposes a special investigation into Tsunade."
"For the time being, we request that Tsunade remain idle at home!"
"Hahaha..."
Tsunade smashed the desk in front of the Third Hokage with one punch. She remembered her great-uncle's warning when she was young: Don't become Hokage, don't touch politics.
"Heh heh... I insist on touching it!"