Chapter 162 - 163
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20 mars
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Köpt
Chapter 162 They Don't Care
Time passed quietly, and a month went by in a flash.
Since winter began, the weather had worsened day by day; the cold wind cut like a knife, and the chill penetrated to the bone. The overall atmosphere in Konoha Village was somewhat oppressive and heavy, like dark clouds pressing down from above.
The most obvious reason for the deteriorating Village atmosphere was the Uchiha.
The villagers noticed that the Uchiha Police Force seemed more irritable than usual since winter began. They walked around with expressions as dark as if someone owed them a million ryo, and they handled various disputes with increased impatience.
As for the few who knew the truth, they understood why the Uchiha were brimming with resentment.
About a month ago, at a high-level meeting, Uchiha Fugaku explained in front of the Hokage, several elders, and the heads of various Ninja Clans that he believed Naraku's death was suspicious. He presented the evidence he had gathered and demanded a face-to-face confrontation with Shimura Rō.
However, at that time, Shimura Rō was not in the Village. He had left Konoha two days prior to perform a mission and had since vanished without a trace, with no news of him even now.
This was clearly an attempt to stall, hoping the matter would resolve itself.
The Uchiha, naturally, could not swallow this. At another high-level meeting, Fugaku brought up the matter again, demanding that the Village immediately recall Shimura Rō for questioning.
Just as the Hokage was about to give the order, Elder Danzo Shimura stood up to object, stating that Shimura Rō's mission was very important and he could not be easily recalled. Furthermore, he argued that the Uchiha's evidence could only be understood by them, and who knew if it was fabricated, suggesting it should be handed over to the Hokage for verification before any further decisions were made.
No one understood how troublesome this move was better than Uchiha Fugaku, who was the party involved.
If he didn't hand it over, it would prove the Uchiha were guilty and the evidence was likely fake.
But if he did hand it over, and the evidence was tampered with, the Uchiha would never have another chance to pursue the matter.
After careful consideration, he still chose not to hand it over, explaining that if verification was needed, he could bring the items to the Hokage Office at any time, but the evidence could not leave Uchiha control.
This blatant distrust of the higher-ups further put the Uchiha at a disadvantage.
The situation remained deadlocked. The Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi's neutral stance, in the eyes of some shrewd individuals, instead proved that what the Uchiha said was very likely true.
It turned out that the higher-ups' desire to eliminate the Uchiha was already this urgent.
Thus, they all remained neutral, not getting too involved, and protecting themselves... Uchiha Clan Hall.
Letters returned from the Clan Members who had been searching for Naraku outside, each still reporting no progress.
As expected, everyone started arguing again.
When the news of Naraku's death was first announced, almost all Uchiha mourned the loss of a genius in their Clan, but they quickly became enraged by the truth of the incident.
They could accept a fellow Clan Member dying on a mission or on the battlefield, but under no circumstances could it be an assassination by a Ninja from the same Village!
The Konoha higher-ups' indifference to all of this, and their current disregard for the truth, made them feel even more disheartened.
Or perhaps, the mastermind behind Shimura Rō was among the higher-ups, very possibly Danzo Shimura, a fellow Clan Member of the former.
Some conservatives believed that the current situation was unclear and they must secure the Hokage's support to investigate whether Danzo Shimura was involved in this matter.
The more radical ones proposed directly leaving the Village to capture Shimura Rō, even killing him on the spot to avenge Naraku.
Even more extreme individuals threatened to launch a coup, to purge all the Konoha higher-ups who had targeted the Uchiha for years, and for their Clan to take control of Konoha... and the number of supporters grew steadily.
If Fugaku hadn't desperately kept the Mangekyo a secret, this hatred would probably have been uncontrollable long ago.
They argued back and forth until the meeting adjourned, but still, there was no good idea that Fugaku felt he could decisively act upon.
Fugaku returned home, exhausted. His pregnant wife had already prepared a table of hot food to welcome him, but he just couldn't bring himself to look into her sorrowful eyes.
He couldn't keep the matter from Mikoto at all. Before that meeting where the truth was announced, Fugaku had told her everything, including the Mangekyo.
Mikoto didn't break down emotionally, nor did she cry out in despair. She just silently shed tears, putting the new clothes she had bought for Naraku into the bottom drawer of the cabinet.
Then she reached out and hugged Fugaku, patting his slightly slumped back, which was weighed down by powerlessness and confusion.
"You must avenge him, avenge the Clan Members of the Uchiha."
His wife's words still echoed in his ears, but now he had accomplished nothing, unable to find a solution or make a decision.
Never had he felt so incompetent as he did now.
Whether as a Clan Head or as a father.
"Eat quickly."
Mikoto placed a bowl of hot soup into Fugaku's hands and smiled gently: "After you've eaten, we'll think of a solution."
"Alright."
...On the other side.
Uchiha Entō returned home after the meeting, and his son was indeed still waiting for him, hoping he would bring back some good news.
"I'm sorry, Shisui."
Entō took off his jacket, shaking his head to indicate that there was still no progress on the matter.
Shisui had learned to control his emotions through repeated disappointments. He took his father's clothes to hang them up, and involuntarily thought of the string of paper cranes in his room, growing longer and longer, with no one left to receive them. His eyes welled up with bitterness.
More than a month had passed, but the image of his senior, Naraku, became even clearer in his mind. What happened that night felt like it was just yesterday, and the warmth from Naraku's shoulder still lingered in his palm.
—Why?
—Even though they know who the real culprit is, why is everyone in Konoha so indifferent!
—They don't care! Not even the Hokage... doesn't care!
Shisui tightly clenched the fabric in his hands, leaving creases on his father's smooth jacket.
Seeing his son's small back filled with unwillingness and indignation, Entō sighed softly.
"Come on, Shisui, since you can't sleep anyway, how about we spar a bit?"
"Okay, Father."
To relieve his son's emotions, Entō took him to train in their home courtyard, then guided him in throwing techniques for half an hour, and finally urged his lightly sweating son to quickly shower and go to bed.
After arranging these trivial matters, he sat in the courtyard, gazing at the myriad stars, worrying about the future of the Uchiha.
Konoha disliked the Uchiha; this was a well-known "secret."
But now, he felt this malice like a fully formed blade, gradually approaching the necks of all Uchiha, bringing sharp pains to his soul... Mountain Prison.
A White Zetsu walked into the underground training ground. Its strange posture and appearance made it look like a walking, inverted tree root.
It handed Naraku a piece of intelligence, tilting its head as Naraku broke the seal and read it carefully.
"Just as you thought, they always argue, but they haven't taken any action yet."
"Because the Uchiha are all idiots."
He showed the smile only Naraku would have, put away the note, seemingly unconcerned that his Clan Members were facing a life-or-death crisis.
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Chapter 163 When will you come to see me, Naraku
White Zetsu asked strangely, "Aren't you an Uchiha too?"
"That's right," Naraku nodded as a matter of course, "So 'I' am also an idiot."
The already not-so-bright White Zetsu froze for a moment, but after Naraku smacked his head hard, his eyes immediately cleared, and he decisively ignored the parts he couldn't understand.
"What has Kakashi Hatake been doing lately?"
"Jin, are you very concerned about him?"
His words were full of schadenfreude, and Naraku glanced at White Zetsu with an expressionless face. The latter obediently swallowed his laughter.
Although White Zetsu couldn't feel pain, having his limbs slowly broken one by one and then roasted over a fire was quite uninteresting.
"That guy is always out of sorts; it looks like he's going to die from overwork. If you want to kill him, you'd better be quick."
"So he would also be sad over the death of an 'idiot'?" Naraku's eyes, hidden in the shadows, held a complex look, yet he let out a cold scoff, "How unexpected."
Alas, these are all debts.
He scratched his head helplessly in his mind, thinking he needed to find a chance to release "Naraku" soon... From the day he received the news of Naraku's death, Kakashi had completely broken free from control.
The clear-headed him immediately realized how ridiculous and full of holes those rumors about his father's "suicide" were, but he had been under the influence of genjutsu as soon as he returned to the village, believing them without thought.
The moment he secretly found the medical records at the Hospital and confirmed that his father's injuries were entirely from someone else, regret and despair tormented his heart day and night, almost turning him into a puppet.
Whenever he thought of the things he had said and done to Naraku after his father was harmed, Kakashi wished he could dig out his own heart and stab it to pieces with a Kunai.
But whenever he tried to do so, hatred would maintain his last shred of sanity, forbidding him to die so ignominiously, telling him that he must become stronger, forcing him to live, to live for Naraku, to live for his father.
Until the day he found the mastermind and avenged Naraku and his father.
Before that, he had no right to die.
Minato was worried about Kakashi and specifically came to talk to him, finding that the previous abnormalities seemed to have disappeared.
Kakashi would feel pain when he thought of Naraku, but he no longer avoided it, no longer deliberately distanced himself, tearfully admitting that Naraku was his best friend, and muttering through gritted teeth: One day, one day...!
Minato realized something was wrong and asked what had happened before, why Kakashi had been acting so strangely during that period, but from him, he learned a chilling truth.
Kakashi had been controlled by genjutsu.
Minato believed Kakashi would never lie, and precisely because of this, he felt confused and horrified.
Previously, Kushina had probed so many times, yet she couldn't detect any clues from Kakashi. Now, the genjutsu hadn't left any traces, showing how terrifying the caster was.
Who did it was unknown, and their motive remained elusive.
The sun was shining brightly outside, yet Minato felt a chill, as if something was lurking in Konoha, hidden in corners no one could see, radiating malice towards the world.
Temporarily suppressing these feelings, Minato looked at Kakashi's red eyes and finally understood what his teacher had once said.
[A person can lose opportunities again and again, but it cannot be a passing glance, nor can it be a missed chance.]
And Kakashi, under genjutsu, was destined to miss Naraku.
Since then, Kakashi became even more taciturn and solitary. Even Minato and Kushina couldn't open his heart again.
When asked how he was doing, his answer was always "I'm fine," accompanied by a tired but polite smile.
Just like Naraku used to be.
Minato saw that this situation couldn't continue. He also feared that the rumors about Uchiha Naraku's cause of death circulating among the higher-ups would reach Kakashi's ears, causing him to do something irreversible. After much thought, he finally came up with a plan.
He went to Jiraiya and asked his teacher to take Kakashi out of the village for a period of training.
Jiraiya thought for a moment and agreed. After all, he traveled all over the Land of Fire for material, and he had plenty of leisure time to look after his old friend's son.
Moreover, Uchiha Fugaku had made accusations multiple times at high-level meetings. Even though Jiraiya wasn't present, he had heard about it and was planning to go look for the whereabouts of "Shimura Rō" in the next few days to get to the bottom of the matter.
Since he, the Toad Sage, knew about this, the person who laid hands on a comrade shouldn't expect to gloss it over; there was no way!
However, regarding the matter of leaving the village to investigate the killer, the master and disciple discussed it and reached a consensus: they should temporarily keep it from Kakashi until Shimura Rō was found.
Otherwise, Kakashi might be blinded by the flames of hatred. If he acted irrationally and attracted the attention of certain people, no one would be able to save him then.
As one of the Sannin, Jiraiya, was taking him out of the village for training, and Kakashi, eager to grow stronger, naturally had no reason to refuse. He simply packed up and set off with him.
The old and the young, each with different thoughts, thus embarked on the same journey together.
During the journey, Kakashi was very easygoing in terms of personality: sensible, independent, and even often looked after the careless Jiraiya, as precocious as Minato;
But when it came to training, he was a bit too dedicated, no less so than the rumored Might Guy and his father. Jiraiya even worried that he might train himself to death.
Whenever he tried to persuade Kakashi not to push himself so hard, he would show a stubborn expression, but then, as if to escape, he would lower his head and repeatedly adjust his leg wraps.
Jiraiya knew that the child's heart was too bitter, and only through self-abusive training could he feel some relief.
Utterly helpless, he made a trip to Mount Myōboku and obtained some medicinal oil from the Toad Sage, telling Kakashi to apply it every night before bed.
Every night, when all was quiet, even after applying the medicinal oil, Kakashi would still feel a faint ache, making it difficult to sleep.
At these times, he would gaze at the moon in the sky or look at the stars, praying that Naraku would visit him in his dreams tonight, allowing him to feel a bit of lingering warmth from the extinguished bonfire... In a jungle somewhere in the northern Land of Fire.
Kakashi once again woke from a chaotic dream, sighing in disappointment.
He didn't dream of Naraku again.
-- When will you come to see me, Naraku?
-- Are you unwilling to forgive me?Chapter 164 - 165
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21 mars
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Köpt
Chapter 164 Jiraiya: What is going on?
Kakashi stared at the gradually brightening horizon in the distance, lost in thought for a while, until the sky turned pale before he crawled out of his sleeping bag.
After washing his face, he began preparing breakfast.
Camping in the wilderness meant poor conditions and limited variety for food, so he simply chopped the ingredients and poured them into a small pot to cook, seasoning them with some salt and soy sauce.
He should have taken a spoonful to taste, but as he stirred the broth, staring at the ingredients bobbing up and down, pushed by the bubbles, he inadvertently zoned out again.
It wasn't until Lord Jiraiya, drawn by the aroma, leisurely came and sat by the pot that Kakashi snapped out of his daze.
"Good morning, Lord Jiraiya."
"Morning, Kakashi."
Lord Jiraiya happily took the spoon from him, tasted the hot soup, and for the 135th time, marveled at what a wise decision it was to bring Kakashi along.
As for the reason for this particular marvel, it had already been used 16 times.
-- This kid, Kakashi, is really good at seasoning.
The two ate from their bowls and chatted, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
Perhaps it was due to his extensive experience with children, coupled with his personality, but from the beginning of their journey, Lord Jiraiya always managed to elicit a few words from Kakashi, preventing him from having to carry the conversation alone.
By now, he had delegated small tasks like cooking to Kakashi, also to instill a sense of everyday life in Kakashi, to ensure he didn't forget how to live, and to maintain the emotions a human should possess.
Not to become a puppet, knowing only missions and survival.
"If we head east from here for a bit, we'll reach Kusunagi Castle.
If we hurry, we can probably enjoy a hot spring before dark."
As Lord Jiraiya thought of the countless writing materials beckoning him, he couldn't help but let his imagination run wild, revealing a lewd expression completely unfitting for a great hero.
Having traveled together for so long, Kakashi knew exactly what he was pondering with just a glance.
Kakashi, still a good kid who hadn't been led astray, chose to close his eyes and bury his head in his food.
He couldn't understand what pleasure there was in peeking into the women's bathhouse, to make Lord Jiraiya so obsessed.
And even if one were to concede a thousand steps, such a hobby wasn't exactly ethical, was it?
One could only say that all strong individuals have their little quirks?
Lord Jiraiya was lecherous, Lady Tsunade was a gambler, and it was said that Orochimaru spent long periods in his laboratory doing research, not showing his face for a year or two... Kakashi, for the Nth time, felt that in the circle of strong individuals, his father might be so normal that it was abnormal.
After breakfast, Kakashi packed his belongings, put on all of his custom-made weights, and continued on their journey.
Since he could soak in a hot spring tonight, it didn't matter how much he sweated... Facing the setting sun and the evening glow, Kakashi stepped through the gates of Kusunagi Castle.
After a full day of high-intensity travel, his Chakra was nearly depleted, and a few strands of hair on his forehead were soaked with sweat, hanging damply by his eyes.
Lord Jiraiya, however, was calm and composed, and he clapped Kakashi on the shoulder with force.
Kakashi stumbled, the slight arch of his furrowed brows showing a hint of helplessness.
He seemed to be complaining that Lord Jiraiya, as an elder, always played such childish pranks.
Lord Jiraiya immediately ignored this accusation, attempting to gloss over the matter with praise: "That's amazing, Kakashi, you've improved quite a bit since last time."
Then, without waiting for a response, he eagerly grabbed the sweaty child and strode towards the bathhouse...
After scrubbing, Lord Jiraiya soaked for a while before disappearing to gather material, leaving Kakashi to stare blankly in the spring water, emptying his mind.
-- Speaking of which, I haven't been to a hot spring with Naraku yet.
Kakashi relaxed his body, slowly sliding into the pool, submerging himself completely beneath the surface.
Tiny ripples on the pool's surface fractured the lamplight and firelight into shimmering specks, which floated before his eyes like fish, or like the bright patches of light under the trees that summer.
He reached out to grasp them, his fingers breaking the water's surface and creating ripples.
The sensation of water flowing through his fingers was incredibly clear, bringing with it a slight tickle.
Besides hot springs, Kakashi Hatake had many other things he hadn't done with Uchiha Naraku.
And many words he hadn't had the chance to say.
-- Even in a dream, please let me see you.
His eyes felt warm, and Kakashi didn't know if he was crying...
Contrary to Kakashi's thoughts, Lord Jiraiya was not gathering material, but rather moving through the darkness in his proper attire.
Kusunagi Castle was renowned throughout the Ninja World as a hot spring sanctuary, but at the same time, this bustling city was a veritable melting pot, serving as one of the important intelligence hubs for Ninja traveling abroad.
All sorts of forces, big and small, had planted their spies here, including, of course, the Underground Bounty Exchange.
Lord Jiraiya, slightly disguised, familiar with the route, entered the Underground Bounty Exchange's stronghold, and with just a look, made the doorman obediently step aside and allow him entry.
The shopkeeper sat behind the counter, his smile genuine and natural.
"Esteemed customer, how may I assist you?"
"This person," Lord Jiraiya pulled out a photo and placed it on the table, pushing it a few centimeters towards the shopkeeper, "Where is he now?"
"Oh, we just happen to have information on the person you're referring to."
The shopkeeper turned and retrieved a scroll from a hidden compartment, placed it next to the photo, made a gesture, and even offered an additional piece of news.
"Some time ago, other clients commissioned us to investigate this person, so you'd better act quickly."
"Mm."
Lord Jiraiya casually placed the silver, took the photo and scroll, tucked them into his robe, and turned to leave.
Emerging from underground, he found a quiet spot to open the scroll, and upon reading to the end, he let out an annoyed "Tsk."
Good heavens, his most recent appearance was right here in Kusunagi Castle.
Should he say this guy was utterly foolish to dare stay in a place teeming with intelligence agents, or should he say he was being overly clever, thinking he could hide safely in plain sight, only to have his whereabouts discovered?
However, who else was investigating Shimura Rō?
Lord Jiraiya stroked his chin, a flicker of understanding in his eyes.
The ones relentlessly pursuing this person were, by all appearances, the Uchiha.
They still hadn't given up the chase.
It seemed the shopkeeper was right; he really did need to act faster, otherwise, if the Uchiha caught him, things would become a bit difficult.
After all, the assassination was likely real, and given the old man's personality, for the sake of stability, he wouldn't allow important human evidence to fall into the Uchiha's hands, thereby allowing them to blackmail the Village into concessions.
If things escalated then, it wouldn't be something he, a mere Jiraiya, could control.
Boom--!!!
Accompanied by a massive explosion, a large cloud of smoke erupted from the roof of a brightly lit, three-story tavern, and a figure flew out of it.
By its posture, it seemed to have been thrown out.
When he saw a light golden figure immediately follow, pursuing the fleeing person, Lord Jiraiya's jaw nearly dropped.
-- No, what's going on?
-- Tsunade?
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Chapter 165 But, She Won
When she returned to Konoha, Tsunade wasn't entirely swayed by Sakumo Hatake's reputation and favors.
Another important reason was that her grandmother, Uzumaki Mito, the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, had already transferred the Tailed Beast to a little girl named Kushina, and was now sustained only by her immense and resilient Chakra, with not much time left.
After returning to Konoha, she first visited her grandmother, and the two chatted over hot tea.
Seeing that her grandmother was doing well, she then followed Sakumo, who had been waiting outside the door, to the Hospital to examine his little apprentice.
Even across the entire Ninja World, Uchiha Naraku was a rare genius.
Unfortunately, his bloodline not only granted him power but also brought an intractable curse, slowly gnawing at his young body, a process that wouldn't stop until his life faded.
This was the first Uchiha suffering from bloodline limit sickness she had treated, and perhaps, it would be the last.
Tsunade looked at Sakumo, who seemed to be muttering to himself, and had a hunch that he was hiding something; otherwise, he wouldn't have shown such an expression.
Soon, her doubts were answered.
They wouldn't even spare a simple-minded person like Sakumo Hatake; those old geezers were truly beyond saving.
Konoha, oh Konoha... its roots burrowed deeper and deeper, yet its branches and leaves grew increasingly sparse and withered.
If one day this great tree could no longer sprout new leaves, that would be the moment it crashed down... It was no wonder Sakumo Hatake was so determined to save him; that Uchiha kid named Naraku was so sensible it made one's heart ache.
The Dōjutsu Power (Pupil Power) of the Three Tomoe was already a heavy burden for a child; whenever he activated his Sharingan, his meridians would be damaged from the unbearable power, which naturally caused great pain.
Yet, Naraku only said, "It's just a little."
"I'm sorry."
Even knowing his illness was incurable, he still wore a shy, gentle smile.
Why didn't he resent this world?
Having lived half a lifetime, Tsunade had seen too much; the Ninja World never lacked people who, burdened by various pains, hated everything.
Naraku, so young and having awakened the Sharingan, should, by all accounts, have easily veered towards extremism.
But he didn't.
Tsunade sat leaning against a table, watching the children, gathered in a circle, playing and laughing.
Their faces were all smiling, like tender buds blossoming on an ancient tree, edged with gold by the morning sun.
Let's wait and see, perhaps this great tree still has a day to be reborn... But will that day truly come?
Tsunade slumped to the ground, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Her old friend was not far away, but she didn't even have the strength to stand up, nor did she dare to look directly at the bloodstains covering him.
It wasn't until Naraku knelt before her, pleading like a cuckoo crying blood, that he forcibly pulled her out of her panic with just a few words.
The various instruments in the operating room blared, annoyingly loud; despite it being a critical moment where every second counted, Tsunade was still distracted, listening for movement outside the door.
She could imagine the overwhelming despair Naraku must have felt when he collapsed from exhaustion just now, then picked up Sakumo's lifeless body and moved forward.
The Uchiha always awakened in the midst of extreme emotions.
The power of the Uchiha is the power of love and hate.
The moment the Sealing Jutsu was about to break, the Shadow Clone also rushed out the door.
Sakumo will live, so Naraku, you must live too... After accepting Naraku as her disciple, Tsunade often watched his serious expression while reading, and subconsciously thought of the many people she had lost.
Her two grandfathers, father, mother, Dan, Nawaki... even her grandmother was almost gone... Knowing this kid wouldn't live long, yet still being soft-hearted, perhaps she deserved to suffer again?
Fortunately, it seemed this day wouldn't come too soon.
In the first week after Tsunade left Konoha, she successfully received a letter from Naraku, detailing his recent situation.
"Mystical Palm Technique and Sealing Jutsu have both improved; truly worthy of being my disciple."
She put away the envelope, then wrote a reply and sent it, cautioning him that the Evil Sealing Method had many crucial points and should not be rushed.
However, after that, she never received another letter.
-- Could Orochimaru have kidnapped him?
Tsunade would rather suspect Orochimaru was behind it than imagine a certain outcome.
Originally, to avoid suspicion and reduce trouble, Tsunade never contacted the Uchiha, but this time, after much thought, she still sent a message to the other party to confirm the situation.
Then she went to a casino, found a random table, sat down, and bet all her money, waiting to lose everything.
But, she won.
The table full of gleaming chips was piled up, forming a small mountain of silver money... They were truly insane.
Tsunade clutched the scroll, stunned for a long time; a bone-chilling coldness crawled out from between the lines of those few words, penetrating every inch of her skin, eroding her internal organs, stinging like needles.
A familiar pain spread from her heart; it was as if she saw someone collapse to the ground again, their body slowly growing cold.
Only this time, the phantom vaguely took on Naraku's face.
Perhaps she shouldn't have chosen to wait.
Waiting would only cause the things she cherished to vanish one by one, leaving nothing behind in the end.
In the profound silence, Shizune's suppressed sobs suddenly echoed in her ears.
"Why are you crying?"
Tsunade heard her own cold, hard question, as if heavy dark clouds pressed down with boundless thunder.
Immediately following was the flung-open door curtain, and the blast of cold wind.
"Go, let's chop up that damned thing!"
...Thanks to the Uchiha's diligent efforts in tracing clues and gathering intelligence, Tsunade learned that Kusagakure Castle was the last known location of the target.
She detained the Uchiha who delivered the message and brought him along into the city, to easily receive the latest news from their clan.
The other party only struggled symbolically twice before silently complying.
After all, he also greatly desired to avenge Uchiha Naraku, and following Tsunade might help them catch the person faster.
Kusagakure Castle was filled with casinos, but Tsunade ignored them.
Her extremely high Ninja abilities, honed on the battlefield, quickly allowed her to track the target.
The moment she saw that face, the long-suppressed rage erupted like a volcano, spewing fire from her fists and feet, shattering every obstacle in her path.
The floor was shattered by a single stomp, and in the next instant, her agile, golden-haired figure appeared before the opponent.
Her fist smashed fiercely into his undefended abdomen, blasting him upwards, through two ceilings, and into the night sky, covered in dust.
Tsunade followed through the hole he made, leaping out of the building, and with a subsequent Body Flicker and a Painful Sky Leg, she slammed him back into the ground from mid-air, creating cracks in the road surface.
The accompanying Uchiha hastily intervened: "Lady Tsunade, you cannot kill him!"
Tsunade clenched her fist, producing a series of sharp cracks.
How amusing, to actually be stopped from killing by an Uchiha.