Chapter 80 - Tsunade: You Innately Evil Uchiha!
"Take a look at the reprimand letter from the Daimyo yourself."
Inside the Hokage's office.
Shikaku, with dark circles under his eyes, glanced at Renji who had just entered. A hint of resentment flickered in his eyes as he handed the letter to Renji, suddenly feeling a bit regretful.
When Renji initially approached him to handle things, Shikaku had thought it was a sign of Renji's trust and an attempt to win over their Ino-Shika-Cho alliance, as well as to demonstrate to the other Konoha clans that he wouldn't monopolize power.
However, after Shikaku agreed, he soon realized that Renji was just lazy and didn't want to deal with anything.
It took him a while to realize that Renji only needed the title of Hokage as a pretext, and as for other matters, he would delegate them to others whenever possible.
"Those guys really think they're the big shots!"
Renji curled his lip in discontent, then, without even glancing at the letter, he burned it with a burst of fire.
He didn't need to read it to know what it said. It was probably about how he should have reported to the Land of Fire before becoming Hokage, and let them decide whether to approve his succession, instead of unilaterally declaring himself Hokage.
"Now that they have money, of course they act like big shots. Konoha relies on the Land of Fire for many things, and the letter probably contains threats. In summary, there are two main issues: First, regarding resources, they might express their dissatisfaction and reduce support, and they want you to meet with them. Second, about Asuma, the Daimyo doesn't want him to return for trial."
Shikaku looked at the charred remains of the envelope on the floor and gave Renji a troubled look.
Sure enough, nothing good would come from this guy once he took office. No wonder the Second Hokage didn't allow Madara to become Hokage. If Madara had taken over, the entire ninja world might have been reduced to a single ninja village.
And now Renji was even more ruthless, planning to take down all five great nations.
"I'm not going. Just pass on a message for me. If they dare to cut off my supplies, I'll lead a team to seize them!"
"..."
A bandit?
He was even more of a bandit than actual bandits.
But surprisingly, this approach worked. Would the Daimyo really dare to withhold supplies?
Firstly, if Renji really led a team to seize supplies, the entire capital of the Land of Fire would likely be attacked by Renji. However, the relationship between the two sides would probably plummet to its lowest point.
But considering what Renji had said before, war between the two sides was inevitable. There was no need to bow to the Land of Fire now. However, this left no room for negotiation.
"Actually, if we go to war with the Land of Fire, perhaps not many ninja would support you?"
Shikaku reminded him that if war broke out, not all ninja villages would choose to fight against the Land of Fire.
Was he being overly optimistic?
"I can handle it alone."
Renji had never expected others to stand with him. Even someone as powerful as Madara had been betrayed by his own clan in the end.
"Moreover, if in the end no one stands behind me, wouldn't that mean I'm a failure as Hokage?"
If not a single person chose to stand with him, it would indeed be a rather pathetic tenure as Hokage.
"You have a point."
Shikaku nodded, feeling that Renji had a valid point. He had been overcomplicating things.
Even in external wars, there were compromisers and radicals within the village. Opinions within the clan were mostly not unified. How could they expect everyone to speak with one voice?
"Hokage-sama, Lady Tsunade and Jiraiya-sama have returned."
They're back?
Hearing the words of the Anbu, Shikaku's eyes flashed with shock. Renji had actually managed to bring them back, and it didn't seem like he had made a special effort to do so.
"Have them come here directly."
"No need, I'm already here!"
The door was kicked open with a bang, and Tsunade burst in. Upon seeing Renji inside, she instinctively froze for a moment. Although she had heard that Renji was young, she hadn't expected that Hiruzen Sarutobi had been defeated by such a young child.
"Ah, so this is the new Hokage."
Jiraiya quietly emerged from behind, while Shizune cautiously observed Renji.
This was the formidable person who had even defeated the Third Hokage.
When they saw Renji, all three of them had rather complex feelings.
Whether it was Jiraiya or Tsunade, they had been thinking on their way back about what their attitude would be when they saw Renji.
Would they seek revenge for Hiruzen Sarutobi?
Or would they just go with the flow?
However, as Hiruzen Sarutobi's actions were revealed one by one by Renji and spread throughout the ninja world, they also understood that some things really couldn't be blamed on Renji. It seemed that they had indeed been too ruthless, not giving any chance at all.
So now, being counterattacked due to insufficient strength seemed to be a just consequence.
Compared to Tsunade, Jiraiya was more sentimental. In his view, Hiruzen Sarutobi was his mentor, but now he had no way to avenge his mentor, as he had no reason to do so.
"So, since you've defeated your teacher, would you like a chance to avenge him?"
Renji smiled at the two, noticing that they were suppressing their emotions upon seeing him. If they were unhappy with him, he would give them a chance to avenge themselves.
"Ahem, the matter is settled. I think we should just let it go!"
Shikaku quickly tried to mediate, thinking that Jiraiya and Tsunade had just returned and Renji wanted to fight them immediately.
Was he a maniac for violence?
Shikaku felt that dealing with Renji's affairs was truly a life of walking on thin ice.
"Humph, that old man brought it upon himself!"
Tsunade curled her lip, and compared to Jiraiya, she had more complex feelings towards Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was indeed her teacher, but the Senju clan was not short of resources. On the matters of Nawaki and her grandfather, she really couldn't forgive Hiruzen Sarutobi.
It was precisely because she saw that Konoha was already corrupt and hopeless that she left in the first place.
"Come to think of it, the old man did make some mistakes."
Jiraiya sighed, thinking of Naruto, and he couldn't help but feel a bit sad.
What could he say?
He couldn't even take care of Naruto properly, and he was even less capable than Renji. When he returned today, he also heard that Renji had not only cleared Naruto's name but also taken him on as his disciple.
Many things in the village had been clarified by Renji. Jiraiya didn't know everything that the old man had done over the years, but he couldn't say he was completely unaware.
"So, why did you call us back?"
Jiraiya had no particular attachments left in Konoha. Once, he had a mentor and a Naruto. But now his mentor was dead, and Naruto was being taken care of by Renji. He could wander the world freely.
Had it not been for the fear of being labeled a missing-nin from Konoha, he wouldn't have come back at all.
"I need Tsunade to help rebuild the medical system of Konoha. As for you, you can stay in Konoha as a teacher or do whatever else you like. Of course, if you prefer to stay outside, that's fine too. The main reason I called you back was just to have you make a trip here."
In reality, Renji was testing their obedience. If they didn't come back when he called, it would mean they didn't acknowledge him as Hokage, and he would indeed label them as missing-nin.
However, since they had returned, and given that they didn't seem overly biased in the matter of Hiruzen Sarutobi, Renji naturally wouldn't give them a hard time.
"No way, I'm not staying in Konoha!!"
Tsunade slapped her hand down on the table, which shattered into two pieces.
"Lady Tsunade, please speak calmly."
Shizune tugged gently at Tsunade's sleeve, worried that things might really escalate into a fight.
"Shikaku, make a note of this on her account, along with the cost of the door."
Renji turned to Shikaku and then looked at Tsunade, saying, "The Senju clan wouldn't default on their debts, would they?"
Tsunade clenched her fists, feeling an urge to punch Renji in the face.
She feared this kind of subtle pressure the most. She wasn't afraid of a direct confrontation at all.
"What do you mean? I said I'm not staying in Konoha!"
Tsunade gritted her teeth. She was currently penniless, having gambled away her last bit of money. Where would she get the money to pay Renji?
She wasn't staying here anyway. As for Renji demanding money from her, she could just leave in the middle of the night. Would Renji really chase after her to collect the debt?
She, Tsunade of the Senju clan, wasn't going to be burdened by such a creditor!
"All I'm asking is for you to teach some medical ninja techniques. You wouldn't have to go on missions."
"Hmph, who do you think I am? You think I'll teach just because you say so?"
A scornful smile flickered across Tsunade's face. Not to mention her hemophobia, even if she didn't have it, she wouldn't stay in a Konoha led by an Uchiha Hokage.
"Work five days a week, from nine to five, with weekends off. We'll provide food and lodging, pay you a salary, and give you triple pay for overtime."
"Money is nothing to me. I don't need your salary."
She could easily borrow money. Why would she need Renji to pay her?
Did he really think money could hire her?
If that were the case, she would have been persuaded to return to Konoha by Hiruzen Sarutobi long ago!
"We've already paid off your gambling debts in Konoha."
"I won't sell my dignity for these material things! I can pay my debts myself!"
But...
Lady Tsunade, could you please not let your tone weaken just now?
Shizune inwardly complained. Tsunade's tone had softened from her initial firm stance.
"Konoha won't interfere with your free time. Besides teaching, you can do whatever you want. We'll give you five million ryo every month to spend at the casino."
Gulp.
Tsunade swallowed hard, her hands trembling. She felt like this Uchiha in front of her was a demon.
Why?!
Why could he hit her weak spot so perfectly?
He would take care of her, provide food and lodging, pay off her debts, and even supply gambling money in the future. All she had to do was teach occasionally, assign some homework, and then slip away.
It was free money. Would it be unreasonable to refuse?
"Really provide food and lodging, and not interfere with me?"
"Yes!"
"All my debts are paid off?"
"That's right!"
"Continue to provide five million ryo every month?"
"Of course!"
Phew!
Tsunade's internal balance gradually tilted. Involuntarily, she recalled her great-uncle's often-used catchphrase: *"Innately evil Uchiha!"*
He was really too evil!
She calculated the time it would take to travel to Tanzaku Street. If she pushed herself, it would take about a day. She could assign homework on Tuesday, let them study on their own on Wednesday, have them intern at the hospital on Thursday, and have them write a summary on Friday. That way, she would only work one day a week, and the rest of the time she could still spend in the casino as before.
There were no more bad influences in the village now. She could observe for a while. If it still didn't work out, she could just run away again.
Whether it was to trick Renji into paying off her old debts first or to deceive a few months' salary later, she admitted that she was tempted.
"Fine, I agree. If you don't do what you said, I'll leave immediately!"
Tsunade quickly agreed, planning to take advantage of the situation without feeling guilty.
Whether she would leave later would depend on her mood.
"Ahem, actually, I also need some funds for my travels. You know, those places of pleasure can be quite expensive. Could the village reimburse me? I can also have a title. I can love the village too!"
Jiraiya coughed lightly, feeling that he must争取一下 this business of getting money for nothing.
Recently, the prices had risen sharply, and he liked to give tips. If this continued, he might not be able to afford those places anymore!
These three legendary ninja really had their hands in gambling, prostitution, and drugs.
"Out of money? The village doesn't have much. I heard you're a best-selling author. Have you ever thought about paying some taxes to the village?"
"Farewell!"
Jiraiya left immediately. Since there was nothing else to do, he didn't mind not getting the money. Renji actually had his eye on the little money in his pocket.
"Let's go, Shizune."
Tsunade glanced at Renji, then left without looking back, pulling Shizune along.
Since she was back in the village, she planned to visit the Senju clan grounds.
Come to think of it, she would probably be living there for a while.
"Are you just going to agree to Tsunade's demands?"
Shikaku asked worriedly. Tsunade owed a lot of money!
"The casinos are all ours. Her losses are just a transfer of funds within the village. I'm actually looking forward to her losing her salary and everything else!!"
Free is the most expensive.
Allowing her to gamble for free was just a way for Renji to take over those casinos in the future.
It was just a matter of transferring funds. The real concern now was to prevent Tsunade from running away later.
Hearing Renji's words, Shikaku was speechless for a long time. No wonder he was called an innately evil Uchiha!
(End of chapter)
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