Lynx stared at the corpse of the squad leader Tsunade had just crushed, disbelief flooding his chest.
That squad leader wasn't from Root.
He was from Lynx's own division.
He had been temporarily assigned to Root to help train their recruits.
Why had he died here?
Hiruzen and Danzo were just as stunned.
Had Tsunade lost her mind?
Root was already stretched thin. It hadn't replenished formal members yet — only recruits in training.
Danzo personally oversaw those trainees every day, teaching them ninjutsu himself. They were the future of Root.
And tonight, four of them had been killed here?
Along with an ANBU squad leader — a capable Tokubetsu jōnin.
Yako was the first to react. He immediately directed the arriving ANBU to clear out civilians and seal off the area.
Fortunately, it was deep night. If this had happened in broad daylight, it would have been catastrophic.
Orochimaru sighed inwardly. He had been expecting a new batch of test subjects tonight. Clearly, that would not happen now.
Seeing the silence, he spoke first.
"Tsunade. Why did you kill Root's recruits and the ANBU squad leader?"
Yako winced inwardly.
Orochimaru did it again — stating the truth outright.
Hiruzen quickly interjected.
"Verify their identities! Confirm whether they are spies!"
He had yielded.
What other choice did he have?
"What Root recruits? What ANBU squad leader?" Tsunade said smoothly.
"Earlier today, the Third Hokage informed me that spies from other villages have been abducting Konoha's children.
At first, I doubted him. But tonight, I encountered proof.
These individuals are enemy spies.
I will kill them tonight — and every time I see them again.
Konoha was built upon countless Senju sacrifices.
I will not allow anyone to abduct the village's children."
Yako nodded faintly.
Good.
You made your choice. Your own repeated ruthlessness forged this version of Tsunade.
She had always been decisive.
If she was going to strike, she would strike to kill — publicly.
And she had chosen her justification carefully.
Danzo closed his eyes briefly.
His Root was fragile — and now it had taken another blow.
His gaze turned dangerous.
He began calculating how to frame this as Tsunade murdering Konoha shinobi.
Hiruzen noticed Danzo's shifting expression.
"Confirm! Are these bodies spies?"
"...Yes," Danzo forced out.
"They are spies."
Hiruzen exhaled.
"Tsunade, you did well. You eliminated infiltrators promptly."
Danzo shot him a furious look, about to speak—
But Tsunade pressed forward.
"Oh? Spies, you say?
Which village?
Kazematsuri Yuzu's son was abducted by spies as well. I will take these bodies.
I'll extract information from their brains. Perhaps I'll find clues."
Danzo understood.
Root had lost again.
"This matter falls under Root's jurisdiction," he said coldly. "There's no need for you to interfere."
He gestured.
Boar quickly ordered the corpses removed.
Tsunade did not obstruct them.
She simply stared at the leadership with cold disdain.
Hiruzen felt that gaze pierce him.
He said nothing further.
The high-ranking shinobi vanished as if nothing had occurred.
Yako departed as well.
He would not involve himself too deeply in Root's affairs.
Once the others were gone, Senju Nan approached Tsunade.
"Princess Tsunade, will Danzo retaliate in other ways?"
Tsunade snorted.
"They're still dealing with Uchiha Madara and Sarutobi Kanosuke. Isn't that enough for them?
If they escalate, I will escalate in return.
Gambling means raising the stakes until the other side cannot follow.
Tonight was only my first wager.
I've finally realized… Konoha is no longer the Konoha it once was.
Only the name remains.
The village of its founding days and this one are two entirely different entities.
What we must protect are the ideals and the name of Konoha — not its current state."
She turned to look at the confused orphan behind Yuzu.
"Nan, Tobirama once said that Senju blood should merge into Konoha.
Even if genius descendants were born from women who married out, they should not return to the clan.
I do not intend to overturn his policy.
But circumstances are different now.
For the next few years, we protect every child with half Senju blood.
Until either the village or our clan masters Wood Release, we cannot leave them unguarded."
Nan hesitated.
"Can the village truly master Wood Release?"
Tsunade shook her head.
"Sometimes I wonder whether Grandfather and Second Grandfather Tobirama had their heads on straight.
Grandfather was naively foolish.
Tobirama passed on his boundary-pushing research to the Hokage's guard.
Why did he pursue Wood Release through experimentation?
Now the current leadership uses that precedent to justify continuing those experiments."
Nan felt bitterness rise.
Hashirama's policies had placed Senju at the frontlines, suffering immense losses.
Tobirama's succession choices nearly erased the Senju from political power entirely.
The two brothers had been merciless toward their own clan.
Nan departed to gather orphaned children with Senju blood.
The clan compound now stood mostly empty.
Several large courtyards could be repurposed to raise them together.
—
Inside the Hokage's office.
Orochimaru leaned against the wall.
"I forgot to mention, Hiruzen-sensei.
Tsunade has mastered the Strength of a Hundred Seal and the Yin Seal.
If she had continued fighting just now… I would not have been her match."
Hiruzen froze.
For a moment, pride flashed across his face.
Then it turned to bitterness.
The more brilliant his student became, the less obedient she was.
"So she can no longer be considered merely an elite jōnin," Hiruzen murmured.
"If Tsunade is now Kage-level… then we must adjust our approach.
Wouldn't you agree, Danzo?"
Danzo said nothing.
Hiruzen sighed.
He had just assigned support to Root — and now Root had suffered another devastating blow.
Misfortune upon misfortune.
Danzo rose.
He had no interest in listening to Hiruzen defend Tsunade.
Hiruzen shot a look at Lynx, signaling him to follow.
After they left, Hiruzen turned to Orochimaru.
"And you? Has your strength improved? Have you reached Kage level?"
Orochimaru smiled faintly.
"No.
But I can guarantee that no Kage can kill me."
Hiruzen pondered that.
"...Very well.
If a Kage cannot kill you, doesn't that count?
By that logic, Fox might already qualify as Kage-level as well."
—
Several days later.
At the Ninja Academy, the Third Hokage stood on a raised platform, speaking of the Will of Fire.
Yako stood nearby with two squads, overseeing security.
Namikaze Minato was about to graduate.