Late at night, the Hokage Tower was ablaze with light.
Yoru followed Yellow Dog and Black Chimp into the office, taking in the scene.
Third Hokage sat behind his desk, smoking.
On one sofa sat Danzo and Mito Monen, while on the other sat Senju Rinmu, head of the Senju clan.
Behind Rinmu stood Kato Dan, silver-haired and stern-faced.
The three Anbu stood behind Danzo, scanning the room.
Everyone's expressions were tense, an argument had clearly just ended.
Danzo turned to Yellow Dog. "Report tonight's events."
"Yes, Lord Danzo!" Yellow Dog began:
"All Cloud Ninja moved tonight. Some created chaos elsewhere to draw Anbu attention; others directly targeted Princess Uzumaki.
The Anbu acted immediately. Princess Uzumaki's escort squad was intercepted, but Black Chimp's team caught up and followed the princess."
Yoru frowned. Something was off, Black Chimp's team had originally been tracking the spy Yoru discovered. Yellow Dog's report minimized the Anbu's responsibility.
Yellow Dog continued:
"The Cloud Ninja escaped through a hidden gap in Konoha's wall. About a kilometer out, Black Chimp's team intercepted them.
All Cloud Ninja spies were eliminated; the princess was rescued."
The Third Hokage nodded repeatedly, impressed by the Anbu's prompt response.
Yellow Dog added:
"The princess was taken for two reasons:
At 11 PM, she lingered outside the Senju clan lands, and no one escorted her back.
At least five Cloud Ninja were deeply hidden, leaving no trace prior to the incident."
Yellow Dog's deft blame-shifting spared the Anbu. The first reason implied the princess herself caused the danger.
The Third Hokage turned to Rinmu.
Rinmu explained:
"Kushina has not yet adjusted to Konoha. I told the clan to let her act freely. She suffers from nightmares and insomnia after our clan's massacre, hence avoiding her room.
My approach aims to help her adapt and complete the Nine-Tails sealing efficiently."
The succession of the Nine-Tails vessel was no secret here. The Anbu's presence proved they were trusted executors of the village's confidential operations.
Kato Dan, a core Senju, wielded forbidden techniques capable of extreme-range combat.
Danzo interjected:
"Rinmu! If you cannot manage the princess, hand her over to the village. We have better ways to oversee her.
Letting her act freely? Absurd. Has Mito ever let the village worry over the Nine-Tails? The Senju elders' handling of the succession has been disappointing.
If not for the Anbu tonight, the princess would be in Cloud Village hands! Intelligence reports place Cloud infiltrators sixty kilometers from Konoha. Half an hour's delay and the village loses the next Nine-Tails vessel!
I propose removing Senju oversight and placing the princess directly under village care. Tsunade would be ideal,skilled, experienced with children, and fully capable."
Rinmu glanced at Danzo, then Mito, finally resting his gaze on Tsunade.
Tsunade's hand paused mid-air, pipe in hand. She wondered why Rinmu looked at her.
He continued:
"Tsunade, I remember you guiding me patiently in my youth. I admired you. Yet conflicts between us grew over time. You became Hokage, and the Senju supported you fully, yet why has the village increasingly targeted us?
How long since you last visited our clan or my mother?"
Tsunade fell silent. The absence of family visits, the mounting expectations,it weighed heavily.
Mito Monen spoke:
"Rinmu, the village does not target the Senju or any clan. The issue is the princess, the vessel of the Nine-Tails, must serve the village first.
She has been raised by the Senju with skewed ideals, taught to prioritize the clan. The Nine-Tails vessel is too important; any deviation in her upbringing risks catastrophe.
Other villages' vessels, like in Hidden Stone Village and Hidden Cloud Village, fell into hatred, becoming tools of destruction within their villages.
A vessel must be nurtured carefully."
Yoru observed, fascinated. The debate was enthralling,everyone spoke of justice, yet none would yield.
Rinmu scowled. Mito's words exposed the core conflict: the Nine-Tails,whose will truly governs it? Konoha's, or the Senju's?