"It seems the Chunin exam is cursed."
Tsunade commented after reading the report on the premature end of the Chunin exam, conceived in partnership with Sunagakure to strengthen the alliance. The scroll rested on her desk, the letters detailing the complete failure of the endeavor. Another Jinchuuriki captured by the Akatsuki. Once again, the event that should have demonstrated strength had turned into chaos.
From the shadowy corner of the room, Danzou snorted.
"Hmph! And you let Naruto leave the village with only Jiraiya."
The voice carried the weight of accusation, but there was something different about the old advisor. Li Shang, leaning against the wall on the other side of the room, watched in silence. The Tenseigan revealed what ordinary eyes wouldn't catch.
'I don't know what this old man did while he was gone, but the chaotic energy within his body has stabilized. Also, his chakra has skyrocketed. He's much stronger than before. What did he do?'
The distorted currents that once threatened to destroy Danzou from within now flowed in calculated harmony. His right arm, still hidden under bandages, pulsed with an even more intense Yang energy. It was like observing a dormant volcano that had suddenly learned to control its eruptions.
"Only with Jiraiya?" Tsunade slammed her fist on the table, making the papers tremble. "Are you listening to yourself? Besides, where have you been? I'm still the Hokage of Konoha and I haven't received any news from you."
The irritation overflowed in every word. The capture of another Jinchuuriki by the Akatsuki was already bad. Having to deal with Danzou questioning her decisions made everything worse.
The old advisor adjusted the bandages on his face, his visible eye fixed on Tsunade with calculated intensity.
"I've been taking care of matters concerning Konoha's security. Matters that a competent Hokage should have already resolved."
The silence that followed was cutting. Shizune, standing by the window, swallowed hard. The tension in the room was palpable, like the moment before a storm.
Li Shang continued to observe, his thoughts racing.
'The stabilization isn't natural. Someone or something helped this old man balance the conflicting energies. But who would have that kind of knowledge?'
"You disappear for weeks without explanation and come back questioning my decisions?" Tsunade stood up, chakra beginning to pulse around her. "Do I need to remind you of your position, Danzou?"
The elder remained impassive, as if the display of power was just a gentle breeze.
"My position has always been clear, Tsunade. To protect Konoha, even when its leaders fail to do so."
Li Shang noticed the exact moment Danzou's chakra subtly responded to the provocation. It was controlled, precise, like a blade slowly being unsheathed.
'He's not just stronger. He's learned to completely control whatever he has inside him.'
"The fact remains," Danzou continued, his voice maintaining a neutral yet threatening tone, "that allowing our Jinchuuriki to wander freely while the Akatsuki hunts bijuus is reckless. How many more do we need to lose before you take adequate measures?"
Tsunade clenched her fists, her knuckles cracking audibly.
"Naruto is with Jiraiya. There's no better protection."
"The same Jiraiya who allowed Orochimaru to become corrupted? The same one who failed to protect the Third Hokage?"
Danzou's words cut like sharp kunai, each one precisely aimed at Konoha's still-open wounds.
"It's good you bring that up, old man!"
Tsunade stared at Danzou, her eyes burning with an intensity that would make lesser ninjas retreat. "Where were you when my master needed you? It's incredible how you always disappear when the village needs you. The Nine-Tails attack, the Third Hokage's death."
Her words weren't just a reprimand. They were almost a warning, an open declaration of distrust that hung in the air like poison.
Danzou remained impassive, his single visible eye observing Tsunade with the same calculated coldness as always. Inside, however, Li Shang could see that the old man's chakra stirred slightly, like a snake ready to strike.
'She hit a nerve. Interesting.'
Homura, sensing the situation escalating dangerously, cleared his throat and intervened with a firm but conciliatory voice.
"Godaime, this is not the time for internal discussion. Should we convene a summit of the Kages from each village?"
The suggestion hung in the air for a few seconds. It was a clever move, Li Shang recognized. To shift the focus from the internal conflict to the external threat.
Tsunade took a deep breath, her fist still clenched on the table. When she spoke again, her voice carried the absolute authority of the Hokage.
"We will debate this when Jiraiya returns. I will not be the first to show concern about this situation. After all, Iwa and Kumo have recently united to pressure us."
She paused, letting the weight of her words sink in.
"You may go."
The dismissal was dry, cutting. Danzou slowly stood up, each movement measured and deliberate. Homura and Koharu exchanged worried glances but obeyed, following the elder out of the room.
When the door closed, the silence that remained was almost tangible. Tsunade remained standing, her hands still on the table, her shoulders tense like bowstrings.
Shizune, who had remained quiet throughout the discussion, finally moved, approaching cautiously.
"Lady Tsunade..."
But the Hokage raised her hand, silencing her. Her eyes turned to Li Shang, who had remained in his position throughout the meeting, observing in silence.
"What do you think about this, Neji?"
The question caught Shizune by surprise. She looked between the Hokage and the young Hyuuga, clearly confused by his sudden inclusion in the political discussion.
Li Shang moved away from the wall, walking calmly until he stood before the desk. His face remained serene, but there was something calculating shining in his blue eyes.
"Let's focus on Konoha," he replied without much thought, his voice flowing naturally. "Until a few months ago, all the villages treated us as enemies, even though we were under a peace treaty."
Tsunade studied him for a moment, processing his words.
'Straight to the point. No political circumlocution.'
"You don't believe a summit would solve our problems?" she pressed, wanting to better understand his reasoning.
Li Shang shrugged slightly, an almost casual gesture that contrasted with the tension of the moment.
"A summit would just be theater. Each village would send representatives to measure strengths, probe weaknesses, make empty promises." He paused, meeting her eyes. "The Akatsuki is a real threat, but that doesn't turn enemies into allies. It just temporarily changes the target."
Shizune gasped slightly at the brutal frankness of the words, but Tsunade... Tsunade smiled. It was a bitter, tired, but genuine smile.
"You speak like someone who has seen many wars, boy."
Li Shang didn't answer immediately. For a moment, something ancient and heavy passed through his eyes, but it disappeared so quickly that Tsunade almost thought she had imagined it.
'This boy... how many secrets are you hiding?'
"The point is," Li Shang continued, returning to a neutral tone, "Konoha needs to strengthen itself internally first. Danzou returning now... that's no coincidence."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"You think he's planning something?"
"I think," Li Shang chose his words carefully, "that a man like Danzou never does anything without having three different objectives in mind. And rarely does any of them benefit anyone other than himself."
Silence fell upon the room again. Tsunade straightened up, massaging her tense neck.
"You're right about one thing," she murmured. "We need to focus on Konoha first."
She walked to the window, watching the village moving below, oblivious to the political storms forming above.
"But I can't ignore the external threat either. If the Akatsuki is really hunting all the jinchuurikis..."
"Naruto is safe with Jiraiya," Li Shang interrupted her softly. "And when they return, we'll be ready."
Tsunade turned to face him, something different in her expression. It was no longer just the Hokage evaluating a subordinate. It was something more personal, more... interested.
"We?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow.
Li Shang gave that half-smile that always destabilized her.
"I'm a shinobi of Konoha... Besides, I'm your personal guard, right?"
Li Shang spoke slowly, each word measured and deliberate. The casual tone of moments before had completely evaporated.
Tsunade noticed the change immediately.
"Tsunade-sama..."
The sudden formality made her narrow her eyes. Li Shang only used the full title when something serious was at stake. He took a step forward, the Tenseigan shining faintly in the dimness of the room.
"Danzou is hiding something."
The words fell like stones in still water. Tsunade leaned forward, all her attention focused on him.
"His body has a very strong energy," Li Shang continued, his tone now completely serious. "His strength has basically doubled, if we only talk about chakra."
Tsunade felt her blood run cold. Her suspicions about Danzou's disappearance suddenly gained a much more sinister dimension.
'Doubled? How is that possible?'
"Be careful with him."
The warning was simple, direct, but carried an urgency that made Tsunade stand up from her chair. She walked to Li Shang, stopping a few centimeters from him.
"Are you sure about this?" Her voice was low, tense.
Li Shang nodded once, his gaze unwavering.
"My vision doesn't lie. Whatever he did during his absence, it transformed him into something much more dangerous than he was before."
Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken implications. Tsunade closed her eyes for a moment, processing the information.
"I understand," she finally said, opening her eyes. "Thank you for the warning."
Li Shang bowed his head slightly and turned to leave, but her voice stopped him.
"Neji."
He looked over his shoulder.
"Be careful too. If Danzou realizes you know..."
A small smile curved Li Shang's lips.
"I know how to take care of myself, Hokage-sama."
And with that, he disappeared through the door, leaving Tsunade alone.