Tsunade’s Secret

"Old man, you’ve been asking for funding for so long that I thought you’d settled down in the Capital of the Land of Fire. And what did you want to see me about?"

The moment Tsunade entered, she spoke loudly. Her words made Sarutobi Hiruzen cough twice, nearly choking on his dry tobacco.

"Don’t talk nonsense. I had no choice but to stay that long this time."

Sarutobi Hiruzen glared at Tsunade, then sighed and continued.

"As for the funding, the Daimyo finally relented. However, they’re extremely dissatisfied with our unauthorized halt to the war against the Saudi Federation, so the postwar reconstruction funds this time are less than a third of what they used to be."

"A third? This is too little."

Tsunade furrowed her fine brows and continued, "By that calculation, Konoha will still be running a deficit. We may not even be able to purchase the village’s upcoming supplies."

"That is true, but the Daimyo and the Land of Fire’s ministers are extremely firm in their stance. I can no longer persuade them. Still, there is one way to get the full funding…"

Sarutobi Hiruzen paused before continuing, "Tsunade, you could convene the Five Kage… no, the Four Kage now. Convene a Four Kage summit, destroy the Saudi Federation, and help the Daimyo of the Land of Wind restore his country. If you do that, the Daimyo will fully support Konoha financially."

"How could that possibly happen…"

Tsunade’s mouth twitched at his words. The Daimyo could spout nonsense the moment they opened their mouths, completely disregarding reality. Both Konoha and the Iwa-nin had suffered considerable losses on the Rain Country battlefield. On top of that, they still had the Uchiha defection and the loss of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki to deal with. They barely had time to avoid war as it was—how could they possibly start another one?

"This is impossible. Leaving aside whether the Iwa-nin still have the strength to fight, how could the Kumo-nin main force attack the Saudi Federation? Would you have them cross the ocean, or pass through the Land of Fire?"

The Daimyo might make decisions on a whim, but the Ninja Villages could not ignore practical considerations. No matter how one looked at it, Konoha and the Kumo-nin could not possibly join forces. A coalition of Four Nations was far too difficult.

Tsunade had only just placed great importance on the Hyūga Clan, yet she would turn around and ally with the Kumo-nin? Would the Hyūga Clan not have objections? The Kumo-nin were the Hyūga Clan’s enemies, the ones who had caused the death of the current Hyūga Clan head’s disciple’s biological father.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took a drag from his pipe and said, "That’s true, but we won’t be able to get any more funding. We can only borrow a loan from the various merchant associations."

Tsunade was speechless. "Old man, that’s your solution?"

Borrow again? Konoha’s interests had practically all been taken by Hyuga Mirai. If they kept borrowing, then aside from herself, the Hokage, every other Ninja in Konoha would have to work hard and sell their lives for Hyuga Mirai.

Sometimes, Tsunade felt that her only remaining role as Hokage was to give the organization’s merchant associations the occasional green light. The rest had all been voluntarily handed over by Konoha’s people.

"For the time being, this is our only option. But Tsunade, the Daimyo probably won’t give up. The Daimyo of the Four Great Nations will likely convene a meeting soon. At that time, they will jointly push for a war against the Saudi Federation. Then it will no longer be just Konoha’s problem."

After taking another drag, Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke to Tsunade.

"Once the four Daimyo push for it together, even if the Kumo-nin need to pass through Konoha, we can only agree. Tsunade, as the Fifth Hokage, you must uphold the One Village One Nation system established by the First Lord. This is the Daimyo’s bottom line."

"The Saudi Federation went too far this time. The entire Ninja World will not tolerate them."

Sarutobi Hiruzen’s tone was solemn and left no room for doubt. Even the Rinnegan-wielding leader of Amegakure had not attacked the Daimyo in order to take control of the Rain Country. Yet the Saudi Federation had directly destroyed Daimyo Manor and the resisting nobles, seizing power from the Daimyo.

In Sarutobi Hiruzen’s eyes, such actions were heresy. A Ninja occupying an entire country had pushed the Daimyo’s vigilance toward the villages to its peak. When Sarutobi Hiruzen went to Daimyo Manor this time, he could sense that the Daimyo were already focusing on developing their own power. They had begun to distrust the very existence of Ninja Villages.

If this sign was not snuffed out early, the Land of Fire might not remain stable either.

Tsunade waved a hand impatiently and said to Sarutobi Hiruzen, "I know what I’m doing. Old man, I’m the Hokage."

Seeing that Tsunade did not seem to have taken his words to heart, Sarutobi Hiruzen anxiously said, "Tsunade, if you don’t do this, you’ll definitely regret it."

"Fine. If you have the time, you should think more about how to get funding from the Daimyo."

With that, Tsunade turned and left.

Sarutobi Hiruzen’s expression darkened. He sat there for a while, then sighed helplessly.

Tsunade had reduced his role to nothing but asking the Daimyo for money. Fiscal, logistical, and other powers had nothing to do with him, the former Hokage, anymore.

It would have been fine if Tsunade listened to him, but her independence and domineering nature were even greater than he had imagined. If she was not restrained, Konoha would certainly be destroyed in Tsunade’s hands. Moreover, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt that Tsunade had no intention of accommodating the Daimyo’s wishes. That would be a bad sign for Konoha and even the entire Land of Fire.

After leaving the Hokage Tower, Hyuga Kiyomi was dragged toward an Izakaya by Yuhi Kurenai.

Hyuga Kiyomi had not wanted to go, but Yuhi Kurenai coaxed and pressured her in equal measure. Kiyomi had also trained Taijutsu for a long time, so if she wanted to break free, she would have to use her full strength, which would definitely hurt Yuhi Kurenai.

"Ninja shouldn’t touch alcohol, things that corrode one’s will. If you drink often…"

"Don’t worry, Kiyomi. It’s only once in a while."

Before Hyuga Kiyomi could launch into a serious lecture, Yuhi Kurenai smiled and held up two fingers pressed together.

"Ninja need to relax too. Besides, as the Hyuga Clan head, if you can’t even drink, people will definitely laugh at you."

Hyuga Kiyomi pursed her lips and asked sternly, "Who would laugh at me?"

"I would!"

"Hmph. The Hyūga Clan head is not allowed to drink. That is a Hyūga Clan rule."

Yuhi Kurenai froze for a moment. It was the first time she had heard of a rule so strict toward a clan head, so she asked curiously, "Who made that rule?"

"I did."

Yuhi Kurenai rolled her eyes at Hyuga Kiyomi, but she still did not release Kiyomi’s arm until they reached the Izakaya entrance.

After the two entered, Yuhi Kurenai skillfully said to the owner, "Boss, give us a private room. Then bring five bottles of shochu and a set of your signature drinking snacks."

Hyuga Kiyomi’s pretty face stiffened as she said to Yuhi Kurenai, "It’s still daytime, and you’re drinking that much at once…"

"You’ll help too. It’s no problem if the two of us split it."

Yuhi Kurenai pulled Hyuga Kiyomi into the private room, then deliberately sat close to the door, afraid that Kiyomi might run away halfway through.

Once the shochu and snacks arrived, Yuhi Kurenai immediately poured a cup for herself and Hyuga Kiyomi. She had started drinking shochu after feeling miserable once in the past. After trying it for the first time, she had come to enjoy the feeling of drinking it freely.

After draining her cup, Yuhi Kurenai spoke in a slightly languid voice. "Hah… Sure enough, shochu is still the best way to relieve fatigue after training. Training lately has been far too tense. I was so afraid I wouldn’t meet Tsunade-sama’s requirements."

"But you still completed it, even while taking on two A-rank Missions."

After saying that, Hyuga Kiyomi drank a cup of shochu. Her brows immediately knitted together, and she slowly set down the cup. As expected, she still could not accept the stuff.

"If there’s something you want to ask, just ask. Don’t think about getting me drunk first. There are still clan matters to deal with this afternoon."

"Ah, Kiyomi, you’re too sensitive…"

Hyuga Kiyomi snorted. "Your thoughts are too obvious. As a Ninja, you can’t even hide what you’re thinking…"

"My head hurts. I don’t want to hear this…"

Yuhi Kurenai drank another cup, shook her head as if she were drunk, then smiled and asked directly, "Kiyomi, why do you care so much about Tsunade-sama? If you make it any more obvious, Tsunade-sama might notice."

"Why is Kiyomi-sama, who normally has no interest in anything, so concerned about Tsunade-sama?"

"It’s not like that…"

"Don’t lie to me. Your thoughts are too obvious. As a Ninja…"

When Hyuga Kiyomi heard her own earlier rebuke thrown back at her, her expression immediately fell.

However, when she saw Yuhi Kurenai’s serious expression and where she was sitting by the door, she realized that if she did not say it today, this woman would definitely get her drunk until she did. Kiyomi understood Yuhi Kurenai as well as Yuhi Kurenai understood her. They had been friends for over a decade; it was too difficult to hide things from each other.

"That was on the battlefield. There’s too little information right now, so I’m still investigating it bit by bit. But Tsunade-sama is the village’s Fifth Hokage. Even as the Hyuga Clan head, I can’t reveal the slightest intention."

Hyuga Kiyomi activated her Byakugan and slowly said, "According to the information others have, my Byakugan can only see four kilometers away. In truth, I can see as far as six kilometers."

Yuhi Kurenai’s red eyes shifted slightly. "Kiyomi, you really know how to hide things."

"Same to you. I don’t believe that after training the Eight Gates for years, you can still only open three gates. Stop changing the subject. Are you going to listen or not?"

Hyuga Kiyomi said irritably. Only after Yuhi Kurenai clasped her hands together in apology did she continue, "After Tsunade-sama and the leader of Amegakure injured each other and the other side escaped, I saw that person appear beside Tsunade-sama."

"That person? Who…"

Yuhi Kurenai was stunned at first, but after seeing Hyuga Kiyomi’s expression, she immediately turned serious and asked, "Mirai-kun?"

"Mm." Hearing Yuhi Kurenai’s form of address, Hyuga Kiyomi gave a soft nasal acknowledgment before continuing, "Tsunade-sama was badly injured at the time, but Hyuga Mirai treated her. Then Tsunade-sama handed him something and let him leave."

"Are you sure you didn’t see wrong?" Yuhi Kurenai asked with a shocked expression. If Hyuga Kiyomi was right, did that not mean their Hokage was on the other side’s side?

"Do you think I would make something like that up? His Chakra and his face—how could he hide those from me?"

Hyuga Kiyomi pressed her lips together and continued, "Afterward, I confirmed it several times on the battlefield. I discovered that Tsunade-sama should be communicating with him through the ring on her hand, and the relationship between the two seems quite close."

"I see. I never expected even Tsunade-sama to be connected to Mirai-kun. Tch, why does this feel more and more troublesome?" Yuhi Kurenai lightly scratched her loose long hair. This sudden news left her feeling somewhat at a loss.

Hyuga Kiyomi said calmly, "In any case, I’ve told you this information. You can decide what you plan to do next, but you must be cautious."

"I understand…"

Yuhi Kurenai bit her finger and frowned slightly as she thought. Her original plan could now be discarded, but she could not think of a new idea for the moment.

"Kiyomi, what do you think about me becoming a Jonin squad leader?"

"Do whatever you want. Your team should have disbanded when you began independently taking A-rank Missions." Hyuga Kiyomi glanced at Yuhi Kurenai. "If you plan to become a Jonin squad leader, I hope you’ll look after some Hyūga Clan graduates."

"For your sake, I’ll definitely choose a few. But as clan head, you should show some sincerity too. Have a drink with me."

"No!"

Afterward, Yuhi Kurenai turned her attention back to the shochu in front of her. She could not think of any good solution for the time being, and the more she thought about it, the more troubled she became.

Hyuga Kiyomi saw that as well, so when Yuhi Kurenai was in a bad mood, she half-reluctantly accompanied her in drinking a bottle.

It tasted awful. Hyuga Kiyomi frowned tightly with every cup, as though she were drinking a Suna-nin mixed poison. After more than two hours, the two finished the five bottles of shochu and the snacks. Yuhi Kurenai’s face was flushed crimson. Perhaps because she was in a bad mood, she got drunk especially quickly today.

She had said she was treating Kiyomi to shochu, yet Kiyomi ended up paying. After helping Yuhi Kurenai out of the Izakaya, Hyuga Kiyomi asked irritably, "Do you want me to take you home?"

"Mm… No, I can do it myself."

"Kurenai, what a coincidence."

A familiar voice came from behind them. Upon hearing it, Yuhi Kurenai’s expression immediately tightened. She straightened up from Hyuga Kiyomi’s shoulder, and half the drunken haze on her face disappeared. Then she took a deep breath, turned around, and said, "You again, Asuma. Didn’t I tell you last time? You’d better call me Jonin Yuhi."

Yuhi Kurenai saw that Asuma was not alone. Kakashi, Might Guy, Anko, Namiashi Raidō, and several others were standing near the entrance of the barbecue restaurant. She figured it was a gathering of their graduating class, though Kiyomi and she had been busy training recently and had not paid attention to such things.

Asuma’s face stiffened at Yuhi Kurenai’s cold words, but he still gave an awkward laugh. "Then… Yuhi, we’re going to have dessert next. Do you two want to come along?"

"No, Asuma. I’ll say this one last time. I have someone I like and a goal I want to achieve. Before I reach that goal, even if I remain alone until I die of old age, I will not change my mind so easily. So stop pestering me. And you’re too weak. If you have time, train more."

The instant she finished speaking, Yuhi Kurenai flung out three Senbon. Thrown at different speeds and angles, they collided in front of Asuma with three sharp ding ding ding sounds before piercing the surrounding storefronts and the ground.

In that brief instant, Asuma had already fallen under Yuhi Kurenai’s Illusion Technique.

Today I accompanied a friend to the hospital and got back late. There will be another 4,000 words later.

Yuhi Kurenai’s Illusion Technique is 10 during this period, while Asuma’s is 6.