Chapter 28: A Slap for Danzo
"Alright, enough fooling around. We still have work to do," Tenchi said, stepping between the two to break up the fight.
Hearing there was more training, they stopped, turning their attention to him.
"I see it's almost five o'clock. For today's final task, you will run thirty laps around the perimeter of Konoha. With your stamina, you should be able to finish. If you finish before nine o'clock, I'll treat you all to barbecue tonight." He was using the exact same method Sarutobi had once used on him.
"What?! Brother Tenchi!" Jiraiya wailed. "We've been worked to the bone all day! Thirty laps around the village will kill us! Can't we just skip it?"
"Yeah, Brother Tenchi, thirty laps is too much," Tsunade joined in, pleading.
Only Orochimaru, upon hearing the order, immediately set off running without a word of complaint.
"If any of you don't want to run, I won't force you," Tenchi said, a dangerous smile on his face as he raised a fist. "You can just come here and let me punch you for a full hour. My hands have been feeling a bit itchy lately."
Seeing his raised fist, Jiraiya and Tsunade didn't need to be told twice. They spun around and sprinted after Orochimaru.
"Trying to negotiate with me? You'd better run," Tenchi laughed, watching them go.
He then headed for the main gate of Konoha to chat with the guards on duty. Just as he was in the middle of a story, he saw a figure approaching the gate, apparently returning from a mission.
As the man got closer, Tenchi saw it was Danzo. He started to turn away, but Danzo chose that moment to start lecturing the guards.
"What are you doing, standing around gossiping during your shift?" Danzo snapped, his voice cold. "Don't chatter with just anyone. If you leak Konoha's secrets, could you even take responsibility for your failure?" Although he was scolding the guards, his eyes were locked squarely on Tenchi.
"Stop talking nonsense," Tenchi shot back, not taking any of it. "I'm from Konoha, not an outsider. If you're looking for a fight, Danzo, I don't mind giving you one right now."
"I'd like to see you try," Danzo said with a sneer. "I don't believe you'd dare to assault a fellow shinobi inside Konoha. Go on, touch me. Let's see how vicious you Uchiha can be, Tenchi. You wicked Uchiha."
"Heh." Tenchi let out a contemptuous laugh and then, without another word, swung his arm and slapped Danzo hard across the face.
***SMACK!***
The force of the blow sent Danzo stumbling sideways. The two guards watched in shock, secretly giving Tenchi a mental thumbs-up. They had long disliked Danzo's arrogant attitude.
"Uchiha Tenchi! This isn't over!" Danzo shrieked, clutching his rapidly swelling cheek. "I will report this to Sarutobi! He will punish you!"
"What's that? Is a dog barking?" Tenchi said, his voice dripping with scorn. "I hit you. So what? If you don't like it, go cry to the Hokage. I'm not stopping you, am I?" He even glanced at the two guards as if asking for confirmation.
The guards stayed silent, not daring to get involved. This was a clash between high-level figures in Konoha; offending either one was a bad idea.
"Fine! Uchiha Tenchi, you just wait!" Danzo spat out, before turning and storming off, still holding his face.
After Danzo left, the two guards immediately crowded around Tenchi. "Tenchi, you're insane! You even dared to hit Danzo!"
"What's the big deal?" Tenchi said with a shrug. "I can't stand that guy. Every time I see him, I feel the urge to hit him. If he has a problem with it, he can fight me."
"You're a legend. But be careful, everyone knows Danzo holds a grudge," one of the guards warned kindly.
"Please, I'm not scared of ten more guys like him," Tenchi boasted.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than an ANBU agent appeared in a flicker of movement.
"Tenchi. The Hokage wants to see you. Report to the Hokage Building immediately." Having delivered the message, the agent vanished.
"See? What did I tell you? He holds a grudge. You're in trouble now," the guard said, patting Tenchi on the shoulder before returning to his post.
Grumbling the entire way, Tenchi headed for the Hokage Building. "That bastard Danzo is such a snitch. I just slapped him once. Was it really necessary to run and tell the Hokage?"
Soon, he arrived at the base of the Hokage Tower. He saw Danzo walking out, his face a thundercloud of anger. It was obvious he hadn't gotten the result he wanted from Hiruzen.
As they passed each other, Tenchi looked Danzo straight in the eye and raised his middle finger in a universal gesture of disrespect. He had said he would despise Danzo every time he saw him, and he was a man of his word.
Danzo saw the gesture, let out a furious "Hmph!", and brushed past him.
"What a loser," Tenchi muttered, his disdain growing.
He then walked up to Hiruzen's office. When he entered, he saw a few broken chairs and shattered teacups scattered around the room.
"So, Brother Hiruzen," Tenchi began, a playful smirk on his face. "You wanted to see me?"
"Don't play dumb," Hiruzen said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You know exactly what you did. Do I need to spell it out?"
"I can't believe that Danzo is such a coward. I just gave him one little slap, and he actually ran to you to tattle."
Seeing Tenchi's unrepentant smile, Hiruzen could only sigh in defeat.
"I've smoothed this over for now. But in the future, when you see Danzo, try to use your words, not your hands. He will be appointed a Konoha Elder soon. You need to save some face for him."
Hearing that Danzo was becoming an elder, Tenchi replied, "I hear you, Brother Hiruzen. But when you have your elders' meetings, don't call for me. I'm afraid if I see him, I won't be able to stop myself from slapping him again."
Hiruzen could only nod helplessly. He truly had no solution for the bad blood between these two.
"By the way, Tenchi, how are the kids doing?" Hiruzen asked, changing the subject to his students.
"They're fine. They're training right now, running laps near the gate," Tenchi said casually.
"And Jiraiya? What's your impression of him?" Thinking of Jiraiya, Hiruzen shook his head slightly. He wanted to hear Tenchi's honest opinion.
"He's wiser than he looks," Tenchi said without hesitation. "I have high hopes for Jiraiya. His future achievements will be no less than Orochimaru's or Tsunade's. He just needs the right guidance. You should teach him carefully from now on." Tenchi didn't hold back his praise for Jiraiya's potential.
Hearing this, Hiruzen felt a wave of relief. He had been genuinely worried he'd misjudged Jiraiya's character.
"In two days, my schedule will free up. I'll take over their training for a while, and you can take a break. Let's have dinner with the kids tonight," Hiruzen said, smiling at the thought of his students. He hadn't seen them in days and missed them.
"Perfect timing," Tenchi said. "I already promised them barbecue. Let's all meet at the usual barbecue place after nine tonight." With that, he turned and walked out.
Hearing that Tenchi had promised to treat them, Hiruzen smiled to himself. *'It seems Tenchi is being kind to them.'*
A moment later, a thought struck him. *'Wait a minute. If Tenchi promised, but I'm the one who suggested dinner... doesn't that mean I'm paying for it?'* He thought it over and sighed. *'Ah, forget it. I was going to treat them anyway. I'll just pay for it myself.'*
***
Meanwhile, Tenchi had arrived at the edge of the village. He watched the three genin running, their backs soaked with sweat, their faces etched with exhaustion.
A small smile touched the corner of his mouth. "This looks really familiar. It's just like when Sarutobi tortured me. Back then, I was the one cursing his entire family while I ran. Now the roles are reversed, and I'm the one being cursed. Hahaha. Funny. It's really funny."