24: Chapter 24 Tacit Approval from Higher-upsThe atmosphere inside the Hokage's office was as heavy as the sea before a storm.
The swirling smoke didn't come from a pipe, but from the furrowed brows of several high-ranking advisors of Konoha—Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado, and the silent chill emanating from Danzo Shimura, who sat in the shadows with his face covered by bandages.
An urgent report lay open on the table, which simply stated: Naruto Uzumaki left Konoha this morning with Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, heading towards what appears to be Tanabata Street.
"Nonsense!"
Koharu slammed her hand on the table, her voice shrill with anger, "How dare Tsunade?She took away the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki without a word!Does she even know what that means?"
Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses, his face equally grim, but his tone was slightly calmer: "Tsunade's style has always been like this.but this time it was indeed too reckless.Naruto's identity is special, and his safety is directly related to the stability of the village."
"Moreover, his current.condition is unknown." He was referring to the abnormally active Nine-Tails chakra within Naruto, mentioned in the previous Anbu report.
"Uncertain condition?I think it's a sign of things getting completely out of control!"
Danzo's cold voice came from the shadows, carrying undisguised accusation, "What has Sarutobi's constant appeasement resulted in?That kid's ever-growing dangerousness and lawlessness!Now he's been arbitrarily taken away by a gambler who's been away from the village for years!Is this the result of your management?"
His words were like poisoned needles, piercing precisely at everyone present, especially the policies of the late Third Hokage.
"Danzo!Watch your words!" Koharu Utatane glared at him.
"Am I wrong?" Danzo sneered."From the very beginning, he shouldn't have been allowed to grow like a weed!He should have been guided and controlled by the roots, truly becoming a weapon to protect Konoha, not an unstable factor that could explode at any moment!"
"Does your control mean completely eradicating humanity?" Mitokado retorted, but his voice lacked conviction.
Naruto's recent behavior has indeed made them feel uneasy and out of control.
A heated argument erupted in the meeting room.One side insisted that Naruto must be brought back immediately and placed under strict surveillance;
On the other hand, Danzo took the opportunity to criticize past policies and demanded direct control over Naruto;
The other side is worried that forcibly taking it back might escalate the conflict and even lead to a confrontation with Tsunade.
Just as the debate was raging, a member of the secret service appeared silently and presented a new secret report.
Mitomon En took the secret report, quickly glanced at it, and his expression became even more complicated.He then handed the report to Utatane Koharu.
The intelligence came from the ANBU member, Mujina, who was in charge of monitoring Naruto.
The report details the entire process of Root's attack on Naruto last night, including Naruto's apparent unleashing of powerful energy to fight back and then being seriously injured, before being rescued by Tsunade who happened to be passing by.
The report emphasized that after Tsunade treated Naruto, the previously extremely unstable Nine-Tails chakra within her body seemed to have temporarily returned to calm.
The argument stopped abruptly.
Everyone's expressions became quite interesting.
The Root organization surrounded and killed a Jinchūriki?This is an extremely serious matter!If the report hadn't come from an ANBU spy unit they had planted, they would hardly have believed that Danzo would be so audacious!
Danzo's face turned extremely gloomy under the bandages.He hadn't expected that his carefully planned operation would not only fail but also be exposed in this way.
He snorted coldly, but did not deny it, which was taken as an admission.
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado looked at Danzo with shock in their eyes, but this was not the time for infighting.
The second half of the report is the key part.
Tsunade.suppressed the rampaging Nine-Tails chakra within Naruto?
This news dampened the previously vehement opposition.
They remembered Tsunade's other identity—the strongest medical ninja in the ninja world, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, and the disciple of the Third Hokage.
If there is anyone who could possibly understand and control the Nine-Tails' power to some extent, Tsunade is undoubtedly one of the very few candidates.
Forcefully retrieve him?Let alone whether we can get him back from Tsunade, even if we do, who can guarantee that the dangerous power within Naruto won't get out of control again?
Who can handle another assassination attempt that Root might launch?
Handing it over to Danzo?That would be tantamount to pushing the Jinchuriki to the complete opposite side, and could even lead to more terrible consequences.
A long silence fell over the meeting room.
The smoke still lingered, but the previous smell of gunpowder was gradually replaced by a sense of helpless compromise.
Finally, Mitokado Homura slowly spoke, his voice filled with deep weariness: "Perhaps.letting Tsunade take him away temporarily is not entirely a bad thing."
Xiaochun, who was turning over to the dormitory, opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but looking at the secret report, she finally sighed in despair.
Yes, staying in the village means facing suspicion from higher-ups, assassination attempts by Danzo, and forces that could spiral out of control at any moment.
Following Tsunade, at least.my safety is temporarily guaranteed, and that power seems to be calmed down as well.
"However, we must monitor them closely!" Koharu Utatane emphasized."The reporting channels for the raccoon must remain open!We need to keep track of their movements and Naruto's condition at all times!"
"Hmph, I hope your trust won't lead to an even greater disaster."
Danzo uttered a sarcastic remark, stood up with his cane, and left the meeting room first.He knew that today's plan had failed, and staying any longer would be pointless.But he would not give up so easily.
The remaining two advisors exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness and a glimmer of hope in each other's eyes.
acquiescence.
This is the most helpless, but perhaps the most appropriate, choice they can make under the current circumstances.
A new secret order was quietly delivered to the Dark Division: continue surveillance, do not interfere unless necessary, and report regularly.
The one who issued the order would never know that it would be conveyed, uttered without a single word, through the raccoon controlled by the cursed seal.The message was simultaneously transmitted to Naruto's mind, which was far away in Tanabata.
[Ding!The Konoha leadership has tacitly approved of your being taken away by Tsunade, indirectly acknowledging that you have escaped their control.You have gained +600 Villain Points!] [Current Villain Points: 5503]
On his way out, Naruto, who was listening to Tsunade complain about her bad luck in gambling, paused slightly and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
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