Telling Tsunade who it was?
Shigure thought for a mont.
"You'll know later. Don't worry, I won't force anyone to leave."
Tsunade could only let out a helpless sigh when he refused to elaborate.
"It's about ti," she murmured.
Ti?
Shigure imdiately understood.
He stood up slowly.
"I'm here to help Danzō this ti. He should already know I ca to see you first."
Tsunade looked at him sharply.
"Then why co to before going to him?"
"What do I have to be afraid of? I brought Ayuri Ringo with . Just say I asked you to treat her. What's wrong with visiting you first?"
If Shigure had gone to see Danzō before seeing her, that would've been suspicious.
Of course Danzō knew Shigure hated him—how could he not? Even if he pretended not to know, he could easily guess.
Danzō had used Gekkō Hayate to threaten him. For Shigure to act as if he bore no resentnt would've been the real abnormality.
"Fine. Then go."
"And please take care of Ayuri Ringo for . If possible, arrange a treatnt plan. The final treatnt doesn't have to be in Konoha, right?"
Tsunade watched him leave.
Of course she knew what he ant.
Of course she knew why Shigure added that last line.
He was giving her an excuse—an easy reason for her to summon him to Konoha again.
But after this, would he even want to return?
With things escalating between the Hidden Mist and Konoha, peaceful coexistence seed increasingly unlikely.
Shigure had barely walked out of Tsunade's courtyard before an Anbu suddenly appeared.
"Lord Shigure. Lord Danzō requests your presence."
As expected—impatient.
"Isn't it obvious I'm heading to the Hokage Building?"
Shigure rolled his eyes.
Kuji imdiately stepped forward.
"Scram."
The Anbu stiffened. He hadn't expected the Mist-nin to be this arrogant in Konoha.
But after sensing their chakra—each one radiating the pressure of an elite operative—the Anbu lowered his head and stepped to the side without another word.
Even without the official title, Danzō currently occupied the Hokage Building and held practical authority in the village.
Standing before the Hokage Building, Shigure felt a surge of nostalgia.
Once, he too had thought it might not be so bad to beco Hokage.
He never imagined that in the end, the possibility would slip away forever.
Who knew what Danzō—who once dismissed him without a second thought—was thinking now?
In the Hokage's office, Danzō observed Shigure's approach with a complicated expression.
Judging by Shigure's escort, his current status in the Hidden Mist was undeniably high.
In fact, Danzō had originally assud that if Shigure went to the Mist—a village notorious for its brutal environnt—he would eventually beco a missing-nin.
A genius, erased by harsh circumstances.
But instead…Shigure had beco even more dazzling.
His entourage alone revealed everything: multiple elite jōnin-level Mist shinobi and the one leading them might even rival Kakashi.
The Mizukage had clearly sent more than just protection.
Shigure ant sothing to the Mist.
Then again—he was also their Jinchūriki.
And not just of one Tailed Beast, but two.
Even Danzō couldn't have predicted that.
A knock sounded.
Shigure entered.
Seeing Danzō again, the man looked strangely rejuvenated—likely drunk on his Hokage fantasies.
"Long ti no see, Shigure-kun," Danzō greeted with a polite smile.
A mask of hypocrisy.
Shigure offered no courtesy in return.
Instead, he stared at him coolly.
"Judging by your expression, Lord Danzō, you're determined to beco Hokage."
Danzō chuckled.
"Of course. Haven't I sched all these years precisely for this mont? There's still Tsunade, but she's hardly worth ntioning."
…He really looked down on Tsunade that much?
"But I'm curious," Danzō added.
"The mont you arrived, you ran to see Tsunade. Is there soone here you missed more than Hayate?"
From the shadows, Gekkō Hayate stepped forward.
Shigure's eyes narrowed.
Danzō had used a jutsu—so form of ntal manipulation.
Hayate's empty gaze said it all.
His consciousness was gone.
He was a puppet.
"You want the Hidden Mist to support you," Shigure said calmly.
"I ca personally to Konoha to support you. Isn't that sincerity enough?"
Danzō froze.
Indeed—if the Mist wanted to support him, there was no need for Shigure to co personally.
A simple ssage to the Land of Fire Daimyō would've been sufficient.
With the Hokage position deadlocked, only the Daimyō could make the final decision.
And with pressure from other nations, the Daimyō would inevitably consider foreign support.
"In addition," Shigure continued, "I'm here to pick up so people. I'm sure Lord Danzō won't object."
Danzō understood instantly.
Shigure was cutting off any possible leverage.
But it didn't matter.
Once he beca Hokage, those people wouldn't remain in Konoha anyway.
"…Of course," Danzō said lightly.
It was only the Gekkō Clan, not the Hyūga. Letting Shigure take them was fine.
"But Shigure-kun," Danzō asked smoothly, "what do you think of Tsunade?"
He was probing—trying to see what the two had discussed.
Shigure smiled faintly.
"A Mist-nin nad Ayuri Ringo has exceptional talent, but she's ill. Only Lady Tsunade can treat her."
Danzō nodded.
So that was the reason.
"As for my thoughts on Tsunade," Shigure added, "I have no opinion. Whether she's good or bad has nothing to do with ."
He would not involve himself in their power struggle.
Shigure imdiately caught the underlying implication.
Danzō smiled thinly.
"Very good, Hayate. Your clan brother has returned to see you—go spend so ti with him."
He waved his hand, signaling that Shigure was dismissed.
Shigure shot him a cold glance.
So that was it—Danzō wanted to use a puppet to monitor him.
As for the mind-control Ninjutsu placed on Gekkō Hayate, Shigure quietly asked within:
Great Sage… can it be dispelled?
[Great Sage: Analyzing… Solution formulated.]
[Complete. Host may dispel the opponent's control Ninjutsu at any ti.]
Perfect.
Shigure turned and left the office, Hayate trailing silently behind him like a lifeless shadow.
Tomorrow, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire would arrive.
The matter of the Hokage appointnt would finally be decided.
Once they were far enough away, Shigure casually lifted a hand—and in an instant, the control technique was erased.
Hayate staggered, blinking rapidly.
"Shigure… what… what happened to ?"
"You were being controlled by Danzō."
"…Controlled?"
Hayate's face paled. The idea that Danzō would stoop to such a taboo—using Ninjutsu to enslave his own subordinate—left him shaken.
Shigure didn't waste ti.
"I still have people I need to et, so I'll keep this short, Hayate."
He looked him straight in the eyes.
"If you're willing to co with to the Hidden Mist, we'll leave together. If not, you can stay."
"The choice is yours."
...
TN:
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