Ryūichi

"You did well this time." Back in the Hokage's office, Tsunade brought up the incident, "However, your methods were a bit too harsh; it didn't have a good impact."

Sakura Haruno didn't respond to Tsunade's words, but instead frowned and looked towards the corner of the office.

A man dressed Root ninja emerged from the corner.

"You are...?" Ying Dai frowned slightly. The man's figure and the Chakra emanating from him felt somewhat familiar to her.

She must have seen him somewhere before, and it must have been recently, which is why she remembered him.

"My name is Ryūichi, a sensory ninja. I used to belong to Root." The man removed his mask and smiled faintly. "Thank you for showing mercy earlier."

"Have mercy?" The girl was slightly taken aback.

She twirled a strand of hair around her temple with her fingers, thought for a moment, and then quickly remembered—

"You're Root ninja outside that cave!" she exclaimed, pointing at the man with sudden realization.

She remembered that after dealing with Danzo, she did see a Root ninja when she came out of the cave. She also remembered that she had just obtained one of Shisui's Sharingan and was in a good mood, so she ignored him and told him to get lost.

How did he end up here? Sakura Haruno's expression turned strange. If this weren't the Hokage's office, she would have already activated the Yin Seal and prepared for battle.

"Yes, that's me," Ryūichi nodded in reply.

"Master, what's he doing here?" Sakura Haruno turned to look at Tsunade, who smiled but remained silent. Instead, Ryūichi stepped forward and answered, "After you knocked Shimura Danzō, I realized this was a good opportunity to break away from Root, so... I secretly slipped back to the village and found Lady Tsunade."

"Is that so?" Sakura looked at him suspiciously.

In other words, he betrayed Danzo and Root... he was a traitor.

Ryūichi smiled shyly, "Because I'm a sensory ninja... they don't discipline me as strictly as they do ordinary Root ninjas."

"Hmm..." The girl pursed her lips, took a step back, and didn't really want to talk to the traitor.

"He was originally supposed to 'attend' this meeting too," Tsunade said with a smile, "But since you did a good job, I've saved him the trouble of showing up."

"So you had this planned all along?"

Tsunade gave a reserved smile.

As a former sensory ninja of Root, Ryūichi knows a lot of information; he's a card that can turn the tide! Moreover, Tsunade's backup plan isn't just Ryūichi. Even if Sakura Haruno answered incorrectly and fell into a trap, she was fully confident in turning the tide and making clear arrangements for the advisors! However, since Sakura performed quite well, Tsunade decided not to steal her thunder.

But since it's not needed, there's no need for all this.

Tsunade waved her hand. "Ryūichi, Shimura Danzō has been dismissed and imprisoned by me, and Root is hereby disbanded. You can rest assured. There's nothing for you to do today. Go back and rest, and come see me tomorrow morning. Understand?"

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

Upon hearing Ryūichi's face lit up with joy, and he bowed excitedly before leaving.

"Don't look at others with that disdainful look, Sakura," Tsunade said to the girl after he left.

Sakura Haruno shook her head. "A person who can betray Danzo might betray us just as easily. Besides, what good people can come from Root?"

"It's different. Ryūichi was forced to join Root by Danzo," Tsunade explained. "He never truly felt a sense of belonging to Root. But now, he has truly joined Konoha and become Konoha Ninja."

She sat at her desk and said seriously, "Next, we need to identify and recruit more Root ninjas. Danzo's die- Danzo followers and those whose thinking has been completely distorted by Root need to be purged and imprisoned. Other Root ninjas who were coerced into joining Root, whose thinking can be corrected, or who have no bad records, need our help, support, and recognition to help them integrate into the Konoha family. This is in line with the spirit of Konoha!"

"I'm not telling you all this to put you in charge of managing those Root members, but to tell you that as my disciple, your every move represents my thoughts to some extent, so you must be mindful of your words and actions. In short, you are not allowed to look at former Root ninjas with that kind of gaze and expression! I require you to treat them as normal, ordinary Konoha Ninja."

Sakura Haruno frowned and shrugged.

"Okay, I'll try."

She pouted.

Hmph, she's been threatened twice by people from her own village, both times by Danzo and his Root. How could Sakura possibly not have some issues with Root?

Seeing their uniforms and sensing that unique, suppressed Chakra, she couldn't help but become wary! When facing Root and Danzo, if you're not vigilant, you could be ambushed and killed at any moment!

"Not just try, it's a must!" Tsunade emphasized.

"Yes, yes, yes~" the girl drawled, her voice becoming very cute.

Tsunade looked at her disciple standing in front of her with a hint of helplessness.

Suddenly I think she's really cute.

In the meeting room just now, she felt that Sakura Haruno's methods were a bit too extreme; being unforgiving when you're in a position of power isn't always a compliment. The Hokage Faction being too assertive and aggressive might provoke resentment. That's why Tsunade didn't completely eliminate the Hokage Advisor —although she could have done so if she had been more forceful. But Tsunade believed that getting the benefits was enough; face could be saved. So the advisors weren't dismissed, but their positions were reduced from substantive to nominal. Essentially, it was the same thing, but at least Koharu Utatane and Mitokado Homura retained some dignity.

If it were Sakura Haruno, she would probably show no mercy, thoroughly humiliating them until they could never recover and slink away in disgrace. While this might feel satisfying and cathartic at the time, what about the subsequent turmoil, the resulting wariness or resentment among the neutral faction and advisors? Those would be difficult to handle.

As the Hokage, one needs to have a broad perspective.

However, Tsunade thought about it again and realized that it was precisely this kind of spirited young girl who was charming. It's normal for young people to have a temper; on the contrary, if someone so young acts like a seasoned politician, it would be too lifeless.

"Forget it, I can't be bothered with you." Tsunade smiled faintly and shook her head. "What are your plans lately? After the Chunin Ninja Exams, Konohamaru and the others should be promoted to Chunin and go off on their own, then you can relax for a while."

Sakura Haruno hesitated for a moment.

I want to learn Senjutsu.

To reach the Yang God Mode, one must begin by learning Senjutsu.

"Senjutsu..." Tsunade frowned. "In principle, I don't object, but you must understand that Senjutsu are different from other Ninjutsu; practicing Senjutsu can be fatal."

She stared into Sakura Haruno's eyes and slowly said, "Moreover, the mortality rate for cultivating Senjutsu is very high...!"

"I know," Sakura Haruno nodded solemnly.

"I'm... mentally prepared."

Tsunade carefully examined Sakura Haruno from Tsunade to toe, her mood subtly heavy.

"I've mentioned the preparations for learning Senjutsu to the Sage Katsuyu a few times, and they've already made them. Just summon a Katsuyu, greet it, arrange a time, and go alone. I won't accompany you."

"Yes, Master!"

"Then... please be careful when I'm not around."

[Why is there a third update?]