Inner Thoughts

"Danzo! Have you lost your mind?!" Hiruzen Sarutobi slammed his hand on the table, abruptly standing up, his powerful aura instantly pressing down on Danzo! His face was ashen, his eyes filled with unprecedented anger and disappointment. "Duanmu Ci has just performed an unparalleled feat for Konoha! He single-handedly crushed Kirigakure's ultimate force, saved Taoyuan Village, and deterred all enemies coveting Konoha! He is Konoha's hero! A new pillar! How can you think of attacking him at this time? And even try to seize his power? Are you trying to push Konoha into the abyss of division and civil war?"

"Hero? Pillar?" Danzo glared back at Hiruzen without backing down, a cold light flashing in his single eye. "Hiruzen! You're too naive! His power is already out of control! This kind of uncontrollable power is the greatest threat to Konoha! Look at his Taoyuan Village! What is that? It's a country within a country! He's gathering refugees, forming a private army (Taoyuan Guard), has an independent intelligence network, and now he's demonstrated destructive power comparable to a Tailed Beast! His prestige is already high enough to threaten the Naruto's authority! Today he can fight the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist alone for Taoyuan Village, tomorrow he can fight against Konoha for his 'ideals'! If left unchecked, he will become a grave threat!"

"Enough!" Minato Namikaze's voice rang out, carrying an undeniable sense of righteousness. He had appeared at the conference room entrance at some point, clearly having heard Danzo's dangerous remarks. His azure eyes were like ice as he stared directly at Danzo. "Danzo-sama, Duanmu-kun's power has never been used to harm Konoha. On the contrary, it has protected Konoha's safety and dignity time and time again! At Kannabi Bridge, he saved my students Kakashi and Rin, and crushed Kirigakure's plot! This time, he crushed the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist with invincible power, severely damaging Kirigakure! His Taoyuan Village shelters war orphans, develops medicine, and enhances Konoha's overall foundation and resilience! The so-called 'threat' you speak of is nothing more than a figment of your own selfish desires and lust for control!"

Minato walked to Hiruzen Sarutobi's side, his voice strong and resonant. "Third Hokage-sama! I believe that Konoha should give Duanmu-kun the highest level of reward, absolute trust, and maximum support! The stronger his power, the more prosperous Taoyuan Village becomes, the more beneficial it will be to Konoha! This is not only to reward his merits but also to show the entire Ninja World Konoha's unity, strength, and respect for meritorious officials! If we destroy our own Great Wall out of suspicion, that would be Konoha's greatest tragedy!"

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged glances, both seeing deep shock and lingering fear in each other's eyes. Minato's words had awakened them. The power Duanmu Ci displayed was indeed terrifying, but his actions so far had greatly benefited Konoha. Danzo's ideas were too extreme and dangerous, and if implemented, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Minato is right," Utatane Koharu said slowly. "Duanmu Ci's merits are earth-shattering. Konoha must recognize him with the highest honor, appease his heart, and announce it to the world."

"As for Taoyuan Village..." Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses. "Its special status is already a fact. Instead of forcibly suppressing it, it's better to grant it a high degree of autonomy and formally incorporate it into the Konoha system, making it an important supplement to Konoha in terms of medical care, people's livelihood, and even some defense. As long as its core identifies with Konoha and obeys the overall situation, it will be a blessing to Konoha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, suppressing the complex emotions in his heart. He looked at the angry Minato, at the two wavering advisors, and finally his gaze landed on Danzo, whose face was ashen.

"The decision is as follows!" Hiruzen's voice returned to its usual calmness, carrying an undeniable decisiveness.

"First, officially grant Duanmu Ci the title of 'Konoha Azure Dragon'! This title is equivalent to the 'Sannin', enjoying all corresponding privileges and honors! Announce it to the entire Ninja World!"

"Second, promote Duanmu Ci to Konoha's 'Special Advisor', with a status equal to the Naruto's advisors, with the right to participate in the highest decision-making involving Konoha's security and Taoyuan Village affairs!"

"Third, officially recognize 'Taoyuan Village' as a special administrative region under Konoha's jurisdiction with a high degree of autonomy! Its leader is Duanmu Ci, and the deputy leader is Tsunade. Taoyuan Village has independent administrative, judicial (within the Konoha legal framework), self-defense armed forces (Taoyuan Guard, the size of which must be reported), and economic systems. Konoha will provide strong support in terms of policies and resources!"

"Fourth, the original Taoyuan Medical Station will be formally upgraded to 'Konoha Second Medical Center' and 'Konoha Medical Ninja Academy Taoyuan Branch', with Tsunade as the overall person in charge, enjoying the highest medical research authority!"

"Fifth, this resolution takes effect immediately! Any attempt to undermine Konoha's unity or harm Duanmu Ci and Taoyuan Village will be regarded as treason! Punish severely!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze was like a sharp sword, finally landing on Danzo. "Danzo, put away those dangerous thoughts of yours! The activity range of 'Root' is strictly prohibited from approaching Taoyuan Village within a hundred miles! Those who disobey will be treated as traitors! Understand?!"

Danzo's face turned from ashen to pale, he clenched his fists tightly, his fingernails digging deep into his palms. Hiruzen's decision, Minato's support, the advisors' defection... completely deprived him of the capital to confront him openly. He lowered his head, a venomous and unwilling light flashing in his single eye, and squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: "...Understood, Naruto-sama."

But the wildfire in his heart did not extinguish, but burned even more fiercely and distortedly in the suppression. Duanmu Ci... Taoyuan Village... He would not be a human if he did not avenge this! If he couldn't do it openly... then he would do it secretly! As long as he found the opportunity... that coveted power... would eventually belong to him, Shimura Danzo! The Konoha high-level's decision spread rapidly throughout the Ninja World like a spring breeze, and also reached Taoyuan Village, which was under reconstruction.

The official title of "Konoha Azure Dragon", the lofty status of Special Advisor, the official certification of Taoyuan Village's high degree of autonomy... all of this was like injecting a shot in the arm into Taoyuan Village, and also made all residents feel an unprecedented sense of security and pride. Their guardian had received the village's highest recognition! Their home had received official protection!

Duanmu Ci didn't care much about these empty names and positions, but this official endorsement did solve the problem of Taoyuan Village's legitimacy and future development space, allowing him to invest in construction more confidently. Tsunade was very happy, which meant that her medical reform and medical school plan would receive full support from Konoha officials and could be implemented faster and better.

However, on the night the resolution came, Duanmu Ci, who had experienced continuous high-intensity battles, was mentally overdrawn, and had put all his effort into repairing his home, finally received a warning from his body. Although the Sage Body's recovery power was strong, excessive consumption and the accumulation of subtle internal vibrations exploded the moment his mind relaxed.

He developed a high fever and fell into a deep sleep. This was a signal that his body was forcibly repairing and adjusting itself.

Tsunade stayed by his bedside around the clock. This was the quietest and most well-equipped ward in the core area of Taoyuan Village. She personally prepared the most gentle and effective nourishing potions, and used the most exquisite Medical Ninjutsu to sort out the slightly disordered Chakra and meridians in his body due to excessive outbursts.

Looking at Duanmu Ci's still slightly furrowed brows and slightly pale face in his sleep, Tsunade's heart felt as if it was being gripped by an invisible hand. The image of him being as invincible as the War God during the day was still vivid in her mind, but now he was lying here so weakly... The strong contrast made her feel extremely distressed. She gently held his slightly cool hand and slowly poured her warm Chakra into it, trying to dispel that feeling of weakness.

Late at night, the only sounds in the ward were the slight ticking of the instruments and Duanmu Ci's steady breathing. Moonlight shone through the window lattice, sprinkling on Duanmu Ci's sleeping profile, outlining his firm contours. Tsunade sat by the bed, watching him sleep, the worries, lingering fears, and deep love that had accumulated over the past few days surged into her heart like a tide.

"Idiot..." she murmured softly, her fingertips gently brushing across his furrowed brow, her movements unbelievably gentle. "You didn't have to push yourself so hard... You could have let everyone share the burden... Why did you have to shoulder everything alone?"

She remembered his towering figure standing in front of her to face the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist; remembered his reckless determination when he saved her from afar; remembered his godlike creative power when he rebuilt their home on the ruins; and even more, she remembered the brilliant light in his eyes when he described the blueprint of "Taoyuan" in the Moon-Viewing Pavilion...

"Duanmu..." Tsunade's voice was a little choked up, but more of it was an unyielding tenderness. "Do you know? Before I met you... I felt like a broken ship drifting in a storm, lost my direction, and lost the courage to reach the shore... It was you who pulled me back from the brink of despair, healed my 'disease', gave me a harbor to dock, gave me... a home."

She pressed Duanmu Ci's hand to her cheek, feeling the warmth of his palm, and tears slid down silently, dripping onto the back of his hand.

"When you said you wanted to build Taoyuan Village... I didn't really believe it completely. The Ninja World is so chaotic, and hatred is so deep... How could there be a real 'Taoyuan'? But... watching you build it up bit by bit, watching the homeless children smile, watching the injured get healed, watching everyone live and work here in peace... I believed it. I believe in you, and I believe in the future we create together."

"This time... seeing you fall... I realized that I care about you... more than I thought." Her voice was soft and firm. "Not because you are so strong, not because you have created so many miracles... Just because you are Duanmu Ci, the fool who would clumsily comfort me, would secretly use Wood Release to help me rebuild the casino, would listen to me nagging seriously, and would risk his life to protect me and our home..."