I Specialize in Politics

Tsunade wasn't in the mood to discuss anything. She never wanted to be Hokage in the first place and only agreed after Jiraiya told her the two advisors strongly recommended it.

But now, it seemed these two fence-sitters had sided with Danzo again.

When she was in the village, she'd already clashed with the advisors. Twenty years later, they were still the same.

"Fine, I won't be Hokage then. Who wants to be anyway?"

With that, she turned and stormed off.

Jiraiya quickly stopped her, his face also bewildered.

"Before I brought you back, I confirmed with you all very clearly. I found Tsunade to be the Fifth Hokage. What is this now? Are you two old geezers playing me?"

His dark eyes widened. "You think this Sage is easy to bully?!"

A powerful aura erupted from Jiraiya's burly body, his white hair moving without wind.

Utatane Koharu's wrinkled face twitched. She cracked open her eyes and took half a step back, shielding Mitokado Homura.

After all, it was the other party who had agreed to change the decision. She was merely forced to appear.

Mitokado Homura didn't flinch. "Jiraiya, are you threatening us? Don't forget, we are Konoha's advisors."

Jiraiya rolled up his sleeves. "Fine, fine. You're all so tough now, aren't you."

Tsunade hadn't intended to cause trouble. She tugged at Jiraiya's red robe and whispered, "Jiraiya, forget it."

Jiraiya's expression hardened. "They're bullying you!"

Tsunade froze.

In the corridor of the Earth Core Tower, nearly twenty masked Root ninja rushed out, their auras condensed and weapons varied.

The young boy leading Naruto's group drew an ink bird with his brush and stepped into the crowd.

Naruto didn't understand what was happening, so he drew his sword.

So flashy.

He had already sentenced these old geezers to death in his heart.

Shizune worried, advising, "Naruto, they're very strong. Let Lord Jiraiya handle this."

"Don't worry, I'm never reckless," Naruto gripped Shizune's hand. "I'll retreat if things go south."

Shizune's voice suddenly grew quieter, almost a whisper like her name. "Actually, I have Jonin-level strength too. I can fight... You don't have to protect me all the time."

Naruto blinked. "Really?"

His impression of Shizune was still of her almost being killed by that good-for-nothing Yakushi Kabuto. He subconsciously thought she was a very delicate Medical Ninja.

Shizune nodded.

In the center of the bridge, Danzo suddenly narrowed his eyes and smiled, bowing. "I'm sorry, Princess Tsunade. I apologize to you."

Then he turned his head and snapped, "Stand down! Jiraiya is a legendary ninja of Konoha and won't attack me."

"Yes, Lord Danzo."

The Root ninja leaped back into the various tower entrances and disappeared.

Jiraiya watched with cold eyes, his powerful aura of swirling chakra unabated. "Tsunade must be Hokage. I said so."

Danzo paced with his cane. "I have no objections to the Princess succeeding as Hokage. My intention was merely to delay it, because as you know, our enemies are not just Orochimaru, but also..."

He said, word by word: "...the Akatsuki Organization."

Jiraiya's eyes sharpened.

Danzo sighed. "You saw the strength of the two who infiltrated Konoha last time. Itachi Uchiha was once my subordinate. He alone wiped out the entire Uchiha clan."

"Their goal is also very clear: the Nine-Tails Demon Fox. If they learn now that Konoha's strongest Hokage has passed away, they might launch a full-scale attack."

These words hit upon Jiraiya's own concerns. It was precisely because he feared an attack from the Akatsuki that he had rushed to find Tsunade.

He looked at Naruto, who was also looking at him.

Danzo continued, "The Root are elites who fear no death in battle. They will fight desperately to protect the Jinchuriki when the Akatsuki attack, just as they would protect me desperately if you attacked me now."

"The children of Konoha should die on the battlefield fighting external enemies. My life, too, will be lost defending Konoha."

His voice was calm and slow, echoing through the tower.

Clap, clap, clap!

Naruto applauded vigorously. "Well said. Thank you very much, Leader Danzo."

Jiraiya was somewhat surprised, his bushy white hair slowly falling. "Tsunade, what are your thoughts?"

Bang!

Tsunade stomped on the railing with one shoe, causing a circle of the corridor to crack. Her gaze was sharp. "So! When can I officially become Hokage? Give me a specific date!"

Mitokado Homura chimed in, "The village's defense array is too old and has been infiltrated by enemies repeatedly. It needs to be rebuilt and upgraded. We also need to wait for new Chunin to grow and replace those who died."

Danzo and the two advisors spoke in unison. "One year."

Tsunade turned, her twin ponytails swinging. Her fingers gripped the stone wall. "Then I'll give you one year. If you have any more excuses after a year, I'll hold my own inauguration ceremony."

Her fingers carved long gouges into the stone wall as if it were soft tofu.

Danzo looked at the pale young boy. "From today on, your name is Sai. Go, lead the princess back to the village."

Sai immediately mounted a bird and, with a smile still on his face, bowed to Tsunade and opened the hidden elevator.

After the four of them left, Mitokado Homura shouted in a deep voice, "Jiraiya actually threatened us and even wanted to make a move against us!"

Utatane Koharu: "They've already agreed, so stop talking about it, Danzo. Finish executing your plan to strengthen the village this year and step down peacefully."

Danzo smiled. "Yes, I'm only doing what's best for the village."

"We all know that." Mitokado Homura turned around. "Koharu, let's go."

The two Advisors left.

In the dark underground tower, only Danzo remained. He fell to one knee with a thud, clutching the bandages on his right eye.

He unwrapped them to find seven or eight thick layers, the innermost two stained with blood.

While Jiraiya was away, he had not only contacted Orochimaru but also done something most important.

Using his right eye, he had taken the Mangekyo Sharingan from Shisui Uchiha, once the strongest Genjutsu user.

He had used Kotoamatsukami on Mitokado Homura, altering his will to make him instinctively defer to Danzo in political matters.

Since Utatane Koharu was connected to Homura, this effectively meant he had gained control over both Advisors.

Otherwise, if Jiraiya and Tsunade had truly unleashed their power, he wouldn't have survived, let alone remained in Konoha.

Blood dripped from his lower eye socket.

In the village.

Naruto and the other three were looking for a new place to live. It was fine when Jiraiya and Naruto squeezed into that small, rundown house, but with two more displaced women, it was clearly not enough.

Tsunade was a mature woman so beautiful that she would attract ninety percent of the attention on the street. Coupled with the gentle and pure Shizune, they were particularly striking.

She searched half of Konoha and, not far from the Hyuga clan's residence, chose a spacious three-story mansion with a hot spring bath and a garden.

She ordered Jiraiya to pay for it, and the four of them moved in, starting to buy new luggage.

Tsunade's spending was extremely extravagant; she bought almost anything she saw without looking at the price, as Jiraiya was paying anyway.

She also picked out seven or eight outfits for Naruto, ranging in size, enough for him to wear until he was 1.9 meters tall.

They returned to the mansion with bags and bags of purchases as dusk fell. Tsunade retreated to her room and ignored everything else, while Shizune quietly tidied and arranged the rooms.

Naruto went to help, and Jiraiya also helped, though his gaze at the clothes was particularly lewd.

After the move was finished.

Jiraiya drank alcohol and said with a flushed face, "This is awesome!"

"But I didn't expect you to put up with that old geezer Danzo today."

Naruto said calmly, "Actually, power is only one aspect of me; I'm also skilled, specialized, and absolutely brilliant at politics."

"Huh?" Jiraiya was surprised. "So?"

"I have two plans now," Naruto said. "One is to assassinate those three old ghosts."

"And the other?"

"Assassinate them openly!" Naruto's eyes gleamed.