The Biggest Crisis Since Taking Office

Although the Konoha Military Police Force had been established during the Second Hokage's era, this Security Force building had been constructed after he took office.

Over the years, aside from the day the building was completed, when the Third Hokage had sent two trusted Anbu members to offer congratulations, no Konoha higher-up had ever visited his office again.

But now...

The eldest princess of the Senju Clan.

The First Hokage's granddaughter.

The Third Hokage's student.

She could be said to be one of the most unquestionably well-bred figures in all of Konoha, yet she had suddenly appeared here.

What was going on?

Uchiha Fugaku was completely unable to understand the situation.

Tsunade, who had been looking at her cards, heard his voice and cast a sidelong glance his way with her beautiful eyes.

When she saw that it was Uchiha Fugaku, she raised her delicate brows slightly, then lowered her head and continued examining the cards in her hand.

"What? You're not welcoming me?"

Tsunade's voice was not loud, but it reached Uchiha Fugaku's ears with perfect clarity, making his somewhat stiff smile even more rigid.

"How could that be?" After pausing for two seconds, Uchiha Fugaku forced himself to say, "The Security Force's doors are always open to Lady Tsunade..."

"Oh?" Tsunade's tone rose slightly as she cut him off. "But I get the feeling you don't seem very happy."

"This..." Uchiha Fugaku opened his mouth, but the words he had finally put together got stuck again.

Although Uchiha Fugaku was still completely baffled as to why Tsunade had suddenly come to the Security Force, there was at least one thing he understood very clearly.

This second-generation Hokage was in a bad mood.

Who had provoked her?

And who could provoke her?

Uchiha Fugaku pondered in confusion, feeling his head itch.

But confused or not, he could not stop answering.

"Lady Tsunade's visit to our Security Force is naturally a cause for great joy..."

Uchiha Fugaku weighed every word in his mind, only speaking slowly after confirming there was nothing wrong with it.

Unfortunately, even so, he still failed to finish his sentence.

"Bust!"

Smack!

With a smack, Tsunade forcefully threw all her cards onto the table. She held out her palm toward the dark-haired girl sitting opposite her and crooked her fingers. "Hand over the money!"

"But Lady Tsunade..."

Shizune pulled out a flat wallet from her pocket with a miserable expression. "I'm the one who won..."

"Cut the nonsense!" Tsunade snatched away the wallet Shizune was clutching tightly.

Tsunade unzipped it and began counting the bills, saying righteously, "I never said the person who busted loses. From now on, whoever exceeds the points first wins!"

"Waaah..." Shizune hugged her arms with a mournful face, crying together with the pink pet pig in her arms.

"Tonton, we'll have to go hunting again tomorrow..."

She had finally graduated from the Ninja Academy. She had thought that with a monthly allowance, she would never have to go hunting and fishing outside again.

Yet not a single bill in her wallet belonged to her!

Having a guardian like Lady Tsunade was simply too despairing...

"What are you afraid of?" Tsunade rolled her eyes dramatically and said generously, "I'll take you out for something delicious tomorrow!"

"I'd rather not." Shizune lowered her head and muttered, "Tonton and I aren't shameless enough to dine and dash..."

As soon as she said that, the pink pig in her arms snorted and grunted, clearly in complete agreement with its owner.

"Heh heh!"

Tsunade sneered and shot Shizune a vicious glare. "Say one more word, and tomorrow I'll take you two out for roast suckling pig!"

The person and pig across from her instantly fell silent, not daring to utter a word of nonsense.

Uchiha Fugaku: "..."

He stood off to the side, looking from the trembling Shizune and Tonton to the smug Tsunade, and an absurd feeling arose in his heart for no reason.

He felt like he was the guest.

And the blonde beauty sitting on the sofa was the owner of the office.

But this was his office!

What the hell did you come here for?

Uchiha Fugaku roared inwardly.

As if she had heard his thoughts, Tsunade actually looked up at him.

Uchiha Fugaku, furious but afraid to speak, immediately forced a ridiculous smile onto his face.

How boring.

Tsunade curled her lips in disinterest, tossed the wallet back into Shizune's arms, leaned back against the sofa with her arms crossed, and said lazily:

"I came here to find someone."

"Find someone?"

Uchiha Fugaku frowned instinctively, silently considering the meaning behind those words.

First, Tsunade had specifically come here to find someone. That meant one thing:

The person this eldest princess of the Senju Clan was looking for had to be one of their Uchiha clansmen.

Otherwise, Tsunade could have simply gone to the Hokage Building.

If the Ninja at the Hokage Building heard that Tsunade needed help, would they not bow and scrape, working overtime until they found the person for her?

Second, Tsunade did not even know the other party's name.

Otherwise, there would likewise have been no need for her to come here. She could have gone straight to the clan grounds and called the person out.

But... that was strange.

Why would Tsunade, one of the Konoha Sannin, be looking for an Uchiha whose name she did not even know?

And coupled with Tsunade's bad mood...

Uchiha Fugaku's brows were nearly knotted together. He had already roughly guessed what had happened.

Some foolish clansman must have offended Tsunade outside the clan grounds.

And judging from Tsunade's drinking and gambling habits in recent years...

Uchiha Fugaku understood. He completely understood.

This stupid clansman must have gotten drunk, run into Tsunade, who had also gone to a tavern to drink, and then gotten into an argument with her...

And that clansman had likely said something excessive, to the point that Tsunade was willing to disregard the consequences just to drag him out of the clan grounds...

At that thought, Uchiha Fugaku could not help taking a deep breath, his chest rising and falling.

The radical faction in the clan had already been restless lately, and as Clan Head, he had been struggling to maintain the relationship between the village and the Uchiha.

And now this clansman had suddenly caused such a huge mess.

Uchiha Fugaku felt as though his head was about to explode. This was probably the greatest crisis since he had become Clan Head!

"Hey, hey, what are you muttering about over there?"

Tsunade glared at Uchiha Fugaku, who was talking to himself. Her pale knuckles rapped hard against the tabletop. "Are you going to help me find him or not?"

Uchiha Fugaku pressed his lips together. Tsunade's impatient expression made him even more uneasy.

Ever since Uchiha Setsuna, the elder representing the hawkish faction, had been released after serving his sentence, the hawkish faction had been secretly plotting something.

Although he did not know what they were planning, Uchiha Fugaku knew that if this matter was not handled properly, the hawkish faction would probably explode!

By this point, Uchiha Fugaku already had a rough plan in mind.

He needed to find the clansman who had offended Tsunade as quickly as possible, then personally bring him before Tsunade to apologize.

Only then could he minimize the impact.

Uchiha Fugaku straightened up and lowered his head toward Tsunade with a solemn expression.

"Lady Tsunade, please rest assured. I will definitely drag him out of the clan grounds!"