Danzo's Visit

A red-haired woman sat behind a desk, wearing a long robe. A blue diamond-shaped mark adorned the center of her forehead, and her fair, beautiful features exuded an elegant, noble aura, naturally revealing an air of someone accustomed to authority.

"Grandmother."

Tsunade walked over with a smile.

Watanabe froze.

Grandmother?

This woman is Tsunade's grandmother??

Even if you told me she was your mother, or even your sister, I'd believe you!

Watanabe was deeply shocked.

"Why were you so late coming back at noon?" Mito put down her documents and looked at the two of them.

Tsunade gave Watanabe a look, and he immediately understood. He bowed respectfully, "Greetings, Senior Mito."

"And you are?"

Tsunade quickly answered, "Grandmother, he's a classmate from my class, Watanabe. He's recently run into some trouble..."

Then, Tsunade told Mito everything, from how she had led Watanabe to be targeted by Root.

"That's the whole story, Grandmother. You said Root is an organization that operates in the shadows. Watanabe has been implicated because of me this time, and I can't just watch him jump into a fire pit."

Mito's brows furrowed slightly. "Root's actions are excessive."

She had already been against the creation of Root, and hearing Kitahara Jo attempt to forcibly take Watanabe away using Illusion Techniques and force had only made her more displeased.

As an Orphan of Martyrs, Watanabe should have been treated well by Konoha's higher-ups, yet Root was trying to force him to join. Such methods were utterly without principle, completely disregarding the villagers of the lower strata.

The Konoha her husband had founded was not like this.

"Yes, I also think they're being excessive! How could they treat their own villagers like this!" Tsunade agreed indignantly.

"Watanabe, I understand the situation. Don't worry, I will ensure Danzo gives you a proper explanation," Mito stated her position. "Also, since your strength is insufficient, graduating early would be more harmful than beneficial. You will continue your studies at the Ninja Academy for now."

"Thank you, Senior Mito!" Watanabe said with sincere gratitude.

In fact, even without Tsunade's connection, Mito would have intervened for him upon learning of his plight.

As long as she lived, she would never allow anyone in Konoha to act with impunity, nor would she permit any Konoha villager to suffer unjust treatment.

If even the high-level organizational departments were rotten, Konoha would not be far from destruction. Mito took Root's outrageous behavior very seriously.

After leaving Tsunade's residence, Watanabe felt an unreal sense of detachment.

It was too easy.

Mito had resolved a life-threatening matter for him with a few casual words, so easily that he almost couldn't believe it.

Senior Mito is such an important figure; she might not wholeheartedly help me. I can't place all my hopes on others.

I'll wait and see for now. If Root still comes looking for trouble later, then I'll flee Konoha...

Watanabe secretly resolved.

In the afternoon, as Mito had instructed, Watanabe returned to the Ninja Academy.

The boys in his class didn't seem to mind Watanabe's absence that morning, but the girls paid him a lot of attention. His battle with Tsunade yesterday had made him a treasure to many girls, and they now crowded around him, inquiring about his well-being.

"Watanabe, why didn't you come to school this morning?"

"Were you seriously injured yesterday?"

"If you're not feeling well, you should rest at home. I'll take notes for you."

"..."

[Received Care: Sense of Security -3, Inferiority Complex +2, Panic +2...]

Watanabe: "..."

He really wanted to tell the girls to stop bothering him.

For the first time in his life, Watanabe found being popular to be such a troublesome thing. He vaguely fended off the girls' concern.

Tsunade kept glancing towards the back corner. She suddenly remembered that she had brought many medicinal herbs to treat his injuries, but hadn't given them to him yet.

You seem lively and energetic; you don't look like you're injured at all.

Tsunade muttered to herself. Seeing Watanabe surrounded by the girls in his class, she felt inexplicably uncomfortable and abandoned the idea of giving him the herbs.

Besides, Grandmother has already helped him resolve the threat from Root. I don't owe him anything anymore, and we have no further connection.

Only when the first class bell rang did Watanabe finally escape his predicament.

If he had been "cared for" by the girls any longer, he feared he might have blurted out, "I'm insecure, I'm really afraid of the dark, and I'm always a mess when night falls."

The afternoon session was the Will of Fire class.

For the first time, Watanabe seriously pondered the meaning behind the "Will of Fire." Previously, he had only found it hypocritical and laughable, but after meeting Mito at noon, his perspective had shifted slightly.

The Will of Fire itself was not laughable; what was laughable were the people who promoted it.

Perhaps the First Hokage truly considered the younger generation of the village when he created the Will of Fire, but the subsequent Konoha higher-ups who took power did not inherit the First Hokage's ideals. They only cared about their own power, and would stop at nothing to seize more of it.

"If Konoha had a new group of people truly inheriting the Will of Fire in power, would the situation be better than it is now?"

Watanabe suddenly had this thought.

He immediately shook his head, not dwelling on it. The higher-ups were too far removed from him; his immediate priority was to become stronger as quickly as possible.

As long as his strength improved, even without Tsunade or Mito's help, he could deal with any threat on his own.

With this thought, Watanabe relaxed and entered his lazy state.

[Lazily Training: Chakra (Blood Essence) +5, +5, +6...]

"This kind of improvement is still a bit slow. If only I could spar with Tsunade every day."

Watanabe suddenly missed Tsunade's fists.

In his state of laziness, the afternoon quietly passed.

After school that evening, Watanabe had intended to fulfill his promise and splurge on a big meal for Tsunade. However, the moment school ended, Tsunade zipped home and disappeared without a trace. Watanabe couldn't chase after her and had no choice but to return home himself.

As he reached his doorstep, Watanabe froze slightly.

The door that Kitahara Jo had kicked down at noon had already been repaired and replaced with a sturdier iron door.

"Who did this?"

Entering the entrance hall, Watanabe saw two uninvited guests in the living room.

One was Kitahara Jo, and the other had half his face wrapped in bandages, exuding a chilling aura. It was none other than Danzo, a core member of Konoha's higher-ups.

Watanabe's heart sank, and he instantly panicked, desperately wishing Tsunade were by his side.

Without Tsunade, he felt completely insecure.

"We apologize for our unannounced visit, please do not take offense," Danzo stepped forward and spoke to Watanabe first.

Kitahara Jo followed behind him, his face full of humiliation and unwillingness.

Despite his inner panic, Watanabe maintained a calm facade. "Are you here again to ask me to join Root?"

Danzo was somewhat surprised by his composed demeanor and shook his head. "No, we are here to apologize to you."

Mito had put immense pressure on him that afternoon, convening a high-level meeting and publicly forcing him, as a core member of Konoha's higher-ups, to agree to bow down to Watanabe. Moreover, with Mito's intervention, it was still uncertain whether Root could even survive.