Tsunade: He's Mine!

Are you a dog? Why are you tearing down the door, Tenten?

Sarutobi Hiruzen stared speechlessly at the empty doorway.

"Lord Hokage."

An Anbu ninja who had heard the commotion appeared.

She wore a frog mask. It was Haru.

"I'll go find them right away."

Haru took one look around and understood what had happened.

Regret, rage, bang.

She was far too familiar with that sequence.

"Wait."

Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly recalled something and said, "Call Tsunade here first. I have something to discuss with her."

"Yes."

Haru vanished in an instant.

Sarutobi Hiruzen took out his pipe, lit it, and drew deeply.

All the unpleasantness Shimura Danzō had brought him dissipated with the smoke.

"Old man! This had better be important!"

Before she was seen, her voice arrived first.

The dissatisfied shout drew closer.

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up and saw Tsunade storming in to demand answers.

He did not need to think to guess why.

She had definitely had terrible luck at the Casino and lost badly.

"Where's your door?"

Tsunade noticed the entrance, froze for a moment, and asked.

"Don't worry about it."

Sarutobi Hiruzen waved a hand and replied indifferently.

"Who did this? Danzo again?"

After a moment's thought, Tsunade guessed the answer. She snorted and said, "You should keep him under control!"

"He isn't an ordinary ninja. He's a ninja with merit."

Sarutobi Hiruzen tapped his pipe and casually said, "As long as it's for Konoha, let him do as he pleases."

"For Konoha? I think he's doing it for himself!"

Tsunade said with undisguised disgust.

"Tsunade."

Sarutobi Hiruzen coughed and said, "Do me this favor."

"Go on. What is it?"

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "If it's nothing, don't waste my time."

"I called you here because of Hikawa."

Sarutobi Hiruzen coughed again, forcibly changing the subject.

"Hikawa?"

Tsunade's gaze sharpened. "What happened to him?"

"Danzo came to see me just now because he wanted Hikawa... Wait! Stop!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen instinctively raised a hand, but he was still too late.

Bang!

Tsunade's fist smashed into his desk.

"How dare he?!"

Countless cracks spread across the desk under her furious challenge, before it snapped cleanly in half.

Sarutobi Hiruzen opened his mouth.

My desk that had been with me for two and a half years!

Pain showed on his face. That desk had been quite useful; replacing it meant getting used to a new one all over again.

"Don't worry. I already refused him."

Afraid that she would continue wrecking the office, Sarutobi Hiruzen hurriedly said.

"It had better be that way!"

Tsunade clenched her fist and declared domineeringly.

"It seems you care about him a great deal."

Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled and asked, "Why not take him as your student?"

"He still has a long way to go."

Tsunade curled her lip.

"Do you know why Danzo came looking for me today?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen asked instead.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow slightly.

If she remembered correctly, Hikawa was the one Sarutobi Hiruzen had snatched from Shimura Danzō.

There should have been no need for Danzo to come again.

Unless something special had happened today.

"The Final Exam?"

After thinking for a moment, Tsunade asked.

"Correct."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded. "He defeated Kakashi."

"No wonder."

Understanding dawned on Tsunade's face.

Judging by Hikawa's current performance, he was no worse than Namikaze Minato.

And since he had originally belonged to the orphanage, Shimura Danzō naturally would not be willing to let him go.

The best way to protect Hikawa was to give him an identity.

Making him her student was undoubtedly the best option.

"I think very highly of Hikawa."

Sarutobi Hiruzen paused before saying, "If you won't accept him as your student, I'll go find Jiraiya. He may be more suitable than you."

"No!"

Without a second thought, Tsunade said, "He's mine!"

This was the first person she had encountered who could help turn her luck around. How could she possibly give him to someone else?

Besides, what if he followed Jiraiya and became lewd and sleazy?

"This won't do, and that won't do. You can't expect me to take him as my student, can you?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen could not help laughing.

As the Hokage, his student would be in even greater danger.

Besides, he was already advanced in years and no longer had the desire to teach students.

Apart from Hikawa truly being outstanding, he had pushed him toward Tsunade because he wanted to find her some companionship.

Ever since Nawaki died, Tsunade had always been alone, with no attachments.

She was the Ninja World's finest Medical Ninja and Hashirama Senju's granddaughter. No matter the reason, Konoha had to keep her here.

"Damn Danzo!"

Tsunade said irritably.

Sarutobi Hiruzen calmly puffed on his pipe.

He understood Tsunade well. Put simply, she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

She claimed not to care about Konoha, but she cared more than anyone.

As for Shimura Danzō, she could curse him all she wanted.

At that moment, Tsunade turned with a cold expression and walked toward the doorway.

"Tsunade?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen hurriedly called after her.

"Go tell Danzo that Hikawa is my student. Tell him not to show his face in front of us!"

Tsunade punched the side of the doorway as she spoke.

"..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's mouth twitched.

Good heavens, just talk! Why do you have to hit things?!

"Haru."

Sarutobi Hiruzen said helplessly, "Put all the damages on Danzo's tab."

As for Tsunade, she had no money anyway. Charging her would be pointless.

"Old man, what's going on?"

A moment later, a head suddenly poked in through the window. It was Jiraiya.

He climbed into the office, looked around, and clicked his tongue in wonder.

"What? Did Kumogakure invade?"

Jiraiya joked.

"Kumogakure doesn't have the nerve to cause trouble in my office."

Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at him and asked, "What do you need?"

"I'm leaving for a while."

Jiraiya hesitated for several seconds before speaking.

"Going to search for that elusive Child of Prophecy again?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen could not help frowning.

"The Child of Prophecy truly exists."

Jiraiya said solemnly.

"Konoha isn't peaceful right now."

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke slowly.

"Minato has already mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique. With him here, there won't be any problems."

Ignoring the stifling atmosphere, Jiraiya insisted.

"You!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen slapped the desk in anger, only to hit empty air.

"If anything happens, have Minato contact me."

Jiraiya promised, "I'll definitely rush back."

"Fine. Go."

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed and did not stop him again.

With Jiraiya's strength, stopping him would have been meaningless anyway.

"Thanks, old man."

Jiraiya's eyes suddenly darted about. He casually tossed him a book and said, "A gift for you."

He turned and left through the window, just as he had come.

"Taimanin?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen unconsciously read the title aloud.

He casually opened the book, and his heart skipped a beat.

That treacherous disciple!

Am I that kind of person?

Sarutobi Hiruzen coughed and put away Taimanin.