Tsunade's Message in a Bottle

Deep in the night, the Hokage office remained brightly lit, the rhythmic tapping of Shimura Danzō's cane against the floor shattering the silence.

He pushed open the office door without an invitation. "Hiruzen, how can you condone the Nine-Tails jinchūriki associating with the Hyuga Clan?"

"That child's affairs are not worth your visit at this hour."

Sarutobi Hiruzen puffed on his pipe without looking up; he knew this old friend too well, and the Hyuga were merely a pretext.

But he had miscalculated this time; Shimura Danzō had indeed come for exactly that reason. "That brat's ideology is too dangerous. Besides... the Hyuga Clan could become the next Uchiha. The Konoha of today no longer needs ninjas who harp on about clan glory all day long."

"You are too extreme, Danzō." Sarutobi Hiruzen finally looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Although both the Hyuga and Uchiha were clans known for their dōjutsu, their essences were fundamentally different.

"Against a Sharingan, flee if it's one-on-one; if it's two-on-one, you might try to fight." This was the fearsome reputation Uchiha clansmen had carved out on the battlefield, and history had even produced a ninja as terrifyingly powerful as Uchiha Madara.

But as for the Hyuga Clan, only one "Hyuga Tenin" had appeared in hundreds of years. The nature of the Byakugan, combined with the Hyuga's Main House system, destined the clan to rarely produce true masters, making it impossible for them to ever threaten the stability of Konoha.

However... that child, Hyuga Kiyonari, was quite interesting. Given time, he would surely become a friend to Naruto.

"Hmph."

Shimura Danzō did not show weakness; he pulled up a chair and sat before the desk, staring at Hiruzen's blurred silhouette behind the smoke.

Ninjas were tools, and only tools were qualified ninjas, just like the "Root" he had meticulously polished. He loathed anything that allowed a jinchūriki to develop "humanity," as that would only cause this ultimate weapon to rust and dull.

In the silence, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly spoke: "If you only came to tell me this, then go back."

Shimura Danzō spoke slowly: "What is your take on the Cloud Village? Don't forget, last time they also used the pretext of peace talks... and caused the death of our teacher."

The single eye visible at the edge of his bandages was filled with gloom. Sometimes he wondered if the real Shimura Danzō had been left behind in the Land of Lightning all those years ago, and that the man living in Konoha now was merely an obsession.

But everyone knew the logic; yet, when it came down to it, he still wanted to prove at all costs that he was superior to Sarutobi.

"This time is different," Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke. "They took the initiative to send a delegation to Konoha; there is no need to worry."

"I don't believe the barbarians of the Land of Lightning will be honest. Plundering, deception, and treachery—these are the natures carved into their very bones."

"Prejudice will cloud your judgment."

Shimura Danzō watched him puffing away, silent for a long moment, before suddenly saying: "Hiruzen, you are old."

"You say I am prejudiced, but aren't you the same? You just want the war to end quickly, which is why you wishfully believe they are acting in good faith."

"Everyone hopes for war to end sooner; after all... we are both old."

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed and tapped his pipe against the edge of the desk to knock out the ash. "Withdraw all the 'Root' members you have planted around Naruto. Do not make me say it a second time."

Shimura Danzō was displeased. "Continuing to let the jinchūriki associate with that shortsighted Hyuga brat will waste his talent. It would be better to hand him over to me early; only I can train him into a qualified ninja."

"That is not for you to worry about. Just do your own job."

"Hiruzen!" Shimura Danzō raised his cane and struck the floor heavily. "You will regret this!"

"Danzō! I am the Hokage!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice rose sharply. He slowly picked up the Hokage hat from the desk, put it on, and paused slightly as he reached the door to turn off the lights.

"It is late, Danzō. You should rest as well."

With that, he walked out without looking back. It wasn't until the entire Hokage building had plunged into darkness that the sound of a door being slammed in a fit of rage finally echoed through the halls.

Somewhere in the Land of Fire.

Tsunade walked in reeking of alcohol, with Shizune following closely behind, closing the door behind her to shut out the winter night's chill.

The room was dimly lit. Tsunade stood swaying by the bed, her fingertips hooking the ties of her outer robe and pulling them loose. The fabric slid off her shoulders, piling up limply at her feet until she kicked it aside impatiently, discarding it entirely.

The moment she collapsed into the bedding, the cold air bit into her skin. She hissed instinctively, curling her body into a ball.

But soon, the down quilt that Shizune had gritted her teeth to buy at a high price began to prove its worth. The chill was driven away bit by bit, replaced by a cozy warmth that made her feel as if she were wrapped in a warm cloud.

Tsunade sighed in comfort, burying her face into the soft pillow and rubbing against it, her hair spreading out in disarray.

Just as she was drifting off and about to close her eyes, her peripheral vision caught a glass bottle on the nightstand, inside of which lay two rolled-up letters.

"Shizune!"

Too lazy to get up, she simply raised her voice and shouted toward the door.

"Lady Tsunade!"

Shizune pushed the door open and rushed in almost immediately. The moment she looked up and saw her mistress sinking comfortably into the down quilt, she clutched her forehead, sighing with a mix of helplessness and anxiety.

"You should at least take a bath first!"

Given their financial situation, being able to afford one such comfortable, warm quilt was a luxury, so she shared the bed with Lady Tsunade. If she didn't bathe, it was like sleeping next to a warm bottle of sake.

Shizune walked to the bedside, habitually tidying up the clothes Tsunade had kicked to the floor. "Lady Tsunade, if you keep doing this, I'm going to..."

However, the only response she received was Tsunade burrowing deeper into the covers, her golden hair fanned out across the pillow.

"Shizune, is that glass bottle on the nightstand yours?"

"What glass bottle?" Shizune paused, looking up.

It wasn't Tsunade's, and it wasn't hers, which meant someone had broken into their room.

She instinctively held her breath; despite drifting for over a decade, she remained a qualified ninja at her core. Just as she prepared to probe for any potential traps, a long, drawn-out snore suddenly shattered the silence.

"Huu..."

Tsunade rolled over, the blanket sliding down to reveal half of her shoulder; she was already fast asleep.

"Honestly."

Shizune let out a sigh, her tense body slowly relaxing.

If there were truly any danger, Lady Tsunade would not be reacting this way, even if she were drunk.

She picked up the translucent glass bottle to examine it, then checked the surroundings, but found no traces of anyone having been there. This could only mean the intruder's stealth skills were exceptionally high, having scrubbed away every trace.

As for this bottle... it was likely meant for Lady Tsunade.

With things as they were, she might as well go to sleep.