I Won't Bother You, So Why Are You Bothering Me?

It was already the middle of the night when Ye Ning left Sakumo's house, and, as expected, Tsunade was drunk yet again.

The first time he'd looked after a drunk Tsunade, he'd been disgusted. The second time, speechless. By the third, he'd gotten used to it.

Ye Ning hoisted Tsunade onto his back without hesitation and ambled toward home.

Drunk people were heavier than usual, but after all this time training in Taijutsu, carrying Tsunade was still a piece of cake.

"Tell me, Tsunade, is alcohol really that good? The others barely drank at all. You were the one who drank the most."

With Tsunade curled up on his back, Ye Ning sounded as if he were talking to himself.

He didn't expect Tsunade to answer. It was just such a long walk, and he felt strange saying nothing at all.

"Sakumo only had two bottles so he could look after Kakashi. Orochimaru didn't drink much either, and Kurama Dequn practically just ate. He barely drank at all. You were the only one who went wild and downed more than ten bottles. If you didn't get drunk, who would?"

"Mm..."

"What do you mean, 'mm'? I'm telling you, if you drink too much again next time, I'm not looking after you. I'll just dump you in the street to sleep it off."

After finally getting Tsunade settled, Ye Ning still wasn't sleepy.

Maybe it was the sight of Tsunade's two ridiculously huge melons that had gotten to him. Ye Ning couldn't sleep at all, so he climbed out of bed and went to the courtyard to work on some ninjutsu.

But it wasn't long before Ye Ning spotted two uninvited guests.

Dressed in Anbu uniforms and blending completely into the shadows, they abruptly appeared in the courtyard, startling Ye Ning as he studied his ninjutsu.

When he saw what they were wearing, Ye Ning frowned.

Anbu?

Ye Ning knew perfectly well that Anbu Ninja had been quietly keeping an eye on him from the shadows.

But he also knew the Third Hokage couldn't simply trust him, so being watched was inevitable.

He couldn't be bothered to call them out.

Still, even when they were keeping an eye on him, those Anbu Ninja had never come near the Senju Clan Grounds. What, had the sun risen in the west today?

Ye Ning rolled his eyes and paid the two Anbu Ninja no mind, continuing to think through his work.

With the time it would take to deal with them, he might even come up with a Lightning Release Ninjutsu.

???

The two Root shinobi exchanged bewildered looks.

They had come on Danzo's orders. Their plan was to wait for Ye Ning to ask why they were there, then use the opportunity to explain their purpose. They'd even used the Body Flicker Technique specifically to startle him.

But Ye Ning hadn't reacted at all. He wasn't startled—he couldn't even be bothered to spare them an extra glance.

This wasn't how things were supposed to go!

Two menacing strangers suddenly showed up in your home, and you didn't even look at them? Not a single reaction?

In all their years of missions, the two Root shinobi had never been so completely at a loss.

Since Root had been founded, no one had ever ignored them on a mission. Even their colleagues in Anbu sometimes had no choice but to cooperate. When had anyone ever ignored them outright?

When it became clear that Ye Ning had no intention of acknowledging them, the two Root shinobi exchanged a glance. One of them called out, "Ye Ning!"

"If you have something to say, say it. Don't make a racket."

Ye Ning irritably waved a hand and glanced back at them.

He'd finally gotten Tsunade settled and could enjoy a moment's peace. If these two woke her up, wouldn't he be the one suffering again?

The Root shinobi were bewildered all over again.

No, what kind of attitude was that?

They were Root shinobi! Root!

They served Lord Danzo!

Couldn't he show a little respect for their work?

Perhaps realizing that Ye Ning couldn't be treated like an ordinary person, the Root shinobi stopped wasting their breath.

"Ye Ning, Lord Danzo requests your presence."

At that, Ye Ning finally showed some interest.

Danzo?

Root shinobi?

Ye Ning suddenly understood.

So that explained why the Anbu Ninja who'd been skulking around in the shadows like turtles hiding in their shells had suddenly shown themselves and come to the Senju Clan Grounds. They'd gotten the wrong people.

But why did Danzo want to see him?

Ye Ning tilted his head, puzzled.

He didn't think Danzo had summoned him this late at night to invite him for a midnight snack and tea.

What else could it be?

Was he planning to attack him?

Was Danzo out of his mind?

Danzo might be a little underhanded, but he shouldn't be that stupid, should he?

No high-ranking official with half a brain would decide to attack the Daimyo's only son. He'd have to be completely out of his mind.

Then was he looking for an excuse to get revenge?

Ye Ning had only mocked him a month ago. Surely Danzo wasn't that petty?

Ye Ning's lips curled into an amused smile.

"Danzo requests my presence? What if I say I'm not going?"

"Impertinent! How dare you call Lord Danzo by his name!"

"Although Lord Danzo instructed us not to hurt you, don't push your luck!"

???

Now it was Ye Ning's turn to be dumbfounded.

Were these two Root shinobi out of their minds?

They thought they could police what he called Danzo?

He could call Danzo whatever he wanted. He could even call Sarutobi Hiruzen by his full name. Did they think either of them would dare take issue with it?

Ye Ning laughed in disbelief. "Fine, I'm pushing my luck. Come on, let's see what you can do about it."

Danzo, Danzo... Should he admire your courage or call you an idiot?

It would have been bad enough if you'd just left me alone, but you actually came looking for trouble?

Had you been Assistant to the Hokage for so long that you really thought you were some big shot?

Ye Ning sat there, amused, and couldn't even be bothered to move. "Lord Danzo requests my presence? He's gotten too used to having his way. Go back and tell him I'll be right here waiting. Tell him to come see me."

"Impertinent!"

One of the Root shinobi seemed to be a crazed devotee of Danzo. Unable to contain his anger at Ye Ning's insults, he clenched both hands around the short sword at his waist, looking ready to attack at any moment.

The other Root shinobi seemed calmer. Frowning, he said, "Lord Danzo requests your presence. Please don't make things difficult for us. Otherwise, we may have to use force."

Ye Ning shook his head slightly and regarded the two Root shinobi with interest, not bothering to hide the mockery in his eyes.

Come to think of it, these two Root shinobi were rather clever.

They knew Tsunade was dead drunk and couldn't hear a thing. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't have dared show their faces.

"Forgive us."

The Root shinobi who seemed more composed let go of his troubled expression and stepped forward. Together with Danzo's fanatical follower, he began advancing toward Ye Ning, step by step.

They knew Ye Ning's identity, of course.

They didn't want to fight him unless they absolutely had to.

But Lord Danzo's orders could not be allowed to fail!