Poaching

"Lady Tsunade!" Shortly after Nichigetsu left, a guard entered the infirmary holding a stack of files.

"I have found the information you asked for this morning. This is the complete file on Hyuga Nichigetsu." The guard handed the documents to Tsunade and took his leave.

Tsunade had spent all of yesterday accompanying Dan Kato, so she naturally hadn't returned to her own tent. Early this morning, she had summoned an Anbu guard to look up Nichigetsu's file, but the guard had only just delivered it. Tsunade picked up the file and flipped through it; the first page bore the large characters "Chunin."

Tsunade gave a bitter smile, thinking, If the Anbu had brought Nichigetsu's file sooner, perhaps I could have understood him better. Maybe I could have apologized and cleared up the misunderstanding, and he wouldn't have refused me...

There is no mention of his medical skills. It seems this child had no opportunity to display them in the village, or perhaps he intentionally hid them... Can acupuncture really have such an effect? I truly want to discuss medical arts with this kid... His body resisted the Caged Bird curse seal? Is it the bloodline of my Senju Clan?... Was the tactical vest custom-made for him by Konoha? He even improved it himself? I thought it was just a Chunin vest he had imitated...

Sigh, could it be that I really drove away such a talented apprentice? Tsunade closed the file and muttered to herself.

Tsunade decided to find Nichigetsu to have a proper talk, clear up their mutual misunderstandings, apologize to him, formally take him as her apprentice, and announce his status to everyone. Tsunade certainly possessed that much grace.

Thus, Tsunade arrived at the logistics department. Seeing Tsunade walk over, Nichigetsu looked at her with a strange expression and asked coldly, "Lady Tsunade, is there something you need?"

"Hm? This is the Shadow Clone you used this morning, isn't it?" Seeing his demeanor, Tsunade guessed he was a Shadow Clone.

"Yes, I am a Shadow Clone." Nichigetsu nodded, his attitude remaining cold.

"Then where is your original body?" Tsunade asked. This clone had been created in the morning and lacked the memory of Nichigetsu rejecting her.

"He went to the hospital to see Master Dan Kato, or he is training if he isn't there." Although the clone disliked Tsunade, he still told her the location of the original.

Nichigetsu walked slowly on the path toward his training spot. Having just flatly rejected Tsunade, the two had effectively severed their nominal master-apprentice relationship. Nichigetsu felt this was for the best; he had finally defended his dignity and let out a breath of frustration.

I'll discuss the matter of finding a master with the Third Hokage later. Regardless, it's better for me to have less to do with Tsunade; we'll go our separate ways. It's just a shame there's no one to teach me medical ninjutsu, but I'll find a way to solve that later. For now, I'll practice other things.

Nichigetsu arrived at the small grove where he trained, but suddenly stopped. He turned his head to stare at a tree not far away, his Byakugan already activated.

"Come out, or I'll have to take action." Nichigetsu said calmly, secretly gathering chakra in his hands. If the person hiding in the tree was an enemy, he would not hesitate to use the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm.

"Chunin Hyuga Nichigetsu, please don't attack. I have no ill intent." A person wearing a mask and Anbu combat gear flipped down from the treetops and landed on the ground. The mask he wore featured striped patterns, resembling a traditional theatrical mask.

"An Anbu member?" Nichigetsu asked with some doubt, withdrawing the chakra from his hands.

"To be precise, I am a member of the 'Anbu Special Mobile Force'." The man explained.

"The Anbu Special Mobile Force? May I ask what business you have with me?" Nichigetsu asked calmly, though he was already alert inside, thinking, Anbu Special Mobile Force? Tch, sounds fancy. Isn't that just the 'Root' organization? Why is that guy Danzo looking for me?

Nichigetsu had never held a good impression of Danzo. Danzo was unscrupulous, cold-blooded, ruthless, and sinister—a born spymaster. Nichigetsu had no desire to deal with someone like him.

Tsunade followed the path indicated by Nichigetsu's Shadow Clone, and as she walked, she happened to hear the voices of Nichigetsu and the 'Root' operative.

"Hm? Who is Nichigetsu talking to?" Tsunade hid to the side to eavesdrop.

"Chunin Hyuga Nichigetsu, Lord Danzo admires you greatly. He hopes you will join the Anbu Special Mobile Force." The man stated his purpose directly.

Tsunade, listening from the shadows, was shocked. Anbu Special Mobile Force? Danzo's man? Why would he come looking for Nichigetsu? Danzo was the Third Hokage's old rival; their ideals and ambitions clashed, and they had been at odds for over twenty years. As a disciple of the Third and the granddaughter of the First, Tsunade naturally did not agree with Danzo's philosophy.

"Admires me? Why?" Nichigetsu asked curiously, thinking, It seems I've caught Danzo's eye. Does he want me to join Root? Or is he after my Byakugan? My Byakugan is trash; I can only keep it active for 25 minutes, and he can't get his hands on it anyway because of the Caged Bird curse seal.

Danzo had a special "collecting hobby" for ocular jutsu, but Nichigetsu ruled out the possibility that Danzo wanted his eyes.

"Hyuga Nichigetsu, Lord Danzo has been watching you from the shadows. You possess astonishing potential. Not only do you have impressive strength for your age, but your medical skills are also breathtaking. You keep bringing surprises to Lord Danzo. Just because Tsunade doesn't know about your heaven-defying techniques at the medical station doesn't mean Lord Danzo doesn't! Lord Danzo needs talented individuals like you!"

Nichigetsu sighed inwardly: They don't know about my falling out with Tsunade today. So, they've set their sights on my medical skills and couldn't resist making a move? It seems the 'Root' intelligence network is vast. They must have been tracking my movements since the Chunin exams.

"Thanks for the compliment, but I have already... already taken a master." Nichigetsu realized he had just severed his ties with Tsunade, and thought, After returning to the village, I'll just ask the Third Hokage to be my master directly. It's not like I need him to teach me much; I can just study the materials he provides on my own.

"Hyuga Nichigetsu, everyone knows Tsunade is your master, but how has she treated you? She sent you to the logistics department to do menial labor and hasn't paid you any mind for months. You are a genius; is she worthy of being your master?"

Tsunade, listening in secret, clenched her fists upon hearing this. She felt a sense of helplessness and thought, It's true... I haven't given him anything as a master... but I wanted to teach him everything I know... Sigh, I need to explain things to him quickly.

"This..." Nichigetsu did not refute the claim. Tsunade had indeed disappointed him, and he didn't want to be her apprentice. But as for a lowlife like Danzo...

"Since she hasn't given you what you want, why must you stay under her? She doesn't know how to utilize talent, but Lord Danzo does! Lord Danzo can provide you with the most comprehensive medical ninjutsu archives in all of Konoha, even including detailed research data from other villages..." The man made no effort to hide his intent to recruit Nichigetsu.

"Lord Danzo can also provide you with the best training conditions, the best sparring partners, and instructors. Lord Danzo values you highly and wants to cultivate you properly! With his help, your strength will surely improve by leaps and bounds!" The man continued to dangle his olive branch.

"Then, how would the situation with Tsunade be resolved? If I choose Lord Danzo and change my allegiance, that would be betraying Tsunade." Nichigetsu asked suddenly. He wanted to test how much influence Danzo had in the village, and see exactly how Danzo intended to make him break with Tsunade and handle the negative fallout. After all, the whole village knew he was Tsunade's apprentice.

Tsunade, hiding and listening, felt a chill in her heart. Is this child tempted? He truly has no master right now, and choosing Danzo wouldn't be impossible, but does he really have to make a deal with him? Can he really do this just for profit?

"Tsunade's recent ambush operation failed, and the Konoha advisory council already knows about it. When the time comes, Lord Danzo will take the lead in demanding that the Third Hokage replace the frontline commander and strip Tsunade of her command. At the same time, Lord Danzo will take the opportunity to explain to everyone that Tsunade failed to properly instruct you, and will request to replace her as your master. To protect Tsunade's position, the Third Hokage will likely compromise. However, he will certainly insist that you must agree to it yourself."

"When that happens, you will step forward to explain the truth and voluntarily choose to become Lord Danzo's apprentice! You must also let everyone know how Tsunade treated you. Everyone in the village will know it was Tsunade's incompetence that sent you to do menial labor, not that you betrayed her. No one will speak ill of you; the moral high ground will be yours! You can also vent your own frustration!" The man revealed Danzo's plan. This was Danzo's open conspiracy; even if he did it, no one would call him sinister—they would only say he was acting for the sake of the village.

"Oh, hearing you put it that way, Lord Danzo's plan is indeed quite good." Nichigetsu nodded with a faint smile, thinking, Danzo certainly has good calculations and effective methods. This move attacks Tsunade of the Hokage faction, and even if he can't get her removed, he can still take me as an apprentice and use me to attack her.

On one hand, it strips Tsunade of her prestige and strikes at the Third Hokage. On the other, it forces me to break completely with the Third and follow Danzo wholeheartedly. Finally, it silences all criticism, leaving no one in the village to oppose it. Three birds with one stone, tsk tsk.

Tsunade felt her heart sink as she heard Nichigetsu agree to the man's plan. Shimura Danzo, that old man, actually wants to do this! Nichigetsu, even if you don't want to be my apprentice, I will clarify to the village that the fault lies with me. Master Sarutobi has treated you well; you cannot do this!

Tsunade wanted to rush out and interrupt their conversation. But they hadn't broken any laws; could she have them arrested? If she interrupted this conversation, what about the next one? Doing so would only tell Danzo that his plan had been exposed, and rushing out blindly would only force Nichigetsu to choose Danzo. Tsunade desperately wanted to know what Nichigetsu would choose for himself.

"What do you say? Hyuga Nichigetsu, Lord Danzo will take you as his apprentice. You will become his direct disciple, follow in his footsteps, change the village, change the entire Land of Fire, and change this world! You will achieve great things in the future!" The man reached out his hand, his voice filled with temptation.

Nichigetsu looked at the man, a flicker of emotion stirring in his heart. He could see that Danzo was genuinely trying to recruit him and appreciated his talent; otherwise, he wouldn't have revealed his plan. At Danzo's side, he could learn Konoha's medical ninjutsu and gain access to a vast amount of data from other villages. Wasn't this exactly what he wanted?

"Lord Danzo also said that if you agree, the Caged Bird curse seal is not impossible to remove. Furthermore, he will fully support you in becoming the next head of the Hyuga Clan. The future Hyuga Clan will be ruled by you!" The man played his trump card, which had tremendous lethality for Nichigetsu.

Upon hearing the conditions Danzo offered, Nichigetsu was stunned for a moment, then a playful smile appeared on his face. "Sigh, I have to say, Lord Danzo is truly a master negotiator. Every condition he offers is something that makes one's heart race."

Nichigetsu thought, No wonder Danzo's organization can recruit so many experts. He probably often uses massive benefits to win over those who are stifled within their own clans. What an old fox. After helping me become the clan head, I'll be his man, and he'll effectively control the Hyuga Clan through me, turning it into a major asset for himself. He really is a master who never takes a loss.

Tsunade looked at Hyuga Nichigetsu and smiled, though her heart felt heavy with loss and sorrow. This child, he has made his decision... No one could refuse such terms... But this path betrays those who trusted him—Sarutobi-sensei, Dan, the Hyuga clan... Is this really okay? Does he truly want to do this?

"So, Hyuga Nichigetsu. What is your decision?" the visitor asked, waiting for Nichigetsu to nod.

"Such an important decision requires time for me to consider carefully," Nichigetsu replied after a moment of contemplation.

"Very well. Take your time to think over the terms offered by Lord Danzo. Once you have made up your mind, I will come to find you again." The visitor was not worried about Nichigetsu speaking out; leaking the plan would bring Nichigetsu no benefits whatsoever.

He vanished in a flash. Nichigetsu pondered for a moment, then offered a cunning smile before heading into the woods to begin his daily training.

Tsunade watched silently as Nichigetsu walked into the forest, her gaze complex. She had not expected that just as Nichigetsu refused to become her student, Danzo's men would arrive to poach him with such an irresistible offer.

Nichigetsu must be tempted, she thought, ready to betray the Third Hokage... I cannot let Danzo succeed!

"If you don't want to be my student, then so be it! But even if you aren't my student, I won't just sit by and watch! That devil Danzo, making such despicable deals in the shadows—I won't let my 'student' go down the wrong path!"

Tsunade raised her hand and clenched her fist, watching Nichigetsu in the distance as she made up her mind.