The Fifth Hokage's Helpless Compromise? A Head-On Clash!

Half a month later.

The office in the Hokage Building had been given a brand-new solid wood desk. After Tsunade returned, she had found the old desk too unlucky and had someone replace it.

But now, that new desk was piled high with mountains of documents and battle-damage reports.

Tsunade pressed her throbbing temples, her long blond hair looking somewhat disheveled. She had just ended a three-hour-long wrangling meeting with the senior advisory council. Rebuilding the Hidden Leaf required a huge amount of funds, yet those old fossils were still arguing endlessly over which department's budget to cut.

Bang!

The office door, which had been closed, was violently shoved and kicked open.

The door slammed hard into the wall, letting out a jarring crash that made one's teeth ache. Shizune, holding Tonton, jumped in fright, and the ink bottle in her hand nearly overturned.

In the entire Hidden Leaf Village, there was only one person who dared enter the Hokage's office without knocking like this.

Yuan strode in, pulled out the chair opposite the desk, and sat down with a bold, domineering air. His black leather boots propped against the edge of the chair.

"Finding someone, and you, the mighty Hokage, handle it with such lousy efficiency?" Yuan got straight to the point, undisguised impatience in his voice. "It's been half a month. That old dog Danzo's bounty notice has been pasted across an entire street, and you haven't even turned up a damn thing. Are your Hidden Leaf Anbu just here to freeload?"

Tsunade slammed a palm onto the desk, unable to endure it any longer. "Uchiha Yuan! Watch your attitude! The Anbu have already expanded the search range to the border of the Land of Fire. Danzo is an old fox. He has anti-tracking techniques in his hands. He won't be that easy to dig out!"

She took a deep breath, trying to suppress her anger, and switched to a more formal, official tone. "Also, I am speaking to you now as the Fifth Hokage. Your recent actions have been too big. The Hidden Leaf is waiting to be rebuilt from the ruins, and I need strength. As a member of the Uchiha, your power should be used for the Hidden Leaf. If you are willing to join the upper ranks of the Anbu, I can promise you the position of vice minister."

This was already a political offer laid out in plain terms.

Tsunade had thought these terms were generous enough, but to her surprise, once Yuan heard them, he snorted with laughter, and his gaze instantly turned cold.

"Used for the Hidden Leaf?"

Yuan leaned forward, both hands braced on the desktop as he stared Tsunade down with overwhelming pressure.

"Six years ago, that night, when Root ninja from the Hidden Leaf stabbed their blades through my aunt's stomach, where were you? Off enjoying yourself in a casino, right? The order to wipe out the clan was approved by the Third, and Danzo personally led the Anbu to do it. From top to bottom in the whole village, not a single person came out to say one fair word!"

"And now you talk to me about the greater good of the Hidden Leaf? Talk to me about serving the village?" Yuan's fingers knocked heavily on the tabletop twice. "I'm telling you, Tsunade. I don't want that bullshit empty title of vice minister. I only need you to fulfill your promise. If you can't find Danzo, I'll personally take people and wipe out all the remaining old subordinates of the higher-ups! I've got a bad temper. Don't push me into going mad."

Tsunade was left speechless by his retort. Though she had a fiery temper, she knew what Yuan said was the bloody truth. The rotten debt the Hidden Leaf owed the Uchiha could not be washed clean at all.

"I'll assign more people to track Danzo. But you cannot keep killing people at will in the village. That is the bottom line!" Tsunade emphasized through gritted teeth.

"Don't provoke me, and no one will die." Yuan stood up and walked toward the door without looking back.

After Yuan's footsteps faded into the distance, Jiraiya slowly walked out from behind the screen at the side.

"You heard all that." Tsunade slumped back against her chair. "That kid is a powder keg. Soft or hard, nothing works on him."

Jiraiya walked to the window and looked at the streets being rebuilt outside, his gaze deep.

"Tsunade, this person is even more extreme than Orochimaru, and stronger than Orochimaru too." Jiraiya's voice was very heavy. "But after observing him for this period of time, I've found that he has a bottom line—he doesn't kill civilians, and he doesn't act against people who haven't provoked him. He has an account in his heart. Before that account is settled, we absolutely cannot clash with him head-on."

Tsunade sighed. "Then we'll do as he said. No matter the cost, dig out Danzo's whereabouts and hand them over to him."

Just as the two were discussing countermeasures, an Anbu wearing a bird mask suddenly appeared in the center of the office, kneeling on one knee, urgency in his voice.

"Lady Hokage, urgent military intelligence!"

"The last communication has come from Border Seventh Outpost. They encountered an attack by unknown enemies. The intelligence sent back shows that the enemies were wearing black cloaks with red clouds. One of them wielded a giant three-bladed scythe. Their features completely match members of the S-rank rogue ninja organization—the Akatsuki, Hidan and Kakuzu!"

Tsunade shot to her feet. "Which direction did they go?"

The Anbu raised his head. "Straight... straight toward the Hidden Leaf Village!"

At the same time, Yuan, who had just walked not far from the Hokage Building, heard the system's highest-level prompt sound in his mind.

Yuan stopped in his tracks. The autumn wind blowing against him carried a hint of chilling killing intent.

He slowly turned around and looked in the direction outside the village. That unrestrained, violent smile appeared once more at the corner of his mouth. His hand had already settled on the hilt of the short sword on his back.

"Kakuzu, that unkillable money-grubber, and Hidan, that evil god believer?"

The six-pointed star pattern of the Mangekyo Sharingan instantly surfaced in Yuan's eyes.

"Two old monsters. Just how many high-level fragments will they drop? I'll personally go pick up this delivery!"