Punishment

Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned, his gaze hardening as he looked at Shimura Danzō.

How had Danzo known exactly when Ryuuzaki Eiji was going to the Senju Ancestral Home?

Wasn't that classified information he had entrusted the Anbu to deliver?

Danzo, I really do need to rein you in! Which of us is the Hokage!?

"I'm innocent! You have no right to accuse me!"

"Then let's see if I beat you up!"

Tsunade grabbed Danzo by the collar, ready to punch him, but Hiruzen Sarutobi barked an order to stop her.

"Enough, Danzo! When will you come to your senses!? You coveted one of the village's prodigies and even used my name to do it. Who gave you that authority!?"

"Hiruzen, I did it all for Konoha! You'll regret this!"

"I'm the Hokage!"

Danzo instinctively turned to storm out and slam the door.

"Did I say you could leave!?"

Tsunade grabbed him by the back of his collar and dragged him back.

Danzo was so furious he could barely breathe, but he kept quiet. Tsunade really would hit him.

"I won't let this go unless you deal with it today! Old Man, give me a straight answer! Otherwise, Grandma and I won't let it end here!"

The moment Mito Uzumaki was brought into it, the three members of the Konoha F4 could no longer sit still.

"Tsunade, that would hurt the village. If Lady Mito says something to the Daimyo's Palace, what will happen to Konoha's funding!?"

"Exactly, Tsunade. You need to put the village first!"

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura urged her in unison. Hiruzen Sarutobi said nothing, but his expression was strained too. He did not want this to escalate.

"I understand. I'll remove Shimura Danzō from his position as Hokage Advisor. Danzo, go back to your Clan Grounds and reflect on what you've done."

"What!? Sarutobi, you wouldn't dare!"

Shimura Danzō's eyes widened. He couldn't believe he was being cast aside after serving as the scapegoat.

"Of course I would. You've gone too far, and you must be punished!"

In fact, Hiruzen Sarutobi had intended to do just that. If he let Danzo keep running wild, trouble would eventually erupt in Konoha. This was a good chance to rein in both him and Root.

"That's not enough. He must give up control of Root too, and Root must be disbanded completely. Otherwise—"

"Tsunade, don't push your luck!"

"I'll push you as far as I like!"

Tsunade knew that was impossible. The Old Man wasn't decisive enough for that. She just wanted the satisfaction of saying it.

As the two traded barbs, a thunderous boom suddenly came from the forest, cutting off her next insult.

What happened!?

"Something's happened in the village! There's no time for this. Get to the Konoha Forest!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi had no time to keep scolding Shimura Danzō. The judgment had already been handed down, and more shouting would accomplish nothing. He needed to find out what had happened in the village!

He opened the window and leaped out of the Hokage Office Building, heading straight for the Konoha Forest.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were shaken too. The noise was too loud to ignore, so they leaped out the window after Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Tsunade shot Danzo a glare before following them, leaving him alone.

Danzo stared toward the Konoha Forest, his gaze dark and murderous.

By the time Hiruzen Sarutobi and the other three reached the Konoha Forest, Eiji and the others had long since left. On the way, they had met a Konoha Anbu member coming to report what had happened.

The report left them stunned.

What? Ryuuzaki Eiji had developed a terrifying Ninjutsu that had blown a huge crater in the Konoha Forest?

A child had developed a Ninjutsu with that kind of destructive power?

"What? That kid developed a Ninjutsu that powerful?"

Tsunade was at a loss for words. She could call him a Ninjutsu master now. He was developing techniques faster than her second grandfather had.

And most importantly, nobody but him could learn them!

"Ahem, Tsunade, I think we should—"

"No!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi had barely opened his mouth before she shut him down.

Wait, I haven't even said anything yet, and you're already saying no? Do you know what I was going to say?

"No, whatever it is. You want Eiji to hand over the Ninjutsu, don't you, Old Man?"

"Tsunade, a Ninjutsu this powerful is important to the village. It shouldn't be in his hands alone. He's still a child."

"Exactly. We must put the village first..."

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's agreement left Hiruzen Sarutobi silent. He had been thinking the same thing, though he believed the village could compensate Eiji with a Ninjutsu of equal value.

"How could he do that? Old Man, you know Ryuuzaki Eiji possesses a precious Dojutsu Kekkei Genkai. He's bound to establish his own Ryūzaki Clan someday. This Ninjutsu might become the foundation of that clan. How could he just hand it over? What would the other Ninja in the village think if they heard about it?"

The Yamanaka Clan had the Mind Body Switch Secret Technique, the Nara Clan had the Shadow Imitation Technique, and the Akishima Clan had the Multi-Size Technique. Then there were the Inuzuka Clan and Aburame Clan, not to mention the Uchiha and Hyuga Clan. Which of those clans had handed over its precious family Ninjutsu?

Even members of those clans had to qualify before they could learn their techniques, let alone an outsider.

And have you put your own clan's Ninjutsu into a Ninja Scroll, Hiruzen Sarutobi? Don't even get me started!

Seeing that the matter was settled, Hiruzen Sarutobi said no more, and they each went their separate ways.

But Ryuuzaki Eiji's name had made an impression on the Konoha High Command. From now on, they would have to take him seriously.

Meanwhile, Ninja from the Great Families had also seen the crater in the Konoha Forest. Their intelligence networks were no slouches, and they soon uncovered everything that had happened.

They reached only one conclusion: Ryuuzaki Eiji's Kekkei Genkai was terrifying!

Tsunade returned to the Ancestral Home with plenty on her mind. When she entered, she found Eiji in the front courtyard, watching Kushina and Nawaki fiddle with balloons.

She didn't know exactly what they were doing, but she guessed it had something to do with his Ninjutsu.

"Hmph. You made quite a racket. I bet all of Konoha knows your name now."

Tsunade sounded annoyed. If Eiji hadn't caused such a commotion, she could have given Danzo a few more choice words.

"Uh, I didn't mean for that to happen. But once I'd finished the Ninjutsu, I had to release it. It did make a bit of a racket."

Eiji scratched his head. He admitted he'd been a little careless.

"Forget it. I should tell you about that bastard Danzo."

Tsunade told him how Danzo had tried to take Shimura Shio by force and twisted the facts to justify himself. But Eiji only rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful.

Seeing that he wasn't angry at all made Tsunade angry.

"Why do you look like you don't care!?"

"I think this is a good enough outcome. Someone at Danzo's level won't be brought down easily. Lord Hokage went pretty far for us."

As for Danzo, Eiji intended to deal with him himself. He would make him pay!