"I was never here today. I never told you anything. Got it?"
Fugaku did not quite understand why Mizuno Ichiro had suddenly said that, but he nodded firmly. The movement was small, yet unmistakable.
Mizuno Ichiro said no more. He turned and hurried down the corridor.
His steps were even quicker than when he had arrived, as if a ghost bent on taking his life were chasing him. As he rounded the corner, his silhouette flickered in the sunlight, then vanished completely.
When the door to the Hokage Office opened, Tsunade was leaning back in her chair, one elbow on the armrest, her fingertips pressed to her temple.
One mess after another. What a headache!
At the sound, she looked up from the open scroll on her desk. The moment she saw who stood in the doorway, she sat bolt upright and launched into a furious tirade.
"I told you not to provoke that bastard! Now you've made a mess of it!"
Mizuno Ichiro stood in the doorway, his shoulders drawing in as he forced an awkward smile.
He bent in a slight bow. His voice was far quieter than it had been with Fugaku, and his apology came out stiffly.
"Yes, yes, it was my fault. But that brat was far too arrogant. Those were members of the Land of Fire's Twelve Guardian Ninja, and he actually..."
He paused. Some of the awkwardness left his smile, replaced by a deeper, angrier hatred.
"It's all Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi's fault! They ruined the whole family of a powerful ninja with no sense of honor or morality. What were they thinking?"
Tsunade leaned back in her chair and lowered her hand from her temple to the desk.
She sighed, her gaze falling on the cup of tea at the corner