You're dreaming!

Uchiha Yi curled his lip. He had already marked Danzo with a Flying Thunder God Formula. Trying to run? Dream on!

The old bastard acted like he was the greatest man alive, and he had dared to mess with Yi. How could Yi possibly let him escape?

But a moment later, someone stepped in front of him. It was Tsunade.

Tsunade planted her hands on her hips and shouted, "Brat! The old man told me you have some kind of Flash that's even better than Flying Thunder God. Take me after Danzo!"

Uchiha Yi rolled his eyes. "It's Divine Flash! And could you stop calling me brat?"

"No! With that scrawny little body, what else would I call you?" Tsunade replied as if it were perfectly reasonable.

"Call me by my name, or Little Yi, and I'll knock ten million ryo off your debt!"

"No! That's too much to ask. At least a hundred million ryo!"

Uchiha Yi nearly laughed in exasperation. It was just a form of address, and this old woman was actually haggling?

Outside Konoha, Danzo clenched his fists, his face twisted with spite as he cursed inwardly.

Damn it! How did things turn out like this?

Hiruzen would have stepped down soon, and the Hokage position would have been mine! How did this happen?

Even as Danzo cursed, his feet never stopped moving. He darted along faster than a rabbit.

Then his expression changed abruptly. Two people appeared out of thin air before him: Uchiha Yi and Tsunade.

What the hell? Flying Thunder God? That old bastard Hiruzen was hiding this trump card? Danzo's heart lurched. Before he could react, Tsunade's fist came hurtling toward him.

He ducked his head in fright and darted aside. Her fist missed him and smashed a crater half a meter deep into the ground.

Uchiha Yi appeared next, holding a Lightning Blade crackling with lightning. With a wet slicing sound, he cut Danzo in half.

Tsunade planted her hands on her hips and stamped her foot. "Why did you attack first, brat? I have to kill this old bastard myself to feel better!"

Yi rolled his eyes. "Relax. This old dog has an arm full of Sharingan. He can use Izanagi to revive, so we can kill him a few more times to vent."

"And if you call me brat again, you won't get a single ryo knocked off that hundred-million-ryo debt!"

Danzo had only just returned through Izanagi, and his face turned black with rage. Kill me a few more times? Do you think I'm a weed by the roadside that you can keep cutting down?

Seething, he thrust out his right hand and unleashed Wood Release: Silent Killing Binding Technique.

Tsunade stomped the branches he sent at her to splinters. "Pah! You think that pathetic trick can catch anyone? Heaven Hand Kick!"

With a heavy thud, Danzo was driven into the ground. He could actually have dodged that kick, but for some reason he froze for an instant and was stomped into pulp.

Tsunade looked back and glared at Yi, then snorted.

Yi waved dismissively. "It's fine. There are still eight more."

Danzo had eleven Sharingan on his arm and could use Izanagi eleven times-just enough to kill him eleven times. Add the final, fatal kill, and that made twelve in total.

Once he reappeared, he turned and ran without a word, inwardly rattled. Uchiha Yi's Mangekyo Sharingan was far too uncanny.

Yi had clearly used genjutsu to affect him, yet could still land his attacks precisely. That would have been impossible before. If Danzo didn't leave now, he was done for.

But after only two steps, Yi blocked his path again. Danzo's heart sank, but he wasn't out of options yet.

A thought suddenly struck him. Yi is so powerful. If I could control him, wouldn't I gain a tremendous ally? This is my chance!

Instead, he turned and charged at Yi.

Danzo whipped off his eye patch, and Tsunade immediately shouted, "Yi, watch out!"

"Too late!" Danzo laughed wildly. "Kotoamatsukami!" He intended to control Yi, and he succeeded!

Danzo grinned triumphantly. "Excellent! Yi, from now on, you'll be my most loyal dog!"

Yi's voice came from behind him. "Is that so?"

Startled, Danzo turned. A streak of lightning pierced straight through his body, chilling him to the core.

When Danzo reappeared again, his eyes were wide. "Impossible! Kotoamatsukami worked! How can you still attack me?"

Yi smiled. "Shocked? Surprised? Wondering why I can still kill you even though your Kotoamatsukami worked?"

"You're immune to Kotoamatsukami?" Danzo suddenly realized.

Yi's expression stiffened, and he scratched his head awkwardly. He didn't know whether the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan could resist Kotoamatsukami, either. But Kotoamatsukami could even override Impure World Reincarnation, so he hadn't dared gamble. Instead...

"Torune?" Seeing Yi turn into Aburame Torune, Danzo understood at once. "Genjutsu!"

Yi had controlled Torune and made him look like himself to fool Danzo. Had he known all along that Danzo possessed Kotoamatsukami? Danzo's expression darkened.

"Uchiha Yi, you truly are devious and evil! If you're allowed to grow, you'll become a terrible scourge upon the shinobi world!"

Danzo looked even more righteous than the Third Hokage, like an old fox who had just received an award for being "Konoha's Paragon of Justice."

Uchiha Yi's mouth twitched as he cursed inwardly. This old bastard is still putting on an act at death's door. He swore to himself. This scumbag really couldn't be allowed to live.

Lightning flashed, and Danzo fell again. Yi glanced at the corpse on the ground and wondered, How many more times can this bastard revive? Whatever. I'll keep killing him until he can't get up anymore.

But a moment later, Danzo sprang up again, his eyes so red they looked ready to bleed as he roared hysterically.

"Uchiha Yi, you evil bastard! Even if I die, I'll rid the shinobi world of you!"

"So die with me!"

"Reverse Four Symbols Seal!"

With a boom, inky black mist erupted from Danzo's body and surged wildly in every direction.

Nearby, Tsunade clenched her fists, her heart sinking as she realized the danger. What alarmed her even more was that Yi actually turned and rushed toward her.

"Brat, are you insane? That's the Reverse Four Symbols Seal! You'll be reduced to ash if you get caught in it!" Tsunade shouted at the top of her lungs.

But Yi didn't stop. In an instant, he reached her side.

"I know. But this thing can't stop me." Yi flicked the lightning off his fingertips, his tone casual.

Tsunade's brow twitched. She was about to curse again when her body suddenly felt weightless. By the time she realized what had happened, she had already been transported to safety.

A deafening explosion rang out in the distance. This time, Danzo was gone for good.

The Third Hokage arrived with his men, and Yi discreetly hid the blood-red color on his fingertips inside his sleeve.

"I've killed the rogue ninja Danzo!" Tsunade immediately stepped forward, rushing to claim the credit.

Warmth filled Yi's heart. He knew Tsunade was taking the blame for him. After all, Danzo's status was unusual, and the Third Hokage would have harbored some resentment if Yi had killed the old bastard.

Although Danzo had committed countless crimes, he was still a member of the Shimura Clan. The Third Hokage was bound to have some misgivings.

Root was completely wiped out, and all its dirty secrets were dragged into the light. The investigation uncovered something horrifying: several secret bases beneath Konoha, all of them laboratories used for human experimentation.

Even more infuriating, Danzo had dared to tamper with the bodies of the First and Second Hokage. He had even dug up the graves of many of Konoha's renowned fighters.

When the Third Hokage learned that his eldest son-Konohamaru's father-had also had his grave dug up and his corpse taken, he was so furious that his beard practically fell out.

The Shimura Clan couldn't escape responsibility for what Danzo had done. Even if its members knew nothing about it, the clan's considerable wealth had funded him.

There was nothing more to discuss. Their assets were confiscated outright, with Tsunade leading the operation.

In fact, the leadership had already settled on this. Giving Tsunade more public exposure was meant to prepare her to take over as Hokage. With the enormous credit for eliminating Danzo and her background, her claim to the Hokage position was secure.

The village had already begun preparing for the Fifth Hokage's inauguration, and ninja away on missions were returning one after another.

Jiraiya returned with Naruto. He had gone out to investigate the Akatsuki and brought Naruto back along the way to take him on as his disciple.

The inauguration took place as scheduled, and Tsunade became the Fifth Hokage. The Third Hokage's health was already failing, so he stepped down voluntarily.

Yi could sense that the Third Hokage's body had reached its limit. The affair with Danzo had dealt him a heavy blow. After all, in the Third Hokage's eyes, Danzo might have been extreme, but he had still acted for Konoha's sake. That was why he had tolerated him again and again.

But reality had proved that tolerance couldn't buy peace.

Immediately after taking office, Tsunade consolidated her power and sidelined the two advisers, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu.

The two old advisers were livid, but with the Third Hokage's tacit approval, Tsunade's standing, and Yi, their "major creditor," backing her, they didn't dare resist. They could only swallow their anger.

Yi's status rose along with hers. Although he hadn't revealed his Uchiha identity before, Tsunade didn't care.

After all, the kid was Konoha's "walking ATM." They couldn't afford to offend him. Besides, Yi bore Konoha no ill will. With the entire shinobi world in such chaos, Konoha was at least a peaceful place to settle down. Once he grew used to living there, he didn't want to move.

He had already dealt with Danzo, and no one in Konoha was left to trouble him. Life couldn't have been more comfortable.

But Hinata was still his greatest concern. His plan to nurture their relationship was nearing fruition, but if he fell out with Konoha now, Hinata would certainly be caught in the middle.

Uchiha Yi believed that, after everything he had done over the years, Hinata would follow him even if he left Konoha. But that would be unfair to her. He genuinely cared for Hinata and didn't want her torn between the two sides.

Tsunade understood this, too. The second thing she did after taking office was visit the Hyuga Clan to persuade them-in plain terms, to ask for Hinata's hand on his behalf.

Uchiha Yi had known nothing about it at first and only learned what had happened from Hinata's reaction. The proposal hadn't gone smoothly at the start, but within a few days, opposition from the Hyuga Clan had dwindled considerably. Only today did he understand why.

At that moment, Uchiha Yi, Tsunade, Hyuga Hiashi, and three elders were gathered in the Hyuga Clan's council hall. The Third Hokage had come along, too, and sat off to the side, keeping his head down.

The Hyuga Clan had always kept a low profile in Konoha, but its strength was nothing to scoff at. In particular, each of the three elders before him possessed strength approaching Kage level. The title of Konoha's foremost clan wasn't for show.

The third elder wasted no time. "Uchiha Yi, I hear you want to marry Hinata?"

Uchiha Yi felt a little awkward, but still nodded. "Uh, yes."

The second elder erupted on the spot, his expression darkening. "Hmph! You're dreaming!"

The second elder continued, "Our Hyuga Clan has always been at odds with your Uchiha, yet you want to marry the next head of our Main Family? Absolutely not!"

Uchiha Yi glanced sideways at Tsunade and grumbled inwardly. This is how you asked for her hand for me? Still, I suppose it's not bad. If I'd come myself, they probably would have beaten me out the door already.

Tsunade, meanwhile, looked utterly unbothered, as if she thought she had done him a tremendous service.

Hyuga Hiashi said nothing. He was the current clan head, but the real authority in the Hyuga Clan lay with the three elders, especially the first elder, whose word was absolute.

Uchiha Yi understood that perfectly. He hadn't expected Tsunade to settle this anyway. He would have to rely on himself.