Tanuki Shinraku, Shimura Mai, Aburame Ryoma-some had retired into seclusion, others had died.
This marked the uprooting of the last remnants of the Root after Danzo's death. They had vanished from the stage of history for good.
The two advisers, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu, had tried to use the Root to overthrow Tsunade, but Naruto's intervention and Shikaku's strategy had crushed their plan.
Faced with irrefutable evidence, they had no defense.
But considering their standing as Konoha's elders and their contributions during the early ninja wars, Konoha decided to spare their lives.
Still, escaping execution did not mean escaping punishment.
They were expelled from the village, forbidden from ever calling themselves Konoha ninja again or setting foot within Konoha's territory.
Clang!
The gates closed.
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu took one last look at the village, then shouldered their packs and disappeared into the night.
Standing high above, watching their aged figures recede, Tsunade felt a weight settle over her heart.
"Perhaps there was a better way..."
Shikaku said, "Things can't always turn out as we'd like. Besides, this was the path they chose. They have to bear the consequences."
Tsunade asked, "Will Sasuke go after them?"
Shikaku replied, "Once the news gets out, probably. Unless he chooses to give up on revenge himself. But without Naruto's intervention, that seems impossible..."
"Shikaku..." Tsunade hesitated.
Shikaku said, "You want to ask how much I know about Naruto's circumstances?"
Of everyone in Konoha, Naruto had told only Shikaku and Hinata the truth. He had kept it hidden even from Tsunade.
Precisely because she had chosen to help without knowing the truth, her support was all the more precious.
It represented trust.
But Tsunade also admitted that she could not trust him unconditionally as Hinata did. Her decision to believe in Naruto