Petty Karn

That night, the ninja still on duty in the Hokage Building heard furious shouting coming from the Hokage's Office. Before long, however, the voices vanished, suggesting that a soundproof barrier had been erected.

Later, someone saw Tsunade leave the Hokage Building with a furious expression, Orochimaru following behind her.

"Tsunade, don't be angry. Teacher Sarutobi was merely being a little cautious. If it were me, I'd probably test an unknown entity I couldn't control, too. It's a hunter's instinct. After all, the man never showed Teacher Sarutobi any overwhelming power he couldn't defy."

Anger rose on Tsunade's face again as she listened. "Orochimaru, whose side are you on?" she demanded.

"Yours, of course, Tsunade. I did speak up for you in the Hokage's Office."

Orochimaru waved his hands and took a step back. There was no point continuing to argue politics with Tsunade now. His goal was to take part in the research.

"So, when does the research begin? I'll turn down the village's missions in advance."

"I don't know. Just wait." Tsunade glanced at Orochimaru, then continued, "Don't think I'm lying to you. I really don't know. Karn has to procure the extremis virus serum, the research equipment, and the death-row test subjects. We're only providing the site and personnel. And after what just happened, he no longer felt safe. He left Konoha tonight."

Orochimaru froze at her words. Only now did he learn that Karn had already left Konoha, and resentment toward Teacher Sarutobi stirred in him. "That really is bad news."

"I'm more anxious about this than anyone," Tsunade said bitterly. "I'd already promised Nawaki, and then this happened."

"I'm afraid this will cause trouble for Konoha as well, Tsunade." A thought struck Orochimaru as he considered what Karn's businesses represented. "Teacher Sarutobi originally agreed with that fellow that bulk supplies of medicine would be sold exclusively to Konoha. But after this..."

Selling medicine exclusively to Konoha was no longer possible. Other Ninja Villages would soon have medicine as well, and if war broke out, those supplies could go a long way toward making up for their shortage of Medical Ninja.

The thought made Tsunade even more frustrated. This was all the result of those bastards doing whatever they pleased. They knew perfectly well how valuable Karn was, yet they had still acted so recklessly.

"I'll let you know when he comes back and we begin the experiments, Orochimaru."

Tsunade waved and headed toward the Senju Clan Compound. Let those schemers worry about the medicine. She didn't want to deal with it anymore. Karn had never wronged her. On the contrary, she was always troubling him, and this extremis virus experiment was yet another opportunity she had gained through him.

Yet in her own village, people on her side had schemed against Karn and nearly endangered his life. Worse, Karn had found out that the village was plotting against him.

Now Tsunade didn't even know how to respond to Karn. He had always been a cautious man. No matter how she looked at it, those incompetent fools had caused this mess.

When she returned to the Senju Clan Compound, Tsunade found Kushina and Grandma Mito still awake. "Kushina, why haven't you gone to bed? And you too, Grandma, at your age..."

Kushina interrupted anxiously, "Tsunade, will the boss... come back?"

"He definitely will. If that's the answer you were waiting for, you can go to bed now," Tsunade assured Kushina firmly. She then soothed her and sent her upstairs to rest.

Kushina had also been a victim of tonight's incident, so it was best not to involve her.

Only after Kushina left did Tsunade sigh and say to Mito Uzumaki, "Grandma, could you warn those bastards? They've even started scheming against Kushina..."

After hearing Tsunade out, Mito Uzumaki fell silent for a while before speaking slowly. "Tsunade, I'm afraid I don't have much time left. From now on, both Nawaki and Kushina will be relying on you to look after them. If there's no hope of curing Nawaki, don't blame yourself too much. Don't let it consume you..."

Though her standing was high, she had little time left. If something like this had happened a few years earlier, Mito Uzumaki would have marched straight to the Hokage Building without Tsunade having to ask.

But she couldn't do that now. Politics could corrupt people's hearts. Even a ninja as gifted as Tobirama Senju had been unable to escape its influence.

Mito Uzumaki remembered it clearly. Before Hashirama passed away, he had specifically told Tobirama Senju not to target the Uchiha Clan. Yet nearly twenty years as Hokage had gradually led Tobirama to distrust the Uchiha. When it came to the Uchiha Clan and Hashirama's advice, Tobirama trusted his own judgment more.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was the same now. Whatever Mito Uzumaki said, however readily he agreed, it would be useless. Once she died, Hiruzen Sarutobi would still trust his own judgment. When that time came, Tsunade would be the only one who could protect Kushina and Nawaki.

Tsunade also fell silent. She understood Grandma Mito's difficulties, and her own standing was not yet high enough. Only after she completed the medical reforms and took control of the medical department would she have some say in the village.

"I understand, Grandma."

Tsunade silently made up her mind. She had held back in the Hokage Building for the sake of the bigger picture. Once she controlled some measure of power, she would never compromise with the old man and his cronies again. Right was right, and wrong was wrong!

For now, Tsunade could only hope Karn would return soon, at least so she could get the extremis virus experimental project underway.

After returning to the Marvel Universe, Karn relaxed for a while. It had been his first time killing someone, a ninja at that, but his state of mind hadn't changed much. He had left Konoha that night simply because he no longer wanted to stay there.

This time, the Cloud ninja spy had no intelligence on him and didn't understand the power of modern firearms. Although guns existed in the Hokage Universe, they were still rather primitive. Presumably, it would take several more decades for them to develop into modern weapons.

Konoha had miscalculated this time. Once they gathered intelligence, however, there was no telling how things would go next time.

Unless absolutely necessary, Karn would no longer stay overnight in Konoha, except at the Senju Clan Compound or the Uchiha Clan compound.

"Those old bastards used a Cloud ninja spy to test me..."

Karn had only wanted to trade honestly and earn the resources he needed. But after those old bastards schemed against him, he couldn't shake the feeling that he would never swallow this insult unless he got them back.

"The Uchiha Clan. I'll try contacting them when I go back."

Karn wasn't confident he could build a relationship with the clan. Apart from his medicine supplies, he had nothing the Uchiha needed. Besides, a large, self-sufficient clan like theirs had its own Medical Ninja.

They might not have enough on the battlefield, but in peacetime, they certainly wouldn't lack Medical Ninja to treat their clansmen.

Karn could only give it his best shot. If money didn't work, he would try appealing to their reputation. The members of the Uchiha Clan were bound to have weaknesses. Still, the Uchiha Clan probably wouldn't be shortsighted. As long as Karn formed a good relationship with them, it would be a thorn in the side of Hiruzen Sarutobi and his associates.

For now, though, Karn needed to unwind, then get the extremis virus serum and research equipment ready.