Given this old lecher's personality, she had serious doubts and eyed Hiruzen Sarutobi suspiciously.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sensed the distrust in Tsunade's gaze.
He felt a little hurt. Just how badly had his reputation been ruined in Tsunade's eyes?
"Ahem." He cleared his throat twice. "That subordinate of yours, Hyuga Akira-you'd better rein him in."
Hyuga Akira?
Just hearing that name gave Tsunade a headache. "What did he do this time?"
Seriously.
Had she known, she would never have agreed to this mission of overseeing the Hyuga Main Family's young heir as he grew up. Yet they had gone and saddled her with a troublemaker.
He was also her younger brother's big bro. She felt Hyuga Akira was up to no good.
She meant nothing else by that.
He just wanted to anger him to death.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed and said, "He set up a fighting ring today and caused quite a disturbance."
Konoha was no Kumogakure. It wasn't that violent.
Hyuga Akira's behavior was rather detrimental to the village's image.
For some reason, the Uchiha Clan wasn't doing anything about it either.
A vein throbbed faintly on Tsunade's forehead. "That brat."
Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't want things to continue either. Setting up fighting rings wasn't something they did in Konoha. What if other clients saw it and thought Konoha was nothing but a bunch of violent thugs?
Though that was actually the case.
Still, they couldn't lose Konoha's reputation for loving peace.
"Got it," Tsunade said impatiently. Right now, she really wanted to teach that brat a lesson.
Make him stay put and behave.
Watching Tsunade's increasingly volatile temper, Hiruzen Sarutobi said cautiously, "After all, he's fallen out with the Hyuga Clan and doesn't have much money. Take him on more missions so he can earn some."
Tsunade's gaze sharpened as she looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Old man, what are you trying to do?"
She sensed some sort of scheme in this.
Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. "Nothing. He's your subordinate, after all. Help him out more. Leave the wounded to the hospital staff."
Konoha Hospital wasn't staffed by freeloaders. Although Tsunade had invented Medical Ninjutsu, quite a few people at the hospital had mastered it by now.
Tsunade gave Hiruzen Sarutobi a long look, then turned and left the Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi gently exhaled a smoke ring, his gaze gradually growing pensive.
"The Hyuga..."
The Hyuga Clan was completely united, and Konoha's control over it was far too weak.
The other shinobi clans had more or less integrated into Konoha. Only the Uchiha and Hyuga clans could be said to have the ability to break away at any moment.
However, the Uchiha had been pushed out by them.
The Hyuga Clan, on the other hand, had done so entirely of its own accord.
In Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, the Hyuga were troublemakers too. They didn't warrant the same vigilance as the Uchiha, but they couldn't be allowed to develop unchecked either.
Konoha's shinobi clans naturally had to contribute to Konoha.
Yet the Hyuga contributed little and even fought among themselves.
In the past, his accession had been questioned, leaving him no choice but to hand over considerable authority. Now that his position was secure, he naturally wanted to reclaim it.
To him, Hyuga Akira's existence was an opportunity to breach the Hyuga Clan's sturdy fortress.
From the shadows.
Shimura Danzō slowly emerged.
"Sarutobi, tensions are high at the borders, and the other villages haven't abandoned their ambitions. We need new strength. Only by creating another God of Shinobi can we protect Konoha."
Hiruzen Sarutobi adjusted his Hokage hat. "Danzo, we cannot disturb the First's rest. Konoha is strong enough to withstand any threat."
His three students in Konoha had already matured, and there was also Hatake Sakumo, who had risen to prominence unexpectedly, along with the major shinobi clans.
Not to mention himself and Shimura Danzō.
Konoha was now brimming with talent.
Needless to say, even one against four, they had the advantage.
"I'm doing this for Konoha," Shimura Danzō said coldly.
"But I am the Hokage," Hiruzen Sarutobi said solemnly.
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen."
Shimura Danzō left, cursing under his breath.
As for Hyuga Akira, what did he have to do with Shimura Danzō?
Among all the shinobi clans in Konoha, he had designs on every one except the Hyuga Clan.
That disgusting Caged Bird Seal alone put an end to all his covetous thoughts.
The Hyuga Clan.
Not even a dog would want them.
Chapter 15: Hyuga Akira Was Actually a Genius Too
Early the next morning.
Hyuga Akira opened his door and saw Tsunade staring at him with a hostile expression.
Bang!
He shut the door again.
"That's strange. Seeing Tsunade first thing in the morning."
The two of them shouldn't actually have had much to do with each other.
"It must just be my imagination."
He opened the door again. This time, he saw not only Tsunade, but also her swinging fist.
"Monstrous Strength Fist!"
"Substitution Technique!"
A shield replaced Hyuga Akira's figure. Tsunade's fist struck it, and he watched in horror as the steel shield began cracking outward from her fist.
Bang!
The entire shield instantly shattered.
Hyuga Akira took a trembling step back and shrieked like a young boy being violated, "Lady Tsunade, you really can't!"
Tsunade. You can't.
As though those words were triggers, the neighboring doors swiftly opened, and pairs of eyes peered through the cracks.
There were also faint murmurs of discussion.
"Tsunade? Is that the Princess of Konoha?"
"It really is. I heard she's always been single. Who knew she liked younger boys?"
"And she likes forcing them, too. Tsk, tsk."
The chatter made Tsunade's face flush red, a vein throbbing faintly on her forehead as she raised her fist.
Hyuga Akira's eyes widened. That still didn't make her run away?
Don't you have any shame?!
Judging by her raised fist...
Something occurred to him, and he turned and ran into the room. Tsunade's furious roar rang out behind him.
"You bastard! I'll kill you!"
Hyuga Akira had only just reached the window and was about to climb out when a slender leg came hurtling toward him.
He turned to see the leg already inches away. There was no dodging it.
Hyuga Akira peacefully closed his eyes.
Boom!
Tsunade carried Hyuga Akira out of the inn, his face bruised and swollen.
"Lady Tsunade, we can talk this out."
He had actually underestimated this woman. She had attacked without the slightest restraint.
She had looked like she was up to no good from the start.
And she really hadn't come with good intentions.
Tsunade gritted her teeth. "Hyuga Akira, could you stop causing so much trouble for me?"
First, the Hyuga Clan had pressured him, and she had stepped in because of her younger brother. Then he had set up a fighting ring, getting her a warning from that old man Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Today, he had even added rumors to the mix.
This brat was even more annoying than Jiraiya!
Hyuga Akira's eyes darted about, and he was just about to say something.
Tsunade spoke first. "Starting now, you're learning Medical Ninjutsu from me. With you right under my nose, let's see what trouble you can cause."
"No!" Hyuga Akira wailed. He still needed to grind experience. He still needed to level up.
There wasn't much time left before the Second Shinobi World War. He couldn't waste time like this.
But he couldn't persuade Tsunade, who carried him straight into Konoha Hospital.
Konoha Hospital had been established by Second Hokage Tobirama Senju. Originally, it had been staffed entirely by ordinary doctors.
But after Tsunade invented the Mystical Palm Technique, some shinobi had joined the hospital.
Even shinobi who had lost their qualifications could find work at Konoha Hospital after mastering the Mystical Palm Technique.
These people were also the first medical shinobi.
Tsunade brought Hyuga Akira into the emergency department.
"Lady Tsunade, another group of wounded has arrived." A woman wearing glasses and a nurse's uniform approached.
Her eyes turned toward Hyuga Akira beside Tsunade.
"Never mind him. Take me there first." Tsunade set Hyuga Akira down and warned him fiercely, "You'd better behave and follow me, or else... heh..."
Although she hadn't voiced any threat, the threat was already obvious.
Hyuga Akira shrank back.
"Old woman. No wonder you can't find a husband."
His voice was too quiet for Tsunade to make out. She followed the nurse toward the emergency department.
Many people lay groaning in the emergency department's beds, while a number of medical shinobi missing arms or legs worked hard to treat them with the Mystical Palm Technique.
"Lady Tsunade, you're finally here." Someone spotted Tsunade and said anxiously, "We have a critical patient here."
A bed was wheeled out. The exposed skin of the shinobi lying on it was purplish-black.
"Poison?" Tsunade tied up her hair, rolled up her sleeves, and stepped forward, a soft green glow appearing around her hands.
She began saving him.
Before you continue