"Ah! Calm down, Kakuzu, calm down!"
Black Zetsu waved his hands at Kakuzu, trying to ease the tension.
Honestly, he was a bit surprised that Kakuzu's first reaction upon seeing him wasn't to blame him but to demand his money back.
"The organization used up all the money."
Black Zetsu pointed at Dou as he spoke.
"Zetsu, why aren't you with Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Suisei? What are you doing here?"
Hearing that, Dou turned to Black Zetsu, and Kakuzu also locked eyes on him.
First, he owed Kakuzu money and never paid it back. Then, he sold him out to Konohagakure.
For those two reasons alone, Kakuzu had no problem taking him out.
"Hmm… That doesn't matter. What matters is that I can provide you with enough intelligence support."
Black Zetsu shook his head, ignoring Dou's question, and instead made his offer.
This was his only option now.
After what happened last time, he was almost certain that Konohagakure was completely under Raijin's surveillance.
In a place like that, he had no room to operate.
But now, with Uchiha Ryuri about to graduate, there might be an opening.
Maybe once Ryuri left the village, he could make his move.
This kind of difficult, high-risk situation… It had been a long time since he last experienced it.
The last time he felt this on edge was when he was manipulating Indra while the Sage of Six Paths was still alive.
"You really think I'd trust someone who not only owes me money but also sold my information to Konohagakure?"
Before Dou could say anything, Kakuzu spoke first.
"That doesn't matter. What matters is whether the intelligence is accurate. I'm sure you can confirm that for yourselves, right?"
Black Zetsu pulled out a scroll from his robe.
"This contains the information you want. Whether you act on it or not is up to you."
He slowly placed the scroll on the ground.
"Zetsu, aren't you afraid we'll expose the fact that you're secretly working with us?"
Yuki suddenly asked.
"Hah? Why would I be? Right now, I'm having tea with Lord Uchiha."
Black Zetsu chuckled and quietly sank into the ground.
"Cunning bastard."
Yuki smirked as he casually remarked.
"What do you think? If we expose what happened today, would Madara get rid of him?"
With that, Yuki turned to Dou.
"He wouldn't. First of all, we have no way to spread the news. And even if we did, speaking up would only expose our own location. I don't know what would happen to Zetsu, but Konohagakure would definitely be happy to get rid of us."
Before Dou could reply, Kakuzu answered instead.
"But… do we really need to make a move against Konohagakure? Personally, I don't see much point in it."
Kakuzu continued asking Yuki,
"I don't think it makes much sense either. Ambushing some of Konoha's Jonin squads won't really hurt them, and we won't gain anything from it. The only thing it will do is make Konoha angrier and put more pressure on us to survive."
Yuki nodded at his words and turned to Dou.
"So we're just going to let Konoha keep acting like the shadow that looms over the ninja world?"
Ai frowned at that, clearly frustrated.
"If that's the case, then what's the point of our existence? Are we just living for the sake of staying alive?"
"Ai is right. Attacking Konoha isn't completely pointless. At the very least, it gives our existence meaning. We need to show Konoha that we are a blade hanging over their heads. The moment they let their guard down, that blade will stab them right in the heart!"
Dou clenched his fist and looked at Yuki.
"I think this whole thing is meaningless. We should focus on surviving and getting stronger. Then, when the time is right, we hit Konoha with a fatal strike."
Yuki shook his head, rejecting Dou's idea.
"Dou, patience is a basic quality that every ninja must have."
"I support Yuki's decision."
Kakuzu agreed without hesitation.
He never had any deep grudges against Konoha.
Even though Suisei stabbed him once, he didn't really care.
After all, he wiped out an entire Uchiha trading guild—being hunted by the Uchiha now was only natural.
The only reason he joined this group was to have a place where he could catch his breath.
If attacking Konoha meant drawing too much attention, Kakuzu would rather just leave this mess altogether.
There's no money in this. Why risk my life?
Sure, he said Suisei's grudge against him was reasonable, but if given the chance, of course he'd want to kill Uchiha Suisei. It's not like he didn't want to.
"I think we should strike Konoha, even if it's just minor attacks. As long as it causes them trouble, it's worth it."
Ai raised his hand firmly.
"Besides, we can target Konoha's trade networks and their manufacturing bases across the ninja world. Take everything we can, and destroy what we can't. We can't keep going like this. If we do, forget Konoha—the whole ninja world will forget we even exist!"
With that, Ai stood up, his voice full of passion.
"I agree."
Dou glanced at Yuki, then at Ai, before finally standing up.
Whatever else Zetsu might be, his ability to gather intelligence was undeniable.
With his intel, both attacking and retreating would be much easier.
"I agree too!"
Bee also stood up, his voice firm and resolute.
At that moment, the decision was made.
Three against one—the outcome was clear.
As for what Kakuzu thought...
That didn't matter.
"Alright then, since that's the case, let's make a plan first."
Yuki sighed helplessly and spoke to the group.
"Yes! I knew Yuki would support me!"
Dou grinned the moment he heard that, looking just like a kid who had just gotten his favorite lollipop.
Goofy but adorable.
"Hmm... this decision isn't entirely useless, I suppose."
Yuki stood up and picked up the scroll that Black Zetsu had placed on the ground earlier.
At the same time, he shot Dou a dismissive glance.
"Hmph! We're smart too, you know?"
Dou huffed, lifting his chin slightly, looking unconvinced as he spoke to Yuki.
"Yes, yes, you're the best."
Yuki casually responded while focusing on the scroll from Black Zetsu, clearly uninterested in arguing.
Dou raised an eyebrow at his son beside him, then stealthily moved behind Yuki and wrapped an arm around his waist.
"Of course, otherwise, how else could I have tricked you into being mine?"
…
Konohagakure, Raijin's home.
It was midday, the sun was shining brightly. Tsunade lay on a wooden lounge chair made with Wood Release, basking in the sunlight with her eyes half-closed.
Tatsu and Ryuri had gone to school, while Raijin was training inside his room.
Today was peaceful and calm.
Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air broke the silence as a figure flipped over the small courtyard wall.
Tsunade, however, didn't even bother to open her eyes.
"Sis, thirsty? Have some water."
Nawaki picked up the teapot from the table beside Tsunade and poured her a cup.
Hearing his voice, Tsunade turned slightly to face him and slowly opened her eyes.
"Get lost."
Her lips moved softly, and she spoke to Nawaki in an unusually gentle tone.
Which meant she was in a good mood.
Usually… Nawaki would be met with a combination of Wood Release and monstrous strength.
"Sis~ I just completed an S-rank mission for Konohagakure all by myself!"
Nawaki pouted, looking at Tsunade with a grievance.
"So? What does that have to do with you leaving here?"
Tsunade blinked, looking at Senju Nawaki with confusion.
"You…!"
Nawaki's face twisted slightly as he took two steps back, glaring at Tsunade in frustration.
"I shed blood for the village!"
"So what?"
Tsunade slowly sat up straight, crossed her arms, and looked down at her younger brother, who had now become a Jonin.
She didn't know why, but Nawaki just seemed weak to her.
Actually, it wasn't just Nawaki—she felt like all the Jonin in Konohagakure were a bit weak.
Except for the one currently training in the other room.
"Ryuri is about to graduate soon, so I was thinking..."
Nawaki hesitated, rubbing his hands together without realizing it.
"No, you weren't."
Tsunade's face instantly fell as she interrupted him without hesitation.
She had originally planned to pick someone from the Hokage's guard team to be Ryuri's teacher.
Nawaki… still had a long way to go.
"Brother-in-law!"
Nawaki pursed his lips helplessly as he looked at Tsunade.
But she just stared back at him, showing no intention of changing her mind.
Left with no choice, Nawaki raised his voice and shouted.
"What are you yelling for?!"
Tsunade's brows furrowed as she instantly appeared behind him, clamping a hand over his mouth.
"Mmm! Mmm!"
Even with his mouth covered, Nawaki still struggled to shout as hard as he could.
As for what Tsunade would do to him?
He wasn't worried at all.
She was his sister—what's the worst she could do? Kill him?
"What's going on?"
A moment later, Raijin stepped out of his training room and was met with the sight of Tsunade holding Nawaki in a chokehold with one hand and covering his mouth with the other.
Raijin had actually heard everything Nawaki said, but he decided to play dumb.
"Nothing. You're done training?"
Tsunade turned to Raijin with a bright smile, her voice suddenly gentle.
Then, she let go of Nawaki's throat and grabbed him by the collar instead.
With a slight flick of her wrist, Nawaki was sent flying right in front of Raijin.
"Ahhh—!"
Raijin instinctively swallowed and shifted his gaze to Tsunade.
"Actually, if Nawaki were to train Ryuri, I think it wouldn't be a bad idea," he said after a moment of thought.
"Don't be ridiculous. What could Nawaki possibly teach Ryuri?"
Tsunade scoffed, completely unimpressed.
It was obvious that even though they were siblings, the older sister didn't seem to fully trust her younger brother.
"What could anyone possibly teach Ryuri?"
Raijin leaned lazily against the doorframe and asked Tsunade in return.
"The ninja academy isn't the same as it was in our time. Ryuri is already sixteen. She's not like us back then, when we only knew the Three Basic Jutsu."
Raijin paused for a moment before explaining to Tsunade.
"Hmm? You only knew the Three Basic Jutsu when you graduated?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, instantly catching the flaw in Raijin's words.
"You and I are different. We had our clan behind us. What I mean is, Ryuri has already found her path for the future. What she needs now is to keep moving forward on this path while gaining mission experience.
If she runs into problems in her training, she knows exactly who to ask. Whether it's you, me, or Second Grandpa, any of us can give her the right answers."
Raijin pressed his lips together helplessly. This woman really…
When it came to mission experience, Hatake Sakumo had way more than Nawaki.
Tsunade nodded. Raijin was right—what Ryuri needed now was to master the jutsu she liked but hadn't yet learned.
And in the process, she just needed to gain some mission experience.
"But what if Ryuri and Sakumo have a disagreement?"
Raijin chuckled and asked Tsunade in return.
Tsunade blinked. She hadn't thought about that.
But now that she did, if Ryuri and Hatake Sakumo got into an argument, it would indeed be a tough situation for Sakumo.
After all, strictly speaking, Ryuri was Raijin's younger sister—and Raijin was technically Sakumo's superior.
He couldn't just ignore the boss's family.
"Now that you put it that way, Nawaki actually does seem like a better choice."
Tsunade nodded. No matter what, Nawaki was still Ryuri's elder. Even if conflicts happened in the future, things wouldn't get too bad.
At most, Ryuri would just come back and complain about Nawaki.
And when that time came, either she or Raijin could step in if needed.
"That's how I see it. But in the end, it's your decision."
Raijin nodded and said to Tsunade.
Raijin didn't really care who taught Ryuri. His only concern was keeping her safe.
After spending so many years in the ninja world, meeting so many people, and gaining so much power…
Even if Uchiha Ryuri never accomplished anything in her life, Raijin could still ensure that she lived a happy and peaceful life.
Ninjas, training…
None of that really mattered. As long as she was happy, that was enough.
"Hmph, of course!"
Tsunade lifted her chin proudly.
"So, does that mean I can be Ryuri's teacher?"
Right at that moment, Nawaki's voice rang out again.
Raijin turned to look and, when he saw Nawaki covered in dust and dirt, he couldn't hold back his laughter.
—End of Chapter—
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