The morning passed without incident, and no uninvited guests came again.
The blood smell in the corner of the martial arts training hall had completely dissipated, as if nothing had happened.
After lunch, Kawaki didn't go out. He had a hunch that something important was going to happen today.
In the afternoon, he focused on instructing Nawaki to make his moves more coherent.
The training of the Flying Raijin technique could also come to an end. There was no problem using it in actual combat now.
Nawaki didn't ask about what happened in the morning. He knew it was not something he could get involved in at present.
This sunny boy seemed more and more sensible in Kawaki's eyes.
After practicing all afternoon, Nawaki dragged his tired body home under the escort of good samurai.
Kawaki was just being cautious. Who could guarantee what crazy things Tanzō might do?
Human lives were not valuable in his eyes, which Kawaki hadn't realized before.
In the evening, when Kawaki was about to rest after washing up, the butler who rushed over in a hurry told him that there was a guest, and the guest didn't seem to be kind.
"Where's Aniki?"
Kawaki let out a soft laugh. Everything was as he expected.
"The eldest young master is waiting in the front hall."
"Arrange him to the quiet room. I'll be there soon."
"Yes."
Kawaki went back to his room to change out of his nightgown. He still had to show the due respect, even if he didn't like this person.
After changing his clothes, he came to the quiet room. Opposite Sakumo sat Tanzō, and there were two Root Ninjas standing behind him.
This was the first time Kawaki had seen Tanzō. He had never dealt with him before.
However, the man in front of him matched the description in the original work. He didn't have Shisui's eyes yet, nor did he have Hashirama's cells and Sharingan eyes all over his arm.
Kawaki sized up Tanzō, and the other side sized him up as well.
At such a young age, he was in charge of the large Hatake family. Few people knew that it was actually this younger brother who was making decisions in the Hatake family, not the rising - star Sakumo Hatake.
"Lord Tanzō, may I ask what advice you have for your visit tonight?"
Kawaki sat down beside Aniki with a smile, and even poured a cup of tea for Tanzō. As for the two behind him, he chose to ignore them directly.
"Hehe, why do you pretend not to know?"
Tanzō also drank his tea with a smile, but his laughter was somehow unpleasant.
"Oh, Lord Tanzō, what do you mean by that?"
"You didn't say what it was in your letter."
Kawaki wasn't afraid at all that killing that Root ninja would make Tanzō unhappy. This was the confidence given by his strength.
"You killed my man."
"Are you still going to play dumb?"
Suddenly, Tanzō changed his face. He slapped the teacup hard on the table and raised his voice angrily.
"Hehe, don't be angry. Just say what you want."
Kawaki calmly held back his Aniki, who was ready to fight at the slightest provocation.
"Haha, young Kawaki - kun is not very old, but I have to admit that I can't match his self - control."
Seeing that Kawaki wasn't affected, Tanzō cursed the little fox in his heart, but put on an ugly smile on his face again.
"I heard that young Kawaki - kun is going to build a hospital with the Senju clan?"
"Yes. Does Lord Tanzō also happen to be interested?"
Kawaki put on a surprised look, as if he had just learned about it.
"I'm short of funds. Your interest is like timely help."
He knew very well that Root was entirely supported by Tanzō and there couldn't be a large amount of funds available.
"The Hatake family is wealthy. I don't think you need an old man like me for the funds."
Tanzō ignored this topic and changed the subject.
"However, I'm really interested in this hospital."
"I want to be the director of this hospital."
Tanzō made no attempt to hide his intention. Leaning forward, he stared directly at Kawaki.
"My Root can protect the hospital."
"I won't participate in the hospital's operations or profit sharing."
Tanzō's request was not excessive at all. In fact, it was a good thing for Kawaki.
The strength of Root was obvious to all. They were much more reliable than his own samurai.
Putting aside his promise to Tsunade to become the director, on the other hand, he needs to conduct some research and experiments in the hospital. These are things he doesn't want outsiders to know about or participate in.
"An honorary director?"
"Popularity among the people?"
"Lord Tanzō is really good at calculating."
"What if I say I don't agree?"
The smile on Kawaki's face had disappeared by the time he said the last sentence. A murderous aura began to spread from his body.
Do you think you can just ask for a slice of my Hatake family's cake?
"You should know that I'm here with good intentions. You may not know the power of my Root."
Tanzō had also survived the mountains of corpses and seas of blood in the war. He wasn't afraid of Kawaki's weak murderous aura at all.
"It's best to agree to my request. It'll be good for you and the Hatake family."
At this point, it was almost an open threat.
"Remember, my name is Kawaki Hatake."
As soon as he finished speaking, Kawaki appeared behind Tanzō. He hooked his right hand and grasped Tanzō's throat.
The two ninjas behind him had their throats slit by Sakumo with a kunai and slowly slid down the wall.
I wonder if the faces behind their masks regretted following Tanzō to visit the Hatake family.
"Are you going to defect from Konoha?"
Tanzō could no longer maintain his calm. He couldn't die yet. He hadn't become the Hokage.
"Heh, can you represent Konoha, Tanzō?"
"I got the land for the hospital approved by the Third Hokage."
"I'm going to pay One Hundred Million Ryō in cash."
"And you just ask to be the director out of the blue?"
"Do you think you're more special than others?"
As he spoke, Kawaki tightened his grip. Tanzō began to feel the suffocation. His face twisted into a hideous expression.
The chakra in his body was dispersed by some unknown means. His whole body went numb and he couldn't resist at all.
These two brothers' strength was so astonishing. If Tanzō had known this earlier, he would never have walked into this trap.
"Let me go. We can discuss the hospital's matter again."
Tanzō squeezed out a few words from his mouth. Maybe he didn't believe that Kawaki would kill him. Even at the brink of death, he didn't forget about the hospital.
"Haha, go and discuss it with the Shinigami (Japanese god of death), Tanzō."
Kawaki was so angry that he laughed. He had never seen such a person who valued power more than his life.
He continued to increase the pressure on his hand. Tanzō began to roll his eyes.
"I, I, give, give, up."
Tanzō used all his strength to say a few words. He gasped for fresh air, not caring about the blood smell filling his breath.
"You should have said so earlier, Lord Tanzō."
Kawaki returned to his original position. He righted Tanzō's cup, which still had a few drops of blood in it.
He filled the cup with tea.
"Please."
Tanzō hadn't fully recovered from the verge of death. He gulped down the blood - tinged tea, and his breathing became a bit more even.
"You know, it'd be a hassle for me to kill you, but it doesn't mean I'm afraid to do it."
"My name is Kawaki. I hope you'll really remember it this time."
"See yourself out."
Kawaki drained the water in his cup in one go and walked out of the quiet room first. Sakumo followed closely behind.
The fierce Aniki didn't say a word and took two lives with his attack.
No wonder he'll later be known as the Legend of the White Fang.
Suddenly, there were only Tanzō and two corpses left in the quiet room. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
He propped himself up against the wall and stood up. His eyes were filled with a mix of fear and hatred.
"Kawaki, I, Tanzō, won't forget you."
The teacup in his hand had been crushed to pieces without him even noticing.
Ignoring the two corpses, Tanzō staggered out of the quiet room and left the Hatake family.
The confrontation with Tanzō temporarily came to an end. Kawaki knew very well that this guy wouldn't let it go so easily.