Hearing the explosions and furious roars echoing behind him, Danzo kept his presence hidden as he continued advancing toward Sunagakure's main camp.
Every squad of Suna-nin he encountered along the way was rushing toward the battlefield where Shukaku raged.
"Should I take a look? I might be able to take advantage of the situation..."
That thought crossed his mind, but Danzo's pace only quickened, distancing himself from the battle with the Tailed Beast.
By the time midnight arrived, Shukaku's presence had vanished.
Only after making a long detour to avoid Sunagakure's search parties did Danzo finally return to the Konoha encampment.
As soon as he stepped inside, a ninja sent by Tsunade arrived to summon him.
"I knew it. You old bastard wouldn't die that easily."
Upon entering the tent, he was greeted with a voice full of irritation. Yet, Danzo could sense a hint of relief hidden within Tsunade's tone. Her demeanor was noticeably softer than usual.
"Konoha is still in turmoil. I can't afford to die just yet," Danzo replied nonchalantly.
Taking a seat at the meeting table, he let out a breath. A full day of battle and travel had left him utterly exhausted.
If it had been any other time, seeing Tsunade in a rare good mood, he might have engaged in conversation, perhaps even using the opportunity to complete a system task.
But at this moment, all he felt was the exhaustion that came from facing a Tailed Beast...
"You should take it easy... ah, never mind. Still, I have to admit I didn't expect you to come so close to capturing the Kazekage. I never realized you were this strong. Next time Sunagakure attacks, don't you dare hold back."
Tsunade scrutinized Danzo, trying to gauge him. His actions over the past days had earned her approval. Without him, Konoha's encampment might have already fallen.
She didn't want to strain their relationship too much. With a powerhouse like Danzo on their side, her burden was significantly lighter.
Besides, the entire camp was already buzzing with rumors about how he nearly captured the Kazekage and fought against a Tailed Beast. His prestige within the Konoha camp was probably no less than her own at this point.
"Sunagakure won't be launching another attack anytime soon."
The effort it took to suppress Shukaku without prior preparation wouldn't have come without a cost.
"Why not?" Tsunade asked, frowning.
Danzo, finally allowing himself to relax, felt the deep exhaustion creeping in. Right now, all he wanted was a good night's rest.
"You'll find out tomorrow. If there's nothing else, I'm going to rest," he said, rising from his seat and leaving the tent without another word.
"That damn old man is still as insufferable as ever," Tsunade muttered, her face darkening at his complete lack of respect.
As soon as he stepped outside, he spotted Nono Yakushi waiting for him.
"Danzo-sama."
"Mhm."
Danzo responded instinctively and continued toward his own tent, Nono following closely behind as if it were second nature.
Inside, fresh clothes and hot water had already been prepared.
"It's late. Go get some rest."
"Yes."
Watching as Nono departed, Danzo glanced down at his aging hands, a trace of frustration flashing across his face.
"Damn this body..."
...
The Next Morning
By sunrise, Tsunade received a report—Sunagakure had battled Shukaku for an entire night and suffered devastating losses. Any plans for another offensive were now out of the question.
As if in response, good news arrived from Konoha as well—reinforcements were on their way.
Out of the 2,000 ninja being sent, there were 30 Jonin from prominent clans and 500 Chunin. It seemed Konoha's leadership had finally grasped the severity of the situation.
Or perhaps they were simply afraid that if Tsunade and Danzo decided to abandon the front, the consequences would be disastrous.
After all, defending against Sunagakure with such meager forces for this long—there was a limit to how much the higher-ups could neglect them.
Meanwhile, Danzo received Nono's latest casualty report.
The losses suffered by Root were enough to make even him wince—almost every operative was wounded. Even the Jonin he had sent to Tsunade's forces had lost two members.
The remaining Chunin numbered only 214, with 23 of them so gravely injured that they would never be able to fight again.
The situation across the entire encampment was even worse. The survival rate among the four waves of civilian-born ninja sent to the front barely reached fifty percent. The fourth batch of severely injured had already been sent back.
And this was with Tsunade—Konoha's strongest medical ninja—on their side.
After the brief excitement of surviving the night, the camp was now drowning in grief. The wails of mourning echoed through the darkness, a grim reminder of war's cost.
Many of the younger, inexperienced ninja—those facing battle for the first time—were struggling to hold themselves together.
Yet, to Danzo's surprise, in this atmosphere of despair, Root's ideology was spreading.
...
A Few Days Later—Inside Tsunade's Tent
"Mourning for the fallen, fighting for the living… How ironic. Now, even back in Konoha, people are repeating Root's creed. Tsunade, do you think—"
"Jiraiya."
Tsunade's voice rose sharply, her brows furrowing in displeasure.
"Alright, alright, I won't bring them up anymore. But still… their change is remarkable."
The contrast between how Konoha now praised Root and Jiraiya's own perception of it was too great.
Having just arrived at the encampment, he found it unsettling.
"I don't care if it's some grand scheme or not… The fact is, they are protecting their comrades with their lives. The cowards hiding in the rear have no right to judge them."
Tsunade had once harbored the same suspicions. But Root's members were undeniably sacrificing themselves for their beliefs.
Their casualty rate was no less than that of the civilian-born ninja.
Hearing Jiraiya's skepticism, she felt an instinctive resistance rise within her.
Jiraiya sighed and decided to drop the topic.
He knew Tsunade hated Danzo and Root even more than he did.
"Fine, fine, I won't talk about them anymore. Let's change the subject… So, did you miss me? The moment I got back to Konoha, I—"
"Jiraiya!"
Before he could finish, Tsunade's fist shot out, sending him flying several dozen meters through the air before he crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.
It took him a while to recover, groaning as he clutched his aching chest.
"Yep… That's the real her… Same power, same pain… Guess the old man's plan didn't work after all…"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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