Chapter 197: Practical Use
"Lady Tsunade, are you really going to agree to Ikeizumi Uchiha's request to look after the women and children of the Hyūga Main House?"
Inside a Konoha inn, Shizune, holding Tonton, curiously asked Tsunade, "If you do this, won't you have to stay in Konoha for a while longer?"
"Doesn't matter!"
Tsunade waved her hand. Her slouchy sitting posture was anything but graceful, and the loose clothing she casually wore was even slightly exposing.
However, there were only her and Shizune present, along with a dwarf pig named Tonton, so Tsunade didn't care.
Tsunade continued, "That brat helped us win so much money in the Land of Noodles that I haven't lost it all after gambling for half a month. I guess you could call that a favor, right? I'm just paying off the brat's favor now."
Shizune mumbled, "Maybe it's just me, but I feel like that's not what you're really thinking, Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade slightly raised her eyelids, glanced at Shizune, and asked, "Then what do you think I'm thinking?"
Shizune meekly replied, "Lady Tsunade, you're actually supporting [Absolute Justice] by Ikeizumi Uchiha, aren't you?"
Tsunade was taken aback.
Shizune continued, "Given your personality, Lady Tsunade, you would usually directly refuse in situations like this. For example, when you insisted on leaving Konoha back then, even though the Third Hokage, Lord Jiraiya, and Orochimaru desperately tried to make you stay, you still left."
"The fact that you didn't refuse Ikeizumi Uchiha this time can only mean you secretly approve of his justice. You even want to support him, but you're too embarrassed to say it openly because of your seniority."
"So, Lady Tsunade is supporting Ikeizumi Uchiha this way, just like how you rushed to his defense several times, helping him openly challenge the Hokage-sama and the others."
Tsunade: "..."
Silent for a few seconds, Tsunade couldn't help but rub her smooth chin and murmur, "Am I really that obvious?"
Just then, the sound of light footsteps came from the hallway outside the inn room, and soon after, there was a knock on the door.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow: "They're fast."
She casually pulled her loose clothing up, slightly covering the exposed areas.
"The door isn't locked, just open it."
At her word, the sliding door of the inn was carefully pulled open.
Hinata Hyūga, holding Hanabi Hyūga's hand, stood timidly outside the door.
Behind her followed the few remaining Hyūga Main House members.
Under Tsunade's gaze, Hinata's voice was barely a whisper: "Lady Tsunade h-hello."
Tsunade slightly nodded.
That counted as a response.
Her gaze then moved past Hinata Hyūga to the Main House Special Jōnin behind her, Kenzō Hyūga. Tsunade frowned and asked, "What are you, a Konoha Special Jōnin, doing here?"
Kenzō Hyūga was stunned: "Ah Lord Ikeizumi asked all the Hyūga Main House members to temporarily reside in this inn. I am also of the Main House."
Tsunade said, "I promised that brat I'd protect these weak women and children, not a Special Jōnin."
She waved her hand again and said, "Forget it. Since you're already here, you can be my errand boy!"
"Oh, wait " Tsunade corrected herself: "I already have an errand girl. You can be my errand girl's errand boy!"
Shizune, holding Tonton: "?"
Kenzō Hyūga: "..."
He didn't seem to have the right to refuse. After all, one was Ikeizumi Uchiha and the other was Tsunade. He had absolutely no say in front of these two people.
For the continuation of the Hyūga Main House bloodline!
I can only bear this pressure!
"Yes, Lady Tsunade."
Kenzō Hyūga forced a smile at Shizune: "Lady Shizune, if you have any instructions, feel free to send me."
Huff... puff...
Anko Mitarashi was breathing heavily. She looked quite a mess. Her left shoulder appeared to be dislocated, making her entire left arm hang limp.
The right side of her face had a noticeable bruise, her ponytail had come undone, and her fishnet undershirt was ripped in several places.
She looked utterly exhausted.
Dozens of small black snakes lay on the ground, cut in half. A large white snake, big enough to swallow a person whole, was also covered in wounds.
"Hmph. Go play by yourself. They're not going to kill you anyway. Don't summon me next time you run into so many enemies."
The wounded white snake spoke to Anko Mitarashi before instantly turning into a puff of white smoke and vanishing.
With her summoned beast having fled, Anko saw a Root ninja swinging the blunt side of a sword at her.
Anko could only raise her right arm to parry with a kunai.
But already thoroughly exhausted, the impact knocked the kunai out of her hand.
"You certainly learned a lot of skills from Orochimaru."
Koharu Utatane looked at the unarmed Anko Mitarashi.
She took a step forward and said expressionlessly, "But this old woman's Root ninja were also drawn from the elite of the Utatane clan. Two of them are even Special Jōnin, one is a Jōnin, and the rest are elite Chūnin."
"The fact that you held off six of them by yourself until now proves why Orochimaru chose you as his sensei back then, and why he regarded you as his student. Even if you're just the student he abandoned now."
Anko Mitarashi gritted her teeth. Just as she was about to say something.
A familiar voice came rushing from the distance.
"Root organization! What are you doing!?"
Both Anko Mitarashi and Koharu Utatane were taken aback.
"...Izumi?!"
Anko immediately turned her head, following the sound, and saw a familiar figure rushing toward them. She recognized the person immediately Izumi Uchiha, who had parted ways with her after leaving the sweets shop!
But weren't her house and Ikeizumi's house in completely different directions?
How could Ikeizumi be here?
"Elder Koharu, it seems to be that subordinate of Ikeizumi Uchiha, the Uchiha genius who awakened her Three-Tomoe Sharingan at a young age." A Root guard whispered to Koharu Utatane.
"I know her."
Koharu Utatane's old face darkened. If she had the biggest problem with anyone in Konoha, it was undoubtedly Ikeizumi Uchiha.
And the person she had the second-biggest problem with was Ikeizumi Uchiha's ninja cat. The third biggest was Izumi Uchiha's subordinate!
She clearly remembered that this Uchiha girl had once insulted her!
And she had done it right to her face, without any hesitation!
She was just as impolite as Ikeizumi Uchiha.
She had no respect for her seniors!
When Izumi Uchiha arrived, she didn't hesitate to stand beside Anko Mitarashi. Seeing Anko's battered state, her slightly young face turned cold.
Izumi's cold gaze swept over the surrounding Root ninja.
Finally settling on the somewhat grim-faced Koharu Utatane.
"Advisor Koharu, are you, the leader of Root, just randomly assassinating village ninja like this? Your actions tonight are those of a blatant villain and scum."
"Perhaps Root is a dark abyss. It didn't just turn Danzō Shimura into a source of evil; it's also dragging you down into a chasm of sin."
Izumi did not give her a pleasant look, because in her eyes, Anko Mitarashi was her best comrade.
Furthermore, Anko Mitarashi believed in her Senior's [Absolute Justice].
She had even earned Senior Ikeizumi's approval.
The Root ninja attacking Anko Mitarashi was essentially an attack on [Absolute Justice], wasn't it?
"Don't try to pin such a baseless crime on this old woman. I am not Danzō, and I won't fall for your tricks." Koharu Utatane immediately retorted, speaking with a cold voice.
"If Root truly intended to kill Anko Mitarashi, do you think she would still be alive now? Every one of my subordinates was holding back; none of them had any murderous intent."
"The only reason we acted against her is that Anko Mitarashi, a Konoha Special Jōnin, is completely failing to uphold her responsibilities and duties as a Special Jōnin."
"She knows information about the rogue ninja Orochimaru but refuses to disclose it to the village. If I don't take her down, how can I know if she still harbors loyalty to Orochimaru?"
Koharu Utatane paused, then continued, "What if she is Orochimaru's trump card left in Konoha? If she becomes a rogue ninja and causes great harm to the village, who will be held responsible?"
Koharu Utatane thought she had intimidated the young girl in front of her.
But to her surprise, Izumi said immediately.
"I will be responsible!"
Izumi's young face was taut, her Three-Tomoe Sharingan now active. She stared intently into Koharu Utatane's eyes.
"Anko Mitarashi is absolutely not Orochimaru's trump card in Konoha. This is something Senior Ikeizumi has already confirmed!"
"Also," Izumi's crimson eyes narrowed slightly: "This is all your side of the story. I believe you're hiding something."
"Hah..." Anko Mitarashi, still breathing heavily, suddenly offered an explanation: "She tried to get the Root ninja to capture me and interrogate me with genjutsu. But since Ikeizumi doesn't want to disclose the information to the village, I absolutely couldn't let Root succeed, so we fought."
Izumi's hand, resting on the hilt of her ninja sword, tightened slightly.
It seemed the village was also very focused on Orochimaru.
But they might not want to kill Orochimaru! After all, if they wanted him dead, they only had to stand by, as Senior Ikeizumi would definitely deal with Orochimaru.
They probably think Orochimaru is useful for other purposes. After all, in their eyes, any dangerous person can be used as long as it benefits the village.
No matter what evil acts those dangerous people have committed, they can be forgiven.
Perhaps this was one of the reasons why Senior Ikeizumi has always been so dismissive of the village elders.
This thought flashed through Izumi's mind.
Just then.
A figure flickered and appeared. The person was also wearing ninja attire and a mask.
But it was not a Root ninja; it was an ANBU ninja directly reporting to the Hokage!
The ANBU ninja whispered to Koharu Utatane, "Advisor Koharu, the Hokage-sama requests that you not escalate the conflict."
Koharu Utatane frowned. What does that mean?
......................
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