Seriously, why is it always you?
Looking at Tsunade's striking, mature features, Hatani felt no joy. On the contrary, he had a burning desire to yell that question right in her face.
Every single time I wake up after a Powershot-induced blackout, you're the first person I see. Are you my personal jinx or something?
Of course, he only dared to vent those frustrations in the safety of his own mind. On the surface, he had to force an expression of startled delight.
"Lady Tsunade?! What are you doing here?"
The second half of that sentence was the only part he actually meant.
"Minato, go fetch some water and food for Hatani," Tsunade ignored the question, turning instead to Minato with a practiced air of command. "He's been unconscious for nearly twenty hours; he must be parched and starving by now."
"Oh! Right, right, of course."
Minato, ever the doting brother, seemed to let his IQ drop a few points out of concern—or perhaps his high emotional intelligence simply told him it was time to give them some space.
Watching Minato leave, Hatani immediately surmised the reason for Tsunade's visit.
"Hatani, did you run into Aburame Shikuro on your way here? He's a guy in a long black coat, square-jawed, always wears round sunglasses."
Sure enough, Tsunade's first words confirmed his suspicions.
"No."
Even though he knew Tsunade had likely rushed here because she didn't trust a Root operative like Shikuro, Hatani had no intention of admitting he'd killed the man. He shook his head with a perfectly executed look of bewilderment.
"Who is Aburame Shikuro?"
"You really haven't seen him?"
Tsunade stared into Hatani's eyes, as if trying to peer straight into his soul. However, as an "old fox" who had spent nearly thirty years in a past life navigating a society where one practically had to lie four times a day just to survive, Hatani's mastery of deception—while perhaps not quite at the level of a professional spy—was far superior to Tsunade's.
"Wait, how is Nawaki doing?"
Before Tsunade could press him further, Hatani took the initiative, his face clouding with a look of urgent worry.
"And Big Brother Inoichi?"
"Nawaki is doing alright," Tsunade replied, her suspicion wavering in the face of his concern for her brother. Her expression darkened slightly. "He was caught in the shockwave of an enemy jutsu. It caused some internal tremors, but after a few days of bed rest, he'll be back on his feet."
She paused, her brow furrowing. "Inoichi, however... he was so worried the enemy would dodge his vital points after he released the Mind Transfer Jutsu that he held the connection until the very second Choza's Human Bullet Tank crushed the target. The enemy died, but Inoichi took a massive backlash. He'll be sidelined for at least six months, maybe longer. It's hard to say what his long-term recovery will look like."
"With a medical ninja as talented as you here, Lady Tsunade, I'm sure they'll be fine," Hatani offered, mixing comfort with a bit of flattery. Suddenly, his expression crumbled into one of genuine dejection.
"It's just Big Brother Dan Kato... He shouldn't have taken such a risk. Those Iwa bastards were too cunning, keeping hidden reinforcements in reserve like that."
The mention of Dan Kato caused Tsunade's own composure to falter.
Before, when Dan had been on the verge of death, he had confessed his feelings to her. After they were safe, she hadn't known how to face him; she had barely managed a goodbye, thinking they both needed time to cool off and process everything.
She hadn't expected that before she could cool off, Dan Kato would be cold for good.
"Hatani, I brought the water and—"
Minato hurried back in with the supplies, but he choked off his words when he saw the somber atmosphere in the tent.
"Lady Tsunade, is Hatani...?" Minato's voice trembled. Seeing their devastated faces, he assumed the medical check-up had turned up something terrible.
"Brother, Lady Tsunade and I were just talking about Big Brother Dan Kato," Hatani said quickly, afraid Minato might drop the food in shock.
"Oh." Minato let out a breath of relief, though his face quickly mirrored their sadness.
He and Choza had been the ones to recover Dan's body. Seeing a comrade who had been laughing and talking with you just moments before turn into a cold corpse was a heavy burden for anyone to carry.
"Alright, Hatani, get some rest. I'm going to check on Nawaki."
Seeing the atmosphere grow increasingly heavy, Tsunade broke the silence. She forced a small, weary smile for Hatani before turning and leaving the tent.
As she disappeared, Hatani let out a long sigh of relief, though a sense of deja vu washed over him.
He didn't regret lying to her, and he certainly didn't regret killing Aburame Shikuro. As Danzo's lapdog, Shikuro's intent that day had been clear: to kidnap him and drag him back to the Root.
The fate awaiting him there required no imagination. He was never going to go quietly.
However, his guard against Danzo was now at an all-time high.
Knowing Danzo's petty and vengeful nature, the death of Aburame Shikuro wouldn't be the end of it. Once he returned to Konoha, there would undoubtedly be traps and schemes waiting for him.
I have to find a way back to the village before Danzo realizes Shikuro is dead.
A sense of urgency began to gnaw at him.
To know your enemy is to be invincible. Only by returning to the village could he keep his finger on the pulse of Konoha's internal politics, allowing him to anticipate Danzo's moves and prepare accordingly.
But with Nawaki and Inoichi's injuries, the team couldn't travel at full speed. How was he supposed to get back immediately?
Inside Konoha
The negotiations between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind underwent a tectonic shift overnight.
Danzo, who had been a brick wall the day before—insisting that Suna pay a steep price for an alliance—suddenly "wiped his face" and performed a complete 180. He was now the most vocal proponent of signing the treaty as quickly as possible.
Even more surprising was Hiruzen Sarutobi. Despite appearing frustrated with Danzo the previous day, he was now in perfect lockstep with his advisor.
Even Ebizo, who had struck the secret deal with Danzo the night before, was taken aback.
Didn't he say the Sand needed to make a 'small concession' to give Hiruzen a way to save face before we formally resumed?
Why does it look like Hiruzen found a second wind and practically sprinted off his high horse to meet us halfway?
Regardless, for the Hidden Sand—who wanted an alliance on equal terms—this sudden shift was a godsend. Ebizo, fearing the Leaf might change their minds again, moved with lightning speed. He and Hiruzen reached a consensus and signed the treaty within hours.
It wasn't until the delegation had left Konoha and finally met the messenger who had been barred from entering the village that Ebizo understood the reason for the Leaf's haste.
Looking at the report of Iwa's massive mobilization, Ebizo couldn't help but feel a wave of bitter regret.