"Ugh, I'm so tired. I haven't rolled the dice in days, and I haven't even had time to drink!"
The voice sounded like a monotone reading, carrying a desolate and indifferent feeling as if the world had been destroyed.
In the Hokage's office, Tsunade stared at the files on her desk that never seemed to diminish, her face filled with frustration, irritability, and a sense of utter despair. How could she have impulsively agreed to return as Hokage? Only a fool would become Hokage.
Overcome with excitement, Tsunade couldn't help but slam her smooth forehead against the table, making a loud thud that worried the ANBU members around her, who had only been in the office for less than half a day.
"Lady Tsunade, please be more serious. There are still many documents here that require your approval!"
The thoughtful secretary, Kato Shizune, brought over a large stack of documents and placed them on the desk, then tidied up the documents that Tsunade had messed up.
"Silence, can't you see how serious I am right now?"
Tsunade raised her head and looked at Shizune with pitiful, big eyes, just like a baby crying for food.
If Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't suffered a severe decline in his physical abilities and hadn't gone home to recuperate these past few days, he would have definitely jumped up from the elder's desk next to him to stop Tsunade from doing something so disrespectful to the Hokage!
"Mute, just handle these files directly, I trust you!"
"No, there are many things that only the Hokage can handle!"
Shizune felt a pang of pity seeing the usually strong and tough Tsunade looking so weak and pitiful, but she ultimately suppressed the stirrings in her heart.
The Hokage has been in a slump for so many years and it was only with great difficulty that he recovered. We can't let this continue!
"Please cheer up, Lady Tsunade. I have drafted a general overview of the situation and suggestions for handling it, which you can refer to here."
But ultimately, only you can make the decision. As the Hokage, how could you be unaware of these mission arrangements?
"Alright, alright," Tsunade nodded helplessly as she looked at her little follower, who had become quite intimidating when he stood up, and was forced to pick up a document and start reading.
Unrolling the scroll, one finds a sheet of paper tucked inside, covered in neat handwriting. It lists the basic situation, the approximate resources needed, and the personnel suitable for deployment. All one needs to do is review and approve it.
Tsunade immediately felt a sense of admiration. As expected, Shizune was the most considerate. It was worth it for her to have taken her under her wing and carefully taught her for so many years.
Bang!
Tsunade was engrossed in dealing with a mountain of documents when Danzo Shimura pushed the door open and walked in.
"Tsunade, what are you trying to do?! Why are you cutting funding for Root? Don't you know how important Root is?"
Recently, Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi were ordered by the newly appointed leader to purge excess personnel from the Anbu and Root, leading to a heated argument with Tsunade. In the end, Hiruzen Sarutobi, to appease Tsunade, superficially dismissed some Anbu members.
Danzo simply left, and a few days later sent someone to inform Tsunade that "the Root's personnel have been cleared internally, and everything is now in accordance with Konoha's regulations. We will continue to work hard for Konoha's peace." That was his explanation.
That day, Shizune went to great lengths to prevent the Hokage's office from having to replace five desks in one day!
Danzo thought he had dealt with his teacher's foolish granddaughter, but just a few days later, he received a document from the Hokage ordering the reduction of Root's funding. Moreover, this cut amounted to over 80% of Root's funds, clearly disregarding him, the Hokage's assistant.
Even now, just thinking about that deducted number still makes Danzo's old face tremble with anger. Who bargains so hard?
"The roots are very important, so why can't I feel them?"
Tsunade raised her head, a mocking expression on her face. "I haven't even seen what Root has done. Does Root still have any reason to exist?"
"The so-called 'roots' are those that have no name, no feelings, and no future, but only a mission in their hearts. What supports the great tree of Konoha Village is the 'roots' that are deeply rooted in the earth."
My roots silently absorb nutrients in the darkness to protect the leaves!
Danzo's face was full of fervor and selfless dedication, making him look like a saint.
"Uh-huh"
Tsunade listened to Danzo's words, idly shaking her head up, down, left, and right, looking completely unconcerned, but in her heart, she was really focused on the words "my root".
After Danzo had finished speaking, Tsunade suddenly threw out a sharp question, "If Root is so selfless, why didn't they appear when Konoha was in turmoil?"
"Root has its own code of conduct, and it will act when Konoha is in crisis..."
After hearing Tsunade's questioning, Danzo started rambling on again, starting with the history of the Root organization and its contributions. His words conveyed the same message: "Root, awesome, mine, send me money!"
"Didn't you send someone to say that the number of personnel at the root had been reduced to meet the standards? How can they receive the same amount of funding if there are fewer people!"
Tsunade looked Danzo up and down with a suspicious gaze, the hidden meaning of which was clearly, "Are you getting senile?"
Before the furious Danzo could recover, Tsunade continued her attack, "Speaking of which, where is the specific roster of Root? Why didn't I see it in the handover documents? Doesn't Root belong to Konoha's hierarchy?"
Upon hearing this, Danzo's old face stiffened, and he then said in an arrogant tone, "The Root is the foundation of Konoha. It must be kept secret to prevent the enemy from discovering its intelligence. Only in this way can we better protect Konoha!"
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
