Chapter 50 C50
Although Naruto and Neji left the village at the same time and returned at the same time, they were treated differently upon their return.
Naruto threw a tantrum at Tsunade in the Hokage's office, yelling, "Why is Neji allowed to lead the team on missions?!!"
Tsunade rubbed her throbbing temples. "Because Neji is a Chunin." Back then, Shikamaru and Neji had both successfully advanced in the Chunin Exams.
Sakura, standing nearby, couldn't resist adding insult to injury, "Right now, Naruto, you're the only genin left. Everyone else has passed the exam."
According to Konoha's regulations, Chunin are qualified to independently lead a squad to carry out missions, while Genin, except for some D-rank missions like walking dogs and playing with cats, need to be led by a higher-ranking ninja to carry out other missions.
"Aaaaaah, I don't care!!"
Tsunade's head was throbbing from the noise, so she sent a scroll flying and smashed a huge ice cream ball into his head. "Now I have a task for you and Sakura."
Naruto, who was lying on the ground, sprang up with a thud, raising his arms and legs high, shouting, "Yay!!"
Sakura, who was just watching the show but was inexplicably dragged into it, exclaimed, "Eh? Eh!"
The door to the Hokage's office opened and closed again.
Tsunade leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh. "You really know Naruto." Calling it a mission was more like a graduation test, sending Naruto and Sakura to challenge Kakashi. It served two purposes: to assess their progress and to give Naruto a temporary respite.
A person in an ANBU uniform suddenly appeared out of thin air in what was previously an empty space. "Ah, young people, full of energy, that's how it is." A corporate slave like her doesn't think having a mission is a good thing.
"Didn't I tell you that you don't need to wear a mask when there are no outsiders around?"
Kana didn't argue with Tsunade over such a trivial matter and obediently took off her mask.
Tsunade looked him over from left to right, and compared to the cold, lifeless mask, this was definitely more pleasing to the eye. "You're young too, be more energetic."
"Then I'll resign..."
"turn down!"
"oh."
Kana thought that during the year or so that she left the village to become Tomomi's personal bodyguard, Tsunade would naturally replace her with someone else, but she did not expect that she would rather withstand the pressure from the advisory group to leave the position vacant.
“Kana,” Tsunade sighed, hesitated for a moment, and finally reached out and gently patted her head, “People aren’t machines; they can’t be heartless.”
She gave a wry smile. "Aren't you overestimating me?"
“It was only a matter of time,” Kana had spoken frankly with Tsunade. “If it were me, I wouldn’t let a member of the Hyuga branch family become the head of the Anbu.”
So I am acting minister, not official minister.
Tsunade met those bright white eyes, which were like a calm, deep pool of water, undisturbed. She blinked, but did not look away. Her eyelashes trembled like a withered butterfly's tail, and a gentle curve appeared at the corner of her eyes.
—She actually knew.
—So she had known all along.
Tsunade felt a pang of shame as she recalled how she had lured her with this position. She had actually been tolerated by a child so much younger than herself.
Kana never talks about the Will of Fire, and always makes negative comments about wanting to quit her job, retire, or become a couch potato, but what she has done for Konoha has far exceeded what many others have done.
Perhaps this is the most important reason why the teacher insisted on keeping her in the shadows.
If Tsunade initially kept Kana in the Anbu simply because she found her useful, after spending so much time together, she genuinely felt regret and anger for the fate Kana bore.
"Wait for me a little longer," Tsunade said. "There's always a way." To let you, your brother, and your clan break free from the shackles of being caged birds and gain true freedom.
As if to increase credibility, she repeated, "There must be a way."
Tsunade meant what she said back then; even though she hadn't found a solution yet, her determination was genuine.
But what she didn't expect was that fate is sometimes so cruel that it doesn't even give you a chance to wait.
Half a day before the news of the attack on Sunagakure arrived, came the news of Neji's death.
The summoning beast spat out a scroll that was half-soaked in blood, with only a few extremely messy words on it, piecing together a plot by the rogue ninja organization to capture the tailed beasts of various villages.
Neji's three-person team discovered some clues during a mission and followed the leads to investigate further, eventually encountering members of Akatsuki.
None survived.
Even their remains were never found.
There seemed to be something groaning; it was the creaking sound of knuckles and teeth clenched too tightly.
Tsunade's fingernails dug deep into the soft flesh of her palm, bringing a sharp sting that forcefully pulled her reason back to where it was, and she closed her eyes tightly.
When she opened her eyes again, her emotions as Tsunade Senju were instantly concealed; she was also the Fifth Hokage of Konoha, prioritizing the greater good.
She turned to look at Genma, "Where's Kana?"
The shock and pain in Genma's eyes had not yet subsided. From his taut throat came a voice that was suppressed to the extreme, "According to the previous message, the mission to Kirigakure has been completed and they are on their way back."
He paused, and speaking seemed to become an extremely difficult task. "According to the journey, we should be arriving soon. Either tonight... or tomorrow."
"Send word to Kazumo and Kotetsu," Tsunade's voice was calm to the point of indifference. "Once Kana returns to the village, she must come to see me immediately, without delay. She is not allowed to see anyone else in between, nor is she allowed to reveal any information about Neji to her."
"Call the barrier team here and prepare the Purple Flame Array."
Genma's pupils dilated in surprise, instantly realizing what she was about to do. "Lady Tsunade..."
"What else can I do?" Tsunade roared, a wisp of emotion struggling to escape from its uncontrollable container. She immediately bit her lower lip, tasting the faint metallic taste of blood from the force. Only pain could tug at her conscience. "Can you imagine what she'll become?"
"I can't figure it out either." Tsunade smiled bitterly. She thought she understood Kana quite well, but at this moment, she couldn't imagine what Kana would do in the face of her brother's death.
“So at least,” she said, her fingers clasped tightly together, “give her some time to calm down.”
Tsunade knew very well that overwhelming hatred could tear a person to shreds in an instant, and she had lived like that for many years. "At least let her live first."
"Wait." Tsunade called out to Genma, who was about to turn and leave. "Suppress this news for now, and don't let it leak out—especially Naruto."
However, Tsunade soon no longer needed to worry about how to temporarily keep it from Naruto.
Adding flowers to brocade is just a nice story; when it rains, it pours—that's the norm in life.
When news arrived in the afternoon that the Fifth Kazekage had been kidnapped by the Akatsuki, Konoha, as an allied ninja village that had signed a cooperation agreement, had to send reinforcements immediately.
Unlike Neji, who was on a covert mission, Gaara's situation had escalated to the level of inter-village and inter-country affairs, making it highly unlikely that the news could be covered up.
Even though Naruto was also a target of the Akatsuki, Tsunade understood that he had no choice but to go.
Most people in Konoha were unaware of the source of this Akatsuki intelligence, but Kakashi was one of the few who knew about it.
Because he had to know.
"Kakashi, I'm entrusting Naruto to you."
Fate always likes to play tricks on people from above.
They give you something first, and once you feel that warmth, they suddenly turn on you and destroy everything.
It first gave the lonely Naruto a partner to chase after and regard each other as best friends, and then Sasuke parted ways with him because of his own destiny.
Then, as if to make up for it, he allowed Naruto to spend three years with Neji, almost like brothers, day and night. Now, with a playful and mocking gesture, he raised a finger and took back all the meager favor.
And Kana...
Years ago, he told her that she was someone else's only one, so she shouldn't be willful.
But Neji was also her only remaining family member.
Kana has too little, and wants too little.
Rather than feeling powerless, Kakashi didn't even know what else he could do.
"Kana, I'm counting on you."
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