Chapter 7: Tsunade's Drift Bottle
Deep into the night, the Hokage's office building remained brightly lit. The sound of Shimura Danzo's cane striking the floor shattered the silence.
He pushed open the office door without invitation. "Hiruzen, how can you allow the Nine-Tails jinchuriki to associate with the Hyuga clan?"
"That child's situation hardly warrants a late-night visit."
Sarutobi Hiruzen kept his pipe between his teeth without looking up. He knew his old friend too well—the Hyuga were just an excuse.
But this time he'd misjudged. Shimura Danzo had actually come specifically about this matter. "That brat's way of thinking is too dangerous. Besides... the Hyuga clan could become the next Uchiha. Konoha no longer needs shinobi who constantly trumpet clan honor."
"You're too extreme, Danzo." Sarutobi Hiruzen finally raised his head, eyes narrowing slightly.
Though both the Hyuga and Uchiha were dojutsu clans, they were fundamentally different.
"Against the Sharingan—flee if one-on-one, attempt if two-on-one." This saying represented the fearsome reputation countless Uchiha had carved out on the battlefield. History had even produced shinobi like Uchiha Madara, powerful to the point of despair.
But the Hyuga clan? In hundreds of years, only one "Hyuga Tenin" had emerged. The Byakugan's applications, combined with the Hyuga's main-branch family system, meant this clan would struggle to produce true powerhouses. They could never threaten Konoha's stability.
Though... that child, Hyuga Kiyonari, was quite interesting. Given time, he would surely become Naruto's friend.
"Hmph."
Shimura Danzo showed no weakness, pulling up a chair to sit before the desk, staring at Hiruzen's blurred outline through the smoke.
Shinobi were tools. Tools made qualified shinobi—just like his meticulously honed Root. He detested anything that gave jinchuriki "humanity." That would only rust and dull the ultimate weapon.
In the silence, Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly spoke. "If you only came to tell me this, then go back."
Shimura Danzo spoke slowly. "What do you make of the Cloud Village situation? Don't forget—last time they also came under the pretense of peace talks... and got our teacher killed."
His single visible eye beneath the bandages brimmed with shadow. Sometimes he wondered if the real Shimura Danzo had died back then in the Land of Lightning, and what lived on in Konoha now was merely an obsession.
But everyone knew the logic. When it came down to it, he still wanted to prove at any cost that he was better than Sarutobi.
"This time is different," Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a cloud of smoke. "They're the ones sending a delegation to Konoha. No need to worry."
"I don't believe those Lightning Country barbarians will behave. Plunder, deception, betrayal—it's carved into their bones."
"Prejudice clouds your judgment."
Shimura Danzo watched him puff away, silent for a long moment before suddenly saying, "Hiruzen, you've grown old."
"You call this prejudice, but aren't you doing the same? You just want the war to end quickly, so you're choosing to believe they come with good intentions."
"Everyone wishes war would end sooner. After all... we've both grown old."
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed and tapped ash from his pipe against the desk's edge. "Remove all the Root operatives you've placed around Naruto. Don't make me say it twice."
Shimura Danzo showed his displeasure. "Continuing to let the jinchuriki associate with that shortsighted Hyuga brat will waste his talent. Better to hand him over to me early. Only I can train him into a qualified shinobi."
"That's not for you to worry about. Just do your actual job."
"Hiruzen!" Shimura Danzo raised his cane and struck the floor heavily. "You'll regret this!"
"Danzo! I am the Hokage!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice suddenly rose. He slowly picked up the Hokage's hat from his desk and put it on. At the doorway, his silhouette paused briefly as he raised his hand to turn off the light.
"It's late, Danzo. You should rest as well."
With that, he walked out without looking back. Only after the entire Hokage building had plunged into darkness did a furious door slam finally echo through the halls.
...
Somewhere in the Land of Fire.
Tsunade entered reeking of alcohol, with Shizune following close behind. She shut the door, sealing out the winter night's cold.
The room's light was dim and yellow. Tsunade swayed unsteadily by the bedside, fingers hooking the ties of her outer robe and casually pulling them loose. The fabric slid down her shoulders, pooling softly at her feet before she impatiently kicked it aside.
The instant she collapsed into the bedding, cold assaulted her skin. She hissed reflexively and curled up.
But soon, the down comforter Shizune had bought at great expense began proving its worth. The cold gradually dispersed, replaced by warm comfort, her entire body wrapped in what felt like a soft cloud.
Tsunade sighed contentedly, burying her face in the plush pillow and nuzzling it, her hair splaying messily across the pillowcase.
Just as her eyes were about to close in drowsy contentment, her peripheral vision caught sight of a glass bottle on the nightstand. Inside lay two rolled-up pieces of paper, resting quietly.
"Shizune!"
Too lazy to get up, she simply raised her voice toward the door.
"Lady Tsunade!"
Shizune burst through the door almost instantly. Looking up, she saw her lady comfortably nestled in the down comforter and immediately pressed a hand to her forehead, nagging with helpless urgency.
"You should at least take a bath first!"
With their financial situation, being able to afford even one such comfortable warm comforter was fortunate. She and Lady Tsunade shared the same bed. Without bathing first, it would be like sleeping next to a warm bottle of sake.
Shizune walked to the bedside, habitually gathering up the clothes Tsunade had kicked to the floor. "Lady Tsunade, if you keep this up, I'll have to—"
But the only response was Tsunade burrowing deeper into the covers, her blonde hair spreading across the pillow like spilled gold.
"Shizune, is that glass bottle on the nightstand yours?"
"What glass bottle?" Shizune paused, looking up.
It wasn't Tsunade's, and it wasn't hers. That meant someone had infiltrated this place.
Her breathing unconsciously stilled. Though she'd spent over ten years wandering, she was still a qualified shinobi at her core. Just as she prepared to check for traps, a long snore suddenly broke the silence.
"Zzz..."
Tsunade rolled over, the blanket sliding to expose half her shoulder. She'd already fallen asleep.
"Honestly."
Shizune sighed, her tense body gradually relaxing.
If there were real danger, Lady Tsunade wouldn't have reacted this way—drunk or not.
She picked up the transparent glass bottle to examine it, then checked the room thoroughly. No traces of anyone having been there. Which only meant the intruder's infiltration skills were exceptionally high, all evidence completely erased.
As for this bottle... it must be for Lady Tsunade.
Things had come to this. Sleep first, deal with it tomorrow.