"Human experimentation?"
Tsunade murmured, a hint of sadness and helplessness flashing in her eyes.
Mokuton, huh…
The power that ended the Warring States period and ushered in the era of shinobi villages—who could truly resist such temptation?
Even her Second Granduncle, who had always held immense respect for her First Granduncle, had conducted experiments related to it.
And now, the current leadership of Konoha…
"The girl named Kohaku is still recovering, and as for Yamato, he's learning basic life skills under my assistant's guidance. I have no intention of informing the Konoha higher-ups about their existence."
(T/N: From now on the girl's name is Kohaku, the name used to be translated as Koharu, I left that but now I think she should have a different name from the elder.)
Yamanaka Shinno laid out his plan.
The reputation of Mokuton was too well-known. If word got out, who knew how many people would covet it?
Right now, neither Kohaku nor Yamato could even extract chakra, meaning they had no ability to protect themselves. The longer they could remain hidden, the better.
"Hmm… When will you let me see them?"
Tsunade pushed herself up from the floor, silent for a moment before finally speaking.
She still wanted to see those children.
After all, the suffering they endured was because of Konoha—because of Mokuton.
They should have been able to grow up safe and sound, nestled in the love and protection of their parents…
"Hold on. What's with that guilty look? Did you conduct the experiments? Did you give the orders? Your ancestors' graves have been dug up, and yet you're the one feeling guilty?"
Shinno gave her a dumbfounded look, utterly baffled by Tsunade's overwhelming sense of empathy.
He just couldn't figure it out.
Why did all the people in Konoha with a conscience love taking responsibility for everything?
And the ones without a conscience? They'd dodge blame like professionals, while chanting "for the village" and preaching about the Will of Fire every three sentences.
"Shut up!"
A large vein bulged on Tsunade's forehead.
If she wasn't at a disadvantage in a fight, she'd have definitely given him a piece of her mind.
...
Shinno rolled his eyes in exasperation, got up, and walked out of the room.
At the far end of the hallway, Kushina was leaning against the railing, watching the fireworks. He called out to her, then headed straight home.
"Tsunade, are you alright?"
Kushina approached and gently took Tsunade's arm as she stepped out of the lab.
Feeling the sweat-drenched fabric of Tsunade's clothes, she asked with some concern.
"Phew~ I'm fine. Just haven't been sleeping well lately. Do you want to sleep with me tonight?"
Tsunade's gaze flicked toward Shinno's retreating back.
A head-on confrontation wouldn't work right now—she wasn't strong enough.
But no worries. She still had another tactic.
Damn it!
Enjoy your lonely night!
"Hehe~ Sure! I haven't slept with you in a long time!"
Kushina agreed cheerfully.
Up ahead, Shinno nearly rolled his eyes all the way to the sky.
Was that really necessary?
Like, seriously?
"Is there food at home? I'm starving."
"Of course, I prepared a lot of ready-to-eat dishes. Just need to heat them up."
"Sake?"
"Yup! Your favorite sake—I stocked up."
"..."
A peaceful night passed.
The next morning, at precisely eight o'clock, Yamanaka Shinno woke up, feeling well-rested.
As usual, he headed to the Root base first, swapping places with his Shadow Clone that had been working through the night. Then, he made his way to the medical ward.
After two days of recovery, Kohaku's once-drained body had regained some vitality.
Her previously dull and weary eyes now gleamed with newfound clarity.
Yamato, who refused to leave her side, had grown noticeably closer to both Shinno and Yakushi Nono, reassured by Kohaku's improving condition.
In just two days, he had already started understanding some simple words and phrases.
After secretly reinforcing Kohaku's healing with a Water Release: Jellyfish Hydration Technique, Shinno left the Root base.
The process of shifting control over the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal was progressing steadily.
At this rate, in about half a month, the White Zetsu disguised as Danzo would finally be able to step down.
Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Shinno teleported back home.
After enjoying a hearty breakfast with Kushina and Tsunade, he was about to continue researching modifications to Kotoamatsukami when an unexpected knock came at the door.
Jiraiya.
Dressed in full battle gear, he looked far more serious and composed than usual.
Taking a seat in the living room, he remained silent for a long time.
Tsunade, barefoot and lazily leaning against the couch, yawned before knocking on the table with a frown.
"What, is this your first time going to war?"
"Tsunade, something feels off this time."
Jiraiya hesitated, then lifted his head, glancing between Tsunade and Shinno, who had been about to leave.
"What feels off?"
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, her expression turning serious.
"This morning, I checked the final deployment list at the Hokage's office. More than half of the forces are composed of shinobi from major clans, and they're all quite strong."
"Shinobi from clan backgrounds are generally stronger than those from civilian backgrounds. Since the purpose is to intimidate, it makes sense to send the most powerful forces."
"Yeah, but something about it just doesn't sit right with me."
Jiraiya chuckled wryly. Was he just overthinking it?
"...I'll keep an eye on things."
Tsunade didn't dismiss Jiraiya's unease. After a brief silence, she nodded.
"Hahaha~ Alright! When a man heads to war, he should do so boldly! That's how you show true manly spirit!"
Jiraiya burst into laughter, his tension easing slightly.
Having achieved his purpose, he waved at Shinno and Kushina before heading out.
Watching Jiraiya's retreating figure, Shinno couldn't help but marvel at how ridiculously accurate the man's intuition was.
That deployment list had been carefully deliberated by the Third Hokage and the Elder Council.
And yet, Jiraiya had seen the problem at a glance.
"What's going on?"
Tsunade, who had been deep in thought, turned toward Shinno, who was sipping his tea.
Jiraiya's gut feelings might have seemed irrational, but she had grown up with him and knew one thing—when it came to serious matters, he was rarely wrong.
And sometimes, a shinobi's instincts were more reliable than logic or evidence.
"I don't know."
"Sigh… Fine. I'll be honest. Whatever happened before—let's call it even."
"After that high-level meeting, another piece of intelligence came in—Kiri and Suna have reached an agreement…"
Shinno scratched his cheek and laid out the truth.
Kiri's involvement had forced Suna and Iwa to consider forming an alliance to jointly attack Konoha.
As a result, Konoha had to adjust its original strategy.
The supposed 'intimidation' force of a thousand shinobi would still be deployed as planned.
But instead of merely serving as a deterrent, they had been repurposed—as bait.
"Who proposed this?"
Tsunade slumped back against the couch.
Even if she knew, what could she do?
Shinno didn't hesitate.
With firm conviction, he uttered a single name:
"Danzo."
----------------
Pls Drop some Power Stones
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