Naruto: The Avenger of the Uzumaki clan

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"Thank you, Hokage-sama."

Shikamaru bowed deeply, his head nearly parallel to the ground, showing his respect to Tsunade.

"It's nothing. This was my responsibility, too. It's getting late; you should rest. Choji and the others need time to recover as well. Come back in a few days."

Tsunade's expression softened with a faint smile before her face returned to its usual seriousness. She gave Shikamaru a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

Shikamaru bowed again and gave a final glance toward the emergency room doors behind him. With the news that his comrades were out of danger, he felt a lightness in his step as he turned and left.

Once Shikamaru was gone, Tsunade made her way to a courtyard where Shikaku, Choza, and Kakashi—who had recently undergone treatment from Shizune—were waiting.

"So, the report is accurate?" Tsunade's tone was heavy as she glanced between Kakashi and Choza.

Previously, they had agreed to let Naruto lead the mission to bring back Sasuke and Menma. Part of it was due to their faith in Naruto, and the hope that Menma and Sasuke, though troubled, could still be convinced to abandon Orochimaru's influence. Menma was, after all, the son of Minato and Kushina.

Tsunade had truly believed they could bring him back.

It would not only resolve the issue of the Nine-Tails, but it would also prevent having to make hard decisions later. But now, she realized she might have gravely misjudged things.

Had Menma truly fallen this far? Was he really capable of turning against his own brother?

"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Kakashi confirmed, exhaling heavily, his voice somber.

Even now, Kakashi found it hard to accept Menma's ruthless behavior. Fighting with deadly intent was one thing, but to target Naruto so mercilessly—it was as though Menma had turned his back on everything he'd known.

"I see. Shikaku, inform Jiraiya at once. Time is running out. Reduce the presence of ANBU, especially Root. Keep a close watch on them; I won't tolerate any more slip-ups. We need to be prepared for next time, understood?"

Ultimately, Tsunade knew this choice fell to Jiraiya. He was the only one she trusted to make the hard calls. She held out hope that Menma could be saved, or that at least they could minimize the damage.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I'll take care of it," Shikaku answered with a firm nod.

"Thank you. I'll handle the elders." Then, her gaze shifted to Kakashi, her concern clear. "And how is Naruto holding up?"

Kakashi's expression darkened slightly as he thought of Naruto's state. "It's been hard for him. This... hit him deeper than anything before. Menma is his brother, after all."

Tsunade frowned, her voice softening. "Give him time. Some battles... he'll have to face on his own, whatever the future holds."

Having lost her loved ones, Tsunade understood the pain Naruto was going through. Words could only do so much, but she believed in Naruto's resilience. He wasn't one to stay down for long.

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"And you, Kakashi," she added, looking at the bandage covering his left eye. "Rest is in order for you, too. No missions for now. I'll handle the eye transplant in a few days, then you should take some time to recover."

Kakashi nodded, bowing slightly in gratitude. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama."

After that, Kakashi, Shikaku, and Choza took their leave. Tsunade remained silent, her mind burdened as she made her way back to the Hokage's office.

"Troublesome times..." she muttered to herself.

The recent conflict had barely ended. They were just opening peace talks with Sunagakure, and now Sasuke had defected, and Menma's actions had turned even darker. And then there was Danzo and the elders, constantly obstructing her efforts.

Being the Fifth Hokage was far harder than Tsunade had anticipated. Sometimes, she considered taking drastic steps to address the village's problems, but each time, she reined herself in.

Konoha's issues ran deep; solving them required more than sheer force.

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Meanwhile, deep within Root's underground base...

"What did you say!? The entire Bingō squad was wiped out?" Danzo's tone was ice-cold as he glared at the Root operative before him.

"Yes, Lord Danzo. Hatake Kakashi and Akimichi Choza retrieved the bodies. According to their report, they were all killed by the traitor, Uzumaki Menma."

The operative remained calm, even as Danzo's anger intensified.

"Uzumaki Menma? Are you certain?" Danzo's face twisted in disbelief.

The Bingō squad was one of Root's elite units, led by a jōnin and composed of the best chūnin. Even if Menma was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, he was only twelve.

How could a child—even a jinchūriki—wipe out such a team?

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Menma's Performance in the Chūnin Exams

Danzo wasn't oblivious. He knew exactly what was unfolding.

But to him, that was Menma's limit. Defeating Shiranui Genma? It was nothing special. Genma was just a special jōnin, hardly on par with the elite forces Danzo had mobilized.

Danzo could not accept such an outcome.

For a man as proud as Danzo, it was unthinkable that his subordinates could fail to capture Menma, Sasuke, or anyone else they pursued. Failure was never an option.

"The information is accurate, Danzo-sama."

The Root operative's voice was calm, emotionless as always—precise and without unnecessary words.

This second confirmation only hardened Danzo's expression. Few things frustrated him more than events slipping out of his control.

It threatened his authority.

The only opposition he tolerated was from Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Yet even then, Danzo's dissatisfaction festered. He believed Tobirama-sensei's favoritism had given Hiruzen the Hokage seat. Had things been different, Danzo was certain he would have been chosen instead. His entire career was a testament to proving Tobirama wrong.

This was why failure was intolerable to him.

"Very well. Uzumaki Menma and Uchiha Sasuke… Pass on my orders. I want all Root forces focused on locating them. And send a message to Orochimaru—my patience is wearing thin. He'd best avoid further mistakes."

Danzo's gaze was as cold as his words, laced with unmistakable malice.

"Yes, Lord Danzo."

Root operatives never questioned orders, regardless of how ruthless. They obeyed without hesitation, even if the command were to assassinate Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Hokage who had led Konoha for decades. Such was Danzo's control over Root.

Just as the operative was about to leave to relay the orders, a new figure entered the dark chamber with a soft whoosh.

"Lord Danzo, I bring an order from Hokage-sama. Additionally, four ANBU teams have been stationed outside."

The newcomer knelt before Danzo, presenting a scroll. His tone was respectful, though there was a hint of urgency.

"…What?"

Danzo's expression shifted as he unrolled the scroll. The contents were clear, and the atmosphere grew colder.

"Foolishness!"

Danzo's palm slammed into the stone table, shattering it, the scroll crumpling in his fist.

Tsunade's order—and the ANBU presence—was a blatant warning. To him. Danzo, who had served Konoha for decades, who had made countless sacrifices for the village.

It enraged him.

But under Konoha's structure, the Hokage was the highest authority. Even though the elders and Danzo himself could challenge her influence in some ways, Tsunade was still Hokage. If she chose, she could overturn everything.

Tsunade had only recently assumed office, and Danzo hadn't seen her in over a decade. He didn't truly know what kind of leader she would be.

In this situation, he couldn't afford to test her recklessly. Who knew what she was capable of? If Tsunade moved to strip him of his power, he might end up losing everything.

Taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down.

"Cease all operations for now."

Danzo had no choice but to comply with Tsunade's directive, though the anger seethed within him.

"Yes, Lord Danzo."

The two Root operatives acknowledged and disappeared, vanishing with swift, silent movements.

Whoosh.

Whoosh.

Tsunade… you'd best not give me an opening…

Danzo rose slowly, a dark, murderous gleam in his one visible eye. Conflicts among Konoha's upper ranks were inevitable. Just as he had clashed with Sarutobi Hiruzen in the past, this was no different.

But whereas Hiruzen had the authority to keep him in check, Tsunade, in Danzo's eyes, was merely a junior Hokage. She lacked the experience to truly command him. The clash between them had only just begun.

And the situation would only worsen with time.

This was exactly as Menma had foreseen.

A divided Konoha, torn by internal strife, would benefit him greatly.

The more the village's leaders were at odds, the less pressure Menma would face.

Though Root wasn't Konoha's strongest force, it still comprised hundreds of elite shinobi, including more than a dozen jōnin. Their absence would ease Menma's plans considerably.

At the moment, however, Menma was unaware of the upheaval in the Hidden Leaf.

After returning from the Valley of the End, he had thrown himself back into his research.

His experiments had reached a critical phase. This time, Menma planned to extract his own cells and attempt to fuse them with the body of an ordinary person. The results would determine his next steps.

Yet something unexpected happened during the process.

Bang!

As with the cells of the First Hokage, the power within Menma's cells was too potent for a normal person to withstand. The cells were overwhelmed almost instantly.

Although Menma's Uzumaki lineage wasn't as potent as Hashirama Senju's, it still surpassed what an ordinary human body could endure.

Worse, Menma hadn't controlled the cellular fusion rate precisely enough.

In his first experiment, he watched as his cells completely overpowered and absorbed the subject's cells, with no sign of stabilization.

The organs exploded.

Blood and plasma spattered across Menma's face and body.

He calmly reached for a towel, wiping himself clean.

"The reaction's even stronger than I thought…"

Menma looked at the remains of the failed experiment and sighed, shaking his head in mild frustration.

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