NARUTO- CH-121. Last weilder

As expected, Tsunade and Shizune had returned.

Shiki glanced at the two pairs of shoes by the entrance and quietly removed his own.

Tsunade was lounging on the couch as usual, her slender white legs stretched out on the coffee table. Her feet swayed slightly, the red nail polish on her toes particularly striking.

"Took you long enough to come back." Tsunade teased, a playful look on her face, "Who were you visiting? Ino? Hinata?"

Shiki ignored her question, "What did the Hokage say?"

"What could he possibly say?" Tsunade replied nonchalantly.

"Fair enough," Shiki said with a nod.

"Wait a second."

Tsunade sat up, crossing her arms. "You still haven't answered my question."

"I brought some wine."

Shiki revealed a bottle of honey wine, and in the blink of an eye, Tsunade was standing in front of him.

She snatched the bottle, opened it, and took a long sip.

"Ah! That hits the spot."

Tsunade stretched, her relaxed movements exuding confidence.

Shiki caught a fleeting glimpse of her as she moved, and his eyelids twitched. "School starts tomorrow. Are you going?"

"School starts?" Tsunade paused, then blinked in realization.

"You didn't even remember, did you?" Shiki said with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course I remembered!" Tsunade replied, a hint of embarrassment crossing her face.

In truth, she had left Shiki mostly to his own devices, treating his development with a free-range approach.

"The teacher will go with you," She promised, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "I won't break my promise!"

Even if it was to settle her ten-million-tael debt, she had to follow through.

What Tsunade didn't know, however, was that Shizune had secretly won back most of that money and handed it to Shiki. In short, Tsunade had been working off a nonexistent debt.

Shiki stepped back to avoid her hand, fixing his hair as he asked, "Where's Shizune?"

"She's studying," Tsunade replied with a grin, settling back into the couch.

Shizune, once more relaxed, had recently thrown herself into rigorous study. Witnessing Shiki's exceptional talent firsthand had been humbling, and now she worked hard to preserve her dignity as his senior.

Shiki nodded. He, too, had training to do.

Tsunade, meanwhile, was drinking heavily. Her strength had reached a bottleneck, and there was no pressing urgency to push beyond it. Besides, in her opinion, drinking was far more enjoyable.

As night fell, Tsunade grew tipsy.

After dinner, she retreated to her room and collapsed onto her bed, her figure sinking into the mattress. She didn't bother adjusting her position, simply pulling the covers over herself and drifting off to sleep.

Hours later, Tsunade woke with a start.

A powerful, oppressive aura filled the air. It felt familiar—dark and malevolent.

Her brow furrowed.

"Lady Tsunade."

A soft voice called from outside the door.

"You felt it too?" Tsunade asked as she opened the door.

Shizune stood there, her expression tense. "Yes. What's going on?"

The aura had been suffocating, filling her with unease.

"I'm heading to the Hokage building," Tsunade decided after a brief pause. "You stay here and protect Shiki."

Although Tsunade preferred to stay out of Konoha's internal affairs, the aura had disturbed her deeply. She needed answers.

The streets of Konoha were calm and silent as Tsunade moved quickly through the village.

Ordinary villagers, unaware of the oppressive energy, slept peacefully. Yet even from a distance, Tsunade could sense the immense strength behind the aura.

It was overwhelmingly powerful.

Arriving at the Hokage building, she noticed the somber expressions on the faces of those present. Sarutobi was already there, along with two familiar figures: Koharu and Homura, the Hokage's senior advisors.

"What's going on?" Tsunade demanded, kicking the door open.

"Tsunade, still as reckless as ever," Koharu said, her squinting eyes narrowing further.

Next to her, Homura stood with his usual stoic demeanor. Both were veterans of Konoha's leadership, their authority second only to the Hokage himself.

"You two old relics are here too? Must be serious," Tsunade remarked bluntly.

"Tsunade!" Koharu snapped. "You should show more respect to your elders!"

"Enough bickering," Sarutobi interrupted, his voice firm. He exhaled smoke from his pipe before continuing. "We're waiting for Danzo."

"Danzo?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow, surprised. It was rare for all of Konoha's top officials to gather like this.

Her thoughts turned to the Uchiha clan. Though she didn't involve herself much in politics, she was aware of the growing tension between Konoha and the Uchiha, particularly after the Nine-Tails incident.

Moments later, Sarutobi broke the silence.

"Shisui recently returned from a mission," He began. "He told us he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan."

Tsunade's eyes widened. "Mangekyō?"

As one of Konoha's elites, she knew well the power and rarity of the Mangekyō Sharingan. Tobirama had conducted extensive research on it, leaving detailed records.

"The last known wielder was..." Koharu started gravely.

"Uchiha Madara," Homura finished, his tone heavy.

The room fell silent.

Even those who hadn't witnessed the Battle of the Valley of the End had heard the legendary accounts from Mito. While Hashirama ultimately emerged victorious, the sheer devastation caused by Madara and the Nine-Tails had been unforgettable.

"Why would Shisui share this with you?" Tsunade asked, breaking the tension.

"He wants to use the Mangekyō Sharingan to stop the Uchiha," Sarutobi explained.

"Stop them? More like threaten them!" Tsunade retorted.

Utatane suddenly spoke loudly, "This time, I agree with Danzo's idea."

"Me too," Another said, worry etched across his face. "The Mangekyō Sharingan is too powerful. We can't let Shisui act as he pleases."

"What are you all going on about?" Tsunade asked impatiently. "What's the issue here?"

"The Mangekyō Sharingan has a unique eye technique," Sarutobi said, exhaling smoke. "Shisui's technique is called Kotoamatsukami. It can invade a person's mind without them noticing and permanently alter their will."

Tsunade froze, her eyes widening. "There's an eye technique that powerful?"

"Shisui could use it to stop the Uchiha clan," Utatane said ominously. "But he could also use it to control us, the leadership of Konoha. That includes you, Sarutobi."

Sarutobi opened his mouth but offered no rebuttal.

"So, because of this possibility, you're planning to target Shisui?" Tsunade asked, realization dawning.

"You're wrong," Sarutobi explained. "We only intended to monitor him closely."

"You can fool yourself, but don't try to fool me, old man," Tsunade said, her tone laced with disappointment. "You know what Danzo is capable of."

"Tsunade!" Utatane snapped angrily. "Watch your tone!"

"And who are you to lecture me?" Tsunade asked, clenching her fists.

Utatane paled and instinctively stepped back.

__________

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