Chapter 40: Danzo Faints

Tsunade raised her right fist high, chakra surging continuously into it. A distinct blue chakra gauntlet formed around her hand.

"Yaaaah!"

Boom!

Their fists collided. The clay muscle on the Ant Hercules's arm exploded instantly, followed by half of his body, which was blasted into smithereens.

But that was far from the end. The ground beneath the Ant Hercules began to crumble, the destruction spreading backward at a forty-five-degree angle. Massive chunks of rock were hurled into the air by the sheer force of the impact. Moments later, the earth quaked as if a full-scale earthquake had struck.

This is ridiculous!

Deidara hastily dodged the falling debris. By his estimate, Tsunade's punch had unleashed damage comparable to a Tailed Beast Bomb. In fact, due to her ability to concentrate her power so precisely, her destructive force might even surpass a Tailed Beast Bomb in certain situations.

At the very least, no Tailed Beast Bomb could ever break through Madara's Susanoo—though admittedly, it was only the first stage of the Susanoo.

As Deidara began chewing again, clearly preparing his next move, Tsunade waved her hand hurriedly.

"Alright, alright, I surrender!"

Despite how impressive her earlier punch had been, it was obvious that Deidara hadn't even shown his full strength. Tsunade had no interest in continuing to be someone's plaything in this kind of fight.

Deidara paused, his chewing momentarily halted.

"Well, if that's the case, all the better. Besides, Orochimaru's an old acquaintance of yours, isn't he? Helping out an old friend isn't something you need to resist so much."

Tsunade let out a short, ambiguous laugh.

"Hmph!"

Orochimaru had always been a strange one. Compared to that pervert Jiraiya, Tsunade could never understand what was going on in Orochimaru's mind. She wasn't even sure how Orochimaru viewed her deep down.

"Oh, seems I'm late."

The voice of Kisame Hoshigaki broke the tension as he arrived leisurely. Although he had rushed to the scene as soon as he sensed the commotion outside the village, the fight between Tsunade and Deidara hadn't lasted long. By the time Kisame arrived, the matter was already settled.

Tsunade eyed Kisame warily.

The sheer amount of chakra this guy has… another dangerous one.

Where are all these monsters coming from?

Clearly, Tsunade's years of gambling losses and dodging debts had led her to neglect other aspects of life. She was woefully out of touch with the latest developments in the ninja world.

"Let's go. Orochimaru's in Otogakure right now. If you ride my clay birds, it'll take just over a day to reach him," Deidara said, spitting out four clay birds.

Tsunade glanced at the birds with some disdain.

"These things don't still have your spit on them, do they?"

Deidara snapped back, irritated.

"Are you really this disgusted by me, sis?"

Tsunade: "...!"

Great. My reputation is ruined.

Meanwhile, in Konohagakure, Danzo had been unusually restless over the past few days. And for good reason—he was on the verge of accomplishing something Hiruzen Sarutobi had failed to achieve his entire life. The very thought left him too excited to sleep.

How should he announce this monumental achievement?

Would they call him the greatest Hokage in history?

Should he act modest about it? Or just accept the title outright?

Being Hokage, it seemed, came with its share of headaches.

As Danzo mulled over these thoughts, a Root member appeared in his office without warning. Unlike ordinary people, Root operatives didn't need to knock; they were emotionless tools, after all.

"Hokage-sama, a report from the front lines," the operative said, handing over a document freshly decoded by the Intelligence Division.

"Oh? Hand it over quickly."

The pinnacle of honor was within his grasp. Even Danzo's seasoned and cunning mind couldn't suppress a flicker of excitement.

Grabbing the report, his lone eye scanned the document rapidly.

As he read, his mind raced through several scenarios.

The best-case scenario? Sunagakure completely wiped out.

Second best? Sunagakure captured, though not obliterated.

At worst? A decisive victory for Konoha, even if it meant Kakashi, Shikaku Nara, and their ilk took some of the credit.

But no matter. Once they returned to Konoha, he had ways to deal with them.

Wait—what?!

Impossible!

Danzo staggered and collapsed into his chair, his expression blank. He was clearly in shock.

"Hokage-sama! Hokage-sama!" the Root ninja called urgently, but Danzo seemed deaf to the sound.

After a few seconds of daze, he picked up the report again and reread it. This time, he couldn't hold it in. Blood sprayed from his mouth.

How?!

How is Rasa still alive?!

Wasn't he dead?

Could it be that the front-line forces had been overtaken by Kakashi and Shikaku, who then sent false reports? Or had they recklessly charged into an ambush, using Sunagakure as a scapegoat?

Countless thoughts churned in Danzo's mind. His vision darkened, and moments later, he fainted.

With Danzo unconscious, the atmosphere in Konoha grew grim.

News of the defeat spread like wildfire. Reports claimed that six-tenths of the strike force sent to ambush Sunagakure had been wiped out. At first, no one believed it.

Sixty percent?! Impossible!

That was three thousand elite ninjas, all specially selected—at least Chūnin-level. How could they have fallen so easily?

But as the reports kept coming, people had no choice but to accept the truth.

Konoha had suffered an unprecedented defeat, and the village was gripped by panic.

"Hokage-sama! Hokage-sama!"

Danzo, now relocated to the Root base and lying on a makeshift bed, finally stirred. Around him, medical-nin worked tirelessly, and at last, he regained consciousness.

"Hokage-sama, what do we do now? Opposition voices in the village are growing louder," said Ryoma Aburame, one of Danzo's trusted aides. His tone was tactful, but the meaning was clear—many wanted Danzo replaced. Conveniently, Jiraiya was in the village, a ready candidate.

Danzo sat up slowly, his mind clearer after the fainting spell.

I did nothing wrong. The intelligence confirmed Rasa's death! My strategy was based on that information. If we failed, it's not my fault!

All he needed was another chance to turn things around.

But first, he had to deal with the village. Consolidating power was the only way to recover and strike back.

"Ryoma, you are to do three things immediately."

"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Ryoma knelt, awaiting orders.

"First, apprehend the Root and ANBU members who delivered the initial report. Interrogate them thoroughly. If they brought back false information, they must be spies from another village. Understand?"

"Yes!"

"Second, issue a public notice: all fallen ninjas will receive triple the usual compensation to comfort their families."

"But Hokage-sama, with so many casualties, triple compensation might exceed the village's budget."

"If the village offers triple compensation, it shows our sincerity. People should be grateful. If anyone insists on exploiting this opportunity to make trouble, they're clearly not loyal to Konoha—probably spies as well!"

"Understood!"

"Third, investigate the cause of this defeat. See if Kakashi, Shikaku Nara, and their team disobeyed orders or acted recklessly. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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