Chapter 454: The Best Candidate to Guard Danzō

With Tsunade growing increasingly assertive, it seemed only a matter of time before she would officially ascend as the Fourth Hokage.

Unless Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado had lost all reason, there was no way they would dare to stir up trouble like before.

Even though Tsunade was clearly displeased with them, she couldn't simply strip them of their authority overnight—at least not unless they got involved with Danzō.

If they continued their old ways and supported him, they would undoubtedly face the consequences.

Now that Danzō was beyond saving, not even the Third Hokage could protect him. Unless they had a death wish, Koharu and Homura would be wise to steer clear of him entirely.

In the Hokage's office, Tsunade instructed Minato, "Minato, go fetch Nawaki and bring him here."

"Understood," Minato replied, disappearing swiftly.

Once Minato left, only Tsunade and Takuya remained in the office. Takuya grinned, giving her a thumbs-up.

"You're really laying down the law."

"Knock it off," Tsunade said, rolling her eyes and placing her hands firmly on the desk.

"Do you think I enjoy this? It's only because you refuse to cooperate. The old man still wants to shield Danzō. I can't fathom why he's worth protecting so much."

"People have their bonds," Takuya said with a shrug.

"..."

Tsunade was momentarily stunned before letting out a laugh born of sheer frustration.

Bonds? Was he implying there was some unspeakable connection between the Third Hokage and Danzō?

"Quit spouting nonsense. Go keep an eye on Danzō. Nawaki will meet you later. He'll be responsible for guarding him for the foreseeable future."

Nawaki?

Takuya raised a hand, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"Shouldn't we assign someone else? Nawaki's a bit too straightforward; he's easy to fool."

"My brother is straightforward, not stupid!"

Tsunade's voice rose as she stood abruptly.

"He's spent so much time with you that you've practically turned him into one of your own. Do you honestly think Danzō could deceive him?

"Do you have some kind of prejudice against straightforward people?"

Straightforwardness, after all, had its perks. Such individuals might be naive or gullible at times, but once they'd formed an opinion, they were immovable.

Nawaki had long concluded that Danzō was no good. No matter what tricks Danzō tried or how eloquent he became, he couldn't sway Nawaki in the slightest.

In fact, Nawaki wouldn't even spare Danzō a glance.

This made him incredibly difficult to manipulate. Once someone's impression of you was ruined, they wouldn't waste a second on you.

The best way to deal with a manipulator? Deny them any chance to act.

It didn't matter what you said or how well you performed—to Nawaki, it would all be theatrics.

Such steadfastness could drive even the most skilled manipulator to madness.

Still, describing her brother as "straightforward" like that… Was she really his sister?

Later, Nawaki's face flushed red as he held the mission scroll, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Finally! That old bastard is going down! Sis, you're the best!"

He had long despised Danzō. The man deserved nothing less than death, though imprisonment was a decent consolation. Unfortunately, the Third Hokage had always been too soft.

But now? Danzō was finally heading to prison. It was immensely satisfying.

With his rank, Danzō would surely be confined to the high-security section of Konoha's prison, where inmates had no chance of stepping outside their cells.

It wasn't much better than solitary confinement. For someone without strong mental fortitude, it was a surefire way to break them.

Your sister truly is formidable.

Minato found himself clutching his chest, recalling Tsunade's decisive actions in the meeting.

The drama had been thrilling but a bit too intense. It was the kind of spectacle that could unsettle anyone.

How had he survived that meeting? The adrenaline alone had been exhausting.

"Come on, let's go find Takuya. I haven't seen him in ages. I wonder what special mission he's been on lately," Nawaki said, eager to move.

Placing a hand on Nawaki's shoulder, Minato activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, transporting them to Takuya's location.

"Takuya, I..."

Before Nawaki could finish, he noticed Pakura standing beside Takuya and froze.

He'd seen Pakura's profile photo before, but photos only showed headshots. Seeing her in person was another matter entirely.

Pakura's figure couldn't rival Tsunade's, but it was certainly unique in its own right. It explained why she wore an open-back combat outfit.

Sometimes, physical proportions could even affect one's mobility in combat—this was no joke.

"Snap out of it."

Minato felt secondhand embarrassment and pulled on Nawaki's sleeve, stepping aside.

Really? Look at Minato. Then look at you.

Staring at a woman? Can't you show some restraint?

Wait, Minato has a girlfriend?

Oh, then never mind.

"Ahem!"

Realizing his faux pas, Nawaki's face turned crimson. He waved his hands frantically.

"That's not what I meant. I just didn't expect Pakura to be here, so…"

"So you got distracted?" Takuya teased.

Nawaki was dumbfounded.

Pakura gave Takuya a sidelong glance before turning away, and Minato couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?!" Nawaki muttered, wishing he could disappear. Did Minato not realize how awkward this was?

Takuya put an arm around Nawaki's shoulder and spoke earnestly.

"Minato's allowed to laugh. He has a girlfriend, after all."

"A girlfriend?" Nawaki's eyes widened.

"How come I didn't know?"

Takuya chuckled.

"He probably didn't want you to. If not for Kushina, even I wouldn't have known. Minato's pretty sneaky. As soon as he got back to the village, he was off buying gifts for his sweetheart. Guess who ran into him? Kushina. Talk about coincidence."

No loyalty whatsoever!

Clearly, women mattered more than brothers. Nawaki felt betrayed.

That brat!

In his quarters, Danzō nearly crushed the brush in his hand.

Despite his efforts to remain calm, Takuya always found ways to irritate him, stirring his anger over and over.

Now he was being openly mocked. Takuya had brought his friends to laugh and joke outside his room, talking about trivial matters like girlfriends and romance.

What nonsense!

Danzō told himself he was above this. Everything he did was for Konoha. How could these brats possibly compare?

"How about we grab a meal together?" Nawaki suggested. Once he started guarding Danzō, he wouldn't have time for socializing. Who knew when they'd meet again?

After exchanging glances, Takuya and Minato agreed. They understood Nawaki's intentions and decided to oblige.