Born in Sunagakure, dedicated to antagonizing Konoha for decades

The situation in Konoha is quite urgent, as it involves the two remaining members of the Senju clan and the boss's best friend. If it's not handled properly, it could cause serious trouble.

If he could disregard whether Danzo was responsible or not, he would choose to let Danzo die. Given Danzo's dark past, he could easily have him killed ten or eight times over. Subconsciously, he also believed Tsunade's testimony. However, the fact that the boss had him intervene clearly indicated he wanted to protect Danzo. He didn't want to strain his relationship with his student, so he sent him to be the vanguard. Some things the boss said might make Tsunade think he was siding with his best friend, potentially causing discord between them. Given Tsunade's fiery temper, it was hard to predict what she might do. If the boss couldn't protect Danzo, the Hokage, a figure of great stature, wouldn't be able to protect even his best friend, and he would lose face.

But his comment, as an outsider, at least prevented their relationship from becoming too strained...

"Hey! Your boss is great in every way—handsome, strong, and rich—but his personality is just too straightforward. Hiruzen Sarutobi clearly wanted him to take the blame, but he still willingly offered himself up. Tell me, isn't it a miracle that someone like that has survived this long?"

Speechless, Shinto shook his head at the spot where Hatake Sakumo had disappeared, then turned around and put his arm around the shoulder of the Konoha ANBU member, complaining.

"This...Does Lord Golden Lion also believe that Danzo is the one who wants to take action against Nawaki?"

The ANBU member looked up at the sky speechlessly. He dared not comment on his boss in private, especially not with Golden Lion, with more than a dozen people watching. The workplace is like a battlefield; if he were reported, his boss would punish him, and the Hokage would punish him too. So he quickly changed the subject.

456. Who says the Golden Lion has no culture?

"Whether I agree or not is not important. Although I've known Danzo for many years, I haven't had much interaction with him. I only know about him from rumors. However... although there's only Tsunade's testimony, and Nawaki was there but didn't see anything, it's easy to figure it out. First of all, have you ever seen Tsunade and Danzo have any conflicts before, or Nawaki and Danzo have any conflicts? If so, this matter is very complicated. It's possible that both sides wanted to kill each other, and coincidentally, the location was in Orochimaru's laboratory. Then, Danzo was not as fast as Tsunade and was knocked down with one punch."

"However, the probability is almost zero. Why? Because compared to Danzo's strength, Tsunade's combat power is comparable. To be honest, your Second Hokage's judgment in choosing disciples was really poor. He took in six disciples, but only three were capable of fighting, so the success rate was about 50/50. However, one died and another was crippled, leaving only Hiruzen Sarutobi who was passable. At least he could still play a minor role in future battles and wasn't completely unwanted. The remaining three—Danzo, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane—were truly incompetent. Danzo might have been able to intimidate people with his X-shaped chin and dark face before, but against a tough woman like Tsunade, he would only suffer a more gruesome death. So, if Tsunade really wanted to kill Danzo, with her off-the-charts attack power, she could easily crush him with one punch. So, this guess can basically be ruled out!"

"Masato, in his guise as Yusaku Kudo, is the son of someone who's always an elementary school student in the world next door," he said, stroking his chin.

"Over the years, I've never seen any conflict between Lady Tsunade and Advisor Danzo, let alone Nawaki..."

The Konoha Anbu operatives exchanged glances, finding Golden Lion's analysis quite reasonable, but also somewhat surprised. Their first day in the Anbu involved reviewing files on prominent figures in the ninja world, and Golden Lion's file was the very first one they encountered. The first page blatantly declared him uneducated and uncultured. Now, hearing Golden Lion's analysis, several question marks popped into their minds: Who the hell said Golden Lion was uncultured...?

"Since there's no conflict, let's keep it simple. Tsunade may have a fiery temper, but she's not unreasonable. As for Danzo... although I'm not from Konoha, I've heard a lot about his dark past. Analyzing his personality and style, Danzo is certainly capable of doing something like this. Throughout history, which great person hasn't been unyielding and ruthless? Perhaps Danzo really intended to attack Nawaki... But this is just my side of the story. The truth depends on what your Hokage says. Anyway, those are matters for your Konoha leadership. What are you peripheral underlings meddling in? Even if there's a change in leadership, you'll still be drinking and dancing as usual. Tell me, what's so fun about your Daimyo's prefecture? I've been to most places in the ninja world, but I've never been to your Daimyo's prefecture..."

Shinto's eyes darted around, and an immature thought popped into his mind: Although Danzo's operation failed, he did gain something. Given Hiruzen Sarutobi's selfless love for Danzo, he could forgive Danzo even though he knew Danzo wanted to assassinate him. So what if he knew Danzo wanted to kill Nawaki? Besides, Nawaki wasn't dead yet!

Therefore, it's highly likely that Hiruzen Sarutobi will still protect his good friend Danzo. When Tsunade sees Hiruzen Sarutobi protecting Danzo like this, she will definitely be furious. Even if she doesn't kill Danzo, it's not impossible that she will leave Konoha with Nawaki and go far away. In the original work, Tsunade left home because of her younger brother's death and her disgust with the infighting among the village's higher-ups.

If that's the case... his plan failed, but the result seems to be good. His goal was to get Tsunade to leave Konoha, after all, a super healer staying in Konoha would be too much of a threat to the Sand Village puppeteers. The puppeteers rely on those colorful poisons, and Tsunade is adept at dealing with them. Even Chiyo's painstakingly researched ultimate half-step madness 3.0 was cured by Tsunade in less than two months. Although Tsunade didn't gain much stats after arriving at the Sand Village battlefield in the later stages of the war, after she researched the antidote, the Konoha underlings became significantly more powerful in gaining stats than before. It was around that time that Mada's left hand and Rasa's father were eliminated.

Although they failed to kill Nawaki and break Tsunade's defenses, getting Tsunade out of Konoha is a pretty good result. As for what to do next, that's a matter for later. The person who should have died in the original story didn't, and Danzo's actions have alerted the enemy again. Killing that kid won't be easy now. However, with Tsunade gone, even the best defensive player, Hiruzen Sarutobi, won't be able to effectively guard him, giving him more opportunities. Reaching the top is a massive undertaking; it requires taking it one step at a time...

.....

"Wow! This is Konoha? It's so magnificent, so grand, so..."

"Alright, alright, shut up! Don't act like a country bumpkin in the city. You're making me lose face. What are you looking at! You! I'm talking to you, you fatso! Keep looking and I'll gouge your eyes out and use them to make sake for Hiruzen Sarutobi! Never seen such a handsome ninja before?"

The group didn't go to the Daimyo's residence either. The main reason was that the Konoha Anbu members were rather afraid of death. They worried that news of their carefree lifestyle with Golden Lion Shiki in the Daimyo's residence, including Golden Lion paying for their meals, would reach their Hokage's ears and jeopardize their futures. After all, their Hokage was currently in a bad mood, and it wouldn't be appropriate for them to go and have fun at this time...

Before even entering the gates of Konoha, Kudo Yusaku was already shouting like a country bumpkin who had never been to the city before, drawing disdainful glances from passing merchants across the street. Shinto wanted nothing more than to slap him and send him back to Sunagakure. He then pointed at a fat man with the most contemptuous look and launched into a tirade.

"You...! Golden... Golden Lion..."

The pig-headed man, whose face was covered in spittle from Masato, had just retorted, but after seeing the true face of this slovenly ninja, he almost peed his pants in fright. He swallowed the rest of his words. The merchants who had just stolen some disdainful glances all looked up at the sky as if they had done anything.

Just kidding. As a businessman who travels all over the ninja world, I can be poor, but I can't be short-sighted. Otherwise, my whole family will be rich next time I go to the Land of Wind.

Who the hell doesn't know the legendary ninja, Golden Lion?

But what had happened to this golden lion? When did it fall into such a wretched state? They really didn't recognize it...

457. The Golden Lion actually has a disciple?

"Lord Hokage, Golden Lion has arrived at the village entrance."

Naruto Building

As soon as Shinto and his group arrived at the entrance of Konoha Village, an ANBU member came to report to Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"...This damn bastard has to come and cause trouble for me at this time...(▼he▼メ)"

With dark circles under his eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a few deep drags on his pipe, filling the Hokage's office with a hazy, smoky haze, and rubbed his temples, gritting his teeth.

He hadn't slept well for a single day during this period. It was one thing for his youngest son to be a handful, but after all, he was just a little kid. Could he really expect every son to be like his eldest son, Shinnosuke?

But Danzo, that son of a bitch, can't give him a break either. He believes Tsunade's words; they grew up together, so how could he not know what kind of person Danzo is?

However, in his opinion, his best friend had only gone astray temporarily. Deep down, he still loved the village. Wasn't his courageous journey back to the Water Country alone a manifestation of his love for the village?

So many years have passed, and there are not many of their old friends from the same era left. Moreover, Danzo is his best friend. Even if it's just because of the friendship he had with Danzo when they were kids, and Danzo took the blame for everything and got a beating from Danzo's mother after they were discovered, he still wants to protect him.

Otherwise, how will he explain it to Aunt Shimura after he leaves...?

However, Danzo's actions this time were far too reckless and put him in a difficult position. Nawaki was the only remaining member of the Senju clan, and Tsunade was his disciple. If things weren't handled properly, Konoha could fall into internal strife. If that happened, the other four villages would send another wave of four angry men to attack the police. Konoha, already embroiled in internal strife, wouldn't be able to withstand an attack from all four villages. If Konoha fell, he would have no way to explain himself to the First and Second Hokage after his death.

Besides, his best friend is now on the verge of death and is being kept alive by an oxygen tank. Even if Danzo is wrong in a thousand ways, he is still his best friend after all. How can he let another best friend leave?

He wasn't by Danzo's side when Kagami was killed, so there was nothing he could do. Now he's right next to Danzo, and he can't let Danzo leave him for nothing. But unfortunately, only Tsunade in the entire Hidden Leaf Village has the ability to save him. If he doesn't resolve this matter and make Tsunade feel at ease, it's just wishful thinking to expect Tsunade to save him.

Although Touma has been back for two days, there's still no witness testimony or physical evidence in this case, making it extremely difficult to provide Tsunade with a reasonable explanation. Touma has struggled to find a clue for several days, which is understandable, but seeing Danzo with his eyes closed, breathing from an oxygen tank every day is incredibly distressing. Orochimaru, while erudite, isn't a traditional medical expert, and it's uncertain how long Danzo can hold on...

So many things were already making him anxious, and now that bastard Golden Lion was adding to his troubles. Every time that bastard came to Konoha, nothing good ever came of it. What's more, the recent border crime gang was actually taught by that bastard. Just thinking about all this made him furious. It's true what they say, like teacher, like student.

"Hiruzen, should we get rid of this bastard?! What if he steals Tsunade away at such a sensitive time... (▼he▼メ)"

Mitokado Homura was also furious. Konoha was in dire straits, and that bastard Shiki had to come and make things worse. What could he possibly be doing here? Either flirting with girls or causing trouble. Right now, Tsunade was in a state of emotional turmoil. If this bastard managed to seduce her, Konoha would suffer a huge loss. Not only was Tsunade a princess bestowed by the previous daimyo, but she was also not only a double-flowered red stick but also the number one medical scientist in the ninja world!

If it really gets stolen, I can't imagine how much they'll lose.

Sometimes he really wanted to grab two knives, run to the hospital, and kill Danzo! We wouldn't care if you messed with the Uchiha, but you had to mess with the Senju too!

But thinking about it, we've been teammates for decades, and I just can't bear to do it!

"Who should go and chase them away? You or me?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at his friend indifferently.

No problem driving the golden lion away, but when a fight breaks out in the village, who will bear the losses? Yours or mine?

However, considering that his friend was born into a poor family with no connections, and hadn't made much money despite being the logistics minister for decades, he didn't say anything to save face for his friend...

"this...."

Mitokado Homura almost choked to death. He knew what his friends meant just by looking at them. This was Konoha's territory, and everyone knew how outrageous the fights were when that bastard Shiki got into. If this happened in their village, he couldn't afford to pay for it even if he sold his ass!

He had indeed served as the logistics minister for decades, but without family connections, he couldn't really skim off the top. Besides, he wasn't the only logistics minister; there was also Xiaochun, who rotated dorms. However, Xiaochun was part of the "rotating dorm" group and lived a relatively comfortable life, so she didn't abuse her power. He didn't dare to overdo it either...

"Let them in. Have two classes keep an eye on them. As long as they don't cause trouble, let them do as they please..."

Seeing his friend's expression, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed and said to his ANBU underlings, "It's not wartime now. As the dominant force in the ninja world, Konoha can't refuse to let them come and strengthen friendly relations between the two villages. Besides, they have no evidence to prove that those things at the border were done by that bastard's three disciples."

He also wanted to see the true quality of Shiki's three disciples. Although Minato claimed he could kill those three brats in one hit, Minato's standards were rather inaccurate. Once you've mastered the Flying Thunder God Technique, as long as your chakra reserves are sufficient, you can easily defeat anyone you face if they're unaware of your abilities...

Sunagawa has a disciple named Rasa, a Magnet Release ninja who controls metal, and Sasori, the beloved grandson of Granny Chiyo and a super genius puppeteer. He originally thought that the next generation of Sunagawa Village only had these two geniuses who could be considered top-notch, but he didn't expect that three disciples of Shiki would emerge. It really surprised him that Shiki actually had disciples.

From the Golden Lion's perspective, these three brats must have something special about them, otherwise he wouldn't have taken them as disciples. In order to know himself and his enemy, it would be better to understand them a little. Hmm... judging them by the standards of his eldest son should be more objective.

But... Golden Lion as a teacher?

He found the whole thing a bit absurd. Was Chiyo drunk or suffering from dementia? She actually let Golden Lion mentor the students? Wasn't she afraid that bastard would harm the next generation of Sunagakure? -_-||

Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't help but think that having Shiki as the team leader was a bit absurd...

458. I never expected the Golden Lion to have this side to it.

"Damn it! Where's Danzo? Where is Danzo? That bastard's got guts! He even dares to mess with my brother-in-law, he's got a death wish! Today I'll chop him to pieces, or I'll change my name!"

"Holy crap! The teacher's expression changed so fast! Σ(⊙▽⊙a)"

"....(⊙_⊙)"

Upon entering Konoha, Shinto's expression immediately changed, and an astonishing killing intent erupted from his entire body. He drew his Uchiha Greatsword, slung it over his shoulder, and headed towards the Senju clan. Hmm... first, he'd check on his brother-in-law to see if he was alright, express his gratitude, and then settle scores with Danzo...

The three people behind them, including Mei Chuan Neiyi, were stunned by their teacher's change. Just a moment ago he was laughing and joking, but the next second he was filled with murderous intent, as if he had an irreconcilable hatred for Danzo.

"By the way, Senior Meichuan, what did the teacher mean by 'brother-in-law'? I remember the teacher isn't married yet, right???"

Shocked by the teacher's change, Yekura also grasped the key point: Just now, it seemed that Danzo had targeted his brother-in-law. Wasn't Danzo targeting the Senju clan's crown prince? When did he become his brother-in-law? Wasn't the teacher unmarried?

"Ahem, ahem... This is a rather complicated matter. Lord Jie is Master's younger brother, and Lord Jie's child, Sasori, is almost seven years old. Master is still unmarried, supposedly because of Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin of Konoha. Tsunade is not only a disciple of the Hokage but also the granddaughter of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju—the older sister of Nawaki. It's said that Master came to Konoha and confessed his love to Tsunade in front of many people... I heard from my father that it caused a sensation throughout the entire ninja world. Sigh! Master is the strongest ninja in Sunagakure, and Tsunade is the princess of the Senju clan. It's just too difficult..."

"Oh dear! The teacher is so pitiful..."

"I never expected that Shiki would be such a romantic, having liked Lady Tsunade for so many years!"

"yes.....!"

Mei Chuan Neiyi started gossiping quietly to her two friends from behind. However, everyone has a gossipy heart, and even the group of Konoha Anbu underlings were no exception. They all pricked up their ears and listened carefully. After hearing the whole story, everyone was filled with emotion. Who would have thought that the seemingly crazy and incoherent Golden Lion would have such a devoted side?

They immediately looked with sympathy at the figure ahead, carrying the Uchiha Greatsword and exuding a murderous aura that caused passersby to move aside. Although he wasn't one of their own, the Golden Lion's figure seemed to grow taller in their eyes...

"Holy crap! Isn't that Shiki the Golden Lion? What's he doing in Konoha again?"

"I don't know. Look at his murderous look, is he coming to Konoha to kill someone?"

"That can't be right, can it? This is Konoha, and judging from the direction he's heading, it seems he's going to the Senju clan..."

"Yes, didn't you see the ninja-sama following behind...?"

The villagers, who had been driven back by the murderous aura along the way, weren't particularly surprised to see the Golden Lion's retreating figure. Instead, they started arguing amongst themselves. As the world's largest village, Konoha was a place where the villagers had seen all sorts of important figures, and they were used to it. In particular, the Golden Lion had visited Konoha the most times. However, the Golden Lion's murderous look, as if he was about to kill someone, left them completely bewildered. Where was this? This was Konoha!

The largest village in the ninja world is no joke. Even Konoha ninjas can go to jail for killing someone in the village, let alone outsiders.

Even with Golden Lion in this state, the ninja behind him is still chatting, so nothing should happen. Moreover, Golden Lion is heading towards the Senju clan. Could it be that Golden Lion wants to go and kill people from the Senju clan?

.....

"Lord Sakumo, Lord Golden Lion is...."

On the rooftop of a house not far away, Minato Namikaze, who had been assigned by his superiors to lead the White Fang task force to assist White Fang in solving the case—actually just to gain experience and prestige—looked bewildered at Sakumo Hatake beside him. Wasn't Shiki's reaction a bit too exaggerated? He clearly remembered that when he first heard the news, Shiki hadn't reacted this way; he was even joking around. How come he changed his tune the moment he entered their village, acting as if his own father had been attacked?

"...That guy is just acting. You should know a lot about that..."

Hatake Sakumo glanced at Namikaze Minato with surprise. He remembered that this little genius from their village was not only talented in ninjutsu, but also unparalleled in flirting with girls. Kushina was brought back to Konoha by him in less than half a year, and he had already won her over. This kid's flirting skills could be written into a textbook. Even he could see through that bastard Shiki's tricks, so there was no reason why this kid wouldn't understand. But judging from his expression, he really didn't seem to understand.

But if he couldn't even understand such a low-level trick as Shiki's, how did he manage to win over Kushina? Kushina is, in some ways, even more temperamental than Tsunade, being a pure-blooded Uzumaki clan member, far purer than Tsunade who has a quarter Uzumaki bloodline. Yet, this temperamental girl becomes like a lamb when she's with this guy. As for looks, don't let Shiki's current slovenly appearance fool you; he was a top heartthrob back in the day, incomparable to him. But he's still on par with Minato. Both are talented and handsome, yet Tsunade just doesn't fall for Shiki's charms. Minato, on the other hand, won her over in less than six months, while Shiki, whom he always thought was a master of seduction, has been fighting for decades. This suggests that this kid is far more skilled at seduction than Shiki.

"Lord Sakumo, I really don't know Golden Lion Shiki well. Although my father's hair isn't this yellow, I'm certain that he's my biological father...o(╯□╰)o"

With a bewildered expression, Minato Namikaze reiterated that ever since Lord Sakumo got married, rumors had been circulating in the village about whether he and Shiki were father and son. However, these were just idle gossips, and he didn't care. After all, he and Shiki did look somewhat alike. But his father and mother had both died when he was young, so there was no way he could prove it.

He thought that Lord Sakumo had also believed the rumors circulating in the village.

"...That's not what I meant. You'll understand in a moment..."

Sakumo Hatake stared speechlessly at the sky. He realized he and this kid were completely on different wavelengths. He was talking about flirting with girls, but the kid had somehow managed to dredge up the mystery of his own past...