Kakashi and Yamato left together.
Not long after, someone knocked on the door again.
The travel-worn Sarutobi Asuma pushed the door open and came in. When he saw Aoba, the child, he paused for a moment but didn't ask much.
He bowed to Tsunade.
"Tsunade… Hokage-sama!"
"You didn't take a rest first after returning?"
Sarutobi Asuma shook his head, "I heard Hokage-sama was looking for me for something important, so I came directly."
Tsunade didn't bother with formalities and got straight to the point, "Please summon Enma. He has some intel we need."
"Yes," Sarutobi Asuma didn't hesitate and walked to the spacious area in the center of the office.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A puff of smoke rose, and Enma's figure appeared before the group.
"Enma, I want to know about the old man's battle that day."
Tsunade looked serious as she took out pen and paper from the desk and placed it in front of Aoba, gesturing for him to record.
Enma nodded and told everything truthfully.
"That day…"
"..."
Tsunade listened attentively, but as she listened, her mood became complicated.
'Has Wood Release become so common now?'
'One after another, they keep popping up.'
Even the Uchiha had it, yet she, the legitimate descendant of the Senju clan, the granddaughter of the First Hokage, hadn't shown any signs of awakening it at all.
'This makes no sense!'
After recording all the information about Uchiha Obito and Black Zetsu, Enma disappeared.
Tsunade composed herself and looked at Sarutobi Asuma, who was still in a daze.
"Asuma, do you want to become a Hokage guard?"
This was also her way of taking care of the old man's affairs.
Sarutobi Asuma was startled when he heard this.
Then he quickly came to his senses and shook his head, "The Guardian Ninja mission hasn't been completed. After the funeral, I'll be leaving Konoha."
Although he initially joined the Guardian Ninja out of spite toward the old man, and though the old man was now gone, he still had to see it through to the end.
"Alright, I won't force you."
Tsunade nodded, "If you run into any trouble, you can always come to me."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
Sarutobi Asuma expressed his gratitude, then said, "If there's nothing else, I'll head home and check on Konohamaru."
"Mm," Tsunade gave a slight nod.
After Sarutobi Asuma left—
She picked up the intel recorded by Aoba and started reading it.
"Although he lost both hands and can't use ninjutsu, this eye technique is still pretty troublesome."
"Make a copy of this intel for every ninja clan in the village. ANBU members and those on external missions must each have a copy too."
"Got it," Aoba nodded.
Now, besides his identity, Uchiha Obito had already been completely exposed.
Tsunade set down the paper, "Have you given any thought to the secretary and Hokage guard positions?"
Aoba picked up another sheet and handed it over, "This is what I came up with, but it depends on what you think, teacher."
Tsunade took it, "Shikaku, Shizune, Mikoto?"
After a brief moment of thought, she nodded, "That'll work."
She then looked at the Hokage guard list, "Kakashi, Uzuki Yugao, Kurenai Yuhi…"
Tsunade squinted at Aoba, "You little brat, are you abusing your authority for personal gain?"
"No way!", Aoba answered seriously, "Kakashi goes without saying. Sister Yugao's strength is already at Jonin level. Kurenai's genjutsu is also at Jonin level, so I think they're very suitable."
Aoba felt that this group was already stronger than the Hokage guards Tsunade originally had.
Those like Genma Shiranui, Iwashi Tatami, Raido Namiashi… from being the guards of Minato to the guards of Tsunade, so many people, and the strongest was only Special Jonin. Iwashi Tatami was even just a Chunin.
Can they really be Hokage guards? No, they don't have the qualifications, got it?
It's more like the Hokage is protecting them.
"Is that so?", Tsunade stroked her chin.
"Then teacher, do you want to make Uncle Guy your Hokage guard?", Aoba asked in return.
"Uh…", Tsunade immediately imagined Might Guy's overly passionate appearance in her mind, and her mouth twitched.
"Forget it. Let's go with your list. Add Yamato to it. Four people should be enough."
Just as the two were discussing the list, there was another knocking sound.
But it wasn't someone knocking on the door, it was someone knocking on the window.
Tsunade and Aoba looked toward the side window together.
A middle-aged man with spiky white hair and a forehead protector with the "oil" symbol appeared at the window.
"Jiraiya?", Tsunade was slightly surprised, "What are you doing outside the window?"
Jiraiya grinned and jumped in, "It's more convenient this way."
He looked at Tsunade for a moment and suddenly seemed a bit sentimental, "I didn't expect you to become Hokage."
He still remembered when Tsunade left Konoha and said, ("Only fools want to be Hokage.")
That boomerang had come right back at her.
"Then how about you be Hokage?", Tsunade glanced at Jiraiya.
"Haha, a gallant man doesn't stay in one place for too long."
Jiraiya laughed carefreely, "But, I do have some important intel…"
Jiraiya suddenly stopped mid-sentence, noticing Aoba beside them, his expression puzzled.
Tsunade noticed Jiraiya's gaze and said, "This is my disciple in Konoha, Aoba."
"Uncle Jiraiya," As soon as Tsunade spoke, Aoba nodded and greeted him.
"You actually took a student?"
Jiraiya looked Aoba up and down, pulled out a yellow-covered book from his robe, and handed it over apologetically.
"I didn't know ahead of time, didn't prepare anything… so here's the latest signed edition of Icha Icha Paradise, written and signed by this Sage himself, as a welcome gift."
"You bastard!", A vein popped on Tsunade's forehead, and she threw a punch.
BOOM!
Jiraiya got embedded into the wall.
But the book landed on the desk.
Aoba was about to quietly snatch it, but Tsunade grabbed it first, "This book isn't suitable for someone your age. Your teacher will keep it for now."
"...", Aoba was speechless. He just thought the book was probably valuable, and some pervy old man might be willing to pay a lot for it.
"Ugh~", Jiraiya pulled himself out of the wall, "Tsunade, your temper hasn't changed at all."
Tsunade gave a cold glare at the guy trying to corrupt her student, "Hurry up and report the intel."
Jiraiya's expression became more serious, "While I was on my way back, I encountered a squad of ninja trying to sneak into Konoha."
"From which village?", Tsunade's face also turned grim. She had expected this.
"Grass Ninja. But supposedly, they were commissioned by Iwagakure and Sunagakure to probe Konoha. I gave them a little scare, and they confessed everything…"
Jiraiya's expression turned a bit strange.
'Grass Ninja Village?'
Aoba felt a slight stir in his heart, 'Isn't that the village where Karin's mother live?'
"These fence-sitters…", Tsunade's face turned dangerous.
Ever since Konoha and Grass Ninja Village were founded, they had been close allies, like neighbors across a river.
Even though they sided with Iwagakure during the Third Shinobi War, thanks to Sarutobi Hiruzen's compromise, they eventually re-allied.
But now they were once again stabbing Konoha in the back, trying to act as guides for the enemy, without saying a word.
If it were still Sarutobi Hiruzen as Hokage, maybe he'd just tolerate it and let it pass.
But now, the Hokage was Tsunade.
If you dare lay a hand on Konoha, you're no longer an ally. You're getting the full force of her wrath.
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