Chương 24: There's Only One Truth

In Konoha, along Bozakura Street, deep within Sanmi District. Sitting together at a small table by the window were Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru. A few dishes of finger food accompanied their drinks, the grease on the skewered yakitori still glistening under the dim light. A sake flask sat nearby, already a little less than half empty. Jiraiya bit into a piece of skewered chicken, charred to perfection. Even though it tasted decent, the flavor in his mouth felt bitter.

"Things have gone sideways in the Land of Rain again. That Iwa ninja named Yamaishi took a squad into the surrounding border regions on a mission. The guy has always treated people from other nations, especially the smaller countries, like dirt. Last time he was on assignment in the Land of Birds, his collateral damage wiped out an entire village. Hundreds of people, not a single survivor. Looks like he finally ran into someone he couldn't bully this time."

Tsunade took a small sip of sake, her gaze drifting toward the window.

"How so?"

"Hanzo got word that they were creeping up near the border, so he went out there himself and left the whole lot of them buried right where they stood." Jiraiya picked up the flask and refilled his cup.

"The intelligence report said that the moment Hanzo summoned that giant salamander of his, the entire Iwa ninja squad dropped dead instantly. They didn't even put up a decent fight. Tsunade, if it were you, could you neutralize the salamander's poison?"

"Given enough time, I reckon I could whip up an antidote."

"And what if you were caught in a surprise encounter like Yamaishi and his crew?" Jiraiya pressed on, unable to help himself.

"Hard to say. After all, Hanzo's own combat power is nothing to scoff at. If it actually came down to a battlefield clash, even if I could rapidly analyze the toxin, brewing the cure takes time, and a guy like that isn't going to hand me an opening on a silver platter."

"Fair enough. That bastard really is a headache. I heard he clashed with the samurai of the Land of Iron just a few days ago, though he didn't do much killing that time. But this round... tsk tsk. Old man Onoki's heart is probably bleeding over this." Orochimaru slowly swirled his wine cup, watching the sunlight catch the pale gold liquid within.

"The Land of Rain has never had it easy, sandwiched right between major superpowers with the Land of Grass eyeing them like a predator. For Hanzo to lock down the leadership of Amegakure and hold the Land of Rain together with his own two hands, his strength cannot be underestimated."

"Sigh, Orochimaru, do you reckon if every small nation had someone like Hanzo stepping up, there'd be a lot fewer wars? Look at old man Onoki; usually, he's basically a powder keg waiting to go off at the slightest spark. Yet this time, he's stayed completely silent. You don't suppose he's cooking up some nasty payback for Hanzo, do you?" Orochimaru acted as if he hadn't heard the first foolish question.

"Given Onoki's temperament, he won't open a direct front against Amegakure anytime soon. But he will never forget this humiliation either. The moment an opportunity arises down the line, he'll definitely come back to collect." Jiraiya slumped, the sake turning even more astringent on his tongue.

"Retaliation... Onoki gets his revenge, then Hanzo retaliates in kind... Man, the friction between the minor states and the Five Great Nations keeps getting worse. When on earth are we ever going to see true peace?" Orochimaru remained silent, simply raising his cup and draining the remaining liquor. The strong grow stronger. The power and stability of the major nations bring forth more commerce and missions, and the influx of economic resources and territory feeds a continuously growing machine of shinobi.

And the small countries? In many regions, even securing a single meal a day is an extravagant wish. While some live in unbridled decadence, others starve in the dirt. While some revel through the night, others live on the brink of tomorrow. Under conditions like these, how could true peace ever take root? Just as the three of them were lost in their own thoughts, a masked figure materialized silently beside the table.

Dropping to one knee, the Anbu operative reported crisply:"Tsunade-sama, Orochimaru-sama, Jiraiya-sama, the Hokage has ordered me to instruct the three of you to head to the Konoha Hospital immediately. Young Master Nawaki and several of his classmates were ambushed in the forest to the northeast." This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work. Tsunade shot to her feet, shoving her wooden chair back with a harsh, grating scrape against the floorboards.

Jiraiya sprang up right beside her, every trace of drunkenness instantly wiped from his face.

"What's Nawaki's condition right now?" The Anbu answered without missing a beat:"Initial hospital checks show Young Master Nawaki sustained no physical injuries, though further observation is required to be certain. One of his friends sustained heavy injuries and has already been admitted to the treatment ward. The specifics of the ambush remain unclear and are currently under investigation." Before the words fully faded, Tsunade had already vanished from the spot. Jiraiya and Orochimaru sprinted closely behind.

When they arrived at the Konoha Hospital, an Anbu guard was waiting by the ground-floor entrance. Seeing the three arrive, the operative offered no extra words, turning instantly to lead them up to the third-floor inpatient wing. They had essentially been the hardest to reach; the Anbu had first checked the Senju compound without finding Tsunade, then combed through several of her usual haunts before finally tracking them down in Sanmi District.

Thus, by the time they reached the corridor outside the ward, it was already packed with people. The heads of the Nara, Yamanaka, and Akimichi clans were all present, each stationed near their respective children, their faces betraying lingering fear and tension. Uchiha Retsuto guarded the stairwell landing, his expression dark enough to kill. Uchiha Naori stood rigidly outside the ward, gazing through the half-open door with an expressionless stare at Ruri and Ami resting unconscious inside.

Sarutobi Hiruzen was there as well, seated on a corridor bench as he offered low, steadying words of comfort to Nawaki. Shimura Danzō stood off to his side, his gaze veiled and heavy, lost in some private calculation. Nawaki's clothes were still stained with the dirt and dried blood of the training ground. He sat with his head bowed, his hands locked tightly together in his lap, seemingly deaf to Hiruzen's words of reassurance as he remained trapped inside the lingering shadow of the nightmare.

For the first time since Nawaki's birth, Tsunade saw him reduced to this state. At that moment, a heavy hand seemed to squeeze directly over her heart. Softening her steps, she walked up to Nawaki and called out softly:"Nawaki, your oneechan is here." Nawaki slowly lifted his head. The moment he caught sight of Tsunade, a tear finally broke free and tracked down his cheek. Hiruzen let out a weary sigh, giving Nawaki's back a gentle pat as he filled Tsunade in on all the details uncovered thus far.

"Based on their accounts and the short blade Shikaku brought back, we've basically confirmed that the attackers were a bounty hunter squad known as the Black Cinders. Four members in total, no survivors. Their target was explicitly Nawaki. As for how they managed to pinpoint his location or bypass the Konoha barrier network without triggering any alarms, that part is still under investigation."

"The Black Cinders?" Tsunade demanded, her voice thick with suppressed rage.

"Remember that S-rank escort mission you executed in the Land of Rivers half a year ago?" Danzō chimed in, offering a reminder.

"The mercenary organization that attacked the Land of Rivers nobility back then was the precursor to the Black Cinders." Tsunade frowned, drawing a complete blank. Jiraiya, however, was jolted by Danzō's prompt, recalling the mission instantly.

"Ah. That was right after you took a massive bath in the casino and your mood was absolute garbage. When the enemy ambushed us, you specifically ordered the two of us to hang back and guard the VIPs while you charged in alone. You practically wiped out their entire hundred-man crew by yourself."

"Right. And these four Black Cinder members were the ones who slipped through the cracks. They've spent the past six months sniffing around for intel on you and Konoha, likely plotting revenge all this while. I previously had Root operatives post a bounty at the Bounty Exchange to try and bait them out, but the bastards were too slippery and didn't take the hook." Danzō massaged the bridge of his nose in frustration. Nawaki was one of the last direct descendants of the Senju clan, a boy he had watched grow up.

Though he had no wife or children of his own, all of his expectations for the next generation had been poured into Nawaki. Now, while the attackers' identities had been pinned down, every other facet of the incident remained shrouded in fog. Acting on Hiruzen's orders, the Anbu were already sweeping the battle site and inspecting the barrier conditions.

Meanwhile, Danzō's Root operatives were digging into why Might Duy had suddenly been dispatched on a low-rank mission that conveniently emphasized the need for a taijutsu specialist, and why the Fourth Konoha Patrol Squad had inexplicably deviated from its standard route and timetable that exact day. Even as Danzō anticipated results from his Root agents, a cold knot of dread gripped him. If the truth pointed toward what he suspected, he wouldn't hold back, regardless of who stood behind it.

Tsunade took a deep breath, forcing down the turmoil churning in her chest. Glancing toward the ward, she asked:"The Anbu told me Nawaki's friend got hurt. How are they doing now? Should I go take a look?"

"The two children inside the room are from the Uchiha clan. They merely suffered mental and chakra exhaustion from unlocking their dōjutsu, so they're just resting and out of danger."

"Dōjutsu? Both of them?" Tsunade asked in surprise.

"No. The injured one is Shingo." Fearing Tsunade might not recognize the name, Hiruzen specifically elaborated:"He's a friend Nawaki made at the Ninja Academy. The boy took a heavy hit, but thanks to getting here quickly and Sōsuke's prompt treatment, he's past the danger zone and just needs time to recuperate. If you're worried, you can head upstairs and check on him in a bit." As a fellow medical-nin, she knew Mitarashi Sōsuke's capabilities inside and out.

If he had personally taken charge, there was indeed nothing to worry about. However, upon hearing Shingo's name, Nawaki suddenly looked up at her. Noticing the look in her younger brother's eyes, Tsunade nodded.

"Alright, I'll go check on him upstairs in a little while." By this point, she also remembered the boy Nawaki constantly brought up in conversation. She had previously meant to ask the old man if Shingo's parents had any ties to the Senju clan, but the mission had driven it right out of her head. Recalling it now, Tsunade tossed out an offhanded question:"Oh, right, Old Man, earlier I heard Nawaki say that boy's physical constitution is way beyond kids his age. Are his parents from the Senju clan?"

"No, the boy's background is a bit complicated. I'll tell you later—" Mid-sentence, Hiruzen abruptly stopped. Almost simultaneously, Danzō raised his head. Their gazes locked across the hallway. The next second, Hiruzen smoothly resumed talking to Tsunade as if nothing had happened, while Danzō turned on his heel and silently walked away.