Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

In Natsuro's bedroom, Konoha.

The previously empty room suddenly filled with two figures: Natsuro and Ino, who had just returned via the Flying Thunder God Technique.

"Natsuro, are you sure it's okay to leave the others behind and return early like this?" Ino asked, resting comfortably in Natsuro's arms without making any move to leave.

"It's fine. This is how I always do things, they're used to it," Natsuro replied.

"Oh, I see." Ino nodded absentmindedly, then suddenly realized something and exclaimed, "Natsuro, we should go report to Lady Tsunade right away! She's been worried about you ever since hearing about Orochimaru's involvement."

"I know. You go home first; I'll head to the Hokage's office," Natsuro said, letting go of Ino.

"Alright." Ino nodded, though she had initially wanted to accompany him.

However, since Natsuro insisted, she guessed he probably had important matters to discuss with the Hokage. She didn't feel upset about being left out, knowing that her current level of skill didn't qualify her to be involved in such matters. Even if she were informed, it would only add unnecessary worry.

After Ino left, Natsuro made his way to the Hokage's office.

"Lord Natsuro!" Shizune was the first to notice him. Seeing Natsuro, she couldn't hide her joy and called out excitedly. As Tsunade's secretary, she had been fully aware of the situation and had been deeply concerned for Natsuro's safety.

"Hey, Shizune. Lady Tsunade, I'm back," Natsuro greeted with a smile.

Tsunade looked up and immediately stood from her seat, walking over to Natsuro.

"Huh?" Natsuro blinked, puzzled as he looked at Tsunade.

Without a word, Tsunade began patting and inspecting Natsuro for injuries.

"Uh, this isn't really appropriate, is it?" Natsuro remarked, though he understood Tsunade was checking for wounds. Still, doing so right here seemed a bit much.

After completing her initial inspection, Tsunade stepped back, a bit surprised. "You're really completely unharmed."

"Why would you assume something must have happened to me?" Natsuro asked.

"Because it's Orochimaru. He wouldn't act unless he was confident of success," Tsunade replied, finally relaxing as she returned to her seat.

Natsuro nodded in agreement, thinking back to the ambush he had faced. If he hadn't undergone a breakthrough before the fight, he might not have survived.

"And it's not unheard of for people to suffer fatal injuries, pretend to be fine in front of their comrades, and then die alone in some forgotten corner after tying up their loose ends."

Tsunade explained her earlier actions, then added, "That's just foolish. Without proper checks, how can you know the injury isn't treatable? Just because one doctor can't help doesn't mean another can't!"

"True," Natsuro agreed with a nod. "If it were me, I'd never give up hope. I'd be running around the entire village looking for a doctor."

"That's the right attitude," Tsunade affirmed, then hesitated before suddenly apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Natsuro. Even though you weren't hurt, this situation was a failure on my part. I put you in danger."

"There's no need to apologize. This is just part of being a ninja. Not every mission comes with accurate intel, and sometimes the information we get is completely contradictory. It's not your fault, Lady Tsunade," Natsuro said, his eyes flashing coldly.

"Besides, they weren't targeting you; they were targeting me. Open attacks are easy to dodge, hidden schemes are harder to avoid. It's just the way things are."

Tsunade sighed. "After hearing Orochimaru's message, I've started gathering evidence against Danzō."

"But you haven't found anything, have you? I'd bet Danzō's been keeping an unusually low profile lately, even tolerating actions that would normally provoke him," Natsuro guessed.

Seeing Tsunade pause, Natsuro knew he had hit the mark.

Tsunade leaned back in her chair, looking drained. "I'm sorry, Natsuro. Even though you've been wronged, Konoha can't take direct action against Danzō without solid evidence."

She closed her eyes. The problem was obvious, there was no proof.

Even if everyone knew Danzō was responsible, acting without evidence would cause significant upheaval. Worse, if rumors spread, it could lead to a political crisis.

"It's fine. I never expected to bring down Danzō just with this incident. As for evidence, I'll gather it myself," Natsuro replied calmly.

Hearing Natsuro's words, Tsunade felt even more conflicted. What an exceptional individual, he is someone so suited to take over the burden of being Hokage and free me from this role. And yet, Danzō had dared to plot against him.

If anything happened to Natsuro, Tsunade couldn't bear to imagine the consequences. And to make matters worse, there was another stubborn old man refusing to help!

Grinding her teeth, Tsunade slammed her fist onto the desk, sending a stack of documents jumping into the air. Her frustration was palpable.

"And the Third Hokage! When I went to him about this, hoping for his help, all he asked for was evidence. How can he trust that damn Danzō so much?!"

"People tend to grow sentimental with age," Natsuro said nonchalantly.

Ever since he had saved the Third Hokage back then, Natsuro had anticipated this kind of situation. In fact, even if he were to gather solid evidence against Danzō, the Third Hokage might still step forward to plead for leniency.

But did that mean Natsuro should have just let the Third Hokage die back then?

No. Despite what might happen in the future, the Third Hokage had helped him immensely during his weakest moments. Without that help, he wouldn't have been able to grow so quickly.

Letting someone die just because they might later act against you? Natsuro couldn't do it.

From an outsider's perspective, letting the Third Hokage die then might have been the most "dignified" outcome. But Natsuro believed that living, even in difficulty, was better than dying a noble death.

And so, he had acted. And even now, he didn't regret that decision.

Tsunade could only shake her head helplessly.

"Lady Tsunade, is there an empty house near your residence?" Natsuro suddenly asked.

"There is, but why do you ask?" Tsunade replied, puzzled.

"I plan to convince my mother to pause her work for a while and move there temporarily. After all, there will be times when I'm not in Konoha," Natsuro explained.

Tsunade's pupils contracted slightly, and she hesitated, unsure how to respond.

"Do you think Danzō might target your mother? That seems unlikely. No matter what, even he wouldn't stoop so low... would he?"

"Who knows?" Natsuro shrugged.

"After all, I'm still alive, and if he wants to deal with me, this might be the only way left. Every other path has already been blocked. It's best to guard against the possibility of a desperate move."

"It's better to take precautions now than to regret it later if he really does something," Natsuro concluded.

Tsunade nodded solemnly at his reasoning and turned to Shizune.

"I'll take care of it immediately," Shizune said, already preparing to leave and handle the arrangements.

"Not so fast. I still have a mission report to give, and no one else can write it for me," Natsuro called out, stopping her. He wasn't about to write it himself.

"Understood," Shizune said, skillfully picking up paper and pen. Tsunade rubbed her temples at the sight but was already accustomed to this.

Natsuro began recounting his encounter in the cavern, omitting nothing. He started by describing the four Akatsuki members he faced, saving the information about the Rinnegan for last as the highlight.

He briefly mentioned Kisame and Itachi, noting that they had previously invaded Konoha, and their information was already well-documented.

He focused on Kakuzu and Hidan, paying particular attention to Hidan's apparent immortality. He described how even after his internal organs were destroyed and his skull was shattered, Hidan showed no signs of death.

Natsuro didn't mention their names, instead providing detailed descriptions of their appearances.

For Kakuzu, he explained how the man wore no forehead protector to identify his village, had black tendrils connecting parts of his body, and could detach his limbs for attacks before retracting them with the tendrils.

For Hidan, he described the rogue forehead protector from the Hidden Hot Springs Village and the large, blood-stained scythe he carried, a weapon with three crescent blades.

Tsunade and Shizune didn't know how to respond after hearing Natsuro's descriptions. Shizune, as she jotted down the report, was visibly sweating. Even though she hadn't encountered these individuals herself, the details alone conveyed how dangerous and troublesome they were.

Tsunade, meanwhile, chewed on her nails in thought, wondering how she would handle such opponents if she had to face them.

The more she thought about it, the guilt weighed heavier on her. These kinds of dangers were far beyond what most could imagine. If Natsuro hadn't been as strong as he was, almost anyone else from Konoha would likely have been left for dead in that situation.

"Do we know which villages these two might be from? And what exactly are these bizarre abilities?" Tsunade asked Natsuro. She refrained from apologizing again since he had made it clear he didn't care much about that. Instead, she silently resolved to keep this in mind without bringing it up constantly.

Natsuro hesitated to answer. He knew the answers but couldn't reveal them without raising questions about how he had such detailed knowledge, especially how he'd survived Hidan's rituals.

"Regarding them, I might know a few things."

A voice suddenly came from outside the window.

Moments later, a burly figure entered the Hokage's office through the window... It was none other than Jiraiya!

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