Naruto : Konoha Light

The atmosphere in the conference room was tense and suffocating. After a long silence, Danzo finally lost his temper, slamming the table as he seethed.

"Hiruzen, look at what kind of disciple you've raised!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly, a calm smile playing on his lips. "A fine disciple, indeed."

Danzo's face twisted with barely contained fury. His fingers curled into fists, his entire body trembling with frustration.

"You… you…!"

Hiruzen paid him no further mind, instead turning toward the other elders. "The weather is quite nice today. Why don't we take a walk and stretch these old bones?"

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu exchanged glances before nodding and rising from their seats.

Soon, the conference room was empty, save for Danzo, who stood there shaking with impotent rage. His expression darkened as he muttered through gritted teeth,

"Hiruzen… you'll regret this."

Meanwhile, outside the Hokage's office…

"Are you really planning to leave the village, Tsunade?" Jiraiya asked with a hint of concern.

Tsunade let out a long sigh, folding her arms. "Maybe… I don't know." She hesitated, then added, "This village, built by my grandfather… there's not much left for me to hold onto."

Jiraiya chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Oh? What about me and Sensei?"

Tsunade shot him a deadpan look. "You mean you, the guy who spends his time peeping at women bathing?"

Jiraiya coughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject. "Come on, be serious. You know why Sensei was here today, don't you?"

Tsunade's expression turned cold. "Of course I do. And so do you."

A brief silence hung between them before Jiraiya finally spoke again, his tone more serious. "You know Sensei still cares about Minato and your disciple."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "And yet… in the end, we're just tools he uses to maintain balance, aren't we?"

Jiraiya opened his mouth but found no words to refute her.

"Forget it," Tsunade sighed. "Maybe it's better not to think about it too much. Ignorance can be bliss."

Jiraiya, sensing the shift in mood, quickly latched onto another topic. "Right, about what you said earlier—are you really planning to take Shizune and leave? You made sure Danzo heard you."

Tsunade's gaze hardened. "If I hadn't said that, do you think he would have backed down? Don't forget, Danzo isn't the type to care about the lives of his subordinates."

Jiraiya nodded grimly. "Still… your disciple only has about three or four years until graduation. What then?"

"Three or four years is enough," Tsunade said confidently.

Jiraiya gave her a skeptical look. "You can't be serious. A ten-year-old kid standing up to Danzo?"

Tsunade's expression softened slightly, an almost nostalgic smile crossing her lips. "You don't understand. He's different from us. When I look at him, I see a glimpse of my grandfather. That kind of presence… the ability to naturally draw people in and lead them toward a greater goal."

She clenched her fists. "No matter how ruthless Danzo is, he could never take on the entire village."

Jiraiya rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "For someone like you to say that… I'm starting to get curious about this 'Shimizu.'"

Meanwhile, at the hospital…

"431... 432..."

The steady sound of counting and heavy breathing filled the room.

"Shimizu!" Asuma gasped as he entered the hospital ward, eyes widening in shock. "What are you doing? You should be resting, not doing push-ups!"

Shimizu grinned and stood up with a stretch. "Relax, I'm a medical ninja. No one knows my own body better than me. but, your eye what's the matter?"

Shimizu notice, Asuma's eye socket seemed somewhat excessive black.

"Haha…" Asuma looked away, clearly dodging the question. "Anyway, never mind that! I brought you some fresh fruit."

Before Asuma could say more, the door burst open again.

"Ahem! He got beat up by us," a voice declared.

"Yeah! That's what he gets for dragging you into something so dangerous!"

Shizune and Kurenai stood in the doorway, both fuming.

Asuma chuckled nervously.

"So that's why you rushed in so quickly, huh? Thought you'd avoid another scolding?" He patted Asuma's shoulder with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that…"

After reprimanding Asuma, Shizune and Kurenai quickly switched gears, each stepping to his side and fussing over him.

"Shimizu, do you feel any pain anywhere?"

"Are you hungry? I made you lunch!"

Their gazes met, and sparks seemed to fly between them. But as soon as their eyes locked, they both averted their gaze and turned to fuss over the room instead.

"I'll clean up in here," Shizune said.

"I-I'll straighten the bed," Kurenai added.

Watching them, Asuma sighed. "Man, last night's battle was intense, but this might be even worse…"

"By the way, Asuma," Kurenai suddenly said, her tone shifting, "weren't you going to the bathroom?"

"Huh? When did I say that—" He paused, realizing too late as four pairs of eyes glared at him murderously. Immediately, he clutched his stomach and groaned. "Ahh! My stomach suddenly hurts!"

Without another word, he bolted from the room.

Just as he reached the door, he bumped into someone—a tall, slender figure with striking golden eyes.

"Still as energetic as ever, Asuma."

Asuma looked up in shock. "Orochimaru-sama!"

The others in the room turned, equally surprised and excited.

Unlike the sinister image he would have in the future, Orochimaru now carried an air of elegance and refinement. His reputation was pristine—hailed as the most promising shinobi of his generation and even considered a future Hokage candidate.

Orochimaru smiled slightly. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

Asuma snapped out of his daze and hurriedly stepped aside. "Sorry! I got a little too excited."

As Orochimaru entered, his golden eyes flickered with curiosity as he observed the young shinobi in front of him.

"So, this is the one who managed to move even Tsunade's heart…"

Sensing Orochimaru's intense gaze, Shimizu straightened his posture slightly. "Orochimaru-sama, did you come because of last night's incident?"

At his words, Asuma's eyes also lit up with anticipation. "Orochimaru-sama, is the village going to reward us?"

While Asuma cared little for rewards, he still enjoyed the sense of recognition and approval.

Orochimaru's expression remained calm. "Of course. You foiled a major plot against the village and protected your comrades. Especially you, Shimizu… If you hadn't restrained that girl, I can't imagine what the consequences would have been."