radicalducati Chapter 130 Sarutobi Danzo, Sasuke VS Karin
Chapter 130 Sarutobi Danzo, Sasuke VS Karin
"So, your task today is to help Karin clean her room and buy furniture, bedding, and other necessities. Here's two thousand taels of silver for the task; any overpayment will be refunded, and any underpayment will be collected after the task is completed." In the Hokage's office, the Third Hokage handed over an envelope and a key.
The envelope clearly had an address on it, obviously the address of the apartment arranged for Karin.
"Only one street from my house? I understand, Hokage-sama." Ishikawa glanced at the address, nodded in surprise, and then turned to leave with Tarojiro.
Just then, "Hiruzen..."
Almost the instant Ishikawa turned to the side, a weathered yet cold voice suddenly rang out at the doorway.
As soon as the three of them turned around, an elderly man in a kimono walked in, his forehead and right eye wrapped in bandages and his chin bearing an X-shaped scar.
That cold and sinister demeanor naturally belonged to the infamous Root leader, Danzo Nabekage.
"You guys go first, I have something to say to Danzo!" A hint of anger flashed in the Third Hokage's eyes as he waved to the three of them without making a sound.
"Yes, Lord Hokage." Ishikawa, who was already preparing to leave, nodded in agreement and quickly disappeared with his two bewildered underlings without even glancing at Danzo.
Although he didn't know what Danzo was up to with his sudden visit, he figured it was best to keep his distance from him; he didn't want to be targeted by Danzo so soon.
"That's Kakashi's disciple? The Chunin Ishikawa who brought back the Uzumaki orphan!" Danzo glanced at Ishikawa's back, then turned to stare at the Third Hokage and questioned him coldly the moment the door closed.
"Danzo, you've crossed the line!" Upon hearing this, the Third Hokage immediately understood why Danzo had come looking for him today. His expression changed, and his eyes sharpened like an eagle's.
Danzo came looking for us today, even though it happened just last night. It's clear that the Anbu has been targeted by Root!
“Overstepping boundaries? Anything that endangers Konoha falls under Root’s purview. Hiruzen, you shouldn’t have sent that child to the Ninja Academy. Her origins are unknown; she’s more suited to joining Root. Hand her over to me, and I’ll turn her into a qualified Jinchuriki backup vessel.”
"Impossible!" Upon hearing that Danzo had indeed set his sights on Karin, the Third Hokage coldly refused without hesitation.
If Karin were handed over to Danzo, that would truly endanger Konoha! Once Danzo properly trains Karin, given her personality, he would definitely find an excuse to transfer the Nine-Tails and thus control its power.
This is not a good thing for Konoha and for him, the Hokage!
"Hiruzen, you already have the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and Sasuke Uchiha, are you not even willing to give me a spare vessel? I did all this for Konoha." Danzo asked angrily, his eyes flashing with resentment. He was determined to have that girl.
As long as he gets his hands on that girl, the future of Konoha will be entirely in his grasp!
"I know you're doing this for Konoha, that's why I let you run wild. Danzo, Karin, forget about it! It's impossible..."
"Hiruzen, you..."
"That's enough about Karin! Don't forget Danzo, I am the Hokage. Also, your Root organization has been too arrogant lately, I need a reasonable explanation."
"You bastard!" Danzo nearly spat out a mouthful of blood as he saw the Third Hokage use his power to bully others and then turn around and accuse them. He was burning with rage.
He came to cause trouble for three generations, not to be questioned!
"I will give you an explanation regarding the Root matter. However, Hiruzen, if you insist on going your own way, what if..."
"Heh! This old Hokage isn't so blind that he can't see people clearly. Karin will become a Konoha ninja like Kushina in the future." The Third Hokage remained unmoved; the information about Hayate had already been sent back this morning.
Karin and her mother's tragic fate was common knowledge in Kusagakure. If he couldn't integrate such a child into Konoha, then he was unworthy of being the Third Hokage.
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen!"
"Danzo, I am the Hokage."
Seeing the Third Hokage confidently adopting the airs of a Hokage, Danzo, recalling the pain of having come so close to becoming Hokage, snorted coldly and turned away.
Hokage? One day, Danzo Shimura will get that position too...
"Phew... Hopefully, this will deter this guy. Konoha can't afford any more turmoil!" Watching Danzo leave, the Third Hokage sighed heavily, his face full of helplessness.
Karin has been confirmed to be mostly fine, and for the next six months he will continue to monitor her and teach her basic sealing techniques to deepen their bond.
If all goes well, the child will grow into the next Blood Red Pepper in a few years!
While the Third Hokage clashed with Danzo, Ishikawa's side also began to take action.
After instructing his two underlings to clean the room, Ishikawa turned and headed to the shopping street to begin a large-scale shopping spree.
Since it was three generations' worth of money, Ishikawa didn't hold back and bought whatever he saw that was useful. Although he didn't buy the most expensive items, he not only spent all of his two thousand taels of money by walking around the street, but also had to pay two thousand taels out of his own pocket.
So when Ishikawa returned with his delivery convoy at 2 p.m., his two underlings were stunned!
"Brother, isn't this a bit excessive? I told you to spend two thousand taels, and you've already exceeded the budget by double!"
"A girl's life should be a little more refined, of course. I'm sure the Hokage won't care about such a small amount of money." Ishikawa remained unmoved, and while speaking, he instructed the shopkeeper to bring all the items into the room.
In less than ten minutes, the once spacious studio apartment suddenly felt a bit cramped.
"You guys keep tidying up, I'm going to pick Karin up from school." Brushing the dust off his clothes, Ishikawa left his two dumbfounded underlings behind and turned to go out.
Ishikawa leisurely made his way to the ninja academy, and as soon as he entered the school gate, he heard a commotion of shouts coming from the playground...
"Go Sasuke! Show that newbie what a top student is all about!"
"Tsk tsk tsk, I didn't expect the newcomer's first combat exercise would be against the top student Sasuke. This is going to be good..."
"A good show? It's obvious that Sasuke will win. What strength could a transfer student possibly have?"
"Hmph, you smug Sasuke, don't get too cocky. Karin, you better defeat that guy and show him the power of the Uzumaki clan..."
"The Uzumaki clan? Naruto, when did you become part of that clan? She doesn't seem to acknowledge your identity."
"Kiba Inuzuka, shut up! This is a matter for the Uzumaki family, why are you meddling? Anyway, as long as you defeat Sasuke, I'll consider Karin my ally."
Amidst the clamor and shouts, Ishikawa spotted two figures facing each other in the crowd from afar.
[It's Sasuke vs. Karin! This is going to be interesting! Let me see if you, Karin, will ever fall for Sasuke's stoic face again.] After confirming their identities, Ishikawa rushed into the crowd with a playful glint in his eyes.
If Karin still sees Sasuke as her idol, then he'll have to re-evaluate the value of Karin's existence!
It's not that Ishikawa has any feelings for Karin; he prefers voluptuous figures, not flat-chested ones.
What he cares about is Karin's attitude, as it relates to his future plans for Karin!
After all, nobody wants their painstakingly nurtured god-tier healer to be snatched away by someone else with just a glance, leaving them furious...