Before things in the village could stabilize, Yan decided it was best not to let Shisui return just yet.
It was more prudent to keep him in the Daimyo's Mansion for the time being.
Besides, they could take advantage of Danzo's exposed crimes as justification for keeping Shisui close.
Once Shisui had departed, Yan began packing his belongings.
During his stay in the Daimyo's Mansion, Yan had mostly been resting when not on duty or assigned to missions.
When he had free time, he would stroll around the city.
Compared to Konoha, the Daimyo's Mansion was more prosperous; here, if you waved a banknote, you could buy a wide variety of things not readily available in Konoha.
Yan purchased some small gifts for Izumi and her mother, Hazuki.
He had promised long ago to visit their home, and delaying it further would be dishonorable. He planned to visit Izumi's house immediately upon returning to the village.
"Kakashi, I'll be returning to the village shortly. I'm leaving the Daimyo's Mansion in your hands. Keep an eye on that damn Asuma and make sure he doesn't stir up more trouble."
Tsunade issued the instruction firmly, her expression serious.
It wasn't so much that she was concerned about Asuma personally, but more about what could happen to him if left unchecked.
In the past, someone always had his back, but now with the Third Hokage and Danzo having lost all credibility, there was no one left to watch out for him.
The Daimyo now regarded Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo, and others as eyesores, and even viewed Asuma with increasing disdain.
If something were to happen to Asuma while in the Daimyo's domain, things would spiral into further complications.
"Don't worry, Lady Tsunade. I'll keep Asuma under control. He won't have a chance to cause problems."
Despite having graduated early, Kakashi was familiar enough with Asuma's character to know what to expect.
Without the status of being the Hokage's son, Asuma would have been seen as nothing more than a common thug.
"Good. I'm counting on you, Kakashi," Tsunade sighed.
"A major event that could significantly impact the village is looming. I don't even know what Konoha will look like by tomorrow."
"I'm leaving the Daimyo's Mansion in your hands."
Although Kakashi had become emotionally closed off, his loyalty, obedience, and efficiency still made him dependable.
Tsunade could at least rest easy leaving Asuma in his care.
"The village..."
Kakashi started to speak, but Tsunade cut him off before he could continue.
"You don't have to worry about the village. I'll take care of it," she said firmly.
"Just trust the process. You'll hear about the outcome soon enough—maybe in just a few days."
Waving dismissively, Tsunade's expression grew tense.
Old man, old man... you've really left me with a mess to clean up...
She rubbed her aching temples, trying to suppress the growing frustration.
"By the way, how's your eye?"
"...."
His eye?
Because Shizune had warned him not to use the Sharingan too soon after the transplant, Kakashi had been diligently resting and avoiding its activation.
"It seems okay, but the chakra flow feels obstructed. Maybe it's due to the injury or the transplant procedure."
Tsunade pondered for a moment before responding:
"That makes sense. After all, this eye isn't originally yours. Without Uchiha blood, symptoms like chakra blockage, an inability to deactivate the Sharingan, and constant drain on chakra and mental energy are to be expected."
"I understand. Thank you for your concern, Lady Tsunade."
Though Kakashi had felt something strange about the eye, he couldn't quite pinpoint the issue until now.
Tsunade's explanation was reassuring.
If Obito ever found out that his eye had been swapped, he'd probably cough up blood in anger...
"You should rest more."
Tsunade patted Kakashi on the shoulder and turned to leave.
There were still too many things waiting for her attention, and Kakashi wasn't exactly the talkative type.
Trying to engage in conversation with him was like squeezing water from a stone.
It will recover… right?
After Tsunade left, Kakashi raised his hand to touch the eye beneath his forehead protector and muttered to himself.
Tsunade then moved on to check on Asuma. The man was sitting with his legs crossed in the sun, his head still wrapped in thick bandages, forehead veins bulging with irritation.
Tsunade suddenly had a strong urge to beat him senseless again.
But he appeared to be recovering well. More importantly, he hadn't lost his spirit.
Her worst fear was that Asuma would fall into despair after being humiliated by Yan, possibly retreating inward like Kakashi had.
But no—Asuma seemed surprisingly carefree.
In fact, he looked completely unbothered, even content.
Suppressing the urge to throttle him, Tsunade left with a grim expression.
Elsewhere, Shizune was gathering supplies. Tsunade had made quite a bit of money during their time in the Daimyo's Mansion—enough to pay off debts—and Shizune had used some of the excess to buy various gifts for the women of Konoha.
"Shizune, I'm heading back to the village first. I'm leaving the rest to you."
"Wait—what?!"
Shizune froze, her hands full of shopping bags, staring at Tsunade in disbelief.
What did she mean leave the rest to me?!
Tsunade didn't slow down. "I've already informed the jonin escorts. They'll accompany you and the others back to Konoha. If anything happens, just go to Yan and say it's on my orders."
You're pushing this on me?!
Shizune was nearly in tears.
Those jonin only obeyed because Tsunade was present. Once she left, who knew if they'd take Shizune seriously?
What if they refused to listen?
Would she really be able to control the situation?
"Lady Tsunade!"
"Tsunade...!"
But Tsunade was already gone, vanishing into the distance and leaving Shizune behind with slumped shoulders and a heavy heart.
It was just like what happened on Chūringmu Street all over again—abandoned.
No. I need to speak with Yan immediately.
Panic-stricken, Shizune dropped everything and rushed toward the Uchiha compound.
"She ran off again?"
Hearing the news, Yan wasn't surprised—only mildly amused.
After all, whether she left alone or waited a few more hours to leave with the group, the time difference wouldn't be much.
Tsunade must have been in a serious hurry.
So long as the group didn't move like the Third Hokage, they could reach Konoha by nightfall.
"So, what are you so worried about? People ignoring your orders? Questioning your authority?"
"Aren't you worried?" Shizune asked blankly.
"Oh please."
Before she could blink, Yan flicked her forehead hard enough to make her flinch.
"I would worry—if the journey took longer than a day. But it doesn't. What could possibly happen between here and Konoha?"
"And besides, this isn't wartime. Who's going to jump out and cause trouble?"
"If you've got time to panic, use it to pack up. We leave at dawn."
Shizune rubbed her forehead, which now stung and felt a bit swollen. She had come looking for help and left with a bruised head.
Still, Yan's assurance made her feel more confident.
There wouldn't be any trouble.
At the very least, she'd have something to tell Tsunade when they returned.
The next morning, the Konoha-nin and the Uchiha clansmen gathered at the gate of the Daimyo's Mansion, ready to depart.
"Let's go."
Yan said no more, sprinting ahead as the Uchiha followed.
Shizune hesitated for a moment but then chased after him.
The jonin squad leaders glanced at each other, sighed, and fell into formation behind her.
From the outside, it looked very much like the Uchiha were leading the entire group.
Meanwhile, the sun was barely rising when Tsunade arrived back at Konoha after an all-night run.
Exhausted, she went straight to the Hokage building.
Thankfully, the Third Hokage had already resumed duties, sitting in his office with a stack of paperwork.
Tsunade didn't waste time.
BANG!!
The door flew open as she stormed in.
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