Naruto: I Traveled with a Max Level Account-Chapter 122 - 521: Konoha Doesn’t Harm Its Own, and Takuya Doesn’t Betray His Allies

Chapter 122 - 521: Konoha Doesn't Harm Its Own, and Takuya Doesn't Betray His Allies

That night, Uchiha Mikoto couldn't sleep. Her mind was entirely occupied with thoughts of how to train her disciples.

By the next day, she was still groggy and out of sorts.

"Forget it."

After splashing her face with cold water, Uchiha Mikoto pulled herself together and prepared to head to work.

"If it doesn't work out, I'll just leave it to Takuya. He's already managing Kakashi; helping out with Shisui and Itachi shouldn't be too much trouble."

Early in the morning, Takuya was summoned by members of the Anbu.

As the Hokage's advisor, he yawned his way to the Hokage's office building.

All the major and minor clans of Konoha received notice early that morning to gather at the building for a meeting.

By the time Takuya arrived, the conference room was already packed. He was among the last to arrive.

Scanning the room, Takuya finally found an empty seat to the right of the main seat and sat down. Directly across from him were the representatives of the Elders' Council, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado.

Tsunade hadn't completely stripped them of their positions but had taken back a significant portion of their authority.

Now, these two advisory elders had barely any power left, only overseeing the medical department and barred from interfering in other areas.

The once-powerful Elders' Council had been thoroughly reduced to mere advisors under Tsunade's rule as the Fourth Hokage.

Unlike before, when they meddled in everything, they now lacked the capability and the courage to interfere arbitrarily.

Though they had long expected this outcome, Koharu and Homura couldn't help but look uncomfortable seeing Takuya sitting across from them.

After all, Tsunade didn't listen to them.

If they dared to cause trouble, there was no guarantee she wouldn't remove them entirely.

Even if they were full of dissatisfaction, they could only suppress it.

"Do you know why this meeting was called?"

"No idea. We'll have to wait for the Hokage to arrive to find out."

"I just hope it's not bad news."

It was rare for Konoha to gather the representatives of all the ninja clans for a meeting. Many were still puzzled, and some were whispering amongst themselves, speculating about Tsunade's purpose for calling this meeting.

"Was this your idea?"

Sitting beside Takuya, Nara Shikashige, who had once again been dragged out of retirement to take the heat, looked utterly resigned.

"I'm retired... retired! How many times do I have to say it?"

Whenever something important came up, they always pulled him back in.

After Akimichi Chōza had a rough time with Tsunade, he returned and announced the news before promptly dragging Shikashige into the fray.

Since Akimichi Chōza wouldn't handle it and Nara Shikaku wasn't yet ready to take on the responsibility, Shikashige had no choice but to step up again.

"What do you mean, 'my idea'?"

Takuya looked completely clueless.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but weren't you retired? Shouldn't Shikaku be handling this by now? You're too old for this kind of stress."

"You..."

This brat!

If it weren't for you, would I even be sitting here?

Shikashige chuckled bitterly.

Although it was Tsunade's decision, Shikashige couldn't believe Takuya wasn't involved. He'd bet his life on it.

He had known Tsunade since she was young—she'd never come up with so many strange ideas on her own. This was definitely Takuya's doing.

"Get lost."

After cursing him with a laugh, Shikashige sighed.

"I wish Shikaku could grow up faster, like you. But that boy is still too green. If I let him take over now, I'm afraid you'd run circles around him."

"How could I?"

Takuya couldn't help but laugh.

"You know me, don't you? Konoha doesn't harm its own, and I, Takuya, would never betray my allies."

Yeah, right. Every word out of your mouth is a lie.

Shikashige glanced around, then leaned in closer and lowered his voice.

"Swear you had nothing to do with this."

"Of course not."

Takuya replied with an innocent expression:

"Senior, I'm just helping Tsunade, our Hokage. Why overthink it? The Ino-Shika-Chō alliance has always been neutral. Just cooperate, and everything will be fine. Don't you agree?"

"..."

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Didn't you just claim ignorance a moment ago?

I knew it. This is your doing.

Now the Ino-Shika-Chō trio would undoubtedly become the scapegoat in the eyes of the other clans.

And Takuya was right—they had no choice but to side with Tsunade.

If the other clans weren't happy with Tsunade's decision, they'd vent their frustration on the Ino-Shika-Chō trio. Even if the Uchiha bore the brunt of the blame, the trio would still be targeted.

Because the Uchiha were seen as a clan of lunatics, most wouldn't dare provoke them. But the Ino-Shika-Chō trio? They'd be a convenient target.

"You're going to be the death of me."

Shikashige sighed in defeat.

Takuya grinned mischievously and turned away, as if to say, This has nothing to do with me. If you're upset, take it up with Tsunade. I'm just following orders.

Even if you suspected this was my idea, I'll never admit it.

I, Takuya, only carry out tasks as instructed.

While Shikashige struggled with his headache, Uchiha Fugaku remained calm. The Uchiha clan had already pledged their loyalty to Tsunade and didn't care about being targeted or resented by other clans.

Of course, Shikashige wasn't the only one feeling uneasy. The Sarutobi and Shimura clans were also grappling with their own concerns.

They couldn't avoid being informed, given the Third Hokage's connection to their clans.

But as two of the most secretive clans in Konoha, they were reluctant to disclose the number of ninjas they had.

Even if Tsunade didn't pursue the matter, there would be no shortage of accusations and criticisms thrown their way.

During Konoha's founding, only the Senju, Hyūga, and Uchiha clans were considered major clans.

The Sarutobi and Shimura clans were nowhere near that status, yet they suddenly had a large number of ninjas.

Where did all these resources come from to train so many ninjas?

Even the well-established Uchiha and Hyūga weren't this excessive. How had the Sarutobi and Shimura clans managed it?

Once exposed, there'd be no hiding the truth, no matter how much they tried to cover it up.

If they refused to cooperate with Tsunade and instead tried to rally other clans against her, they risked isolating themselves.

Tsunade controlled everything in Konoha. If she systematically dealt with opposing clans one by one, by the time she turned her attention to them, there'd be no room for negotiation.

So, after receiving notice from the Third Hokage, the Sarutobi and Shimura clans spent a sleepless night agonizing over their options.

The wait wasn't long. Five minutes before the meeting was set to begin, Tsunade walked in, rubbing her eyes. Judging by her appearance, she hadn't rested well either.

"Hokage-sama."

As Tsunade entered, everyone in the room stood and greeted her.

"Take your seats. No need for formalities."

Waving them off, Tsunade led her personal guard and secretary, Nara Shikaku, to the main seat and sat down.

Takuya had previously suggested giving Pakura the role, but Tsunade refused.

In her view, Pakura still had a lot of room for growth. She needed to be in combat, not stuck by Tsunade's side as a bodyguard or secretary.

So the naturally passive Shikaku ended up being drafted instead.

Though Shikaku wasn't strong enough to be a bodyguard, he was more than competent as a secretary.

With Shikaku handling the mess of paperwork, Tsunade could offload a significant amount of her workload.

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