This time, Tsunade had only been in the pharmaceutical department for less than five minutes when Koharu Utatane's angry voice was heard, "Tsunade, this is extortion, this is extremely irresponsible."
"How am I extorting? How am I being irresponsible?", Tsunade refused to give an inch, confronting directly.
"I worked so hard making medicine, I just want to collect some hard work fee, is that not allowed?"
"A little fee? Is that a little?", Koharu Utatane was shaking all over with anger, "You open your mouth and ask for 40% of the profits, that is the wealth of the village, how can it go into your private pocket?"
"When did I say it was going into my private pocket?", Tsunade retorted with extreme displeasure.
"I'm going to use that money to establish a Medical Ninjutsu Research Department, specializing in researching all kinds of medical ninjutsu. That's for the village's benefit, how is that not allowed?"
"I say no, then it's no!"
"Heh, Elder Koharu, don't forget, if not for me, Tsunade, those medicines wouldn't even be made."
"I didn't expect you, Tsunade, to be this arrogant," Koharu Utatane was now so angry that smoke was coming out of her seven orifices, "Without you, Tsunade, the pharmaceutical department is still the pharmaceutical department, all the medicines that should be developed would still be developed."
Tsunade sneered coldly, "Heh, really? I don't believe it!"
"Hmph, Tsunade, let's wait and see," Koharu Utatane gave an order to the guard beside her, "See the guest out."
"There will come a day when you'll beg me, I'll be waiting for it," Tsunade walked out of the pharmaceutical department arrogantly, feeling completely refreshed.
She didn't expect Raizen to really have a way to break the stalemate, and it wasn't that difficult.
By simply putting on a show of arrogance and overbearing behavior, she had directly forced Koharu Utatane into becoming Raizen's ally.
In fact, that was indeed the case. Compared to Raizen, Koharu Utatane now hated Tsunade more.
So she absolutely couldn't let this greedy person succeed.
By comparison, Koharu Utatane still thought Raizen was better, he had helped her for five years, and never asked for a single penny.
At worst, she'd just treat him a little more politely in the future.
What's the big deal?
Better than that one asking for money. That wasn't asking for money, that was asking for her, Koharu Utatane's, life.
In fact, Hiruzen and Koharu Utatane weren't unaware that Mito Uzumaki and Tsunade were intentionally protecting Raizen.
But profit came first.
Just like they wanted to get rid of Raizen because of profit, keeping him alive temporarily was also for profit.
The two of them compromised for now, but someone else wasn't having it.
———
The Hokage's office, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a figure walked in with some anger.
"Hiruzen, I need an explanation. Why did you suddenly change your mind again?", Shimura Danzo immediately questioned with extreme dissatisfaction as he entered.
"Danzo, what are you referring to?", Hiruzen feigned ignorance and asked with confusion.
"Stop pretending with me!", Danzo said coldly, "How many times have I told you? Keeping Raizen around is a disaster. You even agreed to let me take him out. Why can't I make a move now?"
"Before, you wouldn't let me form Root, fine. But now you're even going back on matters that have already been decided? What do you take me for?", Danzo was genuinely very unhappy.
Did he really want Raizen dead?
Among the higher-ups, Danzo had always been the strongest advocate for eliminating Raizen, even more intense than Koharu Utatane. But in truth, he was the one who least wanted Raizen dead.
What he truly wanted was the man, Raizen.
This was also why he was trying every means to force Hiruzen to let him take action.
Because only this way could he secretly make Raizen disappear without anyone knowing.
But in reality, what he really wanted was to make Raizen work for him.
As an ambitious man, Danzo had always coveted the position of Hokage.
But as Hokage's assistant, the power in his hands was firmly controlled by Hiruzen, and he could do very little.
Helpless, he had to seek another path. On the one hand, trying to form Root, and on the other, secretly building his own faction.
Speaking of Konoha, who did he most want to work for him? The Uchiha clan was first and foremost.
Having personally witnessed the power of Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Kagami, and many other Uchiha, Danzo had long been full of longing.
He desperately desired to recruit a genius from the Uchiha clan and train him into his right-hand man.
He even fantasized that one day, through this genius, and with the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal and brainwashing techniques developed in the as-yet-unapproved Root division, he could secretly control the Uchiha clan.
But the people of the Uchiha clan were too arrogant and gave him no face at all.
The damn Uchiha Kagami was like that, and the others weren't much better.
And this Raizen, who was expelled from the Uchiha clan, was exactly the talent he had always wanted.
After a long period of analysis, Danzo firmly believed that his teacher had ordered surveillance of Raizen even at the time of death, and also forbade him from training, it must be because this guy had too much talent, reminding him of Uchiha Madara. Otherwise, why go this far?
And someone like this, if he disappeared, no one would care.
Moreover, this wasn't only his idea, it was also the idea of Orochimaru, who had shown extraordinary research talent and was secretly collaborating with him. The two were a perfect match.
Originally, Danzo wanted to wait until Root was established before making a move on Raizen. After all, he had no suitable place to place him.
Because such a matter was a secret operation, it absolutely couldn't be known by anyone else.
But Orochimaru's recent words changed his mind, he only wanted to achieve this goal quickly.
By then, as long as Raizen was brainwashed, this man would become his Uchiha Kagami.
No, according to Orochimaru's words, his value would far surpass Uchiha Kagami.
Originally, Danzo was full of confidence, because Hiruzen had agreed just one day earlier to let him take action soon.
But who would've thought, an unexpected obstacle appeared.
Mito Uzumaki and Tsunade suddenly stepped in, strongly protecting Raizen, and those two wastes, Hiruzen and Koharu Utatane, had actually changed their minds too.
Especially Koharu Utatane. Just a day ago, she was shouting that Raizen must die, but today she claimed Raizen must not die. Danzo felt she was a pig teammate.
"Hiruzen, I'm asking you a question, is it that hard to answer?", Seeing Hiruzen silent, Danzo grew even angrier and questioned again.
"Danzo, you must understand, everything I do is for the village. I changed my mind because I weighed the pros and cons."
"Before, we wanted to eliminate Raizen because keeping him wasn't in the village's interest. But now, Raizen being alive benefits the village more, that's all."
"Oh, only you're doing it for the village? And I'm not?", Danzo hated most hearing these self-righteous words from Hiruzen, and he snorted coldly.
"Danzo, I hope you understand, some decisions, once made, are final. After all, I am the Hokage," Hiruzen's expression was now rather unpleasant.
'This Danzo, his hand is reaching further and further.'
It made him very unhappy.
Hearing this, Danzo froze for a moment, and a surge of nameless fire shot up to his head.
'This line again, this line again!'
'Isn't it just because you're better at flattery? The teacher clearly valued me more. How could you, Hiruzen, compare to me?'
But all he could do was rage helplessly.
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!", Leaving these words behind, Danzo could no longer suppress his inner anger and slammed the door as he left.
'Fine, since you won't agree, don't blame me for not giving face, I'll do it myself.'
Having long figured out Hiruzen's personality, he knew that if he acted first and reported later, turning the cooked rice into cooked rice, Hiruzen would at most scold him a few times. The worst punishment would be confinement at home for a while.
Compared to the gain, such a punishment was nothing.
'Wasn't it the same back when I set up the plot that killed Uchiha Kagami?'
'As long as I firmly deny it, and you have no evidence, what can you do to me?'
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