Chapter 203: Ch-203 Surgery complete.
As planned, the very next day Inoiki was taken into the operating room to begin the long-awaited surgery. The procedure was both intricate and demanding, requiring the utmost precision from the medical team. Every step unfolded exactly as the Tsunade had anticipated, and after hours of painstaking work, it was finally over.
A full month later, Inoiki emerged from Konoha Hospital, walking steadily on his own two feet. The sun bathed him in gentle warmth as his family flanked him on either side, their relief plain in their expressions.
"It feels good to be back on my feet after the surgery," he said to his sister, Ino, flashing a bright smile. "I’m so relieved the problem with my backbone has been fixed. I can walk again."
Ino returned his smile and gave a satisfied nod, her eyes lingering on the way he moved.
"How are you feeling?" their father, Inoichi, asked, his tone warm but probing. "Can you walk properly without any discomfort?"
"Yep! See?" Inoiki hopped lightly in place a few times, almost playfully. "I’m absolutely fine."
They continued down the familiar road toward their home, where a hot lunch waited for them—prepared with care by Inoiki’s mother. The aroma of freshly cooked food filled the dining room as they sat together. After a few quiet moments of eating, Ino set her chopsticks down and looked toward her brother.
"Brother," she began, "Lady Hokage has called all three of us—me, you, and Father. She said it’s important."
Inoiki paused mid-bite, considering her words, then gave a firm nod. "Then we shouldn’t waste any time. We’ll head to the Hokage’s office right away."
Ino and Inoichi exchanged glances of agreement. Without delay, the three rose from the table and set off together, their footsteps carrying them toward whatever matter awaited them in the Hokage’s presence.
-----
Inside the Hokage’s office, the air was thick with a sense of importance. Ino, Inoiki, and Inoichi stood before Tsunade’s desk, the soft rustle of the curtains behind her the only sound until Inoiki stepped forward.
"Lady Hokage, you called for us. What is the matter?" he asked, his voice respectful yet curious.
Tsunade rested her interlocked hands on the desk, her expression hardening into one of seriousness. She met their eyes in turn before speaking.
"First of all," she began, "because of the information you provided about the abilities of Pain, the leader of Akatsuki, Jiraiya no longer had to travel to the Rain Village to uncover them. He had been planning to go there—not to engage in battle, but to meet his former students. However, after hearing what you told us, I forbade him from making the trip. That place is far too dangerous, and there’s a high chance the Akatsuki would have been lying in wait."
Relief flickered across Inoiki’s face. Inwardly, he felt an even deeper sense of comfort. Ever since he had transmigrated into this world, he had carried the knowledge of Jiraiya’s original fate—his tragic death during that very mission. Now, because of his actions, that grim outcome had been avoided. Jiraiya’s life had been spared.
Tsunade’s gaze sharpened slightly before she continued. "Second... Itachi Uchiha is no longer alive. He’s dead."
Inoiki’s eyes narrowed. "Was it Sasuke?"
"Yes," Tsunade confirmed. "That is the case. But Sasuke escaped. Tobi from the Akatsuki appeared and took him away. Team Kakashi, who went there to retrieve Sasuke, failed because of Tobi’s interference."
Inoiki gave a slow nod, his tone more subdued now. "Then it seems... finding him will be almost impossible, even for me."
Tsunade inclined her head in agreement.
Tsunade’s voice took on a heavier tone as she continued, "And the third matter... a month before you went in for your backbone surgery, I promised you that I would uncover the reason why news of your survival never reached Konoha three or four days before your actual return—when it should have. I’ve found that reason." Her gaze shifted, landing squarely on Inoiki. "And the reason... is your father."
Inoiki blinked, caught off guard. "Dad? How?"
Tsunade leaned back slightly, her expression firm but not unkind. "After the report of your death reached Konoha, the entire village—your family most of all—was devastated. Your father later joined Jiraiya and the Ino–Shika–Cho team on a mission to investigate your last known battle site, searching for any shred of evidence that you might still be alive. Unfortunately, they found nothing. In fact, the evidence they did uncover only seemed to confirm your death."
Her voice softened slightly. "After that, your father was absent from his duties more often than not, choosing instead to remain by your mother’s side as she struggled with her grief. The Council of Elders eventually decided to remove him from his position as head of the Intelligence Department and replace him with someone else. However, he never submitted an official resignation—and I opposed their decision. I believed that, in time, he would recover enough to resume his responsibilities once his emotional state stabilized."
Her tone hardened again as she went on. "Then came the moment you resurfaced in the Land of Grass—when you confronted those Kusagakure shinobi and... took their hands. That information was supposed to be delivered to me immediately by Konoha’s Anbu. But those particular Anbu had once been members of Root, before the Third Hokage disbanded the organization and folded them into the Anbu corps."
Tsunade’s eyes narrowed. "Danzō intercepted them. He stopped that report from reaching me. His reason was simple: he wanted to install someone from his own faction—most likely from his own clan—into the Intelligence Department head position. If word of your return had reached Konoha in time, your father would have undoubtedly regained his drive, resumed active duty, and easily reclaimed his position. Danzō couldn’t allow that... so he buried the news."
"In the meantime," Tsunade continued, "before your arrival in Konoha, Danzō began quietly pressuring your father to resign. But Shikaku intervened, stopping Inoichi from doing so—he suspected something wasn’t right. Your eventual return to the village confirmed his suspicions and, in the end, rendered all of Danzō’s scheming worthless."
Inoiki’s expression hardened, his voice turning cold. "So, the conclusion is simple—it was all Danzō’s doing. He wanted my father removed from his position."
Tsunade gave a single, firm nod.
Inoichi, however, quickly stepped in, his tone calm but laced with quiet concern. He knew better than most the deep animosity his son held toward Danzō—and he feared where that anger might lead. "You don’t need to concern yourself with this," he said. "These things happen in politics. It’s not worth losing your head over."
Tsunade’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly. By nature, she despised this kind of political maneuvering—petty power plays that undermined the village’s stability. But as Hokage, she could not simply strike at her enemies in the open; her position demanded a broader view, one that forced her to weigh every action and consequence. Helpless or not, she had to keep her focus on the bigger picture.
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