Tsunade Can Hear My Inner Voice

Chapter 89: Chapter 89: Slip-Up

Hokage Building.

Tsunade sat in her seat, sipping tea with a satisfied smile.

Ever since she delegated her authority, the stack of paperwork requiring her approval had drastically shrunk. Arriving at eight in the morning, she could wrap up the departments tasks by nine, leaving the rest of the day to leisurely slack off.

’Today is a good day—everything I wish for comes true. I can openly goof off again!’

’This is what being Hokage is about! Those fools who took on every single task, slaving away day and night—how could they call themselves Hokage?’

Tsunade felt she had finally grasped the essence of being Hokage.

*Knock! Knock! Knock!*

A knock came at the door.

Tsunade immediately grabbed a file and spread it open in front of her.

"Enter!"

At her command, Kakashi stepped inside.

"Hokage-sama!"

"Oh, Kakashi!" Tsunade looked up, feigning she’d been interrupted from work. "How’s it going lately?"

"Reporting to Tsunade-sama, I’ve mainly been guiding Sasuke’s training. No other missions for now." Kakashi replied. With Tsunade’s leadership stabilizing, the initial backlog of missions had disappeared.

Everything was running smoothly now, allowing elite shinobi like Kakashi to wander the village freely again.

"How is Sasuke’s progress?" Tsunade asked, feigning interest.

If Sasuke’s surname weren’t Uchiha, who knew if Tsunade would even remember who he was.

To Konoha, the name Uchiha carried immense weight.

As long as Sasuke lived, the clan was not truly extinct.

If Sasuke weren’t so young, Tsunade would’ve already paired him with a dozen women, letting him stay home and produce heirs. A decade or two of that, and a new Uchiha clan would rise as part of Konoha again.

"Sasuke’s working hard. His control over Chidori is solid now."

After answering, Kakashi paused before asking, "Tsunade-sama, the ANBU urgently summoned me earlier. May I know the reason?"

’Could it be about Shizune? But using the ANBU for personal matters seems a bit excessive...’

The thought of finally escaping bachelorhood and enjoying nights of bliss made Kakashi feel invigorated.

"This is a diplomatic document from Sunagakure. They plan to send Gaara of the Sand, Temari, and Kankuro to Konoha as a gesture of goodwill between our villages. Gaara is the Jinchūriki of the One-Tail, so if they come, I want you to keep an eye on him."

Considering the shinobi in the village capable of facing the One-Tail, aside from herself and Jiraiya, there weren’t many suitable candidates.

This mission involved Konoha’s diplomatic relations with Sunagakure. The team leader needed not only formidable strength but also significant renown.

After careful consideration, Tsunade had settled on Kakashi.

"Sunagakure?"

Realizing it wasn’t about Shizune, Kakashi frowned slightly before assessing the risks.

Kankuro and Temari were negligible—their strength was at most Chunin level. To Kakashi, they were little more than wooden dummies. If they caused trouble, he could eliminate them effortlessly.

But Gaara was another matter.

Though the One-Tail wasn’t as fearsome as the Nine-Tails, its infamy was well-known across the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

Any shinobi of notable standing knew that Suna’s Tailed Beast was the most vicious of them all.

Shukaku’s frequent rampages in Sunagakure made it an unofficial ally of the other four villages. If not for its indiscriminate hostility, the other villages might have supplied Shukaku with resources just to weaken Suna’s strength over time.

"Tsunade-sama, I’m afraid I alone might not be enough to handle the One-Tail." Kakashi declined.

Closing the file and setting it aside, Tsunade crossed her arms and fixed her gaze on Kakashi’s left eye.

"Kakashi, don’t underestimate the power of that eye. Even if you’re not a true Uchiha, that’s a Mangekyō Sharingan—a weapon that can dominate Tailed Beasts!"

"According to my grandfather, Hashirama Senju, Madara Uchiha could command the Nine-Tails like a dog with just a glance from his Mangekyō. Even if you’re not that strong, controlling the One-Tail should be child’s play!"

Kakashi fell silent.

Tsunade’s words were encouraging, and he wished he had that kind of power.

Just being able to intimidate a Tailed Beast with a glance would be enough. He didn’t need to command the Nine-Tails like a dog—just suppress it slightly.

But he knew his limits.

His eye’s ability seemed space-related, and its genjutsu was only slightly stronger than the standard three-tomoe Sharingan.

Expecting to subdue the One-Tail with a single glance was pure fantasy.

Seeing Kakashi’s hesitation, Tsunade suddenly slammed the desk.

"Fine! I’ll assign someone else to assist you—Yamato. You know him, and his Wood Release is highly effective against Tailed Beasts. That should suffice, right?"

If Yamato was involved, then there was no problem.

"Understood, Hokage-sama. I accept this mission."

"Excellent! That’s the spirit of a true Konoha shinobi!" Tsunade praised before scribbling a few lines on a document and handing it to Kakashi.

"This is your mission assignment, temporarily rated as A-rank. After completion, it will be reassessed based on the situation. Any issues?"

Kakashi skimmed the document, then looked up. "No issues, Tsunade-sama. Anything else? If not, I’ll take my leave."

’You can go now!’ Tsunade thought.

Still, something about Kakashi’s expression felt off.

As an experienced shinobi, Tsunade was adept at reading people.

Kakashi’s hesitation suggested he had something to say.

Since she hadn’t summoned him recently, the only connection was yesterday’s conversation with Kamizuki Hikari about Shizune’s marriage. Could it be...? noveldrama

Thinking this, Tsunade tapped the desk to regain Kakashi’s attention.

"Kakashi, your father Sakumo was my friend. Now that official matters are settled, let’s discuss something personal, shall we?" As she spoke, Tsunade studied Kakashi’s face intently.

She needed to confirm her suspicions through his micro-expressions.

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I’ve considered this before, but never found the right opportunity, so it’s been delayed."

Nervousness, excitement, unease—these emotions flickered across Kakashi’s face. Combined with his response, Tsunade was now 90% certain.

"Kakashi, have you seen Kamizuki Hikari recently?"

Kakashi lowered his head slightly. "Yes. Last night, Hikari slept at my place."

Tsunade understood.

’So it was you, Hikari.’

’You finished asking about this, yet didn’t report back to me. If I weren’t so sharp, who knows what Kakashi would be thinking right now!’

Mentally, she added another black mark to Hikari’s record.

"Kakashi, did Hikari mention my thoughts on this matter? And what are your own feelings?"

This concerned Shizune’s future, so Tsunade set aside Hikari’s mistake for now and focused on Kakashi’s answer.

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