Chapter 250: Banishment
Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I create.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 250: Banishment
"Mercy!" Koharu cried.
"Lady Tsunade, please. We were merely doing what was best for the village!" Homura struggled with his restraints but could not break free.
Tsunade had put the two of them in the same type of shackles that they had previously used on Naruto.
"You went behind my back and acted against my direct orders… should I consider that an act of treason?" Tsunade asked them.
This seemed to infuriate them. "We are not traitors!"
"How dare you! We dedicated our lives to Konoha."
"The fact that you still think like that just makes it worse," Tsunade said. "I read about what happened years ago with Danzo. Sarutobi-sensei went too easy on him and allowed him to keep his position and all his benefits.
This only led to more trouble down the line. I cannot afford to make the same mistakes." She gave Naruto a side glance.
With a war approaching, they could not afford to lose Naruto's protection now. Unfortunately, she was one of the few in the village who knew just how important he was for the survival of Konoha.
She now had to consider a punishment that was not only appropriate for their crime but also something that would satisfy Naruto.
He may not show it, but Tsunade knew him well enough already. He did not take kindly to those who made a move against him.
The two Elders were glaring at Tsunade with pure vitriol in their eyes while Kakashi and other Jonin observed the proceedings.
"To begin with, you two will be stripped of your positions as Elders of Konoha, with immediate effect," Tsunade said.
They were already expecting this, so the former Elders didn't have much of a reaction.
Tsunade continued. "I am also stripping you of your Jonin ranks. You will no longer be recognized as ninjas of Konoha. You are hereby expelled from this village. If a-"
"You can't do this!"
"You have no right!" The two elderly ninjas shouted with outrage.
"Shut them up!... I wasn't done yet." The Hokage ordered.
Yamato and Anko went ahead and covered the former Elders' mouths so they couldn't utter a single word.
Tsunade nodded in approval. "As I was saying, you two will no longer be recognized as ninjas of this village and will also be banned from its premises. If any of you steps foot inside the boundaries of Konoha in the future, you will be labeled as wanted criminals and pursued accordingly."
Tsunade knew that throwing them into prison was going to be impossible, considering their political influence in the Fire Country. Those two had many friends in this land and they will never be sentenced just for acting behind her back.
Taking away their ninja ranks and removing them from the village was as far as she could go as Hokage of Konoha. As the Hokage, she only had authority over the ninja village of Konoha itself and the surrounding lands. The rest of the Fire Country belonged to the Daimyo, so she could not just deport them.
"Yamato and Gai, you will escort these two to the boundaries of Konoha, take off their restraints, and allow them to leave. Make sure to inform whoever is necessary to ensure they won't be allowed entrance in the future," Tsunade ordered.
Tsunade glanced at the enraged faces of Koharu and Homura and shook her head. 'Do they not realize that I just saved their lives?' she wondered.
If they they were foolish enough to ignore her punishment and attempt to return to Konoha in secret...then she would be able to take further action.
Tsunade turned to look at Naruto. "Was there something you wanted to add?"
Naruto shrugged. "I said that I would leave this matter to you, and I meant it. But if something like this happens again… I will take care of it myself." He may have promised to protect this place, but his patience and goodwill were limited.
"I understand." She gave Yamato and Maito Gai a hand gesture, and the two Jonin took away the former Elders before they could complain anymore.
Tsunade was sure that those two would go directly to the Daimyo to report her actions. Something like that would surely bring her a few headaches.
"Now then…" She turned to address the others. "I need to speak in private with Kakashi and Lord Hiashi. The rest of you, take care of the wounded and make sure they are all brought to the hospital and attended to. They were just following orders from those two foolish old folk."
While everyone got to work, Naruto approached Tsunade. "Are you thinking of making those two the next Elders?" He used a low tone so only she could hear his words.
"Do you agree with my choice?" she asked.
"You chose my former sensei and the father of one of my girls. Will Mr. Yamanaka receive a call soon?"
Tsunade chuckled. "Don't flatter yourself too much. I chose them because they are competent ninjas who I believe I can trust in such an important position. Homura and Koharu should have been replaced a long time ago… not to mention Danzo, who should have been locked in a cell after his first betrayal."
"If that is the case, who is your third choice?" Naruto asked with curiosity.
"I was thinking of Shikaku Nara. He is a bit lazy, much like his son, but he is still one of the smartest men in this village. Can't imagine a better choice for the position that will give me advice."
Naruto nodded. He hadn't interacted much with Shikaku, but from what he knew of him, he was much smarter than he usually let on. "Seems like a solid choice of personnel. Much better than your predecessor."
He turned around to leave but then stopped for a second.
Tsunade glanced back at him, wondering what else he wanted to say.
"However… next time you want to replace your council, don't use me to get rid of the old one," Naruto said before disappearing.
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