Inside the room, Danzo's face was as dark as storm clouds—so dark it looked like water might drip from it.
"Hmph."
With a cold, dissatisfied snort, he turned and stalked out of the sickroom.
Inside, Hiruzen let out a weary sigh.
"Tsunade… after you beco Hokage, you must be cautious of that man. He may appear restrained most of the ti, but at critical monts, Danzo will act in ways no one expects."
"Teacher," Tsunade said, her expression hardening, "Danzo's existence brings no benefit to Konoha. Why not just—"
Hiruzen shook his head imdiately.
"No. Danzo and his Root have their uses. The world isn't as simple as it seems. There are places the light can illuminate… and many more where it cannot reach."
Tsunade fell silent, while Jiraiya beside her exhaled heavily.
Neither of them truly understood Hiruzen's unyielding tolerance toward Danzo. Even now, after everything, the Third Hokage still chose to allow him to exist in the shadows.
But Tsunade had already made up her mind.
She would one day eradicate Danzo and his Root.
Konoha didn't need a man like him.
At the Hokage Building
Danzo arrived at the Hokage's office, the room he believed should now rightfully be his.
He had been one step away.
Just one step from the position he'd coveted his entire life.
And at the last mont—Hiruzen woke up.
Damn Hiruzen.
Damn Tsunade.
Damn Jiraiya.
If only the Third had remained unconscious a bit longer, the matter would have been settled.
Danzo's fists clenched until the knuckles whitened.
"Danzo."
Two sets of footsteps approached behind him.
He turned to see Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura entering the office.
"Do you need sothing from ?" he asked stiffly.
The two advisors exchanged a look before Homura spoke.
"It's ti to stop."
Danzo's face darkened further.
"Tsunade has already returned," Homura continued, "and Hiruzen has formally designated her as Hokage. You no longer have a path to the position."
Koharu nodded.
"The decision is made. Halt your actions. There may still be another opportunity in the future."
Homura added, "You cannot win against Tsunade as things stand. Even if you control the Anbu, the major clans will not support you. They tolerated you managing Konoha from the shadows, but they never openly backed you."
Their tone was the sa as always—balancing, hedging, preserving their influence.
When Hiruzen was strong, they quietly aided Danzo.
When Danzo grew too bold, they tacitly supported Hiruzen in suppressing him.
As Konoha's long-standing advisors, Koharu and Homura wanted only one thing: for their influence to remain intact.
But this ti… the situation was different.
Danzo had never been this close before.
And now, they asked him to give up?
His eyes smoldered with rage, but he turned away, hiding his expression from them.
"So," he said quietly, "you want to return to Root."
The two advisors relaxed, mistaking his tone for acceptance.
Koharu spoke softly, "Not just Root. The Anbu should also remain under your supervision. Hiruzen likely won't hold on much longer. It's best for you to manage the Anbu."
Homura nodded.
"We'll help you secure their loyalty."
Root and Anbu under his control would an seizing the eyes and ears of Konoha itself.
In the past, Danzo might have accepted this slow, patient approach.
But not this ti.
"I understand," he said at last.
He waved a hand dismissively.
"Leave. I wish to be alone."
Koharu and Homura exchanged glances, then quietly exited.
The mont the door closed—
Danzo's face twisted.
His killing intent poured out like a suffocating fog.
This ti… he would not concede.
"Hmph."
"You two old relics… ddling again."
"Konoha probably never needed Advisors in the first place."
—
On the second day after Hiruzen regained consciousness, the initial burst of strength from waking had faded.
He now looked frail, thin, and utterly exhausted—like he could pass away at any mont.
Hiruzen glanced weakly at Tsunade.
"That child… Shigure. Danzo sent him away, didn't he?"
Tsunade nodded.
"Yes."
Hiruzen sighed, a trace of regret in his eyes.
"What a pity. Had things been different, that child might have been your successor. His talent is… extraordinary."
"I know," Tsunade replied softly.
How could she not know?
Even now, Shigure was strong enough to beco Hokage if he wished.
"Where is Jiraiya?" Hiruzen asked.
He had another intention—now that Tsunade was back, he wanted to use this mont to anchor Jiraiya to Konoha as well, rather than let him wander endlessly outside.
Tsunade turned to Shizune for an answer.
"Lady Tsunade, Lord Jiraiya was summoned by the Advisors," Shizune reported.
Hiruzen let out a thin smile. Koharu and Homura were undoubtedly eting Jiraiya because of Danzo.
Perhaps they had already cald him down.
He opened his mouth to speak—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted sowhere across the village.
Tsunade imdiately moved to the window, her eyes narrowing at the flas soaring into the sky.
"What happened?!"
"Is soone fighting?!"
Before she could move, Kakashi appeared behind her in a flicker of movent.
"Lady Tsunade—this is bad! The Anbu are pursuing Lord Jiraiya!"
"What?!"
Hiruzen bolted upright, eyes wide.
"The Anbu are chasing Jiraiya? Why?!"
Kakashi answered quickly:
"The Advisors—Lord Mitokado Homura and Lady Utatane Koharu—were killed by Lord Jiraiya."
"What?!"
Hiruzen's entire face twisted in disbelief.
His chest tightened violently, and he suddenly couldn't breathe.
Tsunade had been about to rush outside, but seeing Hiruzen's condition, she snapped,
"Shizune! Imdiately get dical staff here—now!"
Kakashi looked at Tsunade anxiously.
"Lady Tsunade—what about the situation outside?"
"First, find out what truly happened! Why would Jiraiya kill anyone?!"
Investigate?
At this stage, it almost sounded pointless—but Tsunade couldn't leave Hiruzen. In his condition, if she left for even a mont, he might die instantly.
Even with imdiate treatnt he wouldn't live long, but she couldn't just stand by and watch him choke to death.
Kakashi clenched his fist helplessly.
He would have to investigate alone.
But his instincts scread one thing:
Konoha was on the verge of upheaval.
—
A bolt of lightning slashed across the sky.
Far away, Shigure lifted his hand as a white dove descended and landed neatly upon it.
The bird carried information—information from Konoha.
Shigure's eyes narrowed as he processed the ssage.
"It's begun? Danzo… are you really stirring up a large-scale incident in Konoha?"
He let out a quiet breath.
"At this rate… it's hard to tell whose hands the Hokage seat will fall into."
...
TN:
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