In the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat silently, leaning back in his chair, puffing on his pipe. Smoke curled through the air, thick and oppressive, like the pressure before a storm, heavy enough to make someone want to break the walls or lift the lid just to breathe.
Cough, cough,
Koharu Utatane couldn't take it anymore and broke the silence with a cough.
"Hiruzen, about this matter…"
Homura Mitokado exhaled in relief, stealing a glance at Danzo, who remained obstinately silent, then looked back at Hiruzen, trying to mediate. "This time… yes, Danzo went too far."
"Too far?!" Hiruzen interrupted coldly before Homura could continue. "Secretly conducting Wood Release experiments, hiding results and the ninja himself, and you say that's just a little over the line?"
Homura's weathered face flushed slightly. His gaze turned helplessly to Danzo.
Because Hiruzen was right.
That was Wood Release.
Who would've thought Danzo had gotten bold enough to hide a Wood Release user?
If it weren't for the investigation following Orochimaru's defection, they might never have discovered that Wood Release had resurfaced.
Danzo's level of control over Root made even Homura uneasy.
"Root was meant to be Konoha's roots, the foundation of the ANBU, of my own design. But now… to hide such a critical asset from me, the Hokage, what does that mean, exactly?"
Hiruzen's voice lowered as he turned toward Danzo, eyes narrowing.
"Does that mean Root has become someone's private army?"
Danzo's face stayed stony as he replied in a low, firm voice. "Everything I've done was for Konoha."
Hiruzen took a deep draw from his pipe. The swirling smoke veiled his expression, unreadable even under the sunlight streaming in from the windows.
"…Hiruzen," Koharu finally broke her silence.
"Enough." Hiruzen waved her off, annoyed. "No more apologies for him."
When Tobirama-sensei was killed by the Hidden Cloud's ambush, Hiruzen had inherited the Hokage mantle. But the seat of Hokage was nothing like his youthful dreams. From the moment he took office, he was met with war and political pressure, the weight shattered his ideals overnight.
At first, the Hyuga and Uchiha clans refused to truly obey his authority.
Fortunately, aside from the Sarutobi clan, he had support from the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. He used a strategy of dividing and conquering, leveraging Danzo's help to pit the Uchiha and Hyuga against each other through various underhanded methods.
Only then did he firmly secure the Hokage's seat, placing trusted allies into key positions.
Back in Tobirama's time, Root had only been a training branch within the ANBU.
But when Hiruzen handed control of Root to Danzo, the intent had been to deal with missions ANBU couldn't handle publicly, spying on the clans, for instance. Over time, it evolved into a full-blown intelligence agency.
Officially, Danzo's Root was just a subdivision of ANBU, entitled to four teams, seventeen members in total.
But under Hiruzen's passive tolerance, Root expanded unchecked. Danzo's influence grew, and so did Root's shadowy operations, to the point it was becoming a private military force.
If this continued, it would spiral beyond control.
So… it had to be checked.
"As for the Wood Release ninja, 'Alpha', I've already brought him into ANBU. Let's not bring that up again. There's another matter."
Ignoring Danzo's sour expression, Hiruzen turned to the other three and spoke with solemn gravity.
"Reports from the border indicate that the Hidden Cloud may be mobilizing again. They're likely planning another provocation."
"What are your thoughts?"
At that, both Koharu and Homura's brows furrowed.
"Again? Disgusting."
Homura's expression hardened. "No matter what, we can't make the first move."
"Homura's right." Koharu nodded. "Let them plot, we must prepare, but never give them any reason to declare war."
Hiruzen didn't respond immediately. He simply tapped the ashes from his pipe and turned to Danzo.
"And you?"
Danzo's shadowed eyes narrowed slightly. After a moment of silence, he growled, "Hit them where it hurts."
"…"
Hiruzen said nothing. He inhaled deeply from his pipe, held it in his lungs, then slowly exhaled.
Although the Third Great Ninja War had ended, the world was far from peaceful.
Konoha, in particular, was still reeling from a loss of elite shinobi.
First, the legendary White Fang of Konoha, Sakumo Hatake, had taken his own life.
Then, Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, and Kushina Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, both perished during the Nine-Tails' rampage.
The forces lost during the war hadn't yet recovered, and more had been slain during the chaos incited by the masked man.
No matter how vast or resource-rich Konoha was, it couldn't keep bearing these losses.
Anyone could see that the village was in a vulnerable transition.
Although both the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Stone had been bloodied by Konoha before, this rare opportunity stirred their ambitions.
They had been poking at Fire Country's borders nonstop. Every few months, minor conflicts erupted due to provocations from Hidden Cloud or Hidden Stone. Casualties kept increasing.
And why?
Because Konoha had been too soft. Too patient.
Their apparent weakness had emboldened the other villages.
Thankfully, the war had only recently ended. The people of Lightning and Earth were still weary of fighting. No one wanted to be the one to spark a war without just cause.
But all it would take was one spark.
One reason that could stir up nobles, daimyō, and civilians alike.
Hiruzen knew that.
That was why he'd kept swallowing his pride and enduring every provocation.
He couldn't afford to gamble.
Konoha couldn't afford it anymore.
Huff.
With a long breath, Hiruzen glanced down at the report in his hands.
Smoke wreathed his aging face, veiling it in shadow even under the sunlight.
"…Hidden Stone, Hidden Cloud…" he muttered. Then sighed. "We'll hold, for now. Assemble a team of shinobi to reinforce the border."
Danzo's face darkened. "This will only make those bastards even bolder."
Hiruzen glanced sideways at him, voice steady. "Then you can dispatch a unit from my Root to assist."
"…What?"
Danzo froze.
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. "Is there a problem?"
The implication was clear: any more problems, and I'll strip you of Root entirely.
Danzo's face twisted. He let out a cold snort, turned his back with resentment.
"Hmph. What problem could I possibly have? After all, it's your 'Root,' isn't it?"
He stormed off.
But halfway to the door, he halted.
"Hiruzen," he growled without looking back, "you'll regret this decision."
"Watch your tone, Danzo." Hiruzen tapped the pipe against the ashtray, voice grave. "Remember, I am the Hokage."
Danzo's face twitched.
"Then be the damn Hokage."
He spat the words and slammed the door behind him.