"You'll regret this…"
At those words, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado's lips twitched.
Hiruzen Sarutobi had changed a lot lately. In some ways he felt familiar. In others, completely foreign.
But Danzo Shimura… was still exactly the same.
The moment Hiruzen said anything that didn't line up with his thinking, even slightly, that phrase came out on instinct.
Like some pre-programmed jutsu that activated on cue.
"I'll regret it?"
To everyone's surprise, Hiruzen didn't argue. He nodded instead, his expression serious.
"All right. Then tell me why I'll regret it. If you're right, I'll follow your suggestion."
"…Huh?" Danzo froze, his rhythm completely thrown off.
Wait. That's not how the Hokage game is supposed to work.
You're supposed to shout that you're the Hokage, refuse to hear me out, and then we glare at each other. I slam the door on my way out. I go back to Root and curse you in private.
Then, in some mysterious incident, I seize the Hokage position and show you my robes.
Oh.
Right. Root's being dismantled. That option's gone.
Since when was this monkey so… trustworthy?
After yesterday's training ground incident, where he'd been publicly criticized and forced to give his word, Danzo had walked away looking composed.
But once he got home and replayed everything in his mind, something felt wrong.
If he'd been in Hiruzen's position, he would've used that momentum to crush himself completely.
Some old promise about "fair competition for Hokage"?
Who would even remember that?
Root's problems had been laid bare in front of everyone. Hiruzen had made it official that Root would be dissolved.
Even if Danzo wanted to scheme, there was nothing left to maneuver.
Koharu and Homura wouldn't defend him. If you're wrong, you accept punishment. That was the shinobi way.
The fact that he'd shown up again today, still arguing, was a kind of struggle against his own fading future.
But still…
"Are you really that reliable, Hiruzen?" A flicker of guilt passed through Danzo's mind. He forced it down, straightened his thoughts, and answered seriously.
"If you divide the Jonin into twenty core Jonin, these so-called 'Konoha Commissioners,' then Hokage authority will inevitably be diluted. How can the Hokage Tower maintain its authority?"
"Hiruzen, maybe you think this is a good idea, but it's irresponsible toward Hokage power. All Jonin must answer directly to the Hokage."
He laid out his true concern.
Hiruzen watched him in silence for a moment, then shook his head with disappointment.
"I thought you had something profound to say."
"I understand your logic. More people equals dispersed authority, which equals loss of control. Is that right?"
Danzo nodded firmly. "Exactly. Isn't that the case?"
"The essence of fragmented authority isn't numbers. It's overlapping responsibility and blurred accountability." Hiruzen picked up his pipe and began packing tobacco into it at an unhurried pace. "To put it in terms you understand, the Root you used to command was exactly like that. It overlapped heavily with the Anbu and operated under my name as Hokage. Over time, your orders began outweighing mine in certain circles."
Danzo's face remained blank. "That was for—"
Koharu and Homura both gave faint nods.
He wasn't wrong. That was precisely what had happened.
Hiruzen lifted a hand, silencing him.
"The 'Konoha Commissioners' I intend to establish will not be a decision-making body. They are a higher-level executive tier, nothing more. They will have advisory authority."
"If their suggestions are sound, I'll adopt them. If they're not, I'll reject them."
"The final decision-making power, core personnel authority, resource allocation, and emergency powers remain mine alone."
"Define each commissioner's professional domain clearly. Set firm boundaries and accountability mechanisms. That will make Konoha run more efficiently and smoothly."
He looked at Danzo. "Do you worry about your Root squad leaders betraying you?"
Danzo frowned. "That's different. My control over them was absolute. I won't hide it, Hiruzen. Can you place a Curse Mark on these 'Konoha Commissioners'?"
Hiruzen laughed.
"Danzo, you've lived in darkness too long. If anyone heard you right now, they'd think Konoha was some kind of slave estate."
Danzo lifted his chin, unashamed.
He believed in physical control to its extreme.
"I speak of the Will of Fire. You probably can't understand that right now."
"What you advocate is essentially cultivating private soldiers. One by one, talented shinobi become disposable tools. Konoha needs its shinobi to bloom, to realize their value."
"When people live in fear and under constant control, they become walking corpses."
"Talent turns mediocre. The mediocre turn hollow. And true geniuses, forced into that mold, only accumulate resentment. In the end, that resentment harms Konoha even more."
Hiruzen offered an example.
"Even if you placed a Curse Mark on Orochimaru, would he obey you without question?"
Danzo frowned.
He wanted to refute him.
Yet somewhere deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that… Hiruzen might have a point.
The way Hiruzen looked at problems did seem a level higher.
"The shinobi world is cruel. It's left too many people in pain."
"So if we offer even a sliver of light, countless moths will fly toward it."
"In extreme environments, a person's desire for hope can surpass morality, family ties, even the instinct to survive. Especially for shinobi who feel spiritually hollow and see themselves as nothing more than tools."
Hiruzen sighed softly.
"The Will of Fire is Konoha's core value. It is a far better weapon than any Curse Mark. I hope you reflect on that, Danzo."
Koharu and Homura exchanged a glance.
The words were reasonable.
And yet… why did they feel faintly chilled?
"You've stayed too long within the small circle of Root. Fewer than twenty subordinates cycling under you. A Hokage governs an entire village."
"That way of thinking won't suffice."
It sounded like criticism.
But Danzo listened with unusual focus.
He couldn't grasp it fully, not yet. Still, he could feel something.
Was this old monkey actually training him as a successor?
So this is the real stuff.
Old man, hurry up and hand over those Hokage-level Forbidden Jutsu.
But Hiruzen didn't continue. He bit down on his pipe and patted his pockets.
As if he were looking for a lighter.
Danzo ground his teeth.
Just when it was getting interesting, you stop?
He strode over, leaned in, and struck a flame for him.
"Hmph! You're getting worse with age. Forgetting even something like this? You should reflect on yourself too!"
Hiruzen burst into laughter. "My apologies, my apologies!"
Off to the side, Koharu and Homura looked at each other again, astonishment plain in their eyes.
No way.
Danzo just lit Hiruzen's pipe.