Tsunade immediately began operating on Hiruzen.
Jiraiya stood beside the surgical table and asked, "How long do you need?"
Tsunade paused for a moment to assess the situation, then replied firmly, "At least six hours!"
Jiraiya nodded. "Understood. Don't worry about anything else. I'll make sure no one disturbs you."
Without another word, Tsunade turned and stepped into the operating room.
Moments later, Shizune arrived, followed by a squad of medical-nin. They entered swiftly to assist Tsunade, forming a seamless team.
Outside, Jiraiya took his position in front of the operating room door, arms crossed. His expression hardened—no one would be allowed to interrupt Tsunade's work.
But as expected, unwelcome guests soon appeared.
Danzo Shimura had caught wind of Tsunade's sudden return to the village, and that alone was enough to set him on edge.
Just three days ago, the deadline for his wager with Jiraiya had expired. Konoha was already preparing for the inauguration of a new Hokage—the Fifth Hokage.
Tailors had been commissioned to craft the ceremonial robes. Stonemasons had begun carving a new face onto the Hokage Monument. Messengers were being prepared to inform every hidden village across the shinobi world that the Leaf's new leader was about to take office.
And then, just as everything seemed to fall into place—Tsunade returned.
That alone made Danzo's gut tighten. Jiraiya had found her… but what was he planning now?
Would he really not honor their agreement?
Danzo's expression darkened as he approached Konoha Hospital.
When he arrived, Jiraiya was stationed outside the operating room. Danzo stepped forward.
"So, Tsunade has returned to the village," he said flatly.
Jiraiya looked up lazily, one eye narrowing.
"Oh? Lord Danzo's intelligence network must be slipping if you're only hearing that now."
Danzo ignored the jab and turned his gaze to the red 'in operation' light above the door.
"How is Hiruzen's condition?"
"He'll live," Jiraiya answered casually. "With Tsunade here, he's in good hands. The old man won't die that easily."
Danzo's lips thinned.
"Good. I hope he wakes up soon—preferably before my inauguration ceremony begins."
Jiraiya chuckled softly.
"He'll wake up, all right. And when he does… perhaps it would be best to delay that ceremony of yours."
Danzo's one visible eye narrowed sharply. Delay?
Jiraiya's words weren't subtle—he was saying everything Danzo had planned would become meaningless the moment Hiruzen regained consciousness.
If the Third Hokage lived, there would be no need for a Fifth. And even if a successor were required, it would be Hiruzen—not Danzo—who made that decision.
Danzo's tone turned icy.
"Are you threatening me, Jiraiya? Don't forget—you had your chance. It was you and your comrades who failed to seize it."
Jiraiya met his glare without flinching. "Threatening? Hardly. But as for your 'chance'—I never saw that as an opportunity to begin with."
Danzo's face darkened, the temperature around him seeming to drop.
So this was how the Sannin wanted to play it—defying agreements, bending rules to suit their own. Fine then. If the so-called Hokage faction refused to follow order, he saw no reason to hold back either.
"I only hope," Danzo said coldly, his voice low and venomous, "that Hiruzen Sarutobi doesn't die on that operating table."
A cruel smile flickered across his lips. With one last disdainful glance at Jiraiya, he turned and left.
Jiraiya watched his retreating figure and sneered.
"Schemes, tricks, threats—none of it matters," he muttered to himself. "As long as I'm here, no one lays a finger on Tsunade or that door."
Even if the First and Second Hokage themselves rose from the grave, they would have to wait until Tsunade walked out of that operating room before doing anything else.
Outside, Danzo left the hospital, his cloak whipping behind him in silent fury.
The two Root operatives flanking him could sense their leader's mood and quietly fell back to keep their distance.
Damn him! Danzo seethed inwardly.
Jiraiya had broken his word. They had agreed—if Tsunade wasn't found within a month, he would yield the position. But now, Jiraiya was exploiting Hiruzen's condition to block him.
Using the Third Hokage against me… so that's your move, Jiraiya? Hmph.
To place all his hopes on Hiruzen… how much did that fool Jiraiya look down on him?
Did none of them realize that over the past month, Danzo had already taken complete control of the Anbu?
Both the Anbu and Root were now under his command. Even the great clans of Konoha had quietly accepted his rule.
No one had spoken against his decisions in weeks—silence was as good as approval.
Konoha was already his.
And yet, Jiraiya still placed his faith in an old man lying half-dead on the operating table.
How laughable.
Who would care about the last breaths of a relic?
Danzo had even considered giving Hiruzen a dignified end, but now… it seemed even that was too generous a thought.
Just as he was about to issue his next order, a Root operative appeared before him in a blur.
"Lord Danzo!"
Danzo's single visible eye turned cold. "Speak."
"Uchiha Itachi has been sighted!"
Danzo froze for half a second. Uchiha Itachi?
Why would he return to Konoha?
Then it hit him.
Ah… Sasuke.
"Where is he? How was he found?" he demanded.
The Root operative knelt.
"Itachi contacted us directly—through Root's encrypted communication channel. He said… he wanted to meet you."
Danzo's lips curled into a faint, crooked smile.
"So, he dares to reach out himself. He's probably here to accuse me, isn't he?"
He chuckled darkly.
"Perfect. Let's see what kind of 'justice' the prodigy of the Uchiha Clan wants to discuss."
He rose to his feet, cloak shifting as he turned.
"Take me to him."
In an inconspicuous house at the edge of the village, the atmosphere was still. Dust hung motionless in the air.
Itachi sat cross-legged in the center of the dimly lit room, his straw hat casting a shadow over his face. The faint pattern of the Sharingan flickered in his eyes beneath the brim.
The wooden door creaked open, and from a hidden passage below, Danzo Shimura emerged—calm, composed, and calculating.
His gaze met Itachi's.
"You're a missing-nin now," Danzo said flatly.
"Coming back to the village, and even daring to summon me... Aren't you afraid of being captured?"
Itachi's expression didn't change. His voice was low but sharp.
"You promised me," he said, each word heavy.
"You promised to protect Sasuke. That he would grow up safely in Konoha."
His eyes narrowed, the Sharingan glinting faintly.
"So tell me, Danzo—why did you hand him over to Orochimaru?"
Danzo walked closer, unhurried.
"Are you alone?" he asked coldly. "The Akatsuki usually move in pairs."
"My partner went to investigate the Nine-Tails," Itachi replied without hesitation.
Danzo nodded slightly, as if that detail didn't matter. He slowly sat down opposite him, cane resting beside his knee.
"I did keep my word," Danzo said.
"Sasuke grew up safely in Konoha, didn't he? My promise was fulfilled. As for handing him over to Orochimaru… he's a shinobi of the Leaf now, an adult who's made his own choices."
Itachi's composure cracked. He rose abruptly, fury flashing in his eyes.
"Bastard—!"
Danzo smirked faintly. "Do you really think this was my doing alone?"
He leaned forward slightly, voice dropping to a calm, venomous tone.
"That old fool Hiruzen had a hand in this too. Don't think I didn't know what he was planning. He wanted to reconcile with Orochimaru… to bring him back to the village."
Itachi froze.
Danzo continued, tone full of mock sympathy.
"He allowed me to use Sasuke as bait—to lure Orochimaru into negotiation. He thought he could talk him into returning to Konoha. But instead, the Sannin toyed with him… and Hiruzen paid the price."
There was no proof in his words, but Itachi didn't demand any. For someone like him, truth and logic mattered more than evidence—only whether the story made sense.
And disturbingly… it did.
Orochimaru had been Hiruzen's favored student.
Itachi knew the Third's emotions toward him were complicated—regret, affection, and guilt all mixed together.
If Hiruzen had believed that sacrificing Sasuke could redeem Orochimaru… it was something he just might have attempted.
Itachi's hands clenched at his sides.
Danzo's deception had worked its way into his thoughts—not because it was convincing, but because it echoed what he already feared.
In that moment, the betrayal seemed to multiply.
Danzo had broken his word.
And Hiruzen… had silently allowed it to happen.
Konoha—the village he had slaughtered his clan to protect—had betrayed him and his brother alike.
The light in Itachi's eyes dimmed. Whatever emotion remained was buried under the cold, endless stillness of the Sharingan.
Konoha had disappointed him completely.
...
TN:
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