Stacks of post-war documents, compensation claims, mission rosters, and personnel adjustments piled high on the Hokage's desk.
The setting sun poured through the window, gilding the paperwork with a weary golden hue.
Hiruzen had just finished signing the last document. He rubbed his temples and reached for his pipe.
The door to the office slammed open.
Danzō entered with heavy steps, carrying the scent of the battlefield. A trace of the earlier front-line hero's welcome still clung to him, along with a sense of pride.
Behind him, Orochimaru silently followed and leaned into a shadowed corner. His golden serpent-like eyes gleamed coldly, and a subtle, unreadable smirk curled at his lips.
"Sensei," Orochimaru greeted calmly.
In the office sat advisors Koharu and Homura.
Danzō's sudden entry froze the air.
Koharu and Homura exchanged a wary glance and tensed up.
Ignoring Orochimaru completely, Danzō's gaze swept past the two elders and locked onto Hiruzen. "Hiruzen, the surrender terms for Suna… you agreed to them too lightly. You're too soft, Hiruzen!"
Hiruzen lifted his head and set down his pipe. "You're back, Danzō. You've worked hard at the front in Ame. The terms were decided after extensive discussions with Homura and Koharu. You've just returned. Is there a specific issue you want to raise?" His eyes flicked toward the corner. Orochimaru was playing idly with a leaf, watching with interest.
"Issue?" Danzō narrowed his eyes, his tone thick with sarcasm. "Do you even understand how much blood we shed in Ame? How many Konoha shinobi died, staining the soil red, just to force Suna into surrender? Look at me!" He stepped closer, slamming his fist down on the Hokage's desk, scattering papers.
"For victory, I and Root paid an enormous price! What Konoha needs is an iron fist. We should've crushed Suna into the ground, made them our slaves for all eternity. And instead, you let them go so easily? This is an insult to the fallen!"
His chest heaved, fury burning in his gaze.
In the shadows, Orochimaru's smirk deepened slightly.
"Enough, Danzō!" Koharu snapped. "You think you're the only one who worked hard in the Second Shinobi World War? We kept the village running, managed logistics and command. Are we just useless in your eyes?"
Homura adjusted his glasses, voice low and simmering with anger. "Without the support division allocating supplies, maintaining the rear, the front lines would've collapsed long ago. Your injuries are medals. But what, the contributions of those in the rear count for nothing?"
The atmosphere thickened, shifting from a discussion of the Suna treaty to an argument over credit—front-line bloodshed versus behind-the-scenes support.
Hiruzen took a deep breath and pressed his palm down on the desk.
"Everyone, calm down." He turned to Danzō. "Regarding Suna's surrender terms, I'll say it again—they were already harsh. This isn't softness. It's reality."
Danzō grunted in frustration.
Hiruzen didn't give him a chance to interrupt. "Suna was already poor. These reparations have nearly emptied their decades of reserves. You want to push further? You want to corner them until they become a desperate beast, dragging a weakened Konoha down with them?"
His gaze sharpened. "The Hokage's duty is to secure Konoha's stability above all else. Stability requires more courage than recklessness. This outcome is the best possible stop-loss."
His voice sank. "And as for making Suna surrender completely? Danzō, be realistic. Would they accept such humiliation? What about the pride of the Land of Wind? The bloodline of the Suna shinobi? Even if they agreed, would Iwa and Kumo just sit by and watch Konoha absorb Suna and rise in power? No. They would unite at once."
Hiruzen's voice suddenly rose. "After all the effort it took to end this war, do you want to reignite it? Drag Konoha into another bloodbath? More shinobi sacrifices? Is that your idea of victory? Is that your so-called 'thinking of Konoha'?"
His gaze pierced Danzō like a blade.
The wariness Hiruzen had always felt toward Danzō turned cold and absolute.
This old friend's ambition now threatened the village itself.
He had to remind Danzō of his place, he could only ever be the shadow of the Hokage, the root buried deep underground. The Root could be sharp, but never seek to become the tree.
"And speaking of spoils of war…" Hiruzen's voice suddenly chilled.
He pulled a scroll wrapped in sealing tags from beneath the desk and slammed it onto the table in front of Danzō.
He pressed forward. "During the most critical moment in the Land of Rain campaign, who was it that forged a false Hokage order and, under the excuse of 'ambushing Hanzō to end the war in one strike,' moved Tsunade, Jiraiya, Ryo, and…" his gaze flicked to Orochimaru, "...Orochimaru, all four of Konoha's top combat forces away from the main base?"
"When the base was left undefended, Chiyo personally led Suna's elite and attacked?"
At the moment the scroll landed, the leaf in Orochimaru's fingers stopped spinning. His golden pupils narrowed slightly, cold and knowing. This intelligence had come directly from his own report after the battle.
Danzō's pupils shrank violently. His lone eye fixed on the scroll, and under the bandages, his face paled.
Hiruzen didn't pause. Every word he spoke struck like a hammer. "That attack broke our main base. How many elite Konoha shinobi died protecting strategic supplies and wounded comrades who couldn't evacuate? Their blood soaks that battlefield."
For the first time, Hiruzen's voice trembled slightly with a trace of emotion. "If not for Ryo rushing back in time and turning the tide singlehandedly, crushing Suna's forces and stabilizing the front… Danzō, tell me, how would that war have ended? Would it be victory? Or would Konoha's core forces have been annihilated, the Ame front collapsed, and Suna's army sweeping into the heart of the Land of Fire?"
Hiruzen stood abruptly. Both palms pressed against the desk. He leaned forward, gaze like fire, almost burning through Danzō. "You! How dare you gamble Konoha's fate on your personal ambition? How dare you use the lives of thousands of shinobi as stepping stones for your climb?! Orochimaru reported this to me after the war. When I confirmed it was you who forged my order… I wanted to strip you of your command on the spot!"
He inhaled deeply, quelling the fury and pressure rising in his chest. "Tell me, Danzō, what were you thinking back then?!"
The office was dead silent.
Only Hiruzen's heavy breathing echoed.
Koharu and Homura were frozen.
They stared between the scroll and Danzō's ashen face in disbelief.
They instinctively glanced at Orochimaru in the corner. He remained expressionless, but deep within his slit-like pupils flickered the faintest trace of mockery—a cold, cruel amusement at Danzō's failed scheme.
Danzō stood stiff for several seconds. The shock in his eyes quickly twisted into stubborn defiance.
He raised his head sharply. His bloodshot eye stared straight into Hiruzen's blazing gaze. "War is cruel. Sacrifice is… inevitable!" He straightened his back. "I moved those four for a decisive strike, to eliminate Hanzō and break Ame's resistance from the root! Who could have predicted Suna's reckless attack? That was an intelligence failure. An accident!"
He spoke faster. "Even without Ryo, I had full control of the situation! Everything I did was for Konoha's final victory! Some casualties are a necessary cost! Great achievements require bold decisions!"
"Some casualties? Necessary cost?" Koharu's voice rose sharply. "Are those fallen shinobi just 'minor details' to you? Was Konoha's fate just a game of dice in your hands?" She pointed at the scroll, hand trembling. "Forging a Hokage order! And you still dare argue?!"
Homura's face darkened. "Danzō, you're a disappointment. For the sake of your petty ambition, you ignored protocol and treated your comrades' lives like pawns. Their blood is not your bargaining chip for merit!"
He turned to Hiruzen, tone resolute. "Hiruzen's judgment is correct. If anything, it's too lenient. This conduct must be punished! We owe the village and the fallen an answer!"
The two elder advisors firmly stood by Hiruzen.
Danzō's earlier dismissal of the rear's contributions had already offended them. Now, his blatant crime had enraged them further.
In the shadows, Orochimaru remained silent, but a subtle smirk curled his lips.
Hiruzen looked at Danzō, who still tried to justify himself. His gaze was a mix of fury, pain, and disappointment. He slowly sat back down in the Hokage's chair, lit his pipe, and took a deep draw. Through the smoke, his resolve sharpened.
His gaze cut through the haze and locked coldly onto Danzō.
"Shimura Danzō," his voice was like a final judgment. "As the Hokage's aide and leader of Root, during the campaign in the Land of Rain, you forged an order in my name and moved Konoha's top front-line forces—Tsunade, Jiraiya, Ryo, and Orochimaru—without authorization. This resulted in the breach of our main base, major casualties, and nearly caused total strategic failure, endangering the Land of Fire itself. This is a grave crime that threatens the very foundation of the village. It is unforgivable."
He paused, eyes sweeping over Danzō's pale face.
"However, considering your years of service, your sacrifices in the Land of Rain, and your contribution in the final battle... the office of the Hokage, together with the Elder Council, has reached the following decision."
"Your merits and crimes cancel out. You are hereby dismissed from your position as Hokage aide. Root will now be placed under direct supervision of the Hokage's office. You," his voice was sharp and final, "are to return home. You are to remain under house arrest. Until further notice, you are forbidden from participating in any village matters or stepping foot near the council."
Stripped of his position. Root taken away. Confined to his home.
To Danzō, it was like a thunderbolt from the sky. He had given everything in the Land of Rain—sacrificed body and soul, endured pain, secured victory—and received the welcome of a returning hero.
And now, a cold dismissal?
Absurd. The fury of betrayal erupted like magma, melting all reason. He felt like a complete joke. All his sacrifice, planning, ambition… amounted to nothing but punishment and forced reflection?
"Heh… hehehe…" A low, venomous laugh escaped Danzō's throat, sending chills down Koharu and Homura's spines.
He jerked his head up. His bloodshot eye locked onto Hiruzen's face, his voice twisted. "Good… very good. Hiruzen… you'll regret this. One day, when disaster strikes Konoha, you'll remember this moment."
Hiruzen, behind the smoke, remained unmoved. His eyes were like stone.
He exhaled slowly. "Danzō, I am the Hokage. Letting you treat the lives of shinobi and the safety of the village so carelessly… that is the only thing I would ever regret."
As Hiruzen's words fell, Danzō trembled.
"I am the Hokage." Those words pierced his pride like poison-tipped arrows.
He turned sharply. His empty sleeve swung out a lonely arc.
"Just because I'm not Hokage…" he screamed inside.
He looked at no one. With his one remaining arm and a body full of seething resentment, he yanked the heavy door open.
Bang!
The office door slammed with deafening force. The impact echoed down the corridor like the last roar of a wounded beast.
In the office, only silence remained. A faint cloud of dust drifted from the ceiling.
Hiruzen quietly stared at the still-trembling door, his expression unreadable behind the smoke.
Koharu and Homura looked at each other, their faces solemn and uneasy. Danzō's eyes before he left still lingered in their minds, filled with poison.
After a long time, Hiruzen finally sighed and broke the silence. He rubbed his brow, the weight in the office pressing on everyone present.
"Orochimaru," Hiruzen's voice was tired, but his gaze grew sharp again. "The matter with Danzō is settled. The intel you submitted… was critical."
Then, his tone shifted to a lingering concern.
"That fool Jiraiya… where did he run off to? The war's over. Why hasn't he returned? You were on the same front. Do you know where he went?" His brows furrowed in worry and frustration.
From the shadows, Orochimaru's golden pupils flickered faintly.
He straightened a little, and the smile on his lips deepened.
His raspy voice carried an indifferent tone.
"Jiraiya, huh… Sensei, as for that idiot's whereabouts…"
(To be continued.)
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