Late at night, the Hokage's office was lit by a single lamp.
The Third Hokage sat behind his desk, posture relaxed, eyes steady, as Shimura Danzō stepped inside. The door closed softly behind him.
The warmth in the room faded.
Hiruzen had been in good spirits earlier. That vanished the moment he saw who had come. Danzō never visited without reason, and his reasons were never simple.
They regarded each other in silence.
"HIRUZEN," Danzō began at last, voice low, "I've heard that recently the Nine-Tails jinchūriki and—"
"His name is Naruto," Hiruzen cut in. "Uzumaki Naruto."
Danzō's mouth twitched, something close to a smile, but he let it pass.
"Very well," he said. "Uzumaki Naruto. I hear he's been spending a great deal of time with Uchiha Sasuke. Do you understand how dangerous that is?"
Hiruzen didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked straight at Danzō.
"I was under the impression that Root no longer exists," he said calmly. "So tell me, where did you hear this?"
Danzō's eye narrowed. "It isn't a secret. Many have noticed."
Hiruzen said nothing.
Taking that as assent, Danzō pressed on. "Their contact must be stopped. Immediately."
"I see no danger," Hiruzen replied. "Children's bonds are simple. Free of calculation. That is precisely why they matter."
"He is an Uchiha," Danzō said, shadow crossing his face. "You haven't forgotten the Sharingan in the Nine-Tails' eyes eight years ago. Many saw it."
Hiruzen's expression hardened. "That incident was never proven to be the work of the Uchiha. And the clan is gone. Sasuke should not be made to carry suspicion meant for the dead. He is only a child."
"As always, you're soft," Danzō said. "The Uchiha are born with darkness. The Second Hokage himself said so."
Hiruzen's gaze sharpened. "He also believed that evil could be overcome. Through guidance. Through effort. That belief is why he accepted Kagami as a disciple. And Kagami was our comrade, Danzō."
Silence fell.
"Not every Uchiha is Kagami," Danzō said at last.
"Then say what you came to say," Hiruzen replied. "Directly."
Danzō did not hesitate. "Give Uchiha Sasuke to me. Left unchecked, he will become a threat."
"No."
The refusal was immediate. Absolute.
Danzō's grip tightened on his cane. "Under my hand, he would become a blade for Konoha. Loyal. Controlled. That is the best outcome for everyone."
"You would only drag him deeper into the dark," Hiruzen said.
"Light and shadow coexist," Danzō replied evenly. "The tree cannot stand without roots beneath the soil."
"Sasuke will grow in the light," Hiruzen said. "With the village. With his peers. He will inherit the Will of Fire, just as Kagami did."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed.
"And if he ever chooses the shadows, it will be as an ANBU operative. Not as one of your tools. He may bow underground for a time, but he will rise again. I believe that."
Danzō studied him, incredulous. "You truly believe that boy will become another Kagami."
"I do," Hiruzen said, closing his eyes. "Without hesitation."
It wasn't blind faith.
He had watched Sasuke closely. Watched the boy train. Watched him sit alone after practice, reading in silence. The worn pages of The Will of Fire had never left his hands for long.
That kind of focus wasn't an act.
Danzō stood there for a long moment, then exhaled sharply. "You are naïve, Hiruzen."
"You were going to say that," Hiruzen replied, opening his eyes. "I answered first."
Danzō froze.
For a heartbeat, he almost laughed.
"…Very well," he said at last. "This conversation ends here."
He turned to leave.
At the door, he paused.
"I won't regret this," Hiruzen said calmly.
Danzō's jaw tightened. He gave a short, humorless snort and left, the door slamming shut behind him.
The office returned to silence.