"HIRUZEN."
The voice rang out sharply from behind, but Hiruzen didn't need to turn to know who it was. Danzo.
"What were you doing at the Inuzuka compound," Hiruzen asked coldly, "when the village was under attack?"
Danzo scoffed. "They've clearly betrayed the village. Of course I went there—to prevent them from fleeing before they could erase the evidence."
Before Hiruzen could respond, the Inuzuka clan leader, who had just arrived, stepped forward and snapped.
"Danzo-sama, do not throw around accusations without proof!"
He turned to Hiruzen, bowing respectfully despite the chaos.
"Hokage-sama, my clan has no connection to this incident. We have always served Konoha with loyalty. We don't know where these beasts came from, but they are not ours."
The enormous dogs were still visible in the distance, their roars echoing across the rooftops, but the Inuzuka chief didn't flinch. His gaze remained firm, directed solely at the Third Hokage.
Danzo, however, was far from done.
"You're telling me dogs of that scale show up, and the clan that specialises in them just happens to know nothing?" he barked, stepping forward aggressively. "Hiruzen, don't be naive."
But Hiruzen remained calm, unmoved by Danzo's fury.
The Inuzuka clan head didn't even glance at Danzo anymore. They had already argued when Root operatives surrounded the Inuzuka compound earlier. There was no respect left to offer. Now, only the Hokage's judgment mattered.
And he knew the stakes.
Despite the Third Hokage's dangerous nature and ever-growing influence, even he wouldn't dare attack a loyal clan outright. Especially not now, with war looming on the horizon. Konoha couldn't afford internal conflict.
Sure enough, Hiruzen raised his hand, silencing Danzo before he could continue.
"Enough, Danzo," Hiruzen said firmly. "We are all part of Konoha. There is no reason to believe the Inuzuka, one of the village's oldest and most loyal clans, would betray us. Not without evidence."
"But—"
"Danzo," Hiruzen cut him off sharply. His voice brooked no argument. "That is a Hokage's command."
Danzo clenched his fists, visibly seething, but he didn't speak further. The weight of Hiruzen's authority pressed down, silencing even him.
Why, Tobirama-sensei? he cursed silently. Why did you choose him?
The proof was right there, towering over the village in monstrous form—dogs, wild and out of control. And yet Hiruzen, ever the idealist, refused to act decisively.
He's being soft again. Always prioritising peace over control, Danzo thought bitterly, his jaw tight.
But he said nothing.
In his mind, however, plans were already beginning to form.
If the Hokage won't act… someone must.
Hiruzen's voice cut through the silence, snapping Danzo from his thoughts.
"Danzo, you and Root will handle the remaining Anbu positions on the left flank."
Danzo let out a quiet scoff but didn't argue. Despite his growing frustration, he gave a curt nod and turned away.
He knew exactly where he was being sent. He didn't need a map. It was his own clan compound.
That was why he didn't bother to protest. Why waste words?
His eyes swept over the destruction that had befallen the Shimura grounds. Buildings were reduced to rubble, courtyards torn apart by massive pawprints. The smell of scorched earth and splintered wood lingered in the air.
As he walked, his scowl deepened.
This was the price of weakness, he thought coldly. And Hiruzen calls himself the Hokage?
Despite his outward focus on Root, Danzo had never abandoned his clan. Far from it. While Root was his spear in the dark, the Shimura clan was his shield—an arm of influence he had slowly been forging into something greater.
He had long since begun the quiet work of transforming his clan into another front: disciplined, resourceful, and loyal to his vision above all. While others saw tradition and stagnation, Danzo saw potential. Potential to gather like-minded clans under his banner. To do what was necessary when others hesitated.
"You can protect a village only by controlling it," Danzo reminded himself coldly.
"Do it. Now!" he barked, his eyes narrowing as one of the giant pups lumbered toward the inner compound of the Shimura clan.
In an instant, four shinobi appeared around the creature, each taking a corner. Anbu moved in coordination to assist.
"Ninja Art: Four Flames Formation!"
With a flash of chakra, a blazing barrier erupted around the pup, sealing it within a square of scorching red energy. The four shinobi took positions outside the barrier. Now, only the beast and the Anbu were trapped inside.
Danzo's voice was devoid of sympathy as he gave the next command.
"Do not lower the barrier unless it's dead."
Then, without another glance, he turned away, moving toward the next rampaging beast.
As for the Anbu caught inside the formation?
Danzo didn't care. In his eyes, they were tools—disposable assets. Their resentment, their fear, their lives… none of it mattered.
They should feel honoured, he thought, to finally be of some use in protecting the village.
************
Range of Daredevil abilities?