The warm light of the afternoon sun filtered through the broad windows of the Hokage office, casting long shadows across the polished wooden floor.
The sharp scent of ink and aged paper lingered in the air as Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi stood in front of his wide desk, hands calmly folded behind his back, his expression one of composed anticipation.
Today was a rare political victory—the envoys from the Cloud Village had arrived.
Draped in formal attire embroidered with their village insignia, the Cloud delegation stood in a line before him, their expressions cold but civil.
Four of them in total—tall, broad-shouldered, and bearing the hardened look of warriors shaped by long campaigns.
One of them, the apparent leader, stepped forward and gave a formal nod.
"Hokage-dono," he said in a neutral tone. "We are honored to stand in the heart of Konoha."
Hiruzen smiled with practiced diplomacy. "The honor is ours. Let us hope this meeting marks the end of needless bloodshed and the beginning of mutual understanding."
They exchanged brief nods before taking their seats across the long table that had been arranged in the center of the office for the occasion. Scrolls and documents were placed in order.
Assistants from both sides stood silently along the edges of the room, ready to act if needed.
As the tea was poured, Hiruzen wasted no time.
"I trust your journey from Kumogakure was smooth?" he asked, voice light but measured.
"It was uneventful," the envoy replied. "Let us move to the terms. Time is better spent on matters of substance."
Hiruzen nodded, motioning to a document in front of him. "Konoha agrees to establish peace, so long as your village accepts the reparations outlined in the treaty—non-aggressive terms.
A modest sum in compensation, the return of captured assets, and a formal commitment to non-hostility for the next decade."
The head envoy's lips barely twitched. "Reasonable."
That's when the calm was broken.
A harsh voice cut through the air. "Reasonable? Hmph. For a village that raided our borders and attacked supply lines, this is a generous offer they should crawl to accept."
All eyes turned to the far corner, where Danzo Shimura stood with his arms folded, his single visible eye narrowed in contempt.
His cane tapped once against the floor as he stepped forward.
"You speak of reason, Hokage-sama," Danzo continued, "but let's not forget—we had the upper hand in this war. Their losses were heavier.
They breached our trust. They should be paying double, if not triple, for what they've done."
The Cloud envoys' postures stiffened immediately.
The lead envoy's eyes flashed with thinly veiled annoyance. "If that is how your village sees peace, then perhaps we were mistaken in coming here."
He stood up, his voice calm but cold. "Cancel the treaty, then. We'll see each other again on the battlefield. Maybe next time we'll take something more permanent than just supplies."
The room went tense. One of Hiruzen's aides shifted uneasily but said nothing. Danzo's face remained unmoved, as if daring them to leave.
Hiruzen's voice snapped through the air like a drawn blade.
"Enough, Danzo."
Silence.
Hiruzen rose from his chair, his expression hard.
"I am the Hokage. This village does not move according to your opinions. You are here to observe, not to dictate. Leave the room."
Danzo opened his mouth to protest, but Hiruzen's eyes had turned to steel. That one look was enough. With a scoff and a faint sneer, Danzo turned and walked out, slamming the door behind him.
The thud echoed like a gavel sealing judgment.
An awkward silence hung in the room for a few seconds, until Hiruzen exhaled quietly and turned to the Cloud envoys again.
"Forgive the outburst. The treaty remains valid. The terms stand, if you are still willing."
The lead envoy narrowed his eyes for a moment longer, clearly weighing the situation. Then, he slowly sat back down.
"…We accept. But we expect your village to keep its word."
"Of course," Hiruzen said smoothly. "As long as your people do the same."
With silent nods from both sides, the documents were signed. The ink dried quickly on the smooth parchment as Hiruzen placed his official seal on the final page.
One by one, the Cloud envoys stood and offered stiff, formal bows.
They turned and left the office, followed by an escort of two Konoha shinobi who would accompany them to their temporary lodging within the village.
As the door shut gently behind them, the room fell quiet again.
The assistants began gathering the scrolls and documents, but Hiruzen remained still, eyes fixed on the treaty on the table.
A part of him felt triumphant. This peace, even if delicate, would bring a period of calm—calm that Konoha needed desperately. The people would hear of it soon.
And when they did, it would be his name they praised.
He stepped toward the window and looked out at the village below, the streets slowly glowing orange in the descending sun.
But his victory felt incomplete.
Somewhere behind the successful signatures and political maneuvering, a tension still clung to the edges of everything.
Like smoke that hadn't yet cleared.
---
The office was quiet. The treaty was signed. The Cloud envoys had left.
Yet Hiruzen's heart didn't feel at ease.
He took off his hat and placed it gently on the side of his desk, then reached into the drawer.
With deliberate fingers, he retrieved a cigarette and lit it, watching the smoke curl toward the ceiling like a ghost escaping its body.
But peace is fragile.
A soft knock interrupted his thoughts.
The door creaked open—and there stood Danzo, again.
His presence filled the room like a cold wind. He no longer hid behind politeness. He didn't bow.
He walked straight in, his cane tapping across the wooden floor, and stopped directly in front of Hiruzen's desk.
"You should have never signed that treaty," Danzo said without preamble. "They're hiding something."
Hiruzen exhaled a thin line of smoke, refusing to let his voice rise. "Danzo… I already made the decision. It's done."
Danzo's visible eye narrowed. "They were far too eager to accept after being challenged. Their pride runs deep. This wasn't about peace for them. It never was."
"Then what is it about?" Hiruzen asked calmly.
"I don't know yet," Danzo replied. "That's why we should act. Send the ANBU. Monitor their movements, their contacts, their routes. Any opening they look for—Konoha should be watching."
Hiruzen turned away, walking slowly toward the window. The orange hue of the setting sun bathed the rooftops of the Hidden Leaf in gold and crimson.
"No," he said quietly.
Danzo stiffened.
"I will not place ANBU on them," Hiruzen continued. "They are our guests now. Our treaty stands. Sending ANBU to spy on them would only escalate the suspicion."
Danzo clenched his fist around the top of his cane. "That's naïve."
"No," Hiruzen replied, his voice firmer now. "That's diplomacy. Something you've clearly lost all understanding of."
The air in the room thickened.
Danzo's voice grew colder. "One day, you'll regret ignoring me. When you're picking up the pieces, remember that I warned you."
Hiruzen turned slowly to face him, meeting his eye without flinching.
"I am the Hokage. That means I carry the weight of these decisions. You are here to support the village, not to overstep me."
Danzo didn't reply. He just turned, stormed toward the door, and slammed it behind him—harder this time.
The sound echoed through the halls.
Left alone again, Hiruzen rubbed his temples before reaching for the cigarette once more. He took a long drag, then muttered under his breath.
"Your way of thinking, Danzo… it's more dangerous than any foreign threat."
He walked back to the window, eyes scanning the horizon.
Maybe… I need to start watching you instead.
---
Meanwhile, outside the Hokage Building, the Cloud envoys walked in silence.
They had been granted a temporary residence on the west end of the village—a guest inn reserved for foreign dignitaries.
Their expressions remained neutral in public, but the moment they turned down an empty alley, their true faces emerged.
A sneer curled across the leader's lips.
"Hmph. These fools really think we came for peace."
Another one chuckled under his breath. "A treaty is just a mask. We have our real mission."
They leaned in closer, voices lowered to a whisper.
"Tonight," one of them said. "We move after midnight. The Hyuga compound is on the eastern quarter. We sneak in, locate the clan leader's daughter, and extract her. No delays."
The leader nodded. "If we succeed, the Raikage will have what he always wanted—access to the Byakugan bloodline."
"And we prove ourselves worthy of his trust," another added.
Their eyes gleamed with ambition. Their lips curled in confidence.
"We'll strike hard and disappear before they even realize it."
They each reached inside their robes and tapped a sealed scroll—special jutsu and smoke bombs ready for their plan.
There would be no mercy, no negotiations.
This was not about diplomacy. It was about power, control—and domination through secrets.
As they walked further toward their inn, their voices faded. The street lamps cast long shadows behind them.
But… something moved within those shadows.
A flicker—too quick for normal eyes.
A presence—too subtle for the untrained.
High above on a rooftop, crouched low and perfectly still, a figure cloaked in darkness observed every movement.
The wind didn't rustle their clothing.
Even the falling leaves avoided them.
Who they were, and which side they truly served—no one could say.
But they had been watching the Cloud envoys since they entered the village.
And now… they had confirmation.
The figure's gloved hand touched the side of a small device strapped beneath their armor—a communicator, tuned to a private channel.
But no signal was sent. Not yet.
They were waiting—for the right moment.
And as the figure's eyes narrowed, tracking the envoys disappearing around a corner, a quiet thought passed through their mind.
"So... this is how it begins."
---
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