Chapter 73 – Shimura Danzō—f* your mother!
Shimura Danzō strode into the Hokage's office, dust still clinging to his robes.
The moment he stepped inside, he sensed that something was wrong.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya regarded him with cold detachment—tinged with something that looked suspiciously like pity.
Yūhi Shinku's eyes burned with open anger.
Hatake Sakumo wouldn't even spare him a glance.
And Ren, along with Namikaze Minato—the two he loathed most, the thorns in his side—were actually smiling at him?
What was the meaning of this? What had Hiruzen just said?
Though he couldn't piece together the details, Danzō knew one thing for certain: when Hiruzen summoned him in moments like this, it was usually for one reason only—to play the villain, to draw everyone's ire, to become the lightning rod.
So he slipped into his familiar role with ease.
"This matter is already crystal clear!"
"Hannya—killing a Konoha civilian without cause. You wear an ANBU mask, and yet you ignore the village's laws? Hmph. Well, I suppose that's to be expected. A cruel nature can only be hidden for so long—eventually the mask always slips…"
Danzō spoke with smug satisfaction. He'd already heard Root's report. This time, he was sure the facts were on his side.
But Ren didn't respond with anger. Instead, he smiled.
A bright, radiant smile that lit up his youthful face, radiating an almost shocking confidence.
And then—came the real shock.
Slowly raising his hand, Ren pointed directly at Danzō's nose. His voice, amplified by chakra, rang through the office like thunder:
"Shimura Danzō—f* your mother!"
"You're just some petty clan-born shinobi, cast out from ANBU command staff, and you think you can strut around here acting high and mighty!?"
"You like to spy, don't you? Spying on me, spying on Minato, spying on the ANBU commander… what's next? Spying on the Hokage himself!?"
"Let me tell you something—Lord Sakumo may have lost his right arm, but in my heart, he is still my ANBU captain, still Konoha's hero. A man like you has no right to tarnish his name!"
"And if you dare send more of your dogs to shadow us again—don't expect me to be as polite as I was today!"
His words crashed like a storm. With a sharp snort, Ren stepped back, shielding Minato at his side. The echoes of his declaration reverberated through the Hokage Tower. Civil staff and guards outside froze in shock, eyes wide.
Had the conflicts among Konoha's high command really grown this fierce?
Inside the office, Danzō stood dumbfounded.
Yūhi's expression shifted.
Sakumo lifted his gaze toward Ren.
Minato nearly clapped on the spot.
Good—very good! Someone had finally said what he himself had long wanted to shout. Danzō, a mere elite jōnin in terms of strength, held sway over ANBU veterans only because of his ties to Hiruzen.
But Ren wasn't just speaking for himself. He was voicing what countless others had long thought but dared not say.
"You… you…"
Danzō's lips trembled white with rage. Ever since becoming clan head of the Shimura and Hokage's advisor, no one had dared raise their voice to him—let alone point a finger at his nose and curse him outright. Not since the day his father had died.
Hiruzen, however, was not pleased. His face darkened.
He disapproved of Ren's conduct. Disputes should be addressed with facts, not with insults.
"You see, Hiruzen?" Danzō snapped, seizing the chance to regain footing. "This is the promising young talent you've chosen. Today he points at me. Tomorrow, it will be you!"
Danzō would never stoop to quarreling with a youngster like Ren. His age and status wouldn't allow it—trading insults was beneath him. So, naturally, he leaned on the man at his back: Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Ahem." Hiruzen coughed lightly, drawing every gaze back to himself.
"Hannya, watch your conduct. Don't amplify your voice with chakra again. Even if you're dissatisfied, you must find proper ways to express it."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Ren bowed his head, stepping down from the confrontation. He'd vented enough already—pressing further now served no purpose.
The issue had been raised high, and now Hiruzen chose to set it down gently. Danzō, of course, was far from satisfied, but with the Hokage himself speaking, he couldn't protest without overstepping. He swallowed his frustration.
"Hannya, why did you kill Gojō Ryō?" Hiruzen asked, once the air had cooled.
"Reporting to Hokage-sama: Gojō Ryō had dealings with Hanegawa. While reviewing case files, I found irregularities. In the year 36 of Konoha, he intoxicated his wife and handed her over to Hanegawa—who, as we all know, harbors sadistic tendencies."
The office fell into silence. The matter was already clear enough; these were clever men, and there was no need to spell out every detail.
Hiruzen looked up at Ren.
"So it wasn't just a personal grudge?"
"Yes… and no." Ren's reply was unexpected.
"Oh? Explain."
"I killed Gojō Ryō partly to redress his wife's suffering—that's public duty. But also, I couldn't stomach the way he insulted Lord Sakumo—that's personal."
"Lord Sakumo has dedicated his entire life to the battlefield. Five times he stood unbroken against the Cloud on the border. When Suna and Ame stirred unrest, he was always at the front. Even this recent Western Front campaign—he handled it brilliantly! He doesn't deserve to be slandered, only to be demanded more and more of."
"If word spreads that Konoha mistreats its heroes—tell me, Hokage-sama, who will still be willing to fight for the village? When self-preservation becomes the rule, and no one dares bleed for Konoha—then, truly, that will be our village's end!"
The words rang out, sharp and heavy.
Danzō couldn't hold himself back.
"So what, according to you—if we don't follow your way, the village will collapse?"
"Hard to say."
"You—!"
"Enough, enough." Hiruzen cut in, pressing his fingers to his brow.
Being Hokage was anything but easy. He had tried to smooth the mud, but the more he rubbed, the harder it hardened.
"Very well. Danzō, recall your Root operatives from surveillance. Without my direct permission, there will be no more spying on our own shinobi."
"And Hannya—you spoke out of turn, insulted the Hokage's advisor, and slew a civilian in the course of action. Though you had cause, punishment is still due."
"Your sentence is this: suspension without pay. Your merits from the Western Front will be nullified. Do you accept this ruling?"
It was the classic compromise—punish both sides to balance the scales.
But Ren could not accept. Battle honors could be erased—that mattered little. But Tsunade's matter? That had to be confronted openly, here and now, before Hiruzen himself.
"Hokage-sama, if that is your verdict, then I must refuse."
The words nearly made Hiruzen choke on his own breath. Refuse? This boy was merely an elite ANBU! Who did he think he was, rejecting the Hokage's decree?
On the sidelines, Orochimaru and Jiraiya exchanged glances. It had been a long time since someone had made the old man's face turn red with fury just through words.
"You mean to challenge me?" Hiruzen's voice dropped heavy, filled with the weight of the Hokage's authority.
"I wouldn't dare," Ren replied, his gaze unwavering. "But I will say this—the rumors in the village are true."
Hiruzen froze.
"…Which rumor?"
"The one about me and Lady Tsunade." Ren's tone was calm, almost casual. "It's true. She and I are together. Originally, I had planned to use the merit of my Western Front victories to win your acknowledgment…"
Jiraiya, who had been enjoying the spectacle, suddenly stopped smiling.