Hiruzen Sarutobi froze on the spot.
He just stared at Danzo in dumbfounded silence, his eyes completely vacant.
But in truth—
Inside his chest, a storm of fury had already been building, swelling and surging uncontrollably.
The Three-Tails? Nohara Rin?
Why was it this mess again?
Goddammit!
Didn't Danzo know this very issue had just caused friction between him and Minato?
And Minato… Minato was supposed to be the Fourth Hokage!
If there was a rift between them now, once Minato truly assumed the Hokage's seat in the future, how was Hiruzen supposed to face his own grand-disciple then?
In the past, relying on the master–disciple bond, even if Minato was unhappy, he didn't dare openly oppose Hiruzen.
But if today's matter wasn't handled properly, then even if he could suppress the Fourth Hokage in name, his own reputation would still be dragged through the mud!
He was already in a foul mood, and now Danzo came barging in.
You also want the Three-Tails?
Hell, I want it too!
At that moment, all the frustration Hiruzen had bottled up today finally found an outlet.
Without a shred of hesitation, he erupted.
"Danzo, are you out of your damn mind?!"
"The Three-Tails belong to the Hidden Blood Mist Village—do you seriously not even know that?"
"If I hand it over to you, and Hidden mist comes knocking to claim it back, what am I supposed to give them?"
"If I refuse, they'll tear up the peace treaty on the spot. Then what—go back to war?"
"Do you know how hard it was to finally glimpse the slightest hope of peace?"
"If Konoha clashes with Hidden Mist Village again, while we're still fighting Cloud and Sand, do you think the peace talks with Hidden Stone will even hold?"
"If those collapse, doesn't that mean Konoha will be at war with all four of the Great Shinobi Villages at once?"
"Have you even looked around the village lately? Do you know how many shinobi we even have left?"
"Do you think Konoha can bear that?!"
"And where the hell is your brain? Did a dog eat it?"
"Nohara Rin might just be a civilian kunoichi, but she's Minato's disciple."
"Because of this mess, Minato already slammed the desk at me today—do you get that?"
"And who's Minato's Sensei? My disciple, Jiraiya!"
"If Minato makes a scene, do you think Jiraiya will just stand aside and watch?"
"And if Jiraiya gets involved, do you think Tsunade and Orochimaru will stay out of it?"
"You ignorant bastard—you know nothing, and yet you still come begging me for the Three-Tails!"
"What the hell do I need you for?!"
"..."
Hiruzen roared, venting everything in one long tirade.
All of today's resentment and grievances burst out in a torrent.
Yes—
He had been suffocating all day long.
Now that he had finally found a trash can to dump his emotions into, there was no way he'd let it go to waste.
Koharu Utatane: "..."
Homura Mitokado: "..."
Both of them were completely dumbstruck.
They had worked with Hiruzen for decades, but never once had they seen him blow up like this.
Originally, they'd been ready to step in, play mediator, say a few words about unity…
But one look at Hiruzen's furious stance, and they instantly shut their mouths.
Advise him now? Hell no!
If they dared speak up, Hiruzen might just turn and tear into them as well.
So, silence was best.
The two exchanged a look, then retreated three steps in unison, taking up the role of bystanders.
"Don't be angry, Hiruzen."
Danzo was drenched in cold sweat. Seeing that Hiruzen was truly enraged, he quickly tried to explain:
"I only meant this for Konoha's sake. After all, Root is vital to the village's security, so—"
But unfortunately for him—
Hiruzen had no interest in listening to a single word.
He only wanted to vent.
Not even sparing Danzo another glance, Hiruzen flashed through a hand seal.
"Summoning Jutsu—Monkey King Enma!"
Boom!
In the next moment, Enma, clad in armor with a mane of white hair, appeared inside the Hokage's office.
"Hiruzen, who's the enemy?" Enma asked in surprise.
"Transform—into the Nyoi Staff!" Hiruzen barked coldly.
"Uh… fine." Enma shrugged.
The next instant, he transformed into the adamantine staff, which Hiruzen seized in his hands.
"Danzo—GET OUT!"
With a thunderous roar, Hiruzen swung the ever-lengthening staff straight into Danzo's chest.
Just as he had done to the Nine-Tails in the original story, the Nyoi Staff smashed Danzo clean through the office wall, carrying him hurtling into the pitch-black night sky.
Koharu: "..."
Homura: "..."
They stared wide-eyed at the sight of Danzo being launched, their minds going blank.
Good heavens—
Something was seriously wrong with Hiruzen tonight.
Even if he was furious, how could he raise his hand against a comrade?
But the next moment, both shuddered.
Better to stay silent.
Tonight was not a night to provoke Hiruzen Sarutobi.
In truth, it wasn't just them—
The most stunned of all was Danzo himself, now soaring helplessly through the air.
He was on the verge of tears.
What the hell was going on?!
All he'd done was ask about the Three-Tails!
If you didn't want to hand it over, couldn't you just say so? It wasn't like he'd insisted!
At worst, he'd go through the motions with a "You refuse, I regret" routine, and that would've been the end of it.
But to attack him over this?!
Unable to wrap his head around it, Danzo raged even as he flew.
"Hiruzen, you bastard!"
"Couldn't we have talked this out like civilized people? If you don't tell me, how am I supposed to know?"
"We're both dignified men—did you really need to resort to violence?"
"Hiruzen, you bastard, you'll regret this!"
"Arrghhh!"
Danzo's howls echoed through the night, loud enough for the whole village to hear.
And so—
Ninjas all across Konoha rushed out, thinking the village was under attack.
But when they reached the streets, all they saw was the colossal Nyoi Staff stretching out from the Hokage's building into the sky, with Danzo's furious cries still ringing overhead.
Uh…
That was the Hokage, and one of Konoha's elders.
Better not get involved!
So, though their faces brimmed with curiosity, the villagers wisely slunk back to their homes.
Inside the Hokage's office—
Only when Danzo's voice faded into the distance did Hiruzen finally let out a sigh of relief.
Canceling the summoning and sending Enma back, he muttered with a faint smile:
"Mmm… much better."
"The air really is sweeter without Danzo around."
"Koharu, Homura…"
"Tomorrow, we'll sign the peace treaty with Hidden Stone just as I instructed. Understood?"
"..."
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