Hokage Building, inside the office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, eyes downcast in silence, puffing on his pipe as smoke curled upward.
The air was stifling, like a sealed clay jar under heavy pressure, suffocating enough to make one want to shatter the walls or rip open the lid just to escape.
"Cough, cough!"
It wasn't until Utatane Koharu broke into a cough that the unbearable silence was shattered.
"Hiruzen… this matter…"
Mitokado Homura exhaled heavily, casting a glance at Danzō—who stubbornly refused to bow his head—before turning back to Hiruzen to urge, "This time, things truly went too far on Danzō's part…"
"Conducting Wood Release experiments in secret, hiding research results and even a Wood Release shinobi—don't tell me you think that isn't excessive?"
Before Homura could finish excusing him, Hiruzen cut him off, expressionless: "That's Wood Release we're talking about. Don't tell me you don't understand what that means!"
At those words, Homura's old face reddened slightly. He glanced helplessly at Shimura Danzō.
Yes… a Wood Release shinobi.
Who would've thought Danzō would be so bold as to secretly keep one for himself?
If not for the investigation into Orochimaru's defection, they wouldn't even know Wood Release had resurfaced.
Danzō's grip over "Root" now… even made Homura feel uneasy.
"Root is the roots of Konoha, the roots of the ANBU, and my own roots. But now, you dare to hide such vital information from me, the Hokage? Does that not mean…" Hiruzen paused, narrowing his eyes at Danzō as he demanded: "Root has already become an independent faction for certain people's personal gain?"
At this, the ever-stoic Danzō replied in a low, gravelly voice: "Everything I've done is for Konoha."
Listening to his old comrade's resolute words, Hiruzen silently exhaled a puff of smoke. His face was shrouded in misty haze, unreadable from Danzō's angle.
"Hiruzen…"
Koharu, who had stayed quiet until now, finally spoke up.
"Enough."
Seeing they were about to plead for Danzō again, Hiruzen irritably waved his hand, cutting them off.
After Tobirama's death at the hands of Kumogakure's ambush, he had inherited the Hokage mantle in a time of crisis.
But "Hokage" was nothing like the youthful dream he once had. The moment he took office, he was faced with war and the crushing pressure of the great clans—his idealized vision of Hokage was shattered instantly.
Whether the Hyūga clan or the Uchiha clan, their initial attitude toward him was one of compliance without true obedience.
Fortunately, Hiruzen had the Sarutobi clan behind him, and the support of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio.
He played one clan against another, using both diplomacy and "special measures."
With Danzō's help, he managed to pit the Uchiha and Hyūga against each other, eventually securing his Hokage position firmly, filling key positions with his own loyalists.
In Tobirama's era, "Root" had merely been an ANBU training program.
But when Danzō took charge, it slowly transformed into a covert division handling the dirty work ANBU couldn't openly touch—like surveillance of the great clans.
Officially, Root was nothing more than a subdivision of ANBU. By ANBU structure, Danzō was no more than a squad captain, leading only four teams—a mere seventeen operatives.
Yet, with Hiruzen's tacit indulgence, Root kept expanding. Under Danzō's influence, its methods grew darker and darker, until it became what it was today…
If left unchecked, Root would become too bloated to control—a personal army under Danzō.
It had to be restrained.
"The Wood Release shinobi 'A' is no longer up for discussion. I've already transferred him into ANBU. There's another matter at hand."
Ignoring Danzō's resentful glare, Hiruzen's eyes deepened as he asked the three in front of him:
"Intelligence from the border suggests Kumogakure is mobilizing forces. They may be preparing another scheme. What do you think?"
At that, both Koharu and Homura furrowed their brows.
"Again? Disgusting."
Homura's expression tightened, his tone serious. "Whatever the case, we must not act rashly."
"Homura is right," Koharu agreed with a nod. "No matter their intent, we must remain on guard only. We cannot give them any excuse to start a war."
Hiruzen neither agreed nor denied. He tapped his pipe, then turned to Danzō. "What about you?"
Danzō's shadowed eyes narrowed slightly. After a pause, he rasped: "Of course… we should strike them hard."
"..."
Hiruzen said nothing. He drew deeply on his pipe, holding the smoke in his lungs before exhaling a heavy cloud.
The Third Shinobi War might have ended, but the world was far from stable.
Konoha's high-end combat strength was dangerously thin.
The famed "White Fang" Hatake Sakumo had committed suicide.
The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato, and the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, Uzumaki Kushina, both perished in the Nine-Tails' Rampage.
Konoha's already exhausted forces from the Third War had not yet recovered when countless more died in the chaos caused by the masked man.
Even with its great size and deep foundations, Konoha was straining.
Everyone could see the village's decline. Though Kumogakure and Iwagakure had been dealt painful blows, they could hardly resist the temptation of such a rare opportunity.
Thus, both continued their provocations along the borders, sparking frequent skirmishes. Injuries mounted month after month.
And why? Because Konoha's responses had been weak, encouraging their arrogance.
Luckily, with the Third War still fresh, both the Land of Lightning and Land of Earth still had strong anti-war sentiment.
Neither village dared to risk worldwide condemnation by openly declaring war without a "just cause."
But… all it would take was one "legitimate reason" to rally their daimyō, nobles, and citizens.
That was why Hiruzen chose restraint again and again.
He didn't dare gamble.
Konoha couldn't afford to gamble anymore.
"Phew…"
Exhaling another cloud of smoke, Hiruzen lowered his gaze to the intelligence reports from ANBU. His aging face, half-veiled in smoke, was unreadable even under the sunlight streaming through the window.
"Iwagakure, Kumogakure…" After a long pause, he sighed. "We'll endure for now. Summon a force of shinobi to guard the border against Kumo."
Danzō frowned, immediately objecting: "That will only make those bastards more brazen!"
Hiruzen gave him a sidelong look, voice calm: "In that case, you can dispatch a unit from Root to reinforce the border."
"What?" Danzō froze.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, his words laden with meaning. "Is there a problem?"
Any further objection would mean stripping him of his position as Root's commander.
Realizing this, Danzō's face shifted. After a moment, he gave a cold snort and turned away. "Hmph. What problem could I have? After all, Root is for Konoha."
With that, he started toward the door. Just before leaving, he suddenly stopped, his tone bitter.
"Hiruzen… remember today's choice. You will regret it!"
"Watch your tone, Danzō." Hiruzen tapped his pipe, voice heavy. "I am the Hokage!"
At those words, Danzō's face twitched.
"Then be the Hokage you're so proud of!" he growled, seizing the doorknob.
Bang!!
The door slammed shut.