Danzo, waiting in the Root's underground headquarters, did not receive the person he had sent out, nor did he receive Shinji.
Instead, he received a summons from Hiruzen's direct Anbu, ordering him to immediately proceed to the Hokage Building to meet with the Hokage.
Bang!
As soon as Hiruzen's direct Anbu left, Danzo's cane slammed directly onto the ground.
At this point, even if Danzo was stupid, he knew that the person he had sent out had failed. He just couldn't understand why a Chunin from the Academy would have such strength.
Could it be that this person was a spy from another ninja village?
Danzo, who had always been involved in such matters, subconsciously thought of this possibility.
"Danzo-sama, do you need me to go?" Torune, kneeling on one knee beside him, asked.
Last time he had sworn that it would be impossible to be discovered, but the very next day, his leader was confronted by Hiruzen.
Today, when Danzo wanted someone to bring that Chunin over, he had volunteered. However, Danzo had refused, citing that a Chunin didn't require his intervention.
"No need. It's likely that we won't be able to touch him for a while."
Danzo, with a grim expression, did not lose his composure. He waved his hand, once again refusing Torune's request.
"From now on, all Root operations must be even more covert. The two of you stay here, just in case."
Danzo immediately stood up. He had already delayed for too long. No matter how much he looked down on his old classmate, Danzo still had to obey the command. This was the power of the Hokage.
Thinking of this, his eyes narrowed slightly, his expression dark and unreadable.
'Sooner or later, I will be the Hokage and lead Konoha to its peak.'
...
Pushing open the door and stepping into the Hokage Office, Danzo immediately saw the Anbu standing beside Hiruzen as he entered.
That white hair was difficult to miss.
Kakashi.
Without paying him much mind, Danzo looked at Hiruzen, who was puffing on his pipe, and said, "Hiruzen, why did you call me here?"
Hiruzen had been watching Danzo with a frown ever since he had entered the room.
In the past, he genuinely didn't care about the attitude of Danzo and the other advisors towards him. After all, they were disciples of the Second Hokage, comrades who had shared life and death on the battlefield.
However, with Shinji's attitude displayed not long ago, coupled with Danzo's continuous small actions despite his warnings, Hiruzen now found all of Danzo's actions irritating.
Thinking of this, Hiruzen said with a slightly indifferent tone, "Danzo, address me as Hiruzen-sama."
Hearing this, Danzo, who had been about to sit down, stared with his deadpan eyes, his expression full of disbelief.
Was there something wrong with his ears just now? Or had Hiruzen's brain gone haywire? What did he say?
"What are you saying, Hiruzen?!"
Hiruzen took the pipe from his mouth and placed it on the desk.
He said sternly, "If you're so old that you can't hear what I just said, then I don't think you're fit to lead Root anymore."
Danzo, leaning on his cane, gripped it tightly, causing the wood of the cane to creak.
Kakashi, standing beside Hiruzen, slightly hunched his body. As long as Danzo made even the slightest disrespectful move, he would immediately take action.
As an experienced ninja, Danzo naturally noticed Kakashi's movements.
He took a deep breath and, after a long moment, slowly said, "Hiruzen-sama, what matter do you have for me, an advisor?"
After speaking, Danzo sat down. He would call Hiruzen that, but he would also remind Hiruzen not to forget that he was an advisor. Moreover, there were three advisors in Konoha.
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow, looking at Danzo for a long time without speaking.
After a while, just as Danzo was about to lose his patience, Hiruzen spoke, "Danzo, I want to ask, why did a Root ninja act against an Academy teacher within the village without my order?"
"I remember that all Root operations require the Hokage's approval to proceed, correct?"
Danzo showed no panic upon hearing this. Instead, he relaxed further, looking at Hiruzen and saying, "I suspect this Academy teacher is a spy sent by another ninja village. To avoid alerting him, I ordered Root personnel to act."
If Hiruzen hadn't almost thoroughly investigated even the color of Shinji's underwear every day, with Danzo's calm and composed words, he might have actually believed him.
Hiruzen frowned, looking at Danzo sitting before him.
Did he think he couldn't lift his staff anymore? Or had Danzo always been so blatant in his lies?
"Danzo, know that slandering a fellow villager, even if you are an advisor, I can hold you accountable."
Bang!
Danzo subconsciously slammed his cane onto the ground and shouted, "Whether he is or not, let Root interrogate him! Then we'll know!"
Hearing Danzo's words, even Kakashi, standing nearby, was a bit speechless.
Hiruzen, sitting in his office chair, almost laughed in anger.
"So?"
"Is that how you've always had Root operate?"
"As soon as you suspect someone, you just have them taken away."
"Do you know how this will make the various clans in the village view us?!"
Danzo remained unfazed by Hiruzen's outburst and said calmly, "My sole purpose in doing this is for Konoha."
Hiruzen slammed his palm on the desk, pointing at Danzo, and shouted loudly, "Enough! Danzo! From now on, you will stay at home. Root's affairs no longer require your involvement!"
Danzo showed no panic upon hearing this. Instead, he stared deeply at Hiruzen and, after a long moment, said, "Hiruzen, you will regret this."
"Danzo, I am the Hokage."
The same scene as a week ago played out again in the Hokage Office.
However, unlike Danzo's agitation last time, he was now unperturbed. From the moment he entered the Hokage Office, he had sensed a difference. And this difference was Hiruzen's attitude towards him, which was why he had engaged in such back-and-forth probing with Hiruzen.
Now, he understood. Perhaps the source was that Academy teacher he had wanted to bring to Root.
What was so different about this person?
Without thinking further, Danzo stood up and walked towards the door without even looking at Hiruzen.
Bang!
The sound of a slammed door echoed throughout the entire floor of the Hokage Office.
No matter how much he pretended not to care about Hiruzen's words, Danzo's subconscious action still expressed his dissatisfaction.
Looking at the slammed office door, Hiruzen spoke after a long moment, "Kakashi, I'm giving you a mission now."
"Thoroughly investigate all of Root's operational archives from recent years, and also see if Root has any unofficial personnel."
Kakashi was stunned upon hearing this. The former mission was understandable.
But the latter, unofficial personnel?
Thinking of this, even the somewhat stoic Kakashi felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead.
As an old classmate, how could Hiruzen not understand Danzo?
Regarding the order to remove him from his position as Root's leader, Danzo's reaction certainly didn't reach the expected level of anger, which made his meaning self-evident.
(End of Chapter)
Read 30 Advanced Chapters on patreon.com/astralicity