"He really thinks he's the Hokage now."
In a quiet room within Konoha's central residential district, Danzō's expression was dark as he stared coldly at the man before him—Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He had just sent Koharu Utatane to the hospital. If she was lucky, her arm might be reattached, but it was effectively ruined.
Not that her injuries had anything to do with him.
Right now, his heart was seething with fury.
"He was the Hokage all along."
Hiruzen shook his head, a trace of resignation softening his features.
On his way back from Konoha Hospital, he had thought about many things—about that boy, about Minato, and about Root, which never should have existed in the first place.
The conflict had finally come to the surface.
The puppet Hokage that Danzō had always seen him as was now standing before him, exerting true pressure for the first time—as the Hokage.
I've grown old after all.
Letting out a deep sigh, Hiruzen looked at his old friend.
For a moment, it felt as though time had turned back—to that day, during the negotiations with Kumogakure, when Tobirama-sensei had asked who would stay behind to cover the retreat.
That day, Hiruzen had stepped forward without hesitation and become Hokage.
If things had gone even slightly differently back then, perhaps this position would have belonged to the man standing before him now.
Since taking the role of Hokage, decades had passed.
He was tired—truly tired.
It was time to leave Konoha's future to the next generation.
"Hiruzen, you've changed."
Danzō frowned. This time, his old comrade clearly had no intention of standing on his side.
"I haven't changed. You're the one who has."
"To be honest, I never thought you'd actually make a move against Hakken Yoru."
Hiruzen lit his pipe, taking a long, deliberate drag. He wasn't blind to the things Danzō had done behind the scenes—just not aware of the full extent of them.
Changed?
Perhaps.
After hearing those words, Danzō no longer felt like talking. He stood and turned to leave.
"Danzō," Hiruzen called out as he reached the doorway. "Minato is the Hokage now. Not me."
Danzō froze mid-step.
Hiruzen didn't finish the thought, but the meaning was clear.
When Hiruzen was Hokage, he could turn a blind eye to Danzō's actions. But now, Minato was Hokage—and things were different.
It was a warning: stop now.
It would be best to follow Minato's orders and disband Root.
"We've both grown old, Danzō."
No—you're the one who's old.
And as for Minato Namikaze… that Hokage won't last long.
Danzō suddenly turned his head, meeting Hiruzen's gaze. The sharp glint in his eyes was fleeting, vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
"Go tell Minato," he said coldly. "Root will be disbanded."
...
"My little brother will be born soon, won't he?"
Within the Uchiha clan compound, in the courtyard of the clan head's residence, a rare scene unfolded. Fugaku, for once, wasn't preoccupied with clan affairs. Instead, he sat in the yard with his wife and son, basking in the gentle warmth of the afternoon sun.
"Itachi still insists it's going to be a boy."
Mikoto's face glowed with maternal warmth, her gaze soft as she rested her hands on her round belly.
"It has to be a boy."
Itachi smiled faintly and reached out his small hand, gently caressing her stomach.
Fugaku sat beside them, his usual sternness softened.
Ever since returning from the battlefield, he had rediscovered the importance of home. Time with his wife and child had become something he no longer took for granted.
"The hospital confirmed the due date—it's next month."
A little brother was coming soon.
Itachi's heart stirred with a quiet, restrained excitement. The birth of new life had helped him recover from the cruel memories of war.
This would be his little brother.
"I'm going to train, Father, Mother."
Though he cherished this peaceful moment, Itachi hadn't forgotten the importance of strengthening himself.
"You don't have to push yourself so hard, especially after just returning from the battlefield."
Seeing how pale her son looked, Mikoto's heart ached with worry.
"No, Mother."
"Ken-san once told me—without absolute strength, you can't protect the warmth you hold dear."
Shaking his head, Itachi gathered his things and stepped out of the courtyard.
"He's grown up now. He has his own convictions."
"All we can do is trust him."
Fugaku's voice carried a note of quiet emotion.
Hakken Yoru had changed Itachi completely—he had become the person Itachi admired most.
...
"Root has been disbanded?"
As the sun dipped below the horizon, four figures sat together at Konoha's Training Ground 7, enjoying the comforting exhaustion that followed intense training.
When Shisui heard the news from Hakken, his eyes widened in disbelief.
Root… disbanded?
Why?
"Yes. Which means, as of now, you're officially a member of the ANBU Night Owl Squad."
Patting Shisui's shoulder with a faint smile, Hakken spoke casually. Root disbanded? That was only a façade.
Even in the original timeline, after the Uchiha massacre, when the enraged Third Hokage ordered Danzō to dissolve Root, the man had merely hidden it deeper in the shadows.
But that wasn't important.
"From now on, you don't have to worry about Danzō's questioning or his demands."
"Because you're not his subordinate anymore—you're mine."
Mine.
Taking a swig of strong liquor, Hakken's words made Shisui's scalp tingle.
"What do you mean?"
Still uncertain, Shisui asked hesitantly.
"The one standing before you," Kakashi explained, "isn't just the Fourth Hokage's disciple—he's the soon-to-be Commander of the ANBU."
As a member of ANBU himself, Kakashi had already caught wind of the news. Though Hakken hadn't yet taken up the position formally, it was already decided.
He was young, yes—but his achievements and reputation were more than enough to silence anyone who might object.
Besides, there wasn't anyone in ANBU at the moment with the authority or prestige to fill that role.
The news hadn't spread yet, but Kakashi had no doubt that once it did, a storm would sweep through Konoha.
The reason was simple—who would willingly accept a kid as the new ANBU Commander?
Kakashi couldn't help but wonder how Hakken planned to handle it when the time came.
"So… I'm under your command now?"
Shisui scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, suddenly feeling the distance between them widen.
But that awkwardness vanished the instant Hakken handed him his sake gourd.
They were still friends.
And now, he too was part of the Night Owl Squad.
It was exhilarating news.
No more bowing his head before Danzō, no more asking Danzō why protecting the village always meant sacrificing comrades.
The weight on his shoulders was finally gone, replaced by a liberating sense of relief.
"So, Owl," Kakashi asked curiously, "when do you plan to visit your subordinates in the ANBU?"
"No rush," Hakken replied calmly. "I haven't quite figured out how to shift ANBU's way of thinking yet."
Since Minato needed his help, taking the position of ANBU Commander wasn't something he minded.
But if he took it, he'd make it count.
Wasting time wasn't in his nature.
"Shift its way of thinking?" Kakashi frowned. "What do you mean by that?"
"The ANBU has always been the village's shadow, hidden away to protect it. That's tradition. How do you plan to change something so ingrained?"
"Let me ask you something," Hakken said, turning to face him. "All these years in ANBU—have you ever truly felt a sense of belonging? Or any pride in what you do?"
"You're dreaming," Kakashi muttered, twitching at the corner of his mouth as his eyelid gave a faint jerk.
"Are you insulting me, Owl?"
...
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