After giving his guarantee, Shisui Uchiha left the Hokage Building and once again vanished into the darkness.
Danzo's hawk-like eyes stared fixedly at Shisui's retreating back. His raspy voice sounded like a venomous snake baring its fangs.
"Hiruzen, the evil Uchiha Clan is absolutely unworthy of trust. Instead of letting Shisui Uchiha go back to tip them off, it would be better to wipe them out while they are still unprepared."
Danzo's rhetoric was aggressive as always. Under the influence of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, he had remained the absolute hawk against the Uchiha among the Leaf higher-ups.
However, this suggestion was immediately met with Hiruzen's refusal.
"Danzo, Shisui is Kagami's descendant. He is an Uchiha who has moved beyond clan-ism and truly loves the village. We need to give him a chance."
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke these words with exceptional firmness.
Koharu Utatane also stepped in to support him, "Danzo, it won't make much difference in time anyway. Why not see Shisui Uchiha's movements first?"
"Of course, we must also be prepared for the possibility of the Uchiha launching a coup at any moment."
This was a classic middle-ground stance. However, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado taking such a position at this time undoubtedly favored the Third Hokage.
Seeing that his persuasion was ineffective, Danzo gave a cold sneer, "Heh, do as you wish. I hope you won't regret it when the Uchiha raise the banner of revolution!"
With that, having vented his anger, Danzo stood up and left directly.
"Why has Danzo's temper been so short lately?"
Koharu Utatane frowned, clearly dissatisfied with Danzo's attitude just now.
Although Homura Mitokado was also somewhat annoyed, he quietly gave Koharu Utatane a meaningful look. Understanding the hint, Koharu immediately fell silent.
They changed the subject and chatted with the Third Hokage about how to defend against the Uchiha before getting up to bid their farewells.
The vast office was left with only the Third Hokage himself. His body, which had become somewhat thin and frail with age, was hidden within the loose Hokage robes.
Hiruzen Sarutobi stood by the window with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance. He first scanned the entire village before letting his gaze rest on the Uchiha clan grounds located at the edge of the village.
After an unknown amount of time, his gaze slowly drifted toward the location of the Root base.
The title of the Third Hokage symbolized the highest authority in the shinobi world. Simultaneously, it represented a mountain-like responsibility and a trace of something even Hiruzen Sarutobi himself could hardly detect...
Greed.
Since being appointed as Hokage by his teacher, he had been diligent. First, he led the Hidden Leaf to a great victory in the Second Shinobi World War. Then, he trained three disciples known as the Legendary Sannin, reaching a peak of prestige for a time.
Soon, the Third Shinobi World War arrived.
The Land of Fire, located at the center of the shinobi world, fought against the other four great nations. Although the losses were heavy, many heroes emerged.
The most famous and powerful among them was his grand-disciple, Minato Namikaze. Thus, he stepped down and allowed Minato, who had not yet established any foundation, to become the Fourth Hokage.
He himself hid behind the scenes, guiding the work of the new Hokage.
Unfortunately, the Nine-Tails' Attack ended the Hidden Leaf's period of prosperity. The Fourth Hokage and his wife died in that chaos, and the relationship between the village and the Uchiha collapsed completely.
Amidst the village's turmoil, he, the Third Hokage, could only step forward once more to resume the office...
Without knowing when it began, he seemed to have grown accustomed to the identity of the Hokage. Similarly, he began to long for the power held tightly in his hands and enjoyed the feeling of looking down upon the shinobi world.
Of course, in Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart at this moment, this desire for power was all for the future of the Hidden Leaf.
Consequently, he became indecisive. He began to tolerate Danzo's actions.
Using rumors to slander the White Fang led to the death of that man who rivaled the Sannin.
Stopping the Uchiha's support on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack indirectly led to the Fourth Hokage's death.
These events, which seemed to have nothing to do with the Third Hokage, were actually born from his moments of hesitation. If he had been more decisive, things might have been different.
Hiruzen Sarutobi gazed into the darkness, which seemed ready to swallow him whole.
The Uchiha...
Root...
He exhaled a heavy cloud of smoke, "Has the investigation into that new Root member been completed?"
Beside the Hokage, a masked figure instantly appeared.
"Reporting to Lord Hokage, the Root members' movements are very meticulous. We found no loopholes. We only discovered when the ninja codenamed Yi entered the village, but we don't know where he actually came from."
The Third Hokage's gaze became inscrutable.
"It seems Root has quite a few secrets..."
The Anbu ninja quickly lowered his head. This kind of maneuvering between powerful figures was not something he could participate in.
"Dismissed."
"Yes!"
The Anbu ninja breathed a heavy sigh of relief and quickly vanished.
While the Third Hokage was reflecting on life, his good friend Danzo was not idle either.
Simu had just learned information about Kotoamatsukami from the Black Beetle when he received an emergency summons from Danzo.
Heh, that was fast...
It seems Lord Danzo is also coveting that terrifying power...
Simu gave a faint smile in the darkness. He flipped out of bed at top speed and ran into Jia at the door. They glanced at each other and headed straight for the training grounds without hesitation.
In addition to the two of them, about fifteen other ninjas had been summoned there by Danzo. That meant five squads in total.
These were the elites of Root, with strength at least at the Special Jonin level and excellent coordination. With the addition of Jia and Yi—the two Wood Style users—they would have the power to fight even a Kage-level opponent!
"It looks like Lord Danzo is planning a big move this time!"
An incredibly loud voice echoed through the training grounds. Hearing this voice, everyone's expressions shifted. Even Danzo himself twitched the corner of his mouth slightly.
Sure enough, in the next second, the Great Lord Yi made a grand entrance!
Before Danzo could speak, Simu said boisterously, "Lord Danzo, what do you think? I told you that old man the Third Hokage is untalented and lacks virtue. Don't worry, with me here, you can definitely charge into the Hokage Building and seize that throne. When the time comes, you'll be carved on the top of the Hokage Rock, and I'll be carved on the bottom..."
"Shut up! That is not what I am talking about!"
Looking at the strange expressions of his subordinates, Danzo's face was extremely ugly. What on earth was this brat blathering about?
When did I ever say I was going to revolt?
Simu scratched his head awkwardly and said with great regret, "Oh, so you don't want to be the Hokage. That's a real shame..."
Danzo: ...
I didn't say I didn't want to be Hokage! It's just not now!
Dammit, that is not at all what I want to talk about!
Suppressing the fury in his heart, Danzo's gaze turned icy, "Yi, shut your mouth. I am announcing the mission for this time..."