Inside the Hokage Office, the atmosphere had frozen solid.
"No! Absolutely not!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly stood up, positioning himself in front of Danzo Shimura, who was sprawled on the ground like a beaten dog.
"Tobirama! Compensation can be discussed! Money can be paid! Even the shops are negotiable!"
"But dissolving Root? A public apology?"
"That is completely unacceptable!"
Hiruzen was truly anxious.
Root, rotten as it was, remained Konoha's dirty glove. Many of the Village's underground intelligence networks were firmly in Danzo's grasp. If Root were dissolved outright, Konoha's intelligence system would collapse overnight.
More importantly—the apology.
Danzo was the Hokage's advisor, a symbol of the Village's upper echelon. Forcing him to publicly admit to persecuting the Uchiha would be the same as admitting that Konoha's leadership had long engaged in political oppression.
What would the villagers think?
What would the clans think?
If morale collapsed, how would the Village continue?
"Tobirama!" Hiruzen stared at him, his voice carrying both urgency and veiled threat.
"Are you trying to destroy Konoha?"
"It's wartime! If the prestige of the leadership is shattered, the Village will inevitably fall into chaos!"
"You don't want to see Konoha tear itself apart, do you?"
This was the face of a politician—wielding righteousness as a weapon and hiding behind the so-called greater good.
Tobirama laughed.
He leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, looking at Hiruzen as though watching a circus act.
"Old man, you're mistaken about one thing."
"I'm not negotiating with you."
"I'm informing you."
His tone was lazy, but the chill behind it pierced straight through the room.
"Don't want to dissolve Root? Fine."
"Then keep the name. The organization, personnel, and command authority all come to me."
"As for the apology—"
His eyes sharpened, his voice rising.
"It must happen."
"For years, how much filth has been dumped on the Uchiha Clan? The suspicion, the cold stares, the isolation—how much of that was stirred up by this old dog?"
"Today, the Uchiha must be vindicated."
"Everyone must know where that dirt really came from."
"Otherwise—"
Tobirama's thumb flicked against the hilt of his sword.
Click.
The blade slid out slightly.
"I'll kill him, hang his corpse on the Hokage Building, and write the explanation myself."
"You dare!"
Danzo, barely able to breathe, finally snapped.
"Uchiha Tobirama! You ungrateful beast!"
He struggled to prop himself up, his single eye burning with venom.
"Root is mine! It exists for Konoha!"
"Hand it over to you? You're not worthy!"
"And an apology? Never!"
"I'd rather die than bow to the cursed Uchiha!"
He was truly panicked now.
For someone like Danzo, power and reputation mattered more than life itself. Without Root and without his standing, living was no different from death.
"Hiruzen! Don't listen to him!"
"Kill him! Mobilize the entire Village!"
"Either he dies today, or Konoha falls with him!"
He ranted hysterically, like a mad dog.
Tobirama sighed and shook his head.
"So loud."
He stood.
His chakra surged explosively. Scarlet Susanoo ribs manifested instantly, crushing nearby tables and chairs into fragments.
He advanced step by step.
With each step, the floor cracked.
That suffocating killing intent made it hard for Hiruzen to even breathe.
"Hiruzen Sarutobi," Tobirama said coldly, "three seconds."
"Accept my terms."
"Or I'll send you both on your way right now."
"After that, I'll declare myself Hokage."
"And I'll see who dares object."
Overbearing.
Absolute domination.
With power in hand, fear had no place.
Hiruzen looked into those merciless Mangekyō eyes, and the last line of defense in his heart collapsed.
He couldn't gamble.
He couldn't win.
If they truly fought, Konoha would be gravely damaged—and when foreign enemies struck, the Village would be finished.
"…Fine."
Hiruzen closed his eyes, as if all strength had drained from him.
"Root's organization and personnel… are yours."
"The Shimura clan's shops… are yours."
"The funds… are yours as well."
Danzo stared at him in disbelief.
"Hiruzen—you—"
"Shut up!" Hiruzen snapped. "Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?!"
Then he looked back at Tobirama, his voice dry.
"But a public apology is impossible."
"Danzo is an advisor. His face is Konoha's face."
"Everything else can be conceded, but this is my bottom line."
"If you push further, I'll stake my life to take you down with me."
For once, the Third Hokage stood firm.
Tobirama rubbed his chin, appearing to consider.
In truth, he already knew the outcome.
Killing Danzo now brought little benefit. Leaving him alive—as a cripple, a scapegoat, and a tool—was far more useful.
Root was secured. The money was secured. The gains were sufficient.
As for the apology…
"Fine."
Tobirama shrugged, withdrawing his killing intent.
"Since Hokage-sama insists, I'll show restraint."
Hiruzen and Danzo both exhaled in relief.
Especially Danzo—though his heart bled over Root, at least his reputation and life were intact.
However—
The relief hadn't even settled.
Tobirama's smile suddenly turned cold.
"However…"
"You insulted me quite enthusiastically just now."
"And you wanted me dead."
"I'm a petty person. I settle grudges immediately."
"Since there's no apology—"
He raised his hand without warning.
"Susanoo: Totsuka Sword!"
A massive crimson skeletal arm manifested, gripping a blazing spiritual blade.
In a flash of red—
Danzo screamed.
The blow was instantaneous.
When it ended, Danzo collapsed, shrieking in agony, his body trembling uncontrollably.
The Totsuka Sword's sealing power activated, swallowing what it cut into its sealed world.
This meant—
Unless Tobirama released the seal, Danzo would never recover fully.
"My arm—my legs—!"
Danzo's mind shattered completely.
"Tobirama… I'll kill you!"
"Quiet."
Tobirama dispersed the Susanoo and stepped down on Danzo's face, pressing him into the floor.
His gaze was icy and detached.
"This is the price."
"I'm sparing your life."
"From now on, live honestly—as a cripple."
"If you dare reach out again…"
"I'll take your head."
He turned away without another glance at the stunned Hiruzen Sarutobi.
He took Konan by the hand, her eyes filled with admiration.
"Let's go, apprentice."
"The money's secured. The power's secured."
"Time to go home and celebrate."
One tall figure, one small figure, walked straight out of the ruined Hokage Office.
Leaving behind nothing but silence—and devastation.