Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 126: Daimyo Betrayal
Hiruzen felt a surge of anger after hearing Danzō punishment, usually he would the one who will give a punishment to others but because his status as the third Hokage.
The judgement are now solely on fourth Hokage, what make him dissatisfied was not about the punisment but it was Danzo expression.
He and Danzo had known each other for more than decades. They had fought together during the war, trained together under the same teacher and risen through the ranks side by side and later he become Hokage and Danzo become his shadow. Because of that, Hiruzen could sense something was off.
Danzo Hiruzen was calm, he knows when Danzo was angry or dissatisfied his expression would change and he can see it everytime Danzo said.
"You will regret it."
Then he will replied, "I am the Hokage."
This time when verdict came, he didn't see any resentment from him and it looks like is quite happy with what Sakumo had punished him. I anything, he looked relieved with what he got.
That disturbed Hiruzen more than anything else.
'Why… is he like this?' Hiruzen wondered.
What Hiruzen didn't know was the truth behind Danzō reaction is because he finally free from works and now can focus on his family.
The punishment imposed on him was not as harsh as it seemed on the surface. During his previous confinement, Danzō had been granted a steady monthly allowance, a form of pension due to his past service. While other shinobi had to work tirelessly to earn their income, risking their lives on missions, Danzō could now receive money regularly while remaining in prison.
His monthly pension is about Jonin salary, so it was more than enough for a family of 3. To Danzo, it was no longer a punishment but a peace and freedom to live happily
A life without responsibility, without political struggles and without constant scheming are truly valuable and not everyone can get it.
After the judgment was finalized, Danzō accepted it without protest.
Hiruzen exhaled slowly, suppressing the anger rising in his chest. There was no point dwelling on Danzō any longer.
Instead, his thoughts shifted to something far more important, his own position in Konoha.
Although he still carried the title of the Third Hokage, the reality was clear. He was no longer the one in power and he had become what the village now referred to as a former Hokage, someone who should step aside and allow the new leader to take control.
But Hiruzen was not ready, he was still relatively young. He still had strength, experience and ambition. Letting go of authority so easily was not something he could accept without resistance.
He wanted his power back and he still wanted to make the name for himself, the one who had ended the war.
However, Raiken had already moved faster than him.
During Hiruzen was missing, Raiken had worked closely with Sakumo, restructuring the village power system and consolidating authority under the new Hokage. The ANBU had been reorganized, administrative influence shifted, and key positions reassigned.
The "leftover power" that Hiruzen might have relied on was gone. Leaving nothing behind for him to reclaim.
Hiruzen clenched his fist slightly, then slowly relaxed it. In the end, he could only accept reality.
With a quiet sigh, Hiruzen stepped back and retreated into the background, watching as a new era of Konoha began without him.
....
10 June Konoha Year 46
Sakumo couldn't sleep after getting a report regarding Daimyo from raiken.
No matter how many times he closed his eyes, his mind kept returning to the same report, the one regarding the Fire Daimyō's possible betrayal. The more he thought about it, the heavier the weight on his chest became.
If the report was true and he chose to ignore it, the consequences could be catastrophic.
A Daimyō secretly supporting enemy villages was not just a political issue, it was a direct threat to Konoha survival. It meant that even if they won battles on the battlefield, they could still lose the war internally.
That was why Sakumo had already begun his own investigation by sending an Anbu to track the merchant path.
If the report was confirmed, then one conclusion became unavoidable.
The current Fire Daimyō could no longer be allowed to rule. Sakumo sat quietly in his office, staring at the documents spread across his table and the more he read the report, his face become frowned.
He was still new to this role, become Hokage, administration and politics, these were not his strengths. In the past, he had been the sword of Konoha, cutting down enemies without hesitation. Strategic planning had often been left to Hiruzen, while covert operations were handled by Danzō.
Now, both of them were gone from power and the responsibility rested entirely on him.
"…I need to confirm everything," Sakumo muttered to himself.
The war had slowed in recent days. Enemy forces had retreated temporarily, giving Konoha a brief window of time. It wasn't peace but it was enough for Sakumo to send his people to spy on the Daimyo.
He had already dispatched several intelligence teams. Their mission was simple: track suspicious merchant movements connected to the Daimyō.
Days passed then the reports returned.
Sakumo read through them one by one, his expression growing more serious with each page.
The evidence shows how multiple merchant groups had been traced back to the Daimyō. Several of them had traveled toward enemy territories in the past, this is all the villages that had recently participated in the war against Konoha.
More importantly, they had all moved on the same day.
That alone was enough to raise suspicion. It was unclear whether these merchants were delivering goods as part of trade agreements or secretly supplying resources. There was no direct proof yet but the pattern was too consistent to ignore.
Sakumo leaned back slightly, closing his eyes for a moment.
'If I act too openly… it could alert the Daimyō,' he thought.
Using genjutsu to interrogate the merchants directly was too risky because even among Daimyo people they are still ninja who can noticed anything. If even one of them reported suspicious activity, the Daimyō would immediately become cautious, making further investigation far more difficult.
So everything had to be done quietly, carefully and step by step.
Sakumo opened his eyes again, his gaze sharpening.
All the reports pointed in the same direction, even without absolute proof. His heart had already reached a conclusion.
The Fire Daimyō, had a hand in this war and if that was true. That means he need to make sure Daimyo resign from his position and replaced with a new person.
----
There is 30 advanced chapter on my patreon.
Chapter 152: Abuse Of Power
Chapter 153: Save Yourselves
Chapter 154: Prevent Worse
Chapter 155: Asahi Complain
Chapter 156: Hyuga Future
-patreon.com/zorojurown