"Don't tell me joining Root in secret was also 'out of necessity.'"
Hiruzen Sarutobi tilted his head slightly, his gaze shifting to the silent Yang Release clone standing to Hikari's right.
The clone's expression was somber, a massive bandage-wrapped sword strapped to its back. Dressed in full Root attire—black cloak and all—it lacked the same strange forehead marking as the original. Despite sharing the same face, the two looked nothing alike.
Compared to Hikari, whose star-like grey eyes shimmered with brilliance, the clone's delicate features seemed utterly plain.
"It was out of necessity," the Yang Release clone replied, glancing at its original. The link between their chakra cores—real and artificial—remained unbroken.
The gap between them had grown so vast that the clone couldn't even be sure if their thoughts still aligned. Only after seeing Hikari nod did it finally stop the encrypted mental communication and remove the black cloth covering its eyes.
Hiruzen's gaze sharpened.
He had no idea what game these two were playing. Silently, he watched as the Root-clad Hikari moved, his expression cold and unreadable.
Then—
The Yang Release clone locked eyes with him and opened its own.
A four-pronged crimson pinwheel spun within them.
"Mangekyō?!"
Hiruzen's breath hitched. Instinctively, he averted his gaze slightly, unable to fully meet those sinister black-and-red eyes.
He knew the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan all too well.
Madara Uchiha. The masked man behind the Nine-Tails' attack. Shisui Uchiha. Itachi Uchiha.
Each wielded a completely different—and terrifyingly potent—ability.
While he didn't know the specifics of the others, Shisui's Kotoamatsukami had been described to him firsthand: a genjutsu capable of rewriting a person's will without them ever realizing it. Hailed as the strongest illusion in the shinobi world.
"How do you have Mangekyō?"
Still refusing to meet its gaze, Hiruzen's voice was tense. Just moments ago, she'd claimed to be of Hyūga and Kaguya descent. Now, she was flaunting a perfect Mangekyō?
If her mother was a Hyūga and her father a Kaguya, does that mean her grandfather was an Uchiha? At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if she pulls out Hashirama's Wood Release next.
"She's just a shadow clone. How could she have Mangekyō? Don't panic, sensei—she's just under the effects of Kotoamatsukami."
Just under Kotoamatsukami?!
Hiruzen studied the four-pronged pattern. It was Shisui's design. At this point, he was beyond words. This disciple of his had thrown so many shocks his way that he was starting to grow numb.
"I'm an old man. My heart can't take this kind of surprise."
"My apologies. I'm still young and didn't think it through." Hikari cracked a small, dry joke before sobering. "I joined Root because I was forced—by Konoha's Hokage Advisor, Danzō Shimura."
"...Hn."
Hiruzen nodded, unsurprised. After decades of working with Danzō, he knew better than anyone how ruthless the man could be.
He believed her instantly.
In fact, he could guess Danzō's methods.
First, an "invitation" to join Root. If refused, threats and bribes would follow. If that failed, he'd find your weakness, abduct you, and subject you to brutal conditioning until your will broke—just another faceless Root operative.
That was how it always went.
The only exception in recent years was that ANBU member—Rin, was it?—who'd volunteered, claiming to admire Danzō's ideals. Freaks like that were so rare, the incident had stuck in his memory.
Seeing Hiruzen accept her words without question, Hikari licked her lips and swallowed the evidence she'd prepared. Danzō's reputation was so rotten that accusations didn't even need proof. It saved her a lot of breath.
But this also revealed something else: Hiruzen wasn't ignorant of Root's activities. In fact, he likely knew more than she did.
If Danzō could run rampant in Konoha, her so-called "teacher" was far from innocent.
"To cure my kekkei genkai illness, I went to Konoha Hospital to study medical ninjutsu. But Danzō conspired with the head physician, Senka Tō, to lure me into a secluded forest… where he used Kotoamatsukami on me."
The Yang Release clone pointed at its crimson eyes, recounting the events in full.
When Hiruzen heard that Danzō's right eye was the source of Kotoamatsukami—and that Hikari had escaped by exploiting the fact that shadow clones were mere chakra constructs—his face darkened.
Shisui Uchiha's death had always been a mystery.
He'd suspected the Uchiha hardliners, but now it was clear: Danzō had murdered him for those eyes.
If Shisui had lived, Kotoamatsukami could've controlled Fugaku Uchiha, easing tensions and preventing the clan's massacre.
In short—this was all Danzō's fault.
But if they dug deeper…
"I see." Hiruzen nodded wearily, his expression heavier than ever. Yet he still didn't react.
"That's it? Just… 'I see'?" Hikari couldn't believe it.
She'd even told him about Danzō's orders to assassinate him. How could he still be so passive?
If this were Kirigakure, the entire Shimura clan would've been exterminated by now!
Staring at Hiruzen's spineless demeanor, Hikari finally understood why Danzō acted with such impunity.
Using Kotoamatsukami on the Hokage's personal disciple? At best, it was endangering a Konoha shinobi. At worst, it was an attempt to overthrow the government—treason.
Yet even this wasn't enough to provoke him. No wonder Danzō thought Hiruzen unfit to be Hokage.
How could someone so weak lead the strongest village in the shinobi world?
The First, the Second—even Danzō—all of them had been firmer. After the Kumogakure student abduction incident, it was Danzō who'd led the covert retaliation. She'd never heard of Hiruzen taking actual action against Cloud.
Faced with her disappointed stare, Hiruzen hesitated—but still refused to speak of punishing Danzō.
"I'll… warn him."
"Don't bother." Hikari turned away, no longer willing to look at his pathetic face.
She'd worked hard to earn Danzō's trust. If Hiruzen confronted him now, it'd only backfire on her. Root was already halfway in her grasp—she wouldn't let his weakness ruin it.
Better to rely on herself.
Their master-disciple bond was barely days old. It couldn't compare to Hiruzen and Danzō's decades of friendship.
"If I kill Danzō one day—" Hikari locked eyes with him, her voice sharp. "Will you come for me?"
"..."
Silence was answer enough. Hiruzen's face was a portrait of sorrow and conflict. He could feel the hope in her gaze withering into cold disdain.
Only now did he truly understand the pressure she'd faced when he'd first confronted her.
"Don't provoke Danzō. Focus on developing ninjutsu to cure your illness." His words were hollow—even he knew how feeble they sounded.
He couldn't meet her eyes, his hunched back making him seem even smaller.
"Tell me… why do you protect him?"
Her voice echoed behind him, sharp as a blade.
It felt like déjà vu—as if countless voices from the past were overlapping:
Orochimaru. Tsunade. Kakashi.
So many had asked him the exact same question. And each time, it dragged him back to that memory—one he could never forget.
Suddenly, he looked up at the sky. The golden sunlight bathed his aged face, and for a moment, he was no longer the Third Hokage.
He was young again—back in those turbulent early days of his reign.
---
Konoha Year 37
ANBU Underground Base
Three masked operatives sat around a table, chatting idly.
An elderly man with wild, greying hair slumped in his chair, slamming a kunai into the wooden table. The blade quivered, its metal ring humming.
"What the hell does Hiruzen Sarutobi have that makes him Hokage material? When I was fighting alongside the First and Second, that brat was still playing in the mud! And let's not forget—Konoha's full of elite clans: the Senju, Hyūga, Uchiha… Since when does a Sarutobi get to call the shots?"
His voice boomed in the hollow chamber. Anyone could tell—this was a Senju elder, a veteran of the Warring States era.
"Word is, the Second appointed him on his deathbed. You doubting Lord Tobirama's judgment?"
Another ANBU removed his mask, revealing sharp features. His tone made it clear—he didn't respect Hiruzen either, but he'd tolerate it for Tobirama's sake.
"Bullshit! Who heard Tobirama-sama name Hiruzen? Only those damn bodyguards of his. They were supposed to protect him, but what happened? They came back unscathed while he stayed behind to die! I oughta skin those bastards alive!"
The elder's rage only grew. As a Senju who'd fought under Tobirama for years, his loyalty ran deep—and so did his fury.
"Keep your voice down!"
Another operative grabbed his arm, eyes darting to the door.
There, clad in the Hokage's haori, stood Hiruzen—and Danzō.
"You got something to say?!" Danzō's neck flushed red as he stepped forward, only for Hiruzen to yank him back.
"Tch. Some Hokage." The room erupted into mocking laughter.
---
"Hiruzen, those bastards—" Danzō seethed as his friend dragged him away.
As Tobirama's students, they'd always been treated with respect. This kind of humiliation was new.
"We can't act recklessly."
Young Hiruzen shook his head. Only after becoming Hokage did he realize the true weight of the title.
Konoha was the strongest village, home to countless elite clans and powerful shinobi.
But that wasn't a blessing—it was a powder keg.
These clans had feuded for generations. Though Hashirama had forced a ceasefire, old grudges still simmered. Now, with the Senju's decline, tensions were rising again.
And externally?
Konoha's fertile lands made it a target. The other four great villages watched like vultures.
On the surface, Konoha seemed strong. But in truth, between internal strife and external threats, the village was on the brink of collapse.
"Konoha is fragile. We can't afford to lose our tempers. These elders are war heroes. Picking fights with them gains us nothing."
"Then what do we do?"
Danzō clenched his fists. These old-timers were untouchable—both in status and strength.
Aside from the Sarutobi and Shimura clans, they had no allies.
The major clans ruled their districts like independent fiefdoms. As Hokage and advisor, they were little more than figureheads—powerless.
Hiruzen's eyes gleamed with quiet resolve.
"Sensei once said: 'Politics is about unity. Gather allies, isolate enemies, and crush opposition without mercy.'"
Danzō frowned, only half-understanding. "Who's the enemy? Who's the ally?"
"Simple."
Hiruzen dipped his finger in moisture, sketching on the damp stone wall.
"As Hokage, anyone who could challenge my authority is the enemy. Conversely, those who can't… are potential allies."
"You mean—"
"The Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Aburame, Inuzuka—mid-sized clans. The Hatake, Kurama, Yūhi, Gekkō—smaller clans. And Konoha's civilian-born talents."
His finger moved swiftly, lines connecting like a web.
These factions lacked the influence to vie for Hokage. By offering them benefits, he could forge a coalition—one strong enough to counterbalance the Hyūga, Uchiha, and other major clans.
"A village's strength lies in its numbers. We may not be as powerful as sensei, but if we unite Konoha's smaller clans and civilians, we can suppress the great clans. This is the tide of history—unstoppable."
"I see!"
Danzō's eyes lit up. The tangled mess of Konoha's politics suddenly made sense.
"Hiruzen, I'll help you."
"Then here's what I need."
Hiruzen met his friend's eager gaze—and hesitated.
He knew Danzō would agree to anything. But the cost…
Danzō's excitement faded.
He didn't need words. Their bond ran deep enough.
"You'll handle the mid and small clans—they'll only trust the Hokage's sincerity. As for the great clans… leave them to me."
He smiled, as if suppressing the Senju and Uchiha was trivial.
But both knew the truth.
Those clans had roots too deep to easily rip out. By taking this role, Danzō would make enemies of Konoha's most powerful. His own clan would suffer for it.
Yet he accepted without hesitation.
---