c109: Danzo's Bad Water
Mitokado Homura looked at Danzo with a frown. "Danzo, what is it that's so important?" he asked, but Danzo didn't respond directly. He only looked at Homura with a calm yet pressing gaze. "I need your support," he said at last.
Seeing Danzo act so reserved, Utatane Koharu, seated nearby, exchanged a knowing glance with Homura. They both suspected Danzo was seizing the post-crisis moment to claw his way back into political relevance. After all, the Nine-Tails attack had shifted the balance of power and Danzo had never been one to let opportunity pass.
Still, for the sake of their decades-long camaraderie since the days of the Second Hokage, Homura decided to assist. He immediately dispatched messengers to summon Hiruzen Sarutobi and Koharu.
About ten minutes later, the sliding doors opened. Hiruzen stepped in, still wearing his flak vest, while Koharu arrived in a house robe, her hair disheveled from sleep. They bowed slightly in greeting, and the four old comrades settled into the tatami-floored room.
White steam rose in spirals from the tea kettle on the low table. The scent of roasted green tea gently permeated the air. The atmosphere was quiet, heavy with unspoken history. None of them rushed to speak.
Danzo, realizing the silent tension wouldn't break itself, cleared his throat. "Ahem. Hiruzen, the village has just endured the Nine-Tails' assault. We've lost many shinobi, including the Fourth Hokage. We face unrest within and danger without. I want to step in share your burden, help restore order."
He put down his teacup and attempted a polite smile. But his rigid features betrayed the calculation behind the expression.
Hiruzen slowly placed his own cup down and looked at him. His eyes were calm, but steely. "Then first tell me, Danzo what were you doing on the night of the Nine-Tails attack?"
Danzo stiffened.
"Don't tell me you didn't hear the alarm. Even civilians knew the Kyuubi was rampaging."
"I was already forced into retirement," Danzo replied coolly. "My authority was stripped.I had no grounds to intervene."
"Oh?" Hiruzen said, inserting his pipe between his lips. He formed a small seal and ignited the tobacco with Fire Release chakra. After a few puffs, he exhaled deliberately.smoke curling between them. Danzo's expression tightened.
"Then why did I hear," Hiruzen continued, "that Root was fully mobilized that night?"
Danzo's heart sank. Someone had betrayed his secret movements.
"And yet," Hiruzen went on, "you did nothing. Root shinobi gathered under cover of night while Konoha burned. You watched as the Kyuubi tore through the village. Danzo… are you still a Konoha shinobi?"
His voice rose sharply, startling both Homura and Koharu. For a moment, the years between them seemed to vanish.only the raw accusation remained.
"Even if I no longer hold office," Danzo snapped, "I remain loyal to the village!"
"Then why didn't you act?"
Danzo's face flushed. He looked down, fingers curling slightly. "I… wanted to wait until the moment of greatest need. I planned to appear then, defeat the Kyuubi's summoner, and prove Root's necessity. I thought the Fourth would reinstate me for it..."
He gritted his teeth.
"But he didn't survive. Minato… sacrificed himself with the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. His will was strong. Too strong for me to predict."
If he had known the Fourth would die for the village, he would've taken Root into battle immediately. Even if it meant losing men, the merit would've brought him back into favor. Now, he sat here.humiliated in front of former peers.
"Hmph." Hiruzen scoffed. "Even in crisis, you scheme."
Danzo looked at the others helplessly, seeking support. The glint of amusement in Koharu's eyes was unmistakable. The Danzo she remembered had once slammed tables and stormed out of meetings. This groveling version was unfamiliar and satisfying to behold.
"Ahem." Homura finally spoke. "Hiruzen, Danzo's ambition is self-serving, no doubt. But he still wants to protect Konoha."
"Yes," Koharu added. "With oversight, perhaps his abilities can be… guided."
The two exchanged glances with Danzo, who immediately caught their signal.
"Hiruzen, I admit my failure. I swear I won't act rashly again."
Hiruzen inhaled deeply on his pipe, then exhaled slowly. His gaze swept over the three.
Danzo fidgeted, uneasy. He feared Hiruzen would dismiss him outright.
Homura and Koharu stayed quiet. They had voiced their opinion.it was up to Hiruzen now. Despite everything, a deep bond remained between the three. They had been trained under Tobirama. They had bled together in war.
Moreover, Konoha now faced a critical shortage of experienced leaders. Danzo, for all his faults, was skilled in intelligence and subterfuge skills Hiruzen could not publicly employ.
Thanks to Uchiha Gen's intervention, the damage from the Nine-Tails attack wasn't as catastrophic as in another timeline. Kushina Uzumaki, still alive, ensured the strategic threat of the Jinchuuriki was preserved. But Minato's death, the loss of veteran jonin, and significant infrastructure damage still left the village limping.
The other Great Villages would notice.
This moment was a turning point.
Even if they didn't risk open war, the Hidden Stone and Cloud would surely begin probing for weaknesses. At the very least, they could keep Konoha destabilized with border skirmishes and proxy conflicts.
"Fine," Hiruzen said at last. "You'll get a second chance. But I'll be watching."
"I understand." Danzo bowed his head.
"Ha!" Homura laughed, raising his tea cup. "Then let's toast to new beginnings.with tea instead of sake."
They clinked cups and drank. Homura refilled everyone's tea: Hiruzen, Koharu, Danzo, then himself.
Danzo leaned back, more composed now. "So, Hiruzen—what's next on the village's agenda?"
"Reconstruction. There's a rebuilding council meeting tomorrow."
Danzo's eyes glinted. The gears in his mind began turning once more.
"In that case… I believe the Uchiha clan should be relocated."
Hiruzen paused mid-sip. "What?"
"Moved to the outskirts of the village," Danzo said smoothly.
Hiruzen choked. He set his cup down and glared. "Have you lost your mind?"
"You want to displace a founding clan? From the center of Konoha to the fringe? What Uchiha elder would agree to this?"
Homura and Koharu looked at Danzo in disbelief. Had he truly lost touch?
"The Kyuubi's Sharingan eyes during the attack are proof enough," Danzo insisted. "Someone from the Uchiha clan used Genjutsu to control it. The Fourth said as much before his death. A remnant of Madara's ideology."
Hiruzen went silent.
He had indeed received Minato's dying message that the masked man who summoned the Nine-Tails bore a Sharingan and possessed Madara's chakra signature. But the identity remained unconfirmed.
"And for that," Hiruzen said coldly, "you want to condemn the entire Uchiha clan?"
Danzo folded his arms. "It's not punishment. It's precaution."
Hiruzen said nothing. The silence stretched.
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