Even though he was no longer the Hokage, Hiruzen was still followed by Anbu loyal to him.
As he quickly arrived at the entrance of the Root base, Hiruzen was unsurprisingly stopped by the Root ninja guarding the gate.
"I want to see Danzō."
Hiruzen's voice was loud and clear, and from his tone, the Root ninja immediately sensed the visitor's ill intent.
At that moment, Danzō was instructing Asuma in Wind Release training. Upon receiving the message, his first reaction was panic—wondering which loose end from his past deeds had finally been uncovered by Hiruzen.
In a moment of anxiety, he even considered having his subordinates lie and say he wasn't present.
At least not for the time being.
But then it dawned on him—Hiruzen was no longer the Hokage. Just like him, he was now only serving as an advisor in the village's upper echelon.
He could no longer declare, "I am the Hokage."
With that realization, Danzō straightened his back and coolly gestured to his subordinates to let Hiruzen in.
Just another advisor on equal footing—nothing to be afraid of.
Soon, Hiruzen spotted Asuma and Danzō on the training field.
Noticing his father's arrival, Asuma gave a disdainful look, but the speed of his hand seals increased slightly, showing off as he unleashed a powerful Vacuum Great Sphere.
Yet Hiruzen's gaze never once landed on Asuma. His sole focus was on Danzō, who stood not far away.
Danzō slowly walked over to Hiruzen. Looking at this longtime comrade, his tone was more cheerful than ever.
Hiruzen was finally no longer the Hokage.
A shame that the one sitting in that seat now wasn't him, nor his son.
But that was fine. There would always be another opportunity.
"Are we going to talk right here, Danzō?"
Seeing Danzō remain silent, Hiruzen didn't bother playing games and got straight to the point.
"I think here's fine, but if you want to go somewhere else, that's fine too, Advisor Hiruzen." Danzō said casually, then turned and led him to a room that could barely be called a reception chamber.
The small room had only one source of light—a tiny window high up on the south wall.
In the center was a tea table with a full tea set, flanked by cushions for kneeling.
Once seated, Danzō poured tea only for himself, making no move to offer any to Hiruzen.
"So, what brings you here?"
"Danzō, you should be well aware—I'm no longer the Hokage. That means there are things you can no longer do as you please like before."
Hiruzen was determined to create a better environment for Sakumo, but that also meant confronting the consequences of his past leniencies.
"Hiruzen, what are you talking about?"
Though nervous inside—unsure which of his old misdeeds had been uncovered—Danzō kept his face blank, feigning innocence.
"Take a look yourself."
Hiruzen handed over the documents he had brought. While waiting for a response, he picked up the teapot and poured himself a full cup of tea.
Danzō, uneasy, picked up the papers. After reading the contents, he nearly cursed aloud.
Which bastard did this?!
The Fujiwara clan in Beichū Town—he swore to heaven, even if the methods resembled his, he had never targeted them!
Completely stunned by the unexpected accusation, Danzō found himself at a loss for words.
What shocked him even more was realizing that his carefully hidden actions against the nobility had somehow been seen through by his old comrade.
And yet, the loyal hound of the daimyo sitting in front of him hadn't had him arrested. What in the world...
Hiruzen took Danzō's silence as a sign of guilt, and his anger flared even more.
He had clearly let Danzō get away with too much for too long.
Both men were lost in their thoughts, and for a time, silence filled the room.
It was in that silence that Danzō suddenly remembered something.
Besides his subordinates, who were sworn to secrecy, there was one other person who knew.
Realizing this, Danzō narrowed his lone eye, and his demeanor shifted abruptly.
"Hiruzen, don't come accusing me based on vague allegations. Are you saying you think I did this?"
Hiruzen was momentarily stunned, caught off guard by Danzō's sudden shift in attitude.
"Hiruzen, you and I are both advisors now. I suggest you don't bring unsubstantiated claims to me like this."
Seeing Danzō speak with such confidence, Hiruzen began to waver.
Perhaps Danzō truly hadn't done it. Maybe the Fujiwara incident was really just a case of bandits passing through?
"That would be best." Hiruzen decided to give Danzō the benefit of the doubt this time.
"If I ever meet the true mastermind behind this, I'll make it clear—the era of the Fourth Hokage has begun. If they slip up even once, the only fate awaiting them is death."
Leaving behind that clear warning, Hiruzen drank the now-lukewarm tea in one gulp, stood up, and exited the room.
Danzō remained kneeling in place, ignoring the threat.
As he passed by the training grounds, Hiruzen finally remembered his son was here too—only to find the field now completely empty.
He paused for a moment, then walked directly toward the exit, joined by the Anbu guards who had been waiting outside for quite some time.
...
"Tatsuma."
"Danzō-sama, the Third has already left." At his name, Tatsuma emerged from the shadows.
Danzō reached out for the teacup before him and shifted his gaze toward the documents Hiruzen had left behind.
Seeing this, Tatsuma immediately understood. He picked up the file.
"Investigate thoroughly, then report all the facts to me."
"Yes."
...
Two new stewards had arrived at the Fujiwara estate.
One was tall and burly, clearly capable in a fight; the other was a delicate-looking, slender young woman.
The officials from the daimyo's estate weren't interested in their identities. The only thing they needed to confirm was whether the sole surviving infant was truly a descendant of the Fujiwara family.
After three days and nights of verification, the officials finally confirmed—the child was indeed the last surviving heir of the Fujiwara clan.
"Not sure if this is a blessing or a curse... but everything the Fujiwara family built over generations now belongs to that baby."
"Tsk tsk, though it's probably for the best that Fujiwara Kōya is dead. That old bastard never treated the townspeople like actual humans."
"Keep your voice down. The constables are still nearby."
The townsfolk, who had never seen officials from the daimyo's court up close before, watched as the long procession departed, then began murmuring among themselves.
"Sir Kaku, the daimyo's estate has ordered Konoha to send shinobi to investigate this case. They'll surely deliver justice to you... and to the Fujiwara family."
The magistrate put on a fawning smile as he looked up at the steward before him, who stood two heads taller. But inwardly, he couldn't help grumbling.
Just a house servant who happened to survive and become steward—why couldn't I have been so lucky?
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