If today's matter hadn't been about Danzō, then it would have been about Hiruzen Sarutobi's own prestige within the village.
Normally, he could have taken the initiative to apologize, make amends, and quietly smooth things over. That was how he had survived politically for decades.
But now? That was impossible.
If he gave an inch here, the entire dark side of Root would be dragged into the open. And once that happened, the village's existing power structure would inevitably be purged. He would lose the tight grip he had maintained over the village for so long.
And that wasn't the only risk. Judging from Kakashi's unyielding attitude, the young man might not stop at Danzō—he might drag Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado down as well.
Hiruzen knew the truth: Koharu and Homura had long enjoyed… private arrangements with Danzō. Otherwise, how could the Utatane Clan and the Mitokado Clan have grown so rapidly over the years?
As for himself—he would never admit to abusing his power for personal gain. But the Sarutobi Clan elders had also struck their own quiet deals with Danzō.
Hiruzen had simply turned a blind eye.
Without the strong political backing of these clans, he could never have held his position in the first place. His appointment had been only verbal, granted by Lord Tobirama without a single written order. Without their support, his seat as Hokage would have been unstable from the start.
The truth was simple—he owed these four great clans a debt. And with such favors hanging over him, how could he stand by and watch them suffer now?
Even though he was once the Hokage, Hiruzen was still human.
And as a human… it was impossible for him to do something that would destroy his own family's foundation.
He let out a silent sigh, quietly offering a wordless apology to the late Sakumo Hatake in his heart.
Then his eyes hardened. His decision was made.
Turning to Kakashi, he spoke in a deep, deliberate voice:
> "Kakashi… I understand your desire to seek justice for your father. But words alone are not enough. And even if Danzō did commit certain… actions, Sakumo did abandon his mission on the battlefield, which caused losses to the Land of Fire.
Putting aside Danzō's matter for now—do you mean to say that Sakumo has no fault at all?"
Ah… truly classic Hiruzen.
The audience could almost applaud. This was the Third Hokage at his finest—carefully reframing the issue, sidestepping the heart of the matter, and twisting the narrative with a smoothness born of decades in politics.
No wonder he had sat so comfortably in power for so many years, praised as the "God of Shinobi" by those who never saw the backroom dealings.
In the ninja world—where most shinobi valued action over words and had little skill in verbal sparring—Hiruzen's level of sophistry was practically an overwhelming advantage.
---
Kakashi's lips curled, but his eyes were cold.
Then he laughed.
Not a warm laugh—not even a mocking chuckle. It was a sharp, cutting laugh that carried anger with every breath.
"Hahahaha… what a joke."
"So even you think it was wrong for my father to give up the mission in order to save his comrades, do you?"
"Very good."
"Then let me ask you, our beloved Third Hokage… what exactly are the duties of the Hokage's Guard Unit?"
Before Hiruzen could respond, Koharu puffed out her chest with pride. "Of course—to protect the Hokage's safety until the very end. When we were guarding the Second Hokage, all of us fulfilled our duty to the letter!"
It was one of her proudest accomplishments—being chosen as part of Tobirama's guard was a badge she wore for life. It was also a major reason she held the title of Hokage Advisor.
---
"Koharu!" Hiruzen's tone snapped like a whip, his eyes narrowing.
He had been exchanging words with Kakashi long enough to realize something dangerous—this young man was not an ordinary ninja with only surface-level political awareness.
No—Kakashi was sharp. He could read the flow of the conversation, anticipate responses, and steer the exchange toward his own advantage.
It had been a long time since Hiruzen faced an opponent like this. In a strange way, he almost felt… invigorated. Compared to Kakashi, men like Fugaku Uchiha and Hyūga Hizashi were child's play—easily controlled and politically harmless.
But this… this was different.
He had no doubt Kakashi's question was a trap. And now, Koharu had just walked straight into it.
A pang of nostalgia—and annoyance—rose in Hiruzen's chest. Ah, Danzō… I really do miss having you around right now.
---
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Well said!" Kakashi's palms clapped together.
"Advisor Koharu truly lives up to her reputation. A former guard of Lord Tobirama—sharp, loyal, and aware of her duty!"
Koharu blinked. Wait… is he… praising me?
Had she impressed him with her personal history? Was he acknowledging her contribution?
But before she could even form a response—
Kakashi's voice turned cold as steel.
> "Then allow me to ask, Advisor Koharu—why, when you were supposed to protect Lord Tobirama with your life, did you abandon your mission… abandon Lord Tobirama… and return alive?"
Koharu's hair practically bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "You dare—?! That's slander! Everyone here knows it was Lord Tobirama who sacrificed himself so we could escape!"
"Oh, I see." Kakashi's gaze swept over her like a blade. "So that's how it is."
"Strange, though. As members of the Hokage's Guard, your first duty was to protect the Hokage—even if it meant your own death. Shouldn't you have done everything in your power to stop Tobirama-sama from sacrificing himself? Even if it meant sacrificing yourself instead of him?"
"And yet… you ran."
"Tell me, was that your ninja way? Your 'enlightenment'?"
"Let me be blunt—Lord Tobirama, who possessed the Flying Thunder God Technique and could move freely across the battlefield, was killed… because of you."
His voice rose, sharp and cutting. "Elder Hiruzen—if I were in your position, the moment I learned of Lord Tobirama's death, I would have committed seppuku on the spot to atone. At the very least, I would have resigned from all positions and lived the rest of my life repenting!"
"But you—" Kakashi's lip curled—"you not only lived, but you sat in the Hokage's seat with a smile. Truly… shameless."
---
"You insolent brat!" Koharu's voice was high and shaking with fury. "Lord Tobirama chose to sacrifice himself! And he personally named Hiruzen as his successor on the battlefield. His position is legitimate! Who would dare object?!"
"Oh? Is that so?" Kakashi's voice was cool now, almost mocking.
"But you just told me yourself—the Hokage Guard's duty is to defend the Hokage to the death. Did your actions not violate the most basic rule of the ninja code?"
"And if we take this further—wasn't Tobirama's choice, then, a violation as well? As Hokage, shouldn't he have put the village first? Yet he chose to save his comrades instead of himself."
He paused, eyes narrowing. "After all, in terms of the village's survival… sacrificing a Hokage in exchange for saving a handful of jōnin hardly seems worth it, does it?"
"By that logic—can I say the Second Hokage abandoned his mission to save his companions? Exactly like my father did?"
His words fell like a hammer.
---
"If that's the case," Kakashi continued, "then I truly cannot understand. They both abandoned their missions. So why is the Second Hokage praised? Why is Hiruzen permitted to become Hokage? Why are you allowed to be a Hokage Advisor? And yet my father—who made the same choice—is slandered as a traitor, condemned even in death?"
Koharu's hands trembled, her finger stabbing the air at him. "You dare slander—!"
"Oh? Did I say anything false about Lord Tobirama?" Kakashi's voice was calm now, almost dangerous. "I am merely stating the ninja code. The same code you used to convict my father and nail him to the pillar of shame."
"Or is it… that the so-called ninja code doesn't apply to you? That it's nothing more than a tool to control other shinobi?"
His eyes locked on hers. "Yes… that must be it. After all, you were all personally trained by Lord Tobirama—childhood friends, bound by decades of personal loyalty. Tell me, then—does the final interpretation of the 'ninja code' belong solely to the Third Hokage? If he needs it, no one can defy it. If he doesn't… it's just decoration?"
Kakashi gave a slow shrug, his tone deceptively mild.
Around them, the clan heads exchanged uneasy glances.
The uncomfortable truth was… Kakashi's words made sense.
They had all known—at least privately—that Hiruzen, Koharu, and Homura had been Tobirama's guards. And it was indeed their duty to protect him at all costs.
Yet in the end… Tobirama died outside the village, and they returned alive. Not only alive—they became the highest-ranking officials in the village.
And then… they turned around and condemned White Fang for making the exact same decision as Tobirama.
Such blatant double standards… truly shameless.
patreon (Obito_uchiha)