"That's enough!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's sharp voice cut through the tense silence, interrupting Utatane Koharu before she could continue her tirade. His eyes narrowed, and for the first time, he truly grasped what Hatake Kakashi was attempting to do.
Kakashi wasn't speaking recklessly. No, every word was deliberate, every phrase carefully crafted to turn the Ninja Code—the very foundation of their laws—against him.
Hah… I thought I had cornered him by invoking the Code. But this boy… this boy just turned it back on me. He's questioning whether I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, am even qualified to sit in judgment as Hokage!
The realization made Hiruzen's heart clench.
What a move. Ruthless, precise—like a shinobi cutting off his own arm to escape a trap. Kakashi had not merely defended himself, he had severed the very roots of the argument Hiruzen relied on.
This child… I underestimated him.
And when he turned his gaze toward the gathered clan heads, he noticed it—subtle shifts in expression, flickers of thought in their eyes. They had heard Kakashi's words. They were considering them.
If this continued… he would lose. Completely.
Hiruzen's jaw tightened. He had lived his whole life balancing the fragile web of politics and power, but in the end, even politics bowed to strength. He clenched his fists and glared directly at Kakashi.
"The past has nothing to do with today!" His voice rang with authority, almost like a verdict. "I'll ask you one last time: will you hand over Danzo's body or not? Tell me, Kakashi—do you truly believe Sarutobi Hiruzen is unqualified to handle this matter?"
His teeth ground together. This was no longer a question of morality or the Code. It was about dominance. About proving who held authority in Konoha.
Because politics, compromise, balance—all of that only worked if one had the power to force others to play by the rules. Without power, words were nothing but air.
Kakashi did not hesitate. His answer was sharp, cold, unyielding.
"No."
The refusal echoed like a blade being drawn.
"Good." Hiruzen's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Very good indeed."
The tension grew heavier as he turned toward Minato, his voice dripping with cold authority.
"Kakashi, at the end of the day, you're just Minato's subordinate. A child who has grown arrogant under his protection. Minato—give me Danzo's body. And as Hokage, you should reflect on yourself. You've allowed your subordinates to run wild, to disrespect their elders, to attempt to overthrow their superiors. Do you call this leadership?"
Hiruzen's words struck like a hammer. The insult was not only directed at Kakashi—it was a trap carefully laid for Minato.
In the shinobi world, hierarchy was absolute. A subordinate who openly defied his superior disrupted the natural order of command. If Minato accepted these words, he would be forced to rebuke Kakashi. And if he rebuked Kakashi publicly, the trust between them would shatter. Doubt would fester. Distance would grow.
It was a classic tactic—divide the Hokage from his most loyal subordinate.
If Minato had been a darker man, insecure or manipulative, the trap would have worked perfectly.
But Minato Namikaze was not that kind of man.
He stepped forward, his expression calm yet resolute, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Kakashi. His blond hair gleamed under the lantern light, and his presence radiated authority without cruelty.
"Elder Hiruzen," Minato said, his voice steady, "Kakashi is my direct Anbu captain. He speaks with my authority. His words reflect my stance." He paused, letting his next words strike clearly. "And besides—I am the Hokage."
The words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable.
"You—!"
For a moment, Hiruzen's composure cracked. Those were the very words he himself had wielded for decades to suppress Danzo's ambitions, words that had ended countless arguments in the council chamber.
And now they were turned against him.
His fury burned hot, but with it came an eerie calm. If Minato was determined to defy him, then there was no longer room for politics, no room for compromise.
"In that case," Hiruzen said slowly, each word deliberate, "let us settle this with a duel."
The declaration silenced the room.
Hiruzen's eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. It had been years since he had fought in earnest, years since he had tested the limits of his strength. But beneath the wrinkles and the air of a kindly elder was still the man once called The God of Shinobi. The title of "Ninja Hero" had not been gifted—it had been carved into history through blood and fire.
If words could no longer hold sway, then he would prove himself with power.
Before Minato could answer, he spoke again, his voice steady.
"Kakashi is your subordinate. He claims to have killed Danzo. Then let him stand responsible. If he believes himself strong enough to challenge me, let him prove it before all of Konoha!"
But Minato stepped forward, unwilling to let Kakashi bear the brunt.
"Kakashi is my subordinate, yes. But I gave the order. He was only carrying out my command. If it's a duel you want, then I, the decision maker, will accept the challenge."
Hiruzen's brows furrowed, but before he could speak, Kakashi cut in.
"Hokage-sama," he said firmly, "this is unnecessary."
His single visible eye gleamed with resolve. "He wants to fight? Then I'll face him."
"Kakashi—" Minato's voice dropped into a whisper, sharp with concern. "Don't treat this lightly. This is Sarutobi Hiruzen—the master of the Five Elements, the strongest Hokage before me. If you misstep—"
"Don't worry, Minato-sensei." Kakashi smiled faintly, rolling his shoulders as if loosening his body. "I just need to stretch my arms and legs a little. And if things get too bad… I can always run away, right?"
Minato stared at him, torn between reprimand and pride. He saw through Kakashi's bravado. Behind the calm tone, his student's determination burned fiercely.
Finally, Minato exhaled, conceding. "…Fine. But listen to me, Kakashi. If you sense danger, if the tide turns—withdraw immediately. If it comes to it, I will intervene myself. Even if it means giving him Danzo's body back."
The words were quiet, but they revealed Minato's own frustration with the Third's blind protection of Danzo.
"Understood." Kakashi nodded seriously.
Then he turned toward Hiruzen, forming the seal of opposition with his hands. His voice was clear and respectful, yet sharp with challenge.
"Elder Hiruzen, please enlighten me."
"Hmm."
Hiruzen mirrored the gesture with one hand, the other stroking his goatee in an almost dismissive manner. He carried himself with the dignity of an elder about to correct a wayward youth.
In his eyes, Kakashi was talented—yes—but still only a child of fourteen. Too young, too untested, too lacking in bloodline power to step beyond the rank of elite Jōnin. A promising seed, perhaps, but no oak tree yet.
Elite Jōnin—that was the ceiling of his current ability.
Against a Kage, the difference was like sky and earth.
"Kakashi," Hiruzen said, his tone heavy with instruction, "the younger a genius, the easier it is for arrogance to cloud judgment. You burn brightly now, but brightness without discipline only blinds you. Today, I will teach you the difference between an elite Jōnin and a true Kage-level shinobi. Take it as a lesson to prevent you from straying off the right path."
His words carried the weight of experience, but they were also for show. He had to justify the coming duel—he had to cloak it as instruction, not vengeance.
Because if he crushed a mere child too harshly, even victory would seem hollow, dishonorable.
"Are you finished?"
Kakashi's voice cut through the pretense. The casual arrogance was gone, replaced by quiet intensity. His visible eye sharpened, his body straightened, and an aura of unshakable will radiated from him.
"Then let's begin."
He looked at Hiruzen not as an elder, not as a legend, but as a man standing in his way.
In Kakashi's eye, this was not merely a fight. It was a chance to tear down the pedestal on which Sarutobi Hiruzen stood—a pedestal that had cast a long shadow over Konoha for decades.
The villagers called him the strongest, the Ninja Hero, the one who had carried Konoha through two wars. To face him was to face the weight of an entire generation's belief.
And if Kakashi could drag him down from that altar, even for a moment—what a victory that would be.
Hiruzen's lips curled faintly.
"Very well. Show me what you've got, boy."
The air grew thick with tension. Chakra stirred faintly, whispering through the night air like the rustle of leaves before a storm. Clan heads, Anbu, and shinobi all held their breath, waiting for the first move.
The duel between the old and the young—the past and the future—was about to begin.
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