The air in the Hokage's office grew heavy, pressing on everyone like a storm waiting to break.
For a long moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Homura Mitokado hardly dared to breathe. Rational people rarely lost control, but when they did, the eruption was always frightening. Koharu Utatane's fury had made even them uneasy.
"Relax, Koharu," Hiruzen finally spoke, stepping forward quickly. "Danzō didn't mean it that way."
With a sharp tug, Danzō Shimura pulled himself free from her grasp. He glared at Koharu, but she met his gaze with cold indifference. His eyes shifted to Homura, who lowered his head to avoid them, then back to Hiruzen. His old friend forced an awkward smile, but to Danzō, it looked like mockery.
At last, his gaze fell upon the Hokage's hat resting on the desk. His expression darkened as something twisted deep inside him.
Snapping, he shoved the door open and strode out, the slam echoing down the corridor.
His steps were heavy and his face ashen, pain carving lines across it. A hollow ache burned in his chest, one he could neither soothe nor voice. He longed to cry, but reminded himself of the oath he had lived by since youth: a true shinobi does not shed tears, no matter the burden.
"You are the Leaf bathed in sunlight, and I am the Root in the darkness…" The words he once told Hiruzen when Root was founded rang bitterly in his ears. He had spoken them with conviction then.
But memories came unbidden—Koharu rejecting him before he left for the battlefield. Danzō, I'm sorry. You're a good man. You deserve someone better.
That rejection had left a wound deeper than any blade. He had buried it under years of silence, but now it rose again, raw and unforgiving.
He yearned—not for Root's shadows, but for the Hokage's light. Not for secrecy, but for love.
"Why?" His mind roared. "Why can't I rival Hiruzen for the title of Hokage? Why can't I even rival Kagami Uchiha for a woman? Am I fated to fail in everything?"
His hands clenched. "Hiruzen only stepped forward seconds earlier to be bait. That was all! Why does fate hand him the title? And Kagami… he's been dead for years. Dead! Why should I still lose to him? He wasn't even stronger than me when he lived!"
His voice rose inside his skull, boiling with anger. "Power. It's because I lack power. If I had the might of the First Hokage or Uchiha Madara, I could claim it all—Hokage, Koharu, everything!"
By the time he reached Root's underground base, the sun's warmth had already abandoned him. He stepped into the dark corridor, and the light vanished from his shoulders. Shadows embraced him as if to remind him where he belonged.
Back in the Hokage's office, silence stretched uncomfortably.
Koharu straightened, adjusting her robe. She closed her eyes as if nothing had happened.
Hiruzen rubbed his forehead, exasperated. He was no expert in emotions, least of all those tangled among teammates. If he could control thoughts with jutsu, perhaps he could have solved it all by making Danzō and Koharu both… content. But such power didn't exist. And so, Danzō's bitterness remained.
He glanced at Koharu. She was a remarkable kunoichi, disciplined, rational, and the brightest of their generation under the Second Hokage. As the team's only medic, she had saved them all more times than he could count.
It was no wonder Danzō had fallen for her. The scars etched on his chin were the mark of her surgery during battle, and to him, those scars had become a symbol of love.
Yet Koharu's admiration had always leaned toward Kagami Uchiha. Kagami, the humble genius, loyal to the village, always ready to step forward. Many had even believed Kagami should inherit the Hokage's mantle.
Danzō had lived in that shadow for years. Hiruzen thought those feelings had long faded, but today had proved otherwise.
And if Hiruzen himself failed to give Koharu an acceptable explanation, she might turn her wrath on him next. Not even the Hokage's title would shield him from her scorn.
"Uchiha Yama's reasoning… it was sound," Hiruzen admitted at last.
Koharu's eyes narrowed. "So, you agreed?"
"Of course not!" Hiruzen straightened in his seat, speaking firmly. "I refused him immediately—and scolded him thoroughly."
Koharu's expression softened slightly, though suspicion lingered.
Hiruzen pressed on quickly. "But then Yama offered an alternative. If an Uchiha jōnin was not acceptable, he suggested Orochimaru take command of Team Hayashi."
"Orochimaru?" Homura echoed, startled.
"Yes. His argument was that while Tsunade excels at taijutsu and medical ninjutsu, Hayashi's potential lies in genjutsu and ninjutsu. Orochimaru would be better for nurturing his growth."
Koharu leaned back, thoughtful. She had proposed Tsunade because of her healing ability, ensuring Hayashi's survival on missions. But Yama's counterpoint was difficult to ignore. Orochimaru's tutelage would undoubtedly sharpen Hayashi's talents.
Still, what was Yama truly plotting? The request for an Uchiha jōnin seemed little more than a smokescreen.
"I accepted," Hiruzen said after a pause. "I could refuse once, but not twice. He is still the head of the Uchiha clan."
A gust of wind rattled the window, carrying the distant murmur of the village outside.
Hiruzen rose to his feet and waved a hand. "This matter is settled. Recall the jōnin instructor immediately."
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