Living in Konoha, crossing paths with Danzo was almost a rite of passage—an unavoidable scar one earned simply by existing too long in the village. Roshi had expected this day to come. From the moment he woke to find Hashirama's cells coursing through his body, he had quietly prepared himself. A clash with that man was inevitable.
He just hadn't expected their first confrontation to arise not from the secret within his body, but over a mission reward.
Still, Roshi knew that attacking Root would never earn punishment from the Third Hokage. His actions had, in fact, protected the Village's interests—which, by extension, meant protecting the Hokage's.
Hiruzen's so-called "non-interference" with Root was nothing new. Even if he himself were targeted for assassination, he would likely bear it in silence, all in the name of maintaining balance after the Nine-Tails incident. Compared to that, a failed attempt by Root to seize a few ledgers and getting beaten for it was hardly worth mentioning.
However, the Third Hokage's words—"I'll reprimand him and order him to control his subordinates"—carried real weight. It was a promise: Danzo's side would not act against him again, and if they did, the Hokage would step in.
As for what kind of intervention that might be… Roshi had no illusions.
Hiruzen's support was always conditional, measured by the individual's own strength. As Hokage, he could ensure that the Village's conventional forces wouldn't become an obstacle. But beyond that, one's survival depended entirely on one's own power.
Uchiha Shisui was the clearest example. The Third Hokage had given him "full authority" to handle the clan crisis—and yet, when Shisui gambled against Danzo, he never anticipated his opponent's hidden trump card, Izanagi. He lost his eye… and then his life.
Unable to use Kotoamatsukami to stop the Uchiha coup, Shisui chose suicide, entrusting everything to Itachi in a desperate final act of loyalty.
And what did the Third Hokage do? Nothing.
Had Shisui won that gamble and contained the Uchiha rebellion his own way, Hiruzen would have praised him, suppressed Root, and silenced all dissent.
But he failed—and so his death became the "necessary price" for Danzo's continued authority.
If someone like Shisui, who wielded the Mangekyō Sharingan, could be discarded so easily, then Roshi had no reason to think he'd be treated differently. He didn't know how much spirit the Hiruzen had once possessed—but he could see clearly that the aging Hiruzen had only one belief left: stability.
Endure. Wait. Let the Jinchūriki grow. Let the next generation rise.
After returning to the village, Roshi slept half the day at his old home. When he awoke, Grandma Momoka was out—a rare occurrence.
She'd left food behind, so Roshi ate a simple meal to chase away the lingering fatigue. Then he left a note saying he'd be eating out that evening and changed into casual clothes.
He had promised to treat his team to a meal after their return—and to take care of their damaged protective gear. The mission reward hadn't yet been distributed, so for now, the captain would pay upfront. That, after all, was part of the job.
Still, he realized with a sigh that, thanks to the Danzo debacle, he'd forgotten to ask if the cost of replacement gear could be reimbursed.
The upgraded S-rank mission meant a reward starting at a million ryō, plus the B-rank portion. Not bad at all—but whether or not reimbursement applied was another matter entirely. Roshi decided to visit the administration office later to clarify.
The team dinner was set at Anko's small apartment. The Senju residence was too far, and the Uchiha compound wasn't exactly nearby either, so the neutral ninja apartments made the most sense.
By the time Roshi arrived around three in the afternoon, Itachi was already inside—polite as ever, and, of course, bearing a gift. Roshi didn't need to look; the sweet smell told him it was dango.
This time, however, Roshi came empty-handed.
Anko, opening the door, immediately circled around him with exaggerated suspicion.
"Captain, where's your gift?"
"Didn't bring one."
"How rude, Roshi! Last time you remembered—now you've joined the team and think you can slack off? Should I rejoin Team 5 again, huh?"
Her voice was teasing, the bitterness from before completely gone since their mission at Deai Port.
"I'm paying for dinner tonight. That should count," Roshi replied dryly.
"Hmm… in that case, I'll allow it."
At the table sat three neatly divided portions of dango. The two had clearly waited for him—and for dango lovers, that was the greatest sign of respect.
Anko plopped down beside him. "Itachi, the captain didn't bring a gift, so he's buying dinner. Compensation."
Itachi blinked, unsure why this needed to be said again. Anko sighed inwardly. 'Kids. They just don't get fourteen-year-old adult humor.'
"Hokage-sama—what did he say about the Root situation?" Anko asked, her teasing tone fading into concern. Though Roshi had explained briefly on the way back, the thought of Danzo's involvement still made her uneasy.
"Nothing much. He said he'd reprimand them." Roshi kept it simple.
Anko relaxed a little.
So that was it—a reminder that sometimes, direct and decisive action truly could resolve things faster.
Itachi, however, fell silent, lost in thought.
After returning home, his father, Fugaku, had questioned him in detail about the mission. Itachi hadn't mentioned his injuries—nor the golden-haired woman he'd encountered. But he knew who she was. That chakra, that medical ninjutsu… it could only have been Tsunade Senju herself.
Still, a promise was a promise.
But Fugaku's parting words echoed in his mind.
He had asked Itachi to gauge Roshi's attitude toward the Uchiha Clan. The fact that Roshi had accepted Itachi into Team 5 at all was, in Fugaku's eyes, a sign of goodwill—perhaps even an opportunity. If that bridge failed, they would have to find another way.
These thoughts weighed on him even as he followed his teammates through the village—first to the Aoki Ninja Tool Shop, where Roshi covered the bill this time.
Anko exchanged her damaged purple trench coat for a cream-colored one. It suited her surprisingly well. Roshi gave Itachi a few calm suggestions on adjusting his armor's thickness based on combat habits.
Dinner came next. Then, disbandment.
"Itachi, you've got something to ask me," Roshi said quietly.
Even Anko noticed, giving them both a knowing grin before waving goodbye and vanishing down the street.
The streetlamps flickered to life, stretching their shadows long across the cobblestones. The evening breeze carried the faint scent of rain.
"Senpai," Itachi finally asked, his voice steady but low, "about the Uchiha Clan… how do you see them?"
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