The sudden outbreak of conflict caught everyone off guard.
The companions around Hakken tensed immediately.
Fugaku's expression was complicated—under normal circumstances, witnessing such a scene should have pleased him. From the Uchiha perspective, seeing someone openly defy the higher-ups was usually something to be celebrated.
But after all that had happened, his thoughts had changed. Somehow, he found himself unwilling to see this boy get hurt.
That was Itachi's friend.
A true friend.
Shisui stood frozen in disbelief. Attacking a Hokage Advisor? That was something he had never even imagined.
"Hiruzen, did you see that?"
Overwhelmed by pain, Koharu Utatane had already fallen unconscious. Beside her, Homura Mitokado's face had gone pale. He didn't dare act arrogantly toward Hakken, so instead, he turned toward Hiruzen Sarutobi, silently urging him to say something.
What do you expect me to say?
Hiruzen gave a bitter smile.
Judging purely by the outcome, Hakken Yoru had indeed gone too far.
But everything in this world happens for a reason.
A ninja who had fought hard on the front lines, just returned to the village, was now being stopped at the gate only to be lectured—and even called a criminal?
If it were me, I'd be furious too.
Especially since this boy never bothered to hide his anger.
"Hakken, you really did go too far. Though Koharu was also in the wrong, she's still one of Konoha's Hokage Advisors."
"As a ninja of Konoha, you should show humility toward the elders who've contributed greatly to the village..."
Sometimes, situations like this required someone to play the peacemaker—to step in as an elder, point out your mistakes, and remind you of your place.
And right now, that peacemaker was Hiruzen.
But before he could finish, Hakken suddenly raised a hand, cutting him off.
"Forget the rest. I don't care about her saying I'm atoning for past sins or whatever."
"You just said... she made great contributions to Konoha?"
Hakken's eyes widened as if he had just heard something unbelievable. That statement was even more absurd than the Konoha textbooks calling the Third Hokage the strongest in history.
"Is there a problem?"
Hiruzen looked confused as he lit his pipe.
A Hokage Advisor who had devoted herself to the village for so many years—how could that be wrong to say?
"Forget it. You probably wouldn't understand even if I explained."
Seeing Hiruzen's self-assured expression, Hakken lost the desire to argue.
Just as you can't wake someone pretending to sleep, human words aren't always meant for dogs to understand.
"People like her aren't even worth comparing to a single ninja who died on the border. Think about that, Lord Third."
Shaking his head, Hakken decided he had no reason to stay any longer. The fleeting thought he'd had—that Konoha might be a home—vanished in an instant.
Home was where Anko, Itachi, and his friends were.
Konoha never was.
Shouldering his blade, Hakken prepared to enter the village. But the moment he took a step forward, a masked ninja appeared behind Danzō, blocking his path.
What a performance. Yugito Nii in the squad almost wanted to clap her hands in amusement.
She didn't know how the others felt, but she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
This village, so peaceful on the surface, hid so much discord underneath.
The Hokage welcoming returning ninja—that was heartwarming.
But another faction clearly held resentment toward the young man who had earned his glory.
This spectacle was simply too entertaining to miss.
"Halt, Hakken Yoru."
"Hand over the Two-Tails. It belongs to the village."
But the next moment, the words from that hateful old man sent a chill down Yugito's spine.
Was that the real reason they were blocking their path?
"Get lost!"
A thunderous roar shattered the silence, and the air around the gates of Konoha instantly turned cold.
The blade raised high in Hakken's hand was now pointed straight at Danzō Shimura.
Perhaps from the very beginning, Hakken had already guessed the reason these men were here.
Of course.
News of his capture of the Two-Tails had long since reached the village.
It was only natural that some would covet the power of a Jinchūriki and seek to claim it for themselves.
Since the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki was beyond their reach, shifting their sights to the Two-Tails fit Danzō's character perfectly.
But there was one thing he failed to understand.
"What's mine is mine."
"What I choose to give you—only then does it become yours."
"If I don't give it, you don't get to take it."
The massive blade swung down in a single motion, and the great gates of Konoha split cleanly in two beneath the sharp wave of energy.
"Just like when you sent Root agents to hunt me down for my sword."
"My cat is mine. No one touches her."
Turning his gaze, Hakken looked toward Minato Namikaze, who had been waiting for him from the start.
"Minato-sensei, you came here to greet me at the village gates. That's you showing me some respect."
"And the fact that these people are still breathing? That's me showing you some respect."
"I only show this kind of respect once."
Boom!
Before the words had even faded, Danzō froze in shock as the two guards standing behind him suddenly exploded into clouds of blood and mist.
When did it happen?
"Next time, it'll be your head..."
As Hakken passed by Danzō, his voice was like something that crawled straight out of hell.
Respect —he only gave it once.
He had no interest in watching how Minato would deal with the aftermath.
He hadn't seen Anko in far too long. All he wanted now was to lie down with his head in her lap and finally sleep.
Konoha's affairs? They had nothing to do with him.
Just as he'd said before leaving the village—he went to the front lines for Minato alone.
He'd done the favor, and he'd done it well.
After Night Owl Team entered Konoha, the suffocating tension at the gate slowly eased.
Yet the traces of the blood explosion remained, and Koharu Utatane's severed arm still lay grotesquely on the ground.
"Minato, you saw it all. I want an explanation."
The Third Hokage's face was dark.
Killing a comrade in front of two Hokages—this wasn't a small mistake.
It had to be handled seriously.
But to Hiruzen's shock, the Fourth Hokage—who had always shown him respect—acted as though he hadn't heard him at all. Instead, Minato stepped forward, stopping directly before Danzō.
Even now, Danzō didn't seem to grasp the gravity of what had just happened.
He hadn't considered why that boy had been able to face two Jinchūriki and even bring one back alive.
He hadn't wondered why Hakken Yoru had the confidence—the audacity—to kill without hesitation.
"You attacked him, didn't you?"
Minato's shoulders trembled violently. That trembling was a sign—the man who once tolerated everything, who always looked the other way, had reached the peak of his fury.
Did this man even understand how hard it had been to rebuild a bond with someone who had no real attachment to Konoha?
Did he remember what he'd promised before Hakken left—that this time, as a teacher, he would not be late?
In that instant, Minato finally understood.
Why Shisui had appeared in the Night Owl Team.
"Everything I've done has been for the village."
"That sword—and the Two-Tails Jinchūriki—can only serve their greatest purpose in the village's hands."
Danzō spoke without expression, as if it were a trivial matter.
"For the village?"
Minato smiled faintly.
"Fine then. In the name of the Fourth Hokage, I hereby declare—"
"For the village, effective immediately, Root is disbanded!"