The Sarutobi household fell into silence.
Hiruzen's words had crushed any further argument.
He was still the "benevolent Hokage," bound by reputation and duty and that alone limited how far he could act publicly.
But privately?
Sarutobi Shinnosuke was the one at fault.
And Hiruzen would not forget that his son had returned home missing an arm.
Even if I cannot strike openly… there are other ways.
A shadow flickered over Hiruzen's expression.
Fear of Shiki's strength didn't matter.
His son's arm had been severed — that debt had to be repaid.
"Asuma."
His voice was calm, almost too calm.
"In-In!"
Asuma jumped like he'd been shocked.
The trembling in his shoulders made Hiruzen's disappointment deepen.
You caused the trouble.
I did not blame you for that — you're a child, and you're my son.
But you caused trouble
and didn't have the courage to stand by it.
That was what angered Hiruzen the most.
"From today onward, you will not attend the Ninja Academy. You will train at home."
"I—!"
Asuma's eyes widened.
If he stayed home, he wouldn't see Kurenai anymore.
He opened his mouth to protest—
But the moment he met Hiruzen's gaze, all sound died.
He lowered his head and nodded silently.
Hiruzen no longer wasted attention on him.
He stepped toward Shinnosuke, his eldest, his pride… now missing an arm.
Hiruzen's hand rested lightly on Shinnosuke's shoulder.
"Don't worry. Leave this to me."
Shinnosuke nodded weakly.
His heart burned with hatred for Shiki.
And as Hokage, Hiruzen's action would surely crush that arrogant swordsman.
Next Morning — Hokage Office
Hiruzen walked inside — only to have the door slam open behind him.
Shimura Danzo strutted in, cane tapping the floor.
"Yo, Hiruzen. I heard your son's arm got cut off."
"…"
Hiruzen did not look surprised Danzo knew — Root always knew.
But the grin on Danzo's face made his eyelid twitch.
My son lost his arm, and you're smiling?
If Danzo heard his thoughts, he'd probably answer honestly:
Yes. I am happy.
Shinnosuke was a threat to Danzo's Hokage ambitions.
Now the boy's elite-nin future was crippled.
Danzo cleared his throat when he noticed Hiruzen's stare.
"Ahem. Anyway. What are you planning regarding Shiki?"
Danzo was absolutely grateful Shiki had crippled Shinnosuke.
But gratitude didn't mean he wouldn't exploit the situation.
"You've noticed, haven't you? Shiki's popularity is fading."
Danzo sneered.
"Civilians forget heroes quickly."
Hiruzen's voice was steady.
"How prepared are you?"
In the past, he hesitated at the idea of eliminating Shiki.
Not anymore.
This time the question came directly.
Danzo's lips curled into a pleased smile.
"More than ready.
Once Shiki is back in the village's hands… the 'Tongue Curse Seal' will make him a perfect weapon."
Danzo didn't care about making Shiki a hero.
He wanted Shiki as a tool.
Hiruzen nodded once.
"In a few days, I'll assign Shiki a special solo mission outside the village.
Once he leaves the gates… Root will handle the rest."
"Excellent."
Danzo could barely contain his excitement.
Once Hiruzen gave the go-ahead, Danzo left immediately to prepare his ambush force.
He walked through the corridors with such a radiant smile that villagers would think he'd just won the lottery.
"It seems… I will need to visit Tsunade."
Shiki's fate was sealed in Hiruzen's mind — he no longer cared about that.
What mattered now was his eldest son.
An arm is everything to a ninja.
And only one person in the world could repair such an injury:
Senju Tsunade.
Without hesitation, Hiruzen left the office.
Meanwhile — Shiki knew none of this.
Not that it would matter even if he did.
He stood in the vast Senju Clan grounds, watching Tsunade train.
"Cleave!"
A golden slash of sword aura split the air of the training field.
"Take this!"
Tsunade dropped from the sky, her body wrapped in vibrant emerald chakra.
"BOOOOOM!"
Her heel smashed into the earth, annihilating the entire training ground in one blow.
"Swoosh!"
Shiki appeared beside the wreckage, smiling lightly.
Tsunade landed next to him instantly, breathing hard but proud.
Shiki nodded.
"Congratulations, Tsunade.
You've successfully reached true Kage level."
He had expected her to take a little more time but she'd pushed through faster than he anticipated.
And on her forehead, the completed Strength of a Hundred Seal glowed like a purple diamond.
"Hehe~!"
Tsunade twirled her fists in the air happily.
"It's too boring training nonstop. Finally done! I deserve a few rounds of gambling after this!"
Gambling — that would never leave her.
But the entire time she spoke, her eyes never left Shiki.
She hadn't worked this hard to become Hokage.
She worked this hard because she didn't want to fall too far behind him.
Shiki saw that clearly and smiled gently.
He raised his hand toward the destroyed training ground.
"Ground Roll."
[Author Note]📢
Hey everyone! Merry Christmas ⛄
Just a quick update — I've started a new Naruto novel:
Naruto: Blackbeard Template
It's a fresh project with cleaner writing and a steadier release pace.
If you enjoyed my previous stories, feel free to check it out!
Thanks for the support 🗣️
— Arthorain