"Bang!"
Deep within Root's underground base, Shimura Danzō smashed his desk into splinters with a single punch.
This was already the third desk he had destroyed.
Not just the desk—every shattered object scattered across the floor testified to the fury consuming him.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura stood silently to the side. Their expressions remained calm, but inwardly, they could only sigh.
They understood exactly why Danzō was so enraged.
His entire life's ambition… had just collapsed into nothing.
And they also understood why Sarutobi Hiruzen had made this decision.
Danzō had gone too far.
Far beyond the line.
In fact, the mere fact that he was still alive already meant Hiruzen had shown him immense mercy—likely at great cost.
Danzō had no more chances.
Unless something truly extraordinary happened, there was no path left for him to rise again.
And even that possibility seemed bleak.
"Calm down, Danzō."
Homura sighed.
"You can't blame anyone else. You brought this on yourself."
"I brought this on myself?!"
Danzō turned, glaring viciously at him as he roared:
"Yes! I did! And there's only one reason it ended up like this—only one!"
"You do realize the scale of what you caused?"
Koharu shook her head slightly, watching his near-mad state.
"During the Nine-Tails incident, you didn't mobilize Root. That alone already caused widespread anger.
Hiruzen had to give up a significant concessions to the Uchiha just to protect you.
And when Hiruzen went to the capital—you repaid that by sending Root assassins?!
You've gone too far, Danzō!"
Her words struck like blades.
"And do you even realize—Senju Hikaru was with Hiruzen at the time?
This time, Hiruzen had to pay an enormous price just to stop Hikaru from making a move against you.
What right do you have to be angry here?"
Those words hit their mark.
At the mention of Senju Hikaru, Danzō gradually calmed.
That name…
was the one he hated most.
Regret surged through him.
Regret that he hadn't forced Hikaru into Root back then.
Regret that he hadn't simply killed the boy when he had the chance.
And then—
another thought surfaced.
"Kinoe…" (Yamato)
His most successful experiment.
A true wielder of Wood Release.
Now missing.
Dead?
Or worse—
in Hikaru's hands?
Either outcome was disastrous.
Because once traced back…
it would expose everything.
Including—
Hashirama's cells.
Even his remains.
At that thought, Danzō made a decision.
He had to endure.
No matter the anger. No matter the despair.
He had to endure.
Because in his eyes, everything had led to this for one reason—
Senju Hikaru.
That boy was his greatest enemy.
The one he most wanted dead.
As for Hiruzen…
There was no gratitude.
Hiruzen wasn't protecting him.
He was protecting himself.
In the end—
Danzō's voice turned hoarse:
"…Because I'm not the Hokage."
Inside the Hokage's office—
Hiruzen sat quietly, processing documents.
Danzō's matter was settled.
Stripping him of everything…
was worse than killing him.
Hiruzen hadn't wanted it to come to this.
But reality had forced his hand.
Hikaru's rise.
And more importantly—
Danzō exposing Wood Release experiments to Hikaru.
If that boy stirred things up, the consequences for Konoha would be catastrophic.
"…I really am not a qualified Hokage."
Hiruzen stared at the document in silence before sighing.
"I let you carry all the darkness… made you the shadow beneath the Hokage.
That power twisted you.
And my indulgence let you go this far."
He closed his eyes.
This was his responsibility.
That lingering guilt—
combined with their long history—
was why he hadn't killed Danzō.
Perhaps he had grown old.
With fewer people from his generation remaining…
and after Biwako's death…
his heart had softened.
But no matter what—
his decision would not change.
Unless something forced his hand—
Danzō would live out his life in forced retirement.
That was his final mercy.
"…So decisive?"
Hikaru looked at the report in his hand, a strange expression crossing his face.
After finishing with Yamato, he had begun reviewing ANBU operations and recent developments in Konoha.
ANBU was progressing well.
Kakashi and the others had acted cautiously in his absence.
Rather than expanding recklessly, they had promoted capable personnel internally.
Former squad leaders became unit commanders.
Promising members rose to squad leaders.
It stabilized structure—
but cohesion and combat synergy were still lacking.
So veteran members were paired with new recruits on missions.
A solid approach.
But—
it required better compensation.
Fortunately, the negotiations with the daimyō were complete.
The funds had already arrived.
Hikaru now had room to act.
"Raise all ANBU leadership待遇… and partially open the ninjutsu library."
ANBU was now essentially a micro-government under his control.
He wasn't just leading troops.
He was experimenting with governance.
His goal wasn't just power—
it was ruling.
And ruling required systems.
Not just strength.
Then—
his gaze landed on something else.
Danzō's punishment.
"Stripped of everything…"
Hikaru tapped the table lightly.
"…that's worse than death for him."
But—
this outcome didn't fully align with Hikaru's interests.
Danzō still had uses.
Which meant—
Orochimaru's matter needed to accelerate.
And Yamato—
was the key.
As long as Yamato tried to protect Danzō…
he could be manipulated.
And once he broke—
Hikaru would have the perfect opening.
Because from the beginning—
Hikaru's plan had always been the same:
Use everything.
Everyone.
To reach his goal.
"Though before that… there's something else."
Hikaru narrowed his eyes.
"The administrative department."
Kakashi and the others had focused entirely on military expansion—
but governance had been neglected.
That wouldn't do.
Hikaru wasn't like Hiruzen.
He had no intention of handling everything personally.
He believed in one principle:
More people = more power.
He didn't need to make every decision.
He just needed to control direction.
Which meant—
he needed secretaries.
Capable ones.
Loyal ones.
People who understood him.
His thoughts drifted to one person—
Senju Ayame.
Smart.
Loyal.
And controllable.
A perfect candidate.
"…She might work."
Meanwhile—
within the Uchiha district—
Uchiha Shin was buried in ancient records.
Dust-covered history.
The truth of the Uchiha and Senju.
He had lived through that era—
but as a child.
He knew only fragments.
Now—
he needed answers.
Because Hikaru's olive branch…
had shaken him to his core.
When his granddaughter, Uchiha Saya, spoke—
he finally voiced his dilemma.
Two clans.
A century of hatred.
Peace once achieved—
then broken.
Now—
a chance appeared again.
Should they take it?
Saya listened carefully.
Then answered calmly:
"Why not accept it?"
"Peace has always been what people choose.
Even back then—
your clan refused to follow Uchiha Madara.
That means…
they already made their choice."
Her words struck like lightning.
Shin froze—
then trembled.
"…So we already chose once…"
Yes.
They had.
They had rejected Madara.
Rejected hatred.
Chosen peace.
Then why hesitate now?
His eyes lit up.
He stood up—
decision made.
"We accept it."
Even if it meant risk.
Even if it meant becoming a puppet.
It was a gamble worth taking—
for the clan's future.
That night—
on Konoha's streets—
Hikaru walked beside Senju Ayame.
"Anything you want to eat?"
"Whatever Hikaru decides."
"…Then let's have dango."
Ayame blinked.
"You like dango?"
"…Not really."
Hikaru shook his head.
"I just remembered… I once used it to comfort a girl."
A faint, almost nostalgic smile appeared.
"…but I never actually ate it myself."
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