"Danzo, what do you think you're doing?!"
Watching the Root ninjas tense as if ready for a massacre, Koharu Utatane felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She glared at the seated Danzo, her voice sharp with a demand for answers.
However, no matter how she tried to frame it, her defiance felt brittle—a bold front masking her inner trembling.
The Root operatives were all elities. If a fight truly broke out here, regardless of the consequences, Konoha would be the one to lose. With the Hidden Sand already tearing up the treaty and the Hidden Mist watching from the shadows like a predator, the village couldn't afford a single shred of internal strife.
Hatani, however, didn't share her dread. As he watched the Root ninjas prepare for a desperate, mutually destructive clash, his face was alive with a fierce, itching anticipation.
If Danzo actually dared to make a move, Hatani was going to lunge straight for the man's head.
In this era, Shisui might not even be born yet, Itachi was still just a twinkle in Fugaku's eye, and the Uchiha clan remained the village's undisputed premier power. Danzo's only real assets were the Shimura clan's Wind Style and a few early-stage Cursed Seals. Given Hatani's near-total immunity to Wind Style, he felt his chances of slitting Danzo's throat were exceptionally high.
Especially since Danzo had no idea that Hatani had also "mastered" the Flying Raijin.
Flash!
In that heart-stopping moment of tension, the Blink Dagger at Hatani's waist flared with a sudden light. Two figures manifested beside him instantly.
There was only one person capable of appearing so ghost-like and unpredictable.
But beside Minato stood a figure that caused everyone in the room to gasp in a mixture of shock and profound relief.
"Hiruzen!"
"Lord Third!"
The Jonin and clan heads cried out in unison. Danzo, who had just been standing tall with ambition, felt the strength leave his legs. He slumped back into his chair, his face a mask of crushing defeat.
He actually survived.
Danzo was consumed by a toxic mixture of resentment and confusion. He couldn't understand how a plan he had so meticulously crafted could end in failure. Even with Namikaze Minato being a complete anomaly—someone who had truly mastered the Flying Raijin—Hanzo and a swarm of Rain Jonin should have been more than enough to execute Hiruzen before Minato could ever arrive.
Did Nonou fail to stall Sakumo Hatake?!
The image of a youthful face flashed through his mind, and his heart filled with venomous rage.
In his grand design, Yakushi Nonou's role was supposed to be simple yet pivotal. He knew that Sakumo was a man who valued his comrades more than the mission. That was why he had planted Nonou—a medical ninja with little combat ability—into Sakumo's squad. Aside from monitoring Hatani, her job was to "get injured" at the critical moment to anchor the White Fang in place.
Danzo had correctly predicted that Hiruzen, upon hearing of Suna's betrayal, would take Sakumo back to the village as an escort. He assumed the newly formed Sakumo Squad would follow.
What he hadn't counted on was Nonou getting poisoned on the battlefield and failing to wake up in time for the departure. She hadn't been with the squad at all.
Furthermore, he hadn't expected the Sand and Rain to cut so many corners.
The plan called for over a dozen Jonin to participate in the ambush. In the end, aside from the heavy hitters like Chiyo and Hanzo, only four Jonin showed up—less than half the agreed-upon force. This was largely because neither village fully trusted the intelligence Danzo provided through his spies.
Especially Hanzo. After being burned by Danzo's "intel" once before, the only reason the leader of the Rain had agreed at all was the desire to sow chaos in Konoha and scavenge the remains.
If Hanzo, now a resident of the Pure Land, could do it all over again, he would have declined without a second thought.
But the arrogant Danzo knew none of this. He didn't think his plan was flawed; he immediately shifted the blame for his failure onto Nonou, who was supposed to be a mere auxiliary piece.
"I have already been briefed on the situation regarding Suna and Kiri."
Suppressing the lingering surprise in his heart regarding the Flying Raijin, Hiruzen didn't even look at Danzo. He addressed the room with a mask of iron-clad solemnity.
"Time is short, and our situation is dire. As your Hokage, I expect every one of you to unite. We will face this crisis as one."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!"
The response was thunderous. Whatever faults Hiruzen might have had, his prestige was absolute. The Jonin and clan heads—who moments ago had been playing deaf and mute during the spat between Danzo and Koharu—bowed in unison. The hesitation that had clouded their eyes vanished instantly.
"Hiruzen, about this..." Koharu started to ask, her voice tight with the need to know the truth behind the assassination.
"The Hidden Rain and Sand set an ambush in the Land of Grass with the sole intent of throwing Konoha into disarray to profit on the battlefield," Hiruzen interrupted, his voice steady. He finally turned his gaze toward Danzo, sitting in the Hokage's seat. Cold, sharp lightning flickered in his eyes for a fraction of a second, but his voice remained calm. "Both Sakumo's team and Danzo were victims of this ploy."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. "The Sand and Rain know that Root is the eyes and ears of this village. They intentionally tried to frame Danzo so that Konoha would pluck out its own eyes and plug its own ears."
Danzo's eyes widened in shock. Then, he quickly composed himself and gave a somber, knowing nod.
Sakumo and Yuki froze, their minds racing as they processed the political maneuver. Minato's jaw nearly dropped as he looked at the man beside him in total bewilderment.
So that's how it is.
Only Hatani let out a cynical, silent scoff. He cursed Hiruzen internally, thinking the man was truly a "thick-skinned and black-hearted" old fox. He felt a twinge of regret that he hadn't just ended Danzo when he had the chance.
"Danzo, immediately follow the previous protocols. Gather all intelligence on the Sand, Mist, and Rain—especially the Mist," Hiruzen commanded.
By giving Danzo his first order, Hiruzen publicly demonstrated his "trust" in his old friend, effectively quashing the suspicion of the entire room.
"Understood," Danzo replied. This time, he stood up like a proper subordinate, bowing his head slightly in a show of sincere cooperation.
"All available ninjas from the Uchiha and Hyuga clans are to mobilize and head south immediately. Monitor the coastlines and act as our first line of defense against a potential Mist invasion."
"Yes, Lord Hokage!" Two elders from the respective clans stood and accepted their orders.
"Sakumo Hatake, Namikaze Minato, Namikaze Hatani... you will lead a detachment of Anbu and any available reserves to support the front in the Land of Rivers. Hold back the Sand's offensive."
Finally, Hiruzen turned his gaze to the three individuals who had been instrumental in saving his life.
Even though they had just returned and hadn't even had a meal, Hiruzen knew it was best to separate them from Danzo as quickly as possible.