The scene on the Sky Screen shifted, and the screen transitioned into a lush, dense forest.
Two shinobi wearing Konoha forehead protectors were moving at extremely high speed, with explosions continuously coming from behind them. The atmosphere was so heavy it was almost suffocating, and they seemed to be fleeing desperately for their lives.
When the camera zoomed in, it was precisely the young Hiruzen and Danzo. At this moment, Danzo was feeling frustrated because he had just been saved by Hiruzen.
Soon, the two joined up with two other teammates, and finally everyone came to a sudden halt under a large tree to discuss their strategy.
The leader was none other than the cold and sharp Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. And before him stood six members of his guard unit: the young Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzo, Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, Akimichi Torifu, and Uchiha Kagami.
At this moment, the people of the Shinobi World watching the Sky Screen realized that this was the same scene revealed at the very beginning when the Sky Screen first appeared; when the Second Hokage passed his position to Hiruzen!
Only last time it had been just those brief few seconds, while this time the entire context and aftermath were being shown.
On the screen—
Tobirama sat cross-legged on the ground, drawing patterns on the grass with his finger. "We're surrounded. There are... twenty of them!" He kept his eyes tightly shut, yet his mouth didn't stop. "Judging from their tracking skills, I'd say they're from Kumogakure. The highly skilled Kinkaku unit."
Young Homura seemed a little nervous upon hearing this. "There are only seven of us including you, Hokage-sama. We're completely outnumbered."
His words instantly drew Koharu's dissatisfaction. "Homura! Don't be such a coward. The enemy hasn't pinpointed our position yet. We should lie in wait until we can find an opportunity to break through."
This was also met with disagreement from Kagami. "It's no use, Koharu. In this situation, one of us will have to divert their attention."
"A decoy? It means certain death... So who?" Torifu threw out this fatal question.
As soon as those words were spoken, the atmosphere instantly froze. Staying behind to cover the retreat against an elite force led by monsters like Kinkaku and Ginkaku meant the chances of survival were exceedingly low. This was practically a suicide mission.
Tobirama said nothing, his gaze sweeping over the young shinobis before him.
But at this moment, the Sky Screen focused on the young Danzo. His inner thoughts rang out like dialogue beside the people of every Shinobi World timeline.
"I am a shinobi. I made up my mind long ago to die on the battlefield like a proper shinobi. Hiruzen, what are you thinking right now? Are you prepared to make that sacrifice?!"
But his trembling right hand betrayed his inner struggle.
He turned his head to look at Hiruzen, his eyes filled with an unreadable expression. Clearly, young Danzo was still comparing himself to Hiruzen at this time; he had the resolve, but he didn't dare to take that first step.
"Go ahead! Say it! That I'll... What's the matter? Why can't I say it?!" At this moment he knew that volunteering as decoy meant certain death, even though young Danzo wanted to take on the mission, his heart and body were still afraid and resisting.
And just as young Danzo was struggling intensely within, a clear, loud voice rang out from beside him.
"I will go!"
Upon hearing this familiar voice, young Danzo's mind went blank, and his pupils dilated to their maximum.
"Don't worry! I may not look like it, but I know I'm better than any of you. I won't die!"
And as young Danzo slowly came back to his senses, his body finally stopped trembling.
"Damn it! I'm such a coward! ...Somewhere deep inside my heart, I feel relieved..." Young Danzo gripped his thigh hard with resentment, trying to suppress his emotion.
"Look after the others, Danzo. I know you'll—" Young Hiruzen beside him placed a hand on Danzo's shoulder, smiling as he entrusted his final wishes.
This pat struck young Danzo's chest like a heavy hammer.
"Shut up!" Young Danzo was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, almost roaring, trying to use volume to cover up his earlier hesitation. "I was planning on volunteering! Don't try to steal the spotlight! I'll be the decoy!"
"My father and grandfather both died on the battlefield as shinobi. Self-sacrifice is a shinobi's duty!"
However, everyone watching the Sky Screen understood clearly that while Danzo's words sounded grand, they were far from the truth.
He had not been just a moment too late; he simply hadn't dared! Even if they had waited a few more seconds and Hiruzen had spoken later, Danzo would still have been a step behind him.
"No, I will go and be the decoy, of course. You all are young Wills of Fire that will be defending our village in the future!" Tobirama's authoritative voice cut off their argument.
"No, you are the Hokage! There is no greater shinobi in the village than you." At this point, Danzo suddenly became highly emotional.
But Tobirama remained unmoved. "Danzo, you are always competing with Saru over one thing or another, but what's necessary here is for you to unite and work together as comrades. Do not make this a personal fight."
"The fact is, you took too long to reach a decision. You must first look at yourself rationally and know yourself. Otherwise, at this rate, you will place your comrades in danger. In any case, Danzo and Saru... You two are still young, so don't be hasty. Your time will come."
"Until that time, stay alive."
Having said that, Tobirama stood up, looked at Hiruzen, and spoke those words that everyone was so familiar with.
"Saru! Protect those who love the village and those who believe in you. And nurture those to whom you can entrust the next generation."
"Starting tomorrow, you are the Hokage! Saru... take care of Konoha!"
[The famous psychological behavior expert, Uchiha Itachi, once said that only before death can a person truly see himself, and this was regarded by Kisame as a guiding principle. In fact, if the sentence is rephrased, it is equally applicable to say that before death one can see others more clearly.]
[Without a doubt, Tobirama, who had put life and death aside, and even putting aside his prior observations, clearly saw the gap between Hiruzen and Danzo at this moment, and chose Hiruzen to be the Hokage.]
[And looking at these two, there is no doubt that Tobirama's choice was correct.]
[Danzo's later actions even prove that he was indeed not someone who could sacrifice himself for the village.]
[Of course, from Danzo's own perspective, he naturally had his own justified reasons.]
[First, he could die for a great Hokage like the Second.]
[Second, the Third was not as great as the Second, so he could not die for the Third.]
[Third, the Fourth was not even as great as the Third. So if he could not die for the Third, then he certainly couldn't die for the Fourth either.]
[Fourth, if he could not die for the Fourth, then dying for the Fifth Hokage would be quite a loss of face too, wouldn't it?]
[Fifth... forget it, no need for more bullshit, he'd rather do it himself. He just wanted to be Hokage!]
Within the Shimura clan, as the scene from many years ago was dragged out to be scrutinized and tortured under the watchful eyes of everyone, Danzo's body began to tremble violently once again.
He was truly not convinced!
Had he really thought that much at the time?
Clearly he had just been about to speak, and that guy Hiruzen had simply beaten him to it!
Meanwhile, elsewhere in Konoha.
Koharu, Homura, and Torifu looked at this familiar scene, their eyes full of complex emotion.
Looking at it now, the Second Hokage's choice had not been wrong. The courage and sense of responsibility Hiruzen displayed in that moment were indeed far beyond what Danzo could compare to.
*****
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