Everyone instinctively turned toward the source of the voice.
Shimura Danzo stood at the doorway, expressionless as he leaned upon his cane. His body was half-wrapped in bandages, and he slowly walked into the office one step at a time.
The moment Danzo appeared, the already suffocating atmosphere inside the Hokage Office froze completely.
The three Root Ninja lowered their heads even further.
Danzo did not even greet Sarutobi Hiruzen first. His single exposed eye locked directly onto Kagutsuchi Shin.
"So you are Kagutsuchi Shin? So it was you who injured members of Root and caused a disturbance within the Village?"
Faced with the condescending interrogation, Shin narrowed his eyes slightly.
Ah… so the real culprit had finally arrived.
"This… unknown disabled individual," Shin replied calmly, though the sarcasm in his tone was unmistakable, "your words are extremely biased."
"First, these three self-proclaimed 'Root' Ninja openly intercepted and threatened me, a newly graduated Konoha Genin, within the Village itself.
Second, they only attempted to act against me after I explicitly refused their unreasonable demands."
Shin paused briefly before turning his gaze toward Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Most importantly, I, Kagutsuchi Shin, am an officially registered Ninja under Hokage-sama. If my strength or loyalty is to be reviewed, then such matters should naturally be decided by Hokage-sama or by my direct superior, Yamato-sensei."
He slowly shifted his eyes back toward Danzo.
"So may I ask… by what authority does this unknown disabled Senior Bypass Hokage-sama and attempt to dictate the fate of an official Konoha Ninja?"
The moment those words fell, the air inside the office seemed to vanish entirely.
"Hiss…" Someone subconsciously inhaled sharply. The sound became exceptionally clear within the dead silence.
Everyone's expressions froze.
The three Root Ninja abruptly lifted their heads, their eyes widening beneath their masks as they stared at Shin in disbelief, as though they had just heard something absurd.
The surrounding Anbu and members of the Military Police Force were equally stunned. It was as though every single one of them had been struck by a paralysis jutsu.
The way they looked at Shin changed completely.
Shock. Disbelief.
And even a trace of fear.
"An… unknown disabled individual?"
"A… disabled Senior?"
"How… how does he dare say that…"
Yamato's expression changed drastically, and fine beads of cold sweat instantly formed across his forehead.
Even though he had long since left Root and now stood firmly on the Hokage's side, deep within his heart, he still retained an instinctive fear toward Danzo, a man who had ruled from the shadows for many years.
And now… his own student was practically insulting Danzo directly to his face.
It was simply unbelievable.
The pupil in Danzo's lone eye contracted slightly. Originally, he had intended to recruit this child into Root.
However, Shin's provocative words, especially the repeated use of "unknown" and his constant emphasis on "Hokage-sama," stabbed directly into the deepest and most sensitive wound within Danzo's heart like poisoned thorns.
Hokage. Hokage. Always Hokage. Why was it that everyone only saw Hiruzen Sarutobi?
Why must he, Shimura Danzo, who had sacrificed so much for Konoha, forever remain hidden within the darkness, forever labeled as "unknown"?!
He was clearly the one willing to do whatever was necessary for the Village. The one willing to bear every sin.
This brat…
This Kagutsuchi Shin, pretending ignorance while hiding sharp needles beneath every word, his blatant contempt and deliberate attempt to draw a line between them…
Danzo's grip on his cane tightened further and further.
This arrogance. This blind reverence toward the title of Hokage. This audacity to openly challenge his authority.
It reminded him far too much of the Uchiha Clan.
Equally arrogant. Equally self-righteous. And equally difficult to control.
'A truly evil descendant of the Senju.' That thought surfaced within Danzo's mind instantly.
Along with it, the desire to recruit Shin vanished completely, replaced instead by a familiar disgust and killing intent.
"Sharp-tongued brat." Danzo coldly snorted as his cane struck heavily against the floor. "'Root' operates according to its own principles, all for the absolute safety of Konoha. You possess power and chakra reserves far beyond what a Genin should possess.
Your origins and potential are suspicious. Root has every right to conduct the necessary observation and guidance to ensure that you do not become a hidden danger to the Village."
"Danzo!" Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had remained silent until now, suddenly shouted in a deep voice filled with warning.
However, at that exact moment, Shin took another half-step forward.
"Oh~~~ so you are the Danzo-sama they were talking about."
Shin met Danzo's gaze directly without showing even the slightest trace of fear. Instead, the corners of his lips curled upward into an openly mocking smile.
"Observation? Guidance?" Shin sneered and slowly shook his head. "That is absolutely ridiculous."
"My father, Kagutsuchi Hiroshi, served diligently as a Medical Chunin in Konoha Hospital for more than twenty years and saved countless Konoha Ninja."
"My mother, Morisaki Aoi, was a former Konoha Special Jonin who was permanently crippled after suffering devastating chakra pathway damage while carrying out a mission for the Village."
"My grandfather, Kagutsuchi Masao, died during the Second Shinobi World War while covering his comrades' retreat."
"My grandmother, Kagutsuchi Miyoko, died beneath a collapsing building while evacuating villagers during the Nine-Tails attack."
"My maternal grandfather, Morisaki Shinsuke, and my maternal grandmother, Senju Touka, both shed their final drop of blood upon the battlefield during the Second Shinobi World War in order to protect the borders of the Land of Fire!"
Shin listed the sacrifices of three generations of his family in one breath. Every name, every sacrifice, and every deed caused the Konoha Ninja present to instinctively feel respect and reverence.
This was a family history forged entirely through blood and sacrifice for Konoha.
Shin's burning gaze pierced directly toward Danzo.
"My Kagutsuchi Family has bled for Konoha for three generations! We sacrificed our lives for the Land of Fire!"
"And I, myself, graduated as the top student of the Ninja Academy! I currently serve under my Jonin Instructor, Yamato! And just today, I completed four D-Rank missions for the Village!"
"The mission payment is right here!"
Slap!
Shin slammed the small pouch containing the mission payment heavily onto the desk beside him, producing a crisp sound that echoed throughout the office.
"My family background, my upbringing, my Academy records, my mission history, and even the sacrifices and honors of my ancestors… every single detail is clearly recorded within Konoha's archives and can withstand any investigation whatsoever!"
He suddenly stepped forward once more, his aura turning imposing.
"So may I ask you, Elder Danzo! On what basis do you claim that my origins are 'suspicious'? On what basis do you say my potential is 'dangerous'?"
"And on what basis does your so-called Root, which hides within the shadows, have the right to 'observe and guide' me?!"
His voice exploded throughout the office.
"Could it be that Root's intelligence network has already become so incompetent and senile that it cannot even investigate the names engraved upon Konoha's memorial monument or the public records within the archives?!"
"Or is it perhaps because…" Shin's voice suddenly turned ice-cold.
"In your eyes, a descendant of a family like mine, a family that sacrificed everything for Konoha for three generations, is still unworthy of trust?"
"Still worthy of being treated like a suspicious criminal?"
"Still worthy of being publicly intercepted, threatened, and nearly abducted in broad daylight within Konoha Village itself?!"
"Are you questioning me? Or are you questioning every martyr who sacrificed themselves for Konoha?!"
"Are you questioning the Village archives recorded under Hokage-sama's rule?!"
Shin's eyes blazed fiercely. "Danzo… answer me!!!"