Hokage Meeting Room
Sarutobi Hiruzen set his Hokage hat aside and sat alone at the head of the table. The dim light accentuated the wrinkles on his face, making his expression appear even more solemn.
A pipe rested between his fingers, wisps of white smoke curling upward and obscuring part of his face. Yet the eyes behind the smoke remained sharp and piercing.
Creeeak—
The door opened.
Homura and Koharu entered side by side.
The moment their eyes landed on Sarutobi Hiruzen, both of them instinctively slowed their steps.
The Hiruzen before them was not the gentle and accommodating Hokage they saw every day. This was the Third Hokage who had dominated the Third Great Ninja War and earned the title of "God of Shinobi" throughout the Five Great Nations.
Both Homura and Koharu felt their hearts sink.
They exchanged a quick glance.
Trouble. This time, Danzo had clearly touched a nerve.
Even if they wanted to mediate, judging by Hiruzen's current attitude, tonight would not end easily.
Homura adjusted his glasses and spoke first, probing carefully. "Hiruzen, calling us here so late... has something happened at the border?"
He deliberately steered the topic outward, hoping to downplay any internal conflict.
Koharu immediately followed his lead. "Yes. If it wasn't a major incident, you wouldn't have gone to such lengths. Could another hidden village be making a move?"
Hiruzen silently drew on his pipe. The smoke obscured much of his expression, making it difficult to read his mood.
Rather than answering, he simply gestured toward the seats. "Sit." His tone was cold and firm.
"Wait until Danzo arrives. Then we'll talk."
Homura and Koharu sat down as instructed, exchanging another uneasy glance. The explanations they had prepared suddenly felt much less useful.
A few moments later, the office door opened again.
Danzo entered slowly, leaning on his cane.
The moment he stepped into the room, his lone eye immediately locked onto the figure seated at the head of the table.
Back straight, eyes sharp as blades, watching everything through the drifting smoke.
The sight caused Danzo's heart to sink.
Old memories surfaced instantly.
Few people understood better than Danzo just how terrifying Hiruzen could be when he displayed this side of himself.
However, when his gaze shifted toward Homura and Koharu sitting nearby, some of the tension in his chest eased.
At least he wasn't facing this alone. The discussion he had already held with the two advisors was now his greatest source of confidence.
With that thought, he walked to his seat, the tip of his cane striking the floor with a clear clack.
Danzo raised his head and met Hiruzen's gaze. "Hiruzen, an emergency meeting? What is this about?"
Hiruzen finally lifted his eyes fully, his gaze swept across Danzo's bandaged body before settling on his exposed eye.
Without exchanging pleasantries, he went straight to the point.
"It's good that you're here."
He paused, allowing the oppressive silence to linger for several seconds. "Since everyone is present... let's begin."
The atmosphere instantly grew heavier.
Homura adjusted his glasses.
Koharu unconsciously straightened her back.
Danzo narrowed his eye slightly.
Originally, he had assumed tonight would be no different from previous occasions—a few reprimands and a few warnings.
But Hiruzen's attitude cast a heavy sense of foreboding over everyone present.
Without giving them time to prepare, Hiruzen dropped the first bombshell.
"Last night, while carrying out a C-Rank Mission within the Land of Fire, Konoha Genin Kagutsuchi Shin was ambushed by five highly trained Ninja. The attackers displayed exceptional coordination and even used the Yamanaka Clan's secret Mind Transfer Jutsu. Their objective was to capture—or possibly kill—a Ninja of this Village."
With every sentence, his tone grew sterner and heavier.
Then his gaze locked directly onto Danzo. "Danzo, do you have anything to explain?"
Danzo's expression remained unchanged.
"Unknown attackers?" he replied calmly. "What does that have to do with me? Perhaps they were spies from another village."
"Oh?" Hiruzen slammed a report onto the table. "Then explain the fragments of Root-issued clothing recovered from the scene. Explain why Yamato identified combat tactics identical to Root's. Explain the use of the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques."
Homura immediately stepped in.
"Hiruzen, there may be circumstances we don't yet understand. Danzo has operated in the shadows for Konoha for many years and has made countless enemies. It isn't impossible that someone is impersonating Root."
Koharu nodded in agreement.
"That's right. It's difficult to draw a conclusion based solely on clothing fragments and battlefield observations. Besides, didn't Kagutsuchi Shin return safely? Perhaps this entire matter is simply a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding?" Hiruzen's voice suddenly rose.
His palm slammed against the table.
"Five elite Ninja. One Jonin and four Chunin. Ambushing a newly graduated Genin. And you call that a misunderstanding?!"
His eyes blazed with anger.
"If Shin's strength had not exceeded everyone's expectations, if he had not fought for his life, he would already be a corpse by now—or worse, turned into some tool hidden in the darkness."
Danzo's expression darkened, but he remained stubborn.
"Evidence. How do a few scraps of cloth and subjective testimony prove Root was involved? Hiruzen, are you really going to accuse a Konoha Elder based on speculation? Perhaps someone deliberately orchestrated this to create division within the Village."
He attempted to redirect the discussion toward an outside conspiracy.
"Speculation?" Hiruzen slammed another report onto the table.
"The material and weaving method of the recovered fabric are an exact match to Root-issued uniforms documented within Anbu logistics records."
"Yamato personally witnessed their tactics. He identified combat formations unique to Root. He identified the use of the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Transfer Jutsu—a secret technique that cannot simply be acquired by outsiders."
Hiruzen's gaze sharpened. "Are all of those coincidences? Can outsiders imitate all of that so perfectly?"
Having already made his decision, Hiruzen showed no intention of backing down.
Homura tried once more to mediate.
"Hiruzen, even if everything you've said is true, perhaps these were the unauthorized actions of certain Root members. That doesn't necessarily mean Danzo personally ordered it.
Danzo oversees many operations in the shadows. It isn't impossible that some subordinates misunderstood his intentions and acted on their own."
Koharu immediately supported the argument.
"Exactly. The matter hasn't been fully investigated. It would be inappropriate to reach a conclusion too quickly. And regardless of what happened, the child returned safely.
No irreversible damage was ultimately done. We can complete a thorough internal investigation before making any final decision."