No matter how she heard it, Mito Uzumaki felt that Hiruzen Sarutobi was trying to fish for information from Uchiha Hikaru.
Especially when it came to the witness—he seemed a bit too eager.
At that moment, Mito Uzumaki cut in to interrupt their conversation.
"Alright, since everything's been cleared up, let's head back."
Without waiting for Hiruzen to ask anything else, she took Uchiha Hikaru's small hand and turned to leave.
At the doorway, Mito paused, then said meaningfully:
"Saru, you're the Hokage."
'Don't disappoint me!'
That last line was something Mito said inwardly to herself.
The power of the Hokage wasn't meant to shield criminals.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's behavior had made her uneasy, and she was already considering other plans.
If, in the end, Hiruzen couldn't give her a proper answer…
Then Mito Uzumaki would start to question whether he was truly fit to be Hokage.
But Hiruzen hadn't realized any of this.
He thought Mito's words were just urging him to investigate quickly—
—to prevent more children from being harmed.
After saying that, Mito didn't look back as she pulled Hikaru along and left.
Once they were gone, Hiruzen lit his pipe and began puffing in silence.
"Elephant, go get Danzo."
As soon as he spoke, a shadow flickered.
In the previously empty room, an Anbu appeared, kneeling on one knee.
He bowed his head and replied, "Understood."
Seeing Hiruzen nod, he vanished instantly to fetch Danzo.
Not long after, Danzo arrived with his perpetually gloomy expression and stood before the Hokage.
"Hiruzen, why did you call for me?"
Hiruzen didn't speak right away, simply staring at him.
Danzo started to grow uncomfortable under the silence before Hiruzen finally asked:
"Who have your Root agents been recruiting lately?"
Danzo's pupils contracted—but he quickly regained composure.
"Just some clan genin who passed the exams and received their forehead protectors. It was all with your approval. Is there an issue?"
Hiruzen knew his old friend too well. Even though Danzo only paused for less than a second…
It was enough for him to realize—Mito's suspicions were right. The person targeting children was Danzo.
At that moment, Hiruzen could no longer contain his fury. He grabbed Danzo by the collar.
"You idiot! Do you even realize that targeting children is something no one can protect you from!?"
"Mito already knows. She's asked me to investigate."
"And here you are, still pretending. Are you trying to get yourself killed, Danzo?!"
With that, Hiruzen shoved him hard, knocking a stunned Danzo to the floor.
Danzo was genuinely caught off guard—he had only just begun his plan.
Other than a few hand-picked targets he approached personally, the rest were recruited by Root operatives.
How had word already reached Mito? Did everyone already know?
But he wasn't a complete fool—he understood the severity of the situation and quickly scrambled up. He forced a smile and moved beside Hiruzen.
"Since Mito left the matter to you, I should be fine, right?"
By now, Hiruzen had reined in his emotions and took a deep drag from his pipe.
Looking at the sycophantic smile on Danzo's face, he said coldly:
"Be honest with me. How many children did you target?"
Danzo's smile froze.
He hadn't targeted a few children. He had only targeted children.
Danzo had intended to turn Root into his personal force, so of course, he had to pick carefully.
Adult shinobi from the clans were harder to brainwash. Even with the Tongue-Curse Seal of Absolute Obedience, it only prevented them from speaking about Root or Danzo.
It couldn't make them completely loyal.
Not to mention, those with talent were already somewhat well-known—recruiting them silently was near impossible.
The untalented ones? Danzo didn't want them either. So he simply chose all children.
It was a slower process, yes, but the benefits were far greater.
Seeing Danzo's expression, Hiruzen felt a sinking feeling.
In disbelief, he asked:
"You didn't seriously only recruit children, did you?"
Danzo broke into a cold sweat, but still stubbornly replied:
"That's right. This way, I can—"
Before he could finish, Hiruzen kicked him hard, sending him flying.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was in his prime, and that rage-filled kick left Danzo badly injured.
He slumped against the wall, breathing heavily, clearly in pain.
"Danzo! If you want to die, don't drag me down with you. Hand over the authorization scroll!"
Danzo coughed heavily twice before speaking slowly:
"I'll return the scroll... but some of the children have already been brought to Root. What should we do about that?"
Hiruzen, agitated, stopped smoking.
He paced back and forth, hesitating.
The Third Hokage never imagined Danzo would go this far.
The situation had escalated. Even if they found someone to take the fall, the children themselves were solid evidence.
But to dispose of those children… Hiruzen couldn't bring himself to do it.
Truth be told, while Hiruzen lacked decisiveness and clung to power, he did love Konoha.
If Danzo had kidnapped kids from other villages, Hiruzen wouldn't hesitate to clean it up.
But these were Konoha's children—its tender young leaves.
To let them wither here? He couldn't pass that test in his heart.
Danzo, on the other hand, felt no such burden. He had orchestrated situations where even mothers and sons turned on each other.
This was nothing to him.
Danzo's plan was simple: eliminate the children to erase the evidence.
But seeing Hiruzen's hesitation, he didn't dare go against him.
Right now, Hiruzen was his only lifeline.
Otherwise, with what he had done, even life imprisonment would be considered lenient. He might be executed on the spot.
After a long internal struggle, Hiruzen finally made his decision.
To him, there were only two paths.
One: destroy the evidence, find a scapegoat, and frame it as a scheme from another village.
Two: kill Danzo on the spot to prevent being implicated—after all, the authorization had come from him.
"Danzo, I'm leaving it to you."
With that, Hiruzen walked to the window, gazing out at Konoha, lost in thought.
In the end, Hiruzen couldn't abandon his bond with Danzo.
He chose to forsake the children.
No wonder Danzo would one day try to assassinate him.
In the end, it would all be forgiven anyway.
Danzo, overjoyed, struggled to his feet, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and after a few heavy breaths said:
"Leave it to me, Hiruzen."
...
Meanwhile, after a long silence, the pair who had left—Uchiha Hikaru and Mito Uzumaki—walked in silence.
Eventually, Mito couldn't hold it in anymore and spoke:
"Hikaru, you know something… don't you?"