"Puff."
White smoke rose, and the tobacco pipe flickered between bright and dim.
Under the moonlight, Sarutobi Hiruzen's originally graying hair had now completely turned black. The traces of time on this elderly man had nearly vanished.
At this moment, his physical strength and chakra had returned to their peak condition.
He was waiting for his old friend Shimura Danzō, and he would bring an end to this friendship.
"Ah, Danzō."
The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, let out a complicated sigh.
Shimura Danzō was a man of many misfortunes.
From the perspective of local history, he was a fallen ninja corrupted by time and ambition, losing his original self.
From the perspective of external history, it was even worse. He was essentially a character created to take the blame for the Hokage. He didn't even exist before Shippuden, and there was no trace of him in group photos of teachers and students.
Foolish Danzō. He always believed that the reason he lost the chance to become Hokage was because he hesitated for a moment during that critical decision to stay behind. This haunted him for his entire life, becoming an obsession.
But in reality, he never stood a chance. That exam back then had only one candidate—Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The Second Hokage, Tobirama, had already chosen him as the Third Hokage from the start. Hiruzen had always felt a little guilty about this, which was one of the reasons he had tolerated Danzō for so long.
Danzō never stopped to think—even if Koharu, Homura, or Kagami had stepped forward back then, would they have become Hokage?
No chance. Either their strength was lacking, or their political background wasn't suitable. Danzō, you were part of the "strength lacking" group. Even an Uchiha would have had a better chance than you!
Even with the watch and Shisui's Mangekyō, you were still just a measly low-tier A-rank ninja, not even high-tier. Look in the mirror, brother.
How could you possibly block a combo of cage imprisonment, five-element fire barrage, and summoning ANBU to clean up? Easy work.
Click.
The sound of the door opening.
Then, Shimura Danzō's figure appeared at the courtyard entrance. He still wore his usual gloomy expression, leaning on his cane, his gaze sharp.
Hiruzen turned to look at Danzō, whose darkened face was likely due to being summoned by ANBU in the middle of the night.
"Hiruzen, what's so urgent... Wait, what kind of joke is this? Is this a Transformation Jutsu?" Danzō examined the rejuvenated Hiruzen, suspicion in his eyes.
Hiruzen smiled, secretly pleased at having impressed him. "No, I've truly become young again, in every way. That's why I'm now capable of handling issues that were previously difficult to address. I called you here to discuss this."
"Damn it, did you use Orochimaru's First Hokage cell experiments?! This is forbidden! As Hokage, how could you commit such an unethical act?!"
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
"You must resign in disgrace!"
Wow, the hidden agenda was revealed quickly.
Hiruzen was speechless. "I can still serve Konoha for another thirty years. And no, it's not the First Hokage's cells. What I want to say is, I plan to reform the ninja system. First, the Ninja Academy will be extended to nine years."
"What, thirty years? Clinging to power, a laughingstock. You've betrayed our teacher's teachings!"
Is that the only part you heard?
"Listen to me. This world is facing a crisis. Aliens have already set their sights on it."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Danzō sneered, convinced Hiruzen was losing his mind. His rise to power seemed imminent.
"To counter this crisis, I have an excellent plan tentatively named Konoha Academy City, a strategy to strengthen the village and the nation. Also, this upcoming Chunin Exams will be the last traditional test. Those who fail will be sent back to the academy to relearn the Will of Fire, and then—"
"The Root is no longer necessary," Hiruzen continued. "Konoha needs unity, not division. Root's actions have gone beyond the village's control and even threaten its stability."
Danzō immediately let out a cold laugh. "Hiruzen, I disagree. Are you questioning my loyalty? Everything Root has done is for Konoha's future!"
Danzō, you really know how to exaggerate. Half the major villains were nurtured by you.
Hiruzen was inwardly exasperated. Years of friendship had truly reached a dead end. He was utterly disappointed in Danzō. "I've already made my decision."
Before Hiruzen could finish, Danzō cut him off. "You've lost your mind. Such foolishness—"
Shimura Danzō, you are beyond saving. Seeing no point in further discussion, Hiruzen made his final decision. The signal was given—a cup was smashed!
"Darkness Genjutsu!"
"Damn it! Hiruzen, you—"
Danzō lost his vision, his eyes engulfed in darkness.
Danzō didn't get to finish his sentence. Hiruzen had already struck.
Shisui's eye and Izanagi's mechanics were troublesome, but fortunately, Hiruzen had been trained by Tobirama and was proficient in all of Konoha's jutsu.
In Part I, he was hailed as the God of Shinobi, and his final title was The Professor.
For him, ability-based techniques were the easiest to handle—as long as he had enough chakra, there was always a jutsu in his arsenal to counter them.
For Hiruzen, brute-force fighters were the real headache.
And as Hokage, he had the right to strike first!
"Triple Rashōmon Seal!"
Danzō frantically tried to activate his "revive coins," but Hiruzen's sealing jutsu came faster, leaving no room to breathe. Hiruzen and his shadow clones formed a green pyramid-shaped sealing barrier.
"Now, Enma! Adamantine Prison Walls!"
"Been waiting, Hiruzen."
Enma, who had been lying in ambush, transformed into the Adamantine Staff and struck instantly, expanding rapidly to form an inescapable cage, completely trapping Danzō.
By the time Danzō regained his vision, he had already lost all ability to resist. He was utterly at Hiruzen's mercy.
It was a one-sided defeat. He hadn't even had the chance to use his abilities.
"Hiruzen, what have you done?!" Danzō roared furiously from within the Adamantine Staff's prison. He tried to channel chakra, but it was useless—the double seal was unbreakable.
This had been a trap from the start.
How infuriating. If only Hiruzen hadn't ambushed him, with the combined power of the Senju and Uchiha, he wouldn't have lost so quickly.
"Konoha's reforms begin tonight."
Hiruzen took another puff from his pipe, one hand behind his back as he stared at Danzō. "I am the Hokage."
Danzō, who had been silenced by this phrase his entire life, completely lost his composure. He wanted to scream why.
As if sensing Danzō's unspoken question, Hiruzen took a deep drag from his pipe and exhaled.
"Danzō, be reasonable. Think about your current body. The question you should be asking is why I waited until today to do this."
Thinking about the Hashirama cells in his body, the three-tomoe Sharingan on his arm, the Shisui eye implanted in his socket, and the mountain of blackmail material against him, Danzō could no longer speak.
"Your sentence will likely be for life. Maybe the next Hokage will grant you amnesty. But that won't be for another thirty years." Hiruzen delivered the final verdict.
"You are the leaves bathed in sunlight, while I am the roots buried in darkness. No matter what your reforms are, without my help, there are many dirty, shadowy tasks that you, as the light, cannot handle. Without the means of darkness, you cannot protect Konoha." Danzō struggled to argue, still trapped.
"That won't be necessary anymore. This is a shonen story, no need for grimdark. The old ninja system was a mistake. As Hokage, it's my duty to change it." At this moment, the Third Hokage was brimming with determination.
After a moment of silence, the thoroughly defeated Danzō realized his old friend was serious. "Shonen??? What will you do with Root?"
Hiruzen answered, "Most will return to normal ninja ranks. The worst offenders will join you in prison to atone. Danzō, I possess intelligence you cannot access. The crises Konoha will soon face are beyond the help of a fallen ninja like you."
I've been declared a fallen ninja just like that? Danzō was livid.
"You'll regret this, Hiruzen."
And there it was.
"I am the Hokage."
With that, Hiruzen ignored the still-cursing, petty Danzō and turned to the ANBU. "I'll leave this to you and your squad, Shiranui. Confiscate the forbidden items on Danzō—his eyes and arm. Yamato, bring your squad and follow me."
When several ANBU squads appeared, Danzō finally understood—this had indeed been a trap set specifically for him. Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had always been indecisive and soft-hearted, had undergone some inexplicable change.
With swift decisiveness, Hiruzen led an ANBU squad straight to the Root base.
It wasn't that he didn't trust the ANBU, but Root truly had several elite operatives. If the ANBU went alone, even if they won, the casualties would be severe.
But if the Hokage himself went, a single speech about the Will of Fire would be enough to make most of Root surrender, leaving only the die-hard loyalists to resist.
Tonight, the fallen ninja Shimura Danzō and his rogue ANBU squad, Root, were brought to justice.