The tension on the devastated street was thick as smoke.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's brows furrowed beneath his Hokage hat as he stared at the scorched rubble. Just moments ago, a clash between Uchiha Kaede and Danzo Shimura had nearly engulfed part of Konoha in molten ruin.
Then came Danzo's accusation—one that made even the seasoned Hokage falter.
"Jinchūriki... Naruto?" Hiruzen echoed, his voice low.
The idea that this conflict involved the Nine-Tails' host was unsettling. But what made his heart sink was that it involved that boy.
He turned toward Kaede.
But Kaede's eyes—Sharingan glowing with ruthless conviction—were still fixed on Danzo. He hadn't flinched. Hadn't even blinked. The executioner's calm still radiated from him like heat off lava.
"Kaede, wait!" Hiruzen's voice cut through the smoke as he stepped forward, raising his hand. "There must be some misunderstanding."
Kaede did not halt.
"Kaede!" Hiruzen barked, more forcefully now.
The Uchiha finally paused, turning his crimson eyes on the Hokage. But the killing intent remained sharp enough to pierce bone.
"The village has rules. Konoha shinobi cannot fight amongst themselves," Hiruzen reasoned, trying to keep his tone firm but measured. "You are both leaders. You must be an example."
With a single hand signal, a dozen ANBU dropped silently from the rooftops, forming a protective wall between Kaede and Danzo. Their masks betrayed no emotion, but every movement whispered readiness for war.
Still staring at Kaede, Hiruzen stepped forward. "Please, Kaede... give me this moment."
Kaede's Sharingan flickered, scanning the red square tag above Hiruzen's name in the UI only he could see. His voice came, low and level.
"So Hokage-sama intends to shield those who obstruct justice."
The words struck with the weight of an accusation, not a question.
Hiruzen's lips tightened. "I believe this is simply a misunderstanding."
Kaede released his breath, molten chakra dispersing slowly from his skin. The blazing heat around him faded. His eyes returned to black. But his expression remained unreadable.
"The Hokage abused his power for personal gain and shielded those who obstructed justice," Kaede said quietly. "I will remember this."
The words were not loud. But they echoed across the street like a prophecy.
Danzo, still behind the ANBU wall, clenched his jaw. "Sarutobi! Do you not see what he is? That Uchiha brat just tried to control the Nine-Tails! I saved this village!"
He pointed furiously at Kaede. "I lost two loyal men stopping him, and if you hadn't interfered—if you hadn't protected him—he'd be dead!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen did not answer him. His eyes narrowed as his mind turned toward the key missing piece of the puzzle.
"Naruto..." he murmured.
He turned to one of the ANBU. "Bring the Jinchūriki here. Now."
Moments later, a masked ANBU returned, leading a pale and trembling Naruto by the arm.
The boy's clothes were torn. His cheeks were dirty with soot. But it was his eyes—wide with fear and confusion—that caught the Hokage's attention.
Hiruzen crouched to Naruto's level and gently tousled his hair.
"It's alright, Naruto. No one will hurt you. Just tell me what happened. Why did the police try to arrest you?"
Naruto sniffled, casting a terrified glance at Kaede before quickly looking away.
"I… I pulled a prank," he stammered. "I didn't know it was that serious, I swear!"
He went on, detailing how he had painted graffiti across several government buildings, including the Hokage Monument.
Kaede's face didn't move an inch. He merely stood silently, arms crossed.
Hiruzen listened intently, his expression darkening with each word.
When Naruto finished, silence fell again.
Sarutobi slowly rose to his feet and turned to Danzo, who stood rigid, eyes narrowing.
"Danzo," the Hokage said coldly, "you incited this entire confrontation over a child's prank."
Danzo's face contorted with fury. "You call this a prank?! That monster is the Jinchūriki! He could have—!"
"—Done what?!" Hiruzen snapped. "Graffiti does not justify mobilizing Root to abduct a child in broad daylight!"
Kaede remained silent.
He didn't need to speak. The truth now lay bare in the steaming ruins of Danzo's accusations.
Danzo took a trembling breath. "Then what of my men? Dead because I acted in Konoha's best interest?"
"And who started this 'interest'?" Hiruzen asked sharply. "Who escalated a non-event into a battle in our streets?"
Danzo said nothing. Kaede finally spoke, his voice cold.
"Those who obstruct justice are enemies. And enemies must be eliminated with absolute force."
Danzo flinched. Hiruzen turned to him again.
"This farce ends now," the Hokage declared. "I will not tolerate you treating a shinobi like Uchiha Kaede—a loyal enforcer of the law—as a threat to the village."
Danzo turned with a hiss, his cloak swaying angrily as he vanished into the shadows.
...
As the ANBU dispersed, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned back to Kaede. "I will discipline Root for their reckless actions. And... I will ensure Naruto is compensated."
Kaede's eyes narrowed slightly. Then came the words that turned the air cold again.
"Will the Hokage also hinder the execution of justice?"
Hiruzen paused.
Kaede stepped forward.
"Gentleness will not cure deviance," he said. "Only absolute justice can correct what is broken. Only unwavering order will raise the child into a man worthy of the Fourth's sacrifice."
The words hung in the air.
Kaede's eyes burned—not with heat, but with principle.
Sarutobi Hiruzen could only stare.
For a fleeting moment… he wondered if this Uchiha, this executioner draped in molten calm, truly saw himself as the village's final hope.
And worse—
He might be right.