Chapter 72: Choosing Sides
Go with Root? Meet with Danzō?
Ren wasn't that foolish. If he entered Root, every word he spoke would be twisted, every action distorted. As for Danzō—there was nothing to say.
If he was to meet anyone, it had to be Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage himself.
Beside him, Minato Namikaze gave the four Root operatives a glance. Without a word, he formed a seal and vanished, leaving Ren and Sakumo Hatake alone to face the Root agents.
One minute later, Minato returned—with a comrade at his side.
The newcomer wore a fox mask painted crimson. Kurenai Yūhi's father, Yūhi Shinku, an ANBU captain Minato had personally summoned.
"What are you doing? Put away your blades. Once you wear the ANBU mask, you're comrades, not enemies."
Shinku's brows furrowed as he saw Ren's drawn sword glinting against Root steel.
Ren sheathed his weapon. But the four Root shinobi didn't budge—not even the slightest twitch of their wrists toward their hilts.
That, Ren thought, was a bit too much of an insult to the Chief Instructor of Konoha's Illusion Corps.
Shinku's expression darkened behind the fox mask. His hands blurred, his body flickering into place beside Ren. His sharp eyes fixed on the Root shinobi wearing a rabbit mask.
Genjutsu Art: Tree Binding Death.
A mere glance, and the B-rank illusion seized its prey. The rabbit-masked Root agent gasped for air, his limbs trembling uncontrollably. Then, like an actual rabbit, he collapsed to the ground, convulsing, froth bubbling from his lips.
"Does anyone else want to end up like him?"
Shinku's voice had shed all warmth. He had long thought Hokage-sama's decision to grant Danzō the authority to run Root was a mistake. Multiple chains of command only bred conflict. What was the need for another covert unit outside ANBU?
Naturally, his resentment toward Root bled into resentment toward Danzō himself.
The three remaining Root operatives exchanged looks. At Shinku's unyielding stance, they finally relented, sliding their blades back into their sheaths.
"Let's go," Shinku said coldly. "If there's an issue, we'll bring it before Hokage-sama directly—about the dead civilian, and about your attempt to strike at an ANBU squad leader."
With that, he flickered away in a body-flicker, vanishing into thin air.
---
At the Hatake compound, Sakumo gestured subtly to the gate guards. They understood instantly, rushing forward to drag away Gojō Ryō's corpse.
It was a small gesture—one that helped Ren cover his tracks.
Sakumo wasn't blind to the meaning behind it. Ren had killed the villager on his behalf, venting his frustrations and, perhaps, extending an olive branch.
But why? What was the point?
Sakumo was now a broken man, his right arm severed, his prestige fading. Soon, Hiruzen would strip him of his command, forcing him into the reserves or retirement. As a shinobi, he was already obsolete.
So why would Ren waste goodwill on him now?
He couldn't understand. Glancing sideways at Ren's Hannya mask, Sakumo wondered: what lay behind that cruel smile of painted fangs? What intentions did this young man truly conceal?
---
At the Hokage's office, Jiraiya and Orochimaru were reporting to Hiruzen Sarutobi. The details of the Sand front required their firsthand accounts.
By rights, Tsunade should have been present—she was the overall commander. But lately, she had been absent, avoiding these meetings. Coupled with the rumors swirling through the village about her and Ren, Hiruzen's irritation simmered close to rage.
Nonsense. Utter nonsense! Ren and Tsunade were master and disciple—how could such rumors even exist? Clearly, someone was deliberately stirring trouble.
"…Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law are formidable," Jiraiya was saying gravely. "Their talent for developing poisons makes them dangerous, and I fear—"
Knock, knock.
The report was cut short by the sound at the door. Jiraiya stopped, eyes shifting to the entrance.
Shinku entered first, crimson fox mask gleaming. Behind him came Ren, his blade still marked by droplets of fresh blood. Minato followed, then Sakumo, and finally the three Root operatives who had resisted the genjutsu.
So many at once.
Hiruzen's brow furrowed immediately.
As a seasoned politician, he understood one thing with painful clarity: when this many key figures gathered unbidden, it could only mean trouble.
Especially when the names were Ren Minamoto and Minato Namikaze—two rising stars of Konoha, both openly hostile toward Danzō.
And their discontent was no longer just a private matter. It was beginning to disrupt the very machinery of the village itself.
Take Hyūga Yokohachirō, for example. Earlier, Sarutobi Hiruzen had suggested assigning Hyūga Haiko—Haining's younger sister, a future branch member—to Danzō's Root. But the proposal was flatly rejected.
The first reason given was simple: Haiko was the orphaned daughter of Ganghachirō, who had died in service to Konoha. For her to be treated this way would be disgraceful.
Had it ended there, it might have been manageable. But Yokohachirō gave another reason.
Hyūga Haining cared deeply for his sister. If Haiko were forced into Root, Haining would no doubt run straight to Minamoto Ren and Namikaze Minato to protest—and those two would never allow it.
That reason struck a chord of deep alarm in Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Now, pipe clenched between his teeth, he watched Minamoto Ren and Minato stride into his office, saluting him with relaxed composure.
When had "Hannya" and "Sun" gained such sway—so much that even as Hokage, his own authority seemed less effective than theirs?
Orochimaru and Jiraiya hadn't left. Instead, they lingered with keen interest, watching the scene unfold. They'd long heard whispers of Konoha's internal strife, but until now the wars had kept everyone too busy for infighting. Now that the war was over, the power struggles had begun.
Human nature… it never changes.
"What happened?" Hiruzen asked calmly, setting his pipe aside.
"Lord Hokage, Hannya murdered a civilian without cause. We witnessed it firsthand during our mission. We demand justice!"
The Root operative's tone was sharp, his accusation heavy-handed, deliberately glossing over inconvenient facts.
Hiruzen, of course, saw right through it. He knew Ren—outwardly gentle, inwardly ruthless—but no fool. He would never break Konoha's laws without reason.
"You. Bring in Danzō." Hiruzen pointed to the Root shinobi, not bothering to waste words.
This wasn't a matter for underlings. Only high-ranking shinobi—jōnin at minimum—had the standing to sit at this table. These Root operatives weren't qualified.
"…Yes." The man obeyed reluctantly, clearly dissatisfied.
Throughout, Ren and Minato had remained silent. They knew well enough the real drama had yet to begin.
"Until Danzō arrives, why don't you explain the situation?" Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at the two of them.
Minato stepped forward, his normally warm gaze steely with seriousness.
"Lord Hokage, before addressing the case, I want to ask you one question."
"What question?"
"Did you personally authorize Root to place the ANBU Commander under surveillance?"
A sharp question—so sharp that Shinku Yūhi, seated nearby, stiffened. He glanced toward Orochimaru, who had paused mid-scroll, those yellow serpent eyes now fixed on the Hokage.
Hiruzen was silent, pipe clenched between his teeth, his gaze drifting toward Hatake Sakumo in the crowd.
Sakumo's expression darkened. He couldn't fathom why Hiruzen had lost trust in him—but the lack of faith was clear, made manifest in action, and now Minato had dragged it into the open.
"…I did not authorize Danzō."
After a heavy pause, Hiruzen finally shifted the blame entirely onto his old comrade.
Ren almost burst out laughing. From that single admission alone, Danzō was walking in to a guaranteed thrashing—with not the slightest chance to defend himself.