That's right—Danzo Shimura's visit to Hiruzen Sarutobi had been a calculated delay.
Danzo wasn't a fool.
He could clearly see that Hiruzen never intended to hand Aoyama Ryuyun over to him.
If the Hokage refused to cooperate, then Danzo would act on his own.
Once the "Tongue-Confining Seal" was placed, it wouldn't matter what anyone tried to say afterward.
"If there's nothing else, you should return, Danzo. I still have many documents to review."
Hiruzen's tone carried polite dismissal. He had no patience for Danzo's silent power plays.
He waved his hand, already planning his next move—to send Anbu agents to quietly investigate whether anything unusual had occurred within Konoha.
"Hmph."
Seeing that it was time to leave, Danzo didn't press further. He simply nodded curtly.
"Then I'll take my lea—"
Knock, knock.
The sharp sound of knuckles on wood interrupted him.
"Enter," Hiruzen commanded.
Clearing his throat and straightening his robes, the Third Hokage quickly adopted his usual air of solemn authority—the dignified image he so carefully maintained.
"Tch."
Danzo had seen this performance countless times, and each time he could barely conceal his disdain.
Still pretending…
He turned to go, but froze the instant he saw who entered the office.
"You?! Impossible!"
"What's wrong, Danzo-sama? Surprised to see me alive?"
The visitor was none other than Aoyama Ryuyun.
A faint smile curved Ryuyun's lips as he faced Danzo's disbelief.
Danzo's brows knitted tightly.
His subordinates wouldn't dare disobey his orders—or pretend to obey and then betray him.
If Ryuyun was standing here unharmed… then something had gone terribly wrong.
Hiruzen, ever perceptive, could already guess what had happened.
"Ahem. Ryuyun, what brings you here?"
Although the name Golden Lion had yet to spread through the village, those who'd seen him fight on the battlefield knew of his twin-blade style—fierce, fluid, and deadly.
In terms of swordsmanship, he was said to rival even Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha.
But what intrigued Hiruzen most was Ryuyun's background—no clan, no family, no political baggage.
A pure civilian ninja, self-made and brilliant.
To Hiruzen Sarutobi, such people were ideal.
Civilians were easier to guide, easier to control.
They could fully embody the Will of Fire—or so he liked to believe.
"Hokage-sama," Ryuyun said, smiling disarmingly. He raised the storage scroll in his hand.
"While on a mission today, I was suddenly ambushed by unknown shinobi. I believe they may be spies from Sunagakure, so I've come to report it."
---
"Hmm. Very good."
Hiruzen nodded approvingly, his smile widening.
To him, Aoyama Ryuyun perfectly represented the kind of loyal Konoha shinobi the Will of Fire sought to create.
Ryuyun only smiled faintly, saying nothing. He lifted the scroll again.
"Hokage-sama, I've also brought the bodies. Would you like to see them?"
Hiruzen pondered for a moment, then nodded gravely.
"Indeed. We'll need to confirm their identities to determine which village they came from."
"Yes, sir."
With a subtle grin, Ryuyun unfurled the scroll.
"Release!"
A plume of white smoke filled the office—
and several corpses appeared in neat formation on the floor.
They were all Root operatives.
As for Kato Dan's body, Ryuyun had buried it quietly. Killing Root operatives was one thing; killing a publicly known ninja and S-rank spirit specialist like Dan would raise unnecessary suspicion.
"This…"
Hiruzen's expression stiffened.
Beside him, Danzo's eyelids twitched sharply.
The moment Ryuyun had walked into the room alive, he had sensed trouble.
Now, his worst fears were confirmed.
"Hokage-sama," Ryuyun said calmly, "although these men were dressed as Anbu, they ambushed me during my mission. I had no choice but to eliminate them."
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly.
Compared to his Anbu, Danzo's Root operated in total secrecy. Very few in the village even knew of its existence.
So when Ryuyun said he didn't recognize the attackers, Hiruzen didn't doubt him.
Instead, his gaze shifted—cold and heavy—toward the silent Danzo Shimura.
Moments later, the Third Hokage's mask returned, replaced by his usual grandfatherly smile.
"You did well. When you encounter enemies on a mission, you should always eliminate them without hesitation."
But his eyes still lingered on Danzo, sharp as a blade.
Of course, Danzo understood the warning beneath those words.
"Yes, Hokage-sama!" Ryuyun said crisply, his expression earnest—but inwardly, he was laughing.
Dogs biting dogs. How entertaining.
"Ahem… Ryuyun," Hiruzen began, "you may return for now. I'll handle the mission report myself—"
He paused suddenly, a thought striking him.
"Wait. Mission? When did you receive a mission order?"
During wartime, no ninja—especially a jōnin—was permitted to accept missions independently.
And Hiruzen certainly hadn't assigned one to Ryuyun.
Feigning innocence, Ryuyun produced a folded scroll.
"Hokage-sama doesn't know? This mission was given to me… by the Anbu."
"Hm?"
Hiruzen's expression darkened as he took the scroll from Ryuyun's hands.