Several days later, Konoha.
The village gate was open, but the usual bustling scene was gone.
Silence was the only emotion at this moment.
When the six tired figures appeared at the end of the road, a barely perceptible stir went through the crowd.
When the tall gates of Konoha appeared in view, the gate guards were stunned at first, then joy washed over their faces.
"It's Lord Hiruzen and the others!"
"They're back!"
Leading the way was Sarutobi Hiruzen.
His armor was covered in dried blood and dust, his young face heavy.
His gaze swept over the crowd, over the pairs of expectant eyes.
Finally, it landed on the majestic mountain rock behind the village.
The giant stone statues of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, and the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama, quietly overlooked the entire village.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's steps faltered for a moment.
They had returned.
But their teacher was left forever on the borders of the Land of Fire.
The group did not stop, passing through the silent crowd and heading straight for the Hokage building.
In the meeting room of the Hokage building, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
An Anbu knelt on one knee, his voice low and swift.
"Reporting, it has been confirmed that the Second Hokage has been killed in action."
"Lord Second, by himself, successfully intercepted the Cloud's Gold and Silver Brothers unit. During the battle, Kinkaku was slain, and over twenty of the Cloud's elite jonin under his command were all annihilated."
"Ginkaku was gravely injured and was subsequently executed on the spot by the Third Raikage, A, who arrived urgently."
The Anbu's voice paused.
"Kumogakure has returned the body of Lord Second, which has now been placed in the Senju clan compound."
"The newly appointed Third Raikage also sent a message, thanking Konoha for assisting in quelling the rebellion, and that Kumogakure hopes to coexist peacefully with Konoha."
The meeting room was deathly silent.
Shimura Danzo's fists were clenched so tightly his nails dug deep into his palms. He said nothing.
Utatane Koharu closed her eyes, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Mitokado Homura pushed up his glasses, his gaze under the lenses obscure.
Uchiha Kagami and Akimichi Torifu hung their heads, overcome with immense grief.
Hiruzen listened to the report, his heart calm, almost wanting to laugh.
Gratitude?
Quelling a rebellion?
Kumogakure had really played their cards well.
The Gold and Silver Brothers launched a coup, killing the Second Raikage.
Senju Tobirama chose to stay behind to protect his students.
In the end, the Second Raikage was dead, and the Second Hokage was dead too.
Kumogakure's Gold and Silver Brothers unit was completely wiped out by Senju Tobirama, and the newly appointed Third Raikage conveniently finished off the heavily injured Ginkaku, not only securing his position but also eliminating the biggest hidden threat within the village.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked up, his voice hoarse.
"Relay my orders."
"Hang white banners throughout the village for seven days to commemorate Lord Second Hokage."
"Yes!"
The Anbu acknowledged the order and vanished in an instant.
A simple inauguration ceremony was held in front of the Hokage building.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had changed into a simple Hokage robe and stood on the high platform.
Below, a sea of black-clad figures, all of Konoha's ninja, had gathered.
There were no celebrations, no cheers.
Only sorrow filled the air.
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked down at the young, lost, and grief-stricken faces below, knowing he had to say something.
"Where the leaves dance, one shall find flames."
His voice, amplified by chakra, spread throughout the entire plaza.
"The shadow of the flame will illuminate the village, and once again, the leaves will bud anew."
"Lord Second Hokage, with his life, showed us the true meaning of the 'Will of Fire'."
"He passed the flame to us, and now, it is our turn to make this fire burn even brighter!"
"I am the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen!"
"As long as I am here, I will protect this village, and I will protect every one of you!"
"I promise you all!"
His speech was not long, but it was powerful and resonant.
His words were like a shot of adrenaline, injected into the hearts of all the anxious Konoha ninja.
Their eyes, once filled with confusion and sorrow, gradually became firm.
The first high-level meeting was held with the same six people.
The Anbu appeared again, bringing more intelligence.
"A conflict has erupted between Iwagakure and Kirigakure. The Second Tsuchikage, Mu, and the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu Hozuki, have killed each other."
"Currently, Onoki has succeeded as the Third Tsuchikage. Kirigakure has not yet decided on a candidate for the Third Mizukage."
"Sunagakure, under the leadership of the Second Kazekage, Shamon, did not participate in the First Great Ninja War and has been recuperating."
The intelligence was brief, but the information was immense.
With the successive deaths or replacements of the Kage of the four great villages, the First Great Ninja War had, in effect, ended.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's fingers tapped lightly on the desk.
The Tsuchikage and Mizukage were also dead.
The Raikage was new.
This meant that of the old generation of powerhouses, only the Second Kazekage of Sunagakure remained.
The entire ninja world had entered a brief period of power vacuum and generational gap.
The new Kage needed time to consolidate their power, and the major villages needed to lick their wounds from the war.
"There was a gap of nearly twenty years between the First and Second Great Ninja Wars..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen calculated silently in his mind.
Twenty years.
A long enough period of peace.
This was great news for him.
He had enough time to solve internal problems, cultivate the next generation, improve his own strength, and plan at his leisure.
Just then, a stern voice broke the silence.
"Hiruzen."
Shimura Danzo stood up.
His expression was serious, a fanatical flame burning in his eyes.
"Sensei's sacrifice has shown us the cruelty of war."
"Although Konoha was victorious, we are not a monolith internally."
"There are always corners that the light cannot reach, and there are always missions that cannot be carried out in the open."
He spoke with passion, his voice echoing in the meeting room.
"To protect the great tree of Konoha, there must be roots that go deep into the earth! To absorb the nutrients of darkness and eradicate all the pests that could harm the great tree!"
"I, Shimura Danzo, am willing to bear this filth!"
"I request to establish an organization that belongs only to the Hokage, to handle all matters of darkness—Root!"
It's here.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart tightened, but his expression remained unchanged.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a look, both lost in thought.
Danzo's words were not without reason.
Any large organization needed a department to handle the dirty work.
When Lord Second Hokage was alive, many unsavory matters were handled by him personally.
Now that Hiruzen had taken over, could his gentle personality really handle that darkness?
Perhaps letting the hard-lined Danzo take charge was a good choice.
Sarutobi Hiruzen did not answer immediately.
His consciousness sank into his mind.
[Agree to Shimura Danzo's proposal to establish Root?]
"Simulate."
[Initiating future simulation...]
[Selection: Agree to Shimura Danzo's proposal.]
The scene before his eyes changed instantly.
[Scene 1: In a dark underground base, countless tubes connect to a huge container. Inside the container is a boy with a pained expression. Danzo wears a satisfied smile, his arm implanted with countless Sharingan.]
[Scene 2: On the cliff of the Naka River, Uchiha Shisui clutches his empty left eye socket, his face full of disbelief. Opposite him, Danzo holds the Sharingan that housed the strongest genjutsu, "Kotoamatsukami."]
[Scene 3: In the ruins of Konoha, which has been razed to the ground, Tendo Pain floats in the air. The members of the Root organization remain motionless, watching the village's destruction with indifference.]
[Scene 4: At the Five Kage Summit, Danzo, as the acting Hokage, uses Shisui's eye to control Mifune, the general of the Land of Iron, in an attempt to seize command of the Allied Shinobi Forces. He ultimately fails and dies at the hands of Sasuke.]
Scene after scene pierced Sarutobi Hiruzen's mind.
This was the possible future for Konoha if he agreed.
The so-called Root was just a tool for Danzo to satisfy his own selfish desires and ambitions.
The so-called "for the good of the village" was just a means to usurp the Hokage's power and make himself the Hokage in the shadows.
Perhaps Danzo wasn't a bad person right now, but having seen only bad outcomes, he had to prevent them.
Rage exploded from his chest.
Just as Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura thought he would fall into thoughtful deliberation and a difficult choice.
Sarutobi Hiruzen suddenly stood up.
"CRASH—!"
A loud noise.
The entire meeting room fell silent in an instant.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events.
The impassioned expression on Shimura Danzo's face froze, turning to astonishment.
Uchiha Kagami and the others looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen in utter shock.
In their impression, Hiruzen had always been gentle and steady; they had never seen this side of him.
Sarutobi Hiruzen ignored everyone's gazes.
He took step after step, walking until he stood before the pale-faced Shimura Danzo.
The distance between them was less than half a meter.
Danzo subconsciously wanted to take a step back, but his strong pride rooted him to the spot.
"Danzo."
Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke.
"Your resolve to delve into the darkness for the sake of the village... I acknowledge it."
Huh?
Danzo was stunned.
Everyone else in the room was also stunned.
What did that mean?
Amidst Danzo's baffled expression, Sarutobi Hiruzen's tone suddenly shifted.
"But!"
"Your understanding of Root, your understanding of protecting Konoha, is too shallow! Too naive!"
Danzo's brow relaxed.
"Hiruzen, you..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen raised a hand, cutting him off.
He turned to face everyone, his voice reaching every corner of the meeting room.
"Root can be established!"
As soon as these words were spoken, a flicker of joy flashed in Danzo's eyes, but immediately, Sarutobi Hiruzen's next sentence threw him into an icy pit.
"But this Root must be a root that is grounded in the great tree of the Hokage! It is the sharpest sword in the Hokage's hand! Not some venomous snake hiding underground, with no telling who it will bite!"
"Therefore, the first ironclad rule of Root: Its leader must report all activities directly to me, the Third Hokage, every week, with no omissions!"
Danzo's expression changed instantly.
Weekly direct reports? That was tantamount to laying all his actions bare before Hiruzen. How could he develop his own power then?
"Second rule!" Sarutobi Hiruzen gave him no chance to object.
"All members of Root, from selection to assessment, the final list must be personally approved by me! No one may join without my approval!"
Danzo's breathing became ragged.
The approval authority was also in Hiruzen's hands?
"Oh, right!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's gaze locked onto Danzo again.
"Ah, Danzo, the village is currently under construction, and funds are tight."
"The previous expenses, equipment, and consumables..."
"Let the Shimura clan bear the cost. It's all for the village, after all!"
Boom!
Hearing these final words, Danzo's mind went completely blank.
He had to pay out of his own pocket to support an organization that didn't belong to him at all and was firmly controlled by Hiruzen?
What kind of deal was this?
Agree?
If he agreed, he would be a fool who bankrupted his clan to work for Hiruzen for free, without gaining any power! The leader of Root? A leader with no followers!
Disagree?
He had just, in front of everyone, portrayed himself as a great figure willing to dedicate himself to the village, regardless of personal gain or loss.
If he dared to say no now, that persona would instantly crumble to dust.
He would become a hypocrite who deceived the world for fame!
He was caught in a dilemma.
Danzo's face turned from green to white, from white to red, and finally to a purplish, liver-like color, a spectacular sight.
He looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen before him, the rival he had always considered too merciful.
At this moment, he felt incredibly unfamiliar.
And on the other side of the meeting room.
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura looked at this young Hokage, who possessed both a benevolent heart and thunderous methods, and their eyes shone with brilliance.
All their previous doubts vanished in that instant.
[Ding, Prestige has greatly increased.]
Hearing the notification in his mind, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt nothing.
He looked at Danzo, who had been left utterly demoralized by his combination of moves, his eyes calm.
Dealing with Danzo was just the first step in securing his position as Hokage.
A dog that can be controlled is better than a mad dog.
The real trouble...
His gaze passed through the window, toward a certain corner of the village.
It's that group living in the corner of the village... the proud, powerful, and sensitive Uchiha...