"What kind of explanation do you want?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, his tone heavy.
Uchiha Gen let the glow of Sage Mode fade from his body, pausing in thought before replying in an equally firm voice.
"Remove Danzo from his position. Strip him of authority permanently, never reappoint him in this lifetime. And return every single Ninja that was taken."
The three elders' faces shifted immediately. Hiruzen quickly waved his hand.
"Impossible. That explanation is absolutely impossible. Danzo indeed went too far, but in the end, it was only a threat, not an act carried out. To permanently ban him from office is excessive.
As for returning all the Ninja, that too is impossible. What they did may have been immoral, but on the surface, it did not violate Konoha's laws. Ninja are free to choose their department. Every division desires talented people.
What I can guarantee is that the Police Force will be given a fair opportunity to compete."
Even with the weight of Flying Thunder God, Mangekyō Sharingan, Sage Mode, and the lingering shadow of Orochimaru's faction behind Gen, Hiruzen Sarutobi was not a man to bow to limitless demands.
To him, moderate compromise was acceptable, but he would never allow others to believe the Hokage could be bullied into submission.
He still held his own pillars of power; Danzo, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kushina the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki, the great clans that stood behind him, and countless loyal shinobi. He could not set such a precedent.
Gen crossed one leg over the other, his sneer sharp.
"Heh. Hokage-sama, you call that sincerity? A dismissal without permanence means nothing. With you and the elders shielding him, Danzo would be reinstated before the ink on the order dried. Empty words, nothing more than formality."
"And if poaching Ninja doesn't break explicit rules, does that mean you think it's perfectly acceptable to abandon morality? If that's the case, then remember your own words. When I, or the Police Force, begin doing things that break no laws but trample all sense of decency, don't you dare come lecturing me about morals."
He rose to his feet, voice growing colder.
"That's enough. I won't waste more words."
He turned, heading for the door. His fingers stretched for the handle,
"How about this? We both take a step back."
Hiruzen's voice stopped him.
Gen slowly turned, expression unreadable.
"How exactly do we step back?"
"You step back by allowing fair competition among the five departments. I step back by agreeing to all punishments for Danzo except permanent dismissal. Insulting punishments are off the table, he would never accept them, even under my command."
Gen studied him for a long moment before smiling faintly.
"Hokage-sama, why do I feel like I've taken a full step back, while you've barely shifted half a foot?"
Hiruzen's face remained calm, though his pipe smoke coiled thicker.
"As Hokage, the very act of conceding is a step back. Can your rebellion against authority not be counted as half a step as well?"
Gen chuckled quietly, then sat back down, this time with less arrogance in his posture.
"Very well. I'll give Hokage-sama this much face."
The time for posturing had passed. True confrontation would serve neither side well. A clean, decisive rise was his goal not a drawn-out war of attrition.
"My conditions, then; Danzo must apologize, he must pay compensation, and he must return Ninja. The amount half of Root's six-month budget. In addition, I will personally select a number of Root's trainees who have only just begun training."
His intent was obvious.
Strip Danzo of resources, drive him into financial desperation again. The money would cover Police Force recruitment costs with profit to spare. And the trainees, young enough to not be brainwashed, could be reclaimed as true assets. Official Root shinobi would only be spies in disguise.
Hiruzen sighed deeply, rubbing his temples.
"The money and the trainees are fine. But an apology… Danzo's temperament makes that nearly impossible."
Gen's eyes hardened.
"I don't care. When you do wrong, you apologize. That is not humiliation, it is natural. Besides, Hokage-sama's words about fairness are still fresh in my ears."
Hiruzen's frown deepened, but at last he nodded.
"Very well. We will handle this matter. Return to your duties and wait for my notification."
Gen rose.
"Before I go... warn Danzo. Tell him to abide by rules. Konoha is not his personal playground."
The words left the elders' faces flushed, burning with a mixture of shame and fury. It was aimed at Danzo, yes, but also a barb driven into their own pride.
Gen ignored them. His form blurred, vanishing with the Flying Thunder God, leaving only silence in his wake.
The three exchanged looks, wordless for a long time.
At last, Hiruzen called out, voice low.
"Come in."
An Anbu masked in shadow appeared, kneeling.
"Hokage-sama."
"Bring in a new chair. Then summon Danzo."
"Yes!"
When the Anbu left, Hiruzen exhaled smoke and turned to his advisors.
"Later, help me persuade him. For the greater good."
The elders nodded grimly.
Fifteen minutes later, Danzo entered, closing the door behind him. His expression carried rare good humor; their plan had succeeded, and Root's coffers were safe...for now.
"Hiruzen, what did you call me for? Ah, the two of you are here as well."
Hiruzen coughed lightly.
"Danzo, you need to apologize to Uchiha Gen. You will pay compensation, and you will hand over a number of Ninja."
Danzo blinked. "Alright."
Then, almost immediately, his mind caught up with his mouth. His face twisted in disbelief.
"What...?! Have you lost your mind, Hiruzen?!"
"I'm not mad," Hiruzen said heavily. "This is necessity. Tell him, both of you."
Homura and Koharu recounted what had transpired.
As they spoke, Danzo's face cycled through outrage, shock, unwillingness, disbelief, and rage again.
"You were intimidated by that boy? If I had been there, I would have struck instantly! Subdued him before he could react! Once pinned, what storm could he possibly stir?!"
His voice cracked in his fury, veins bulging at his temple.
The other three could only exchange weary looks. Was Danzo delusional?
A shinobi wielding Mangekyō, Flying Thunder God, and Sage Mode subdued in an instant? Unless caught utterly unprepared, it was a fantasy. And Gen's composure proved he had been more than prepared.
Worse still, if such an attempt failed, battle would erupt here, in the very heart of the Hokage Building. Civil war would ignite on the spot. Konoha could not endure that.
Even if by chance he was subdued, the fury of the Uchiha would follow and that, too, could plunge the village into chaos.
No. Better this compromise than total collapse.
Hiruzen's voice cut through Danzo's tirade.
"Enough. This is the unanimous decision of the three of us. Do you accept or not?"