Hiruzen's hand trembled violently as he clutched his pipe.
He lifted his head, eyes blazing as they locked onto the blond boy in front of him.
Power rolled off the old man—the unmistakable aura of the "Professor" who had once been hailed as the strongest of all Shinobi.
If this were the old days, the prank-loving show-off who only wanted attention could have said such a thing, and Hiruzen would have laughed it off as childish nonsense.
But now… staring at the calm, almost terrifying composure on the boy's face while the cursed seal Orochimaru had left still pulsed at his neck… the Third's instincts screamed that this was no joke—Naruto meant every word.
If he truly set his mind to it,
given the terrifying speed at which he was growing, in two or three years at most,
he would have the power to "wipe a small country off the map" for real.
And the way he'd said it—coolly weighing the pros and cons—had been anything but playful.
"…Naruto."
Hiruzen's voice dropped, heavy and grave; the very air seemed to press down.
"A thought like that isn't just dangerous—it's the greatest taboo for a Shinobi."
"Power exists to protect, not to destroy the rules."
"If you trample an allied nation for selfish reasons, how are you any different from Orochimaru?"
The old man's gaze was a blade, trying to cut through whatever mask the boy wore.
"I never heard those words."
"Never let me hear them again."
It was a warning.
And the last, stern lesson the aged Hokage would ever give this youth.
"Haha, I was only joking, Grandpa Hokage—you're way too serious."
Under that crushing pressure, Naruto merely smiled.
He waved a hand, as if it had all been lighthearted humor.
"Kusagakure is sitting there perfectly fine; how could it vanish? Just running my mouth."
"Since everything's okay, I'll be going."
He bowed politely, turned, and walked toward the door.
The door shut softly.
The office sank into deathly stillness.
The pipe in the Third Hokage's hand had gone cold.
He stared at the closed door; the fondness in his old eyes slowly drained away.
In its place crept deep wariness—and fear.
He watched the sun outside sink beneath the horizon.
Naruto's casual remark echoed in his mind.
If Kusagakure really did disappear… in that instant, Hiruzen had seen something in the boy's eyes—not the warm sunlight of Minato,
but a supreme disdain for the rules, the glint of someone who could shatter them without a second thought…
Clack.
The office door was flung open.
Three elderly figures strode in, bringing with them a biting air of authority.
"Hiruzen."
At their head stood Danzo, leaning on a cane, his single eye dark and hawk-like.
Behind him were the two white-haired Village advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.
Seeing the trio arrive together,
Sarutobi Hiruzen's brows knit at once; a headache flared.
Nothing good ever came of these three appearing in concert.
"…What brings you here?"
"Something this serious and you still intended to keep us in the dark?"
Koharu struck first, her voice sharp.
"Orochimaru infiltrated the Forest of Death and made contact with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki!"
"Had no one reported it, we'd still be oblivious!"
Homura added gravely.
"Hiruzen, this is no longer a mere exam mishap."
"It concerns the security of the Village's ultimate weapon—your previous plan has failed completely."
The Third refilled his pipe, trying to mask his weariness.
"Naruto returned safely; though Orochimaru left a cursed seal, it's already been suppressed."
"That child—"
"What! The Jinchuriki was branded with the Cursed Seal of Heaven?"
All three exclaimed.
Homura and Koharu exchanged a look of horror.
An already unstable Jinchuriki now bearing an even more unstable seal… "Suppressed?"
Danzo gave a cold laugh, his cane striking the floor with a dull thud.
"Hiruzen, what kind of joke is that?
Even you and I can't easily suppress the seal on Anko Mitarashi.
And a mere Jinchuriki brat managed it alone?"
"True or false, this is an extremely dangerous signal!"
Danzo stepped to the desk, his single eye boring into the Third.
"A twelve-year-old—how could he suppress Orochimaru's seal?
By borrowing the Nine-Tails' power? Some unknown Forbidden Jutsu?
Or is he simply a lure Orochimaru left behind?
Worse… has the Jinchuriki already gone completely out of control?"
Danzo leaned forward, his gaze fixed on Hiruzen.
"Judging by his current rate of growth and the fact he met Orochimaru alone…
Can you guarantee that his heart… still belongs to Konoha?"
The Third's hand quivered.
He recalled Naruto's "joke" moments earlier.
Danzo's heart-piercing question struck squarely at his deepest fear.
If Naruto's heart had already left the Village, the stronger he became, the greater the danger.
Seeing Hiruzen's silence, Koharu pressed harder.
"Hiruzen, Danzo's right—the Jinchuriki must be controllable."
"Now that Orochimaru has targeted him, we can't allow him to run free."
"Hand him over to me!"
Danzo finally showed his cards.
"Give Uzumaki Naruto to Root."
"Only under my oversight and training can we sever Orochimaru's interest and erase those unstable thoughts!"
"Absolutely not!"
The Third Hokage refused outright.
"He is Minato's son! I will never let him enter Root—that place that strangles humanity!"
Homura frowned, displeasure in his tone.
"Hiruzen, you're too sentimental!"
"Orochimaru escaped because of your soft heart; will you let the Nine-Tails repeat that mistake?"
Koharu's voice turned harsh.
"For the Village's safety, personal sacrifice is necessary!"
"As Hokage, you should understand that!"
Danzo studied the Third's anger—and the faint wavering behind it.
He narrowed his eye and decided to feint.
"Since you won't hand over custody, then at least… strengthen surveillance."
"Meaning?" Hiruzen asked warily.
"Let Root's elite keep watch over Uzumaki Naruto day and night."
Danzo spoke slowly, his voice brooking no dissent.
"Not only to keep Orochimaru away, but to monitor the boy's every move."
"The moment he shows any sign of losing control or betrayal, Root can act at once."
He paused, then played his final chip.
"Hiruzen, this is our last concession.
If you refuse even this… and Naruto deserts, can you shoulder that responsibility?"
"Hiruzen, that is our view."
Koharu and Homura nodded together, endorsing Danzo's proposal.
The Third remained silent.
Smoke rose from the pipe again, veiling his wrinkled face.
In his mind, on one side lay Minato and Kushina's dying wish;
on the other stood these three old comrades, pressing relentlessly.
For the Village's stability… to keep Naruto from crossing a line or being taken by Orochimaru… perhaps surveillance was a necessary evil?
At length, the sun set completely.
Only the faint red glow of the pipe lit the office.
Watching the lights of Konoha flicker on outside, the Third's silhouette looked ancient and bent.
He said nothing—merely raised a hand in weary assent.
It was tacit approval.
"…Hmph, sensible at last."
A cold smirk tugged at Danzo's lips.
He didn't need full control of Naruto this instant.
In his view,
once that first crack opened and Root's tendrils slipped through, the boy would eventually be his.
When that day came, Hiruzen's consent would no longer matter.
The three departed as one, just as they had arrived.
Only the Third Hokage remained in the office.
He stared at his aged reflection in the glass, a grief beyond words welling inside.
He understood: from this moment on,
whatever trust had still existed between him and that child was gone forever.