In the deep, somewhat gloomy secret chamber, a quiet atmosphere gently lingered, carrying a deathly silence.
Among the sparse furnishings of the chamber, only the high-backed chair stood out. At this moment, the ninja seated in it, his upper body seemingly wrapped in bandages, slowly opened his eyes. A trace of stiffness flashed across his perpetually stern yet seemingly submissive face.
It was then! Everything had happened because of that moment! Because at that time, the Fourth Hokage had effortlessly elevated his confidant...
It had happened so naturally then! It was my mistake! The root of it all was Taki Chiba's return and his becoming the acting Hokage assistant in such a short time!
Because the Fourth Hokage had directly delegated authority, he had suddenly gained power that others could never even imagine! The power to restrain me, coupled with his political wisdom, had destroyed everything I painstakingly built!
At that moment, as Danzo opened his eyes, it was as if thunder had struck within his heart. Complex, inexplicable thoughts, even carrying a trace of anger, flashed through his mind.
He had realized just how much trouble his impatience back then had brought upon himself.
One wrong move in a game, and the whole board was lost.
He had lost on that one move.
At the time, he had already determined that if Taki Chiba returned alive, whether it was the Third Hokage or the Fourth Hokage, they would certainly do everything possible to groom him into the next Hokage. The Third Hokage's behavior on the day he stepped down, along with the words Danzo had happened to overhear the Third Hokage privately saying to the Fourth Hokage, clearly showed that they intended to decide on the Fifth Hokage in advance, so there would not be a gap in succession