Danzo was remarkably direct, without the slightest hesitation.
He and Sarutobi Hiruzen were comrades and comrades-in-arms, but beyond that, they were also enemies!
Of course he understood Sarutobi Hiruzen's concerns.
However, at the same time—
That was precisely his true goal!
He wanted Sarutobi Hiruzen's reputation to be utterly ruined. Only then would he have a chance to contend for the Hokage Position.
Therefore.
He was exceptionally relaxed at this moment, showing no sign of urgency whatsoever.
And regarding this.
Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent. Only after a long while did he slowly speak. "Danzo, can't we discuss this?"
"Sorry, there's nothing to discuss!" Danzo refused outright.
Although he too wanted to kill the Uchiha as soon as possible, and knew Uchiha Jin was a major problem, he was not particularly worried.
Because even if the sky fell, the tall ones would hold it up.
And in the current Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen was the tall one.
If Hiruzen was not in a hurry, why should he be?
Sarutobi Hiruzen fell silent.
He gave Danzo a deep look before directly lighting his pipe.
He could see through Danzo's intentions.
Danzo simply wanted to take the blame and handle matters for him, while Hiruzen had to offer him benefits in return—and let Danzo take another bite out of his reputation while he was at it.
What should he do?
He did indeed want Uchiha Jin dead as soon as possible, but he did not want to damage his own reputation over it.
Thus, for a time.
The entire room fell into silence.
"Hiruzen, Danzo!"
"You should both take a step back. There's no need to take things this far."
"Our enemy is the Uchiha. We can't start infighting at a time like this!"
"..."
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura grew somewhat anxious and tried to persuade them earnestly.
There was no helping it.
If they fell into internal chaos before even dealing with the external threat of the Uchiha, they would become the laughingstock of the Uchiha if word got out.
As for their persuasion, Sarutobi Hiruzen looked toward Danzo, his eyes filled with hope.
He hoped Danzo would take a step back, but that hope was destined to come to nothing.
What kind of person was Danzo?
Looking at all the disasters Konoha suffered in the original story, when had Danzo ever taken the initiative to act?
Selfishness was his creed. Now that he had such a perfect opportunity to weaken Sarutobi Hiruzen, he would not be Danzo if he gave it up!
So, there was no helping it.
The matter reached a deadlock, with neither Sarutobi Hiruzen nor Danzo willing to yield.
Three in the afternoon.
Sarutobi Hiruzen did not choose to end the meeting. He continued locking horns with Danzo in the office. This time, he had to make Danzo give in.
Utatane Koharu could not help speaking up. "How about we eat something first, then continue discussing this?"
"Yeah, let's eat first." Mitokado Homura was equally helpless. "We can't keep holding out like this!"
But unfortunately.
In response to their words, Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed the table and displayed the bearing of a Shinobi Hero.
"Enough, both of you shut up!"
"I'm so angry I'm practically full already. How could I possibly have any appetite?"
"Danzo..."
"I'll give you one more chance. Are you taking this mission or not?"
Faced with Sarutobi Hiruzen's towering rage, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura instantly found themselves in an awkward position.
You might be full from anger, but we're hungry!
They wanted to grumble a few words, but facing Sarutobi Hiruzen in his current state, they truly did not dare say them aloud.
And regarding this.
Danzo's expression remained indifferent. He did not take Sarutobi Hiruzen seriously at all.
He remained calmly seated in his chair, his entire face bearing an air of tranquil composure.
Clearly.
Unless Sarutobi Hiruzen agreed to his terms, he would absolutely never agree to take the blame voluntarily!
And so...
Time gradually dragged into evening, yet Sarutobi Hiruzen and Danzo continued to contend with one another, neither willing to give way.
Creak.
At that moment, the door was suddenly knocked on.
Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned slightly.
This was a meeting of the Konoha Higher-ups. Under normal circumstances, unless something major had happened, no one would dare come disturb them.
Therefore.
After pondering for a moment, he sat back down.
Only after putting on his Hokage Hat again did he call out toward the door.
"Come in."
With another soft creak, the door to the Hokage Office opened.
After entering, an Anbu respectfully knelt on one knee. "Hokage-sama, Elders, extremely unfavorable public opinion suddenly emerged in the village today. It even concerns all of you..."
After a brief explanation, the Anbu took out a scroll.
And at this.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly had a very bad feeling.
After taking the scroll into his hands, he waved the Anbu away.
Then.
He opened the scroll with a puzzled expression and glanced through it. Before he could even finish reading, he angrily shattered the table with one slap.
Senju Nawaki, Kato Dan, Hatake Sakumo...
One familiar name after another entered his sight, and more importantly, the "slander" directed at him within it!
Clearly.
It was all Uchiha Jin's earlier speculation. It had once circulated only within the Uchiha clan, but now it had completely swept through all of Konoha.
And at this.
Sarutobi Hiruzen bared his teeth in fury, his entire body trembling with rage, his voice even turning hoarse.
"Uchiha Jin, you bastard!"
"You deserve to die! I'll definitely kill you!"
"Danzo, you have my authorization!"
"You must kill that bastard Uchiha Jin as soon as possible!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen was nearly driven mad, his rage reaching its peak.
Meanwhile.
Seeing Sarutobi Hiruzen so furious, Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu were somewhat stunned. Still, they picked up the scroll. After reading it, they too fell into a frenzy.
"Slander, pure slander!"
"That Uchiha Jin truly deserves to die. He's dumping filth all over us!"
"We can't let him remain alive. We have to kill him as soon as possible!"
After reading it, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were thoroughly enraged as well.
Danzo became interested too.
Only after he finished reading the scroll did he let out a cold laugh. "Hiruzen, I told you before that you would regret this!"
"After Uchiha Jin's talks with you broke down today, he sharply sensed that you were preparing to act, so he made the first move in advance."
Sarutobi Hiruzen's entire body trembled.
He felt an enormous crisis. If he could not resolve this matter, his career as Hokage would come to an end—and in an immensely humiliating fashion.
"U! Chi! Ha! Jin!"
His tone was chillingly terrifying, like a fierce wind rising from the depths of hell.
He was truly enraged!
Uchiha Jin's move had struck him directly at his weak point.
However.
After pondering for a long time, he still calmed down.
"Danzo!"
"Now is not the time for internal conflict. We should be united."
"Your Root often manipulates public opinion. I assume you must have a way to deal with this?"
"What should we do next?"
Before you continue