This Is Killing Me! Why Was Danzo Lighting Hiruzen's Pipe?

"You'll regret this..." At those words, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura's mouths twitched slightly.

Hiruzen had changed greatly lately, becoming both familiar and unfamiliar to them.

But Danzo was still the same as ever...

The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi said anything even slightly at odds with what he thought, those words would fly out of his mouth!

Like some pre-programmed ninjutsu... it always triggered with perfect precision.

"I'll regret it?"

Unexpectedly, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not immediately refute Shimura Danzō. Instead, he nodded slightly and said with a rather serious expression:

"Fine. Then tell me why I'll regret it. If you're right, I'll listen to you."

"Huh?" Shimura Danzō froze, his combo interrupted.

No, this wasn't how the Konoha Hokage Game was supposed to be played. Why were you actually listening to my opinion?!

You should be shouting that you're the Hokage, then refusing to hear me out. The two of us should glare at each other, then I'd slam the door and go back to Root to curse you in private...

Then, during some mysterious incident, I'd seize the Hokage position and show you my Haori!

Oh.

Right, Root was about to be dismantled. That thing was gone too...

No, was Monkey really this trustworthy?

After yesterday's training ground incident, where he had been criticized in public and made to sign a Military Pledge, Shimura Danzō had at least gotten a chance to show his face before everyone. But after returning home and thinking it over carefully...

He still felt that something was off!

If he were Hiruzen Sarutobi, he would definitely use this momentum to crush himself completely!

That earlier promise? Something about giving him a fair chance to compete for the Hokage position...

Who would remember something like that?!

Because Root's very real problems had been exposed before everyone, and Hiruzen Sarutobi had also firmly established that Root was to be disbanded.

Even if he wanted to play tricks, there was nothing he could do.

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura would not speak up for him either. If you made a mistake, you had to be punished. That was how ninja were.

Part of the reason Shimura Danzō was acting up again today was his struggle against his own future.

But the problem was...

"Hiruzen, do you really keep your word like this?" A strange flicker of guilt crossed Shimura Danzō's heart. He quickly organized his thoughts and Responded seriously:

"If you divide out twenty core Jonin, these so-called Konoha Committee Members, then the Hokage's authority will inevitably be shared among them. How can you guarantee the Authority of the Hokage Office Building then?"

"Hiruzen, perhaps you think this is good, but it is undoubtedly irresponsible toward the Hokage's power! All Jonin must answer directly to the Hokage!"

Shimura Danzō voiced his true thoughts.

Hiruzen Sarutobi silently watched Shimura Danzō. After a moment, he shook his head in disappointment. "I thought you had something insightful to say..."

"I understand your logic. More people means power gets dispersed, which means power goes out of control. Right?"

Shimura Danzō nodded righteously. "Exactly. What's wrong with that? Isn't that how it works?"

"The essence of dispersed power is overlapping responsibilities and unclear jurisdiction..." Hiruzen Sarutobi picked up his Pipe and leisurely packed it with tobacco.

"To put it in terms you understand best, the Root you used to command was exactly like that... It overlapped heavily with the Anbu while also acting under my name as Hokage. Over time, your orders would outweigh mine in some people's eyes."

Shimura Danzō's face remained blank. "I did that for..."

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura nodded lightly.

That really was the case...

Hiruzen Sarutobi waved a hand, signaling him to shut up. "The Konoha Committee Members I intend to establish are not a decision-making body. They are a more advanced executive body, with only the right to make recommendations."

"I'll listen to good recommendations, and reject bad ones."

"The final decision-making power, key personnel authority, resource allocation authority, and emergency handling authority—on these matters, my word is final."

"Clearly defining each Committee Member's professional area of responsibility, confirming the boundaries of their authority, and establishing accountability and oversight mechanisms will only make Konoha run more efficiently and smoothly."

"Would you worry about the squad leaders in your Root betraying you?"

Shimura Danzō frowned.

"That's different. My control over them is absolute! Hiruzen, I won't beat around the bush. Can you put Cursed Seals on these Konoha Committee Members?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed. "Danzo, you've been steeped in darkness for too long. If others heard you, they'd think Konoha was some slave plantation..."

Yet Shimura Danzō raised his head, feeling no shame.

He believed in controlling the flesh to the utmost extreme.

"I'm talking to you about the Will of Fire. You probably can't understand it yet."

"What you do is essentially raising private soldiers. It can only turn one talented ninja after another into expendable dead soldiers, while Konoha needs its ninja to bloom and realize their value."

"When people live in fear and under control, they become walking corpses."

"Talented people become mediocrities, mediocrities become dead things, and geniuses who cannot be erased will only accumulate resentment under your methods, eventually becoming a greater threat to Konoha."

Hiruzen Sarutobi gave an example. "Even if you put a Cursed Seal on Orochimaru, would he obey your every command?"

Shimura Danzō frowned. He still wanted to refute Hiruzen Sarutobi.

But deep down, he vaguely felt that it seemed to make sense?

Hiruzen Sarutobi's perspective on things did seem just a little higher than his own...

"The cruel world of ninja has caused too many people pain."

"So long as we show even the slightest bit of light, countless moths will fly toward us..."

"In extreme circumstances, people's desire for hope surpasses morality, family ties, and even the instinct to survive—especially for ninja who are spiritually empty and treat themselves as tools."

Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a sigh:

"The Will of Fire is Konoha's core value. It is also a better weapon than Cursed Seals. I hope you take the time to understand that, Danzo."

Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged a glance.

There was nothing wrong with what he said, but why did it sound somewhat chilling...

"You've stayed in that tiny organization, Root, for too long. You only have around twenty people under you. To be Hokage, you need to govern an entire village."

"That kind of thinking won't do."

His words sounded like criticism.

But Shimura Danzō listened with rapt attention.

Though he still could not fully understand it, he could feel it...

This old monkey really seemed to be grooming him as the Hokage's successor?

They were finally getting to the real stuff...

Old bastard, hand over your Hokage Forbidden Techniques already!

But Hiruzen Sarutobi did not continue. With his Pipe between his lips, he rummaged through his pockets.

He seemed to be looking for a lighter...

Shimura Danzō ground his teeth.

He had just gotten to the exciting part. Why did you have to leave him hanging?

He strode over to Hiruzen Sarutobi's side and lit it for him. "Hmph! You've gotten more useless with age. You can even forget to bring your things? I think you need to reflect on yourself too!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi burst into laughter. "Sorry, sorry!"

Meanwhile, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura exchanged another glance, each seeing the other's astonishment.

No way?

Danzo had actually lit Hiruzen's Pipe!