Even after he was no longer Hokage, Hiruzen was still accompanied by loyal Anbu members.
As Hiruzen strode to the Root Base, he was unsurprisingly stopped by the Root ninjas at the entrance.
"I want to see Danzo."
Hiruzen's voice was loud, and the Root ninja could tell from his tone that he was up to no good.
Upon receiving the news, Danzo, who was instructing Asuma on Wind Release techniques, immediately thought about what he had done wrong back then that led to Hiruzen discovering his mistake.
In a panic, he even considered having his men say he wasn't there.
He won't be around for at least a short time.
But then he realized that Hiruzen, like him, was now working as an advisor in a high-level position.
The other person can no longer say, "I am the Hokage."
Thinking of this, Danzo to let them pass.
He's just an advisor at my level; what's there to be afraid of?
Soon, Hiruzen spotted Asuma and Danzo in the training ground.
Noticing his father's arrival, Asuma showed disdain on his face, but his hand seals quickened, and he unleashed the Vacuum Great Ball with a showy air.
But Hiruzen's gaze never fell on Asuma; his only target was Danzo, who was standing not far away.
Hiruzen, looking at his old friend of many years, Danzo tone was lighter than ever before.
The other party is finally not the Hokage.
It's a pity that neither I nor my son are sitting in that position.
But it's okay, there will always be opportunities.
"Shall we talk here, Danzo?"
Seeing that Danzo didn't speak first, Hiruzen, not wanting to play games, Hiruzen to the chase.
"I think this place is quite nice, but you can go somewhere else if you'd like, Advisor Hiruzen." Danzo said this quite readily before turning around and leading the other person to a place that could barely be called a reception room.
The only source of light in the cramped room was a small window hanging high on the south wall.
A tea table with a complete tea set was placed in the center of the room, and there were cushions on both sides for kneeling.
After taking his seat, Danzo only poured himself a full cup of tea, showing no intention of taking care of Hiruzen.
"So, what brings you here?"
"Danzo, you should know that I am no longer the Hokage, so there are some things you can no longer do as you used to."
Hiruzen desperately wanted to create a comfortable environment for Sakumo, but this forced him to confront the consequences of his indulgence.
"Hiruzen, what are you talking about?"
Although he was panicking inside, wondering what bad things the other Danzo had found out about him from his past, Danzo remained stubborn and maintained an innocent demeanor.
"Take a look for yourself!"
After handing over the documents he brought to Danzo, Hiruzen, while waiting for Danzo's response, picked up the teapot and poured himself a full cup of tea.
Danzo up the document with a guilty conscience, and almost cursed out loud after reading its contents.
Which bastard did this?!
The Fujiwara Clan of North Central Town, in all honesty and integrity, although the methods used in this matter are exactly the same as his own, he absolutely never intended to harm this guy.
Stunned by the sudden accusation, Danzo was momentarily speechless.
What alarmed Danzo even more was that his supposedly well-concealed plot to murder the nobles had been seen through by his old friend without him even realizing it.
And this loyal lackey of the lord before him didn't arrest him? What on earth is going on...?
Danzo took Hiruzen's silence as a sign of guilt, which fueled his anger.
I realized I had been too lenient with him.
With different thoughts in mind, the two fell silent for a moment.
However, it was in this silence that Danzo remembered something.
Besides his subordinates who were unlikely to leak information, there was one other person who knew what he had done.
Realizing something, Danzo narrowed his single eye, his demeanor suddenly changing. "Hiruzen, don't come to me with such ambiguous matters. Are you doubting that I did this?"
Hiruzen was stunned that Danzo would suddenly become so assertive; he hadn't expected Danzo to give him such a response.
"Hiruzen, you are now an advisor to Konoha, just like me. I advise you not to come to me with such unfounded accusations."
Seeing Danzo's confident demeanor, Hiruzen's resolve began to waver.
Perhaps Danzo really didn't do it, and the other party was simply robbed by bandits who happened to be passing by?
"That would be best." Hiruzen decided to trust Danzo's character this once.
"If I could meet the person who started this, I would tell him that Konoha is now in the era of the Fourth Hokage, and if he reveals even the slightest clue, he will only face execution."
Leaving behind a warning, Hiruzen downed the now lukewarm tea in one gulp, got up, and left the room.
Danzo remained kneeling in place, ignoring the other party's threats.
As he walked past the training ground, Hiruzen suddenly remembered that his son was also there, but unfortunately, the training ground was now empty.
He paused for a moment, Hiruzen walked straight to the exit, taking with him the Anbu guards who had been waiting for him, and left the gloomy base together.
"Ryoma."
"Danzo, the Third Hokage has already left." Ryoma stepped out of the shadows upon hearing Danzo call him.
Reaching for the teacup in front of him, Danzo shifted his gaze to the documents left behind by Hiruzen.
Noticing Danzo's actions, Ryoma nodded knowingly and reached for the document.
"After you have investigated the matter thoroughly, report the facts to me truthfully."
"Yes."
Two new butlers have arrived at the Fujiwara Clan.
One was a tall, muscular man who looked like he could fight; the other was a young woman with delicate features and a slender figure.
The officials sent by the Daimyo's Mansion didn't care about the steward's identity; their only concern was whether the only surviving infant was a descendant of the Fujiwara Clan.
After three days and three nights of investigation, the officials of the Daimyo's Mansion finally confirmed that the baby before them was indeed the only surviving heir of the Fujiwara Clan.
"Whether this is fortunate or unfortunate is unknown, but everything the Fujiwara Clan has built up over many years has fallen into the hands of this baby."
"Tsk tsk tsk, but it's good that Fujiwara Ushiji is dead. That old man didn't treat the townspeople like human beings at all."
"Keep your voice down, the officials from the Magistrate's Office are still nearby."
The commoners, who had never seen an official from the Daimyo's Mansion before, dispersed in hushed tones after watching the official leave with his long procession.
"Mr. Kaku, the Daimyo's Mansion has ordered Konoha to send ninjas to investigate this incident. Those ninjas will definitely give you and the Fujiwara Clan justice."
Fengxing looked at the butler, who was two heads taller than him, with a fawning expression on his face, but inwardly he was cursing him.
He was just a servant, but he survived by sheer luck and became the Fujiwara Clan's steward. Why can't I have such good fortune?