Danzo! Did You Collude with Iwagakure?!

"Missing-nin disguised as Iwagakure shinobi used Exploding Tags to replace the Scroll holding Hizashi's corpse?"

"Root shinobi suddenly made their move, and Akamichi Chodo's group started fighting Toroi of Kumogakure?"

"Wait, the aftermath of their battle just happened to release a humanoid monster sealed at the handover site?"

"What do you mean that humanoid monster used some unknown, bizarre ability to kill Toroi and nearly a hundred Kumogakure reinforcements?"

Mitokado Homura hurried forward and snatched the Scroll from Sarutobi's hands. As he read its contents, his face gradually turned pale.

By the end, he was completely stunned, standing stupidly in place without moving, unsure whether he was dreaming.

He recognized every word on its own, but why did they seem so unfamiliar when put together? Was this really still the language of the Ninja World??

Bang.

Sarutobi Hiruzen staggered back to his desk, trembling as he braced himself against its edge and lowered himself into his chair.

"Toroi, a Magnet Release user renowned throughout the Ninja World, and nearly a hundred Kumogakure shinobi stationed at the border." His voice had become unbearably hoarse. "Konoha cannot bear this blood debt."

At those words, Mitokado Homura, who had been standing there dazed, suddenly shuddered and looked at Sarutobi Hiruzen in panic. "But those people clearly were..."

"No one will believe it."

Before he could finish, Sarutobi Hiruzen cut him off. Painfully closing his eyes, he said, "Other than the few survivors from Akamichi Chodo's group and us, no one will believe that those people died at the hands of some inexplicable monster."

That was Toroi, the "Magnet Release shinobi"!

Those were nearly a hundred Kumogakure shinobi stationed at the border!

Those were nearly a hundred Kumogakure shinobi with families and loved ones!

They were all dead.

Now, who would believe Konoha's side of the story?

Forget that no other witnesses had survived at the scene—even if there really were witnesses, who would believe they were genuine witnesses?

Kumogakure?

Though Toroi and nearly a hundred border guards from Kumogakure had died, that just gave Kumogakure a legitimate reason to declare war on Konoha. Even the Daimyo of the Land of Lightning would be unable to stop the hatred of the victims' families!

Or Iwagakure?

Iwagakure's shadow had been present throughout this entire affair from the very beginning. Iwagakure would love nothing more than to see Konoha and Kumogakure destroy each other, so they could reap the benefits afterward!

So...

"Gather the Jonin. Convene a Jonin meeting. Make preparations."

Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed to have aged more than a decade in an instant. He sat hunched over in his chair with his eyes closed, his hoarse voice carrying an eerie calm. "This time, war is truly coming."

"Yes."

The Anbu shinobi kneeling before him on one knee was trembling slightly as well. He did not know exactly what had happened, but he had seen the miserable, bedraggled state of Akamichi Chodo and the others.

Of the original group of more than ten, only four or five remained. Clearly, the handover with Kumogakure had not gone smoothly, and something grave must have happened in between.

This was likely beyond the point where they could still argue their way out of it. This time, it was truly the fuse that would ignite a war.

Other than the ambitious, the war-crazed, and those blinded by hatred, no one wanted to face cruel, bloody war again.

Click.

The Anbu shinobi left. Mitokado Homura came back to himself and clenched the Scroll in his hand, his face dark with gloom.

Just as he looked toward Sarutobi Hiruzen, about to say something—

Tap... tap... tap...

As the soft sound of a cane striking the floor approached, Shimura Danzō pushed open the door and entered the office.

Noticing the deathly silence in the room, a faint smile actually appeared on his hard, cold face.

"Hiruzen." Shimura Danzō spoke calmly. "I told you long ago, if they were determined to start a war, we could not avoid it."

"..."

Mitokado Homura's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively looked toward Sarutobi Hiruzen's reaction.

Sarutobi Hiruzen said nothing. He merely lowered his head, closed his eyes, and remained silent.

After a long silence, he slowly raised his head and looked at the old friend before him with clouded eyes.

"Danzo, Danzo..."

Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled, as if trying to calm himself, but several veins bulged on his forehead.

Still seemingly wary of something, he kept his voice low and restrained as he rasped, "Who gave you permission to send Root after the escort team?"

"How dare you do this?!"

"Hiruzen." Shimura Danzō stood in the shadow untouched by the sun and frowned. "This truly had nothing to do with me. I only planted men in the escort team as a precaution. Those three who attacked the Kumogakure shinobi..."

Bang!!

Before he could continue, Sarutobi Hiruzen hurled his pipe, smashing it into Danzo's face as he roared, "You did nothing? Do you even believe that yourself?!"

"Tell me! Did you collude with Iwagakure or not? Did the spies you sent out collude with Iwagakure or not? Tell me!"

The pipe, stained with a smear of red, fell to the floor. Pain shot through Danzo's cut forehead, and at those words, his cold expression abruptly changed.

"I didn't!" He no longer had the leisure to mock Sarutobi Hiruzen's miscalculation and hurriedly said, "You know me. Everything I do is for the sake of..."

This really was not his doing. He had clearly instructed Aburame that if Kumogakure obediently returned home, they were to treat it as though nothing had happened!

And the spies he had sent to the other villages truly had only been gathering intelligence.

"Get out!"

But Sarutobi Hiruzen's low roar cut Danzo off once more. Shimura Danzō opened his mouth, still wanting to say something, but Mitokado Homura grabbed his arm and shook his head.

Hiruzen was truly furious this time. He had even accused him of colluding with an enemy. No matter how Danzo explained himself now, Hiruzen would not believe a single word.

"Hiruzen, I'll notify the clan heads and write to Jiraiya and Tsunade, telling them to return." Mitokado Homura spoke in a low voice.

With that, he pulled the grim-faced Danzo toward the door. Before leaving, he looked back at Sarutobi Hiruzen one last time and said softly, "Don't worry too much, Hiruzen. It is only another war."

Even when they had once faced four enemies alone, Konoha had still been able to prevail.

The only problem was that after the war, faced with the heavy casualties, Sarutobi Hiruzen, as Hokage, would inevitably bear the primary responsibility. He would surely resign then, just as he had when he allowed Minato to take the position.

Click.

Shimura Danzō and Mitokado Homura both left. Sarutobi Hiruzen remained seated in his chair for a long time without moving.

At that moment, he was like a machine that looked polished and splendid on the outside, while the gears turning within had long since decayed beyond repair, creaking beneath their burden with an air of age and decay.

He had clearly sacrificed Hizashi Hyuga. He had clearly found a way to break the deadlock. He had clearly steeled himself for everything. He had clearly cast aside what little remained of his old pride...

Why? How had things turned out like this?!

After sitting motionless like a stone statue for a long time, Sarutobi Hiruzen gradually calmed down.

Anger and regret were useless now. He had to find out exactly what had happened. Perhaps there was still some way to salvage this.

There were still many unknown details regarding this matter. He needed to question Akamichi Chodo, Hyuga Yunchuan, and the others who had returned alive...

With that thought, Sarutobi Hiruzen let out a deep breath, rose to his feet, and walked forward to bend down and pick up the bloodstained pipe.

His figure vanished from the office, turning into an afterimage that swept over the rooftops toward Konoha Hospital.