I'm the Fourth Hokage

Uchiha Yun hadn't graduated. He was just a student who had started his third year at the Ninja Academy a little over a month ago.

Students at the Ninja Academy weren't ninja. After all, their ninja identification numbers and Headbands weren't issued until they officially graduated.

And since he wasn't a ninja, Root Division didn't have much authority over a civilian. They might be able to do certain things in secret, but openly, Root Division had no grounds to take a Konoha villager in for questioning.

"Root Division's very existence has always been known to few people in the village, and Root Division has no right to take away ordinary villagers."

As Minato spoke, he glanced at Shisui. "If I remember correctly, internal village affairs fall under the jurisdiction of the Uchiha's Konoha Military Police Force."

"Bang!"

The cane slammed into the ground once more. Danzo raised his head and looked at Fourth Hokage Namikaze Minato with a dangerous expression. "Root Division has lost one ninja! Two more are gravely injured!"

"Whoosh, whoosh..."

As soon as he finished speaking, several members of the Medical Team rushed in, and a few of them immediately began treating the two seriously injured Root Division members.

The one leading them bowed to Minato. "We came as soon as we received the news, Lord Fourth."

Minato nodded. "Take them back at once and begin emergency surgery. Their injuries are severe."

As he spoke, he glanced at Yun.

That only made Danzo angrier. He raised his cane and stopped the Medical Team members from carrying the injured away. "Someone will come for them shortly."

Minato furrowed his brow slightly. "As the only two survivors, I think their memories could help reconstruct what happened."

Danzo's gaze sharpened as he stared at Minato. "No one can search the minds of Root Division members at will. Besides, does the Fourth think he can unlock their memories?"

Minato was reminded of something. Root Division members were all marked with a special Cursed Seal. They could die, but they would never reveal any secrets.

But no one could search their minds at will?

Root Division had indeed long since become this man's personal force.

In Konoha, only the Hokage could have a personal Anbu force—like the Third and himself.

But Danzo...

"Fourth, there are more survivors here than just the two Root Division members. I think this Uchiha brat needs to be handed over to Root Division for a memory search." Danzo's cold voice rang out again.

Minato shook his head, unmoved. "The Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal isn't unbreakable. I believe I can deal with it using Sealing Jutsu."

"And Root Division has no authority to question Konoha villagers. If I remember correctly, Root Division's only function is to train the Hokage's personal Anbu. Those Anbu answer to the Hokage, so they should be following my orders!"

"I, Namikaze Minato, am the Fourth Hokage!"

At those final words, Danzo stared hard at the young Fourth Hokage before him.

The declaration had clearly struck a nerve. It was also the strongest Minato had ever been as Fourth Hokage.

Danzo's hand clenched tightly around his cane as he thought of the past...

If...

If it hadn't been for Hiruzen back then, how could he have ended up in such a humiliating position?

The Fourth Hokage...

If I'd said those words first back then, I would be the Hokage now—Shimura Danzo. Only I, Shimura Danzo, can make Konoha stronger and more prosperous!

"Those two Root Division ninja are in your hands. I hope you'll give me an explanation in the end. This brat killed a Root Division ninja, and someone will have to pay for it!"

"Bang!"

The cane struck the ground hard. Danzo came back to himself and began to leave with his people.

As his retreating figure slowly disappeared, Danzo's voice rang out once more. "Fourth, you don't understand the Uchiha's evil. One day, you'll regret this. Everything I do is truly for Konoha."

The figures gradually vanished, but Minato's expression remained grave.

Shisui glanced at Minato. "Since the Third's time, Root Division has officially been a place for training the Hokage's personal Anbu. But those people just now..."

Minato understood the rest without him saying it. The Root Division ninja had shown no respect for him, their Hokage.

That meant Danzo had turned Root Division into his own personal Anbu force. But that authority belonged to the Hokage...

"Shisui..."

"Yes, Lord Fourth?"

"You've grown a lot over these past two years..."

Shisui scratched his head and smiled. "I've been with you for these past two years, Lord Fourth, and I've learned a lot. It's only natural that I've grown."

Minato smiled but didn't reply. Instead, he turned to Yun, who stood calmly nearby. "I've heard Shisui mention you many times. You've made me more and more curious. Uchiha Yun, can you tell me how you did it?"

With Shisui as the link between them, the Uchiha and the Fourth Hokage had already been on the same side for two years. There was no point in making up a story now.

Minato knew whether Yun had recognized them as Root Division members. What he wanted to ask about was simply Yun's strength.

Yun lifted his head slightly, and his Sharingan sprang to life. The Three Tomoe turned slowly, and a three-bladed shuriken pattern appeared in his eyes.

"A second pair of Mangekyō Sharingan? With eyes like those, it must have been easy for you to deal with those two Root Division ninja."

Minato was a little surprised. Shisui had often mentioned this clan member, but the power of the Mangekyō was astonishing for someone so young.

"For the next few days, you'd better stay in the Uchiha Compound. Shisui told me you learned the Shadow Clone Technique a long time ago. You can use a clone to go to school."

Yun nodded. "Will there be any trouble after this?"

Minato furrowed his brow slightly. "The death of a Root Division ninja is serious, in principle. Fortunately, thanks to Shisui's efforts over the past two years, many people in the Jonin Squad are his friends. So..."

Minato had only ever heard of Yun and wouldn't speak openly about many things, but Shisui trusted him completely.

So Shisui spoke up. "There'll be a lot of trouble afterward, but the two main issues are the attitudes of Konoha's clans and the Third's stance. If either side takes ours, we can force the other to back down."

"Whew..."

Minato let out a breath and smiled wryly. "Shisui, put that way, it makes me sound like a pretty useless Fourth Hokage."

Shisui bowed slightly. "Of course not, Lord Fourth. We have most of the Jonin Squad on our side. And the Third has always trusted you."

Minato smiled awkwardly at that.

The Third... He wasn't the only one Hiruzen trusted.

Just as Uzumaki Sora had said back then, Hiruzen's trust in his old comrade Danzo and his student Orochimaru had turned into indulgence.

If things went on like this...

Then all he could do was...