Clang!
The Hokage's office desk had suffered another calamity.
Shimura Danzō slammed a report onto the desk and, without the slightest courtesy, pulled out a chair and sat down in front of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Hiruzen, that Uchiha Chen can't be allowed to stay!"
"Danzō, don't go making careless remarks that undermine unity!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen tilted his head, took the battle report from Danzō's hand, and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Konoha is one big family. All Konoha Ninja are our village's companions, our brothers and sisters!
"Today, since it's just the two of us chatting privately, you can complain all you like. But if I hear you say that again, I'll have no choice but to discipline you!"
"I misspoke!"
Danzō nodded, chagrined, and gestured for the Third Hokage to look at the second half of the report. Then he rephrased what he had to say:
"I came to report on the battle situation! Hiruzen, I—"
"When we're working, use our titles!"
???
Shimura Danzō's eyes widened. He knew Sarutobi Hiruzen was rebuking him for his slip of the tongue.
"Yes!"
Danzō clenched his fists and cast a resentful glance at the Hokage Hat atop the Third Hokage's head, a prize forever beyond his reach. Through gritted teeth, he said:
"Lord Hokage!!!"
Hiruzen, have we already become strangers, separated by a tragic wall?
The jealousy and resentment in Danzō's heart grew ever stronger. He had no choice but to go along with the Third Hokage and switch to a more businesslike tone:
"The thousand reinforcements have made a significant difference since arriving at the Eastern Front. Despite our numerical disadvantage, we've reached a strategic stalemate with the enemy, and our casualty ratio is clearly better than Kirigakure's."
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded without surprise and continued reading the report.
The Uchiha might be arrogant, but they were highly capable. Otherwise, they couldn't have earned their reputation as the Shinobi World's foremost clan. The results had indeed been immediate.
"Uchiha Chen, in particular, has been an exceptional Jōnin. He's racked up an impressive number of kills on the battlefield. The Mist Ninja have even given him the title 'Flame Ghost,' praising the strange and powerful nature of his Fire Style!"
Danzō's voice was flat and devoid of emotion.
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't bring himself to smile. He quickly leafed through the report and found the page detailing Uchiha Chen's achievements.
In half a month, Uchiha Chen had killed over a hundred Mist Ninja. Seventeen of them had been Special Jōnin or higher, the most of any Jōnin on the Eastern Front!
What a terrifying presence!
Shimura Danzō added at just the right moment, "Chen is only sixteen. There probably aren't many ninja in the village who can surpass him!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression darkened before their eyes.
The record itself was nothing special. The problem was that the one who had achieved all this was only sixteen.
"Chen is young and promising—a blessing for the Uchiha, and for Konoha!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen's words sounded hollow. Anyone could hear how insincere they were.
Danzō was secretly delighted, but he still remembered why he'd come:
"Root has discovered a very important piece of intelligence!
"The Sunagakure ninja stationed in the Land of Whirlpools have been acting strangely lately. It seems they're in contact with the Mist Ninja. If Sunagakure betrays the alliance and lets Kirigakure land in the Land of Whirlpools and advance west, Konoha will be in danger!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen furrowed his brows and seriously considered the possibility.
The middle stage of the Third Shinobi World War.
Sunagakure had gambled its nation's fate and launched the largest and bloodiest battle of the war against Konoha: the Battle of Mount Kikyo. Blood had soaked nearly every inch of Mount Kikyo.
In the end, Konoha had won a bitter victory under Orochimaru's command, forcing Sunagakure to sign a new alliance treaty.
As a condition of the alliance, Sunagakure had been forced to send an 800-man detachment across half the continent to guard Konoha's gateway in the Land of Whirlpools against Kirigakure, forming a pincer with Konoha.
After a long while, Sarutobi Hiruzen's brow relaxed. "Rasa isn't foolish enough to do that."
"Sunagakure is cunning. We can't afford to let our guard down!"
At that moment, Danzō seemed genuinely concerned for Konoha. He spoke with great conviction:
"I plan to send Aburame Ryoma to keep an eye on Sunagakure's base and their commander, Pakura.
"But Ryoma's better at gathering intelligence than fighting. I think we should send someone strong to go with him. Uchiha Chen would be a good choice!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen pressed a hand to his forehead. Looking at Danzō's earnest expression—the very picture of a man who was only doing this for the village—he felt a headache coming on.
Advisor Danzō was a master at playing dumb!
After all that circling around, was this petty scheme really what he wanted all along?
How low.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen knew there was probably something to the connection between Sunagakure and Kirigakure.
And even if nothing was going on between them, Shimura Danzō, that troublemaker, would find a way to stir things up.
Kakashi was fourteen, Asuma was fifteen, and Uchiha Chen was sixteen. They were all around the same age and would reach the height of their abilities in roughly fourteen or fifteen years.
I'd be seventy by then...
At the thought, Sarutobi Hiruzen's heart tightened again.
His expression shifted repeatedly. After a long moment of thought, he said coldly:
"Since Sunagakure and Kirigakure may be up to something, we have to investigate.
"But there's no need to trouble your Root. I'll contact Hizashi Hyuga, the Eastern Front commander, and have him order Uchiha Chen to investigate in the Land of Whirlpools."
In the end, Sarutobi Hiruzen had chosen the middle path. He assigned the mission to Uchiha Chen, but didn't place Ryoma, a potential "landmine," at his side.
That way, whatever happened, the Hokage would remain uninformed, an innocent "sage emperor" kept in the dark. Any wrongdoing would be the result of Danzō, the treacherous minister, deceiving him and hiding the truth.
Danzō was already thoroughly familiar with this routine: the Hokage took the benefits, while he took the blame. He'd also guessed that Sarutobi Hiruzen would most likely handle the matter this way.
It was exactly what he wanted.
But they still had to go through the usual motions.
"Hiruzen, have you forgotten Teacher Tobirama's teachings?"
Danzō slammed the desk and sprang to his feet in indignation.
"Enough, Danzō!" Sarutobi Hiruzen reflexively opposed him and scolded him sharply:
"I told you, in the Hokage's office, you address me by my title!
"Know your place. You're only the Hokage's aide!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen slumped into his chair and took a deep puff from his pipe. He gazed at his old comrade and said in a quiet voice:
"Danzō, I am the Hokage!"
Danzō had heard those words countless times, but every time they landed like a devastating blow.
His mouth twitched with anger. He wanted to argue, but feared the Third Hokage would use his "title" to twist the knife again. In the end, he could only stand and roughly yank open the office door.
Now he was outside the Hokage's office!
"Hiruzen, you'll regret this!"
After the door slammed shut, Danzō strode out of the Hokage Building, his face full of anger. He disappeared into the shadow cast by Kage Rock.
"Terai!"
After returning to Root's sunless underground base, Danzō summoned one of Root's elite members and asked:
"Is the Kirigakure line running smoothly?"
"It's running smoothly!" The masked Root member's voice was as stiff and emotionless as a machine.
"Good. Activate it!"
The Pot King of the Shinobi World returned to the base, his whole body lost in shadow. His one eye gazed into the distance, toward the east:
"Tell Suikazan Fuguki I feel like eating fish!"
Before you continue