Danzo: "What did you say?"

The front line between Konoha and Sunagakure.

The one commanding the battle here was Shimura Danzō, leader of Konoha's Root.

He couldn't understand why everyone was discussing whether Orochimaru or Minato Namikaze would become Hokage.

What about him?

He, Shimura Danzō, was also a strong contender with his sights set on becoming Hokage.

As news of Minato's many military exploits came in, the man who had wanted to become Hokage ever since Konoha's founding year grew anxious.

And in his haste...

A little accident happened.

The battle between Konoha and Sunagakure collapsed completely.

Sunagakure, the weakest of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, had driven Konoha's forces back again and again.

The current battle was the defense of Kikyo Pass.

Kikyo Pass lay deep within the Land of Fire, at its very heart. If Sunagakure captured it, Konoha would be only a step away.

In other words, the enemy had reached Konoha's doorstep.

Not only was Hiruzen Sarutobi dumbfounded, but the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, was even more so. He never would've imagined Sunagakure could make it all the way to Konoha.

Rasa was riding high on his own ambition. He'd accomplished what no Kazekage before him had ever managed.

Who knew? Maybe he'd even take a commemorative photo on Kage Rock.

Ever since Zhengyi had set Hiruzen Sarutobi up in the office that day, he'd felt a little uneasy.

He'd killed Sarutobi Hayate, reminded Orochimaru to seize the Hokage position, and helped Orochimaru try to seize it...

Most importantly, he'd heard that ever since that day, Hiruzen Sarutobi had been sleeping in the Hokage Building instead of going home. The couple had gotten into a fight.

It was obvious that Hiruzen Sarutobi hadn't been certain about his choice at the time.

He was afraid Hiruzen Sarutobi would make things difficult for him by assigning him an S-rank mission to assassinate the Raikage, then refusing to let him return to Konoha if he failed.

Just then, Dai had been sent back from the front line to rest.

After Zhengyi hired him as the gym manager, he applied to go to the front line to get away.

The Kumogakure front was where most of Orochimaru's former subordinates were. There was no way Hiruzen Sarutobi would send him there.

So, after getting Orochimaru's permission, Zhengyi ran off to seek refuge with Danzō.

When Hiruzen Sarutobi got angry, no one could stop him—except Danzō.

Zhengyi reached Danzō's tent in less than a day. He wondered how he'd gotten there so quickly, then looked at the map. Wasn't this damn Kikyo Pass?

Inside Danzō's tent.

"You're saying you offended Monkey and came to me for protection?" Danzō knew Zhengyi.

He knew all about what had happened in the Land of Lightning. As the leader of Root, he was well-informed.

Orochimaru had often sent Zhengyi to deliver the results of his human experiments to Danzō.

The Hashirama Cells the two of them had studied recently had come from Zhengyi digging up Hashirama's grave before his memories awakened.

"Yes..." Zhengyi explained how he'd offended Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Oh? When Biwako and I fell into the water, he hesitated over whom to save." Danzō kept a straight face. In truth, he wanted to laugh, but the thought of a Hiruzen who was always getting caught up in romance becoming Hokage made his blood boil.

"Hmph. That Monkey is so petty. I don't know what the First saw in him."

He slapped the table.

Teacher Tobirama had treated all his students equally, but the First had always loved bringing Monkey along wherever he went. Perhaps the First's opinion had weighed heavily on Teacher Tobirama's final choice of Hokage.

Danzō refused to accept it!

So he'd inherited his teacher's will and devoted his whole life to carrying it out, in stark contrast to Monkey, who'd inherited the First's will.

But Monkey would never have the First's magnanimity!

Someone Monkey wanted to make life difficult for?

He, Shimura Danzō, would protect them!

"Don't worry. Monkey can't touch you while you're with me." Danzō was exaggerating a little.

"Uncle Danzō, you're a good person. I'll treat you to some Protein Powder."

"Uh." Danzō had been wondering what the bottles and jars Zhengyi had hauled over on his little cart were. So it was Protein Powder.

Protein Powder was hard currency in Konoha these days. It was so scarce that people could use it as money.

The kid was pretty generous.

"How's Orochimaru been lately?" Danzō had accepted the goods, but he'd have his men drink it for a few days before trying it himself.

"The Third Hokage said he'd pass the Hokage position on to my teacher. My teacher's working in the office right now."

Zhengyi and Danzō looked at each other.

In that moment, the two of them reached a certain understanding.

Orochimaru had been duped.

Danzō only cared about benefits. Unless he could get his hands on something, he wouldn't do anything.

Looking at it from the outside, Hiruzen Sarutobi had only dangled a carrot in front of Orochimaru and piled work on him.

Orochimaru's faction had gained nothing—not influence, not supporters, nothing.

"Idiot. Orochimaru's an idiot fit to be put in a museum!"

Danzō was frustrated with him. What was Orochimaru trying to do? Turn toward the light?

Dream on!

A filthy snake in a gutter shouldn't imagine someone would pick him up and put him back on dry land!

Orochimaru should do what he did! Fight his way back with force and cunning!

"Orochimaru's already lost in the fantasy the Third Hokage spun for him."

"Looks like I'm the only one left to overthrow the Third Hokage's regime."

Before, his forces and Orochimaru's could have used this war to topple Monkey.

What a shame...

"Uncle Danzō, you've still got me." Zhengyi held out the back of his hand, inviting Danzō to put his hand on top so they could cheer each other on.

Danzō: "..."

Someone like Zhengyi shouldn't be on their side.

That guy didn't have enough darkness in his heart.

"Prove yourself to me first." Danzō put on that same expression, as if someone owed him tens of millions of ryō.

"Root doesn't need the help of one Chunin."

He kept the Protein Powder, then had someone see Zhengyi out.

"Two idiots fit to be put in a museum." Zhengyi was ushered out of Danzō's tent.

He couldn't even bear to watch.

No wonder Hiruzen Sarutobi had sat comfortably as Hokage for decades. It turned out his opponents were just too incompetent.

One had swallowed the first carrot dangled in front of him.

The other was even more ridiculous. Sunagakure had pushed the front line right up to Konoha's doorstep. They were one step away from fighting to defend Konoha itself.

And neither of them would listen to advice.

"Root doesn't need the help of one Chunin." Zhengyi mocked him, imitating Danzō.

So what if he was a Chunin?

Was Danzō looking down on Chunin now?

Unite everyone who could be united. Did he have any idea how valuable that saying was?

No wonder he'd spend his whole life taking the blame.

"What did you say?" Danzō had just come out to inspect the front line.

"I said the enemy's still advancing."