Choices

Hiruzen Sarutobi was a simple man himself, so he understood better than anyone that simple people were not suited to be leaders!

He knew that he was not a particularly qualified Hokage.

He was too soft-hearted and indecisive, and all he could do was preach lofty ideals...

But what could he do?

That was simply who he was!

That was why he admired Minato's temperament all the more!

He was gentle with his friends and ruthless toward his enemies, yet somehow never gave anyone cause to criticize him. He had put himself entirely in the position of the victim, and no one could find the slightest fault with him.

Aside from being somewhat aloof and lacking a strong sense of belonging to the village, he was practically the perfect successor!

So Hiruzen had gone to great lengths to forge a bond between Minato and the village, only for Danzo to stab him in the back.

He understood that Danzo was dissatisfied and still harbored ambitions for the position of Hokage.

But now that Minato had come straight to the Root Base, Hiruzen could no longer bring himself to defend Danzo, even if he wanted to.

If he dared speak up, Minato could immediately come down with some incurable, mysterious illness that made him unable to use Wood Release.

At a time like this, he had to make a choice!

"Minato has never once attacked his comrades in the village of his own accord. But you, Danzo... You, the so-called Root who bears the darkness and will stoop to any despicable means—aren't you the one truly threatening the village?"

At that, Danzo's expression gradually stiffened. He stared at Hiruzen in disbelief.

He couldn't believe that after all these years of friendship, Hiruzen was really abandoning him just like that!

"I did all of this for Konoha!"

Danzo's voice turned icy. "He's only five years old, yet he already possesses this kind of power! If we don't restrict him..."

"Enough, Danzo. Don't you understand yet?"

Hiruzen shouted sternly, "No matter how powerful Minato is, that doesn't give you the right to attack him without permission! Today, you tried to assassinate Minato because you couldn't control Wood Release. Tomorrow, the Shimura Clan could be wiped out for being too powerful! Some lines must never be crossed!"

Danzo said coldly, "You're too weak, Hiruzen! You'll regret this!"

"Danzo, I'm the Hokage."

Hiruzen stated the fact calmly, though he still couldn't bring himself to be completely heartless. "Surrender... Danzo!"

This was his last chance...

He truly didn't want to watch a friend of so many years die just like this. If Danzo surrendered, that would be the best outcome.

He could strip Danzo of his position and authority, give him a light punishment as a warning, provide Minato and the others with some extra compensation, and put the whole matter to rest.

Danzo had clearly realized that, too.

Not only could he not handle the Third Hokage and the others, he couldn't even deal with Minato right now!

Rather than fight to the bitter end, he could preserve himself for now. There might still be a chance to regain power in the future...

At that thought, he gradually calmed down.

Danzo looked toward Minato. Seeing that Minato's gaze was calm and that he had no intention of speaking, Danzo felt a quiet sense of relief.

It seemed this kid wasn't arrogant enough to disregard the Hokage...

"I... Guh—"

Danzo was about to speak when he suddenly gagged. Fresh green fern shoots began sprouting from his mouth and nose. Instinctively, he clutched at his throat, and his face quickly turned purplish blue!

"Wood Release?"

Everyone turned to look at Minato's real body.

"I was worried he might escape, so I released too many Wood Release spores. They can only grow into ferns, not trees like tree seeds can, but because they're smaller and more inconspicuous, they're also more easily absorbed by the human body."

Minato looked regretful. "That's what plants do. When their roots grow wildly without restraint, they become increasingly greedy, taking nutrients from other living things. They can even stunt the growth of the trunk to strengthen themselves."

"In Lord Danzo's case, the only option is to make a small sacrifice and cut them out along with the flesh. But if we do that, Lord Danzo will also..."

Minato paused, shook his head, and said no more.

Hiruzen looked at Shimura Danzo's anguished struggles. He opened his mouth, but in the end, all he could do was sigh wistfully.

Between Wood Release and Danzo, he had to make a choice.

His Anbu were present, too. Even as Hokage, he couldn't openly shield Danzo.

He had already given Danzo a chance, and Minato had made his stance clear.

Pleading for Danzo again would only further anger Minato and deepen the conflict between them.

Unable to bear watching Danzo struggle in agony any longer, Hiruzen shook his head and turned to leave, his back looking somewhat forlorn.

Wood Release could not be lost, especially when the other party was connected to the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Rather than having to make the decision about Danzo himself, perhaps this outcome wasn't such a bad thing.

"Danzo brought this on himself, in the end..."

Mitokado Homura watched Danzo struggle as his airway became blocked and sighed, shaking his head. "From childhood to adulthood, all he ever did was play little tricks, yet his ambition far outstripped his abilities. Why couldn't he learn?"

Tsunade looked at the two advisers, who seemed rather mournful, as though they felt for a fellow doomed man. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. "How strange. I thought you'd plead for him—or put on your advisers' airs and demand that Minato let him go or something..."

"Emotionally, of course we want to do that,"

Utatane Koharu said calmly. "But he has already threatened the village's core interests. Neither the Nine-Tails nor Wood Release is something he can meddle with on his own."

"If this hadn't blown up, it might have been easier to handle. But once the matter is out in the open, a choice has to be made. This time, Danzo just happens to be the one who was sacrificed."

"When you're in our position someday, you'll understand."

"I couldn't care less about that."

Tsunade gave a soft snort. She hadn't expected these two, who were so lacking in human feeling, to have such principles.

Utatane Koharu shook her head slightly and said nothing.

This sort of thing wasn't about personal preference...

Her gaze turned to Danzo nearby. Green plants were now sprouting from his body without pause. He looked twisted and grotesque, and strange sounds came from his chest as he seemed to keep struggling to breathe. The few Root shinobi who remained stood helplessly around him.

Minato stood quietly at a distance, watching with a calm, expressionless gaze.

From the looks of it, he clearly intended to wipe out the remaining Root members as well.

The First's immense power, the Second Hokage's cool head, the Third Hokage's approachable nature, a once-in-a-century talent, and a ruthless streak none of the Hokage before him had possessed...

How could someone like that allow mediocre old men like us to meddle from the sidelines?

"All right, Minato... Hurry up and finish this."

Tsunade glanced at Danzo, and her sanity meter plummeted. She furrowed her brows and urged Minato on.

She didn't ask Minato to spare the remaining Root members. In the Shinobi World, it was hardly rare for people to avenge their teammates, and besides, Danzo had brainwashed these people.

"Got it, Sensei."

Minato clapped his hands together, interlaced and clasped his fingers, then spread them into claws and thrust them toward Danzo.

"Wood Release: Advent of a World of Flowering Trees!"

One tree after another burst from the walls and from deep underground, twisting like wild dragons. The already dim Root Base was plunged into complete darkness.

Faint flames flickered in the darkness, only to be extinguished in an instant...