Choice

Hiruzen Sarutobi was a simple man himself, which was why he knew better than anyone that simple people were fundamentally unsuited to be leaders!

He knew that as Hokage, he was not exactly qualified.

Soft-hearted, indecisive, and prone to spouting grand platitudes...

But what could he do?

He was just that kind of person!

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

Gentle toward friends, ruthless toward enemies, yet never leaving room for others to criticize him; he placed himself firmly in the position of the victim, leaving no one able to find a single fault.

Aside from a certain detachment and a lack of strong belonging to the village, he was quite simply the perfect successor!

That was why he had gone to such lengths to build a bond between Minato and the village, only to be viciously backstabbed by Danzō.

He understood that Danzō was unwilling to let go, still harboring burning ambitions for the position of Hokage.

But now that Minato had stormed the Root base, even if he wanted to protect Danzō, he could no longer bring himself to say it.

If he dared to speak up, Minato would immediately come down with a mysterious illness that prevented him from using Wood Release—the kind that no doctor could ever cure.

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

"Minato has never taken the initiative to strike at his comrades in the village, yet you, Danzō... you, the so-called Root who bears the darkness and stops at nothing, even using despicable means, seem to be the one who is truly endangering the village."

Hearing this, Danzō's expression gradually stiffened, and he looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi in disbelief.

He could not believe that after so many years of friendship, the other man would actually abandon him just like that!

"Everything I have done has been for the sake of Konoha!"

Danzō's voice was cold and sharp: "He is only five years old this year, yet he possesses such power! If he is not restricted..."

"Enough, Danzō, do you still not understand?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted in a deep voice: "No matter what kind of power Minato possesses, it is no excuse for you to strike at him without authorization! If you can assassinate Minato today because his Wood Release is uncontrollable, then tomorrow the Shimura Clan could be wiped out because their strength is too great! There are some precedents that must never be set!"

Danzō said coldly: "Too weak! Hiruzen! You will regret this!"

"Danzō, I am the Hokage."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stated the fact calmly, though he still felt a pang of reluctance: "Surrender peacefully... Danzō!"

This is your last chance...

He truly did not want to watch his friend of many years die like this; if Danzō were willing to surrender, it would be the best outcome.

He could strip the man of his position, seize his power, issue a minor punishment as a warning, and provide Minato and the others with some extra compensation to bury this matter entirely.

Danzō clearly realized this as well.

Not to mention the Third and the others, he couldn't even handle Minato right now!

Rather than fighting to the death, it was better to preserve himself for now; there might still be a chance to seize power again in the future...

Thinking of this, he gradually calmed down.

Danzō looked at Minato, and seeing the boy's calm gaze and lack of intent to speak, he felt a quiet sense of relief.

It seemed this brat wasn't arrogant enough to ignore the Hokage...

"I... ugh—"

Just as Danzō was about to speak, he suddenly retched, and green, vibrant fern sprouts began to crawl out from his mouth and nose. Danzō instinctively clutched his throat, his face instantly turning a bruised purple!

"Wood Release?"

Seeing this, everyone turned their eyes toward Minato's main body.

"I was worried he might escape earlier, so I released too many Wood Release spores. Although they can only grow into ferns and can't compare to tree seeds that turn into full trees, they are finer and more hidden, making them easier for the human body to absorb."

Minato wore a look of regret: "Plants are like that; when their roots grow wildly without restraint, they become increasingly greedy, stripping nutrients from other life forms, or even delaying the growth of the trunk to strengthen themselves."

"In a case like Lord Danzō's, one can only make a small sacrifice and excise them along with the flesh, but in doing so, Lord Danzō will also..."

Minato paused, shook his head, and did not continue.

Hiruzen Sarutobi watched the painful struggle of Danzō, opened his mouth, and ultimately could only heave a desolate sigh.

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

His Anbu were present, and even as Hokage, he could not openly shield Danzō.

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

To plead for Danzō any further would only provoke more of Minato's dissatisfaction and exacerbate the conflict between them.

Unable to bear watching Danzō's agonizing struggle any longer, Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head and turned to leave, his back looking somewhat lonely.

Wood Release must not be lost, especially since the boy was linked to the next generation's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

Compared to having to decide Danzō's fate with his own hands, this outcome was perhaps not a bad thing.

"That fellow Danzō... he brought this upon himself..."

Mitokado Homura watched Danzo struggling as his airways became obstructed, shaking his head with a sigh: "From childhood to now, you've only ever relied on petty tricks, yet your ambition has always far exceeded your ability. Why can you never learn your lesson?"

Tsunade looked at the two advisors, who seemed to be feeling a sense of shared grief, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes: "How rare. I actually thought you would open your mouths to plead for him, or perhaps throw around your advisor status to demand that Minato let him go..."

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

Utatane Koharu said indifferently: "But he has already threatened the core interests of the village. Neither the Nine-Tails nor Wood Release are things he can interfere with at his own discretion."

"If the matter hadn't blown up, it might have been easy to talk over, but once things are brought out into the open, trade-offs must be made. It just so happens that this time, it is Danzo's turn to be discarded."

"When you eventually stand in our position, you will naturally understand."

"I have no interest in that."

Tsunade gave a soft huff; she had not expected these two heartless individuals to possess such a level of awareness.

Utatane Koharu shook her head slightly, saying nothing more.

Matters like these are not decided by personal preference alone...

Her gaze turned toward Danzo not far away. At this moment, green plants were constantly erupting from Danzo's body, making him look twisted and grotesque. Strange sounds emanated from his chest cavity as he seemed to struggle for breath, while the few remaining Root ninja stood helplessly by his side.

Minato stood quietly not far away, watching with eyes as calm and rippleless as a still lake.

Judging by his stance, it was clear he intended to wipe out the remaining Root members as well.

The immense power of the First, the cool-headed intellect of the Second, the approachable charisma of the Third, a once-in-a-century talent, and a ruthless streak that none of the previous Hokage possessed...

How could a man like this allow us mediocre old fogies to stand by and point fingers?

"Alright, Minato... finish it quickly."

Tsunade glanced at Danzo, her sanity plummeting at the sight, and she frowned as she urged him on.

She did not ask Minato to spare the remaining Root members; in the ninja world, avenging one's teammates was not uncommon, to say nothing of the fact that these people had been brainwashed by Danzo.

"Understood, Teacher."

Minato clapped his hands together, fingers interlaced, before extending them in a claw-like formation toward Danzo.

"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"

Trees erupted from the walls and the depths of the earth, dancing like wild dragons, plunging the already dim Root base into total darkness.

In the darkness, a flicker of fire emerged, only to be extinguished in an instant...