To Sacrifice Danzo for More Lives

Hiruzen Sarutobi listened to Shimura Danzō's account in complete silence, the first time he had done so since becoming Hokage.

Yet, these very words made Hiruzen Sarutobi realize that Danzō had transformed into an entirely different person.

"Danzō, what is the world like after death?"

Shimura Danzō had originally expected Hiruzen Sarutobi to inquire about his next plan, and he was prepared for a reprimand.

But... asking about the afterlife?

Only then, as Shimura Danzō looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi's frail, aged appearance, did he finally realize that their era had truly passed.

"I do not know. Perhaps it is an eternal slumber, or perhaps the Impure World Reincarnation simply cannot carry over memories from the afterlife."

"None of that matters. What matters now is that the Uchiha clan cannot be allowed to continue like this."

"Re-establishing the suppression squad—do they think this is still the Warring States period?"

"And taking on missions without authorization? That is tantamount to treason against the village!"

"Sarutobi, you are too weak."

Shimura Danzō's face was cold, and combined with the eyes characteristic of the Impure World Reincarnation, he exuded a terrifying aura.

Faced with Shimura Danzō's accusations, Hiruzen Sarutobi took a slow, unhurried drag of his pipe and exhaled a ring of smoke.

"Danzō, give it up."

"Although I am not sure exactly how Ensei Uchiha did it, his current power is no less than that of the Nine-Tails."

"No, it is perhaps even on par with the First Hokage of the past."

"Moreover, he has solved the problem of the Uchiha clan's rebellion for us quite effectively."

"For the village, stability is what matters most."

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to have lost his spirit; he did not look like a Hokage, but rather a kind, elderly man.

If Ensei Uchiha were here, he would have seen through Hiruzen Sarutobi's state at a glance.

It is well known that Hiruzen Sarutobi is tough on the inside but soft on the outside.

Now that the Uchiha clan had been categorized as "outside," Hiruzen Sarutobi naturally could not be tough, and perhaps even felt a sense of gratitude that Ensei Uchiha had not destroyed Konoha.

Hearing Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Shimura Danzō descended into total madness.

"Enough, Sarutobi... you are too weak!"

"I must... I must eliminate those hidden dangers for Konoha..."

Hearing this, Hiruzen Sarutobi seemed to realize something and hurriedly spoke up: "Stop, Danzō. Do not bring..."

But clearly, Shimura Danzō had never approved of Hiruzen Sarutobi's methods, so why would he listen now?

"Shut up. Since you have chosen the light, then stand there honestly. I will deal with the evils lurking in the shadows."

At this point, Hiruzen Sarutobi grew anxious and rushed forward to block Shimura Danzō, who was preparing to leave.

"Enough, Danzō, I am the Hokage!"

"You are already dead; leave this world to the living."

Faced with Hiruzen Sarutobi's obstruction, Shimura Danzō did not hesitate to weave hand signs, releasing a barrage of Wind Style: Vacuum Blast.

Taking advantage of Hiruzen Sarutobi's evasion, Shimura Danzō used the Body Flicker Technique to depart, leaving behind only one sentence.

"Sarutobi, I told you, you will regret this!"

The surprise attack by an unknown enemy at the Hokage's residence naturally drew the attention of the patrolling Anbu.

However, Hiruzen Sarutobi did not want to expose Danzō's existence, so he made up an excuse to dismiss the arriving reinforcements.

Yet, he could not hide the truth from his wife, Biwako.

Because the situation was urgent, Hiruzen Sarutobi summoned his two Hokage advisors that very night to discuss the matter of Shimura Danzō.

Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu rushed to Hiruzen Sarutobi's residence after receiving the Anbu's summons.

As soon as they met, Hiruzen Sarutobi revealed the current state of Shimura Danzō.

Both Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura were deeply saddened that their former comrade had become a vessel for the Impure World Reincarnation, but what to do next became a matter for deliberation.

If the leader of the Root, hidden in the shadows, were to lose control, the danger to Konoha would be too great.

Although none of the three believed that Shimura Danzō would betray Konoha, none of them dared to gamble, especially when it came to the powder keg that was the Uchiha clan.

Ultimately, after discussion, the three decided to arrest Shimura Danzō in secret; it would be best if the Impure World Reincarnation could be undone, but if not, he would have to be sealed.

In the past, for the sake of Konoha, they had sacrificed many lives under their tacit approval and Danzō's machinations.

Now, they would sacrifice Danzō for the sake of even more lives.

But before they could act, Mitokado Homura suddenly asked Hiruzen Sarutobi a question.

"If we follow Danzō's plan, what is the probability that Konoha will return to peace?"

To this, Hiruzen Sarutobi's answer was:

"There isn't even a one-percent chance of success; the rest of the Uchiha clan is already a troublesome enough headache."

"As for Ensei Uchiha... the only thing I can foresee is that if he is pushed into a corner, I don't know if he will die, but Konoha will certainly cease to exist."

At this moment, there was no longer any doubt regarding everyone's choice.

Following this, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado began to mobilize resources to track down the whereabouts of Danzō Shimura.

Meanwhile, Hiruzen Sarutobi quietly arrived at the door of Kushina Uzumaki and entrusted her with the mission to seal Danzō Shimura.

As the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, she should have been the trump card that Konoha only deployed at the very last moment.

But in this situation, Hiruzen Sarutobi no longer knew who else to turn to in order to deal with Danzō.

If only Shisui had not gone missing, or if the other Sannin had not left Konoha.

After listening to Hiruzen Sarutobi's words, Kushina Uzumaki agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Over these years, although she had not had much experience executing missions, ever since the Nine-Tails' Rampage, she had spent her days caring for Minato and studying various medical ninjutsu.

The Yin Seal she had already successfully formed was proof enough of her hard work.

As for Naruto, the family of Mikoto Uchiha would help look after him.

The next day, just as Ensei Uchiha was preparing to study sealing techniques, he suddenly discovered Naruto Uzumaki wandering around the Uchiha clan grounds.

At first glance, Ensei Uchiha thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

It was only after confirming Naruto's figure that Ensei Uchiha realized that since Kushina Uzumaki was still alive, Naruto Uzumaki would certainly not be the pitiful child seen in the original plot.

"Naruto, are you here to spar with Sasuke today?"

Ensei Uchiha greeted him quite casually.

But immediately afterward, he learned an important piece of news from Naruto Uzumaki's mouth.

"Not at all, Big Brother Ensei. Mom went out on a mission; she's going to catch a bad guy who came back from the dead, a guy named Danzō."