Danzo, I am the True Hokage!

"Lord Danzo, the Hokage wishes to see you."

Inside the Root base, Hiruzen Sarutobi, who had just returned, had barely warmed his seat when he heard the report from his subordinate.

A flash of anger crossed Hiruzen Sarutobi's face as he slammed his hand onto the desk and stood up.

That bastard Danzo was pushing his luck far too much!

"Where is he?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked in a deep voice.

"Right at the entrance of the base."

Dissatisfaction flickered in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes, but he quickly reined in his temper, turning calm as he said, "Bring him here."

"Understood!"

After the Root ninja replied, he retreated backward out of the room.

A few minutes later, Danzo walked into the room alone, closed the stone door, and looked up at the expressionless Hiruzen Sarutobi standing ahead.

"Hiruzen, what else do you want?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked with restraint.

Danzo stepped forward, walked up to Hiruzen Sarutobi, and said in a low voice, "Biwako just came to the Hokage Building to make a scene; she wants a divorce."

"Divorce?" Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes widened sharply. "What have you done?"

Danzo gave a bitter smile. "It's precisely because I've done nothing. You know me—my heart belongs only to Konoha, to the hegemony of Konoha. Since I recovered from my injuries a while ago, I've basically been living in the Hokage Building."

Hiruzen Sarutobi scrutinized Danzo. He had known Danzo for decades and was well aware of his restraint regarding personal indulgences.

"What did you say to her?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked.

"I didn't even get a chance to speak before she left," Danzo replied with a bitter smile.

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent. He slowly walked around the desk, approached Danzo, and scanned the room, his mind racing with unknown thoughts.

After a while, Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. "Given Biwako's personality, she wouldn't say such a thing lightly."

Having said that, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Danzo with an inscrutable gaze. After several seconds, he spoke with determination: "I am going to tell Biwako the truth."

"No!" Danzo bristled like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Danzo coldly. "You cannot stop me."

During this period, Hiruzen Sarutobi had not been merely helping Danzo handle intelligence matters; he had secretly carved out plenty of time for training.

Now, he had gradually grown accustomed to Danzo's body, and his strength had returned to seven or eight-tenths of its peak. He had sufficient confidence to face Danzo.

"Danzo, have you lost your mind? At this very moment, we are at a critical juncture in defeating the Hidden Cloud. Do you want to cause chaos now?" Danzo's entire face darkened.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sneered. "When you schemed against me, it was at a critical juncture for peace talks with the Hidden Stone. Did you not think about the chaos that would cause then?"

Danzo's open mouth froze instantly. He looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi, regretting once again the softness of heart he had felt before making his move.

"Do you think anyone will believe what you say?" Danzo threatened.

Hiruzen Sarutobi withdrew his gaze, walked back behind the desk, and turned to face Danzo.

"Danzo, you and I grew up together. We know almost everything about each other. Relying on that, you can indeed play my role well in front of outsiders, even in front of Homura and Koharu."

"But how much do you know about the matters between me, Biwako, Shinnosuke, and Asuma? These private family affairs—I have never revealed them to anyone."

"Let me tell you, Danzo! I have tolerated you until now only for the sake of the village. I do not want to clash with you and cause internal strife before the external enemies have retreated."

With every word Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke, Danzo's expression grew uglier.

He stared at Hiruzen Sarutobi, gritting his teeth as he said, "You've been planning this for a long time?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head. He sighed and said with a touch of sincerity, "Danzo, I know what your obsession is. As long as you do not harm the interests of the village, I am willing to let you fulfill your dream for a time."

"But your ideology is too extreme, and your ambition is too great. The Konoha of today cannot support your ambition."

"You want to stop me from leading Konoha back to greatness?"

"Under your leadership, Konoha will only decline due to its warmongering!"

For a moment, the tension between Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi escalated, and the atmosphere in the room seemed to solidify.

Danzo looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi with cold, sinister eyes and sneered.

"Fine! Then let us see who the final winner will be!"

Leaving behind a harsh threat, Danzo turned and left in a rage.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood where he was, watching Danzo's back, his eyes growing increasingly sharp.

"Danzo, I am the true Hokage!"

Danzo, who had reached the door, heard this sentence. His outstretched right hand froze in mid-air, his eyes filled with killing intent.

Slowly turning around, Danzo's face shifted as if he were wearing a mask, a faint smile appearing. "Danzo, have you gone senile lately? Don't forget your current identity."

Hiruzen Sarutobi maintained his composure. "What is real cannot be fake, and what is fake cannot be real."

Upon hearing this, the smile on Danzo's face gradually vanished. He took one deep look at Hiruzen Sarutobi before turning to open the door and leaving.

Hiruzen, you forced my hand!

Danzo made up his mind as he passed through the dim underground passage and arrived at the platform leading to the surface.

Standing before the entrance of the passageway, Danzo looked toward a Root ninja guarding the right side and slowly walked over.

The Root ninja stood rooted to the spot, showing no reaction to the approaching "Third Hokage," as if he were a lifeless puppet.

"Take out your kunai," Danzo commanded.

The Root ninja looked at Danzo, remaining completely motionless.

"I order you, take out your kunai," Danzo said, his tone sharpening.

After a brief moment of hesitation, the Root ninja reached into his pouch, drew the kunai, placed it in his palm, and held it out toward Danzo.

Danzo looked at the kunai in the palm, then back at the Root ninja, and continued his command: "Grip it."

The Root ninja did not understand Danzo's intent, but he still tightened his fingers, gripping the kunai in his hand.

In that very instant, Danzo suddenly moved, grabbing the Root ninja's right hand—the one holding the kunai—and yanking it forward violently while leaning his own body into the motion.

Puchi!

The sharp, pointed kunai drove its front half directly into Danzo's chest.

Danzo made no sound; under the shocked gaze of the Root ninja, his hand struck out like a striking viper, piercing directly through the Root ninja's throat.

The Root ninja guarding the other side was also stunned by this sudden turn of events. Before he could turn toward Danzo or react, Danzo had already used Body Flicker to close the distance, slicing his throat with the very kunai that had been embedded in his own chest.

Having finished all this, Danzo swept a cold gaze over the two Root ninja corpses lying on the ground, dropped the kunai from his hand, and vanished with a Body Flicker.