"Fourth Hokage, I never thought Danzō would have the nerve to do something like this."
"He actually spread rumors in the village to attack one of its clans!"
"Don't worry. I'll send someone to put a stop to it immediately!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen said all this without batting an eye, then picked up the teacup on his desk and took a sip.
As if the matter could be brushed aside just like that.
But Minato Namikaze wasn't about to let it end there.
"Lord Third, have you really not heard these rumors lately?"
At that, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a little awkward.
Because he really hadn't heard any of those rumors.
He'd been having arguments with Biwako lately.
Every day, after finishing his work at the Hokage Building, he went straight home.
He hadn't heard the rumors.
"Elder Danzō can't just be let off lightly for what he's done!"
"He must be severely punished!"
Minato's firm tone had already made his position clear.
Shimura Danzō had to answer for this.
"Fourth Hokage, whatever else you say about Danzō, he has served Konoha well. It wouldn't be right to deal with him so harshly."
"How about we just reprimand him this time, make him drink three cups as punishment, and have him promise not to do it again?"
Hearing that Danzō would be severely punished, Sarutobi Hiruzen hurriedly spoke up on his behalf.
Clearly, Minato had had enough.
Danzō had made him lose face in the office last time. Now that he had a chance to settle both old and new scores, how could he let it pass?
"Lord Third, what Elder Danzō did was no small matter."
"This involves the Uchiha Clan."
"After all, you know what the Uchiha are like right now."
"If he isn't punished severely, I'm afraid the people won't accept it."
Seeing that Minato was determined to punish Danzō, Sarutobi Hiruzen had no choice but to give up.
"Then what punishment do you propose, Fourth Hokage?"
"It's simple. Remove Shimura Danzō from his position as an elder, and cut Root's personnel and funding in half."
That struck Shimura Danzō right where it hurt.
He would lose his position as an elder, and Root would lose half its people and funding.
Sarutobi Hiruzen tentatively said, "I have no objection to stripping him of his position, but Root is still very useful. Wouldn't cutting it in half be a bit much?"
Knowing the Lord Third was testing his limits, Minato had long despised the way Root operated.
It treated the village's own comrades like puppets.
It stripped away their humanity just to make them easier to control.
It resorted to any means necessary to complete its missions.
A Root like that had no place in the Konoha he led as Hokage.
So Minato flatly refused Hiruzen.
"No. Root already has more than enough shinobi."
"It's time to let some of them bathe in the sunlight."
This is what I can do for them now, as Hokage, Minato thought.
"All right, I agree to the proposed punishment. I'll announce the order myself in a bit," Sarutobi Hiruzen said helplessly.
He was mainly worried Danzō would go berserk when he heard the order.
It would be better if he were there to stop him.
While Sarutobi Hiruzen's thoughts were wandering, Minato spoke again.
"By the way, Lord Third, I just pulled out the files on the White Fang's case, too."
"There are some things in them that are quite thought-provoking."
"Would you like to take a look?"
He handed a file directly to Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Hiruzen didn't know whether to take it or leave it.
There had always been something suspicious about the White Fang's death.
If Minato reopened the case, who knew what kind of trouble might come of it?
Well... let Danzō take the blame.
Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed inwardly, knowing the matter wouldn't end peacefully today.
Minato has learned to play dirty.
He's hitting me with one move after another.
Still, he pretended not to know anything and took the file with feigned surprise.
"Sakumo's file?"
The White Fang of Konoha was Hatake Kakashi's father.
Hatake Sakumo.
He had earned the name "White Fang" on the battlefield.
If shinobi from other nations encountered him during a mission, they could abandon the mission without being punished.
That showed just how strong the White Fang was.
Yet a shinobi that powerful had died by suicide.
Or rather, he had been driven to suicide.
The truth was buried deep.
Just thinking about it sent a chill down one's spine.
Sarutobi Hiruzen flipped through the file perfunctorily, then asked, "Everything here looks normal, doesn't it?"
Minato felt a pang of disappointment.
Lord Third, you really are a master at playing dumb.
I thought something was wrong at the time.
The rumors about the White Fang grew worse and worse, but the Hokage Building never issued an order to stop them.
In the end, the White Fang took his own life.
Anyone could see there was something fishy about it.
The rumors had spread almost exactly the same way as the ones we're dealing with now.
"Maybe you didn't look closely, Lord Third. The White Fang was slandered by rumors back then, and he took his own life to prove his innocence."
"And the rumors were spread in exactly the same way as they are now."
"So I have reason to suspect that someone used those rumors to cause the White Fang's death."
That last sentence struck Sarutobi Hiruzen like a heavy hammer to the chest.
His eyes narrowed, and his mind raced to find a way out.
"So I'm going to reopen the investigation into the White Fang's death."
"This isn't just for Kakashi. It's for the Will of Fire!"
Yes, the Will of Fire, Sarutobi Hiruzen thought bitterly.
I never wanted him to die back then, but in the end...
Ah.
I nearly ruined my reputation after retiring. I guess I really am old.
Minato has grown, too.
Konoha has a worthy successor. At least that means I haven't let down my teacher.
So be it. Let's speak openly.
Let's see what he wants.
"Go on. What are your terms?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's relaxed expression vanished. He spoke without emotion.
Seeing Hiruzen come straight out with it, Minato was a little surprised. Still, he delivered the words he had prepared.
"I want the Administration Department."
Knowing he still wasn't familiar with how Konoha's system worked, Minato didn't get greedy. He would start by taking charge of the most important department.
Originally, the Anbu was the first thing he'd wanted to take over, but with the Uchiha Clan joining them, there was no rush.
The Administration Department was now the most important thing.
It helped the Hokage issue administrative orders and missions, coordinated with the Land of Fire, and managed Konoha's finances.
If the Anbu was the brain, then the Administration Department was the heart.
That was why taking charge of the Administration Department couldn't wait.
The other departments could wait a little longer.
Sarutobi Hiruzen exhaled a plume of smoke and thought for a moment before speaking. "I can't hand over the entire Administration Department. It's a complicated department with a lot of people. I'll give you half for now."
Then, worried Minato might misunderstand, he added, "It's not that I'm reluctant to give up power. You've only just taken office, and you don't have that many people you can rely on yet."
"Let your people get some experience there first."
"In a few months, I'll gradually hand over the other departments to you."
At that, Sarutobi Hiruzen gave a self-deprecating smile. "I'm just a retired old man, and I'm still helping you handle government affairs. I can't even take care of things at home."
Hearing him say that, Minato realized that the Lord Third had been helping him with everything these past few months. Otherwise, he would never have been able to keep up.
Let alone spend time at home with Kushina.
Thinking of that, he felt a pang of guilt.
"All right, then. Half it is."