Danzo the Human Stick! The Weak Third Hokage! The Capable Uchiha!

Inside the Hokage's office, the atmosphere had frozen to its absolute limit.

"No! Absolutely not!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly stepped forward, shielding Danzo, who lay there like a dead dog.

"Tobirama! We can pay compensation! We can pay money! Even the shops are negotiable!"

"But disbanding Root? A public apology?"

"Absolutely impossible!"

The old man was panicking.

Root might have been rotten, but it was Konoha's dirty glove. Much of the intelligence network that could not see the light of day was in Danzo's hands. If it were disbanded, Konoha's intelligence system would immediately be paralyzed.

More importantly, there was the public apology.

Danzo was the Hokage's advisor. He represented the face of Konoha's upper ranks.

Making him admit before the entire village that he had framed the Uchiha Clan? Wouldn't that mean admitting that Konoha's leadership had been carrying out political persecution all along?

What would the villagers think?

What would the other clans think?

Once people lost heart, how could they lead the village?

"Tobirama! Are you trying to destroy Konoha?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at Tobirama, his tone nearly pleading yet laced with threat.

"This is wartime! If the higher-ups lose their authority, Konoha will fall into chaos!"

"You don't want to see the village fall apart either, do you?"

That was the face of a politician.

They used righteousness to suppress others and the bigger picture as a shield.

Tobirama laughed.

He sat in his chair with one leg crossed over the other, watching Hiruzen Sarutobi as though he were watching a monkey show.

"Old man, have you gotten something wrong?"

"I'm not discussing this with you."

"I'm notifying you."

Tobirama stretched lazily, but his relaxed tone carried bone-deep chill.

"You won't disband Root? Fine."

"Then keep Root, but its organization, personnel, and command authority will all be handed over to me."

"As for the name... you can keep it as a memento."

"And the apology."

Tobirama's gaze sharpened, and his voice rose several pitches.

"There must be an apology!"

"How many scapegoats has the Uchiha Clan been made into all these years? The villagers' cold stares and exclusion—wasn't every bit of it stirred up by that old dog behind the scenes?"

"Today, the Uchiha Clan must have its name cleared! Everyone must be told that all that filth was thrown at them by Danzo!"

"Otherwise..."

Tobirama gripped the hilt of his sword and flicked his thumb.

"Crack."

The blade slid an inch from its sheath.

"I'll kill him, hang his corpse from the Hokage Building, plaster it with a public notice, and give him some dignity myself."

"How dare you!"

Danzo, lying on the ground, finally caught his breath. Hearing that Tobirama intended to take Root from him and ruin his reputation, he nearly exploded.

"Tobirama Uchiha! You ambitious beast!"

Danzo struggled to rise, his lone eye filled with hatred fierce enough to devour someone alive.

"Root belongs to this old man! It exists for Konoha!"

"Hand it over to you? Are you worthy?!"

"You want this old man to apologize? Dream on!"

"Even if I die, I will never bow to the evil Uchiha Clan!"

Danzo had truly gone frantic.

For an ambitious man like him, power and reputation were more important than life.

If Root was gone and his name ruined, what was the difference between living and dying?

"Hiruzen! Don't listen to him!"

"Kill him! Mobilize the entire village!"

"Today, either he dies, or Konoha falls!"

Danzo kept roaring madly like a rabid dog.

Tobirama sighed and shook his head.

"Truly... noisy."

He slowly rose to his feet.

His aura erupted instantly. The crimson ribs of Susanoo materialized directly, shattering all the tables and chairs around them.

"You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit, huh?"

Tobirama walked toward the two of them step by step.

With every step, a section of the floor shattered.

That tangible killing intent made Hiruzen Sarutobi feel as though someone had clutched his throat, leaving him unable to breathe.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, I'll give you three seconds one last time."

"Either agree to my terms."

"Or I'll send you two old things on your way right now."

"Then I'll make myself Hokage. Let's see who dares object!"

Overbearing!

Unreasonably overbearing!

With a blade in hand, there was nothing to fear.

Tobirama now possessed the strength to crush Konoha head-on. What the hell did he have to fear?

Looking into those cold Mangekyo eyes, Hiruzen Sarutobi's final line of defense collapsed.

He could not afford to gamble.

Nor could he win.

If they truly fought, Konoha would inevitably be severely weakened. When outside enemies invaded, Konoha would truly be finished.

"...Fine."

Hiruzen Sarutobi closed his eyes, as though all life had been drained from him in an instant.

"Root's personnel and organization... will be given to you."

"The Shimura Clan's shops... will be given to you."

"The money... will be given to you too."

Upon hearing this, Danzo abruptly turned his head and stared at his old friend in disbelief.

"Hiruzen! You..."

"Shut up!" Hiruzen Sarutobi barked. "Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough?!"

Then he looked at Tobirama, his voice dry.

"But the public apology... no."

"Danzo is still an advisor. His dignity is Konoha's dignity."

"Everything else can be agreed to, but Danzo cannot be pushed out."

"That is the bottom line."

"Tobirama, if you keep pressing me, then even if I have to stake this old life of mine, I'll take you down with me!"

This time, Hiruzen Sarutobi had shown some backbone.

Though not much.

After hearing him out, Tobirama rubbed his chin as though weighing the pros and cons.

In truth, he understood perfectly well.

There was no benefit in forcing Danzo to death. Keeping this old dog alive to torment him slowly, using him as an ATM and a scapegoat, would be far more interesting.

Besides, Root was in his hands, the money was in his hands, and he had already taken all the real benefits.

As for the apology...

"Fine."

Tobirama shrugged and withdrew the killing intent that filled the room.

"Since Lord Hokage has said so, I'm not an unreasonable person."

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo both let out a breath of relief.

Danzo especially. Though he ached over losing Root, he had at least preserved his reputation and dog life. As long as the green hills remained, there would be no shortage of firewood...

However.

Before that breath had fully escaped.

A cruel curve suddenly lifted at Tobirama's lips.

"Still..."

"His death sentence is waived, and the apology is waived."

"But that old dog had a great time insulting me just now."

"He even wanted to kill me?"

"I'm petty. When someone holds a grudge against me, I usually settle it on the spot."

"Since there won't be an apology..."

Tobirama suddenly raised his hand.

Without any warning!

"Susanoo: Totsuka Blade!"

Boom!

A massive crimson skeletal arm appeared out of thin air, clutching a longsword burning with spiritual flame.

Fast as lightning!

Hiruzen Sarutobi had no time to react.

Danzo only saw a flash of red before his eyes.

"Pfft!!"

"Crack!!"

"Aaaaaah!!!"

A miserable scream once more rang through the Hokage Building.

Blood sprayed wildly!

Danzo's right arm and both legs were severed at once!

Yet no severed limbs flew away.

Because at the instant they were cut off, the Totsuka Blade's sealing power activated, drawing all three limbs into its gourd and sealing them within the Drunken Dream World!

This meant—

Unless Tobirama undid the seal, Danzo would never be able to reattach his legs for the rest of his life!

Even if he found the best medical ninja, he could only get prosthetics and live as a cripple!

"My arm!! My legs!!"

Danzo sprawled in a pool of blood, staring at his bare torso as he completely lost his mind.

"Tobirama Uchiha!! I'll kill you!!"

"Shut up."

Tobirama dismissed Susanoo and planted his foot on Danzo's face, stomping what remained of him into the ground.

He looked down from above, his gaze indifferent.

"This is the price."

"Danzo, remember this."

"I'm sparing your dog life."

"From today onward, obediently be a cripple."

"If you dare reach out again, I'll chop off your head."

After speaking, Tobirama turned around.

He did not even glance at the Hiruzen Sarutobi beside him, who had already been scared senseless.

He took Konan's hand. She stood in the corner with a face full of admiration.

"Come on, good disciple."

"We got the money, and we got the power."

"Let's go home and have a feast."

The tall and small figures swaggered out of the ruined Hokage office.

Leaving behind only wreckage strewn across the floor.