The Flustered Danzo

Three days later.

The front lines.

The negotiation team, led by Utatane Koharu, finally arrived.

Konoha and Iwagakure entered into heated negotiations over the war, and Uchiha Aoba was fortunate enough to take part.

Though only as a guard, he watched from the back as a group of people argued until they were red in the face over a few scraps of profit.

He could tell.

Although Iwagakure had admitted defeat, Ōnoki was still deeply unwilling to accept it.

He even seemed to regret surrendering so quickly.

According to their current argument, they had surrendered voluntarily to avoid further casualties on both sides and preserve peace in the Shinobi World, so Konoha shouldn't demand such hefty reparations.

That wasn't the kind of magnanimity expected of the greatest ninja village in the Shinobi World.

What a fine high hat to put on, what a high-minded excuse.

Uchiha Aoba found it laughable. If he hadn't been absent from the negotiating table, he wouldn't have kept talking with Iwagakure. He would've flipped the table and resumed the fighting.

There was no point continuing negotiations without sincerity. It was a complete waste of time.

What Uchiha Aoba hadn't expected was that, after a series of "careful deliberations," Utatane Koharu actually agreed to their demands in the face of Ōnoki's shameless arguments.

Was she blinded by the empty title of the greatest ninja village in the Shinobi World?

Or was it simply senile dementia?

Would Sarutobi Hiruzen agree to a decision like that? Would the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire have no objections?

Uchiha Aoba had thought Utatane Koharu had already reached the limit of what she could do. But the move that left him utterly speechless came afterward.

By the time the negotiations ended, Konoha, despite being the victor, had not only received no war reparations but had also taken the initiative to request an alliance with Iwagakure, supposedly to safeguard the hard-won peace of the Shinobi World.

Later, after Iwagakure had left, they learned from Utatane Koharu that the decision had actually been Sarutobi Hiruzen's idea, and that the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire had approved it as well.

Uchiha Aoba could only say it was downright hilarious.

The victor had acted as meekly as the defeated. He'd never been so dumbfounded.

But none of that had anything to do with Uchiha Aoba anymore.

Once the negotiations ended, he returned to Konoha with Namikaze Minato.

Watching the villagers line the streets to welcome them at the gates, Uchiha Aoba wondered how they would react once they learned the results of the negotiations.

Most likely, these easily fooled villagers would say they understood Sarutobi Hiruzen's "difficult position."

After returning to the village without incident,

he'd planned to say goodbye to Namikaze Minato and head home as usual. Instead, Minato and Jiraiya took him along to meet Sarutobi Hiruzen.

The Hokage Office.

"Old man."

"Lord Third."

"Lord Hokage."

Three people, three different ways of addressing him, indirectly revealing how close each of them was to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

In one respect, however, they were all in agreement.

They all ignored Shimura Danzō, who stood in a corner, radiating a gloomy aura.

Namikaze Minato had actually wanted to greet him, but when he saw Jiraiya acting as if he hadn't noticed Danzō, Minato naturally did the same as his teacher.

This clearly displeased Shimura Danzō. He gripped his cane in anger.

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt rather helpless about it.

He knew all too well how unpopular his old friend was, and that nobody would approach him of their own accord.

So he simply pretended not to notice this rather rude behavior.

Then he smiled at the three before him. "You've all worked hard in the war against Iwagakure."

"Come on, old man. You can spare us the pleasantries."

Jiraiya didn't bother being polite to Sarutobi Hiruzen. He said bluntly, "First you sent me to Sunagakure to support Orochimaru, then you made me the overall commander on the front lines against Iwagakure. I'm exhausted."

"I'll say this now: don't assign me any more missions for a while. I need a good, long rest."

"Of course."

Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded at once.

"Take as long as you like. I promise I won't bother you unless something important comes up."

Satisfied, Jiraiya took Uchiha Aoba by the arm. "Old man, you'd better give this kid a proper reward this time. Without him, our war with Iwagakure wouldn't have ended so quickly."

"Besides, Aoba is Minato's student now. By seniority, that makes you his direct elder, too. You can't be stingy with your own family."

"If you ask me, bring out the Scroll of Seals and let him pick one or two ninjutsu from it."

Seeing that Jiraiya had already asked for a reward on Uchiha Aoba's behalf, Namikaze Minato didn't say anything. He simply watched with a smile, though his stance was clear.

Sarutobi Hiruzen saw it all and was delighted.

Wasn't this exactly what he'd hoped to see after learning that Uchiha Aoba had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan?

Did it mean his worries had been nothing but needless anxiety?

Jiraiya had taken the initiative to ask for a reward and acknowledged the bond between them as teacher and student.

Although Namikaze Minato hadn't said anything, his expression showed that he agreed.

Given what he knew about the two of them, they wouldn't act this way if Uchiha Aoba weren't on the right path. So Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't refuse Jiraiya's proposal—and couldn't refuse it.

But just as he was about to agree to let Uchiha Aoba choose a ninjutsu from the Scroll of Seals,

Shimura Danzō, who had been standing to the side with a gloomy expression, finally couldn't hold back. He interrupted the warm, harmonious atmosphere in the office.

"No! I won't allow it!"

"Danzō!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen's smile stiffened. He said irritably, "If you have nothing to do, go home and get some sleep."

He was afraid Danzō might say something shocking.

After all, Uchiha Aoba was still in the office, and Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't want to redecorate his Hokage Office.

Besides, the people gathered here were all part of the same lineage, passed down from teacher to student to student's student and even student's great-grandstudent, discussing a reward in harmony. What right did an outsider like Shimura Danzō have to butt in?

He had no sense of the room at all.

But Shimura Danzō clearly hadn't realized that. He tried to speak again in a hurry. "Hiruzen, listen to me!"

"I don't want to hear it!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen raised a hand to cut him off and frowned. "I have only one request: get out."

"..."

Shimura Danzō was at a loss for words, his face flushed with anger.

Someone was getting red-faced.

Uchiha Aoba smiled, a hint of anticipation in his eyes as he waited for Danzō to say that famous line.

Who would've thought Danzō wouldn't say a word this time? He simply left in a huff.

What a disappointment.

A truly disappointing performance.

Where was the promised "You'll regret this, and I'll be Hokage"?

Uchiha Aoba had no idea that the same scene had played out in the office just a few days earlier.

All he could do was regret that he hadn't witnessed it himself.

What a wonderful opportunity.