Sarutobi Sasuke nodded in satisfaction, then took an envelope from his robes and placed it on the stone table before Mingye.
"These are merely a small token of my regard. Rest assured, all of Konoha knows what kind of person you are. These aren't for you, but for the jonin who stand guard at the Ninjutsu Pavilion day and night without ever neglecting their duties. Though their salaries are high, they are trapped in this tiny patch of land like prisoners. What I am giving them is something they truly need and will be deeply grateful for. Now that the matter has been settled, this old man will not remain here as an unnecessary presence. Farewell!"
Sarutobi Sasuke left, thoroughly satisfied, while a mocking, amused smile appeared at the corner of Mingye's lips.
"So, this is how it begins so pleasantly. You truly are old. Why not simply pass on?"
No one knew why. They only knew that after the election began, Konoha's elders chose Sarutobi Hiruzen and abandoned Shimura Danzō. Yet that same day brought another tragedy: Sarutobi Sasuke, Sarutobi Hiruzen's father and one of Konoha's founders, passed away peacefully without illness.
From morning until noon, grief and joy alternated across Sarutobi Hiruzen's face. On this single day, he experienced every flavor of life. He had become Hokage and the clan head of the Sarutobi Clan, yet when he looked at Shimura Danzō beneath the steps, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt something else as well. He had lost a friend and brother he had trusted since childhood, and he had also lost his beloved father, the one who had sheltered him from the wind and rain.
No one knew what Sarutobi Hiruzen was thinking as he sat expressionlessly in the Hokage's office. No one knew what Shimura Danzō had discussed