He did not want to look at Hatake Sakumo basking in the limelight for even one more second.
Those cheers, those flowers, those smiling faces—none of them were things he had ever received in his life.
The truth was harsh, but Danzo knew it well: someone like him, who specialized in doing dirty work for the Third Hokage, was no different from a rat in a sewer.
He could not stand in the light, let alone win the genuine support of those lowly civilians.
But he had long since stopped caring what that bunch of fools thought.
The victor became king and the defeated became outlaws. That had been the way of things since ancient times.
Those civilians were easy enough to manipulate. If he could elevate Hatake Sakumo to the heavens today, he would have a way to make them trample White Fang into the mud a few days later.
"Just wait... If anyone's to blame, blame yourself for being too strong and stealing too much of the spotlight."
At the village entrance, Hatake Sakumo walked at the very front, with several thousand ninjas marching in perfect formation behind him.
He looked like a sheathed sword that had just been drawn, its edge dazzling and utterly undisguised.
He felt utterly at ease listening to the villagers' cheers and praise.
Those voices told him that all the achievements he had fought for with his life had been worth it.
What he failed to notice was that every cheer made the Third Hokage's expression darker and his gaze colder.
"Sensei!"
Uchiha Yan had no interest whatsoever in the twists and turns between the adults. He pushed through the crowd and intercepted Tsunade just as she was trying to slip away, raising a hand with a grin.
"Oh, Yan? It's been a