"I don't know when it started. It might have been the year the mirror left, it might have been the year he became the leader of Root, or it might have been earlier."
"I can't understand more and more what he does, and I don't know what he's thinking more and more."
"I thought he was just protecting Konoha in his own way. Even if his methods were a little ruthless or extreme, as long as the general direction was correct, I could help him."
He paused.
"But what about this time? Sneaking into the ninja clan of the same village, stealing the belongings of the deceased, and injuring the garrison jounin - is this protecting Konoha?"
Utatane Koharu bit his lip and his voice was so low that it was almost inaudible.
"... He didn't tell us that he was going to steal it."
"Of course he won't tell," Sarutobi Hiruzen said. "If he did, would you still help him adjust Fugaku and Uchiha Setsuna?"
Utatane Koharu has no answer.
Mitokado Homura didn't answer either.
Sarutobi Hiruzen waited for a while and sighed softly.
"...what now."
Utatane Koharu took a breath and returned to a cold voice.
"Let Uchiha hand it over to someone. Danzo is the elder of Konoha. If there is a mistake, it should be dealt with by the Hokage Advisor meeting. It is not their turn to seize it privately."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at her.
"Hand in? Then what."
"Then you can do whatever you want with it."
"How to deal with it?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.
"Put him in jail? Remove him from office? Or go to a public trial and let the entire Konoha know that Hokage's assistant, Root's leader, and Second Hokage's direct disciple were caught sneaking into the ninja clan of the same village and stealing things?"
Utatane Koharu is silent.
"Danzo is the elder Konoha, but he is also the face of Konoha," Sarutobi Hiruzen said.
"How do you want me to handle it? If the handling is harsh, Konoha High Command is in internal strife, and Iwagakure Sunagakure Kumogakure are all watching from the side. If the handling is light, how will Uchiha explain it?"
"Then we can't just let it go," Utatane Koharu said.
"Uchiha is detaining people now, and it is equally embarrassing to spread the word that Elder Konoha is being detained by the police."
"I know."
Sarutobi Hiruzen Press the center of the eyebrow.
"So I'm asking you what to do."
Utatane Koharu stopped talking again.
Mitokado Homura raised his head.
"Uchiha won't make a big fuss."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at him.
"Now Uchiha is the boss of Fugaku."
Mitokado Homura's voice was very tired, as if every word was fished out from a very deep place.
"In Amegakure's battle, Hawk Faction killed more than thirty people, and Uchiha Hachidai's entire team was wiped out. Fugaku was able to take the position of clan leader because Hawk Faction's vitality was seriously injured, and Dove Faction gained the upper hand."
He paused.
"He has been very restrained in the past few years. The patrol route of the police team goes around Anbu. The promotion applications of the clan members are submitted according to the procedures. Even the disputes with the villagers are kept to a minimum."
"Two days ago, someone at Hyuga had a conflict with Uchiha. He personally came to apologize to Hyuga Hiashi."
Sarutobi Hiruzen said nothing.
"He is proving to the village that Uchiha can coexist peacefully."
Mitokado Homura said.
"He will not make the matter a big deal at this time. If it makes a big deal, it will not be good for him, nor will it be good for Uchiha."
"So," Sarutobi Hiruzen said.
"You mean, we just do nothing and wait for Fugaku to swallow this matter by himself?"
"I mean," Mitokado Homura said.
"He will not defect, nor will he openly break up with the village. He will endure it."
He paused.
"Uchiha Dove Faction... I've always been very tolerant."
Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't answer. He turned his head and looked out the window.
The sky at Konoha is still so clear, with white clouds drifting leisurely across Hokage Rock.
The portrait of Third Hokage is engraved on the far right, next to it are the heads of Second and First. A little further away is blank, leaving it for the fourth generation of heads who will appear in who knows how many years.
"... I'll go check out Fugaku's tone first."
He finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse.
Half an hour later.
Hokage Office.
Sarutobi Hiruzen is sitting on a chair, the tobacco in the pipe is half burned.
Uchiha Fugaku sat on his knees opposite him, with his back straight and his hands neatly placed on his knees. His etiquette was so complete that no faults could be found.
The two were silent for a long time.
"... How is Danzo." Sarutobi Hiruzen said.
Uchiha Fugaku paused. "Still alive."
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at him. Fugaku did not avoid his gaze, but did not say a word more.
Sarutobi Hiruzen took a puff of cigarette and slowly exhaled it. The smoke slowly dispersed between the two of them.
"Still alive."
Sarutobi Hiruzen repeated these three words and turned the pipe half a circle between his fingers.
"Looking at your tone, that means you are still alive."
Fugaku didn't answer. His eyes fell on the small scratch on the edge of the tea table, as if it was something extremely important.
Sarutobi Hiruzen waited for a while and saw that he didn't speak, so he didn't ask any more questions.
Some words don't need to be said too clearly. If you are still alive, you only have one breath left.
If it weren't for Fugaku, the patriarch, who still had some prestige, and if he hadn't tried his best to stop him, Shimura Danzō would be a corpse now.
"Can you let me go?"
Fugaku lowered his eyes.
"The tribe is very angry..."
"I didn't ask about your tribe," Sarutobi Hiruzen interrupted him, his voice was low, but there was no room for maneuver.
"I'm asking you if you can let it go."
Fugaku's words were stuck in his throat. His back still maintained a straight posture, but the stiffness was no longer respectful, but nervous.
He lowered his head and moved his gaze from the scratch to his fingertips, not daring to look into Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes.
"Elder Danzo... stole Nei Ku's eyes."
Fugaku's voice was very soft, with a subtle tremor, as if he was trying to organize his words, or trying to make the other party understand his difficulties.
"They are the relics of our ancestors. The family emblem is printed on the pottery pots, and each pot has its name and death date written on it. Some pots have been there for more than a hundred years, and the paint has never been pried open."
He paused.
"The tribesmen are very angry. It's not me... I'm really angry. Uncle Midang was about to take action on the spot, and it took three secret guards to stop him."
"Captain Uchiha Inabi was seriously injured by Elder Danzo. He is still lying in the infirmary. His father is seventy-two years old. He walked to the door of the inner treasury on crutches and said he wanted to see who dared to steal his son's ancestors. If I hadn't stopped him, Elder Danzo would have been killed on the spot..."
"So you can't stop me now?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice was still calm.
Fugaku's shoulders shrank slightly.
"It's not that I can't stop it..." His voice became even lower, "It's just that there has to be an explanation."
Sarutobi Hiruzen put down the pipe. The porcelain bowl hit the wooden table and made a soft sound.
Fugaku lowered his head, his forehead almost touching the table. His fingers clenched the fabric on his knees, and his knuckles turned white.
"Lord Hokage..."
"I asked you if you could let it go."