Pulling the Rug Out from Under the Cauldron! Danzo Slaps the Hokage in the Face

Top floor of the Hokage Building.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his broad desk.

A pipe was clenched between his teeth.

Thick smoke obscured his face.

An ANBU wearing a cat mask knelt on one knee before the desk.

The ANBU kept his head lowered.

"Lord Hokage, word has come from the High-Security Prison."

"Half an hour ago, Root personnel entered the prison."

"They carried Lord Danzo's writ and summoned Hatake Sakumo for questioning."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand holding the pipe paused.

Ash fell onto the documents on his desk.

He did not brush it away.

"They took him?"

"Yes."

"Hatake Sakumo signed Root's recruitment papers and has already been transferred to the Root Underground Base."

Once the ANBU finished his report, the office fell silent.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a drag from his pipe.

The harsh smoke filled his lungs, making the weight in his chest even heavier.

He waved a hand.

The ANBU immediately vanished in a puff of white smoke.

Hiruzen Sarutobi rose and walked to the enormous floor-to-ceiling window.

Beyond it lay the bustling village of Konoha.

People filled the streets, and the villagers enjoyed a rare stretch of peace.

Yet his mood only darkened.

Hatake Sakumo.

The White Fang of Konoha.

He was a top-tier force even the Hokage had to rely upon.

When the Land of Wind front had been under pressure, Hiruzen had still been reluctant to deploy Sakumo as an ordinary soldier.

This time, Sakumo had failed his mission because he saved his comrades, and public opinion throughout the village had erupted.

Hiruzen had not wanted Sakumo dead.

Sakumo was Konoha's blade and a hero in the villagers' hearts. If he were punished publicly, both the village's morale and popular support would suffer.

But neither could Hiruzen allow Sakumo to retain such overwhelming prestige.

Sakumo's