You Regret, I Am Hokage
Danzo! What are you trying to do?!
"Shisui Uchiha was a member of the Uchiha Clan I had high hopes for. He bore a resemblance to Kagami and was the most promising person to resolve the conflict between the Uchiha Clan and the village! But now, he's dead!"
"Don't tell me about this, you didn't know!"
On the top floor of the Hokage Building, Hiruzen Sarutobi suddenly slammed his hand on the table, the loud sound echoing throughout the office, but it seemed to have no effect whatsoever on Shimura Danzō, who was sitting quietly to the side.
His eyes held a hint of coldness as he met Hiruzen Sarutobi's gaze, neither giving an inch.
"Sarutobi, you're too naive. The Uchiha Clan are an evil clan; they will never be content and will eventually become rebels against Konoha. Shisui Uchiha... Hmph, how could he possibly solve this problem... He's just a brat..."
Thinking back to that day, when Shisui Uchiha infiltrated Root alone and possessed such an astonishing Mangekyō Sharingan technique, if Shisui hadn't been so naive and hadn't acted immediately, that day would probably have been his most dangerous day...
Thinking this, Shimura Danzō even felt a strange sense of lingering fear, which further strengthened his resolve to completely eradicate the Uchiha Clan, this scourge of cancer...
After all, Kotoamatsukami, the ability to alter a person's will, is almost godlike. Slightly touching his bandaged right eye, Danzo's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. 'Now, it's mine...'
"Shisui could have done it..." Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice was tinged with sorrow. Shisui's departure not only made the Third lament that Konoha had lost another genius, but more importantly, it completely shattered the hopes that had been placed on him to restore the balance between the Uchiha Clan and Konoha...
"Hiruzen, don't forget the Nine-Tails..."
"Now is the best time to resolve this. If we continue to drag this out, it won't be long before the Uchiha Clan summons the Nine-Tails again. At that time, there won't be another Minato Namikaze to die in your place..."
"Danzo! What are you saying?!"
Upon hearing Danzo's words, Hiruzen Sarutobi could hardly believe it. Could his old comrade-in-arms of many years really think of him like that?
"Regardless, that's the truth..." Shimura Danzō, deviating from his usual style, even openly confronted Hiruzen Sarutobi. Hiruzen Sarutobi his eyes, seemingly sensing something amiss...
The two glared at each other silently, when a powerful thought suddenly burst forth in Danzo's mind: 'Use Kotoamatsukami to control Hiruzen Sarutobi! Then become Hokage...'
However, after some struggle, reason ultimately prevailed.
Kotoamatsukami was, after all, a ninjutsu orally taught by Shisui. Danzo had only fused with the Mangekyō Sharingan a few days ago and hadn't fully mastered it yet. Moreover, this was the Hokage Building. If Kotoamatsukami hadn't immediately subdued Hiruzen Sarutobi, his actions would have completely Hiruzen Sarutobi, leaving no room for discussion behind closed doors in front of everyone...
Thinking this, Danzo couldn't help but let out a soft snort, temporarily abandoning this idea that had somewhat fascinated him. "Hiruzen! Then I hope you have a better plan. If not... the Uchiha Clan... must be wiped out..."
"Danzo! What are you plotting...? Konoha cannot withstand another Nine-Tails Rebellion!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi frowned deeply, racking his brains but still unable to figure out where Danzo's confidence came from. Although Danzo had hidden many things from him, he still understood Danzo's general intentions; after all, he was the Hokage...
"Hiruzen... you've grown old, you no longer have the ambition you once had... you, as Hokage, should have retired long ago..."
With a cold snort, Danzo left the Hokage Building, leaving only Hiruzen Sarutobi behind, silently watching Danzo's departing figure with a furrowed brow.
"A better way..." Hiruzen Sarutobi shook his head, pressing his temples, looking rather tired.
Ever since the Second Tobirama Senju, Uchiha Clan, the Uchiha Clan's position in Konoha has been awkward—neither high nor low. They are unable to participate in the village's core political affairs, but they control the Konoha Military Police Force, a crucial department in peacetime, and the two have tacitly coexisted peacefully...
Until the Nine-Tails Rebellion, this balance was completely shattered...
Almost all Konoha ninjas present at the time clearly saw the huge Sharingan pattern in the Nine-Tails' eye. Everyone seemed to be certain that the Nine-Tails Rebellion was inextricably linked to the Uchiha Clan. If it weren't for Naruto being the first to take the blame, the pain caused by the Nine-Tails Rebellion would probably have been entirely attributed to the Uchiha Clan.
Even so, the Uchiha Clan must take responsibility for this. Their clan territory was relocated to the most remote corner of Konoha, and the Konoha High Command, including Hiruzen Sarutobi, completely lost faith in the Uchiha Clan. Discontent has also arisen within the Uchiha Clan, and it has escalated to the point of no return...
"Perhaps... Danzo is right... I should have died back then..." Suddenly remembering Minato Namikaze with his full Minato Namikaze, like a little sun, Hiruzen Sarutobi let out a long sigh...
"But now, Konoha must never see another Nine-Tails Rebellion..." The order to temporarily suspend Danzo all his duties, which he had already written and signed, was pressed down on his desk, unable to be sent out. A complex look flashed in his eyes.
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent for a long while. When he came to his senses again, the document on the table had been crumpled into a ball by him. With a whoosh, a sudden burst of Kakkō engulfed the command document that no one had ever seen...
The Third Lord Hokage, deeply respected by the Konoha, seemed to have once again chosen to remain silent, as if he had mastered the art of silence.
Do nothing, wait for things to unfold, and then appear in a positive light at the opportune moment to clean up the mess and gain the trust of the Konoha. At most, the next day, he could close the door and give Shimura Danzō, and then all the problems would seem to have a perfect ending in the familiar scene of 'You Regret My Shadow'...
Perhaps the most important role of those who have left or passed away is simply to be remembered by Hiruzen Sarutobi when necessary, so that he can say, "Why wasn't it me back then? What should I have done? He should have been a good kid..." And then everyone will naturally choose to forgive our "sacrificed" Lord Hokage...
With a slight wave of his hand, an Anbu Ninja who had been waiting appeared in Hiruzen Sarutobi's office. The familiar mask, the familiar hair color, the familiar silence...
Kakashi Hatake Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hiruzen Sarutobi's most trusted general, reappeared. Looking at Kakashi Hatake, Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes were once again filled with weariness. The sealing incantation on Kakashi's body was still unsolved, and no clues had been revealed about the person hiding in the shadows. Meanwhile, Konoha was once again in turmoil.
"Kakashi Hatake... keep a close eye on Root's movements during this time..."
"Yes!"