Meanwhile, after slamming the door on his way out of the Hokage's Office, Shimura Danzō did not return to Root's base. He went straight to the meeting room where Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu usually handled their affairs.
When he pushed the door open, the two Advisors were still unsettled by Hiruzen Sarutobi's announcement that he would hand over his duties. At the sight of Danzo's stormy expression, both their hearts sank.
"Danzo? You..." Mitokado Homura adjusted his glasses, trying to remain calm.
Shimura Danzō dispensed with pleasantries. He walked straight to the head of the conference table and planted both hands on it, his lone eye sweeping over his two longtime colleagues like a hawk's. His voice pressed down on them. "You both know what Hiruzen has decided."
"He's ready to hand the Hokage's seat to Princess Tsunade—a woman who's been away from the village for years, gambles compulsively, and even suffers from a fear of blood!"
Utatane Koharu frowned deeply. "Danzo, watch your words! Tsunade is the First Hokage's granddaughter and the Third Kazekage's disciple. In terms of both experience and ability..."
"Ability?" Danzo cut her off with a sneer, his voice suddenly rising. "What ability does she have? The ability to bankrupt Konoha?"
"Or the ability to faint at the sight of blood in the middle of a fight?! The Shinobi World is seething with hidden threats. Those mysterious organizations on the Canopy Screen are watching us, and friction between the major nations never stops!"
"What Konoha needs now is a tough, decisive leader who knows the darkness and can control it! Not a woman ruled by her emotions who has spent years away from the center of power!"
His words were sharp and cruel, but they struck the deepest fears Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu harbored.