I'm still the Hokage

"What exactly are you getting at, Sarutobi?!"

As soon as Shikaku Nara put on an expression that said, "Do as you please," and slipped outside, closing the door with practiced ease, Danzo's roar rang out.

"Sarutobi, you're the Hokage. In front of the village's shinobi, we couldn't openly contradict you and undermine your authority. But you were far too dictatorial just now." Beside him, Konoha Advisor Mitokado Homura turned his gaze toward him as well, the unfriendly eyes behind his glasses making his position clear. "As for Kirigakure, how could you send Kakashi Hatake in his current state..."

"All right, all right, old friends. There's no need to get so worked up."

Clearly, however, the Third had already anticipated what they would say. He pressed both hands downward to quiet them, then waited until they had calmed a little before speaking leisurely. "I know what you're thinking. Kirigakure is a major shinobi village, after all. They've probably already received word of the Uchiha Clan's extermination. They know what's going on."

"True, but I still don't understand why you would send Kakashi Hatake at a time like this. He has a Sharingan too. Aren't you worried they'll use that as a pretext to make trouble?" The other Advisor, Utatane Koharu, immediately added, "Konoha has just lost a major clan, after all. With our fighting strength so severely depleted, we can't afford to antagonize Kirigakure just by sending them a notice!"

Listening to them, the Third took out his Tobacco Pipe and lit it. As he puffed out clouds of smoke, he let the discussion pause, seemingly hoping everyone would calm down first.

The others could bear it, but Danzo, whose anger had been ignored all along, was positively miserable. Sarutobi was clearly putting him in his place over the matter with