The Root Base.
Danzo put on the Hokage Ceremonial Robe he had dreamed of for so long and donned the Hokage's hat.
The robe, with "Fourth Hokage" stitched across its back, swayed as he walked.
Why the Fourth?
Because it had been sewn during the Third Shinobi World War, only for Minato to become the Fourth Hokage instead.
But Danzo had not thrown it away.
He had hidden it away, as though storing his thwarted ambition along with his cold, deep-seated resentment toward Minato, Hiruzen, and those "naive" ideals.
Every time he faced the robe alone, it rekindled that undying flame in his heart and his longing for the Hokage position.
And now, at this very moment, he had finally put it on.
Though it was only an imitation, though he wore it only in the depths of shadows where no one knew, the psychological satisfaction and illusion of power it gave him were intoxicating. Every pore seemed to tremble and cheer.
The Hokage Robe swayed gently as he paced, its fabric making faint rustling sounds in the deathly silent base.
He walked through the corridors of the Root Base, past the masked Root ninja who stood like stone statues and obeyed him absolutely.
All of this was about to usher in a new beginning.
According to the plan devised by that dangerous ally of his-Orochimaru.
The "Konoha Crush Plan" was about to begin.
Hiruzen, his former teammate and now his political enemy and greatest obstacle, was finally going to die.
And Jiraiya, who had suddenly returned to Konoha, had been successfully lured away by the false information Danzo had planted about Orochimaru's whereabouts.
Koharu and Mitokado Homura were hardly worth fearing.
As long as Orochimaru successfully killed Hiruzen Sarutobi, as long as Konoha fell into a brief power vacuum