"Back then, they established a Jonin vote to choose the Hokage to guard against Madara and the Uchiha, claiming it would be fair and impartial!"
"Then he turned around, forced his way into becoming the Second Hokage, and appointed his successor on the spot! Rules were dead, people were flexible, and personal interests were what really mattered!"
"So the so-called Will of Fire and that supposedly fair system were nothing but convenient tools from beginning to end!"
"Who wouldn't lose it over that?!"
"But it really was outrageous!"
"The Third and his bunch were incredibly lucky! The Second Hokage personally stayed behind to die covering their retreat, trading his life for theirs!"
"A Shadow Substitute Guard dying for them-nowhere else in the entire shinobi world did anyone get treatment like that!"
"Honestly, Hiruzen Sarutobi just wasn't capable enough!"
"He lacked resolve, his methods were too soft, and he couldn't keep everyone in line!"
"If he'd been strong enough and ruthless enough, he wouldn't have needed to let Danzo carry out his reign of terror!"
"From the moment he took over, Konoha visibly declined, never again reaching the heights it had under the First and Second!"
The shinobi world erupted in discussion. Some lamented the injustice, some mocked Konoha's double standards, some sighed at the unpredictability of fate, and some saw through to the root of Konoha's decline.
Inside Konoha's Hokage Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's aged face was heavy with a long, weary sigh.
"From that moment on, it was inevitable..."
"Danzo was just one step too late, and his resentment became an obsession."
"That single step left him consumed by fixation for the rest of his life, until he finally strayed into darkness and could never turn back."
Beside him, Tsunade's face turned icy. She scoffed and mercilessly cut straight