"One second, he had just become Acting Hokage, basking in glory."
"The next, he was dead, reduced to the laughingstock of the entire shinobi world."
"Who can say for certain that Sasuke, vicious as he was a moment ago, will never change afterward?"
The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi said those words-
Boom!
Danzo's head rang. Fury made him stagger back a step, almost losing his footing.
He glared at Hiruzen Sarutobi, anger choking his throat, nearly making him cough up blood.
He could tell!
The Third was deliberately humiliating him!
He was using Danzo's fleeting dream of becoming Hokage and his ridiculous, gruesome end to put him in his place before everyone!
Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu lowered their heads in silence, afraid to interject.
The office was deathly silent, the tension razor-sharp.
A moment later, Hiruzen Sarutobi wasted no more words. His gaze turned imposing.
"Starting today, starting this very moment, I will have the Anbu intervene in Root's operations."
"Every Root operation, large or small, every outside mission, personnel transfer, and intelligence investigation must be reported to the Anbu!"
"Any action undertaken without prior reporting will be treated as treason against the village!"
"All offenders will be executed on the spot! There will be no leniency!"
The words landed!
Boom!
Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu all blanched, their faces filled with shock!
This move effectively put Root's power under lock and key!
It meant dragging the private army Danzo had secretly cultivated for years into the open and keeping it under constant surveillance, leaving him no room for covert schemes!
Mitokado Homura hurried forward to mediate.
"Hiruzen, surely there's no need to go this far?"
"Root only has value while it remains hidden. If it loses its autonomy..."
He left the sentence unfinished, but his meaning was clear.