The suspicion in Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes became the sharpest of knives, making the veins on Shimura Danzō's forehead throb.
"Hi Sa! What the hell are you talking about?! I didn't do anything!"
"Why on earth did you do this?"
"Do what?!"
Shimura Danzō slapped away the hand gripping his collar and glared at him.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi watched his expression closely, trying to find the smugness hidden beneath that furious face.
Shimura Danzō had fooled him too many times. He couldn't be certain whether this reaction was genuine.
Perhaps the very next second, he would drop his anger, replace it with a smug, mocking smile, and sneer-
"You actually believed me? You're still falling for it after all this time? That's Hiruzen for you..."
But so far, he had given nothing away. Had Hiruzen really misunderstood him? Or had his acting improved again?
Hiruzen Sarutobi couldn't tell.
Shimura Danzō had been far too clever for his own good since childhood, displaying a talent for scheming early on that even Tobirama Senju had praised.
He had also been a gifted actor since childhood, fooling Hiruzen Sarutobi time and again and taking pleasure in watching him become hopelessly bewildered by his lies.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's wariness had gradually grown through years of keeping his guard up.
And Shimura Danzō's schemes really had salvaged many desperate situations, cementing his image as a wily old schemer in Hiruzen's mind, even giving it something of a legendary aura.
-I don't know how this situation turned in our favor, but if Danzo is the mastermind behind it, everything makes sense.
Shimura Danzō, meanwhile, had no idea his childhood pranks had left such a profound impression.
He had become much steadier as an adult, reining in his mischievous impulses and abandoning such childish antics. He truly didn't know