"Precisely because he has rendered great service, we cannot indulge the potential danger he poses!"
Danzo refused to yield. "Leaving a powerful, unstable element who might harbor disloyalty toward the village unchecked is the height of irresponsibility toward Konoha! Hiruzen, you're far too indecisive!"
"I have my own considerations!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice turned cold as well:
"I will send people to investigate this in secret. Until conclusive evidence emerges, Lin Ze remains a hero of Konoha and ANBU's 'Azure Dragon'! Any action against him must have my approval!"
"Investigate in secret? By the time the evidence is conclusive, it may already be too late!"
Danzo laughed in fury. "Hiruzen, you'll regret this! When he's fully established himself and turns on Konoha, you'll realize just how foolish today's decision was!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi abruptly rose, planting both hands on the desk and leaning forward. The commanding presence of someone long accustomed to authority radiated from him as he stared at Danzo and enunciated each word:
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
Those words were like a final ultimatum, declaring who held the power to decide.
It's always like this. Every time, he uses his position as Hokage to overrule me. If I were Hokage!
If I were Hokage!
Danzo stared fixedly at Hiruzen Sarutobi, his chest heaving, clearly furious beyond measure.
But after several seconds of stalemate, Danzo finally forced a cold snort through his clenched teeth:
"Hiruzen, you'll pay for your weakness today!"
With that, he spun around and slammed the door behind him with a bang.
Watching the still-shaking door, Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly sank back into his chair and took a deep draw on his pipe.
How could he not know there was some merit to Danzo's concerns?
But as Hokage, he had to weigh the pros and cons and consider