Boom-!!!
The force of Tsunade's punch swept past Hiruzen Sarutobi's body and slammed into the office wall behind him.
The entire wall cracked and shattered in an instant, revealing the azure sky outside and Hokage Rock in the distance.
Shizune stood at the doorway holding the little pink pig Tonton, her face pale with fright.
"Lady Tsunade-"
"Shut up!"
Tsunade snapped without turning her head, her gaze fixed firmly on Hiruzen Sarutobi.
"Old man, answer me! Did you really know nothing about all the things Shimura Danzō has done over the years?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Of course he knew.
Perhaps he had not known every detail of every incident.
But how could Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage, have been kept completely in the dark about Shimura Danzō's secret dealings?
Hiruzen Sarutobi had simply chosen not to look.
If he did not see it, it did not exist.
Konoha was too large, with too much darkness beyond the reach of sunlight.
Someone had to handle the dirty business that could never see the light of day.
And so, after Shimura Danzō died.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Mitokado Homura, and Utatane Koharu had not spent even a moment mourning Shimura Danzō's death.
The old geezers had immediately installed Aburame Ryoma to take over what remained of Root's forces.
Incidentally, the person previously responsible for cleaning out the Root Base had been Aburame Ryoma.
This elite jonin of the Aburame Clan had followed Shimura Danzō for years, serving as a highly trusted deputy who was well versed in Konoha's dark ways.
But Hiruzen Sarutobi could not say any of this to Tsunade.
Because neither of Tsunade's two grandfathers had ever done things his way.
Hashirama Senju had never cared for distinctions between darkness and light.
That man had been