Hiruzen looked outside the office window at the dark night that had already covered the village in a veil of silence. His eyes returned, as they always did, to the stone face of the Second Hokage. For a moment, he stood there as if waiting for it to speak, to condemn or encourage him, yet nothing ever came. He chuckled softly to himself, the sound dry and mocking. “I am too old to still seek approval.”

  When he turned, three ANBU were already kneeling behind him. “We are ready, Lord Hokage.”

  Hiruzen nodded once. “Then we move.”

  Multiple figures darted across the rooftops, silent shadows cutting through the night. They moved in tight formation, approaching a section of the village that had long since fallen asleep. Most homes were dark, the streets empty, and only the faint glow of distant lanterns broke the quiet. A rare figure could be seen here and there, securing a stall, locking a gate, or standing watch over goods until morning, but the rest of the village lay in deep silence. The area was usually crowded and loud during the day, filled with merchants, travelers, and constant movement, yet this unnatural stillness now made it feel almost abandoned. That provided the perfect cover for Root’s movements, allowing their agents to enter and leave their headquarters unnoticed, whether during the day when the heavy traffic concealed them or during the night when the district grew quiet, since it was mostly a merchant area and few people remained this late, ensuring deep stillness.

  The moment they reached the outer perimeter, several Root operatives appeared in front of them. Their leader stepped forward and bowed with formal respect. “Lord Hokage. Danzo-sama requests that you speak with him in private. The information to be discussed is extremely sensitive.”

  A low growl came from behind Hiruzen. Monkey stepped forward slightly. “Are you stripping the Hokage of his guards? The leader of the village? Do you think we are fools?”

  The tension rose instantly. Both ANBU and Root operatives shifted, hands moving toward weapons. Chakra began to stir in the air, subtle but unmistakable. Behind Hiruzen, two Sharingan ignited in the darkness. One steady and controlled. The other sharp and cold.

  That was all the Root agents needed to recognize Kakashi and Itachi. Even through their masks, unease spread among them.

  Hiruzen raised his hand, and the tension froze. “Evacuate all civilians from the area. Once I enter, raise a full barrier around the headquarters. Since Danzo desires privacy, we will ensure there are no interruptions.”

  The Root leader hesitated for only a moment before nodding. He had no desire to test the strength gathered behind the Hokage, not to mention the Hokage himself, who was most likely the strongest shinobi in the village.

  Within minutes, the surrounding streets were cleared. Civilians were guided away under the explanation of a late-night security operation. Most complied willingly, recent events with the arrest of the Suna spy network making them far more trusting of such measures. A few looked back in concern. If the Hokage himself had come at this hour, the threat must be serious, and many chose to move even farther away.

  Hiruzen watched the last of them leave. An ANBU appeared beside him. “All orders have been carried out, Hokage-sama.”

  Hiruzen did not respond. He stepped forward, walking toward the entrance of Root’s headquarters. The moment he crossed a certain threshold, several ANBU slammed their hands to the ground. A powerful barrier rose around the structure, sealing the area completely.

  Hiruzen walked slowly through the dark passages of Root headquarters, the smell of blood and despair never leaving this place. He felt Danzo’s powerful chakra signature and sighed. “It feels like he is already prepared to act.” As he walked, he entered one of the most sinister rooms in the headquarters. The place where Root agents killed the teammates they trained with to break their psychological barriers and ensure absolute obedience. Killing your friend or the teammate you trusted was a huge step. After that, everything else became easier in comparison.

  Danzo was sitting in a chair, his eye focused on Hiruzen as he continued his slow walk. He reached the opposing chair, a small table between them. With a groan, Hiruzen sat down as Danzo chuckled. “Still acting like an old man, even in front of me, as if I do not know better.” Hiruzen laughed back. “I could never get around your observant eyes.”

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  Danzo’s smile disappeared quickly as he asked, “What are you doing here, Hiruzen?” Hiruzen rubbed his forehead before taking a deep breath. “I am here because of the consequences of your actions.” Danzo snarled. “I thought we agreed when I created Root that you would stay away from it. You would let me do the necessary work since you did not want to be part of that aspect of the shinobi world.” Hiruzen sighed. “That is true. And that was my mistake. Being afraid of that aspect made me complacent and forced me to act blind to your actions.”

  Danzo’s eyes narrowed. “How convenient. Now you decide to interfere after everything Root and I have done to ensure the village’s safety and stability. After the Third Shinobi War. After you relied on us to deter the other villages from attacking Konoha, after I lost so many to do so. And now you suddenly decide to step into this?” Hiruzen looked away from Danzo’s eyes. “Before, I made sure to keep the clans quiet about their missing shinobi who joined Root, shielding you from the consequences of your methods. However, this time you took it too far. Not only that, you tried to eliminate one of the strongest shinobi the village had without them betraying the village, simply because they did not follow your ideals.”

  Danzo struck the table, the sturdy wood barely handling his strength. “I will not acknowledge such accusations.” Hiruzen made another tired sigh and slowly placed the scrolls Hirotaka had given him onto the table. Danzo’s attention shifted to them, scanning with chakra covering his eye, a gesture that spoke volumes, but Hiruzen ignored it. As Danzo read, Hiruzen spoke. “Even when you are careful, there will always be a trail. Someone out there, if motivated and fearless enough, will find it. Have you become sloppy, my old friend?”

  Danzo’s eye widened for a brief moment before the scrolls ignited in his hand, turning to ash. Inside, his thoughts were far darker. “That traitor Hirotaka. I will torture him, then torture his whore of a wife and daughter in front of him before I kill them, and only after that will I end his life in the most painful way possible.” Outwardly, however, his expression remained calm. “Those are all circumstantial.”

  Hiruzen’s voice sharpened. “Do not insult me further, Danzo. The knowledge and manipulation of ANBU seals… only a competent grandmaster of fuinjutsu could accomplish that in the middle of battle. And you are the only one I know who can do it. There is no way around this. You tried to make your move, but you failed. If we do nothing, we risk open revolt and the destruction of the village from within.”

  Danzo growled back. “I will not be lectured by you, Hiruzen. That would only happen because the village has a weak leader.” Hiruzen’s voice came out low and laced with killing intent. “Watch your words, old friend. You have overstepped and gone against the spirit of the village, which lies in cooperation and unity.” Danzo snarled. “Spare me your lectures. The only reason you are here is because he survived.”

  Hiruzen’s voice dropped. “But Daiken did not. I promised at his funeral that I would make those responsible pay.” His eyes were fully focused on Danzo now.

  Danzo replied with a mocking tone. “What are you going to do, my friend? Kill me?”

  For a moment, the light in Hiruzen’s eyes dimmed before he leaned back in his chair. “I will disband Root, integrate them into ANBU, and remove their Root seals. I will step down from the Hokage seat and spend the rest of my days in peace in my clan compound. You will be there as well, under house arrest. But I promise it will not feel like it. You will be treated with dignity and respect, the same as me. We will spend our time deciding once and for all who is the better shogi player among us, while smelling the fresh air, drawing, and enjoying the company of our grandchildren.”

  A nostalgic smile appeared on Hiruzen’s face as he looked at Danzo. Danzo closed his eyes and breathed slowly before replying in a restrained tone. “You may have lost your desire to rule, but I have not. This village needs someone like me. If you want to resign, go ahead. You have my blessing. But you will not drag me down with you.”

  Hiruzen leaned forward now, emotion clear in his voice. “My friend, remember what our sensei said. What matters is not us, but the village. The people in it. We are meant to protect them and instill the Will of Fire in them, not kill them and make them blindly loyal to a single person.”

  Danzo’s anger was now fully visible. “Do not mention our sensei, Hiruzen. That memory is exactly why I believe I should rule the village. After I saw your weakness. After we bowed to the Hidden Cloud to maintain peace. After our losses in the war and the Nine Tails attack. Our teacher’s ideals rang hollow to me. He chose you, and he was wrong. A new approach is needed. I am needed for this village to reach its true strength.”

  The two old friends rested their hands on the table, their resolve clear. Danzo slowly raised his chakra, testing Hiruzen’s will. Hiruzen did not react at first, but then he slowly did the same, matching him. The air around them began to strain under the pressure. The table cracked, the stone floor groaning as the weight of their power filled the room. At the same moment, they both spoke, their voices steady and absolute. “So be it.”

  Then they both exploded into motion.