The hallway leading to the Hokage's office had witnessed multiple events over the decades, from diplomatic delegations to ANBU operatives returning covered in blood after desperate missions. However, never before had anyone seen Tsunade Senju advancing through the corridor dragging two Root agents as if they were simple sacks of garbage cluttering her path.
The two ANBU guards stationed in front of Hiruzen's office reacted immediately upon sensing the pressure in the air and moved their hands to their weapons with instinctive motions. One of them, an operative wearing a cat mask whose posture betrayed a lack of experience when facing legends, tried to step forward with the intention of stopping her before his companion grabbed him firmly by the shoulder.
"Don't do it," the veteran whispered with an urgency bordering on panic.
Tsunade did not bother to spare them a glance as she closed the distance with heavy steps. Her blonde hair remained tied in her usual twin tails, although several strands had escaped due to the intensity of her previous confrontation in the forest. Dirt stained her green jacket and the two Root agents bounced against the polished floor, leaving trails of dust and grime in their wake.
"Open the door right now," she commanded.
The ANBU with the cat mask managed to regain his speech, though his voice sounded slightly unstable.
"Lady Tsunade, the Hokage is in a very important meeting with the exam coordinators and requested that no one interrupt his work."
"I don't care if he is negotiating world peace," Tsunade interrupted, pinning the guard with her amber eyes. "Open the door if you don't want me to use you to break it down."
The second ANBU, possessing a much more developed survival instinct, obeyed without uttering another word. The heavy wood swung open to reveal the interior of the office, where Hiruzen Sarutobi remained behind his desk alongside Ibiki Morino and Anko Mitarashi.
The purple haired special jonin looked as if she had survived a devastating encounter. She wore fresh bandages wrapped around her torso beneath her mesh shirt and kept her left arm immobilized in a sling. Despite the injuries and evident exhaustion, her dark eyes remained alert and filled with a fury she had not been able to dissipate since her encounter with Kabuto in the depths of the forest.
The three occupants of the room turned their heads in sync when Tsunade entered and dropped her captives in the middle of the floor with a dull thud.
"Tsunade," Hiruzen began, maintaining a neutral tone despite his surprise. "This..."
"We need to talk seriously," she cut him off sharply. "It is time to discuss the rats infesting your village and the exterminator who fell asleep on the job."
The Third Hokage's expression remained impassive, but Ibiki straightened in his seat with evident professional interest while Anko leaned forward, ignoring the stabbing pain in her ribs.
"Do those men belong to...?" Anko's voice sounded raspy from the dryness of her throat.
"Root agents," Tsunade confirmed as she walked toward her former master's desk. She grabbed one of the men by the collar of his uniform and lifted him with a single hand to force his mouth open. "They come with Danzo's personal business card."
She pulled the unconscious man's tongue forward roughly so everyone could observe the black seal marking his skin. Ibiki approached immediately to analyze the mark.
"Where on the map did you find them?" the interrogator asked.
"In the Forest of Death," Tsunade replied as she dropped the agent like a worthless object. "They were trying to flee the scene, but when I stepped in to interrogate them, they decided it was a better idea to try to withdraw by force. However, I have very convincing methods, and I made sure they stayed for this little meeting."
"You convinced them," Anko repeated as a wild smile played on her face. "I bet anything you were extremely kind to them during the process."
"I was as kind as their actions deserved," the Sannin replied while crossing her arms in front of Hiruzen. "We have already witnessed two incidents of direct interference from Root, sensei. First there was that problem at the hospital, and now they decide to meddle in the middle of the official exams. How much more evidence do you need to admit that we have an internal treason problem?"
Hiruzen remained silent for a few seconds while joining his hands in front of his face in a pensive pose.
"The evidence you present is concerning, to say the least," he finally said with a caution that irritated Tsunade. "But we must consider the context of the situation. The Forest of Death is a chaotic environment by nature and, without knowing the exact circumstances, it is difficult to issue a definitive judgment."
"Are you seriously trying to defend him again?" Tsunade's voice rose to an alarming volume. "These operatives carry Danzo's seal and were operating in the Chunin Exams without any kind of official authorization! What kind of additional context do you require to act once and for all?"
"I need to understand what their mission parameters were," Hiruzen replied, hardening his own tone to reassert his authority. "I must know who issued the orders and what their real objectives were before making a decision that affects the stability of the village. It is imperative to discover if this was an official Root operation or simply the actions of some renegade elements within his organization."
"Renegade elements," Tsunade let out a laugh full of bitterness and contempt. "Listen to the nonsense you are saying. You are making up excuses to protect him as you have done your whole life, just like when you allowed him to argue in favor of the Uchiha clan massacre or when you feigned ignorance after his assassination attempt against you."
"Tsunade, you must understand that even with this evidence we cannot afford to act recklessly," Hiruzen said in a low voice while looking her in the eyes. "The Chunin Exams are still underway and we have representatives from Sunagakure along with delegations from various minor villages present in Konoha. If we decide to arrest Danzo at this precise moment, the entire world will see it as a sign of internal instability and vulnerability."
"And what if we decide not to act right now?" Anko intervened with a defiant tone. "Tell me, Hokage-sama, how many more children will have to die in the name of that stability? How many of our own genin will be selected as targets simply because they represent inconvenient variables for that old man's strategy?"
Hiruzen clenched his jaw so hard that his facial muscles tensed visibly.
"I am fully aware of the risks we are taking, Anko."
"Are you really?" Tsunade's voice dropped to a soft tone, but one loaded with a lethal danger. "Because from my perspective, it seems you care much more about international political optics than about fulfilling your duty to protect the next generation. That famous Will of Fire you preach so much seems to be flickering out under the weight of your fears."
The Sannin drew herself up to her full height to stare at her master, who looked older than ever under the light of the lamps.
"They wanted to kill my student," she continued firmly. "Now Root is directly interfering in the development of the exams. When will the day come when you admit that Danzo Shimura represents a real threat to everything Konoha tries to represent to the world?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed deeply while observing his former student with a grief that seemed to spring from the depths of his soul.
"You are absolutely right," he finally admitted, letting his shoulders slump. "You are right in every one of your words, and I must admit that I have acted in a cowardly manner for far too long."
Tsunade blinked, surprised by the unexpected confession, while Hiruzen rose from his seat to walk toward the large window that offered a panoramic view of the village. Konoha stretched out, peaceful and full of life under the soft afternoon light, unaware of the shadows moving within its foundations.
"I have committed an unforgivable number of errors throughout my mandate," Hiruzen continued without turning around. "I was too indulgent with Orochimaru's ambitions, and that same indulgence led me to hesitate at critical moments, which gave Danzo the opening he needed to carry out the Uchiha tragedy by choosing an artificial stability over true justice. I have allowed that man to enjoy a freedom he never deserved to have."
The Third Hokage turned toward them, his eyes hardened by a resolution he had not shown in years.
"But this marks the end of my patience. There is a line that no one must cross, and Danzo has overstepped it by far. Attacking our own genin and attempting assassinations within the walls of the village are not the actions of someone who wishes to protect Konoha, but those of a man who considers himself above any law or moral code."
"What will our next actions be regarding this?" Anko asked, feeling a glimmer of hope.
Hiruzen returned to his desk with slow movements but loaded with purpose.
"We cannot act openly yet due to the international situation, but we can limit his influence immediately while we gather physical and irrefutable evidence against him."
"How do you plan to achieve that?" Tsunade asked, keeping her doubts afloat.
"In the first place, I will issue a direct and secret order to all active ANBU units," the Hokage explained. "Any operative suspected of maintaining any affiliation with Root will be placed on administrative leave with immediate effect. That move will cut the ears and eyes that Danzo keeps infiltrated within our regular forces."
Ibiki nodded with approval while processing the information.
"That action will completely paralyze his internal intelligence network and leave him operating blind for a time."
"In the second place," Hiruzen continued with a firm voice, "I am going to assign a special team dedicated exclusively to investigating Root's illegal activities. Ibiki, you will be in charge of that investigation and will have total authority to proceed as you see fit."
"Understood, Hokage-sama. I won't leave a single stone unturned."
"And in the third place," Hiruzen fixed his gaze on Tsunade, "I want you to personally take over the security of the final stage of the Chunin Exams. You will be in charge of medical supervision and the direct protection of all participants. If Danzo tries to make a single move more, you will be there to intercept him and crush any threat immediately."
Tsunade considered it during a brief silence while analyzing the proposal carefully.
"What will happen when we reach the public finals in front of the feudal lords?"
"We will cross that bridge when the proper time comes," Hiruzen replied. "For now, our absolute priority is damage control. We are going to protect the genin with everything we have and wait patiently for Danzo to overextend himself in his desperation. In that moment, we will act decisively to end his influence once and for all."
"That is a long time to wait for my taste," Anko murmured bitterly. "It is enough time for that man to find a way to hurt more children if we get careless."
"It is the best strategic option we have on the table," Hiruzen replied with a firmness that admitted no further discussion. "Or do you suggest we initiate a bloody coup d'état in the middle of an event of international importance?"
Anko fell silent, recognizing the logic behind her leader's words. Tsunade looked down at the two agents who were still lying on the floor like lifeless bundles.
"What fate awaits these two?"
"Ibiki will take them to the interrogation rooms immediately," Hiruzen instructed. "I want you to obtain every possible detail about their operating methods and about the specific orders they received for this mission."
"It will take some time," Ibiki warned seriously. "The seal on their tongues will activate if they try to reveal classified information of their own free will, so I will have to work with extreme delicacy to prevent them from dying before they talk."
"Do it with all the care you require, but with the greatest speed possible; time is a luxury that is not on our side at the moment."
Tsunade accepted the assignment with a brief nod that sealed the pact.
"I accept the position of supervisor. But I want you to understand something very clearly, sensei. If Danzo puts a single finger on my students or any other child of this village again, I am not going to sit around and wait for your official permission. I am going to destroy his entire organization with my own hands."
"I would expect nothing less from you," Hiruzen replied with a slight and melancholy smile.
When Tsunade began to withdraw from the office with her cloak billowing behind her, Anko stood up, making a visible effort to control the pain from her wounds.
"Lady Tsunade, please wait a moment. I am going to accompany you on this mission."
"You can barely stay on your feet on your own," the Sannin observed, stopping in the doorway.
"I can walk far enough to cover your back if necessary," Anko replied stubbornly. "Besides, if we are really going to dedicate ourselves to hunting rats in the dark corners of Konoha, you are going to need someone by your side who knows exactly how those animals think."
Tsunade remained silent for a second and then nodded with approval.
"Fine, you're coming with me. But our first stop will be the village hospital, because those bandages you're wearing need an urgent change and I don't want you bleeding out under my watch."
The two women left the office with determined steps. Ibiki secured the captives with chakra suppression handcuffs and looked at Hiruzen one last time before retreating toward the shadows of the intelligence building.
"Hokage-sama, I am convinced you have made the right decision. Danzo needed someone to put a firm leash on him many years ago."
Hiruzen did not respond immediately and preferred to observe the village he loved so much once again.
"I hope so, Ibiki. I truly hope it is not too late to correct the course of this story. Once the Chunin Exams conclude, it will be time to put an end to Danzo's ambition, but for the moment, we must prepare for the next phase of the preliminaries."
******
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