"You..." Danzo directed his furious gaze at Setsuna, but the next moment he was grabbed by Setsuna again. "You what you!"
However, Setsuna didn't kill his buddy again in front of the Third this time. Instead, he stepped forward to claim credit, lifting Danzo by the back of his collar like a puppy: "Hokage-sama, I've caught another spy from an enemy village."
The Third was caught between laughter and tears. Setsuna had caught two 'spies': one was Jiraiya, the other was Danzo. He felt maybe Danzo should just give his position as Root's leader to Setsuna.
Setsuna continued: "Not only did he come to arrest me in the middle of the night, but he also claimed to be a high-ranking official of our Konoha. Yet he doesn't even know the content of the Will of Fire. Spies these days are really unprofessional."
The Third Hokage snorted discontentedly: "Indeed, one shouldn't be unaware of the Will of Fire's content."
Danzo's face was full of humiliation. Being seen by Hiruzen at his most miserable state was simply the worst nightmare of his life. What was even more hateful was that Hiruzen was still making sarcastic remarks at a time like this.
Danzo gritted his teeth: "Hiruzen!"
"Hmph, I'll deal with you later." The Third still wanted to consider the bigger picture overall. He looked amiably at Setsuna, "Setsuna, you've actually misunderstood. He really is a high-ranking official of Konoha, and he's the Hokage's Advisor I personally appointed."
Setsuna frowned slightly, pretending to be puzzled: "Then why did he send people to capture me in the middle of the night?"
The Third tried hard to cover for Danzo: "He probably wanted to recruit you into 'Root'. This department is Konoha's external sword, generally unknown to the public. He acted at night to maintain secrecy. It's just that his methods might have been a bit rude, not considering your own wishes."
"I see." Setsuna nodded thoughtfully, "Since Hokage-sama says so, as long as he sincerely apologizes to me, I'll forgive him."
"I apologize?" Danzo trembled with agitation, 'This brat beat me up like this, killed me over a dozen times in a row, wasted two of my important trump cards, and now actually has the nerve to demand an apology from me?'
"Oh? You're not willing?" Setsuna's voice was very calm, but to Danzo, it sounded like the whisper of the god of death.
Remembering the more than a dozen times he was killed before, Danzo really didn't dare to gamble.
'This brat might really go crazy and kill me regardless of Hiruzen's presence.'
'No point arguing with this kind of madman.' Danzo hypnotized himself inwardly and spoke with difficulty, "I was wrong. I apologize to you."
The Third was dumbfounded. He had been thinking about how to pacify them. After all, given Danzo's personality, it should have been impossible for him to bow his head and apologize. But now he had actually given in.
'So reasoning with Danzo is useless, but using fists to speak is effective?' The Third's eyes lit up. Although he was very tolerant of Danzo, sometimes he also found this old friend's certain extreme actions quite a headache.
Setsuna making Danzo back down undoubtedly opened a new door for him.
After hearing Danzo's apology full of humiliation, Setsuna went 'Tsk tsk' twice, then said righteously: "Also, the street damaged during our fight just now, you are responsible for repairing and compensating for it."
"Fine." Danzo agreed readily. Compared to the dignity he lost, compensation and repairs were minor matters.
"Hmph, if you disturb my rest at night again in the future, I won't be as easy to talk to as today." Setsuna threw Danzo away like garbage, then looked at the Third, "Hokage-sama, there's something I still want to say. This Hokage Advisor's work ability and work attitude are both highly problematic. Being weak is one thing, but as the Hokage's Advisor, he doesn't even know your Will of Fire. It's just terrible!"
The Third couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from turning upward.
Although he often tolerated Danzo's extreme actions, he did want to admonish this old friend. What Setsuna said was exactly what he wanted, especially since it used his masterpiece, the Will of Fire.
Danzo, on the other hand, was so angry his lips trembled. His finger shook as he pointed at Setsuna, his eyes wide, as if he would faint the next second.
'So evil! How can a person be this evil!'
'I had already apologized, and yet this brat still had to slander me.'
Setsuna ignored Danzo's reaction and bowed to the Third: "Hokage-sama, I'll go back and rest now."
After speaking, Setsuna quickly disappeared into the forest.
Seeing that Setsuna had left, and Danzo was still pointing a trembling finger in the direction Setsuna left, the Third imitated Setsuna's mockery: "Being weak is one thing, but having problematic ideology is not good."
Danzo was furious: "If I hadn't chosen the wrong strategy at the beginning, thinking to capture him and letting him get close, as a mere Taijutsu specialist, he would never have been able to catch me in his lifetime!"
The Third didn't doubt that. Even the Third Raikage couldn't so easily torture and kill Danzo. But that didn't stop him from mocking verbally: "All I see is the result: you were defeated by a Genin."
Danzo almost ground his teeth to dust but couldn't refute it. He could only change the subject: "Hiruzen, I believe that brat is too extreme. He doesn't even listen to high-ranking officials like me. Moreover, his ideology is also very radical. He will definitely become a great threat to Konoha in the future."
The Third sneered: "He doesn't listen to you? Then what about you? Do you listen to me, the Hokage? I believe I told you not to use your methods on him."
Danzo couldn't help but be hypocritical: "How is that the same?"
The Third said indifferently: "I don't see any difference. At least that child has a deep understanding of the Will of Fire, much better than you, the Hokage's Advisor."
Danzo's facial muscles twitched slightly, 'Did this bastard Hiruzen think I was one of those kids at school?'
The Third took a deep breath: "Let's put aside the matter of you disobeying my orders for now. I ask you, is your resurrection method the Uchiha Clan's Izanagi?"
Danzo nodded silently, not surprised by this. Even he knew about Izanagi. With Hiruzen's control over the village, it wasn't strange for him to know this secret.
"Also, was Kagami's death related to you?" The Third finished speaking, staring intently at Danzo's eye.
"You suspect me?" Danzo met the Third's icy gaze.
The Third said gravely: "Then tell me, where did the Sharingan you used to activate Izanagi come from?"
For a moment, the atmosphere in the forest became solemn and murderous, and the temperature seemed to drop significantly.
Danzo took a deep breath and said: "It is indeed his eye, but he gave it to me with his own hands."
The Third frowned: "Are you telling the truth?"
Danzo said coldly: "Although I, like our Sensei, believe the Uchiha are an inherently evil clan, even our Sensei acknowledged Kagami. Of course, I wouldn't be prejudiced against him. Kagami also knew our views on the Uchiha. He wanted to become a bridge between Konoha and the Uchiha Clan. If he were still alive, he might have actually succeeded."
"But he died, died on that mission. Before his death, he gave me his eyes, hoping my view of the Uchiha would change."
The Third continued asking: "Why didn't he use Izanagi himself?"
Danzo explained: "He told me that activating this technique requires possessing both Uchiha and Senju power simultaneously. It was also to inherit his will that I began researching the transplantation of the First Hokage's cells."
"This technique has such a restriction?" The Third frowned slightly. Although he had heard of this technique, he didn't understand it well. He could only warn: "I'll believe you this time. However, Konoha's spear must never be turned inward!"
Danzo said with a gloomy face: "I want Konoha to be strong even more than you do."