Konoha Hospital. Intensive care ward.
Hiruzen lay covered in tubes. The monitor beside him beeped steadily.
His eyes were shut tight, brows knotted, face pale and bloodless. His lips were cracked and purplish.
From time to time, meaningless murmurs slipped out of his throat.
Koharu and Homura Mitokado stood beside the bed, expressions complicated as they looked at their former comrade and closest companion.
Yes—there had been power struggles. Fierce arguments. Even periods when the relationship froze to ice.
But it couldn't be denied—
Both sides had acted believing they were strengthening Konoha.
Staring at Hiruzen's dying-looking state, the two advisers felt an invisible weight settle onto their shoulders.
"How… did it come to this?"
Homura sighed heavily, face dark.
"Hiruzen only fainted. How did he suddenly… become this weak?"
"Who knows?"
Koharu gritted her teeth, resentful.
"The examination results are terrible. He's only fifty, but it's like he entered old age early."
"And he appears to have contracted some kind of virus."
"A virus?"
Homura pinched the bridge of his nose, bewildered.
"Hiruzen is the Hokage. Does that mean… there's a traitor inside the village?"
"We can't rule it out yet."
Koharu's eyes turned cold—cruel.
"If I find out who did this…"
Just then, the ward door opened.
Shimura Danzo entered in a black cloak, leaning on a cane, walking slowly.
"Danzo?"
Koharu's face twitched with disgust the moment she saw "her" face.
"You should be stabilizing the village. What are you doing here?"
"Don't be so tense. I came to see how Hiruzen is doing."
Danzo lifted the hood, revealing that delicate face again, and looked at Hiruzen on the bed.
"The thing you should be doing isn't visiting Hiruzen," Koharu snapped, looking away in irritation.
"Danzo—Hiruzen appointed you to temporarily assume Hokage duties, so I'll remind you right now: don't abuse your authority."
"Homura and I will be watching you."
Homura added sternly,
"Danzo, remember your responsibility. The Hokage position isn't a tool to satisfy private desire. The village must come first."
The advisers knew Danzo's ambition too well.
If the village weren't so empty right now—and if Orochimaru weren't so obviously untrustworthy—then even outright disobeying orders, they still wouldn't have allowed Danzo to step into power.
It was all… too coincidental.
"I understand."
Danzo replied flatly, expression unchanged.
In her heart she knew it too.
If Minato, Jiraiya, or Tsunade—any one of them—were here, this opportunity would never have come to her.
But fate had twisted strangely.
She had reached this step at last.
Danzo looked at Hiruzen and curved her red lips slightly, voice thick with meaning.
"Don't worry, Hiruzen. Until you wake up, I won't let anything happen to Konoha."
"After all… this is the village our teacher left behind."
With that, she pulled her hood up again and turned to leave—to formally accept this "gift."
"Wait—Danzo!"
Koharu suddenly spoke, stopping her.
"Anything else, Adviser-sama?"
Danzo didn't turn fully, only half-glancing back.
Koharu and Homura exchanged a look. With Homura's confirming nod, Koharu inhaled and said gravely:
"The medical examination suggests Hiruzen may have been poisoned. Do not publicize this."
"We suspect there's a 'ghost' inside Konoha."
"You must investigate and find the truth."
This had to be handled by someone.
And the choice mattered.
After weighing it, the advisers decided to hand it to Danzo:
First, Danzo controlled Root and was familiar with "dirty work."
Second, since they didn't know who the traitor might be, Danzo's identity was ironically suitable—Hiruzen's decades-long comrade, someone they believed would not harm the Hokage.
"Poisoned?"
Danzo fell silent for a moment, then answered calmly.
"Fine. I understand. I'll investigate in secret."
Homura looked at his old partner and said earnestly,
"Danzo… don't disappoint Hiruzen, and don't disappoint our teacher. Konoha is in your hands."
"…Mm."
Danzo replied briefly and left the ward.
In the corridor, dozens of ANBU stood guard, protecting the critically ill Hokage.
Danzo gave an order in a steady voice:
"Watch Hiruzen. No one is allowed to get close."
After a brief pause, she added:
"After Homura and Koharu leave… don't allow them back in either. Understood?"
The ANBU didn't understand why—
But an Acting Hokage's command was equivalent to the Hokage.
After hesitating, Linjiao stepped forward and answered for the group.
"Yes, Danzo-sama!"
Danzo didn't walk fast.
Every step was steady, the cane tapping the floor in crisp clicks as her figure slowly disappeared down the corridor.
Hokage Building. Office.
Danzo pushed the door open—
But didn't step inside immediately.
She stood at the entrance, silently staring.
The desk. The chair. Mountains of documents.
The wall lined with portraits of past Hokage.
And beyond the floor-to-ceiling window—Konoha itself.
She stared greedily at every corner, as if engraving the scene into her eyes.
After a long time, she finally walked in, circled the desk halfway, ran her fingers across its surface, and stopped before the chair.
Her face tightened, restraining something violent and ecstatic—then she lowered herself into the seat, inch by inch.
It was solid wood, not soft—
Yet it made Danzo feel a comfort unlike anything she'd ever known.
In that instant, the thoughts buried in the deepest part of her heart—ambition, desire—sprouted like bamboo after rain.
"Danzo-sama."
Aburame Ryoma entered, breaking her trance.
"It's you, Ryoma…"
Danzo leaned back, adopting a dignified posture.
"Good timing. I have something for you."
"Please give your order."
Ryoma's words were as concise as ever.
And that cold professionalism made Danzo trust him even more.
"Keep watch on Koharu and Homura. Any movement—report everything to me."
Ryoma's eyes flickered slightly.
"Understood, Danzo-sama. I'll keep them under close watch."
"Go."
Danzo waved him away.
"I want to be alone. Don't let anyone else in."
"Yes, Danzo-sama."
Ryoma withdrew and closed the door behind him.
Alone in the empty Hokage office, Danzo slowly rose and walked to the wall of portraits.
Her gaze swept over them one by one—
Until it stopped at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
After staring for a long time, her lips curved into a cold arc.
"Hiruzen… don't blame me."
"If you must blame someone, blame yourself."
"You couldn't resist temptation."
"I didn't plan to move this soon… but you forced my hand."
Then her gaze shifted to the portrait of the Second Hokage.
"Teacher… you'll see."
"You'll see who was truly more fit to be Hokage…"
"Me—or Hiruzen."
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