Danzo turned around to leave but the moment he saw who was standing at the door, he froze in disbelief.
"You…? How is this possible?!"
Shiki stepped inside with a faint smile.
"Why? Is it really that shocking for Lord Danzo to see me standing here safe and sound?"
Danzo didn't answer.
He only frowned deeply as his gaze locked onto Shiki.
He did not believe his subordinates would disobey orders.
He did not think they would dare act behind his back.
Meaning one thing—
They did make a move against Shiki.
And yet… Shiki was perfectly fine.
Sarutobi Hiruzen might be many things, but he wasn't stupid.
Seeing this scene, even he could guess something was wrong.
"Ahem! Shiki—are you here for something?"
The title "Golden Lion Shiki" hadn't spread through Konoha yet, but anyone who had been on the battlefield knew of him.
A swordsman who wielded two blades,
with talent that already rivaled or surpassed Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo.
What Hiruzen cared about the most, however—
Shiki had no clan behind him.
No backing.
No troublesome relatives.
Sakumo was backed by the Hatake clan.
But Shiki?
A pure civilian genius.
A civilian genius was every Hokage's favorite.
No political baggage.
No clan elders.
Easier to "guide."
Easier to "shape."
Easier to "control" in the name of the Will of Fire.
"Hokage-sama."
Shiki matched Hiruzen's fox-like smile with a polite one of his own.
He lifted the storage scroll he held.
"It's like this. During my mission today, several ninjas suddenly attacked me.
I suspect they might be undercover agents from Sunagakure…
So I came to report it."
"Hm. Very good."
Hiruzen nodded approvingly.
To him, Shiki looked like the ideal heir to the Will of Fire—dutiful, loyal, and most importantly, clanless.
Shiki simply smiled and reached for the earlier scroll.
"Hokage-sama, I also brought the bodies.
Would you like to inspect them?"
"Mm."
Hiruzen thought for a moment, then nodded.
"Yes. We need to identify their origin."
"As you command."
Shiki smiled faintly, then opened the scroll.
"Release."
Puff—!
A burst of white smoke filled the Hokage office,and the corpses of the ninjas he had sealed earlier materialized on the floor.
Only the ROOT operatives' bodies were retrieved.
Kato Dan's corpse—being a public, well-known Konoha ninja...
Shiki had already buried deep underground.
Killing ROOT was one thing.
Killing someone with public identity required… care.
"This…"
Sarutobi froze.
Beside him, Danzo's eyelid twitched violently.
The moment he saw Shiki appear unharmed,
Danzo had sensed something was wrong.
And now...
it was confirmed.
"Hokage-sama," Shiki said calmly,
"although these people were dressed like ANBU, they attacked me the moment I encountered them on the mission."
Shiki's tone was flat, as if he genuinely understood nothing.
Compared to ANBU, ROOT was far more secretive.
Most ninjas in Konoha didn't even know it existed.
So when Shiki pretended ignorance,
Hiruzen didn't doubt it.
He only shot a sharp, dangerous glance at Danzo, whose face remained an emotionless mask.
Then Hiruzen returned to his usual fox-like smile and told Shiki:
"Not bad.
Such threats encountered during a mission should indeed be erased immediately."
When he said this, Hiruzen also shot Danzo a deep, cold glance.
How could Danzo not hear the warning hidden inside those words?
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Danzo replied seriously on the surface, but Shiki was already laughing inwardly.
Watching them cannibalize each other is honestly hilarious.
"Ahem. Shiki, you can go back first. This mission—"
Hiruzen was about to dismiss Shiki so he could question Danzo alone, but halfway through speaking, he suddenly froze...
as if he remembered something.
"Mission? When did you receive a mission?"
During wartime, no ninja was allowed to take private missions...especially not a jōnin.
Hiruzen knew he certainly hadn't issued anything to Shiki.
Shiki took out the mission scroll with a perfectly innocent expression.
"Hokage-sama didn't know?
This was handed to me by the ANBU."
"Huh?"
The moment Shiki offered the scroll to Hiruzen, Danzo's eyelids twitched even harder.
"…"
After reading the mission, Hiruzen's expression turned darker and darker.
A simple investigation mission?
Why would Shiki need to handle something this trivial?
More importantly...
Hiruzen did not recall ever issuing such a task.
In Konoha, who had the audacity to hand out missions in the Hokage's name?
There was only one answer.
Shimura Danzo.
"Shiki.
You may go back first.
I will personally investigate this matter."
Truly worthy of the title "Third Hokage."
Even now, he could maintain a calm voice toward Shiki.
"Yes."
Shiki smiled.
He'd achieved everything he wanted—
there was no need to linger.
Just as he turned to leave, Hiruzen added:
"That's right, Shiki.
This matter is highly confidential.
I hope you won't speak of it to anyone."
"I understand.
Don't worry, Hokage-sama."
Shiki's smile grew even brighter.
He nodded and walked out of the office.
Hiruzen didn't know what Shiki was planning in his heart, but that obedient attitude made him extremely satisfied.
As soon as Shiki left,
the mask of a "benevolent Hokage" vanished instantly.
Hiruzen's head turned sharply,
his gaze stabbing toward Danzo like a blade.
"Danzo… don't you think you owe me an explanation?"
If Hiruzen still couldn't understand what Danzo was doing, he didn't deserve to sit in that chair.
Danzo had tried to pull Shiki into ROOT by disguising it as a mission but he had underestimated Shiki's strength.
"There is nothing to explain.
Everything I do is for Konoha."
Danzo spoke with absolute righteousness,
completely unfazed even under Hiruzen's killing intent.
He had answered like this dozens of times already.
"I don't care about anything else.
But you...you actually dared to issue a mission in the Hokage's name."
Hiruzen's voice dropped, icy and dangerous.
"Danzo…
You've gone too far."
Hiruzen Sarutobi would tolerate many things.
But threatening the authority of the Hokage—
that was unforgivable.
Danzo wanted to become Hokage.
Hiruzen had always known.
And this...
this was the one thing he would never allow.
"…"
Hiruzen understood Danzo well.
Danzo, of course, understood Hiruzen even better.
This seemingly merciful Hokage—
valued power above all.
"I'll only say this once."
Hiruzen's voice sharpened to steel.
"If this happens again—
I will dissolve ROOT myself."
ROOT belonged to Danzo, yes.
But if the Hokage wanted it gone—
it would be gone.
"…I understand."
Danzo's face remained expressionless,
but his heart was boiling.
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