Deep within the night, Hiruzen Sarutobi stepped out of his family estate and began the walk toward the Hokage's Office.
As he reached the corridor outside his chambers, Yagyu Masahiko emerged from the shadows to meet him.
"Hokage-sama."
"The little one was making a fuss. I'm afraid I'm running late," Hiruzen apologized with a weary smile as he pushed the door open and stepped inside.
Masahiko shook his head respectfully. "Not at all. It is I who arrived early."
"Masahiko... truly, thanks to you, disaster was averted this time."
Hiruzen's expression was grave, though tinged with a palpable sense of relief. He sat heavily in his chair and gestured for Masahiko to take a seat across from him, settling in for what was clearly going to be a long, intimate conversation.
The Third Hokage lit his pipe, took a deep drag, and exhaled a plume of smoke. "Before you arrived, the general consensus among the council leaned heavily toward either imprisoning Kurama Yakumo or executing her outright."
He sighed softly. "They only see the immediate situation. Imprisonment or execution brings short-term stability and benefits, but they fail to perceive the long-term harm."
"As you've said, sir. Yakumo cannot be truly imprisoned," Masahiko replied, his face solemn.
"Exactly... exactly!" Hiruzen sighed again, the weight of his office pressing down on him. "Although Yakumo's body is frail, her Kekkei Genkai is terrifyingly potent. Add to that the monster residing within her psyche... no one can guarantee she wouldn't be influenced again."
Therefore, while they debated between imprisonment and execution, the practical result would have been the same—erasure.
Hiruzen leaned back, taking two more puffs from his pipe.
"Danzō gave you a squad?"
"Yes. Three operatives. Codenames: Aka, Shin, and Sai," Masahiko confirmed.
Hiruzen nodded slowly. "Aka... I know of him. He was formerly a Jōnin instructor in the Anbu Training Division before Danzō poached him. The other two are likely incomplete products of his training regimen. I believe they can still be salvaged."
Masahiko lowered his head modestly. "This subordinate lacks the ability to..."
"It has nothing to do with you," Hiruzen interrupted gently. "It is my own incompetence that has led to today's results."
"You possess a benevolent heart, Lord Hokage. Every decision you make is for the greater good."
"Heh. Coming from you... at a time like this, that sounds almost like sarcasm." Hiruzen chuckled despite himself.
He took another drag, silencing Masahiko's attempt to explain. "Do you know the state Konoha was in when I first took up the mantle of Hokage?"
"War, crisis, and near desperation," Masahiko answered promptly.
Hiruzen shook his head. "Not quite as tragic as you describe, but it was difficult. Extremely difficult. That is why I was forced to collaborate with Danzō. Then came the Great Ninja Wars..."
His eyes grew distant. "With great difficulty, the wars ended. Peace finally arrived. Yet, with peace came divergence."
He paused, letting out a long, depressed sigh. "I am not telling you this to complain, Masahiko. I am telling you this because I hope you can help me."
Masahiko immediately stood and bowed with formal precision. "Please, instruct me, Hokage-sama!"
"I believe your capabilities are more than sufficient to handle the duties of the Anbu Training Division. Therefore..."
A flash of resolve cut through the old man's eyes.
"I need to find a way to sever the Root and reshape it. At this moment, you are the only one who can help me accomplish this!"
Hiruzen paused briefly before adding, "In truth, I have harbored this thought for a long time. Once, I had another perfect candidate in mind..."
"Was it Orochimaru?" Masahiko asked.
Hiruzen faltered slightly, his gaze darkening with sorrow. "It seems you've heard... Yes. I originally intended for him to take over the work of the Root."
"This subordinate would not dare compare himself to the Sannin, nor do I believe I can defeat Danzō-sama in a direct conflict. However, if you believe the time is right, I will do everything in my power to assist!" Masahiko raised his head, his expression shifting to one of calculation. "However... perhaps we do not need to sever the old Root entirely."
"Hm?" Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. He sat up straighter. "You have a new perspective?"
"Yes. I believe Danzō-sama possesses undeniable talent; it is simply being applied in the wrong direction," Masahiko replied smoothly.
Hiruzen gestured for him to continue.
"From the intelligence regarding Orochimaru, we can almost confirm that a number of powerful S-Rank rogue ninjas have gathered together. Furthermore," Masahiko's voice dropped to a conspiratorial level, "an organization of that magnitude cannot grow without cause. Someone must be supporting them from the shadows."
"Indeed. For such a group to thrive, there must be backers," Hiruzen agreed.
"Exactly. If they can utilize rogue ninjas, why can't we? If they can support an underground organization to do their bidding, why is it impossible for us?"
"Oh?" Hiruzen's spirit seemed to revitalize instantly. He leaned forward. "What are you suggesting?"
"Danzō-sama is exceptionally gifted in this specific field... Of course, whether to proceed with such a course of action depends entirely on your judgment."
Hiruzen held his pipe, forgetting to inhale for a long moment. The glowing ember in the bowl reflected in his thoughtful eyes.
Finally, he snapped back to reality and took a deep, decisive drag.
"This plan shall be named—Operation: Offshoot."
Konoha.
In the blink of an eye, a month passed.
Three days after the turmoil at the Academy, Kurama Yakumo and Uzumaki Naruto returned to class.
Most of the populace remained in the dark about what had actually transpired. Under the school's official narrative, the incident was classified as a vicious attack by foreign spies. Yakumo, due to her frail constitution, had been unable to escape in time.
Naruto, acting with bravery, had returned to save her, earning a formal commendation.
Regarding this... Naruto didn't feel much of anything.
In his mind, that was exactly what happened. All he had seen was a weird, ghostly figure hovering over Yakumo. As for the revelation that the ghost was Yakumo... well, Naruto had been knocked unconscious early in the fight, so he remained blissfully ignorant.
He was just happy to receive the award. Even if the reward was just a certificate and a small monetary bonus, he felt acknowledged.
Yakumo, on the other hand, was wracked with guilt. Fortunately, her natural frailty provided a convenient cover; most people assumed she was simply recovering from the shock of the "attack."
Only a select few knew the truth, and they had all been strictly gagged.
Additionally, Masahiko had kept an eye on that suspicious farmer near the village outskirts. However, the man had been selling vegetables in Konoha for years and showed absolutely no flaws on the surface. Since probing him might alert the enemy, Masahiko decided to feign ignorance for now.
On the surface, the month passed without incident. It was almost aggressively mundane.
But in the shadows—
"Hiruzen, your ideas are too dangerous! If something goes wrong, Konoha will..."
Danzō's face twisted, his expression fluctuating between shock and anger.
Hiruzen, however, remained resolute. "Danzō, do you remember the Will of Fire?"
"The Will of Fire..."
Danzō felt the breath catch in his chest. He desperately wanted to curse, but he forced it down. "Of course! It is the precious treasure left to us by our teacher!"
"Yes, the Will of Fire!" Hiruzen exclaimed with deep emotion. "We always feel that Konoha needs us. But in reality, we are old... Just as our teacher paved the way for us, it is now our turn."
He looked at Danzō with earnest, pleading eyes. "The next generation has grown up. Even without us, Konoha will still be Konoha. It will not fall!"
"Hiruzen..."
Danzō leaned heavily on his cane, standing up with a grave slowness. "I will... consider it carefully."
"Danzō, you must understand. Today, I am not asking you as the Hokage. I am asking you as a comrade, as an old friend... can you understand that?"
There was a profound sadness in Hiruzen's voice.
Danzō's emotions were a tangled mess. He paused at the door, turning his head to look at Hiruzen with his single exposed eye.
A moment later, he let out a short, scoffing chuckle.
"Of course."
With that, he closed the door and walked away, his footsteps heavy and steady.