"Lord Danzo."
"What is it?"
Danzo's brows furrowed. Spreading rumors about Rasa wasn't going smoothly, and his mood was already sour.
The Third Kazekage's disappearance had been too sudden. There were almost no details to twist into a convincing story. On top of that, Rasa's reputation in both Sunagakure and the Land of Wind was sky-high right now. Besides the Kazekage's vanishing, there was barely anything else worth weaponizing against him.
Danzo had been racking his brain.
"Sunagakure is hard to smear. So is Iwagakure. Mist and Cloud don't offer much either. The only rumors that spread easily are the ones about the Leaf. What the hell is wrong with us?"
"The Uchiha. The Hyuga. Now the White Fang."
After thinking hard, he landed on one conclusion.
"It's because I never became Hokage."
"Hiruzen… he just isn't capable enough."
"If I were Hokage, the Leaf wouldn't be in this mess."
The ANBU kept his head lowered respectfully, but inside he was seething.
Bringing Kakashi back had been Hiruzen's direct order. When the ANBU reached the battlefield, Kakashi was already gone. He'd failed the mission and taken a brutal scolding for it.
Now he was just as certain as Hiruzen: Danzo had gotten to Kakashi first.
Which meant his own failure was entirely Danzo's fault.
"Lord Danzo, Lord Hokage has ordered you to return to Konoha immediately."
"Return? Right now?"
"Yes."
"Did Hiruzen say what it's about?"
The ANBU shook his head.
"No."
Danzo rejected it outright.
"Go back and tell Hiruzen the rumors against Sunagakure are at a critical stage. I can't leave. Pulling out now would ruin everything. I'm not coming back yet."
"If something urgent comes up, have someone else handle it."
That answer only confirmed the ANBU's suspicions. Danzo was dodging because he had something to hide.
"Lord Danzo, this is Lord Hokage's direct command."
"Hm?"
Danzo's eyes narrowed, clearly annoyed.
The ANBU didn't budge.
"Lord Danzo, Lord Hokage said it himself—nothing else matters. You must return immediately."
Danzo stayed silent for a long moment, glaring.
In the end, the title "Hokage" won out.
"…I understand."
He nearly ground his teeth saying it. Then he stared hard at the ANBU, memorizing the masked face for later payback.
But the mask hid everything.
Danzo wrapped up his current operations and headed back toward Konoha.
The moment he entered the village he went straight to the Hokage Tower.
"Hiruzen, I need you to confirm something. Did you really have an urgent task that only I could handle? Something no one else could do? Or did that ANBU fake your orders?"
Hiruzen frowned.
"Danzo, what are you talking about?"
Danzo's voice rose with anger.
"I've been busting my ass in the Land of Wind spreading rumors about Rasa. It's difficult work. Then that ANBU shows up waving your name and forces me to drop everything and come back. I want to know—what the hell is so important that it has to be me?"
Hiruzen's face darkened.
"Danzo… are you dissatisfied with me?"
"I wouldn't dare."
"Wouldn't dare? So you are dissatisfied. You're unhappy with me? I haven't even started with you yet!"
Hiruzen snorted coldly.
"Tell me right now—where is Kakashi? Why did you move on him without my orders? What exactly are you trying to do? Do you even still respect me as Hokage?"
Danzo froze. Then his eyes went wide.
"Hiruzen, what the hell are you saying? Kakashi's disappearance has nothing to do with me! You actually think I did it?"
Danzo was furious. His chest heaved with rage he couldn't contain.
He hadn't touched Kakashi. Not once. But Hiruzen had dragged him back to the village, ruined his current operation, and was now demanding he produce Kakashi like some criminal.
How was he supposed to answer that?
He hadn't done anything. He knew nothing.
And this was how the Hokage treated him? Baseless accusations?
Hiruzen's frown deepened.
"Danzo, stop pretending. My people investigated. Right before Kakashi vanished, two operatives in ANBU uniforms approached him. After that, Kakashi was gone. And those two 'ANBU' disappeared too."
"If it wasn't you, then who?"
"Who else would have the balls to impersonate ANBU?"
"You've pulled this exact stunt more than once."
"I let it slide before. But this time the stakes are too high."
"I'm only giving you one choice. Hand Kakashi over."
Danzo looked like he was about to spit blood.
"Hiruzen, I already told you—it wasn't me! I didn't do anything!"
His voice dropped, cold and steady.
"Everything I've ever done has been for the village. I never laid a hand on Kakashi. You're pinning this on me because two fake ANBU showed up? On what evidence? Couldn't someone else have impersonated them? Or maybe they were real ANBU?"
"If I did it, I'd admit it. But I didn't. I won't take the blame for something I had nothing to do with."
Hiruzen stared at him with pure disappointment.
"Danzo… you're really something."
"Things have reached this point and you still won't admit it? You're really going to throw me under the bus like this?"
"Do you have any idea what the consequences are going to be?"
Danzo shot back, voice shaking with anger.
"Hiruzen, how am I supposed to admit to something I never did?"
Hiruzen gave a cold laugh.
"Look at you. Even now it's still 'Hiruzen, Hiruzen.' The words 'Lord Hokage' are that hard for you to say?"
Danzo's jaw clenched so hard his teeth creaked. His eyes were bloodshot.
"Lord Hokage… I swear on my life. If Kakashi's disappearance has anything to do with me, let me die a miserable death."
Hiruzen looked at him for a long, heavy moment, then waved his hand tiredly.
"Fine. Then it wasn't you."
"Oh, and about Root—I've given it a lot of thought. That department shouldn't exist anymore. It never should have. It's been decades. Time to shut it down."
"You're not young anymore, Danzo. Go back to the Shimura clan. Live out the rest of your days in peace."
"The village doesn't need your help anymore."
Danzo's face went deathly white.