CH - 321 Don't say it!

"You're awake?" called a voice as Danzo finally regained consciousness. "Don't worry, it's evening now, and everyone else has left."

Startled, Danzo glanced out the window before calming down. He withdrew his gaze, realizing he was in the medical department as he looked at the white sheet covering him. A sigh escaped his lips, quickly replaced by a surge of anger. His fist clenched, his gaze turning sharp as he muttered through gritted teeth, "Damn Grass ninjas..."

"Getting angry won't help," the calm voice continued. "If you fall ill, who will take your place? If you let anger consume you, the enemy wins. So, save your energy. Don't get angry. Keep repeating that, and you'll feel better."

Danzo turned to the source of the voice, seeing his close friend lying in the adjacent bed. Hiruzen Sarutobi, despite wearing a hospital gown, appeared completely at ease. He leisurely read a newspaper and sipped hot tea, looking more like he was enjoying a relaxing break rather than recovering in a hospital.

Danzo fell silent for a moment, then sighed and asked dejectedly, "Why are you here too, Hiruzen?"

"Me?" Sarutobi replied, still focused on the newspaper. "Same reason as you—got too angry."

"Then how come you..." Danzo couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Got used to it! The more you get angry, the more you learn to handle it," Sarutobi responded, his tone carrying the weight of years of experience. He sighed deeply, as if he had a thousand words to say, but in the end, it all condensed into a long, weary "Ah~."

The melancholic atmosphere weighed heavily on Danzo, and for a moment, he remained silent, reflecting on Sarutobi's words. After a long pause, he spoke again, his voice tinged with regret. "I'm sorry, Hiruzen, I..."

"Let's not dwell on it," Sarutobi interrupted, his voice calm but firm. "It was an accident, and I understand. Who could have predicted that Grass Village would learn about Orochimaru's experiments?" He shook his head, staring blankly at the ceiling, his voice soft as he muttered to himself, "No more anger. I can't afford to be angry anymore."

The weight of his words hung in the air. Konoha still needed him. After a moment of quiet reflection, Sarutobi looked back at Danzo, his expression serious. "I've already sent people to track down Orochimaru, but catching him won't be easy."

Danzo's brow furrowed with concern. "What about outside?" he asked, his worry palpable.

Sarutobi met his gaze evenly. "I've taken care of it," he replied, his tone unwavering. Then, after a brief pause, he added with quiet determination, "Let the past be the past. From now on, we will live our lives honestly. No more chasing after things that aren't meant to be."

"No! I haven't lost yet!" Danzo shook his head, his voice filled with determination. "This was just a fluke by the Grass Village. I still have a chance. Once this blows over, I'll get some money and start a business again..."

Before he could finish, he noticed Hiruzen clutching his chest, trembling. "Hiruzen, Hiruzen! What's wrong?" Danzo's concern grew as he rushed to his side.

"I... I'm fine..." Hiruzen managed to say, his voice weak as he clutched his chest, feeling a sharp pain. He took deep breaths, trying to steady himself.

Danzo gave a nod of relief. "Good, then I'll continue. Once I get some money, I'll start a business again..." He was about to speak further when his friend suddenly began convulsing, his body shaking violently, and foam starting to form at the corners of his mouth.

Danzo froze, his words dying in his throat as he stared, wide-eyed. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He understood what was happening.

Suddenly, the entire room grew still, the tension thick in the air. It was almost as if time itself had slowed down. Every time Danzo spoke the word, "Business," Hiruzen's body would convulse, his eyes rolling back, looking like he might collapse from the strain.

Danzo hesitated, then tried again, his voice a bit more tentative. "Business..."

As expected, Hiruzen reacted violently once again, gasping for air as if the very mention of the word was choking him. His body trembled, cold sweat pouring from him in the sweltering heat.

Danzo, now increasingly concerned, muttered, "Business..." for a third time. Once again, Hiruzen shook uncontrollably, his face flushed with panic.

Finally, unable to ignore Hiruzen's distress any longer, Danzo stopped. He looked at his friend with growing concern. "Hiruzen, you..."

"Don't say it," Hiruzen managed to force out between shallow breaths, wiping foam from his lips. He patted his chest, trying to calm his erratic heartbeat. "Whenever I hear those words... I don't know why, but I start shaking with anger. It's like cold sweat runs down my back, even in this heat."

Danzo fell silent, a somber look on his face. He let out a long sigh, realizing just how deep Hiruzen's frustration ran. "You know I don't give up easily."

Sarutobi gave a soft, exasperated sigh, the weight of the situation clear in his eyes. "Let's not do this anymore, Danzo. Listen to me. That business is far too risky for us. It's not worth it. Let's live our lives honestly and stop chasing after things that are beyond our reach."

"I just want to do it! I, Danzo Shimura, am not the kind of man who gives up easily!" Danzo shook his head, his voice firm with resolve.

"I know you don't give up easily," Hiruzen replied with a weary sigh, "but just because you're determined doesn't mean you should go down this path."

"I just want to!" Danzo shot back, his stubbornness evident in every word.

"No! Stop dreaming, Danzo. It's too dangerous." Hiruzen's voice grew more stern, his patience wearing thin.

"Are you doubting me?" Danzo's eyes narrowed, his tone sharp with rising anger.

"No, I trust you too much," Hiruzen replied calmly, his voice filled with a mixture of concern and regret. "That's exactly why I don't want you to do this."

Another tense silence hung between them, before Danzo's voice broke it again. "I just want to!"

"No!" Hiruzen shook his head resolutely.

"I just want to!" Danzo repeated, his resolve unshaken.

"No!" Hiruzen said again, more firmly this time.

"I just want to!" Danzo's frustration was evident as his voice rose.

"No!" Hiruzen's answer was the same, his tone just as unwavering.

Finally, unable to contain himself any longer, Danzo's voice grew louder, "Hiruzen!"

"N-Huh?" Hiruzen met Danzo's gaze, his expression resolute as he raised his own voice in return, "Danzo!"

At that moment, as Danzo and Hiruzen continued their heated argument, neither willing to give an inch, the door suddenly creaked open. "Creak~"

A woman's voice rang out, sharp and full of anger, "Hiruzen, what are you two doing behind my back?!"

Both men froze mid-argument, their attention snapping toward the door. Danzo, taken aback, was the first to speak, his voice filled with surprise, "Biwako?"

"Huh? Biwako, you're here?" Hiruzen, equally startled, turned toward her. His face was filled with confusion, and he asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Biwako shot back, her brows knitting together in frustration. "You two should be the ones explaining yourselves!"

"We? We're just discussing a few matters," Hiruzen said calmly, still clearly confused as to why Biwako was so concerned.

"Discussing what?" Biwako asked, her tone sharp and serious.

"Danzo still wants to do it, but I won't allow it. After all, the impact is simply too great," Hiruzen sighed, his frustration evident.

Biwako blinked, bewildered by his words. "Do what?"

Before Biwako could respond further, Danzo cut in, his voice cold yet composed, "I just want to continue my business..."

However, before he could finish, Hiruzen's body seemed to convulse again, his face contorting in discomfort as he struggled to breathe.

"Hiruzen! Hiruzen! What's happening to you?" Biwako cried out in panic as she saw Hiruzen foaming at the mouth. "Medical ninja! Medical ninja! Hurry, get over here!"

However, just as her words left her mouth, Hiruzen snapped back to reality, waving his hand weakly. "I'm fine... It's just that I can't stand hearing that word right now."

"That word? What? Business?" Biwako asked, confused.

Instead of answering her, Hiruzen's body trembled again, his discomfort evident.

Slowly, Biwako began to understand the situation. A sheepish smile crept across her face as she realized her mistake. No wonder she had misunderstood.

She had heard them earlier—one insisting, "I want to," and the other firmly responding, "No." And then, they were calling each other by their names. Who could blame her for thinking something else was going on?

"What are you doing here?" Hiruzen, seemingly recovered, asked Biwako with confusion. "Has something happened in the village?"

"Not really. Besides, you've pinned all the blame on Dan—cough, cough!" Biwako saw Danzo's suspicious look and quickly faked a cough, then said seriously, "I'm here to transfer you to another room. Pack up quickly!"

"Transfer to another room? Why? I'm perfectly fine here, why do I need to move?" Hiruzen asked curiously.

Biwako fell silent for a moment, then sighed under the puzzled gazes of Hiruzen and Danzo. "I don't feel comfortable with you two staying together."

Hiruzen was suddenly confused by her words. "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about that word!" Biwako replied, a little embarrassed as she made an excuse. After all, She couldn't very well admit she was worried something might happen between Danzo and Hiruzen.

"In that case, I'll move rooms," Hiruzen sighed, nodding in agreement. He looked at Danzo and added, "We'll talk more once we're both feeling better."

"I understand," Danzo responded, giving a curt nod and not adding anything further.

"Don't worry about it," Hiruzen said, breathing a small sigh of relief. "I'll have the medical ninja keep the room ready for you. You might need it again sometime." He glanced at Danzo, who nodded in acknowledgment.

As Hiruzen walked toward the door, he paused, as though remembering something important. He turned back to Danzo, saying, "Oh, there's one more thing I almost forgot to mention. I've made a decision..."

Danzo, watching intently, waited as Hiruzen trailed off. Finally, Hiruzen continued, "We're going to seal the village, like the Hidden Mist did."

Danzo's eyes widened in shock. 'You are telling me about this now?'

…

Late summer in Konoha. Following the sudden closure of the village and the fallout from the factory's downfall, the Third Hokage gave an exclusive interview to Shinobi Times.

Despite the heavy events unfolding, he displayed no signs of fatigue or defeat. Instead, he sternly criticized Danzo, asserting that he had been completely unaware of the situation and promising swift action against Shimura Danzo. At the same time, as a longtime friend, he expressed his hope that the village could forgive Danzo, explaining that his childhood fear of poverty had led him astray and that he had been momentarily overcome by temptation.

When asked about Orochimaru's defection, the Third Hokage's sorrow was palpable. As a teacher, he lamented that his once-promising disciple had fallen so far, but he assured the public that Orochimaru's capture was now a priority and that orders for his arrest had already been issued.

In a matter of days, the news of Konoha's closure, Orochimaru's defection, and the sudden collapse of Danzo's Root factory—once seen as a potential rival to the Grass Village—had left the Cloud and Stone Villages stunned and scrambling. The pace of these events had been so swift that they had no chance to respond before it was all over.

Yet, despite the chaos and upheaval, the shinobi world found a brief, albeit weird, sense of peace.

…

In Grass Village, Tsunade sat in stunned silence, staring at the newspaper in her hands. The events unfolding in the shinobi world were happening at an astonishing pace. In just two days, so much had changed that even she, one of the legendary Sannins, was struggling to keep up. Konoha had actually closed its village?

She let out a heavy sigh, muttering to herself, "What is happening to the village…"

Before she could reflect further, a loud voice interrupted her thoughts. "Tsunade! Tsunade! Where's the extra named Tsunade? Who hired this person? Dock their pay!"

Tsunade quickly tucked the newspaper away, standing up and calling back with a hint of irritation, "I'm here! I'm here! Don't dock my pay!"