**Chapter 259: Dying with Eyes Open**

Danzo Shimura is dead!

Killed by none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi, the one he hated the most!

When he died, his eyes were wide open.

He died without peace!

Truly, he died without peace!

Danzo never could have imagined that he would die at the hands of Hiruzen Sarutobi.

The greatest regret in Danzo's heart—one minute!

That short minute!

Back then, if he hadn't hesitated for just that one minute… he wouldn't have become the Hokage anyway!

It was inevitable!

In the original story, in Hiruzen Sarutobi's last battle, when he was about to die fighting Orochimaru, he recalled the past.

He remembered a line from Hashirama and Tobirama Senju: "From today onward, you are the Hokage!"

So, even if Danzo hadn't hesitated in that minute, Tobirama Senju would have found another reason to refuse him.

As a leader, Tobirama wouldn't dismiss someone just because of a moment of hesitation.

The decision for the Hokage was likely already made.

After all, it concerned the fate of an entire village.

But!

Danzo didn't believe that!

He thought it was his hesitation that cost him the position of Hokage.

So!

He went mad.

He wanted to reclaim the position he believed he lost.

Hokage!

It was his obsession!

Hiruzen Sarutobi?

He just got lucky!

Yes!

That's it!

Danzo's mind began to twist.

In his heart, Danzo felt both jealousy and hatred towards Hiruzen Sarutobi, with a hint of disdain.

Over the years, Konoha's changes only reinforced his feelings.

When Konoha was strong, Danzo believed it was all because of his sacrifices.

Hidden in the shadows, he had done so much for Konoha.

When Konoha began to decline, he blamed Hiruzen Sarutobi's indecision.

If not for Sarutobi's indecisiveness, Konoha wouldn't be in such a state.

Everything was Hiruzen Sarutobi's fault.

No matter how you looked at it, it was his fault.

And now?

He had died by Hiruzen Sarutobi's hand!

Why did it have to be him?

If Danzo had known this would be his fate, he would've killed Hiruzen Sarutobi long ago.

But sadly, there are no "ifs."

Danzo finally died at the hands of the one who haunted him his entire life.

The Third Hokage!

His anger!

His regret!

His unwillingness!

His disappointment!

…

All of it vanished completely with his death.

In Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart, there was also a hollow feeling.

He couldn't quite describe it, but it was complicated.

"Danzo..."

Hiruzen sighed and, as if struck by a thought, turned back to Danzo's corpse.

He stared at the body.

Suddenly!

*Whoosh!*

A cold flash passed, and Danzo's head was severed from his body.

The Third Hokage grabbed Danzo's head and took out a scroll, sealing the rest of Danzo's body.

A ninja's body holds endless secrets and information.

Danzo's body, in particular, was extremely valuable!

It contained both Senju and Uchiha power.

And somehow, it had achieved a strange balance.

To be blunt, Danzo's body was worth as much as a tailed beast.

There was no way the Third Hokage would let it go.

And!

After everything that had happened, even Hiruzen Sarutobi felt a growing hunger for power.

If it were possible...

After dealing with Danzo, the Third Hokage continued to head for the battlefield.

Although he had been delayed for a few days, as the Hokage—former Hokage—he still had privileges.

It had only been a few days; who could object?

But!

Just as he rejoined his forces, a few figures appeared.

"Hokage-sama!"

The leader spoke with respect but with an air that allowed no refusal.

"Please come with us."

"What?"

Hiruzen was taken aback.

"Why?"

The ninja said nothing more, only repeating, "Please come with us."

A sinking feeling grew in Hiruzen's chest.

He knew something had happened.

And yet, in his haste to return, he had barely gathered any information.

Moreover...

Why hadn't the people left behind in the village sent any information?

Could something have happened to them too?

Suppressing his doubts, he questioned, "If I leave now, what about the ninja forces? What about the Cloud Village?"

"Jiraiya has been ordered to take over as the new commander of the ninja forces," the ninja calmly replied. "You need not worry about the battlefield. Please come with us."

Hiruzen gazed deeply at the ninja in front of him.

The ninja's expression was calm, unmoved.

A Jonin!

And strong too!

Konoha had a ninja like this, and as Hokage, he hadn't known?

Has the one lurking in the shadows finally made their move?

The Third Hokage took a deep breath and slowly said, "Alright, I'll go with you."

There was a hint of pain in his expression.

This ninja force was under his leadership, with members from other ninja clans mixed in.

If he left, what sort of sacrifices would they have to make on the battlefield? He didn't know.

Fortunately, Jiraiya was in charge. Otherwise, he wasn't sure what he might've done.

It wouldn't have been impossible to follow Danzo's path.

The Third Hokage didn't resist, quietly following the group of ninja.

He had already calculated it in his mind.

What could happen if he returned?

Who would dare harm him?

His secrets had mostly been cleaned up, and the only person who knew everything—Danzo—was dead, by his hand.

Relax!

The only thing to worry about would be on the way back.

It was highly likely that someone would try to assassinate him en route.

But...

He had people protecting him along the way.

There wouldn't be a problem!

Returning to the village would probably just involve questioning.

Leaving the ninja forces without permission wasn't a small matter, after all.

But compared to the loss, silencing Danzo forever?

That was worth it!

This thought lingered until they reached Konoha.

The moment Hiruzen Sarutobi entered the village, he sensed that something was off.

As Hokage, Konoha had always felt like his domain.

Here, he felt a natural sense of authority.

But...

At this moment, it felt as if the entire village of Konoha was rejecting him.

The whole village seemed to be standing in opposition to him.

A sense of oppression weighed heavily on his chest.

It was a strange feeling, yet undeniably real.

"Why is this happening?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood rigidly on the streets of Konoha.

"Lord Hokage!"

The few shinobi who had brought him back wore grave expressions, staring intently at the Third Hokage, as if afraid he might do something extreme. They said, "Please come with us, and don't make things difficult for me."

"Hmph!"

The Third Hokage forced a stiff smile and asked, "May I ask, where are we going?"

"The center of the village."

The shinobi didn't hold back and answered bluntly.

"Oh."

Hiruzen Sarutobi didn't understand—what was he going there for?

He didn't ask any more questions and continued to walk with the shinobi.

However, as they walked, the gazes from the villagers on either side of the street made him deeply uncomfortable.

Cold!

Disgust!

Hatred!

Some shinobi even unconsciously exuded an aura of killing intent.

"What exactly is going on?"

Their gazes—this wasn't how people looked at a Hokage. It was as if they were looking at a jinchūriki.

Yes!

Like a jinchūriki!

He was a Hokage, someone who commanded respect.

Even if there were minor mistakes, they didn't undermine his overall legacy.

How could they look at him this way?

The Third Hokage's heart started to burn with anger.

The lead shinobi suddenly asked, "Lord Hokage, how do these looks make you feel?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi glanced at him but didn't respond.

He was the Hokage, and not just any shinobi could speak to him.

Even if he had stepped down from the position.

Even if his reputation had suffered.

Hiruzen Sarutobi still had his pride.

Although he often walked around the village with a smile, interacting with children and ordinary shinobi.

But!

Only a fool would believe that was sincere!

If he truly cared, just a few more smiles toward Naruto would've sufficed. Would the shinobi of Konoha still dare to target Naruto then?

When Hiruzen Sarutobi secretly met with Naruto.

When he subtly hinted to others to stay away from Naruto.

Naruto's future had already been sealed.

No one could change it.

Faced with the shinobi's provocative words, Hiruzen Sarutobi chose silence.

He had no idea what was going on, so now was not the time to speak recklessly.

Of course, afterward, he would thoroughly investigate this shinobi.

Although he had stepped down, that didn't mean just anyone could challenge him.

If he hadn't had no other choice, he would never have given up the power he once held.

"What's the matter?"

The shinobi chuckled softly and said, "Can't speak?"

"Or, are you afraid to speak?"

"Who are you?"

Hiruzen's gaze turned icy as he stared at the shinobi and said coldly, "You've got quite the nerve to speak to me like this."

"My nerve? Yes, it's not small."

The shinobi sighed and said, "Perhaps Lord Third Hokage doesn't remember me, but I remember you. More than once, you denied me the chance to become a jonin."

Hiruzen's brow furrowed, but he still didn't speak.

Jonin!

That was a crucial rank.

True jonin had a voice in important matters and could even vote in major decisions.

Including the appointment or removal of a Hokage!

So, jonin was a key position fought over by the higher-ups.

Hiruzen Sarutobi wasn't foolish; of course, he wanted more jonin on his side.

As for the civilian shinobi...

Being a special jonin was enough!

Too much power, and they couldn't handle it.

That's why, during Hiruzen Sarutobi's administration, unless a shinobi was exceptionally outstanding, they'd remain special jonin. Ordinary shinobi had no chance.

Like the Fourth Hokage's bodyguards!

Not only were they powerful enough, but they also had the ability to use the Flying Thunder God technique together.

Minato had a good eye for talent!

Unfortunately...

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed inwardly while subtly glancing around.

Where were his people?

He had been back in the village for a while now, so why hadn't anyone brought him any information?

He had no idea what was going on in the village.

He was completely caught off guard.

They soon reached the center of the village.

There were people everywhere!

A large number of villagers had gathered here.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was shocked again.

What in the world was happening?

Moreover...

He seemed to have spotted some nobles in the crowd.

Why did Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado look so grim?

And where were the Sarutobi clan members?

Why was none of them present?

Even though he had taken many of them with him, there were still nearly a thousand Sarutobi left in Konoha.

Yet not a single one was here!

At this moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi's heart sank to rock bottom.

"Hiruzen Sarutobi, come up!"

In the center of the village stood a large open platform.

It was used for important events when necessary.

Kakashi stood in the middle of the platform and shouted.

Hearing Kakashi call him by his name, Hiruzen Sarutobi's face turned pale, and his eyes filled with anger.

"Kakashi, what do you think you're doing? Are you planning to public trial me?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi growled.

"Yes!"

Kakashi responded loudly without hesitation.

"What?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils shrank to the extreme, his face full of disbelief.

Kakashi announced, "Today, all the shinobi clans, nobles of the Land of Fire, and many civilian shinobi and villagers have gathered here."

"Today, we are all here to put Hiruzen Sarutobi on trial!"

"You're insane, Kakashi!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi shouted furiously.

His angry gaze swept across the crowd, but they only returned cold stares.

Their presence didn't feel any weaker than his.

What was happening?

What was happening?

Kakashi shouted again, "Hiruzen Sarutobi, come up here. I'm giving you a chance to defend yourself."

Hiruzen Sarutobi panted heavily, glaring at Kakashi like a wounded beast, but he had no choice.

Kakashi's determined and icy gaze met his, with a hint of satisfaction deep within.

In the crowd.

Shikaku Nara sighed deeply.

Kakashi is really something!

Danzo Shimura had wanted to be Hokage, so Kakashi had forced him into becoming a rogue ninja, betraying Konoha.

And Shimura Danzo's greatest demon was Hiruzen Sarutobi...

Shikaku thought of the recent news—that the Third Hokage had left the shinobi forces during their march and acted alone.

He had likely gone to kill Danzo.

Was Danzo dead?

Killed by the Third Hokage...

Heh!

Danzo, this was probably the death you hated the most.

If you had known beforehand, you probably would've thought of taking your own life first.

And now, it's Hiruzen's turn.

Like a jinchūriki, hated and despised by the people of the village...

The once proud and honorable Third Hokage would now be dragged to the judgment platform, where he'd be put on trial by the masses.

In the end, he'd face endless humiliation and be killed by Kakashi!

Kakashi?

Shikaku suddenly froze.

Could Kakashi really be planning to personally take action and avenge his father?

It was entirely possible!

"Hiruzen Sarutobi!"

Kakashi shouted once more.

At his command, many shinobi stepped forward, surrounding Hiruzen Sarutobi.

Their eyes were filled with ill intent and anticipation.

Judging by their stance, if Hiruzen didn't get on the platform soon, they'd resort to force.

"Fine!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to explode.

Humiliated, he said, "I'll get on the platform, Kakashi. I'd like to see what you're going to judge me for. Remember, this is your choice."

With that, he walked toward the platform.

But just as he was about to take the final step, he stopped...

(End of Chapter)