Chapter 6: The Third Hokage's Check and Balance
At the very heart of Konohagakure, within the Hokage's Office, Danzo found himself summoned by the Third Hokage for the first time.
[ Ding... Please obtain the recognition of the key storyline character, Hiruzen Sarutobi. ]
Before him sat Hiruzen Sarutobi, pipe in hand. Age spots had begun to appear on his face, and the signs of aging were undeniable. Seated beside him were the two advisory elders, Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado. However, it was evident that they were not the key figures in this particular matter.
"Hiruzen, what is it that you need from me?"
Danzo was somewhat puzzled. Root often coordinated intelligence missions with the Anbu, and unless the matter was of great importance, he rarely needed to come to the Hokage's Office. Truth be told, he had no desire to set foot in this place.
Taking his designated seat, Danzo sat down in silence. Hiruzen took a slow drag from his pipe, exhaling a cloud of smoke before speaking.
"This meeting is to discuss an important matter. The Fire Daimyo has just sent word—now that the war and post-war reconstruction efforts are complete, he intends to reduce Konoha's funding… There are still many reparations and war-related expenses that need to be covered."
Homura glanced at Danzo and continued, "Konoha isn't receiving as many commissioned missions right now, and our finances are tight. Every department needs to cut costs, including Root, whose funding must be reduced to pre-war levels."
As the three awaited his response, Danzo immediately understood—this had already been discussed among them beforehand.
Returning to pre-war funding meant Root's budget would be slashed to one-third of its current amount.
Root's finances primarily came from Konoha's allocations, with a small portion supplemented by bounty missions.
Danzo pondered for a moment. How would his original self have responded?
The usual process was resentment—refusal—eventual compromise—then subtly insinuating that Hiruzen was an incompetent leader on the way out.
As expected, his predecessor had been thoroughly outmaneuvered.
"Since you've already made your decision, I have nothing more to say," Danzo finally spoke. "However, due to the war, Root has suffered significant losses. Our intelligence network in the Land of Earth has completely collapsed. We require fresh blood to rebuild our ranks."
Hiruzen tapped his pipe against the ashtray, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes. Danzo was being unexpectedly cooperative. Nonetheless, since the objective had been achieved, Hiruzen was quite pleased.
Without additional financial resources, Root would only be able to train intelligence officers at best. And there was certainly no shortage of war orphans in Konoha.
A nostalgic and somewhat relieved smile formed on Hiruzen's face as he sincerely said,
"I appreciate your understanding, Danzo. Everything we do is for the village. If Root is understaffed, you may request personnel transfers from the Anbu."
As a concession, Root was granted the right to recruit 200 war orphans.
After exchanging a few more perfunctory pleasantries with the three, Danzo left the Hokage's Office.
On his way back to Root headquarters, he carefully analyzed the current situation.
With the war over, Root had become a liability in the Hokage's eyes.
Whether it was trying to integrate Orochimaru into Root or tightening its financial grip, these were all methods to suppress the organization.
A well-fed hunting dog was essential during the chase, but once the hunt was over, it had to be collared and leashed.
Upon arriving at headquarters, several Root operatives were already waiting.
"How is the mission progressing?" Danzo inquired.
"We've selected two merchants from the Land of Fire and have begun establishing a trade association. The transport of goods is already underway."
"Good. Train a group of Root members in commerce. Organize the association as quickly as possible."
"Understood."
Perhaps it was a long-standing tradition in the shinobi world—independent ninja organizations were ultimately subject to the economic control of their respective Daimyo.
After fully taking over Root, Danzo had realized that while the organization operated outside of Konoha's official structure, it was still financially dependent on the village.
And that was precisely how they had been cornered this time.
"In addition to intelligence gathering, cease all efforts to stir conflict between other villages," Danzo commanded. "Deploy elite jōnin-led teams to the black market to hunt down rogue ninja ranked A-class or lower. If any of them possess unique talents, recruit them under the trade association's name."
Eliminating rogue ninja for bounty money was already an established Root operation. Until the trade association became profitable, Danzo intended to expand this revenue stream.
After issuing the order, the assigned ninja accepted their tasks and departed.
Another Root operative then stepped forward and respectfully reported, "Per your instructions, five injured and disabled shinobi have been brought back. Shall we send them to the lab?"
Danzo furrowed his brow slightly before speaking in a deep voice,
"We are short on manpower right now. Assign them to the training base as instructors. From now on, unless I give the order, Root members are not to be used as experimental subjects."
"Yes, sir."
In Root's past practices, injured operatives who had lost their combat value were typically disposed of humanely if they were outside the Land of Fire, to prevent intelligence leaks. If they were within the country, they were sent to the lab to serve one final purpose.
But to Danzo, this was a waste. These shinobi had a wealth of battlefield experience. Even if they could no longer fight, they were perfectly suited to train the next generation.
"The latest batch of chūnin has been marked with identification seals and assigned to squads based on their jutsu affinities. They are ready to carry out your orders at any time," reported a member of the Sealing Division.
...
After issuing all necessary directives, Danzo sat back in his chair, rubbing his temples.
To Root members, his word was absolute law.
They did not question, did not hesitate, and had no emotions—only absolute obedience, like tools wielded by their master.
While this level of control ensured unwavering loyalty, it also made the organization rigid. Every decision required his direct approval, making the entire operation somewhat inefficient.
"No wonder my predecessor's personal strength stagnated after taking control of Root… There was simply no time for training."
It was clear—he needed to cultivate capable subordinates to share the burden.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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