Chapter 87 — Danzo: “You’re the Hokage!”, Hiruzen: “And You…”

"Did they really dare?" Danzo's eyes narrowed.

"Why wouldn't they?" Hiruzen scoffed. "You're openly trying to brainwash the next generation of their clans into your Root. Tell me, why wouldn't they dare retaliate? Even as Hokage, I can't ignore that. Why should they care about diplomacy if you don't?"

"Because you're thick-skinned?" Danzo snapped.

"You—" Hiruzen's brow twitched.

"I'm thick-skinned? Sure, maybe. But at least I don't pretend to be some flawless White Lotus while blaming everyone else for the mud you've rolled in!" Danzo spat, barely restraining his fury. "You stand there condemning me, but who's the one truly shameful here?"

Danzo took a deep breath, regaining some control.

"I'm not asking for much," he continued. "Just ten kids! The Root needs fresh blood!"

"There's no negotiation on this," Hiruzen said coldly. "Stay away from the Academy graduates. And don't even think about forcing the clans to give up their children. They've already come to me, angry. Too many complaints, Danzo. Even I can't cover for you anymore. Do you want to isolate us from every clan? Undermine our entire rule? Before acting, consider what position I'm in!"

It wasn't that Hiruzen disagreed with Danzo's goals—he once tacitly approved of using Root to weaken the clans. But Danzo had become too reckless. He was inviting open conflict and destroying the village's fragile balance.

"For whom do you think I'm doing all this?" Danzo barked. "You agreed before! Now you're backing off? They complain, and you retreat? What are you afraid of? Don't forget—you're the Hokage!"

"Is that your rebuttal?" Hiruzen asked sarcastically. "Danzo, have you completely lost it? I've tolerated you, but I'm done. You think being Hokage means doing whatever you please? The Uchiha, the Uzumaki, Mito—these mountains crush harder than you think."

"Heh…" Danzo sneered. "Fine. So I handle everything alone, do the dirty work, while you play the wise old sage. Beautiful."

"Danzo!" Hiruzen snapped as Danzo turned to leave. "I am the Hokage!"

"You're the Hokage. You're also a coward," Danzo muttered without turning around. "I've heard it all before. And I'm tired of it."

His fury boiled just beneath the surface—veins bulging at his temple—but he held himself back. If he stayed, he might lose control and strike Hiruzen. Better to leave.

After Danzo stormed out, Koharu sighed heavily.

"Hiruzen… why provoke him like that?" she asked, rubbing her temple. "You know how stubborn Danzo is. Now he's more likely than ever to snap. Aren't you afraid he'll do something drastic? That he'll push this to a breaking point?"

Sometimes it seemed Hiruzen and Danzo were more like enemies than comrades—always circling the edge of conflict.

"I can feel Danzo's rage," Hiruzen admitted, slowly lighting his pipe. "But what choice do I have? He wants to forcefully 'recruit' clan heirs. If I let that happen now, we'd be finished. The Uchiha, Uzumaki, and Senju have formed a visible alliance. If we provoke them now, they will retaliate. This isn't like four years ago—we don't have the same power."

Homura and Koharu exchanged grim looks.

"So you're saying we have to wait… for the war?" Homura asked softly.

Hiruzen nodded. "Exactly. When war comes, and the elite of the three clans are on the front lines, we'll let the battlefield do the work. If enough of their strength is lost, then we'll strike. With public opinion behind us and their power thinned, we can regain dominance."

He exhaled smoke into the air.

"We let them grow too much," he muttered. "Now we're cornered. We need a clean victory. Once the elite clans are weakened in war, we suppress them again. Konoha's control must remain in our hands."

Koharu frowned. "But isn't this plan too dangerous? What if the war doesn't go as we hope? What if those clans see through us? Mito-sama and Uchiha Hikari aren't fools."

"I know it's risky," Hiruzen replied. "But we've run out of safer paths. Those three clans are consolidating power faster than we can react. They're benefiting from their cooperation. Meanwhile, our factions are growing weaker. If we don't use this war to our advantage, we'll be the ones overthrown."

He looked grim. "This is the only chance left."

Koharu and Homura exchanged a long, silent glance. Then they nodded and rose.

"Alright," Koharu said. "I'll prepare logistics and ration allocations."

"Same here," Homura added. "We'll keep things moving."

When they were clear of the office, Koharu cast a soundproofing barrier over a quiet corner.

"Homura… should we really go along with this?" she asked in a low voice. "If things go wrong, our clans will suffer too. We're not like Danzo. We didn't bury ourselves in this war of attrition. Do we really want to be part of this?"

Homura raised an eyebrow. "You're thinking of distancing yourself?"

"No, I'm thinking of protecting ourselves," Koharu said flatly. "Hiruzen's plan… it's too radical. Too risky. If it fails, the entire Sarutobi and Shimura factions will be wiped out. I say we limit how deeply we're involved. Let Hiruzen and Danzo take the fall if needed."

Years ago, they benefitted from their position as the Second Hokage's disciples and allies of the Third. Their clans had quietly flourished under the radar. But now? Now the risk was too high.

Homura exhaled slowly. "You may be right."

Neither of them could afford to bet their clans on a war they might not win.

End of Chapter 87