"Damn it, Danzo!" Third Hokage gritted his teeth as he walked away from the Daimyo's hall, barely containing his fury. "I came all this way to clean up your mess, and you stabbed me in the back with a kunai the moment I turned around."
Part of him wanted to scream, to hurl accusations, but Hiruzen Sarutobi knew that right now, even if Danzo had misled him, he couldn't let the man be punished publicly—not yet.
"If the Daimyo confirms that Danzo tried to assassinate him on behalf of Konoha, our village's credibility will shatter overnight." The political fallout would be catastrophic. The Fire Daimyo held the purse strings. If the world believed that Konoha had turned on its own lord, it wouldn't just be disgrace—it would be disaster.
"Lord Daimyo, yes, these shinobi are from Konoha," Sarutobi admitted, bowing low, "but I assure you—they did not act under Danzo's orders. No leader can guarantee the actions of every shinobi in their ranks. Even the best of villages suffer from traitors and rogues."
But the Daimyo wasn't buying it.
"Sarutobi Hiruzen, are you really expecting me to believe these men came to kill me without orders?!" the Daimyo roared. "You think I'm a fool? I had one of them examined—a rogue ninja brought in by my guards confirmed it. There was a Tongue-Curse Seal used on them! There's record of it in the Daimyo's archives!"
Sarutobi's heart skipped a beat. The Tongue-Curse Seal... only Root used that. Only Danzo.
Still, he had no choice but to keep up appearances.
"My lord, I implore you to consider the facts. Danzo has been under strict house arrest. I personally stripped him of authority and disbanded Root long ago. He has had no ability to give orders or make contact with any cells for months. If anything, these men acted on their own—rebels who betrayed both Danzo and Konoha."
At that moment, Andrew stepped in.
"Lord Daimyo," Andrew said calmly, "I can confirm Danzo has been under Uchiha supervision for weeks. He's been effectively cut off. Furthermore, the announcement to dissolve Root was public and verifiable. Whether these attackers were former members or not, they acted outside any recognized chain of command."
Sarutobi looked over in surprise. For once, the Uchiha weren't attacking him politically. They were defending him.
Even so, the Daimyo's face remained stony.
He didn't trust Konoha anymore. He didn't trust Hiruzen.
But he did trust the Uchiha.
The old nobleman stood tall and shouted, "I don't care whether or not Danzo gave the order. The fact is, his people came to kill me—and you sheltered him. He is no longer welcome among Konoha's leadership. Do I make myself clear?"
"Understood," Sarutobi said. "Danzo will remain confined under Uchiha supervision. The Root organization will never resurface."
The Daimyo's voice lowered, but the anger still burned behind his eyes.
"You spend my money to raise assassins, and then try to cover it up. Uchiha will now be solely responsible for my protection. Konoha will not interfere when I request someone from their ranks."
Sarutobi bowed again. "As you wish, my lord."
"If I don't see results soon," the Daimyo continued coldly, "I'll divert my funding elsewhere. The Cloud and Stone villages would be delighted to take my coin. If Konoha can't guarantee my safety, then perhaps I no longer need Konoha at all."
That struck a nerve. Sarutobi's heart sank. The Fire Daimyo, threatening to fund other Great Villages?
That was a political death sentence.
Konoha's pride would be shredded. Their military relevance questioned. And in the eyes of the world, the Leaf would become just another weakened village.
"No need, my lord," Sarutobi said quickly. "You will receive Danzo's final disposition within the week. And I will assign the Uchiha full authority over your protection from now on."
"Very well," the Daimyo said, waving him off. "Go back to your village. Fix your mess. And I better see the results."
But before Sarutobi could take his leave...
"Wait."
The Daimyo narrowed his eyes.
"You came to beg forgiveness, yes—but what about funding? Konoha's been bleeding lately. I imagine Root wasn't cheap. Don't expect more gold if you can't clean your own house."
Sarutobi forced a smile, though it was hollow. "About that… would it be possible to receive our next budget allotment early? The village has suffered some setbacks… due to Danzo."
"Tch. You still dare to ask for money." The Daimyo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. I'll authorize it—for now. But don't come begging again until you've dealt with your own rot."
Sarutobi bowed deeply one last time. "Thank you, my lord. Konoha won't let you down again."
But the disgust in the Daimyo's eyes didn't fade. He waved Sarutobi away like an unwelcome guest.
Outside the Daimyo's residence, Sarutobi's face was tight, lips pressed into a grim line. Andrew had wanted to stay and reconnect with his clan, but the Third didn't have time for socializing.
He needed to return to the village immediately.
Danzo. That old fool.
All Sarutobi could think about was the betrayal. When he'd asked Danzo if he had sent anyone to the Daimyo's mansion, Danzo had denied it—boldly, without hesitation.
And now?
A pile of Root corpses had been pulled out in front of the Daimyo, complete with Konoha headbands and sealed identities.
Back in the village, Sarutobi didn't stop for greetings. He beelined for the Hokage Tower, ignoring Andrew entirely.
Andrew sighed, watching the old man disappear in a puff of urgency. "So much for building trust," he muttered.
But as he turned to walk toward the Uchiha compound, he paused.
A familiar presence was approaching.
A white-haired man with an open red haori, wooden sandals clacking on stone.
"Jiraiya?" Andrew raised an eyebrow. "You're still in the village? I figured you were halfway across the continent by now."
Jiraiya smirked faintly, but there was no mischief in his eyes today.
"When you're investigating sensitive things, you don't broadcast it. Besides, I wanted to talk to you, Andrew."
That gave Andrew pause. "Me? You came looking for me?"
Jiraiya nodded, serious.
"Some things are weighing on my heart. I didn't know who to trust. But I figured you might understand."
Andrew's expression darkened slightly.
"You're joking, right? Me? Uchiha Andrew?" He laughed coldly. "Do you even realize what kind of image the Uchiha have in this village? You think I'm the right person for heart-to-heart talk?"
Jiraiya didn't flinch. "I'm not here for Uchiha politics. I'm here because I've seen enough to know when someone sees through the lies."
Andrew stared at him.
He could see it in Jiraiya's eyes. Something had shaken him. Something he had uncovered during his so-called "research" that pointed to a rot deeper than even Danzo's plots.
And if Jiraiya had come to him instead of the Third Hokage... it meant that rot went all the way to the top.
"Let's talk," Andrew finally said. "But if this is as serious as I think it is… then everything is about to change."