On that side, Aoba was still excitedly making up all sorts of wild historical events to 'slander' the great figures of Konoha since its founding.
Meanwhile, over here, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face had already turned dark. His entire body stiffened like a robot as he shut off the crystal ball in front of him.
He had merely been curious to check on why Naruto hadn't found Aoba after so many days.
But what he ended up hearing was so much eye-searing content, and what's more, the other party was speaking with such conviction, making everything sound completely reasonable, almost as if it were all true.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was dazed for a moment before slowly lighting his tobacco pipe.
After taking a few deep drags, he suddenly felt a burst of clarity in his mind, and many previously blocked thoughts became clear.
Scenes from his decades as Hokage flashed through his mind, and his expression grew even uglier.
His face, already full of wrinkles, scrunched up like a chrysanthemum.
'This Danzo… Could he really have that kind of intention?'
Sarutobi Hiruzen was certain that Aoba was just spouting nonsense because he himself had never had any such thoughts.
He often stayed in the Hokage building because after his wife passed away, his eldest son also died, and his youngest son had run off to the Daimyo's court to become a Guardian Ninja.
His home was lonely and desolate, so he found no meaning in staying there.
But now, what he wasn't sure about... was Danzo's intentions.
He had always thought that Danzo was scheming for the Hokage position, wanting to strengthen his Root organization.
But thinking back now, something didn't seem quite right.
All those proposals Danzo had made, human experimentation, exterminating the Uchiha, even wanting custody of Naruto...
'That bastard should have known with just a bit of thought that I would never agree to those demands.'
'Danzo is definitely acting suspiciously!'
'He always comes here just to get scolded. Could it be that he isn't plotting for the Hokage position, but rather... plotting me, the Hokage?'
CRACK!
Just as Sarutobi Hiruzen was lost in thought, the sound of a door opening suddenly echoed.
As he turned to see who had the audacity to enter the Hokage's office without knocking—
The person he least wanted to see at this moment walked in.
"Hiruzen, regarding the issue with the Uchiha clan, we must resolve it as soon as possible!"
Shimura Danzo, leaning on his cane, half his body wrapped in bandages, looked unusually excited.
The only things that could make him this worked up were either the Hokage position or the Uchiha.
But the moment he stepped in, Danzo noticed that Sarutobi Hiruzen's reaction seemed… off.
Normally, whenever he barged in, no matter what he said, Sarutobi Hiruzen always maintained a calm and indifferent expression.
But today, something seemed strangely stiff about him.
As Danzo picked up on this oddity, he instinctively scrutinized Hiruzen.
Little did he know, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already found it weird that Danzo entered without knocking.
Now that he was being stared at like this, he suddenly felt his chrysanthemum tighten.
"Hiruzen, are you alright?"
After staring for a long time and not finding any signs of a transformation jutsu, Danzo finally withdrew his gaze and asked directly.
"Cough, cough, cough! I'm fine, just feeling a little unwell."
Sarutobi Hiruzen hurriedly used a cough to cover his awkwardness. After adjusting his mindset, he asked, "What did you come to see me for today?"
His mind had just been filled with all the rumors Aoba had been spouting, so he hadn't heard what Danzo said when he entered.
Upon hearing that Sarutobi Hiruzen wasn't feeling well, Danzo's eyes suddenly brightened as if he had thought of something.
"Hiruzen, if you're feeling unwell, you should rest first. I can help handle village affairs."
To show his sincerity, Danzo, rarely, put on a concerned expression, as if he was genuinely worried about his friend's health.
Sarutobi Hiruzen: ???
'What is with that expression?'
His just-recovered mental state almost shattered again.
And Danzo continued to press on, "Hiruzen, you are Konoha's Hokage. Your health is of utmost importance. As the village's advisor and your close friend, I am thinking of both Konoha and you as Hokage."
Sarutobi Hiruzen was even more bewildered, 'Oh? So you still remember that we're close friends?'
Seeing that Danzo was about to continue speaking, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't sit still anymore. His expression instantly turned stern as he roared,
"Enough, Danzo!"
"I am the Hokage! I don't need you to worry about these things!"
Danzo was stunned. He hadn't even started yet, he had just shown some concern for Hiruzen's health, so why did it feel like Hiruzen's temper was worse than before?
'Could it be that I have grown too complacent, and my acting skills have deteriorated?'
"Hiruzen, I—"
"DANZO! CALM DOWN!"
Danzo: ???
'Who exactly needs to calm down here?'
'From the moment I entered until now, aside from being a bit agitated at first, I have been speaking gently the whole time. You're the one shouting every few seconds.'
Unaware of the truth, Danzo chose to shut his mouth, pursing his lips in silence as he stared at Sarutobi Hiruzen.
But right now, Sarutobi Hiruzen was seeing everything through a... different lens.
Danzo's current demeanor, in his eyes, looked just like someone who had been wronged… and was acting all pouty.
Sarutobi Hiruzen instinctively clenched his fists. He admitted it—he was a little scared. He couldn't let his long-time friend stray down the wrong path.
"Huu—", Taking a deep breath, Sarutobi Hiruzen said in a deep voice, "Danzo, go back for now. Unless it's an emergency, don't come looking for me for the time being. Just focus on your own responsibilities."
This time, Danzo truly felt wronged. He didn't know if his old friend had eaten gunpowder today, but his attitude was much worse than usual.
And yet, thinking back, he had actually been more considerate than usual today, but Sarutobi Hiruzen was even more irritable.
'Could it be that Hiruzen prefers me to be more aggressive?'
Danzo seemed to realize something, but seeing Hiruzen's current state, it didn't seem like the right time.
So he decided to stick to the usual routine.
"Hmph! Hiruzen, you'll regret this!", Danzo flung his sleeves and turned to leave.
"Next time you come, remember to knock," Just as he was about to slam the door shut, Sarutobi Hiruzen's voice rang out again.
Danzo's hand on the door twitched, but in the end, he still BANGed it shut.
"Just what the hell is going on? Did something happen in the village again?", Standing outside, Danzo furrowed his brows.
But after thinking for a long time, he couldn't figure out what had changed, so he simply left.
"…Wait, what did I even come here for?"
———
Meanwhile, inside, the Third Hokage stood by the window, looking speechlessly at the drifting clouds in the sky.
Thinking about all of Danzo's actions over the years, his heart felt uneasy.
In the end, he could only let out a long sigh.
"Danzo… My dear friend…"
"Sensei… What should I do…"
Muttering to himself, Sarutobi Hiruzen once again fell into deep thought, replaying Aoba's words in his mind.
'Even Sensei was mentioned in them…'
"What a sin…"
After all that, he completely forgot that he still had to deal with Aoba.
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