"What has he done this time to make Hiruzen this furious?"
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado exchanged worried glances as they watched the Third Hokage's expression. It was clear that Danzo was in serious trouble. It wouldn't be surprising if, not long after regaining control over Root, Danzo faced yet another complete removal from power.
As the footsteps grew closer, the door opened slowly, and Danzo entered, leaning on his cane.
"Hiruzen, is this about the supply request? Has it been resolved?"
Danzo's question immediately triggered a change in the atmosphere, and he sensed it. The Third Hokage's face was darker than a storm cloud, and Koharu and Homura were eyeing him with concern.
Realizing something was wrong, Danzo's instinct kicked in; he knew that behind Hiruzen's anger likely lay some secret action he'd taken. He'd been prepared for such an eventuality, but this situation still unnerved him.
"You still have the nerve to bring up supply requests?" The Third Hokage was so furious his voice trembled, pointing a shaking finger at Danzo. "Danzo, explain this to me—why has Root filed request after request for supplies, citing flimsy justifications, while you've added request after request on behalf of ANBU as well! Who gave you that authority?!"
Koharu and Homura looked at Danzo with wide eyes. Had he really done this? Taking a risk on supplies was one thing, but impersonating the Hokage? That was a new level of audacity.
"Explain yourself!" Hiruzen's voice thundered, growing increasingly strained with each unanswered question. "Who gave you permission for this? I never saw or signed any requests like these! Who authorized this, Danzo?!"
Danzo's silence made it clear he wouldn't refute these accusations, and that only infuriated the Hokage further. Normally, if he were wrongly accused, Danzo would have defended himself immediately.
"Perhaps there's some misunderstanding here, Hiruzen." Koharu tried to intervene, desperately attempting to defuse the situation. "Maybe… maybe this was just a mistake on someone's part? Danzo, say something!"
"If Danzo can offer me one reasonable explanation, I'm willing to believe it's a mistake!" The Third Hokage's chest heaved, barely containing his anger. "Or do you expect me to summon Tsunade and have her confirm every detail?"
In truth, he didn't need to; he already trusted Tsunade over Danzo. But Danzo remained as silent as ever, ignoring Koharu's urging and choosing not to offer an explanation.
"Enough!" The Hokage finally snapped. "Are you admitting to this, Danzo?!"
Danzo was silent, maintaining his cold, expressionless stance. After a moment, he finally spoke: "Yes, I did it. After Root suffered heavy losses, the necessary resources were delayed, leaving me no choice but to take matters into my own hands. Everything I did was for the village."
The room fell silent, the others too shocked by Danzo's bold self-righteousness to speak. They knew his true motivations had little to do with the village's best interests.
Hiruzen, Homura, and Koharu were stunned by the blatant attempt at self-justification, each processing his words in silence.
"Alright, Danzo. If you did all this for the village, where are the supplies now?" The Hokage's tone grew colder. "Tell me those supplies haven't just disappeared. And why did you use my name to request vast amounts of medical supplies? What is Root doing with them? Are you planning to turn Root into another medical division?"
Koharu and Homura could only watch in mute shock. The truth was too hard to deny—Danzo had taken liberties to an absurd degree. If not for the Hokage's intervention, this would have gone on indefinitely, unnoticed.
The supplies had long since been funneled into Danzo's research and projects, and it was unlikely he could recover even a fraction of them. Given the funding pit that was his experimentation with Orochimaru, the supplies had been almost immediately drained.
For once, Hiruzen's patience had reached its limit. "Danzo, is this really the stance you're taking?"
The Hokage's words were final, and Danzo's silence confirmed it.
"Very well." Hiruzen's voice was ice-cold. "As of today, Danzo Shimura is dismissed from his position as advisor to the Hokage, and all Root members are to be detained immediately."
Danzo's loyalists in Root were known to be devoted to him. Hiruzen knew that removing Danzo wouldn't give him control over Root's operatives. Instead, he would have them all detained, neutralizing their influence.
"Yes, Hokage-sama." The ANBU moved swiftly, carrying out the order without hesitation.
Koharu tried one last time, protesting weakly, "Hiruzen, isn't this too drastic? Perhaps Danzo might come to his senses in time. Maybe he'll regret his actions."
With a firm tone, the Hokage replied, "Would you rather I strip him of his rank and contain Root, or leave Tsunade no choice but to publicize his transgressions?"
Koharu fell silent. The implications were clear. If Tsunade were to expose everything Danzo had done, the village elders would all face severe repercussions. Even Homura and Koharu, with their shared ties to him, could be implicated.
Seeing the gravity of the situation, Koharu and Homura quickly dropped their objections, knowing that if things went public, their own reputations might not survive. For once, they recognized the need for silence, realizing that Danzo's actions had left them no safe alternative.
BONUS CHAPTER