Koharu Utatane was already too furious to deal with Danzo Shimura, and thus, she wouldn't speak on his behalf. In fact, her thoughts were almost identical to those of the Third Hokage.
Danzo Shimura was becoming increasingly reckless. He needed a period of rest to calm down and reflect.
If today's events reached Uzumaki Mito's ears, it would be quite the spectacle.
Good! Very good!!
With no one standing up for him, Danzo Shimura felt like a clown jumping around without purpose.
He glared furiously at Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado before turning to leave the Hokage's office.
Watching Danzo's retreating figure, Koharu couldn't help but worry:
"Danzo won't do anything too extreme, will he?"
"No, he won't. He's ambitious; he won't act recklessly at critical moments. Otherwise, he'd never gain anyone's trust."
The Third Hokage shook his head.
With others, one might worry about them acting out of anger, dragging everyone down with them in a last-ditch effort, thinking, "If I can't have peace, neither can you."
But not Danzo Shimura.
Danzo knew how to bide his time for his ambition.
"So, about today's incident..."
Should they report it to Lady Mito?
"Later, I'll go and speak with Lady Mito myself."
Regardless of whether word reached Uzumaki Mito or not, the Third Hokage needed to make his stance clear. Even if it was just for appearances, Uzumaki Mito needed to see the outcome.
Taking a deep drag from his pipe, he put it down.
The Third Hokage stood up, looking out the window.
"Since Lady Mito values Hyuga Takashi, I might as well make a trip and help him a little."
"That sounds good."
Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado understood what the Third Hokage meant: he intended to visit the Hyuga Clan and resolve the issues surrounding them and Takashi once and for all.
After Koharu and Homura left, the Third Hokage brought his men to the Hyuga Clan's territory. He had a conversation with the clan head in the main courtyard.
Takashi wouldn't have imagined that Danzo's impulsiveness and loose words would indirectly do him a huge favor.
Otherwise, he would certainly invite Danzo out for a meal as a form of thanks.
"Drop by more often when you're free. It's quiet at home; more people make it livelier."
As Takashi was leaving, Uzumaki Mito suddenly said this.
Faced with Lady Mito's invitation, Takashi politely agreed, promising to visit often.
"Phew~~~~"
It was finally over.
Leaving the Senju ancestral residence, Takashi let out a heavy breath.
Although Uzumaki Mito was a kind old lady who had shown him goodwill, Takashi still felt like an outsider. Such gatherings were best avoided.
As for Uzumaki Mito's invitation, agreeing was just a formality. He shouldn't take it too seriously and certainly shouldn't visit the Senju ancestral residence often.
The elderly often wish for their children to be around.
Understanding Mito's intentions, Takashi decided that he would no longer let Tsunade come over to freeload. Instead, she should return home to accompany Uzumaki Mito.
This would solve the loneliness issue for the elderly and also help Takashi save on living expenses—a win-win.
Tsunade, that girl, always ate enough for several people, which was truly intimidating.
The most infuriating thing was that she never gained weight. Everything she ate seemed to go to exactly the right places.
If word got out, it would surely make countless women jealous.
That night.
After finishing his day's work, the Third Hokage arrived at the Senju ancestral residence.
Uzumaki Mito had been waiting for some time.
"Lady Mito."
After greeting her respectfully, the Third Hokage reported in detail what had occurred at the Hokage's office, without any bias or intent to defend Danzo Shimura.
Uzumaki Mito listened quietly. After a moment of silence, she sighed and said, "If you think Danzo needs some time to rest, then leave the Hokage advisor position vacant for a while."
After speaking, she paused.
"Hiruzen, I'm an old lady now; perhaps I have only a couple of years left. The older one gets, the more one wishes to have children by their side. I think you understand that, don't you?"
So that's what it was?
The Third Hokage silently mourned Danzo Shimura for three seconds in his heart: "Don't worry, Lady Mito. The Hokage's office will always be on your side."
Everyone assumed that Uzumaki Mito was hinting at something else.
But it turned out to be nothing of the sort.
She just wanted her granddaughter to come back more often to keep her company. More people, more liveliness. As for Takashi, he was just incidental.
In this whole affair, Danzo lost even the semblance of his position—it was truly a bit unfair.
At that moment, the Third Hokage couldn't help but want to laugh.
Danzo, Danzo, you've truly been wronged this time.
But it wasn't anyone else's fault—Danzo had brought it on himself with his sharp tongue.
There were no secrets in the world. The Hokage's office had several ANBU stationed around it. They had heard Danzo's words loud and clear. The Third Hokage couldn't risk betting on these ANBU keeping silent.
If something like this were reported openly, it would be a minor issue. If hidden and later discovered, it would be a major problem.
So, the Third Hokage chose to strip Danzo of his title and then report the matter to Uzumaki Mito, hoping to de-escalate the situation.
Knowing that Danzo had spoken disrespectfully of her, Mito wouldn't take it to heart—she knew what kind of person Danzo was.
Of course, not taking it to heart didn't mean that Mito wouldn't take the opportunity to step on Danzo a bit.
It was foreseeable that as long as she was alive, Danzo wouldn't even be able to hold a symbolic position. He'd be stuck at home, doing nothing.
Uzumaki Mito had such a large influence on the village that even Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado couldn't sleep well without accurate news.
The two of them arrived at the Hokage's office early in the morning.
The Third Hokage gave them a brief account of his visit to Uzumaki Mito the previous night.
After listening, Koharu's expression turned odd, while Homura Mitokado, who usually kept a serious demeanor, soon couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"So, you're saying that Danzo shot himself in the foot this time?"
"Pretty much."
The Third Hokage also wanted to laugh, but he held back.
"Hahaha!" Homura Mitokado couldn't contain himself.
Koharu, too, found herself at a loss between laughter and tears.
After a round of laughter, the Third Hokage's face grew stern as he addressed the two of them seriously: "No need to tell Danzo about today's events. Lady Mito's intention is for him to rest at home for some time."
Until Uzumaki Mito passed away, Danzo would basically be stuck idling at home.