"Sarutobi..." Danzo's expression grew even darker when he saw who had arrived.
Could it be that the killing intent he sensed earlier was from him?
Danzo subtly signaled to his men not to act rashly, then stepped aside, allowing Hyuga Hiashi and the Third Hokage, Sarutobi, to face each other directly.
Without uttering a word, Danzo's actions were a clear question to Sarutobi:
What is going on with Hyuga Hiashi?
"Hokage-sama..." Hiashi's face, usually calm and collected, revealed a slight change as he looked at the Third Hokage. Though he quickly covered it up, Danzo, ever observant, did not miss this fleeting expression.
"What's going on?" Sarutobi asked, frowning as he looked at Hiashi.
That simple question, combined with Hiashi's slip of an expression, confirmed Danzo's suspicions.
Hiashi wasn't acting on Sarutobi's orders. He had his own agenda.
Feeling he had grasped the "truth," Danzo decided to act preemptively. He stepped forward and addressed the Third Hokage, saying, "Hiashi here attempted to obstruct Root's operations and claimed you urgently needed to see me, requesting I return to the Hokage's office."
Danzo's words carried a calculated glance at Hiashi, whose tense expression was now more apparent, giving Danzo a smug satisfaction.
Did he think he could fool me? Without even needing to exaggerate, confronting Sarutobi head-on would expose Hiashi's offense of falsely invoking the Hokage's authority to interfere with Root.
After tonight's matter with the Uchiha, it seemed the loyalty of the Hyuga clan might also need reevaluation. At the very least, this head of the Hyuga main family…
Hearing Danzo's account, Sarutobi's gaze shifted to Hiashi once more, awaiting an explanation.
Sarutobi knew Hiashi's cautious nature; he valued his clan deeply and would never provoke Konoha's leadership recklessly, especially at a sensitive time like this.
The Third Hokage had been watching the situation unfold in his office through his crystal ball, and when he saw Hiashi intercepting Danzo, he sensed something was amiss and came right away.
"It is indeed by the Hokage's order that I summoned you to the office, Danzo-sama," Hiashi stated again, unwavering, though a trace of tension was evident in his white eyes as he looked steadily at Sarutobi. "By the Hokage's order."
"What nonsense! The Hokage is standing right here before you! If he had something to say, it could be discussed right now. I'd like to see what you plan to do next." Danzo sneered, giving Hiashi a scornful look. Even some of the Hyuga clan members beside Hiashi cast doubtful glances at their clan head.
The Third Hokage, observing Hiashi's expression, suddenly felt a surge of clarity. Something clicked, causing a glimmer of hope to appear in his otherwise weary, burdened eyes. Even his armored form under his Hokage robes seemed to tremble slightly with anticipation.
Danzo scoffed at Hiashi, ready to command his subordinates to detain him, but then Sarutobi spoke words Danzo could never have expected:
"It was indeed my order."
Sarutobi's voice was firm, disregarding Danzo's stunned gaze. He walked forward, placing a reassuring hand on Hiashi's shoulder. "But since Danzo is unwilling to discuss matters in the office, let's talk here instead."
"Impossible! Tonight of all nights…" Danzo seethed with frustration. Sarutobi's audacity infuriated him. This wasn't his order—he was clearly backing Hiashi.
What were these two up to?
But before he could finish, Sarutobi looked back at him, his face expressionless. "Dismiss your men, Danzo."
"But…"
"Danzo, I am the Hokage!"
At these words, Danzo's face contorted with rage, his clenched fists nearly crushing his cane in his grip.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Itachi, watching the scene from his Tsukuyomi realm, froze. Before him wasn't the young Naruto who should have been trapped in his genjutsu, but a figure he recognized yet found unfamiliar.
In the world of Tsukuyomi, under Itachi's control, no one should be able to use a transformation jutsu or counter his genjutsu.
"Nice to meet you… though I guess this isn't technically our first meeting, right?" The golden-haired man in a white cloak adorned with flames offered a warm smile. "I am Minato Namikaze."
Minato Namikaze! The Fourth Hokage of Konoha, who had long passed!
Itachi's eyes widened in shock, his mind racing.
A thousand thoughts flashed through Itachi's mind. The elusive teacher behind Naruto's skilled shuriken techniques, advanced taijutsu, and ninjutsu… He now understood the only possible explanation.
"You've been with Naruto all this time?"
"'With him'… well, that's close enough." Minato scratched his head, ready to explain, though he knew time was of the essence. "You're Uchiha Itachi, right?"
But despite Minato's friendly demeanor, Itachi remained on guard, unclear about the Fourth Hokage's intentions.
"This is a fascinating genjutsu realm," Minato observed, his keen senses picking up on the unusual properties of Tsukuyomi. "It appears to affect time and space as well?"
"Yes."
"And what's the time difference with the outside world?" Minato asked with a casual curiosity.
Itachi hesitated, wary of revealing his abilities to Minato, whose true intentions were still a mystery.
Unfazed, Minato offered an understanding smile, sensing the Uchiha's high level of caution. It was exactly as Kurama had described—Itachi's loyalty was unwavering toward his vision of Konoha.
With a determined look, Minato realized he had to convince Itachi if they were ever to change the fate of the village.
"Perhaps I should start from the beginning—how I reawakened within Naruto."