Konoha Village, Hokage Office.

A heavy silence filled the room.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, his hands clasped, the creases in his aged face deepened with concern. Though he had just felt a measure of peace after Jiraiya and Tsunade's safe return, the new intelligence from Kakashi shattered it.

His eyes scanned the report once more.

"Rinnegan? Orochimaru... and Hidden Rain?"

His voice was low, heavy with disbelief.

The legendary Rinnegan—rumored to be the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths himself—was now in the hands of an organization that Konoha had underestimated for far too long.

And Orochimaru's involvement only darkened the picture.

The Third Hokage slowly set the report down, rubbing his temples. "The Rinnegan… it should have been no more than myth. What in the world is Akatsuki trying to achieve?"

Kakashi stood silently, his one eye narrowed behind the forehead protector. "According to what little intel we have… Akatsuki's presence in Hidden Rain might be connected to the fallout of the last Shinobi World War. Their ideology seems rooted in a deep resentment—one they justify through pain and loss."

The statement struck a chord in Jiraiya's heart.

His breath hitched.

For a brief moment, his eyes clouded, gazing far beyond the walls of the Hokage office—back to the pouring rains of Amegakure… and the three orphaned children he once held such hope for.

Yahiko. Konan. Nagato.

Their young, hopeful faces flickered in his mind.

Then, those memories twisted—hardened into cold, distant expressions of war-worn resolve. The pain in Jiraiya's chest was sharp, a guilt he had carried silently for years.

"…So it's really them," he murmured, voice hoarse.

The room remained still.

But then, Jiraiya lifted his head, his voice regaining clarity. "I'm going to Amegakure. I have to see the truth for myself. If it's really them… if Nagato has the Rinnegan… then it's my responsibility."

Hiruzen's eyes widened in alarm. "Jiraiya… are you certain?"

"I am," Jiraiya said firmly. "They were my students. If they've chosen this path, I must understand why."

He gave a small, crooked smile, glancing at Tsunade.

"And besides… I think she's far better suited to stay here and become Hokage."

"Like hell I am!" Tsunade snapped, arms crossed. "Don't just throw that responsibility on me, you pervert!"

But despite her outburst, there was no fire in it—only resignation. Her eyes briefly flickered toward the Hokage's hat that sat on the desk's edge.

She knew there was no avoiding it now.

Kakashi, standing near the door, lowered his gaze. The words from earlier still echoed in his mind.

He had lied.

He had told them that the Akatsuki intended to destabilize the Five Great Nations… that they were weaponizing the Rinnegan to bring ruin to all Shinobi villages.

But he had held back something crucial—the true identity of the masked man among them.

Obito.

And with every moment that passed, his silence weighed heavier.

Why am I doing this? Why protect someone who's caused so much pain?

Kakashi clenched his fists.

Because he was once my comrade.

And no matter what… I can't abandon that bond.

Those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum.

His internal conflict was tearing him apart.

He wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing. But this lie… this half-truth… it bought Obito time. And it widened the rift between the Leaf and the Akatsuki. As long as they remained divided, maybe—just maybe—Obito can change his mind before the worst is to arrive.

"Kakashi," Jiraiya's voice snapped him out of it, "didn't you also say… you wanted to be Hokage?"

Kakashi's eye widened. "Huh?"

Hiruzen turned to him, a rare warmth flickering across the old man's features. "It's good to have ambition. Especially one rooted in the desire to protect."

Kakashi looked away, guilt tightening in his chest. The idea of becoming Hokage—was it even right, when he was lying to the very village he claimed to protect?

But that hope… that belief planted by Gen… was still there, faint but persistent.

Hiruzen stood slowly and walked toward him.

"Kakashi. From this point on, you are to withdraw from active Anbu service. Instead, you will serve directly under Tsunade as her personal guard—and mine—for the upcoming Five Kage Summit."

Kakashi blinked. "Personal guard?"

Tsunade raised a brow. "You do realize what that means, don't you, idiot?"

The implication was clear.

The Hokage was preparing him as a successor.

"…Understood," Kakashi replied, straightening his back.

One by one, the others began to depart, the burden of their new paths weighing heavily on their shoulders.

As the last door shut, Hiruzen remained in the now quiet office.

He turned toward the window, staring out at the village he had served his entire life.

Dark clouds gathered on the horizon.

And the shadow of a storm—the kind that could swallow the entire Ninja World—was fast approaching.

For a fleeting moment, Hiruzen Sarutobi felt an ache deep in his chest—not from age, but from the crushing weight of leadership.

The responsibilities of the Hokage had never been heavier.

With the date of the Five Kage Summit looming—just a few weeks away in the Land of Iron—he would soon stand before the other village leaders, bearing the burden of the world's uncertain future.

He had spent the entire day meticulously reviewing contingencies, revising troop placements, calculating political risks… and second-guessing every decision.

Peace was a fragile illusion now.

Just as Hiruzen leaned back in his chair, allowing a rare sigh to escape him, a familiar chill swept through the air. It was subtle, but unmistakable.

"Hiruzen..."

That voice.

Like a whisper crawling through a grave.

From the edge of the room, Danzo Shimura emerged, half his face obscured by bandages, his exposed eye gleaming with quiet hostility.

Hiruzen didn't flinch—but his gaze darkened.

He didn't even look at him.

"…What do you want, Danzo?" he asked coldly.

Danzo's expression was unreadable, but his lips curved slightly—a smile, but one devoid of warmth.

"…Tsunade has returned to the village, hasn't she?"

Hiruzen immediately narrowed his eyes.

"What of it?" he replied sharply. "Her return is a matter of medical reform and nothing more. Why are you asking about this?"

Danzo stepped forward, the rustle of his robes brushing against the quiet.

"I merely wonder," he said calmly, "if you've already decided to hand the Hokage title to her."

Hiruzen's fingers curled slightly against the arm of his chair.

"That decision is mine alone to make as Hokage."

Danzo's smile vanished.

"You're making a mistake."

There was no hesitation in his tone. Only cold certainty.

"Tsunade is driven by emotion," Danzo continued. "By loss. By trauma. She has no strategic vision, no resolve for what must be done in the face of chaos. The world is crumbling, and you would place the future of Konoha into the hands of a bleeding heart?"

"And you," Hiruzen finally looked at him, his voice suddenly razor-sharp, "would place it in the hands of a butcher?"

There was silence.

Danzo's eye narrowed.

Hiruzen stood slowly, casting a long shadow behind his desk.

"You think I don't know what you've been doing, Danzo? The Root reactivation. The genetic experiments. The covert dealings with Foreign Ninja and Orochimaru. You think your secrets die in the dark just because you operate there?"

Danzo stepped closer, unflinching.

"And yet you allow me to continue," he replied coldly. "Why?"

Hiruzen didn't answer immediately.

But then, with a voice heavy with age and weariness, he said:

"Because I believed… you were still Konoha's shadow. That some part of you still served the light."

His eyes hardened.

"But perhaps… I was wrong."

Danzo's breath hitched, just barely, but his face remained still.

"…You speak of light and shadow, Hiruzen," Danzo said. "But what good is the light when it blinds you to reality? Peace is a lie built on corpses. If we want to survive what's coming, we need a hand unshaken by mercy."

"I will never let your hand lead this village," Hiruzen said firmly. "No matter how much the world changes, I will not let you shape it into your version of order."

The Hokage's words were final.

Danzo stared at him for a long moment. Then turned to leave.

But as he reached the doorway, he paused.

"…You'll regret this Hiruzen!" he said without turning.

His footsteps echoed down the corridor and vanished.

The same dialogue, but with different tones...

Hiruzen stood there for a long while, lost in the silence. Then, almost to himself, he muttered:

"Strange... Danzo's personality feels increasingly odd, is it because of his age?"