Time Skip

So, like Seijuro thought, they were attacked by roughly 30 ninja cosplaying as other nation shinobi.

You know, the works.

Anyway, they were all placed under Genjutsu and had been turned into bombs.

For reasons.

Now came the important part... pressing Danzo about it.

Seijuro had paper bombs, which were made by Kushina herself.

Which meant each one of those tags packed a shit-ton of power.

There was also a storage seal—which had a Tailed Beast Bomb sealed inside it... so yeah, there was that.

Anyway, currently he was back in Konoha reporting to the Third Hokage.

Seijuro stood at attention in front of Hiruzen Sarutobi, flanked by Inoichi, Shikaku, and Choza. The rest of the squad remained on standby.

Across the room, arms crossed in the shadows, sat Danzo Shimura—his one visible eye watching everything, calculating behind the bandages.

Seijuro bowed slightly, then spoke clearly:

"Mission success. We infiltrated Kirigakure. Identified no active Jinchūriki. However, there was a problem."

Hiruzen remained quiet, as if waiting for him to go on.

"During the beginning of the mission, I noticed some strange signs. The Kiri shinobi seemed to be aware of our appearance and our mission. Even a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist was on patrol—Fubuki, wielder of Samehada."

Hiruzen's brow furrowed. Huh. Someone leaked the mission.

Danzo acted like nothing happened.

"So, before we boarded, I made some seals." He showed the seals he'd made.

"The Hiraishin?" Hiruzen's brow widened a bit. Wait—when did Seijuro learn such a Jutsu?

"Yes. While it does resemble the Hiraishin, this seal merely works as a chakra detector. I placed five of them in random places that were ideal for running away and regrouping, and went out with one group member for each seal... this was just to confirm a hunch of mine."

"During the mission, time and time again, it seemed like someone was leaking our info. I realized early on that it was Shiran Aburame. However, I didn't kill him, because the second he figured out he was found out, he activated a seal on his tongue—which killed him."

"Once I located their Bijū, I set up a timer. Yet, it was then... on the way back to my squad, I used a shadow clone and impersonated Shiran, wearing the spare outfit he had. I even had the seal on the tongue."

"I had the clone infiltrate the Mizukage Tower in Kiri, drawing away their shinobi by stealing their scroll. That gave me enough time to regroup."

He said it calmly.

"I then had the clone perform the Summoning Jutsu the second the timer ran out. Hikaru, with his Byakugan, helped me get the timing correct, as he could tell how much time was left in the seal. And Inoichi used the Mind Transfer Jutsu on the clone, gaining full control over its movements for a while."

Hiruzen looked to the squad—and they nodded in sync.

"Am I to presume that you framed the organization that hired Shiran?" Hiruzen asked.

To which Seijuro nodded.

"It was either them, or have Kiri find out it was the work of Konoha. And since I was already in a bad spot, I chose the former."

"Once outside of Kiri, my suspicions were proven correct, as the seal I showed Shiran was the one surrounded by 20 of Kiri's elite shinobi."

Hm. Danzo was sweating a bit—but he hid it well.

Well, time for the big part.

"During our return to Konoha, I suspected we'd be followed. So... I allowed the tailing shinobi to think they caught me."

His hand reached into his coat. He pulled out a scroll.

"I placed them under a Genjutsu—fooling them into thinking they'd killed us. What they actually did was carry a few of these..."

He opened the scroll.

Explosive tags. Not ordinary.

Inscribed with red-ink Uzumaki glyphs and layered with chakra matrices that hummed in the air.

"Thirty of these were planted across their ranks. Heavily modified tags, courtesy of Uzumaki Kushina. Each one's payload is equivalent to ten standard tags. I estimate the total output should mimic a full-strength Bijūdama."

Danzo paled—just slightly.

His eye flicked toward Hiruzen, who still said nothing.

Inoichi's voice was calm:

"The trackers we placed on the enemy indicate... they've stopped moving."

Seijuro nodded.

"They're back at their home base. The plan was for them to celebrate their 'victory.' I didn't want to detonate the tags unless I had your permission, Hokage-sama."

There was silence.

Hiruzen's fingers steepled before his mouth.

He didn't answer right away.

Danzo... watched him.

Waiting.

Waiting for the old fool to chicken out.

And Seijuro—ever polite—added, with a raised brow:

"Hesitating, Hokage-sama? Strange. Is something the matter?"

He was rather polite with his words, as if he wasn't pressing the Hokage at all.

Danzo's eye twitched.

Seijuro turned his gaze toward the old war hawk and added gently:

"Elder Shimura... you seem flushed. Are you well? I hear blood pressure spikes with guilt."

Danzo said nothing.

Did nothing.

Because if he did—if he twitched even slightly—Inoichi would read his mind.

Cornered.

Outplayed.

Check.

Hiruzen finally exhaled and gave the smallest nod.

"...You have my permission."

He bit his thumb.

One hand seal.

"Kai."

BOOOOOOM.

The room trembled.

Even from this distance, the explosion could be felt in Konoha.

The windows rattled. A pencil rolled off the Hokage's desk.

Somewhere far beneath the village, in a deep hidden Root facility, dozens of black-ops operatives were turned into vapor, bone, and regret.

Scene Shift – Post Explosion

Hikaru Hyūga's voice crackled through the sensory wireline.

"Confirmed visual. No survivors. The structure beneath the southern ravine has collapsed."

Silence.

Hiruzen watched as what seemed to be betrayal played across Seijuro's face, as if he had just witnessed something he truly trusted... stab him in the back.

Seijuro turned back toward the Hokage's desk.

His hands reached into his cloak.

He pulled something out.

His ANBU badge.

He held it between two fingers... and placed it gently on the desk.

"Hokage-sama. I have completed my mission. I will not be returning to the ANBU."

Hiruzen's brow furrowed.

"Seijuro..."

But the young shinobi cut him off.

Still calm.

Still respectful.

But the frost in his voice was like a quiet winter storm.

"If the village's most trusted elder is willing to sacrifice Leaf shinobi... then I no longer trust the Leaf's chain of command."

He bowed.

No rage. No theatrics. Just cold finality.

"I'll continue serving the village. As a jōnin. But I cannot in good faith continue to work in the ANBU knowing I would have to take orders from someone like him," Seijuro said, glaring at Danzo.

He turned to leave, voice soft but sharp:

"When shinobi like Danzo are allowed to hold leashes, eventually... they start thinking they own the dogs."

And with that—

He walked out.

POV: Danzo (Internal)

The old man clenched his cane harder than ever.

He couldn't speak.

Couldn't deny it.

Couldn't attack.

Because right now?

THE FUCK kind of person did he just attack?

His whole plan was seen through.

Even worse—exposed to Hiruzen like this.

And there was no fucking way to deny it.

Like, at all.

Shit.