Uchiha Ikeizumi had just mentioned the Fourth Hokage—the one who sacrificed himself on the night of the Nine-Tails attack—and Sarutobi Hiruzen was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Ikeizumi to bring up the Fourth Hokage in front of Naruto. But when he noticed Naruto lowering his head, too afraid to speak, Hiruzen inexplicably felt a wave of relief.
Lowering his voice, Hiruzen said, "Ikeizumi, you surely understand Naruto's special nature. Locking him up for a prank would only provoke him."
"So…" Hiruzen's tone softened, "sometimes, giving the young sprouts of the village some room to grow is the truest expression of Konoha's Will of Fire."
But no matter how earnestly Hiruzen spoke, Ikeizumi's eyes remained unmoved.
With an expressionless face, Ikeizumi retorted, "Hokage-sama, just now you abused your authority to shield the corrupt Shimura Danzo—who somehow wields the Uchiha's Sharingan."
"And now you continue to misuse your power to protect Uzumaki Naruto, who should be properly disciplined but has instead been left unchecked, leading to a warped sense of right and wrong."
"Your actions sully the very word 'justice.'"
Hiruzen's eyes widened—he felt as if he had been scolded, and in no uncertain terms.
Yet, the weight of Ikeizumi's words struck him deeply. He asked carefully, "Ikeizumi, what do you mean by Danzo's Sharingan?"
Without hesitation, Ikeizumi revealed Danzo's secret: "During our battle, he used the forbidden Sharingan technique 'Izanagi.'"
"How does a non-Uchiha like Shimura Danzo possess the Uchiha's Sharingan? Why would he use its forbidden secrets? Hokage-sama, it's… difficult to guess."
Hiruzen's expression shifted. He knew Danzo had secretly conducted human experiments with Orochimaru and studied Wood Release Kekkei Genkai. But he hadn't expected Danzo to be so obsessed with the Uchiha's Sharingan.
He recalled Uchiha Shisui, officially declared dead under mysterious circumstances. Hiruzen had long suspected Danzo's Root faction was involved. After all, Shisui's uniquely powerful Sharingan would never be left unattended by someone like Danzo.
He also remembered that during the Third Great Ninja War, some Uchiha ninja's Sharingan mysteriously disappeared, rumored stolen by enemy villages. Could Danzo have secretly orchestrated those thefts? The thought unsettled him deeply.
Despite Ikeizumi's extreme methods and his unwavering belief in "absolute justice," Hiruzen trusted him.
"Ikeizumi, about Danzo… I will give you and the Uchiha clan an explanation," Hiruzen said, his tone stiffening as guilt over sheltering Danzo crept in.
But just as quickly, that guilt faded. He even found himself oddly accepting the label of "cover-up" that Ikeizumi had placed on him.
No, that wasn't right! As Hokage, he was only trying to prevent internal conflict among the village's shinobi.
Clearing his throat, Hiruzen continued, "But Naruto…"
"No discussion." Under the watchful eyes of the Anbu, Ikeizumi once again grabbed Naruto firmly, causing a stir among the Anbu.
Unfazed, Ikeizumi looked Hiruzen in the eye. "I will not let Root obstruct justice. In Konoha, it's either me or them."
"I will find Root's true base deep within Konoha and eradicate the darkness and corruption to uphold the creed of absolute justice."
"You may stop me once or twice… but can you stop me forever?"
Hiruzen was silent.
He realized his mediation had failed to resolve the conflict. Instead, the rift between Ikeizumi and Danzo had escalated to encompass the entire Root faction.
Ikeizumi would not strike without cause.
His words meant he truly intended to destroy Root.
He was determined to never let go of Danzo.
Taking a deep breath, Hiruzen glanced at Naruto, who had given up struggling, his face full of pleading and distress.
Frowning, Hiruzen said, "Ikeizumi, your methods are too extreme. If I, as Hokage, ordered you to let go of your conflict with Root and release Naruto, what would you do?"
Ikeizumi replied calmly, "You can try, Third Hokage."
Suddenly, an Anbu ninja quietly drew his kunai an inch.
"Uchiha Ikeizumi, you must obey the Hokage's orders," the ninja warned. "And you should address him as Hokage-sama, not Third Hokage."
Ikeizumi glanced at him coldly.
In his mind, he saw the words:
"Sarutobi Hiruzen — During the Third Great Ninja War, vented personal anger by killing countless innocent civilians in enemy towns, committing war crimes."
The Anbu ninja who tried to draw his kunai suddenly felt a chill. For some reason, Ikeizumi's gaze felt like that of a corpse staring at him.
Without a word, Ikeizumi carried Naruto away as if nothing had happened.
"Uchiha Ikeizumi! You—"
"Wait." Hiruzen stopped the Anbu who wanted to intervene. He watched Ikeizumi's retreating figure, his expression shifting before finally commanding in a low voice, "Let him go."
"But Hokage-sama, that's Uzumaki Naruto…" an Anbu protested.
Hiruzen clasped his hands behind his back and said softly, "In his eyes, I am no different from Danzo. If we stop him now, the conflict will be between me and Ikeizumi. As his power grows, it will be harder for me to control him."
The Anbu stared, bewildered.
Uchiha Ikeizumi was already prepared to confront the Hokage himself? How dare he? On what grounds did he have such audacity?
At that moment, the usually silent Kakashi finally spoke up. "Hokage-sama, you must have your own thoughts about the Jinchuriki situation, right?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded slightly. "Ikeizumi's duty as a member of the Military Police Force is to apprehend Naruto. That is his right. As Hokage, I have the authority to pardon Naruto."
"Kakashi, take an Anbu squad and stay behind to handle the aftermath. The rest, come with me to the Root base!"
"Yes, Hokage-sama!"