Meeting With Danzo

A/N: You guys hit the Double Release goal, so there will be a Double Release next Monday. For a Triple Release next Monday, we need to hit 1000 powerstones by Sunday. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! Next Goal: 1000 Powerstones!

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It was precisely 4:20 PM when Goro knocked on the Hokage's office door. There was a pause, the faint rustle of papers shifting behind the closed door, and then Tsunade's voice called out.

"One moment!" she said.

Goro's mind drifted back to what he had told Sasuke at the end of their conversation: "Remember to be at the Hokage's office by 5 PM."

Goro stood outside, arms crossed, his gaze fixed on the closed door. A few seconds later, the Hokage's voice rang out again.

"Come in!" Tsunade commanded.

'The plan commences..'

Stepping into the office, Goro was greeted by the sight of Shizune standing in front of Tsunade's desk, clutching a stack of papers to her chest. Tsunade sat behind the desk, her glasses perched low on her nose as she glanced up from the file she was reading.

"Oh, Goro. What would you like?" she asked, removing her glasses and setting them down gently beside the scattered documents.

Shizune shifted to the side, allowing Tsunade a clearer view of Goro. Her eyes moved back and forth between the two.

"I'd like to request a meeting with Danzo, Lady Tsunade," Goro stated, his tone clear and steady.

Tsunade's brow furrowed immediately at the mention of Danzo's name, a shadow of suspicion flitting across her features. "That man…" she muttered under her breath before looking back at Goro. "What for?" she asked, eyes narrowing as if trying to read beyond his expression.

Goro shook his head slightly. "I can't say until we have a meeting. It's important, very important."

Shizune's lips tightened into a thin line, and she stepped forward, inserting herself into the conversation. "A meeting at this time? It's far too late. Lady Tsunade is already too busy."

Tsunade nodded in agreement, her gaze shifting back to the mountain of files on her desk. "Shizune is right. I'm too busy to host a meeting this late in the afternoon."

Goro straightened his back, his gaze unwavering. "It'll be quick, and it's something that needs to be addressed. It can't go undealt with any longer. I've also got additional information about the Hidden Waterfall Village."

At the mention of the Hidden Waterfall Village, Tsunade's eyes widened ever so slightly. She leaned forward, interest piqued, fingers lightly tapping the desk in an unconscious show of eagerness.

"But what does the Hidden Waterfall have to do with Danzo?" she questioned, her gaze piercing.

"It's unrelated. It's just additional information I'm willing to give you if you host the meeting," Goro explained calmly.

Tsunade exchanged a quick look with Shizune, who seemed ready to protest further. But after a brief moment of deliberation, the Hokage nodded. "We'll arrange it."

…

Barely thirty minutes had passed when another knock echoed through the office. Tsunade, now standing behind her desk, yelled, "Enter!"

The door swung open, revealing Danzo, flanked by Shizune. He moved into the room with the air of a man who was used to commanding attention. His one visible eye swept across the room, landing on Goro.

'Did the brat perhaps find out about me framing him?' Danzo wondered, eyeing Goro. 'No, even if he did, there's no evidence to go against me. I've made sure of it.'

"Why have I been summoned, young lady?" Danzo asked, his voice low and gravelly, a trace of condescension lacing his words.

Shizune's nostrils flared at the disrespectful tone. "Be respectful!" she snapped, taking a step forward as if to challenge him.

"Calm down, Shizune," Tsunade intervened, lifting a hand to halt her assistant's outburst.

"But Lady Tsunade—!" Shizune began, but Tsunade shot her a sharp look, silencing her instantly. Turning her attention to Danzo, Tsunade's expression hardened.

"I am Hokage. You know better than to speak to me that way," she said, her tone dripping with authority.

Danzo smirked, inclining his head ever so slightly. "My apologies," he replied, though the smirk on his lips said he didn't mean it in the slightest.

Goro watched the exchange with narrowed eyes. 'He's so full of himself. Only the strong like me get to be so arrogant. I can't wait to wipe that foolish smirk off his face.'

Tsunade shifted her gaze to Goro. "This meeting was requested by Goro. He has something to speak to all of us about."

Danzo's gaze flicked back to Goro, his interest now fully captured. "It seems it is about the framing. No worries, he won't be able to prove anything," Danzo mused, his overconfident arrogance radiating from him.

Goro couldn't help the small smirk that tugged at his lips. The thought of that arrogance shattering, filled him with satisfaction. "Only six minutes left until the show really starts," he thought, glancing at the clock on the wall.

'I'll buy sometime and give Danzo a false sense of security. When Sasuke arrives, I'll flip the table on him.'

Goro cleared his throat and looked directly at Danzo. "You were the one who framed me, weren't you?"

Danzo's eyes narrowed slightly, but he maintained his composure. "What do you mean?" he asked, feigning confusion.

Tsunade's gaze darted between them, a deep frown etched on her face. "Goro, you better have concrete evidence. I just put my reputation on the line for you," she thought, nervous about what the outcome of the interaction would be.

Goro's gaze didn't waver. "I thought about it long and hard when I was put in a cell that day. Every single time I tried to look at it from a different angle, it always pointed back to you. They made the claim that the files allocating Genin to teams had been tampered with—without the knowledge of the Third Hokage. But who could've done such a thing?"

Danzo scoffed dismissively. "Are you saying I'm working with Orochimaru? Those are serious allegations. Are you willing to take responsibility if you're wrong?" His voice filled with condescension, a typical Danzo tactic to force his accuser into retreat.

'Typical Danzo tactics. Unfortunately for him, this isn't about my framing, but about something a lot darker.' Goro thought, a grim smile forming on his lips.

"Who else could've tampered with the files if not you? It couldn't have been me," Goro retorted, his voice calm, simply playing along.

Danzo turned his attention to Tsunade, a slight tilt of his head betraying his annoyance. "Is this what you called me here for?"

Tsunade turned back to Goro. "Is that all? Or do you have more to say?"

Goro fell silent, his gaze steady on the wall clock, watching the second hand tick forward. 'It's time. Sasuke, you better be here,' he thought, his eyes glancing at the door.

The silence stretched on uncomfortably, tension thickening the air. Tsunade's fingers tapped a restless rhythm on her desk.

"I've been humiliated," Tsunade thought, pressing her lips together.

"It's just as I expected it to go. You still have much to learn, boy," Danzo mused internally, letting out a dismissive "Hmph" as he turned to leave.

Just as Danzo took his first step toward the door, a sharp knock echoed through the office.

Goro's grin widened as he glanced at Tsunade. "I've actually got a lot more to say," he said, his voice brimming with confidence.

All eyes turned to the door. The door creaked open slowly, revealing a familiar individual standing in the doorway, casting a long shadow across the office floor.

Goro's grin turned into a full-blown smile. 'Now, let's see that confidence of yours shatter, Danzo.'

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Reminder: For a Triple Release next Monday, we need to hit 1000 powerstones by Sunday. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! Next Goal: 1000 Powerstones!