48 Danzo Shimura

I didn't want to deal with the man in front of me, being honest. It was just that much easier to just allow Sasuke to kill him later on. But I also didn't want him to keep endangering the people of Konoha any longer. Mentally sighing, I decided to see what he wanted.

"Shimura Danzo-sama. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

He was slightly taken aback by my clear dislike of his presence. The reason why I called him by a full name was to make clear what my stance in that conversation was: "I don't like you and you can't make me, so get on with it."

"I was deeply moved by he speech you gave out there, Ryota-kun. I found it inspiring. Alas, as I said previously, I'm sure nobody cares about it"

"And what makes you so sure of that?"

"Well, I would know. After all, I've lived that much longer"

I could chose between two possible options to answer his last line and, as much as I wanted to just call him a "senile old man", I didn't really want to provoke him by acting like a disrespectful brat.

"It is not the time alive, but the life in that time, Shimura Danzo-sama"

"Wise words for someone so young. I'll get straight to the point. I want to offer you a place where everyone is like you. They share those same values and try to be understanding of other's pain"

I didn't expect him to try to recruit me into Root by describing it as what he thought would be my "haven", but it was still an amusing try. I looked him in the eyes and decided that it was a good moment to make the conversation take a little turn.

"I'm not interested"

Danzo looked at me with clear disappointment in his eyes.

"*tsk* I tried to do it the good way. Guess I'll have to force you into it. Listen well, Ryota Inuzuka. You will do as I say or that little girl you like will..."

Danzo didn't get to finish his sentence because, probably for the first time in his life, he took the full brunt of a Bijuu's killing intent directed solely at him. I was sure that someone with Danzo's experience wouldn't be moved by just a Bijuu's aura, since he had felt it more likely than not a couple times. As such, I had added my own chakra into the mix. That must've silenced him. The realization he wasn't in a position to threaten me willy-nilly, lest he wanted to face the consequences.

"Don't force my hand Ryota Inuzuka, or I'll have you and all of those dogs you call family eradicated from Konoha and no one will ever know who or why it happened"

"Was that what you did with the Uchiha? I can feel it you know... that disgusting thing you call an arm"

This time he looked actually shocked and even worried. No one was supposed to ever know of what he had done, but somehow I managed to do so.

"Or perhaps we should talk about your attempted murder of the Third? Or how you tried to manipulate the Hokage elections after the death of the Fourth? Perhaps you need something more recent, like your coalition with Orochimaru to invade Konoha"

Danzo immediately dashed towards me and tried fo grab me by the neck. As if. I just took a few steps back and stood right on the edge of the door. If I took another step back, we would be out in the open and everyone would see Danzo trying to kill a kid from one of the Clans and not only that, but also the village's newest spark of hope in a war driven world.

"I need to silence you. The people are stupid enough to believe me if I say that you were just a spy and Hiruzen is too high in the clouds to do anything!"

That is when a sound of footsteps came from the stairs that lead to the old man's office's entrance. Hiruzen appeared form them, walking ever so slowly. It looked like he wasn't burdened at all by the contents of our conversation.

"That is where you are wrong, Danzo. Time and again I have forgiven your actions because I lacked evidence on your wrongdoings, but now we have everything we needed. Arrest him, Ox"

Danzo's serious face broke down to show one of anger and desperation. He began screaming about how everything he did was for the sake of Konoha and even spoke about how unfit to be a Hokage Hiruzen was, to which I heard one of the best answers I would ever hear in my entire life.

"You're right, Danzo. I'm unfit to rule. That is why the Fifth Hokage is on her way to Konoha. SHE will be a better ruler than I was... but it won't be you. Not now, not ever"

Unfortunately, that answer seemed to have roused the deep envy and hatred that Danzo held for Hiruzen, which prompted him to kill Ox and try to attack the old man, only to find an impenetrable wall of water between them.

"I'm sorry but I can't allow you to just do that"

Danzo looked at me with a face distorted by rage, his right arm now fully on display with all eyes facing in my direction. I knew tose eyes weren't able to see me, but that didn't make it any less disturbing.

"You... everything is your fault you damned brat! My plan was perfect, all I had to do was wait and I would be Hokage! Konoha would've seen it's peak! It would've rulled the world!"

I knew that Danzo was crazy, but hearing his actual intentions out loud was a completely different thing. He was delusional beyond saving, which just made me feel more certain of my decision.

"I thought about this time and again, you know. Perhaps, since all you ever wanted was the best for Konoha, as twisted as your idea of it is, I wouldn't have to kill you"

I looked at Danzo with a feeling that I never thought I could feel for someone like him. Something that was born in me when I realized that he was a power-hungry man drowned in envy. Pity.

"But as you are now, just destroying that arm and locking you up isn't enough. Danzo Shimura, you... have to die. Because you are a threat to Konoha"