Danzo, lying on the ice platform, was not wearing his usual black and gray kimono, but instead the standard Konoha Ninja combat uniform.
Sarutobi Hiruzen guessed that Mokgetsu had helped with the arrangements, because not only were there no bloodstains or wounds on Danzo, his combat uniform was also intact, even without any dust, obviously changed later.
"Such thoughtfulness," Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded inwardly.
He thought Mokgetsu must have tried his best but couldn't save Danzo, feeling very guilty, and thus wanted Danzo to leave looking better, at least showing no signs of external injuries on the body.
"Alas."
Looking at Danzo lying motionless on the ice platform, Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but let out a deep sigh, his facial wrinkles deepening slightly.
No matter how well Mokgetsu did, Danzo's bloodless face alone told people one thing: he was already dead.
Even before seeing the body, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already received news from Mokgetsu, but when he truly saw Danzo's corpse, the emotion named sadness couldn't help but continuously well up from his heart.
After all, this was a friendship of decades; even a pet would have developed deep feelings, not to mention Danzo, who was a comrade he had gone through life and death with.
"No wonder you were willing to treat that day; turns out you went to do something dangerous," Sarutobi Hiruzen showed a helpless expression.
He thought that invitation was a signal of change from Danzo, didn't expect it to be a prelude to sacrifice.
Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't help but feel some regret, that was their last meeting and conversation, yet they parted in discord due to discussing affairs of state.
If given the chance to choose again, Sarutobi Hiruzen still wouldn't compromise on political beliefs, but he would choose not to discuss affairs of state.
"Did Danzo say anything to you before he died?" Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath and turned to look at Mokgetsu, whose face was filled with grief.
When Danzo was rescued by Mokgetsu, he was not yet dead, and with a ninja's tenacity, he should have been able to leave some words.
Mokgetsu nodded and made a slightly tearful expression, "Even to his dying breath, Lord Danzo was thinking about how to protect the village and the next generation, even in his last moments, he continuously urged me to protect Konoha."
"In order for me to have enough chakra to prevent accidents, he even refused to let me use Medical Ninjutsu to heal him."
Listening to Mokgetsu's words, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a trance, as if he had returned to the past, back to that unforgettable night of severity.
The Hidden Cloud coup d'état, they suffered pursuit by elite troops, the team needed bait, and both he and Danzo volunteered to be bait, but were refused by Senju Tobirama.
Sarutobi Hiruzen to this day has never forgotten the words Senju Tobirama left him when he stayed behind.
"Protect those who admire the village and trust you, and nurture those children who can be entrusted with the next era."
Sarutobi Hiruzen even remembers clearly the expression Tobirama had when he said these words.
Even in a mission of certain death, Tobirama's face showed no hesitation or fear, only resoluteness.
"Danzo, you fulfilled the teacher's instructions," Sarutobi Hiruzen sensed the inheritance within.
Senju Tobirama urged him to protect Konoha and nurture future generations before staying behind, and now Danzo urged Mokgetsu to protect Konoha before he died, while Mokgetsu happened to be a Root Ninja trained by Danzo for a period.
"Is there anything else?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked, feeling Danzo should have not stopped at just those words.
"Lord Danzo also wanted me to take over the Root, to bear Konoha's darkness," Mokgetsu continued to reply.
"Root…" Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression was complex.
If anyone else came to tell Sarutobi Hiruzen that Danzo's last words were to leave the Root to him, Sarutobi Hiruzen would likely ignore it.
But in the case of Mokgetsu, Sarutobi Hiruzen believed him directly.
For no other reason than that, now the Root meant almost nothing to Mokgetsu.
Currently, there is only one ninja in the Root, leading the Root would leave Mokgetsu as a leader without followers.
Moreover, Mokgetsu himself is in a special position within the Anbu, not strictly speaking inferior to the Leader of the Root.
Mokgetsu had no need to lie, the risks of exposure would outweigh the benefits gained.
Additionally, from Danzo's perspective, Mokgetsu is indeed the best candidate to rebuild the Root, trained from a young age and powerful.
"So what are your thoughts, Mokgetsu?" Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at Mokgetsu and asked.
"The Root is a department directly under the Hokage, entirely decided by the Third," Mokgetsu thought for a moment and said.
He had shown enough emotion towards Danzo, it was time to appropriately display a bit more rationality.
"The original position of the Root was to train Anbu, only later did it gradually develop into what you think of as the Root." Sarutobi Hiruzen first explained the origin of the Root.
"The training team you now lead in Anbu has very similar functions to the Root, so I think there is no need for the Root to exist independently; in the future, the Root will merge with the training team, Root members will become your subordinates, and assets owned by the Root will be inherited by the training team."
Letting Mokgetsu become leader of the Root is not particularly meaningful, and Sarutobi Hiruzen also doesn't wish for Mokgetsu to become another Danzo, Mokgetsu has a brighter future.
But Sarutobi Hiruzen cannot ignore Danzo's will, and feels Mokgetsu should receive rewards, so finally decides to consider what remains of the Root as nourishment, helping the newly established training team to grow.
"Dissolving the Root right after Lord Danzo's sacrifice, isn't it somewhat inappropriate?" Mokgetsu showed a hesitant expression, not immediately accepting.