The moment Uchiha Jin finished speaking, Shimura Danzō's face twitched.
He nearly lost control.
The first half of Jin's recommendation had been perfectly acceptable.
The second half—
"He once said he would lead us to the moon."
That part was completely unnecessary.
Now it sounded like a joke.
Especially since Jin had teased him with similar rhetoric at the last provisional meeting.
And when exactly had he ever said anything about conquering the moon?!
That barren rock looked poorer than the Land of Wind. What was there to conquer?
The conference room filled with confused glances.
Was Jin serious?
Or mocking him?
And more importantly—
Uchiha recommending Danzō as Hokage?
In this world?
Everyone knew Danzō was the one who disliked the Uchiha the most.
Everyone knew the Uchiha despised him.
This made no sense.
Mito Menma spoke gravely.
"Uchiha Jin, please be mindful of the setting. Do not make light of proceedings."
Jin's tone remained calm.
"On the contrary. I sincerely recommend Elder Danzō."
He rose slightly straighter.
"By seniority, Elder Danzō is, like the Third Hokage, a direct disciple of the Second Hokage, Senju Tobirama. Even becoming Third Hokage would not have been inappropriate."
"By contribution, he has devoted decades to the village. At every major turning point in Konoha's history, his presence was there."
"Even the former Third Hokage once said of him—"
"'I am the leaf basking in sunlight. You are the root buried beneath the earth.'"
A ripple passed through the room.
"That metaphor alone shows how highly the Third regarded him."
"A tree can survive losing its leaves."
"But if its roots rot, the entire tree dies."
"Does such a man lack qualification to compete for Fourth Hokage?"
All eyes subtly drifted toward one person.
Sarutobi Hiruzen.
If Jin hadn't explicitly referenced "the Third Hokage," one might think the man was already deceased.
The metaphor did sound like something Hiruzen would say.
And yet—
Something about this moment felt… off.
Mito Menma's gaze flickered.
"I do not question Elder Danzō's qualifications."
"Since this is not a jest, I accept the nomination."
He turned to the hall.
"Uchiha Jin has nominated Elder Shimura Danzō for candidacy as Fourth Hokage."
"Any objections?"
Silence.
Even those who disliked Danzō did not speak.
This was merely nomination.
Not appointment.
Heads shook lightly.
The process should have continued.
But Menma did not proceed.
Seconds passed.
Then—
A voice cut through the chamber.
"I object."
Sarutobi Hiruzen had raised his hand.
His voice was firm. Clear.
The hall exploded.
Shock rippled like thunder.
For decades, Hiruzen and Danzō had been inseparable.
Right hand and left hand.
Danzō acted in the Hokage's name freely, and Hiruzen had often turned a blind eye.
Rumors of their falling out had circulated recently—
But most dismissed them as gossip.
Now—
The Third Hokage was publicly opposing him.
There would be no reconciliation after this.
Danzō's single visible eye sharpened.
"What do you mean by this, Hiruzen?"
"In your eyes, do I not even possess the right to compete?"
Hiruzen did not retreat.
"By seniority, contribution, and ability—yes, you qualify."
"But alongside those qualifications, you also bear sins that disqualify you."
The temperature dropped.
Danzō felt it.
This was worse than expected.
He anticipated resistance.
He did not anticipate being stripped of eligibility entirely.
There was no retreat now.
"Speak carefully," Danzō said coldly. "Do not slander me without proof."
Hiruzen let out a low, humorless laugh.
"You want proof?"
"There is more than enough."
"Let us not dig into distant history."
"Let us speak of the recent Battle of Kikyo Mountain."
The hall fell silent.
"That war," Hiruzen declared, "was triggered by you."
"You allowed the Kumogakure delegation to create chaos in the village and rescue the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki."
"You created openings for the Cloud forces to enter the Land of Fire."
"You mobilized border garrisons without authorization."
"You never expected their army to charge directly toward Kikyo Mountain."
"By stripping our border defenses, you created vulnerabilities exploited by Iwagakure and Sunagakure."
"Our defensive lines collapsed."
"And thus began the battle at Kikyo Fortress."
Murmurs trembled through the hall.
Hiruzen's voice hardened.
"Yes, our shinobi fought bravely."
"Yes, we achieved victory."
"But that victory was not thanks to you."
"It came despite you."
"In this war alone, nearly four thousand Konoha shinobi have been killed or crippled."
"Four thousand."
"That number rivals the casualties of the entire Third Great War."
"And you, Shimura Danzō, bear responsibility."
The words fell like execution orders.
"Such sin," Hiruzen concluded coldly, "is not merely disqualification from Hokage candidacy."
"In my view, you are unfit to remain Village Elder."
"You should spend the rest of your life behind bars."
"To answer for those four thousand lives."
The hall was frozen.
This was no longer political maneuvering.
This was open war.
And Sarutobi Hiruzen had just drawn first blood.
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