Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 78: The Letter of Appointment

"That letter of appointment was meant for the Hokage Advisor, not for me personally."

Danzo's tone was low as he explained, his eyes glinting with dark amusement.

The daimyo had deliberately left himself a way out.

If Danzo hadn't lost, the status quo would remain unchallenged. But if he did lose, the daimyo could still use this backdoor to maintain flexibility.

After revealing the location of the document, Danzo stared at Hyuga Fuji with a faint smirk. "Are you going to retrieve it yourself?"

"No need."

Hyuga Fuji glanced at Danzo briefly, then turned to the door and instructed an ANBU standing outside, "Go retrieve the letter of appointment and hand it over to Lord Hokage."

Watching Fuji's actions, Danzo's expression darkened, and he let out a cold chuckle.

"You're even more timid than I thought. Without that document, a single order from the Hokage could strip you of your position."

"And with that document in your possession, where are you now? Still in a prison cell."

Danzo: "..."

The truth of Fuji's words rendered him momentarily speechless.

Remaining composed, Fuji returned to the desk in the corner of the cell and casually began reviewing the files as though he were in an office.

The room fell into an eerie silence for nearly ten minutes before the ANBU returned with the appointment letter, presenting it to Fuji.

"Lord Hokage has said that the letter, being an official document from the daimyo, cannot be destroyed. Effective immediately, Lord Fuji, you will take charge of Konoha's finances and liaise directly with the daimyo."

Danzo's single visible eye widened as he watched the transfer of power unfold before him. The authority he had painstakingly amassed was now formally handed over to Fuji. His expression grew grim.

How could Minato allow such power to fall into Hyuga Fuji's hands?

This was a blatant redistribution of authority!

What if Fuji grew too powerful in the future, like he had with Root…?

"I understand," Fuji replied, taking the document.

Once the ANBU left, Fuji turned to Danzo and said, "It seems your assumptions were misguided."

Danzo frowned.

"Unlike in your time, Lord Hokage isn't threatened by political power. The others in leadership understand this, which is why I can legitimately acquire this special authority without resorting to underhanded tactics."

Danzo's mind replayed the events of that fateful day when he was so thoroughly outmatched. His expression turned complicated.

Indeed, to someone like Minato, this kind of power was hardly worth worrying about.

Power without the strength to back it up was meaningless.

Even after witnessing such overwhelming strength, Danzo found himself trapped in his old ways of thinking.

Or perhaps it was because his way of thinking had always been this way.

Danzo cast a vacant glance at Hyuga Fuji, his demeanor softening slightly. He murmured, "You don't need to be so wary of me. I've already lost. Konoha no longer has the environment for roots to grow. Guarding against me is a waste of effort."

Fuji raised an eyebrow.

"Even if I believe you, how can you guarantee that the Root members will abide by your orders?"

Danzo scoffed dismissively, "They're merely tools. Naturally, they…"

Mid-sentence, he stopped abruptly.

His gaze shifted toward the pile of documents detailing various attempts to shift blame onto him. His expression darkened further.

"Your influence within Root is indeed considerable. There are loyal subordinates who are willing to risk everything—even collaborating with foreign powers—to save you. Next, will they aim to control the nobles of the Land of Fire, or even the daimyo himself?"

Fuji's deliberate emphasis on "loyalty" only made Danzo's face grow darker.

So many of the weaker ninja clans couldn't wait to pile the blame on him, ensuring his complete downfall.

Fuji gathered the files and prepared to leave. As he walked toward the door, he turned slightly and asked, "Where's the information hidden?"

After a moment of hesitation, Danzo closed his eyes and answered quietly, "There's an underground base in the western part of the Forest of Death. The entrance is…"

Before he could finish, the sound of the door shutting echoed in the room.

Through the small barred window, Danzo watched Hyuga Fuji leave with the ANBU, only to see Hiruzen Sarutobi return shortly thereafter.

Danzo sighed lightly, muttering, "Your chosen successors are quite capable."

Minato was excellent. So was Hyuga Fuji.

Hiruzen paused mid-step, then sighed with a sense of nostalgia.

"They are. Much better than our generation ever was. If only we had worked together better, things might not have turned out like this."

"…There's no such thing as 'if,'" Danzo said curtly.

He would never stop questioning what might have been.

Had it not been for Minato and the overwhelming power he and his allies displayed, Danzo would have continued his fight for power.

Even now, to say he had no lingering resentment would be a lie. But every time he thought back to that day, those lingering ambitions would be forcibly suppressed.

If he couldn't overcome such strength, ascending to the Hokage position was meaningless.

When he had opposed Hiruzen's leadership, he was confident he could lead Konoha to surpass their current era.

But against the era represented by Minato?

Danzo couldn't delude himself any longer.

Unless he surpassed Minato, or Konoha faced decline and Minato perished, he could only remain here.

For now, Konoha had no need for shadows.

With that thought, Danzo said slowly, "Ambition stems from status and strength. I stood by your side, always just one step away—one step short. Whether it was the day the teacher chose the Hokage, or when I became the Hokage Advisor, I always fell short.

I couldn't let it go without trying.

Now, Hyuga Fuji stands in that same position. Aren't you worried?"

Hiruzen shook his head. "He's different from you."

Danzo didn't argue but asked another question.

"What about Orochimaru?"

Hiruzen frowned slightly, puzzled by Danzo's question. He brushed aside the faint unease in his heart, recalling past memories of Orochimaru. Calmly, he replied:

"Orochimaru has gradually changed. He even willingly stepped aside for Minato to take the Hokage position. Now, as the head of Root, he's beyond my authority to restrain. That's for Minato to handle—I've retired. My responsibility now is to watch over you."

"Hmph! You'll regret it!"

With a cold snort, the cell fell silent once more.

…

When Hyuga Fuji returned to the Hokage's office, the two former advisors had already left.

He saw Minato standing by the window and walked over.

"Danzo has handed over all the intelligence concerning the Land of Fire's upper echelons to me," Fuji reported.

Minato seemed slightly surprised but didn't address the sensitive topic of the daimyo. Instead, he smiled. "Good work. You didn't show him the most ridiculous accusations, did you?"

"Only up to Lord Jiraiya's part."

"I see." Minato nodded knowingly.

His teacher's accusations were already absurd enough, but many of the personal complaints against Danzo were even more outlandish. They seemed purely designed to disgust him.

If Danzo had seen them, there was no way he would have remained calm during the conversation.

"Speaking of Lord Jiraiya, isn't he still locked up in the Police Force's holding cell?" Fuji asked, steering the topic away from the sensitive intelligence.

Minato sighed and chuckled helplessly.

"Since he confessed, we had to handle it by the book. I just hope he learns his lesson. Otherwise, if he stays in Konoha, he'll keep finding himself in their cells."

With Fugaku now holding significant power, he had become stricter with himself and his subordinates. Once Tsunade handed Jiraiya over, Fugaku wouldn't hold back—though he would grant Jiraiya some small courtesies out of respect for Minato.

"Fortunately, we're funding Lady Tsunade now. Otherwise, she might also end up in the holding cell for unpaid debts," Minato joked before his tone turned slightly concerned.

"Fuji, don't you think we've allocated too little money to Lady Tsunade? She spends all day in the casinos, and at this rate, she might run out of funds soon…"

Minato's concern wasn't about the money itself—he just didn't want Tsunade leaving Konoha again due to lack of funds.

(End of Chapter)