Confrontation
With firm steps and a tense expression, Minato hurried down the hallway, his thoughts relentlessly circling around the impending confrontation with Danzo. He had delayed the meeting for a week, but he could no longer postpone it. Anger simmered within him—Danzo had nearly killed Kakashi, and Minato knew he would never forgive that betrayal.
Kakashi still lay unconscious, his breathing and pulse normal, but there were no signs of awakening. His condition was stable, the wounds healing, yet the silence surrounding him was unsettling. Minato tried to be by his side as often as possible, but time was short. Danzo's machinations within the Anbu needed to be addressed, and some of the files he had to sift through were horrifying. The initial reports had already left Minato dumbfounded—what would he face when he uncovered the whole truth? As if that weren't enough, Naruto needed him now more than ever. The little boy sensed that something was wrong and clung desperately to his father. Every morning, when Minato dropped him off at the babysitter's, Naruto cried and refused to let go.
But Minato had no choice. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on his shoulders, and the pressing tasks left him no room to care for his sons—no matter how much it broke his heart. Every farewell was painful, yet the village needed him, and the cost of his duties was high.
As Minato turned the next corner, he spotted the two guards standing motionless in front of the interrogation room door. With their backs straight, they stood at attention as he approached. Without exchanging a word, Minato gave them a brief nod and quietly entered the room. In the center stood a simple table with two chairs. Danzo sat in one of them, his eyes cold and expressionless, yet there was a hint of provocation in his gaze. “The Hokage himself,” Danzo said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “What brings me this honor?”
Minato narrowed his eyes and slowly stepped further into the room, his movements deliberate as the anger inside him rose like a raging fire. He fought to maintain his composure, but the mocking smile spreading across Danzo's lips made it difficult. “How is your adopted son?” Danzo asked with biting smugness, as if he had been waiting for just this moment to break Minato's self-control.
Minato's fury crashed over him like a tidal wave. In a swift movement, he surged forward, slamming both hands down on the table with such force that it trembled ominously. His chakra pulsed violently through the room, the air crackling with tension. “Don’t you dare utter a word about him!” he hissed dangerously low, his gaze piercing. “I will personally ensure that you get what you deserve!”
Danzo remained unmoved, as if Minato's threat had no effect on him. The self-satisfied smile never left his lips, and his eyes sparkled coldly. “So much temperament,” he said calmly, almost mockingly. “Is this how a Hokage behaves? Driven by desires for revenge?”
Minato gritted his teeth and slowly straightened up, his fists still clenched on the table. “This has nothing to do with revenge. It’s about justice. What you did is unforgivable. Kakashi could have died because of your schemes.”
Danzo raised an eyebrow slightly, as if it were all trivial to him. “Casualties are inevitable. Every leader knows that. You should understand it too.” His tone was matter-of-fact, but behind his words lay a cold calculation.
Minato's expression darkened. “You talk about lives as if they were pawns on a chessboard that you can sacrifice at will. But I won’t allow you to cause any more harm.”
Danzo leaned back comfortably in his chair, as if the entire situation entertained him. “We shall see, Hokage,” he began in a calm, almost casual tone. “But don’t forget— you have your weaknesses too. One cannot truly lead without a dark side. Neither you nor the Third Hokage were meant for that.” His eyes never left Minato, cold and penetrating.
“Sooner or later, you will realize that you need me and my Anbu. Some threats cannot be warded off by pure virtue.” Danzo’s voice deepened, and his gaze sharpened. “Sometimes one must take drastic measures to protect those who matter most to you.”
Without saying a word, Minato pulled a folder from his cloak and slammed it forcefully onto the table in front of Danzo. The dull thud broke the tense silence in the room. Danzo cast a fleeting glance at the folder before turning his cold eyes back to Minato.
"And what’s this supposed to be?" he asked with feigned calm, though a slight tension betrayed itself in his posture.
Minato wordlessly turned away from Danzo and stared at the empty wall in front of him. He felt a lump in his throat and had to swallow hard before he could begin to speak. "I’ve known for a long time that you’re willing to do anything," he said quietly, his voice thick with suppressed anger. Slowly, he turned back to face Danzo, his eyes burning with tension.
"You’re the one responsible for Sakumo’s death," he continued, his words sharp as blades. "And not just that—you have countless lives on your conscience. None of it was necessary to protect the village. You did it all to secure your own power."
Minato's gaze bored into Danzo’s cold eyes. "Why did you let Sakumo die? Because you wanted to prevent him from becoming Hokage. You even manipulated Kakashi to try and take me out of the way, just so you could claim this position for yourself." His voice trembled slightly with barely controlled rage, but every sentence was infused with unwavering determination.
Danzo met Minato’s gaze, his face expressionless as if Minato’s accusations barely touched him. But in his eyes, something flickered—perhaps a hint of pride, or even satisfaction. "You’re smarter than I thought," Danzo finally said, his voice calm and calculating. "But you still don’t fully understand."
Minato snorted derisively, but Danzo continued undeterred. "Sakumo was weak. A man who dared to place his feelings above the village’s well-being. Someone like that could never have become Hokage. His weakness would have destroyed us all." Danzo leaned forward slightly, his words softening but becoming all the more venomous. "And you… You’re no better. Your softness, your attachment to this naive ideal of justice, will be your downfall. I didn’t seek power to elevate myself. I sought it to protect this village—from people like you."
Minato's face hardened, but he forced himself to remain calm. "Protection?" he asked sharply. "You speak of protection, but everything you’ve done has brought more destruction. Sakumo would have made this village stronger, and Kakashi... Kakashi will never recover from what you’ve done to him."
Danzo smiled coldly. "Sometimes you must sacrifice what’s dearest to you to protect the greater good. That’s something you’ll never understand, Minato. Your time as Hokage will soon end. And when it does, someone will be there, ready to make the decisions you can’t."
Minato took a step closer to the table, his hands balled into fists. "I will hold you accountable, Danzo. For Sakumo. For Kakashi. For every life you’ve recklessly sacrificed. You will pay for your actions."
Danzo leaned back as if he had already won. "We’ll see, Lord Hokage."
Minato wasn’t swayed by Danzo’s cold words. He knew he couldn’t be drawn into this insidious game. His voice was calm, but his eyes blazed with resolve. "I’ll prove to you that this village can be protected without resorting to your cruel methods."
He took a deep breath, his stance remaining firm. Then he slowly leaned forward until he was inches from Danzo, his voice dangerously quiet. "You will never see daylight again. If it were up to me, your end would already be sealed." He paused briefly, his words cutting like a knife. "What you did to Kakashi—I will never forgive."
Danzo's smile widened, an expression of cold superiority, as he leaned forward as well. "Kakashi chose his own path," he began in a calm, almost indifferent tone. "He could have remained unharmed if he had followed my rules. But he made his choice—and those were the consequences."
Slowly, he sank back into his chair, his posture relaxed, as if he had the upper hand. "I warned you from the start, Minato. You could have prevented all of this. So don’t look to me for blame," he added with a disdainful glance, "look at yourself."
Minato's eyes narrowed as rage surged within him, pushing the limits of his self-control. He knew he had to leave before it overtook him. Without another word, he abruptly turned, but before exiting the room, he cast one final, piercing glance at Danzo.
"We’re far from finished," he said, his voice icy with sharpness. "Don't feel too secure."
With that, he moved decisively and left the room, the door slamming shut with a heavy thud behind him in the corridor.
The guards immediately straightened up as Minato exited. He took a deep breath, trying to regain control of his turbulent emotions, then turned to the two guards with a firm gaze.
"Take him back to his cell," he ordered with quiet but unmistakable authority. "And make sure no one is allowed to see him without my explicit permission."
The two guards nodded curtly and led Danzo away, while Minato, without hesitation, performed the teleportation jutsu and found himself back in his office. As soon as he arrived, he collapsed into his chair, closing his eyes for a moment as he took a deep breath. His head tilted back as he tried to ease the constant tension. But the relief he longed for never came—his desk was piled high with documents, all awaiting his attention.
Minato opened his eyes and stared at the stacks of files and reports before him. Each one represented a new problem, a decision that needed to be made. But his mind kept circling back to his conversation with Danzo. The man was dangerous—ruthless and calculating. Minato knew he couldn’t afford to underestimate him.
With a quiet sigh, he squared his shoulders and reached for the first file. In the midst of all the chaos, there was no time for reflection, no room for weakness. The village depended on him, and he couldn’t afford even a moment of inattention. Yet, no matter how hard he tried to focus on the words in front of him, the image of Kakashi kept resurfacing—lying motionless in the hospital bed, still trapped in a state between life and death.
A soft knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. "Come in," he called, his voice wearier than he had intended. The door opened quietly, and Shikaku stepped inside, holding a new folder.
Minato let out a frustrated sigh but smiled tiredly. "More work for me?" he asked, rubbing his face with one hand as if trying to wipe away the fatigue.
Shikaku stepped further into the room, offering Minato a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Minato," he began in a measured tone. "I have another interim report on Danzo." With a gentle movement, he handed Minato the folder.
With a curt nod, Minato accepted the folder and cast a quick glance inside. The words seemed to blur before his eyes, and after a moment, he let the file drop limply onto the desk. He turned to Shikaku, his voice carrying a mix of resolve and deep uncertainty. "I don’t know if I’m ready for everything that’s coming our way."
"I understand completely. What he’s done is cruel," Shikaku affirmed, crossing his arms and maintaining a serious expression. "How did the conversation with Danzo go?"
Minato shrugged and looked thoughtfully toward the window. "How else could it have gone?" he muttered. "As expected, a reasonable conversation with him was impossible. He just provokes and tries to worm his way out." His voice was tinged with frustration as he gazed at the scene outside.
Shikaku nodded in understanding. "Danzo has never chosen the easy path. His way of handling things is always manipulative and calculated, which makes it even harder to get the truth out of him."
Minato let out a deep sigh, turning back to Shikaku. "I have a feeling he’s planning something. Something big, and I don’t have the slightest idea what it could be." The concern in his voice was unmistakable.
Shikaku stepped closer, lowering his voice. "We need to be careful. If Danzo truly intends to seize control, the entire village could be in danger. We should gather all the information we can."
Minato nodded, his resolve hardening. "We need to bring the others in and come up with a plan. I don’t want more innocent lives to be at risk."
"I'll get in touch with Inoichi. If anyone can read the minds of the Anbu or Danzo, it's him," Shikaku suggested.
"That sounds like a plan," Minato replied, feeling a spark of hope igniting within him. "Let’s not waste any time."
************
That evening, Minato finally found a moment to check on Kakashi. He carefully opened the door to his room and quietly slipped inside. Kakashi lay still in bed, the blanket pulled tightly around him, showing no signs of waking anytime soon. With a heavy sigh, Minato sat on the chair beside the bed and gently took Kakashi's hand in his.
With his other hand, he softly brushed through the silver hair, as if trying to transfer some of his energy and warmth. "Hey, Kashi," he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath. He squeezed the limp hand a little tighter, as though willing some spark of life to emerge. "I'm sorry I can't be here more often. There's just so much going on right now, and Naruto needs my attention too."
Minato paused, studying Kakashi intently. He looked pale and exhausted, as if all the life had drained out of him. A gnawing sense of guilt washed over Minato. Maybe, in a way, Danzo was right; perhaps it was his fault that Kakashi was lying here.
The thought echoed in his mind. If only he had been more open with the silver-haired ninja, things might have turned out differently. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he closed his eyes, still holding Kakashi’s hand gently.
At that moment, he just wanted to be there for him, to give him the strength he himself felt lacking. "Please, Kashi, come back to me," Minato murmured quietly, as though his words could bridge the gap to a better future.
For a moment, a profound silence filled the room as Minato stayed still, savoring the calm around him. But then, he felt something. Instantly, he opened his eyes and focused on Kakashi. To his astonishment, he noticed Kakashi's hand had moved.
A surge of excitement shot through him, and he quickly sat up. "Kakashi?" he called, his voice trembling with nervousness and hope.
Nothing happened, but just as Minato was about to lose hope, Kakashi's hand twitched again. His heart skipped a beat as Kakashi’s eyes slowly opened, just a sliver.
"Kakashi?" Minato breathed, his voice quivering with tension and hope. He could hardly believe his friend was waking up. Slowly, Kakashi’s head turned to the side, and his familiar, though exhausted, eyes struggled to meet Minato’s.
“Minato…?” came a faint whisper, as if it was a desperate effort to reconnect with reality. Minato’s heart raced, and he leaned closer, not wanting to miss a single movement.
“Yes, I’m here. You’re safe,” he said gently, placing a comforting hand on Kakashi’s forehead. “Everything’s okay. You did it—I was so worried about you.”
Kakashi blinked, as though trying to process the words. His gaze rested on Minato, though it was clouded with pain and fatigue. “I… I can’t remember…”
Minato felt relief wash over him, knowing that what they had been through hadn’t been in vain. "That's okay. You just need to rest now. We'll talk about everything once you're feeling better. You're not alone, Kakashi. I'm here."
Kakashi nodded weakly, his eyes slowly closing again, as though retreating into the safe haven of sleep. Minato’s eyes filled with tears of relief and joy. His son had woken up, even if just for a moment. In that instant, Minato swore to do everything in his power to protect his family.