Konoha

Hiruzen, God of Shinobi, was frustrated.

The cause of that frustration was as per usual related to the topic of Naruto. The boy had managed to steal the forbidden scroll, learn one of the jutsu within, and then promptly used this new ability to apprehend the traitorous chunnin Mizuki. The final act in this farfetched story came when Iruka used the opportunity to 'pass' the boy in the field, thereby inducting the boy into the Shinobi ranks before he was rushed to the hospital.

The turn of events however wasn't the true cause of his frustration. The true cause of his current frustration lay in the three individuals who had promptly rushed into his office not five minutes after these events had come to light.

"For the last time Danzo, Naruto will not be given into your care; the boy is a Shinobi now, with all the rights that come with it." Hiruzen tried to keep his voice as placid and calm as possible, "You I would like to add are a civilian and have no right to 'tutor' an active shinobi."

Danzo looked unimpressed, "We had a deal Hiruzen, I leave the boy alone and let him have some semblance of a 'normal childhood", they both snorted at that knowing now the amazing failure that that attempt had been, "and in return you hand over the jinchuriki to me when he joins the Shinobi forces."

Hiruzen forcibly kept himself placid, "I said no such thing Danzo and we both know it, nor should I have had to, unless you are going to inform me that ROOT has not been shut down and is active enough that they would have been able to 'collect' the boy? Without my permission I might add?"

Danzo practically growled in an uncommon show of emotion for the old warhawk, "We had no need to say it, just as I don't need to say a thousand other things. I will not stomach you reneging on this bargain! Place the boy in my custody and Konoha will have a weapon worthy of it!"

Sarutobi's patience finally snapped "Enough! I am Hokage in Konoha, my word is law, you will drop this matter and it shall not be raised again."

He sat back down and returned to his paperwork, refusing to even look at his counsel. A clear dismissal to Danzo and his advisors that they quickly heeded by vacating the room with simmering irritation clear in their step.

Danzo couldn't help but make a parting shot "This isn't over Hiruzen, the boy will be the weapon Konoha needs, with your permission or without", before shutting the door behind him with a low thud.

Sarutobi sighed as he wondered when it was 'allowed' for a man to directly oppose the Hokage in anything. In Kiri or Iwa Danzo would have been dead in moments for daring to even think of standing against him, political influence or not. This wasn't Kiri or Iwa though and as such Danzo could say pretty much whatever he wanted as a 'civilian' and Sarutobi couldn't do a thing unless he had undeniable proof of treasonous that even Danzo's supporters within Konoha couldn't refute.

It pained him but Danzo still had a long way to go before his actions represented enough of an issue to warrant his removal and suffer the political fallout of the act.

Hiruzen sighed as he leaned back in a chair.

It had become abundantly clear Naruto needed a bodyguard. It had been three weeks since the argument with Danzo in the Hokage office, and in that time there had been four attempts from 'unknown hostiles' to kidnap the boy within Konoha. Fortunately Kakashi had fought off all threats without Naruto or Team 7 noticing any danger, in each case the attackers had backed off when Kakashi intervened, leaving him unable to pursue without leaving Team 7 undefended.

Kakashi however was beginning to fray under the pressure of watching and defending the boy at all hours without support. Normally Hiruzen would have assigned other forces to defend the boy in shifts, but the Leaf simply didn't have the capital at the minute to pay for a 24/7 bodyguard mission with no immediate gains, especially when the assigned guardians would need at least ANBU level talents based on what Kakashi had observed of the attackers skill thus far. He also didn't know he could trust with the assignment, as even those within his ANBU could be ROOT double agents.

Which brought him to his current conundrum in that he needed an extremely talented guardian who had no animosity toward the Nine Tails Jinchuriki or relations to Danzo (Which ruled out almost all Konoha ninja except Kakashi), who would also require payment in something other than conventional capital that the leaf didn't have (Which ruled out hiring a Suna ninja or even a missing- nin). Finally the guardian would need to be neutral to the conflict within the elemental nations and un-bribable.

A frankly impossible set of requirements, and yet…

Hiruzen could think of a single group that fulfilled all the above requirements and it filled him with dread to even think of further getting involved with them beyond Konoha's current obligations.

He didn't even know if said group would speak to him, as the entire process of their dealings were decided upon by the Shodaime late in his reign and hadn't been adjusted since, not even in two generation. The whole process of their annual interaction involved no communication between the two groups or even sighting of them beyond their strange blocky 'sky ships'.

The only thing Hiruzen really knew about the group from beyond their desire for Shinobi prisoners, reclusive nature and bizarre jutsu, was the name they gave the Shodaime upon their first meeting with Konoha.

The group called themselves 'The Inquisition'.