One Little Difference

Chapter One: Tension

Peace. That's what you see while looking at the village hidden in the leaves. You see friendly smiles, gestures of good will from person t to person, overall the picture perfect visage of how you would imagine a village which is at peace. But this is just a tip of the iceberg, a view which outsiders see, without seeing the subtle signs of unrest within the village, which its residents notice even without trying.

For example, a black haired man with onyx eyes walks with a scowl and tense shoulders, on his flak jacket a red and white fan, marking him as a member of Uchiha clan. Besides him walks another man, brown haired, black eyed, nothing eye catching. But he is also as tense as the Uchiha besides him. This man is from Sarutobi clan, the clan of the current Hokage.

The villagers noticed the tension between the two clans a few months ago, nobody knows why this tension is even there, but that gave an uneasy feeling for everyone in Konoha, because of these two powerful clans who started to slowly suffocate the village with this unexplained tension.

*Hokages office*

A fist impacted an oak table with enough force to drop several of writing utensils on the floor.

"Why don't you agree to retire again!" Yelled Uchiha Fugaku, the clan head of the Uchiha clan.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, a Hokage which is one of the oldest kage alive, calmly puffed on his pipe and after exhaling a plume of smoke answered the man.

"Fugaku-san. We already discussed this topic several times in the past month only, my answer has not changed."

"I see, why can't you just select someone from Uchiha clan to be your successor, a member of our clan should be more than qualified for this position." Fugaku asked again, now a little less angry, but no less frustrated. The aged Kage rubbed the bridge of his nose and once again answered the persistent Uchiha in a tired voice.

"You know as well as I do that this is not how it works, I will name my successor when I will find, someone who will carry the will of fire, like I did, like my predecessor did, and how the first Hokage, Hashirama Senju, did and that is final Fugaku!" Sarutobi said with a much firmer tone at the end.

Fugaku scowled and crossed his arms over his chest, not liking the answer, because it was the same every damn time.

"No offence Hokage-sama, but Uchiha must, become a Hokage, you never know that can happen in your old age. My clan must have a seat of power." Hiruzen did see the tiny smirk at the end of his sentence, his shoulders tensed and he asked the man in front of him with a hard look in his eyes.

"Are you threatening me Fugaku?" Fugaku didn't look scared or intidimated by the look in Hiruzen eyes, his smirk returned and he gave his answer.

"Not at all Lord Third, but you cannot stop the sands of time, you will HAVE to choose a successor sooner than later, and I will do everything in my power that the next Hokage would be an Uchiha." The third's gaze lingered on him for a few moments longer than necessary, but he got no reaction from the smirking Uchiha.

"I see… Is there anything else you wanted to discuss or that's all?"

"That's all Hokage-sama."

"Very well, you may leave Fugaku-san." The clan head bowed a little and left through the door, as soon as he heard the door close behind him, his smirk was replaced with a scowl.

'That old man… He will regret denying Uchiha the honor of being the Fifth Hokage, that was his last chance and he wasted it.' He seethed as he walked towards his house. He walked only a few hundred meters when he noticed his clan member .

"Matsui!" He shouted. The man turned to the direction of the shout and noticing that it was the clan head moved instantly to respond.

"Fugaku-sama." He said with a bow.

"Inform everyone that tonight is THE meeting, you got that?" Matsui's eyes widened and he asked.

"It's time already?"

"Yes, the fool still refuses to honor the Uchiha clan, like all the other times, I had enough, now GO!"

"HAI!" and with that the Uchiha chunnin left in a shunshin to inform everybody about THE meeting. Back at Hokage's office Hiruzen's tense shoulders slumped and he called out.

"Anbu! Bring me Weasel and Monkey!" Two minutes later the said operatives stood at attention before Hiruzen.

"Weasel, Monkey, as you two know, these past months Uchiha Fugaku was demanding that I step down as the Hokage. Our clans one way or another got wind of this and created a palpable tension between our clans, your assignment was to decrease the tension in each clan so that an open conflict wouldn't start. You succeeded so far, but I feel that Fugaku will do something irrational. So I want you weasel, to report any unusual activity in your clan as soon as you notice it and will be able to report to me without arousing suspicion. You Monkey I want to inform the Sarutobi clan to prepare for the worst, but make sure that word doesn't get out, there would be no good in anyone else getting a wind of this."

He looked them once over seeing that they stood at attention and memorized everything he said perfectly, like the anbu were taught. He then asked.

"Any questions?" Seeing none coming, he waved his hand and both operatives vanished to carry out their missions.

*Next day*

Currently Weasel was reporting of what he learned yesterday and to say that he was shocked was an understatement. He thought that Uchiha's would start rioting for more power with Fugaku spurring them on, but to think that they are preparing for a full blow rebellion? That's horrible!

'What do I do now?' thought the Hokage as he looked at the ceiling and at that moment his true age showing. Then squashed all his doubts and asked Weasel.

"When the rebellion will be launched? And where they will strike?" The ANBU didn't even hesitate before answering, and told everything what he learned from his clansmen.

"In two weeks from now on, they will strike at our clan compound by inviting you and your clan for a formal dinner, with the excuse that its about time to strengthen Sarutobi-Uhicha relations."

"I see. Please write every strategy they planned have planned and give it to me by lunch, you are dismissed." Sarutobi said with a kind smile towards the young lad. Weasel nodded and left with a shinshin.

'Doing something like this for the village and the greater good, his pain at acting against his family, must be the worst anyone has ever felt.' He thought sadly while looking out of the window, and feeling the tension many didn't even see.

'This rebellion… It might spark a civil war, with clans and civilians choosing sides, it would be truly disastrous.' Thought Hiruzen as he gazed over the village thinking of dark possibilities of what could happen, as if answering Hokage's thouhts dark clouds started to gather over the Leaf village as foreboding and tense atmosphere hung over the leaf…

AN: No flames, any flaws pointed out with a desire to help me improve is greatly appreciated, I know that I need to work on my writing skills and English, but I hope you liked it and that you will want more of this.