Danzo Hokage.
By: SpaceOrbisStorys.
Chapter 1: The Choice.
Second Great Ninja War.
AN: This is likely the last time I will be updating this. I used a program called Grammarly on this chapter to look for any mistakes or areas of improvement that I may have missed. It's also a bit longer than it was before.
In the last days of the second great ninja war, Tobirama Senju made a choice. A choice that would have far-reaching implications for the ninja world as a whole. A choice that in a parallel universe would have set the world down a path of eventual peace. All won by a boy in a sickeningly orange jumpsuit. A universe that would have seen levels of cooperation unlike anything ever seen before.
However, in this universe, he would send the world down a far darker path. One that would ensure that the way of the ninja would not only continue but also grow. Both in number and in its very necessity.
In the end, he really only had two choices. Hiruzen Sarutobi or Danzo Shimura. Both men were highly skilled ninja in their own right. However, he also knew that neither of them had the skills necessary to hold the enemy forces at bay for long. He would have to be the one to do it and so needed to name his successor. Worst yet he didn't have much time at all to make it. He would need to use his instincts, His gut feeling on what to do.
Hiruzen embraced his brother's ideals of peaceful cooperation. That could be useful should cooler heads prevail after the war. On the other hand, Danzo embraced a mindset much more aligned to his own. Danzo understood that while the ideals Hiruzen held would be nice and in many ways more preferable. The way of the world made such views very naive. That could also be useful and likely to be the one best suited to the geopolitical situation of the times. So, in the end, he picked Danzo and in so doing changed the course of the ninja world forever.
Hidden Leaf Academy Classroom 7.
In the many years that followed the academy's curriculum was made even harder to ensure that only the very best would become genin. This, however, did lower there forces a fair bit, but at the same time keeping them on top of the many other ninja villages that had started showing up. Villages such as the hidden village of Iwagakure, Kumogakure, Kirigakure, Sunagakure, Konohagakure
Iruka Umino was giving the very last lecture of the school year. Iruka was like many who had been an academy student under Danzo's long rule. He was a rather indifferent man but nevertheless efficient in his teachings. His left eye was covered in a thin eyepatch. An injury from a long-forgotten mission in the Land Of Mist back in his genin days. But this year would be different from most. As most of the big name clans had there future clan heads in attendance. The Namikaze-Uzumaki clans were represented by Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. He was best known as the fox and was the number one student in overall placement. He was also the holder of the nine tails. Iruka could see him going far in his ninja career. He was also the son of who many dubbed the unofficial 4th Hokage. The Hyuga clan was represented by none other than one Hinata Hyuga. Who was one of, if not the very best female in their year. Hinata Hyuga had mastered her clan's fighting style to such a high degree that it looked like an ice skater on the ice. No movement was ever wasted. The Haruno clan was represented by Sakura Haruno. Who was by far the best of any of the non-ninja academy students. Along with countless others. However, Iruka Umino knew clan or not a ninja had to have the needed skills or one would sooner find themselves in a box with nothing save a tombstone than in any history book. So with that in mind, he began to give out the first part of there genin exams.
Uzumaki Namikaze Clan Compound.
Minato Namikaze was happy to see his son pass his genin exams. As was his mother who was busy cooking something very special for this occasion. A nice big bowl of ramen. Minato joked that they were both genetically disposed to liking the dish. This, in turn, made both give nods in agreement quite fervently. The only real downside being that his grandfather (Jiraiya) and grandmother (Tsunade) couldn't enjoy this day with him. As they were both on a mission and wasn't likely to be back for a few more days. But so was the life of a ninja.
Hours later and Naruto was busy reading an advanced medical textbook in his room. It was a gift from his grandmother the year before. He would admit and did so frequently that Sakura was the true bookworm in his year. He would also admit that he could easily see her as a medical type ninja. She had the skill. Her high test scores were proof of that. She had even asked his grandmother to help her should she pass her genin exams. He wished her the very best of luck when he saw her walk out of the testing room with the leaf insignia proudly displayed on her new headband the day before. He made plans to gift her the many medical textbooks he now owned as soon as he saw her again. As she was to pay him a visit the very next day he wouldn't need to wait all that long to do it. He also knew that the team placements wouldn't be posted for a few more days. As his year had so many highly influential clans he was sure the higher up's would battle tooth and nail until the bitter end. That was fine by him as that meant he had more time to just kick back and relax.
Hidden Leaf Academy Classroom 7.
The next week Naruto and two other kids could be seen in the classroom. One was a pink haired girl named Sakura Haruno. But unlike most of the non-ninja kids, she had not only survived her genin exam spar. She had also won it too. She was the only one to do so facing a clan kid. Sure the kid was from a no-name clan but the accomplishment was not any less significant. The other was Sasuke Uchiha. His family/clan made up the majority of the military police forces. He had been the second best. Just falling behind Naruto in the overall placement. But he was nevertheless a skilled fighter. His clan's bloodline made him a powerful foe even at his young age. The :kids: by civilian laws only had been waiting nearly all day in the hot classroom. Sakura could be seen reading an entry-level medical textbook to better understand the human body. A gift from Naruto. A gift she was going to use to better protect her teammates and a gift she would use to torture whoever was unfortunate enough to be on the bad end of her blade.
As for the two boy's both could be seen playing a game of go. As for Kakashi, he was just outside the window reading a small green book. He was being very careful not to make too much noise or else he would be forced to put the book away. A sin to most ninja. Male or female. After yet another hour he had read the book for the 5,678th time. He had read all the books in the series (69 books in all) well over a thousand times and he would do so for another thousand. That is if the holiest of logs would allow him. But he still had a job to do and so with an audible sigh he jumped down from the tree and entered the building.
Training Ground 7.
Kakashi had just explained to them that the academy's genin test was just to see who had the potential to become genin. His test, however, was to really become one. Once that was done with and he was sure they all understood it Kakashi pulled out a scroll. It was a fair bit bigger than any of the scrolls they had seen before back in the ninja academy. 'This". Kakashi began. 'Is called a prisoner containment seal, it's used to move people from place to place to be killed for high crimes such as treason or a failed attempt to assassinate a daimyo". "Your mission is to hunt them all down and kill them. You have just one hour to complete this assignment or you three will fail and be dropped from the program". With that done he unsealed the three prisoners and off they ran. No sooner had the three prisoners entered the forest so to did the would-be genin.
Naruto being by far the fastest of the three could easily keep up with his prisoner. Both of them ran through the forest at high speed. Jumping over, sliding under and dodging the many small branches from the many trees and bushes. But after nearly 30 minutes the man began to slow. Naruto upon seeing his opportunity quickly fired off a handful of ninja stars. With all but one hitting true. This, in turn, made the man fall down the small river embankment. With that done Naruto casually pulled out a scroll from one of his many pants pockets before quickly summoning a small sword. The sun glinted off the steel temporarily blinding the soon-to-be-deceased prisoner. "Look kid just let me go". "No". Naruto said before he cut the man's head clean off. With his task now complete Naruto slowly made his way out of the forest.
Sasuke eyed his prey from atop a nearby tree. He like Naruto had burned nearly half his allotted time. His prisoner had stopped running in an obvious attempt to catch his breath. The man even looked a bit relieved. Sasuke watched as the man shoved handfuls of water into his mouth "Poor fool you don't even know you're already dead". Sasuke muttered under his breath. Just then his prey began to depart his temporary camp. Sasuke upon seeing this quickly jumped down and cut his prey's Achilles tendon forcing the man to fall face first into the dirt floor. Grr, who are you, why are you doing this"? The man asked eyeing the boy with a look of pure hatred. " My name is Sasuke Uchiha, one of the newest genin of Konohagakure". Sasuke said before he also cut the man's head off.
Sakura had cornered her prey next to a rock face. "Look kid just let me go, no need to do this". The man said his eyes moving left to right trying to find any possible escape. He found none. "Sorry, but I can't do that". Sakura replied as she slowly removed a handful of kunai from her bag. "Please don't kill me, I'll do anything you want". The man said as hot tears began to run down his face. "Sorry but if I don't kill you I'll fail, no way is that happening". Sakura replied in an uncaring tone before she fired her handful of kunai killing her prisoner just like her two teammates had done not long before. She, like her teammates also cut her prisoner's head clean off.
Congratulations you three are now full on genin, starting first thing tomorrow we'll be taking missions but until then you three can enjoy the rest of the day. Kakashi said before leaving the three new genin alone.