Chapter 10
(ANBU Black Ops Headquarters.)
"What were you hoping to get out of this," Minato interrogated.
Minato stood across from Danzo. The leader of Root had a reputation for plotting and backstabbing, still, in his own twisted way, he fought for the protection of the village. However, with the evidence stacked against him, Danzo had to answer for his actions and Minato wanted to do it without concerning the Hokage. He thought it would be better if he cleaned this mess up before it got truly out of hand.
It was probably too late for that now.
"Everything I do is for the sake of the village. I hear the rumours spread about myself. Remember, Minato, that I too am a ninja of the Leaf and will defend it at all costs," Danzo replied.
Both Minato and Danzo were in a large dark room. Wall sconces burned with fire to provide minimal illumination. The ceiling shadows were hiding dozens of Root members. Danzo predicted that Minato already knew they were hiding. Danzo knew the Root members wouldn't intimidate Minato, they were there just in case Minato tried anything. Not that they could stand against the Yellow Flash. Danzo was not planning on fighting.
He already had a plan in case things escalated.
"That may be true, but the fact of the matter is you cannot be trusted, your history speaks for itself. You give away confidential information to enemy villages." Minato said.
"But I didn't give the information away it's safe and sound. You already figured that out. Isn't that why you're here?"
"I'm here to find out what you're up too and put an end to it. Lord Hokage doesn't need to concern himself with this. I am enough to stop you."
"You're going to stop me from protecting and ensuring the safety of the village, now who is sounding like the traitor."
"Cut the crap Danzo, that's not what you're doing."
"Minato, the other villages look at us and think we are weak. Even with you here, it is not enough. The legendary Sannin are no more with Orochimaru having gone rogue. Tsunade has left the village as well and Jiraiya alone is not enough to protect this village. The passing of the White Fang has been detrimental to our villages military power. On top of that, we have a Hokage who sits on his hands and turns his attention away from the danger that is stemming from his own home."
"Danger that your creating."
"The Uchiha are a mighty clan, but they need to be controlled. They plot against all our backs, sick and tired of their constant mistreatment. You should be careful Minato, your own student Obito Uchiha may very well plant a kunai in your back one day. Nothing drives the Uchiha more than their sense of pride. It's not just the Uchiha either, the Hyuga's main and side branches continue to quarrel with each other. Don't you understand this village is in turmoil, yet nobody sees it but me? I will not allow the other villages to see our weakness."
"So what? You're building your own private army?" Minato asked.
"How did you find out about that?" Danzo asked
"You just told me," Danzo grunted in frustration. "So this is what it's about. It wasn't enough to lead the enemy away from their own villages. You were trying to get me out of the village as well."
"You have a sharp eye and keen senses Minato. Perhaps too sharp and too keen for your own good. I will gather the most powerful ninja from across the nations and use them to dominate this village first then all the others. Ninja with the most unique Jutsu will serve under my command."
"Do you think they will stay under your command forever? These Shinobi your recruiting probably hate this village with all their heart, you think they care what happens to the Leaf?"
"They do care because I have made promises with them all. If this village falls so do they. Besides, I picked the ninja carefully, they all have one similar quality. They are all broken. Ninja who have been outcasted and ostracized by their own village. Hunted down because of their abilities. Used as weapons, forsaken as human beings. Left on the streets without recognition. I am giving their lives meaning by letting them help me, bringing them into something that is bigger than themselves."
Minato was livid. His face seething with anger.
"That's sick. Exploiting the tragedies of others for your own gain. Manipulating and twisting their minds. I won't allow that to happen. I'm putting an end to this now." Minato stated.
From the shadows, a chain came whipping forwards hoping to tie Minato up. Minato flung his arm out and one of his tri-point kunai came soaring out of his sleeve. The kunai's point struck the middle of one of the links of the chain and pinned the chain to the wall.
Danzo raised his arm, "That's enough. Minato you will stand down."
"Make me." Minato began walking towards Danzo.
Danzo smiled. "My boy, isn't there something you're missing here?"
Minato stopped, confused.
Danzo continued. "If I spent so much effort into getting you out of the village to get the other ninja inside the Leaf, why would I recall you back? Hesitation and weakness will not be allowed in my army. Even from someone as important as you."
"You speak as if I'm going to join you."
"Remember Minato, I pray on the weaknesses of ninja to bring them to my side. That includes yours." Danzo waved his arm. "Bring him in."
Kakashi came walking into the room and made his way to Danzo's side. Minato knew straight away that something was wrong. Kakashi's eyes were drooping, his body slouched, his face was blank, no emotion nor movement. Danzo had done something to him and Minato was going to make him pay.
Danzo noticed the rise in Minato's chakra and swiftly pulled out a kunai and held it to Kakashi's throat. Kakashi didn't flinch, in fact, he didn't move at all.
"Now, now, Minato remember what I said before. Stand down. Or he dies."
(The Leaf Village)
Obito and Rin leaped from rooftop to rooftop with haste. The sun was setting, painting the sky with orange and purple. The streets were bustling with people entering restaurants and bars. Groups of friends and families walked leisurely around the village.
Not a care in the world.
Not knowing what was about to take place inside their own home.
"Obito do you have a plan?" Rin asked.
"Not really. We'll go to the headquarters of the ANBU. See if Kakashi is there and if he is we bust him out."
"That doesn't sound like a good plan."
"That's because Kakashi was always the plan guy. I usually just wing it."
Obito and Rin stopped on a rooftop overlooking a small house near the outskirts of the village.
"It's a small place, but the house is just a decoy the actual HQ is all underground," Obito said. "Still, it's kinda quiet out here. I was expecting there to be guards or something. Not sure if the lack of guards is a blessing for us or a trap."
Obito jumped at the house he was going to break into and landed on the wall, sticking to it. He looked inside through a nearby window. After double checking, the corridor inside he gestured to Rin to follow. Rin landed next to Obito sticking to the wall as well. Obito carefully and quietly opened the window and went inside along with Rin.
The hall was empty.
Obito peaked around a corner, seeing that it was empty both ninja moved forwards.
"There has to be a secret entrance to get underground," Obito whispered.
They started to open doors hoping to find an entrance. Most of the rooms were storage, housing spare robes, and masks, scrolls, and boxes with unknown contents.
Eventually, Obito and Rin came across another empty corridor only this time a large oaken door was at the end.
"Looks promising," Rin said.
They ran to the door. Obito gripped a handle and opened it. The door opened to a blank wall.
"What the hell is this?" Obito said frustrated. He touched the wall. Nothing happened, it was an ordinary wall.
"Wait, Obito, look at this." Rin closed the door again and pointed at the carvings that decorated the door. The door was segmented into blocks each block had a carving of an animal. The first block had a tiger, the second a snake, the third a monkey, the pattern continued all the way down to the bottom. "We have to make the hand signs that are inscribed on the door, that's how we get through."
"Alright, you ready?" Obito asked.
"Yes!" Rin replied.
"I wouldn't try that." The new voice came from behind. The young ninja panicked and turned around. A woman was standing there one hand on her hip. She was dressed in a dark blue robe with a white sash tied around her waist.
"Umm, we were looking for the bathroom," Obito blurted out.
"Hey, you don't have to make up excuses, it's not my place to tell you what to do. It's your village. Although in saying that, I can't let you go through there."
Rin's face twisted in horror. "Obito! Her headband!"
Obito had now paid enough attention to see that the woman wore a Hidden Mist headband.
"Whoa! You're from the Hidden Mist? How did you get in here? You infiltrated our village, huh. Are you trying to steal secret information about the village? Don't tell me you're after the scroll as well," Obito interrogated.
"You ask a lot of questions. First, we're not infiltrators, more like honoured guests," Answered Yuriko.
"What do you mean 'we're'?'" Rin questioned. As if on cue another man walked into the corridor and stood behind Yuriko. Both Obito and Rin noticed the Mist headband wrapped around his forehead. The brother Yonshiro had short, spiky, navy blue hair, his fringe was long and covered the top half of his eyes.
"There's two of you it's only fair there's two of us," Yuriko said.
"You're here for Danzo's army, aren't you?" Rin asked.
Yuriko's face twitched slightly at that question. She turned to glance at her brother, then faced the young ninja again.
"Girly, I'm afraid that you know too much. I can't let you leave here now, that goes for both of you."
Obito stood in front of Rin.
"You'll have to go through me," said Obito.
Yuriko charged at Obito, swinging her fist at him. Obito used his palm to push her punch downwards, then he did a front flip, hoping to smash his heel into the back of her head. At the last second, Yuriko's other hand caught Obito's foot around the ankle and she threw him overhead into the wall on the other side of the corridor. Obito spun through the air, passing Yonshiro and finally, his back slammed into the wall and he fell to the ground. Yuriko continued towards Rin.
Rin focused her chakra into her hands, then made a lunge at her enemy. Yuriko went to block the Jutsu with her arm then pulled her hand away at the last second then leaped backwards.
"Either that was the Hyuga's Gentle Fist or medical ninjutsu. Neither of them is a Jutsu that I want striking me." Yuriko said.
Obito stood up and charged again. Yuriko ran at Rin, Rin thrust her arm forwards. Yuriko jumped on the wall and ran on it, she passed Rin, jumped off the wall then grabbed Rin by the back of her neck. She lifted Rin off the ground and tossed her at Obito, they crashed into each other and both tumbled to the ground.
"Water Style: Water Wall!" Yuriko expelled a wave of water that washed away Obito and Rin down the corridor and slammed them both into the wall. Only this time the young ninja felt a deep chill pierce their bodies as something hard and strong pressed them up against the wall.
Obito opened his wet eyes to see a literal sea of ice. All the water from the enemies Jutsu was frozen. Obito and Rin were both encapsulated in ice except for their faces.
Yonshiro had stuck himself to the ceiling.
"This is an ice style Kekkei Genkai! You must be members of the Yuki clan of the Mist." Rin said.
"You've done your homework," Yuriko said. "But, I can't take back what I said, you're both going to die."
Yuriko stepped on the ice and started making her way to the young ninja. However, her feet started to sink into the ice. The ice was growing, expanding and it encased Yuriko's legs. The ice was crawling its way up to take over its own conjurer. On the ceiling, Yonshiro's feet started to phase into the wall. He let out a shriek.
"Genjutsu!?" Yuriko said in surprise.
Obito saw movement from his peripheral vision. Another young ninja stood before him, wearing a brown vest. Chakra blades in each of his arms.
"You two are in a pickle."
"Asuma?" Obito yelled.
"We saw you running in a hurry on the rooftops from the ground, thought something might be up so we came to help. We have to hurry, this Genjutsu isn't going to last much longer."
Asuma turned around and punched the ice that was encasing Obito. The ice shattered and Obito was set free. Asuma then freed Rin. A young girl with long brown hair and red eyes phased into existence next to Rin.
"Come on, let's go." The young girl said.
"Kurenai!" Rin exclaimed.
"Hold it brat's." Screamed Yuriko, who had dispelled the Genjutsu. Her feet no longer trapped in her own ice. Yonshiro's feet were also stuck to the wall normally now.
Asuma, Obito, Rin, and Kurenai all jumped out of the nearest window, shattering it as they escaped.
Yuriko was about to go after them until an ANBU member wearing a hole-riddled mask appeared from a burst of white smoke.
"Leave them to us," The ANBU said. "Lord Danzo has given you and your brother your own mission. You are to take this map," The ANBU handed over a map to the Mist ninja. "Make your way to the Leaf's weapon storage and guard it. Make sure no Leaf shinobi are allowed inside. Without their weapons, the ninja will be weakened. Wait there until further notice."
"What about the Leaf kids?"
"They are from our village we will dispose of them."
Two more ANBU members showed up. Enshi Uchiha, wearing his half blue mask and Hoza Hyuga, wearing his praying mantis mask. Both men followed the young ninja out the window.
"It is time, Lord Danzo's plan is finally being put into action."