Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto in any form or fashion.

Naruto Ronin: The Rogue Ninja

Chapter 10: The Phoenix's Rebirth 1: Danzo Shimura

Danzo Shimura... One of the oldest members of the Fire Guardians and the closest friend of Hiruzen Sarutobi. A man who witnessed the rise and fall of the greatest the world had to offer in the form of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju. A man who survived the Uchiha Burnout with everything his life had given.

The only thing lost within that time was his dignity.

She had always considered him to be some old, wrinkly fool who wasn't anywhere near the man that Hiruzen was. She also knew that Naruto wasn't too fond of him. He left the Daimyo's Palace that day complaining about him, angry about something. She had also witnessed his feeling for herself.

"Don't speak as if you understand, foolish girl."

She gasped as Danzo spoke, though he wasn't as loud as he was before. There was, if Naruto could sense correctly, a touch of sadness by the way he spoke. And it was enough that Hiruzen didn't even stop him from continuing.

With deeply weary and narrowed eyes, the war-hawk continued, "I've watched my master die at the hands of Madara Uchiha and the Nine-Tailed Fox... There was very little I could do but watch as my Clan was nearly reduced to nothing. All of us before you have lost nearly everything to the Uchiha... Families, parents, friends..."

His lone fist tightened as his voice softened. That was until he angrily slammed his cane into the wooden floors and roared, "So don't you dare speak as if you are a victim, wretched Uchiha! You now know what we have felt for decades!"

Another tragic victim of the Uchiha Burnout. But she didn't feel sorry for him. Not after Naruto finally told her the truth.

"You've been attacked several times, haven't you...? I never told you who was responsible or why... I never thought he would make a move like this, and not this soon... But truth is...the old crone back at the Capital was the one responsible for those attacks. He and his little lackeys."

The Shimura Clan...or rather, the Foundation as he called it. A group founded by Danzo that is made up of several Rogue Ninja who've been cast away and was simply looking for a home. But she knows that isn't all of it. Because it was also filled with brainwashed agents made of up of children of special bloodlines; those who were kidnapped.

People like her, and people like Naruto. People like the easily manipulated Hyuga family, their hatred for the Main Family and the Uchiha never subsiding. People like the Inuzuka and the Shiba, attacking her by her lonesome.

Naruto had known all about the darkness within Danzo's heart, but he had never said anything about it to her until now. But even she could tell that he was holding things back from her. Because if she was more insightful than she was in her younger, naive years, she'd have looked at them and noted that they were eerily similar.

An older Sasuke would look at the two and note that they were victims of hatred, Naruto and Danzo. Both whom have lost everything to the Uchiha, and both who have done everything within their power to tear them apart. Both of them empty and hollowed after the demise of the Uchiha with little purpose guiding their lives.

Both of them searching for a void to fill their hearts; a family. Naruto and Danzo were not that different from each other, but it was because they were so similar that they would always be enemies no matter the lifetime.

Because in order for one to fill that empty void in, they would have to take it from the other.

It was anti-climatic, he figured. The way the sun shone brightly in the sky despite the heavens knowing the sins that would be committed this day. He had always considered himself an honorable man, but in order for progress sins must be committed. What could he do to bring forgiveness?

He'll consider that after he has succeeded. For now, he would have to listen to the incessant droning of the Daimyo, completely unsuspecting of the dark thoughts swirling in his head. He was speaking with the other members of the Fire Guardians about the Hyuga Conspiracy, and about Hiashi choosing to finally ally himself with them.

Intriguing for the Hyuga to finally break their neutrality, but pointless for the most part. By the time they arrive, the Capital will be no more. He noted that he had never kept his eyes off of him that entire time, that Hiruzen. He was an insightful man, and it was likely that he already knew.

Even if the Daimyo would not listen, Hiruzen would never dismiss Naruto's word. They were much too close for that...

With a narrowed and deadpanned expression, he harshly retorted, "A bunch of prostitute Kunoichi who tried to kill me first? Or the ninja from the Yotsuki? Or the other bandits who tried to get a piece of me? Sounds like people who wouldn't be listed in the Land of Fire's records, huh? Didn't know that those types of reports reached the Capital..."

Yes, Naruto wasn't an idiot. And Hiruzen would be bound to investigate after hearing something like that. It was as the Daimyo dismissed them that stood as deliberately slow as possible, and he noted with amusement that Hiruzen did as well. His eyes narrowed like a hawk as he continued to stare at them as the entire group began to leave the room one-by-one.

Until he and Hiruzen were the only one standing outside of the Daimyo's meeting room. He didn't make a move as the Hotaicho clapped his hands on his shoulder and the smell of tobacco filled his nostrils.

"Are you alright, Danzo? You've been in deep thought since the meeting, and you haven't said a word."

He turned to stare down at his old partner and friend. It was entirely expected that the two would have to face off eventually in order for him to kill the Daimyo. He had prepared everything for this.

Yes. As soon as he heard the explosions outside of the Daimyo's palace and the screaming, he reassured himself that he was very much so prepared for this confrontation. As Hiruzen's eyes went wide and the Daimyo came stumbling outside while screaming "What's going!? What is this...!?", his eyes moved to the stairway in front of them.

Of the Sarutobi guards came stumbling up with their spear, bleeding profusely from his side. His panicked eyes locked onto the Daimyo and his lord and he breathed loudly, "My lord! There's an attack on the Capital! The enemy is unknown, they're all masked!"

"Not entirely. Don't come here with such outdated information."

The guard continued to glare at Danzo in disbelief and confusion, having not understood him. Perhaps if he was paying attention, he would have heard the wind whistling past him. Maybe then he would have felt the collapsing of his own body as the winds cut swiftly through his neck. He would forever glare at him for all of eternity, still as confused when he was alive.

Danzo figured his corpse would catch back up eventually. He wasn't surprised at the sight of the red-and-white cloak flying across his face, and he spotted the black-clothed figure diving at him before he was able to catch him. He turned just as Hiruzen dove at him with his Adamantine Staff, created from the Monkey King Enma. It was like the time between the two had stopped, and he focused solely on his longtime friend and rival as he stared at him with heated eyes.

A sinner in the hands of an angry god. Or so he's heard.

"Was there really no other way, Danzo? Did it really have to go so far?"

As he dropped his cane at his feet and his left hand swiftly began going through a number of handsigns, he simply answered as he performed his attack...

"Yes."

She found herself thinking about her a lot after she had left with that rogue ninja. He reassured her that no harm would come to Sasuke while he was with her, but that still didn't do much for her worrying.

She knows first hand that Sasuke was a tomboy at heart; she and her mother would do all they could to doll her up and make her look pretty, but she'd rather get rowdy with the boys. Her short times with Ino and herself were the only moments when she would be particularly "girly". Despite all of that, she still didn't believe that she was tough enough to handle the world outside of the Uchiha's walls.

Sasuke might have been naive to the world's going-ons, but she wasn't. She knew the history of it like the back of her hand, even if she couldn't become a Kunoichi herself. Sasuke wasn't aware of the fear that the Uchiha had over the other Clans and the Capital. Sasuke was in constant danger and she didn't even know it.

She knows that the girl put in the most effort out of all of the children to become a Shinobi. She's happy to say that she supports Sasuke in all of her endeavors, but she still worries that the world would be particularly deadly to her. But she also worries constantly...

She worries constantly over how much it will change her. How much the rogue in orange will change her. Whether she would still be the same person, or whether she would become like her the other members of her clan. She thinks she wouldn't be able to handle it if Sasuke ended up like them.

She runs her hand through the dryish towel upon her head and sighs. She leaned against the edge of the hot tub, her face flat against the palm of her left hand as she turned the page in the book with her dried right hand. It was boring, she thought, to have to study while she was in the hot springs. And she was upset that her thoughts still had not pushed Sasuke out of her mind.

She knows she has no choice but to trust in Naruto to keep her safe, no matter how much it pained her.

She still didn't trust him. This book on the Senju Alliance didn't tell her anything about the Uzumaki's other than the fact that they were separated upon the eve of the Uchiha Burnout. And the only mention of Naruto was that he the youngest Uzumaki still alive today to carry the name.

She should have known that she wouldn't learn that much from a textbook, but she was hoping to find out something about him... Maybe who his parents were, or what happened to cause him to leave his home at a young age. He was still an enigma to her and she was no closer to trusting him with Sasuke than she was before.

"Lady Sakura!"

The pink-haired girl glanced up in boredom as the doors to her private bathing house were infiltrated and she frowned. No one should be able to enter except one of the servants, and they were all instructed not to bother her as well. What on earth could they...?

One of the younger maidens swiftly shuffled into the room, whom she recognized as her closest servant Shinno. The brunette's ponytail swung back and forward as she ran closer with a face of panic and despair. Something must have been wrong for Shinno to disobey her (though the two usually argued about a lot of things).

"Lady Sakura!"

She stopped before the edge of the hot tub, panting with her sleeve-covered hands on her knees. The teenager spared her a worried glance as she reach for her hand and soothingly rubbed it, inquiring, "What's the meaning of this, Shinno? Take a deep breathe, woman, and calm yourself!"

She continued to breathe heavily, but shook her head. Sakura frowned as the woman pointed behind her while trying to speak, but was unable to form anything more than small, miniscule words that she struggled to understand.

"Must...go...! Capital...under attack...! Sakura...!"

Her emerald eyes widened and the thought, wondering who on earth would attack the Capital? The Uchiha were all gone! She had to get out and get dressed at once.

Unfortunately, that plan went completely south. Sakura froze as she began hearing screams and other noises that didn't sound too good to her, and her eyes turned to the doorway as a masked figure entered the room with a bloodied katana. Both she and servant screamed as a lavender-haired woman collapsed in the entrance way, her glossy eyes forever staring at them.

The assailant looked down at his foot as the maiden's blood began pouring into the steaming room and lifted it. Sakura could only assume that he had turned his attention back to them, and she fell on her back as he began inching his way closer to them.

She was shocked when a smoothly-shaped leg appeared in her vision, causing her to look up as Shinno had stood in front of her. The servant placed her hands together in what seemed like a handseal (Which had utterly surprised her. She was never aware that Shinno understood Ninjutsu!) as she roared, "Lady Sakura, you must run! I'll hold him for as long as I can!"

The masked man tilted his head in a questioning manner, as if he was in complete disbelief that the woman was going to challenge him. Shinno gritted her teeth as smoke emerged from her fingers, and several needles appeared in her hand. She leaped into the hair with her arms crossed in front of her face, preparing to throw them at the infiltrator.

"I won't allow you to go any further! I will protect Lady Sakura with my life!"

Her hands lunged forward as the needles were thrown towards the enemy. The metal weapons, however, bounced pointlessly against the rocky surface. Sakura was left wondering what happened because it all moved too fast for her.

Both of them were surprised, however, when the robed assassin hovered next to the woman as if nothing had happened. The brunette was rendered silent, staring ahead at the twin stumps that were once her outstretched arms. She was barely able to catch her balance as she hit the ground without her hands, landing sloppily as she crouched down on her knees.

Sakura gasped as the man appeared in front of her servant, his blade raised high in the air as he dashed towards her. She screamed out, "Shinno, no!"

It was much too late. He passed through her easily like a ghost, and Sakura was rendered frozen with fear. The woman's body collapsed onto the surface, next to the bloody remains of her hand. She simply could not shake away the sight of the woman's wide-eyed gaze as the head soared past her into the tub, rapidly polluting the crystalline blue with a sinister red.

The masked individual turned his attention to the pink-haired teenager doing her best to crawl away from him, naked as the day she was born. They both knew that this was done.

At least, he thought he did. He so focused on killing as many as he could that he did not see the headless corpse burst into smoke, replaced by a dark-cloaked figure. He didn't realize anything was off until his eyes caught sight of the woman's head rising to the top of the water.

Except it was another masked one like himself, and he stopped in his tracks in confusion.

Sakura had no idea what was going on. She saw Shinno's body erupt into smoke, and the masked man seemed to stop in his tracks. She was simply sitting there when a bright light appeared on the side of her shoulder, causing her to look down as a seal appeared there out of nowhere.

"Looks like I got here just in time."

She froze. Sakura slowly turned as the voice resonated from behind her, and she was rendered speechless. All she had seen was orange and black, and the shocked expression of a gasping Shinno was staring at her in confusion. She could have sworn that she was...

The voice continued in a drone, "Sasuke, I'll leave that to you."

Sakura gasped as the masked one hit the ground with a heavy crash, caused by the one bringing their foot down across his head. The red-eyed figured remained on top of him for several seconds before another sound pierced their ears. The girl picked the unconscious figure up and threw him over her shoulder just as another blade nearly stabbed her.

It instead dug into the unconscious assailant, ensuring that he'd never wake up again. The second infiltrator gasped in surprised as he accidentally killed his comrade, but didn't have time to ponder it as he was knocked off of his feet as the girl kicked the corpse into him. She flipped into the air and brought her hands together, her eyes focusing on the two (technically three thanks to Naruto's quick substitution that spared the servant with another of the Foundation) assassins.

She pulled her hands apart and reared back, inhaling deeply and roaring, "Katon... Goukakyu no Jutsu!"

As if the bathing house wasn't hot enough, the large flames encompassing the enemy turned to room into a searing sauna. There was nothing remaining but charred corpses and the lingering smell of burnt flesh. It didn't bother Naruto that much, considering he's smelled worse, but he had to grab the pink-haired with his other arm and turn her away.

He didn't have to for long. The servant that he was gripping tightly by her waist struggled to escape his grasp, causing him to finally let her go. She seemed to have finally gotten past the fact that she should have been dead, being barely saved by his quick Kawarimi. Shinno brushed past and went to the girl she had intended to protect, grabbing her and holding her tightly.

Sakura stayed put as the maiden sniffled into her hair, whispering apologies for failing to protect that went unheard. She had never been so close to death, and she's never seen so much of it at once. She finally turned towards Naruto and asked, "When...did you do it...?"

He stared down at her with a raised brow as she added, "The Hiraishin... I've read about that technique before... Tobirama Senju's prized technique... When did..."

He turned away as he finished for her, "I mark you? Well..."

"Sasuke!"

There she went with that spacing out thing again. She didn't even see the flying bundle of pink almost crash into her. Almost, because Naruto's hand shot out and grabbed the girl before she could move any further. Sakura's frightful eyes turned into his slowly as he leaned down closer to her face, his own visage calm and collected.

He turned to her and whispered slowly, "Hey there, Pinky... You mind bein' a lil' more careful? Don't want people 'round here getting' any...wrong ideas..."

"You're lucky that Sasuke wanted to come here first when we arrived... She was worried about you."

The girl in question turned around with a furious growl, sharply calling out his name in fury. Despite that, the red-hot blush on her face was not due to the steam, but the embarrassment at the truth. She refused to turn and lock eyes with Sakura, and the girl couldn't help but smile as she tried to hide her worry.

It didn't look like she changed that much, but she sees for herself the difference between the Sasuke standing before her and the Sasuke from back then. She sees that her stance is much more confident and that the fear she would've had was long dissipated. She was...almost cooler.

Almost. That was until Naruto crept towards her and smacked her on the ass, calling out, "Good hustle, Princess! I'll leave you two to make-out!" before disappearing from their sight. The Uchiha rubbed her behind with a furious gaze as she cursed him and his "perverted ways", and Sakura released a sweatdrop as she saw their interaction.

He could sense the boy heading towards them rapidly. He had made certain there weren't any of the Hiraishin seals nearby so that he and Hiruzen would not be interrupted. He's trained under the man who created that technique and he's fought against the one who mastered that technique long before Uzumaki was brought into this world.

He won't allow it to catch him off guard this time. Danzo turned towards the masked ninja dressed in the snake mask and tilted his head in the direction of the incoming signature, murmuring, "Intercept him. Don't you dare allow him to make it here."

The Foundation member said nothing but disappeared in the blink of an eye. His eye roamed over the the Capital, noting that the sight of it from the rooftop of the Daimyo's palace would have gorgeous if not for the flames lighting it ablaze. He would have to tell the Foundation not to ruin it too much as he would need a base of operations in the future.

He didn't have the time muse about it any longer. He might be hiding now, but Hiruzen would eventually find him. Of course, he might have already. He should have known that fighting him in head-to-head combat wasn't the best option, seeing as Hiruzen had always been Hashirama's and Tobirama's prodigy...

Even after what had happened, Tobirama still continued to favor him. But it wasn't without reason, he had to admit. He never wanted to reveal them here, but he would have no choice if he wanted to live through this battle.

"Doton! Doryuheki!"

He looked down at his feet as mud began gathering at the bottom of his feet and leaped into the air. A gigantic wall of earth emerged from where he once stood, causing him to flip back as the wall grew even taller than he could have imagined. His eye widened as more walls began to form, surrounding him in an earthly prison. At the height of the tall walls stood a looming shadow dressed in black, and Danzo narrowed his eyes.

Hiruzen had trapped him to ensure that he couldn't try and run away. However, he had no idea that Danzo wasn't planning to run again. Within his arm was the potential for him to emerge from this fight victorious. As he unclasped the gold bracer from around his arm and removed the bandages from his forehead, he thought about his chances of losing this fight.

Ignoring the surprise in the face of his rival, he stared down at the red eyes ogling him from his arm. He went through a lot of trouble to get these after Itachi managed to make it easier for him, and he was lucky that Uzumaki and the remaining Uchiha were too busy with his lackeys to stop him from recovering his right.

These eyes that have cursed his family for generations, and these eyes that have set the world on fire; the Sharingan. The deceased Uchiha that were screaming at him from their grave fell on deaf ears as he rejoiced in the ultimate revenge, knowing that this was a fate that they deserved. He sneered up at Hiruzen as his surprised turned into righteous fury, causing him to summon that cursed Monkey next to him. He once again wondered about his chances of losing to Hiruzen now...

He figured his chances were less than zero.

Author's Note:

These updates are coming fairly quickly because I'm trying to finish this Arc before my Thanksgiving break is over. The next Chapter will be the end of the Uchiha Aftermath Arc and the end of the Land of Fire Saga. After, the Shared Dreams Arc (which is expected to be as long as the Uchiha Downfall and Uchiha Aftermath put together) will begin, which details the start of Naruto and Sasuke's journey to the rest of the Lands.

The next chapter should be up in the coming days (aiming for tomorrow, but not making promises). There's not any Trivia for this one because the next Chapter will be the Arc Trivia and the Clan Thesaurus.