A/N: The chapter I've waited weeks and weeks to post is here at last! Danzou vs. Iruka & Mizuki! How will it go down? (PS, sorry it took so long. I tried to post it last night at the airport, but their WiFi kept crashing every time I tried).

.o.o.o.

Chapter 24: Danzou vs. Two Academy Teachers

.o.o.o.

"Bye everyone—Konohamaru don't hold kunai like that!" Iruka yelled out the door.

"Kids," Mizuki said, shaking his head.

"Even Naruto never tried some of the stuff they're pulling," Iruka muttered.

"Well, Naruto had to go home with us."

"Good point."

"Excuse me, gentlemen."

Mizuki looked up to see an old crippled man with a cane. "Yo."

"I was interested in how you taught the class that graduated last year," the man said. "After all, three teams nominated for the chunin exams, most giving good showings…how did you condition them? Surely it couldn't just be the jonin; they've only had them four months…"

"Who are you, elder-san?" Iruka asked slowly.

"Oh, my name is Shi."

"Short for Shimura Danzou?" Mizuki asked dryly. "What? We know you exist; you're even in the textbooks from the chapters about the Second Great War. Dude, pick a better alias."

"Such…perception. Fitting for a teacher," Danzou said. "Though the attitude is off."

"Blame Iruka. He got a double dose of nice, I got a double dose of bastard," Mizuki said.

"How may we help you, Danzou-san?" Iruka asked tightly.

Mizuki vaguely wondered if he should just pull the fire alarm.

"Well, by answering my question, boys," Danzou said, still keeping that amicable tone.

"…We taught them, they were good students. The end," Iruka said sternly. "We are given some degree of confidentiality when it comes to our students' lives, Danzou-san."

"Well, then I could certainly look in your reports," Danzou said. "Those are public to shinobi with proper clearance, after all."

"And what do you hope to find there, Danzou-san?" Iruka asked. It was kind of freaking Mizuki out how deathly calm his friend had gotten.

"Perhaps information on Naruto-kun and his…control over-"

"Third's Law," Mizuki said instinctively.

"We all know, boys, so it wouldn't break it," Danzou replied.

"There is a high probability that a student who forgot something will come back within an hour of class ending. Should they overhear you the law would be broken," Iruka said sternly. "Likewise, students serving detention by cleaning the halls or leaving late for whatever reason could overhear, which would again break the law."

Danzou gave him an incredulous look.

"We wouldn't want to endanger our little brother by breaking the law, and you certainly wouldn't want to pay the penalty for breaking it," Mizuki added. "So…you think we have something to do with Naruto's control?"

"I have seen others like him in my life, boys," Danzou said. "Few have that control. He does."

"He is friends with a smart Uchiha and being taught by another one who is very, very powerful," Mizuki replied. "If Madara could handle it why can't any other member of that clan, right?"

"Ah. You think it is Uchiha Itachi's influence, then," Danzou said. "Or…Sasuke's?"

"No idea," Iruka said pleasantly. "After all, the notion you're bringing up so rarely factors into our dealings with Naruto, Danzou-san."

"Fourth made a good seal," Mizuki acknowledged. "Isn't that all there is to it?"

"I have information that Naruto used it's chakra in recent weeks."

Iruka pursed his lips.

"Well, it does live in him. Why shouldn't he charge rent now and then?" Mizuki asked, feigning boredom. "I mean, it probably also knows if Naruto dies it dies…"

"I see," Danzou said.

Iruka and Mizuki both felt the Killing Intent but didn't react. It was only a grade or so above Itachi's best.

"That's rude," Iruka noted.

"Very," Mizuki agreed. "Danzou-san, we really need to ask you to leave. Papers to grade, lessons to plan, you know the drill…"

"I must say I do not. I have never taken a team or any students whatsoever," Danzou replied.

"Oh, right. Itachi mentioned you liked gardening instead…seriously, though, a plant's roots can only help so much-"

Mizuki replaced himself with a chair as a three kunai shot through where he'd been standing. "Dude, any magazine will tell you—keep an eye on the stems too! That's it! Sheesh!"

"Danzou-san, leave," Iruka ordered, standing up sharply.

"What do you know?" Danzou demanded.

"Why do you keep asking—Naruto has good control of it because he does, okay?" Iruka snapped. "Now get out of our classroom!"

"About ROOT," Danzou said.

"…What I just told you. Stems are important too—Naruto gardens more than we do, honestly," Mizuki said.

"Not roots—ROOT," Danzou said. "What do you know?"

"…I know that you think we know something about it," Iruka said. "What do you think we know, Danzou?"

Danzou frowned. Either they knew much and were mocking him, or knew nothing and were goading him into revealing something. "Itachi has told you it is my…hobby."

"Yes," Iruka said. "Though you've made it quite clear that it's not actually gardening, thus we can come to the conclusion that Itachi was using that as a euphemism. Due to your violent outburst when you thought Mizuki was referencing it, I would consider it something you find very important."

"The name is ROOT, which tells us that it's connected to the village, since leaves and roots are both parts of a plant," Mizuki said. "Some would consider the roots the more important part too—I know my fiancée does for her onion plants."

"So therefore you may have named whatever ROOT is what you did in a fit of hubris, saying that the village needs it to survive as a plant needs it roots," Iruka said. "And yet if it is so needed, why is it so secret, Danzou-san?"

"All roots are needed," Danzou said. "And few are ever seen."

"Well, then Naruto's totally a Leaf—he likes being seen, after all," Iruka said. "So your concern with him is doubly unnecessary, Danzou-san."

"Plus, not all roots are needed," Mizuki said. "See, when you have a potted plant, you have to cut up the root balls a lot so they don't overgrow the pot and leave no room for soil."

"I think you're taking the gardening metaphor a bit far, my boy," Danzou said dryly.

"Okay, fine. No more metaphorical shit," Mizuki said. "I don't care who you are. I don't care what you can do, or how strong you are, or what political clout you've got. If I even think you're a threat to my little brothers, I will carve you up and then take my prison sentence with pride, you jerk." He jerked a thumb to Iruka. "And he'll do worse, only no one will ever know and he'll get to stay free to take care of Naruto. So get the hell out of our classroom before we make you!"

Danzou glanced at Iruka. The scarred man smirked, "I can't say anything Mizuki hasn't, only that your killing intent output is rather annoying by this point and quite frankly I've gotten meaner glares from Inuzuka Kiba's puppy. Get out."

"I will be watching you," Danzou said warningly.

"See, doing that makes me think you're a threat that I might need to go stabby on," Mizuki growled.

"Easy, tiger," Iruka said. "Danzou-san, leave. Not only leave, but leave us and Naruto alone. I mean it."

Looking at the scarred chunin's glare, Danzou felt mild admiration for his loyalty to the boy and the Leaf…and, for the first time in years, a bit afraid.

.o.o.o.

"So, we finally met Danzou," Mizuki said at that month's sensei dinner.

Itachi went rigid, "What happened?"

"Are you all right?" Kakashi demanded.

"He used Shisui's eye, didn't he?" Kisame asked.

"Wait, what was that about your cousin's eye?" Iruka asked Itachi.

"Danzou took it. Open secret among my clan and friends who are in the right pay grade, sorry I couldn't tell you," Itachi said. "But…you didn't feel your minds being influenced?"

"Unless he wants to influence us to beat the hell out of him, no," Mizuki said.

"He…took Shisui-san's eye?" Iruka asked, aghast. "Why hasn't Hokage-sama-?"

"No proof. Shisui can sense it under the bandages but he was unconscious when it was stolen," Itachi said.

"I know that look," Mizuki said. "Guys, Danzou just moved to the top of Iruka's shit-list."

"Stealing eyes, threatening genin, running some shadowy root thing…that is not how an honorable Shinobi of the Leaf acts!" Iruka said, bringing his fist down on the table, cracking it.

"I think his flames of youth have turned into an inferno," Gai said quietly.

"More like Amaratsu," Itachi said, shuddering.

"Kakashi, when Naruto's not being trained by Jiraiya or Itachi, watch him. Train him if you want, but watch him for us," Iruka said, getting up. "Come on, Mizuki. We're dealing with a problem student…"

"Tsubaki has both our wills!" Mizuki called as he was dragged out.

"This is either going to be really awesome, or Naruto's going to need new guardians," Kisame said. Itachi kicked him.

.o.o.o.

"How did you two get in here?" Danzou demanded as he entered his quarters.

"Oh, first we did a lot of researching—that took a while—and found where you'd probably be, then we beat up your first-line guards, then we stripped them naked and stole their clothes, and then we acted like emotionless zombies until we got here!" Mizuki said. "We went to your office first, but Iruka just confiscated a lot of stuff and then he blew up the rest."

"This organization is reprehensible, Danzou-san," Iruka said. His Killing Intent blanketed the room, making Mizuki and Danzou both shudder. "Kidnapping orphans and brainwashing them, faking the deaths of and kidnapping clan infants and brainwashing them…you have a lot to answer for."

"It is for the good of the village," Danzou said simply.

"Sandiame-sama disbanded all extraneous ANBU groups decades ago," Iruka said.

"He knows about ROOT. He knows we are necessary," Danzou said. "We take the missions Konoha cannot be known to take."

"Or the ones the Hokage turns down, from what I grabbed in your office—thanks for keeping all those diaries," Iruka said. "Tell me, Danzou, was it necessary to the Leaf to participate in Rain's civil war? Was it necessary to send both Yakushi Kabuto and his adoptive mother to Iwa, trick her into not knowing him, and try to have them both killed?"

"Do you even know the shit you caused with that one?" Mizuki added. "Know who Kabuto's been with since? Orochimaru and some secret organization that wants to capture all the jinchurikki. Well done sir, you have served us well by helping our enemies."

"They had become threats to ROOT in their spying and needed to be terminated," Danzou said simply. "The outcome was clearly unforeseen."

"Fuck that, she was his mother," Mizuki said. "You're lower than Uchiha Madara, you know that?"

"Uchiha Madara is a blight on this village!" Danzou snapped.

"…Is?" Iruka asked slowly, his Killing Intent intensifying.

Danzou's visible eye widened—he'd slipped. He quickly activated Shisui's eye. "He always has been, he casts a shadow over this village and influences his clan towards reprehensible actions."

"…Yeah, not buying that," Mizuki said.

"Danzou-san, what do you know about Uchiha Madara…in a more current sense?" Iruka asked dangerously.

Danzou frowned—why wasn't Shisui's Mangekyo working? He had the Shodai's cells to augment it, and he hadn't used it in months… "I know nothing about him, presently speaking."

"Giant Shuriken," Iruka ordered.

"Way ahead of you," Mizuki said, summoning several.

Danzou snarled. This was inconceivable! How did they have this immunity? He ripped the bandages off his Sharingan eye.

Then he saw it. The chakra. The red chakra.

Then he saw a shuriken headed for his face and substituted himself with a potted plant. "You have the Kyuubi's chakra."

"Just a little. See, K-kun doesn't like the Sharingan, and when he heard what Shisui's could do and who you were…well, Naruto said he was pretty much jumping with glee at an idea of beating it," Iruka said. "A little seal work and demonic chakra and well…"

"See, it takes your little mental commands and turns them into more of…suggestions. Suggestions we don't really want to follow," Mizuki said, throwing another giant shuriken.

Danzou pulled another substitution, this time with a pillow. Iruka calmly substituted himself with the pillow and then Danzou for himself right as the shuriken hit.

Danzou gasped at the impact. Blood started to seep through his robes.

"So, here's the deal," Iruka said. "We're already giving your documents to the Third. However, we'll get you medical attention if you give us Shisui-san's eye."

"Or, you know, wait until you're dead and take it," Mizuki said. "Your choice…you're going to bleed out within a few minutes otherwise…"

.o.o.o.

"Itachi, I am hereby asking for your friends Iruka and Mizuki to be appointed jonin," Fugaku said.

"Why?" Itachi asked. Had their 'vengeance' on Danzou been that effective?

Later he understood, when he saw Shisui cheerfully chatting with a clan elder—with two eyes.

.o.o.o.

"Seriously? Double substitution to put in him a shuriken's path?" Kakashi laughed.

"Giant shuriken," Iruka reminded him. "Nice throw."

"I try," Mizuki said. "He was way overconfident too. Relied on his stolen eye too much—once we were around that we were gold."

"Plus he was in shock that we got around it," Iruka added. "I never thought I'd like anything K-kun did…I have been proven wrong."

"And the furball doesn't even want anything for it! He's just over the moon about beating a Mangekyo," Mizuki laughed. "Okay, well, that and apparently some of the stuff Naruto's learning he likes watching. So, one evil, manipulative guy in custody, need us chunin to do anything else for you jonin?"

"Huh…weird," Kakashi said. "So, we've got a week until the finals—getting excited?"

"Out little brother will be kicking ass, so yes," Iruka said, smirking.

.o.o.o.

Looking at the various desensitized children and teenagers, the council was at a loss.

"Danzou told them they obey us now," Koharu said. "So…what do we do?"

"There has to be some way to rehabilitate them," Sarutobi said. "But what?"

"Let's just get them to behave until after the exams—hy house is large and fairly empty, we can lodge them there until then," Homura offered. "I'm sure we'll come up with something…"

Sarutobi looked down at the large file on the dismantling of ROOT, which included Uchiha Fugaku's suggestion for Iruka and Mizuki's promotion. "Something indeed…"

.o.o.o.

A/N: So, literally what happened was Mizuki was all "Kyuubi, want to beat a super-Sharingan?" and Kurama was like all "Hellz yeah!" And thus was Danzou beaten by weaponized fox eye-issues.

What will happen to the kids of ROOT? Well, it'll take awhile, because the next two chapters are what the genin are doing before the invasion and then like 2 chapters finals and 2 or 3 more of invasion, so it's a wait and see, folks! And yes, Sai and Shin will show up when it's time.

Thank you all for your reviews and support! Happy Thanksgiving! To non-Americans-happy midweek!