Disclaimer: I don't own any of this and I'm not trying to sell any of it.
AN: Because this chapter is so short I'm releasing it and chapter 27 at the same time, so welcome to the end of WoB!
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Chapter 26: When the Past and Present Collide
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"What do you want with me?" Sasuke asked after Danzō had finished his phone call, which had been about Sasuke.
"Let me tell you a little story," Danzō said, taking a seat atop a work bench and facing the three captives.
Many years ago, when Danzō was young and his face was still intact, he had been part of a large, ongoing World War. He trudged throughout the battle field and overcame many opponents. In one attack his leg was badly injured. Several days later, during another bout he lost the ability to move one of his arms when an enemy damaged a tendon with a knife; then a month or so after that, Danzō was slashed across the face, losing the ability to see out of one of his eyes. He collapsed onto the ground in pain and was taken captive.
In captivity, he met Madara Uchiha, a sickly, skinny young man a little older than himself. After Danzō had initially recovered from the attack, a thick gauze sheet wrapped around his head, he would watch Madara rock back and forth in the next cell over. Madara would wrap his arms around his body and shake, apologizing over and over. Other times he would lay his face into his legs and cry uncontrollably, his body shaking harshly.
"Why do you keep crying?" Danzō finally asked, losing his self control. He didn't know how much longer he could listen to Madara.
"I've done a terrible thing… A terrible thing I've done… I didn't mean to. Mean to, I did not. I'm good, really I am. I'm a good boy… yeah… Tobi's a good boy."
Danzō watched Madara ramble, wondering why he was calling himself Tobi. He noticed a number written on the back of Madara's prison uniform. T061. All of the captives were given a number and Danzō couldn't help thinking that 'Tobi' came from Madara's number.
"They aren't going to forgive me. They aren't going to forgive me. They aren't going to forgive me."
"Who won't forgive you?" Danzō asked.
"My family. I'm the head of the Uchiha Clan, but they won't forgive me, not for this," Madara said.
"The Uchiha?" Danzō said. Then he remembered that there had been a man on his own squad whose name was Kagami Uchiha. Kagami had boasted about the Uchiha and their status among men before they had been brought onto the battle field. His bragging stopped once they faced their opponents and their existence began to cling on the edge of life and death; he matured quickly. But Danzō remembered Kagami's mention of the Uchiha fortune.
"Yes, yes, we have plenty of wealth! Save me and you can take a share of it," Madara proclaimed. "I can't be here anymore! Not in this place!" The man was standing and gripping onto the bars that separated them desperately.
Danzō began to form an elaborate plan. Weeks went by but he used every moment to memorize the layout of the building when he was escorted from his cell or from what other prisoners would tell him. He memorized the times they were fed and the times the guards switched with each other. After a long wait, he and Madara made their escape.
They were nearly captured a handful of times because of Madara's persistent episodes, but after a few hours they had made it to one of the allied campsites. From there it was an easy trip home. Madara obliged to take Danzō to the clan for his reward, but upon requesting his fair share of the fortune, he was denied and Madara was disowned.
"So really, I'm just trying to get what is rightfully mine," Danzō said, finishing his story.
"You're a liar," Sasuke said. "You didn't do any of that. For one, Madara stayed a captive until the war was over. He was mentally tortured the entire time he was imprisoned. If anything, you learned about him and thought you could use his captive state to your advantage. You—" Sasuke paused as a realization hit him. "You were teamed up with Kagami Uchiha, I believe that part, and you did learn about our fortune from him. You… You told my family about what Madara did to his younger brother. You were hoping that you could blackmail them with this information by threatening to shed a new light on the Uchiha and show them as blood thirsty psychos if they didn't give you the fortune! But… they chose to disown Madara instead so whatever you had to say was wasted. You're the reason his mental state began to decline like it had…"
Danzō smirked. "You're a little too smart for your own good. I tried desperately to get my hands on the money. I theorized that if I abducted the child of the head of the family my wish would be granted but your father was older than I could handle by the time I had come up with this plan. Then Itachi was born and he was very well guarded until he grew older. Then you came around and you met that little blonde boy and became rebellious.
"I thought I could take you on your outings with the blonde but your brother and father were always nearer than I hoped. But, after a little threat to your older brother, I was able to rid myself of your clan and force all of that money to Madara; the flaw in that plan is that he watched you like a hawk too. I was hoping the idiot wouldn't realize I was trying to obtain you."
"You don't give him enough credit," Sasuke spat.
"Maybe… Maybe not… by the time you did start leaving the house regularly you were a lot older so I had to recalculate how I would attempt this. That's why I asked for Sai, a boy roughly your age, to be sent to me." Danzō explained. "And here you are. You even brought me two extra hostages." Sakura and Hinata squirmed uncomfortably, hoping that Sasuke had formulated a plan.
There was a thud above their heads and Danzō hurried to Sasuke.
"I hope that's Sai, but he's normally not that loud," Danzō said, muttering to himself.
The basement door slammed open and Naruto, Gaara, Sai, Temari, and Neji bounded down the stairs.
"Well Sai, I expected more from you," Danzō said, holding a knife to Sasuke's throat.
"Don't worry about me," Sasuke said. Naruto nodded and raced for Hinata, Neji closely behind him, and Temari rushed to Sakura. Sasuke slammed his head backwards, into Danzō's chest, pushing the old man away from him while Sasuke yanked his hands away from one another, breaking free of the rope. Naruto and Neji had Hinata free in no time, but Temari was struggling to untie Sakura. Danzō leapt to Temari, pulling her free from Sakura and digging the blade into her neck instead.
In two seconds Gaara went from standing next to the foot of the stairs to roughly prying his sister from Danzō's side and driving his butterfly knife into Danzō's chest.
Danzō looked down to the red head and gasped for air before falling to the ground. Seconds later they heard sirens as the city's police force parked outside. With Danzō bleeding out on the ground the group didn't know if they should be scared of the knife wielding Gaara, he had yanked the blade back out of Danzō's chest, or if they should be grateful.
As the police stormed into the house, Sasuke walked over to Sakura and untied her saying, "the next time I tell you to leave, will you promise you'll listen?" To which she nodded 'yes.'