Chapter 29

It was mid-morning before the ANBU were certain they had the Uchiha District completely secured. It took another day before its citizens were permitted to return to their homes. Sakumo had ordered a thorough search of every inch of the District to be certain no threats or traps lurked behind. The severely wounded had been moved to the Leaf Hospital. Those with minor injuries had been treated and released. The dead had been identified and removed, the bodies sealed within specialized scrolls specifically for that purpose. They would be returned to their families shortly. At the final tally, over a third of the Uchiha's members had been killed.

Sakumo hadn't stopped moving since being pulled from his bed. Once the attackers had been stopped, he had remained behind to oversee the removal of those who had been killed; to make certain that each and every victim was treated with dignity and respect, even in death. Sakumo's heart ached as the final scrolls were gently taken away. This hadn't been battle, it had been terrorism. Civilians had been killed for no other reason than belonging to the wrong Clan. He had spoken briefly with Fugaku Uchiha, promising to keep him in the loop with their findings into the culprit and cause of the attack. Sakumo desperately hoped that all the hard work they had put into bridging the old rift between the Uchiha and the rest of the village hadn't just been undone in a single night.

The village remained on lockdown and shinobi and Leaf Police patrolled the streets. He had charged Shikaku Nara with assigning jonin to secure the Uchiha District. Understandably, the Uchiha were not currently keen on having the ANBU near. Instead, his ANBU headed to Foundation headquarters with orders to round up any remaining shinobi and seize any and all Foundation files. Sakumo was sick of being in the dark about Danzo's organization. They also had orders to arrest Danzo himself. If the Foundation had been involved, then Danzo had been the one giving the orders. Sakumo now needed to discover why. What did the Elder have to gain by attacking the Uchiha?

Sakumo's seething rage kept his fatigue at bay as he stalked through the streets, heading to see what the Intelligence Division had been able to learn from the few prisoners his ANBU had been able to capture. He was certain Danzo was behind this but his motives were unclear. What would Danzo possibly gain from destabilizing the village and throwing them into chaos? Sakumo wanted answers. Most of the attackers had been killed; Sakumo was somehow unsurprised that Danzo's Foundation shinobi would fight to the death rather than surrender.

Sakumo pushed open the door to Inoichi's office.

"Lord Hokage," Inoichi greeted.

"Please tell me you've learned something," Sakumo said, trying to keep things phrased as a request, not a demand. It wouldn't be right to take his frustration out on his people who were doing their best in a difficult situation.

"I have. We finished our interrogations just a short time ago and I was about to ask you to come so I could share our findings."

"What did you find out?"

"The ANBU that were brought in all have a curse mark on their tongue that prevents them from speaking of their mission. Or of anything related to the Foundation beyond the most vague and innocuous things. They couldn't talk even if they wanted to. Those who tried were completely paralyzed."

"That's a forbidden technique," Sakumo mused. "Is there any way to break the seal?"

"The only method of removing a curse mark like this that I'm aware of is the death of the one who cast it. If we attempt to remove it, there's a good chance we'll end up killing the victim."

Of course it would be something like that. "What you're telling me is that unless we remove those curse marks, there's no way to prove that the prisoners are from the Foundation or that they attacked the Uchiha under Danzo's orders."

"I didn't say that. You are familiar with the abilities of my Clan, I assume?"

"Of course." Sakumo said. The Yamanaka Clan's secret jutsu was one of the main reasons Inoichi was the head of the Intelligence Division. It was an invaluable skill. "You probed their minds?" Sakumo wasn't ashamed to admit that the thought made him more than a little uncomfortable.

Inoichi nodded. "There were blocks against mental probing as well. Danzo was quite thorough in making sure his people couldn't betray him. Though the mind is a vast and complex thing and no such block is completely impenetrable, no matter how skillfully applied." His aquamarine gaze met Sakumo's grey one. "Danzo ordered his Foundation shinobi to attack and eliminate the Uchiha Clan. No one was to be spared, no matter their age or station."

"You're certain of this?"

"Yes. Each ANBU that I scanned had the same memory of receiving their orders."

Sakumo's hand clenched into a fist at his side. He had suspected as much but hearing the words spoken, confirming the very worst, sent a fresh wave of anger through him. "Why?" he managed to ask.

Inoichi shook his head. "I don't know. Danzo gives orders, not explanations. From what I gathered, this is how he's always operated. Questions and independent thinking are not tolerated, only strict obedience and loyalty."

Sakumo forced his fingers to uncurl. Rage would only serve to cloud his judgment. He needed to remain calm and focused for the good of the village. "Thank you, Inoichi. I know it's been a long and tiring night but I am going to need your written report as soon as possible."

"I will attend to it as soon as we are finished here." He hesitated, then continued. "Lord Hokage, about the Foundation ANBU… they've been conditioned – programed, if you will - to obey Danzo alone. Integrating them back into regular forces is going to be challenging to say the least. I don't want to add another burden, but I thought you should be aware. The ones that we worked with previously must have been either new or were not privy to any intelligence or operations as they did not have the same curse marks."

Sakumo nodded grimly. "Danzo was playing for time, sending just enough people so we wouldn't get suspicious. I can't say that I'm surprised. Get me your report, then get some sleep. What to do with the Foundation shinobi long-term is a problem that's going to have to wait for now. Let me know if you discover anything else tied to this plot against the Uchiha." Sakumo pressed a hand against his eyes. "If I'm not in my office, leave your report with Minato. This is too sensitive to risk leaving lying about."

Inoichi frowned. "You're concerned about a conspiracy?" That was troubling to say the least. The situation was already dire enough without worrying about more agents working against them from the shadows.

"Not as such," Sakumo replied, lowering his hand. "But until I know just how far Danzo's reach went, I'd rather err on the side of caution." He smiled humorlessly as he opened the door. "We're shinobi, paranoia's part of the job."

"Of course, Lord Hokage." Inoichi sighed as Sakumo left his office. He did not envy the other man the job of untangling the mess Danzo had created. He pulled his notes closer for easy reference as he began writing up his findings. He had the feeling his department was about to become much busier in the days ahead.

Sakumo was surprised and immediately suspicious to see Danzo waiting in his office when he returned. He was flanked by a quartet of ANBU that Sakumo recognized as his people, not Foundation members.

"He insisted on speaking with you, Lord Fourth," one of the ANBU stated before Sakumo could demand to know why Danzo was here and not locked in a cell.

"We're in the middle of a crisis, Danzo. What do you want?" Sakumo asked bluntly, dropping the honorific; the man no longer deserved it. He was not in the mood to get into a verbal sparring match with Danzo of all people. Especially when the current crisis was of the other man's making.

"You should have left well enough alone, Sakumo," Danzo said. "You've only made things worse."

"I beg your pardon?" Sakumo was certain he had heard wrong. How was this his fault?

"You should have let my ANBU complete their mission without interference."

"Their mission? Are you admitting that you ordered Foundation shinobi to attack and slaughter the Uchiha?" Sakumo wondered if his exhaustion was causing him to hear things.

"The Uchiha were planning an uprising and, therefore, are a threat to the Village Hidden in the Leaves. I only did what was necessary to protect it."

"I'd already spoken with Fugaku Uchiha about the matter months ago!" Sakumo snapped. "And we've come to an agreement to prevent such an occurrence."

Danzo snorted. "Your pretty words and half-measures only delayed the inevitable! Sooner or later the Uchiha would have risen up against the rest of the village. I did what was necessary to protect the Hidden Leaf!"

"The Uchiha are part of the Leaf!" Sakumo shouted. He forced his voice back down to normal volume though it did nothing to mask his fury.

"I did what was necessary. What you are too weak to do."

"You authorized the killing of civilians."

"I did what needed to be done!"

"You murdered children!" Sakumo didn't even attempt to quell the killing intent that rolled off of him in waves. Danzo took an involuntary half-step back before regaining control of himself and even the ANBU flinched in the face of his raw fury. Sakumo's voice dropped to a growl, his lips twisted into a viscous snarl. "You had no authority to authorize such an action! None! I ordered your Foundation to disband!" Sakumo drew in several deep breaths to regain control of himself. He turned to the ANBU. "Take Danzo to a cell. He is to be kept under tight guard at all times. No visitors and no one enters his cell alone for any reason."

"Yes, Lord Hokage!"

Danzo sneered at Sakumo as the ANBU began moving him towards the door. He seemed to have regained his earlier bravado. "You are weak, Sakumo. And the village will suffer for it."

"The village is already suffering for your idea of strength."

"You may not like what I do, but I am necessary to ensure the survival of the Leaf. Hiruzen recognized that, which is why he authorized the creation of my Foundation in the first place."

"I am not Lord Third," Sakumo stated, turning away and effectively ending the conversation.

"A pity that for all your power, you are so naïve. You don't understand that darkness is necessary to preserve the light. Kakashi would done quite well in my organization," came the parting shot.

"Then you greatly underestimate my son and do not know him nearly as well as you think you do," Sakumo replied. He motioned to the ANBU to remove Danzo. He was done playing Danzo's little games.

Sakumo was really beginning to hate this job. There were a million things he could be doing other than listening to the Village Councilors yell and place blame for the current situation. The Elders had been teammates of Danzo's and had not been overly pleased with Sakumo's decisions as Hokage thus far. He sat with his head resting in his hands as he listened to the arguing and shouting that surrounded him. Nobody seemed to notice or care that he wasn't participating. He would have liked nothing more than to resign on the spot and walk out the door. Only his sense of duty prevented him from doing just that. If he did, the Village would be thrown into even more chaos. Which could only lead to more death. No, he needed to remain where he was, at least until things calmed down.

"This cannot be kept secret! Rumors have already begun to fly throughout the Village. We need to control what information is released. We need to figure out what to tell people."

"The truth is usually a good place to start," Shikaku stated bluntly. Like Sakumo, he had no taste for politics. He was also loathe to lie to the populace about this, allowing them to believe it had been the work of a few rogues. Nearly an entire clan had been decimated. Fear was running high amongst the populace that they could be next. The people needed reassurance, not more half-truths.

"If word gets out, we could have an uprising. It could mean civil war!"

Sakumo was sick of the arguments. Sick of politics. Sick of everything. He wanted to forget everything and everyone else even existed. But he couldn't. He had made a promise to protect the Hidden Leaf Village. So that's what he would do.

"Enough!" he said quietly but firmly. "It is secrecy and working from the shadows that brought us to this very point to begin with! I told you once before that I would not tolerate a shadow organization conducting its own operations. The people of the Hidden Leaf have the right to know just who it was who caused such a tragedy to befall them, who attempted to turn them against one another. Over a third of the Uchiha Clan has been wiped out. A Clan from our own village! Attacked by shinobi of the Hidden Leaf!"

"And what will you tell them? It will be disastrous if the people learn about the Foundation's activities!"

"Perhaps you should have thought about that before allowing Danzo to have so much power and leeway in managing things. I will not allow rumors and falsehoods to be spread about this tragedy in order to protect a select few." Sakumo's gaze hardened. "A shinobi makes his choices and must live with the consequences of his actions."

"And when this Council loses the trust of the Village? When the Hokage's position is no longer seen as strong? What then? What will you do when the villagers demand your head as well? Or when word of this gets out to the other Villages. Do you think the other nations will simply sit back and let this opportunity pass them by? They'll swoop down on the Hidden Leaf like a hawk after its prey. What then? Our military strength is still depleted from the last war. Now even more so."

"If the villagers demand my resignation, so be it. If they want my head, they can have it. If the Hidden Leaf is attacked, I'll die defending it. I told you when you put me in this office, I will not conduct business from the shadows. I will not tolerate a shadow organization to run around unchecked. For exactly this reason! Should the people demand new representation on the Council, they shall have it. You made your choice to support and back Danzo."

"For the good of the village!"

"So this will be as well." Sakumo pinned each of them in turn with a steely gaze. "Danzo has admitted his guilt. He will be executed for his crimes. This is not open to debate. Those who were still following his orders knowing he no longer had the authority to issue them will be tried. Those who were duped will be questioned and released provisionally. Those who have fled the Village will be added to the bingo book and hunted down as rogue ninja."

"You cannot – "

"Danzo is responsible for not only attempting to decimate an entire clan, he has also undermined the legitimate authority of this village. He has used his ANBU to carry out black op missions without approval, including assassinations." He turned to Shikaku, ignoring the furious sputtering from the Councilors. "I want you to collaborate with T&I and get a plan together for folding cleared Foundation members into my ANBU or the regular forces. The transition is going to have to be handled delicately. The last thing I want is for people of the village to begin suspecting their neighbors of being part of Danzo's Foundation. Pull personnel from wherever you have to in order to get this done. Have someone review missions requests; we'll deny what we can for the time being."

"Are you sure that's wise? The village's financial reserves were depleted by the War – "

"We'll have to make do for now. This needs to be handled quickly. The longer it takes, the more at risk everyone is."

"Understood, Lord Fourth."

"The files that my ANBU confiscated from the Foundation may help. They're being held in a secure and guarded location. Minato will pass on any personnel files as we find them."

The Foundation's files were yet another headache for Sakumo to deal with. Sakumo was already horrified at the lengths to which Danzo had gone in the few hours since they'd begun going through the Foundation's files. Many of the Foundation's shinobi were children, apparently kidnapped from their homes. Most had been taken from surrounding hamlets and orphanages but a few had been taken from their families within the Hidden Leaf itself. Many were younger than Kakashi. He had left Minato the task of trying to find the parents or kin for as many of the children as possible. Deprograming them would be another matter.

Not for the first time, Sakumo wished Tsunade was here. He made a mental note to see if Jiraiya had an idea as to her current whereabouts the next time he spoke to him. The Hidden leaf had good medical ninja but none of her caliber. Hiruzen had allowed her to leave the village indefinitely in order to deal with her grief over losing her little brother and fiancé. She had been gone from the village for a decade. Sakumo didn't want to reopen old wounds but Tsunade was still a shinobi of the Leaf and they needed her here. Getting her to return was going to be tricky. His list of tasks just kept getting longer and more difficult.

Fatigue pulled relentlessly at Sakumo as he finally dragged himself through the front door of his home. He kicked off his sandals carelessly as he closed the front door. Kakashi looked up from the book he had been reading at his entrance.

"It's nearly midnight. Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"You haven't been home – which means you haven't slept - in two days," Kakashi pointed out.

"I'm not a growing child."

Kakashi didn't bother pointing out that according to the village laws, he was considered an adult. He knew it was pointless and his father certainly wasn't in the mood to deal with him being a smart-ass right now. In fact, the teen couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his father look so stressed. For as long as he could remember, Sakumo had always been a strong and steady presence. The dark circles beneath his eyes, the deep lines of fatigue on his face, and the tension through his entire body shocked and worried Kakashi.

"Dad?" Kakashi said hesitantly.

"What is it?"

"I – I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry you. I should have told somebody where I was going. I just – I had to save Obito's grandmother. I had to. She's the only family he has left and –" His words were cut off as his father wrapped his arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"I know," Sakumo said softly as he released his son, sadly realizing that the skinny boy had somehow gotten taller again. "I'm proud that you want to protect those precious to you. But when you went off without a word and nobody knew where you were -" He drew in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Kakashi, you need to understand. There are those who would be willing to harm you in order to hurt me. Outside of the village few enough people connect the White Fang to the Hatake name so it's easier to distance you. As Hokage, though…"

"You're talking about Danzo," Kakashi realized. "You thought he had done something…"

"The thought had crossed my mind," Sakumo admitted.

"So, he was behind what happened at the Uchiha District."

Sakumo nodded grimly.

"What are you going to do?" he couldn't help asking.

"Right now, sleep. Danzo will be executed for his crimes the day after tomorrow." Sakumo frowned as he glanced at a clock. "Tomorrow," he corrected.

"Oh." Kakashi hesitated. "Dad, I don't understand. Why did Danzo attack the Uchiha?"

Sakumo shook his head. "It's late." He didn't necessarily want to put Kakashi's questions off, but his exhaustion was becoming more persistent now that the adrenaline had worn off and there was nothing more he could do for the moment. His bed was singing a siren song he could no longer ignore.

"Right." Kakashi flushed, realizing that he had been the one to point out how long his father had been awake for in the first place.

Sakumo smiled fondly at his son. "We can talk about it more tomorrow. After we both get some rest."

Author's Notes: So, real life and adulting kinda took over for the past few months. I also changed this entire section a *lot* from how I had originally written it and finding time to sit down and make certain it lined up with what had changed previously was a challenge to say the least. Luckily, I *thinK* (hope!) I've gotten the major issues ironed out.