Authors Note:

Sorry I've been away for a bit. The fic was on unofficial hiatus as I reread it and tried to decide whether I wanted to keep writing it. Overall, I came to terms with the fact that a lot of my early writing was quite poor (prose wise and just idea wise). Even if I don't agree all of with it, I understand and appreciate the criticism the fics been getting but I want to continue writing it the way I want to write it. I think I have become a better writer in every facet over the duration of the fic, but my main problem is that I was too unwilling (more accurately, incapable) of deviating from canon early enough. This, combined with the fact that I did not really understand how to write themes, has made me less confident in earlier parts of the fic. However, I don't see this as enough of a reason to stop doing something that I enjoy doing and that helps improve me as a writer. People can bitch about my Naruto being stupid or me retreading canon too much, some of it's fair and some of it isn't. At this point, I have fun writing the fic, even if it's not growing at a super fast rate, and I want to finish it just to say that I did a full-length Naruto rewrite.

Thanks to everyone who reads, I really appreciate it. I used this chapter to kind of test how a fully dialogue focused chapter could work, as well as help elucidate some of the more confusing parts of the plot so far. If you're into that kind of thing, you'll probably like it and if you're not, you'll probably think it's kind of boring. Thanks for reading anyway!

As he marched through the depths of the forest, Kabuto couldn't help but note just how alone he felt. His footsteps echoed into the wind, fading into light whispers of crushed leaves and spurned soil. Speaking of the wind, its docile murmuring was at odds with the cold that wracked his body. Even dressed in a thick red cloak, Kabuto could still feel shivers occasionally dancing through his joints. It was lucky he was wearing a mask, it's red painted feline features so vibrant that one could almost hear it purring through the night.

As he came to an opening, Kabuto suddenly stopped. At his front, only meters away stood a quaint little house. Aside from its interesting location, it was nothing special, a cozy cabin whose old wood foundations had become intermingled with the natural vegetation. Its blinds were drawn and its lights were dead. For some reason, Kabuto continued to stare at it as if he was standing in front of the most tightly guarded prison on the planet.

All defenses will be disabled for your visit. He recalled the note saying.

Nevertheless, it was better to be safe than sorry. Kabuto reached into his pocket, unhooking a flask of ink and dipping his forefingers in it. The lines of his fingers were stained black for just a second before their color was smeared along the ground in precise pattern. A quick seal sent chakra flowing through the ink and consequently a burst of smoke to rise from its circumference. Summoned into the world was a bundle of tiny snakes, barely bigger than one's index finger. They were purple and scaly, deep violet plates running down to a rattle-like tail that was set a dull, strangely opaque brown. Looking down at them with the inky blacks of his cat mask, Kabuto let out a few sharp, hissed murmurs that would have been utterly intelligible to the human ear. Fortunately, it only spurred the snakes to action. They dashed across the terrace, a passive rattling sound coming from their ends.

Kabuto must have stood there for a good five minutes before they managed to cover all of the ground.

Nothing apparently. He thought, desummoning all but one of the snakes.

He scooped up the remaining one as he walked by, affectionately scratching its chin before letting it duck into his sleeve. A slight purr began to echo through the red cloth.

Just in case.

Kabuto couldn't help but feel a pit begin to well up in his stomach as he edged towards the front door of the house. It was not necessarily fright but there was still a noticeable sensation in his guts. Steadying himself, Kabuto used his non-snake filled arm to knock lightly upon the door. A few seconds of pure silence passed before it clicked open only a slight bit.

"Stand still." An elderly voice commanded.

More silence passed before a quiet but palpable rumbling overtook the landscape. It silenced itself just as quickly as it had come but the sudden noise seemed to have a ripple effect. An irritated hissing came from Kabuto's sleeve, as the snake he'd pocketed earlier peeked out with it's rattle now boasting a dull blue glow to it.

The door opened fully now, revealing Danzo Shimura standing in the entryway.

"Come in Mr. Yakushi." He ordered, to which Kabuto nodded and followed.

However, before he could make it past the physical doorway, Danzo's arm shot out to block him. The snake in his sleeve was hissing intensely now, it's rattle now as bright and blue as the light of a torch. A stern yet also unimpressed glare echoed through Danzo's exposed eye and before Kabuto could do anything to rectify this, he snatched the snake from his sleeve. The snakes mouth shot open but the tight grip of the old man's forefingers quickly quashed its attempts at struggle. As Danzo held it up to his eye, the glow of the snakes rattle became even brighter but this was about as bright as it would get. A palpable yet refined burst of strength coursed through Danzo's fingers, crushing the snake's skull like he was slapping a mosquito.

"Disappointing." He said, disposing of the snake with a simple hand seal.

His gaze quickly snapped back to the painted eyes of Kabuto's mask.

"Considering the context in which you have come to me, I would have expected a little bit more humility."

Sparing Kabuto not a breath more, he quickly turned on his heel and began to march into the house. The silver haired boy stood around awkwardly for a few seconds before he took the invitation inwards.

"My apologies Mr. Shimura, they're chakra-detecting snakes. I just thought- "

"Did I not state, Kabuto, that my defenses would be disabled for your visit?" Danzo asked, continuing to march forward.

His tone was so cold that its residual frostbite was more than enough to send shivers down Kabuto's spine.

"I was under the impression that- "

Danzo held up an arm, silencing him still without even a turn of his head.

"Yes or no?"

"Yes, you did Mr. Shimura." Kabuto gave in, tone almost tooapologetic.

"You're right, I did and yet still you insist on summoners tricks. It's a shame, Orochimaru seems to have gotten so used to doing business with the lowest common denominator scum that he's forgotten how to handle a proper negotiation. That is, if he ever knew in the first place."

At this point, Danzo's voice was so cold that Kabuto's own lips became frozen shut like a snow pea. However, considering how catty the old man was being, it wasn't like he was particularly aching to speak. Instead, he took the time to look over Danzo's house. Various paintings hung from the walls. All of them were of Konoha landscapes, the paintings morphing into a slushy gradient of blues, greens, oranges and browns if you squinted with them all in eyeshot. Objectively they were well painted but Kabuto vastly preferred more vibrant, expressionist art. He did not find much interest in a painting of a forest identical to the one he'd just walked through, no matter how pretty it looked.

Aside from the paintings, Kabuto couldn't help but notice how neatly everything sat from room to room. Not so much as a speck of dust had managed to evade Danzo's eye apparently, as the houses wood foundations stood spotless and stable. In all fairness, a lot of the rooms were fronted with locked doors so it was entirely possible Danzo had just sweeped his mess into them and called it a day. However, as he walked into the embrace of the houses main room, Kabuto began to consider this nothing more than an impossibility.

Danzo's main room was exceedingly warm, a stark contrast to the frigid man who marched through it. Decorative timber lamps of distinctly Konoha design sat at either side of the room, overlooking two large rows of wooden cabinets. Each cabinet was divided fifty, maybe even a hundred ways, into little compartments whose tops were fastened with intricate locking mechanisms. Each little compartment had been branded with a number, which Kabuto presumed was a sort of code. Where the compartments stopped, a more traditional living arrangement was left, with a humble dining table sitting next to a blind-drawn window. Presumably it would have been a nice view had it not been covered up with two feet of curtain.

Assuming Danzo had designed and built the room himself (a safe guess considering how private he was), Kabuto began to imagine that he could have a very lucrative career in architecture and interior.

"Mask off." Danzo ordered, sitting himself down at the dining table and returning to a piece of parchment which lay there.

Still, he was not making eye contact with Kabuto. Not even as the boy ditched the cat mask did he bother to look up at him. Rather, he continued to look over the parchment, only stopping to note a sudden (and nervous) movement from the boy.

"You can stay standing." He said bluntly.

Kabuto's body lamely froze up in adaptive response. At the very least, his poker face was holding strong but Danzo's commanding presence was doing it's best to tear that away as easily as it had the mask.

"Now, Kabuto, would you kindly recite what it is you are requesting of me." Danzo asked, gaze soft yet voice gravely.

"Well, M-Mr Shimura, as you know, recently some of our subordinates were captured by ANBU."

Danzo grunted in affirmation.

"Now, you see, some of them, well, one in particular, was very, very important to the realization of the plan. Am I correct in saying that you have a council vote scheduled soon?"

"In three days, to be exact. We will be voting on whether the chunin exams will go ahead. The only reason this has got this far, is because your teacher could not go a week without trying to get yet another shiny new toy. Even one that he knew he would receive if everything went to plan." Danzo snapped, a distinct frown gracing his features.

The briefing Kabuto had received for this meeting had instructed him to stay on topic and not get lost in any of Danzo's tangents. That was the primary way he managed to trap people, so the young boy simply nodded nervously.

"Well, anyway, as you have called the vote, are you not entitled to package issues into a single ballot."

"As long as they are reasonably related, I am."

"Then, unless you want the plan to fail, you must make sure that at the very least Dosu is able to attend the exams. Even with ANBU patrols, he must be there." Kabuto said, nervousness morphing to aggression for just a second.

It quickly morphed back as Danzo shot him a scathing look. A sigh escaped his lips.

"Do you know how many conversations, how many letters, how many deals I've had to negotiate over the past few days to just get the others to sign onto a continuation of the exams? Now you want me to try and get a known terrorist lacky out of jail?!"

"It's a bad position- "Kabuto ceded.

"A bad position built entirely on Orochimaru's own neurotic failings! I promised him the sharingan should all go well and he attempted to go behind my back to steal it anyways. What reason do I have for continuing to stick my neck out for the both of you?!"

Kabuto paused for a second, wondering whether he should answer or just stay silent. Upon Danzo's further discussion coming in the form of a glare, he settled upon the former.

"Because of Hiruzen- "

"Because of Hiruzen, correct. Very astute Kabuto. That bring us back on topic. Politics is a game of chess and here you are expecting me to play dodgeball. To get this passed, I will have to sacrifice every bit of blackmail I have on the council. Decades of accumulated leverage, gone just like that."

The final word was punctuated with a snap of his fingers.

"Now I am stuck here plotting to undermine the democracy of my own country with the help of the leader of the most decorated Iwa colony and a man who has proven fully willing to betray me on the slightest hedonistic whim. Does this sound like a good position to be in Kabuto?"

Kabuto shook his head.

"No sir- "

"Exactly. And I will add that it does not exactly inspire faith in my "allies" when one betrays the plan and then proceeds to communicate entirely through his lackey. You're like his little courier pigeon, aren't you? The borders are on lockdown, it's impossible for anyone to stray far from the main village, where on earth is he?!"

As if on cue, a disgusting squelching sound rung through Danzo's room. He tilted his head to face it, finding a watery brown shape protruding from his rooftop. For most, this would receive at least a jolt of surprise. Danzo however, just frowned even harder. Veins of fluid began to run over the shape, eventually solidifying into a distinctly pale humanoid creature. Standing there, welded to Danzo's roof, stood a beaming Orochimaru.

"Present and accounted for." He grinned, dropping down to the floor with a serpentine smirk stuck to his face. "Good to see you Danzo, it's been a little bit."

"It has." Danzo concurred.

Though his posture and expression had not changed, it was notable that the gaze he'd been willing to withhold from Kabuto was now laser-focused on Orochimaru's every move. For good reason too, considering the way the snake sanin dropped to the floor and sauntered across the room. A deep smirk was welded into his features, making his pale white skin look plastic even in the dull light of the room.

"Well then, we may as well get on with it. No use in talking to Kabuto now that I'm here." Orochimaru said.

He slid curious fingers over Danzo's shelves as he spoke, pale white skin grazing over all manner of nick-nacks and ornaments. The way he moved was curious yet confident, like a child forced to spend a day at their grandparents. Clearly, he felt little danger in the presence of Danzo considering he considered his attention better spent on some of the ceremonial plates propped up on the shelves. Of course, Danzo himself did not seem as amused.

"May I ask why you decided to make a surprise appearance today, Orochimaru?" He asked, attempting to keep his voice levelled.

"To lure you into a false sense of security by having to negotiate with Kabuto, only to make an appearance myself and surprise you, therefore putting you on the backfoot." Orochimaru explained matter-of-factly as he examined a small, rubber-cast soldier toy.

The way he had so clearly spelled out his intentions brough a pause to Danzo's words, if only for a few seconds. The ever so slight ring of clenching teeth whispered through his mouth before he recomposed himself.

"Well, if that's the case, I hardly think your time here is best spent admiring my figurines."

"Is that an invitation to take a seat?" Orochimaru asked, turning his eyes to Danzo while the toy's rubber form squeaked between his fingers.

"What else would it be?"

Orochimaru (almost reluctantly) placed the soldier toy back on the shelf and waltzed over to the table, slinking into the chair aside from Danzo. Casually spreading his arms along its rest, he made sure to also prop his feet up on the tabletop itself. A noticeable glare graced Danzo's eye but Orochimaru hardly saw it as he turned his head to Kabuto.

"Kabuto, some drinks please. I'll have- "

Just as quickly, his head snapped back to Danzo.

"Where do you keep the liquor?"

"I don't." Danzo replied sternly.

The bright, illuminating grin on Orochimaru's face faded just a bit as he stared back at Danzo. As if strung together by a magnetic force, the two's gazes became locked on to each other.

"I'll have a water, Kabuto." Danzo said, not taking his eyes off Orochimaru's own for a second.

"Right away Mr. Shimura." Kabuto called before walking off.

A silence befitting of the night began to take hold over the cottage, only for a click of Orochimaru's tongue to shatter it as quickly as it had come.

"Let's get onto business then. As I understand, you're upset, or maybe distraught is a better word, at my actions in the Forest of Death?" Orochimaru asked.

"I would say infuriated." Danzo replied.

"Well, infuriated is just word grown-ups use when they're distraught so I can't really see the difference."

The bouncy playfulness that had reverberated through his tone previously was gone, sucked away into the dead of night. A more subtle undercurrent of amusement had taken its place though Danzo himself did little to share it.

"I knew I would be facing some immaturity when I agreed to partner with you but I could have never expected anything at this level. I had promised you the sharingan time and time again yet your impatience put this entire operation at risk!"

"Oh Danzo, stop it!" Orochimaru laughed, throwing his head back dramatically.

For a second, his face was masked by the angle. Before Danzo could even blink though, his head snapped back into position, sudden motion synching up with the sharpening of his features. There was no longer even a hint of playfulness in his expression. No longer were his arms lounged around the chair. One sat tensely on his stomach while the other continued to grip the rest.

"The entire premise for this campaign was that you thought Konoha was too weak to survive in its current state, do you really think I'm stupid enough to think you'd just let me waltz out of a Kage assassination with the countries last proper sharingan?"

Danzo stayed silent.

"I was just cashing in an insurance policy. You're hardly the most honest politician, evidenced by the fact that I am sitting in your living room right now. Besides, it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. You had no leverage from which to drop me from as this whole plan hingeson me specifically, so, forgive me, but I fail to see why I shouldn't have done it?"

Danzo's brow creased so deeply one could think his skin was about to tear open.

"Why? Your own underlings in ANBU custody, the exams presumably being more tightly guarded than most prisons and Hiruzen's trust in me completely eroded."

A slight smirk wormed through Orochimaru's features.

"Do you honestly think he ever trusted you? Truly?"

"Of course not. Lord Second had to beg him to make me advisor, and that was on top of the post-election riots. However, every time I went behind his back, I made sure to balance it in front of him. I was too capable of a politician for him to get rid of, especially in the wake of the war and the nine-tails attack. Anytime I did anything over the line, he was willing to turn a blind eye, that is, if he knew about it at all. Now, thanks to you, I am becoming more and more of a liability by the day!"

"If he's so suspicious, why hasn't he arrested you yet?" Orochimaru asked.

"He knows anything up to Jonin wouldn't be capable. He also knows I placed my most loyal supporters in high-level ANBU positions the moment Lord Second gave me the jurisdiction. With your presence looming over him, he cannot hope to fight a terrorist and resistance from his own government at the same time."

Orochimaru paused for a moment, his smile only growing smugger as his top lip folded over his bottom.

"So, you're saying I didn't really endanger anything?"

If looks could kill, Orochimaru would have dropped dead then and there.

"That is not at all what I'm saying. Firstly, I would stop being so coy if I was the one who's going to have to try and assassinate a Kage under the conditions that are no doubt going to be imposed on you. Secondly, the people who I recall you saying were pivotal to your plan are now locked up, leaving me to clean up the mess. Thirdly, if the three children's testimonies are to be believed, one of your boys had them in the palm of his hand let you told him to halt his attack. Why?"

For the first time in the whole of this meeting, Orochimaru's mouth curved into a frown of annoyance. It did not look like it was directed at Danzo, however. Instead, it was at himself.

"I gave Dosu a certain amount of time to capture them- "

"You sent three people." Danzo corrected.

"The other two's usefulness is limited." He explained quickly. "Dosu is the only one out of the lot who displays legitimate potential, however flawed he was. I set a time limit to hopefully iron out some of his…sloppier aspects, but unfortunately, he bled his limited time torturing jonin and breaking down into a ball. Unlike sensei, I do not reward weakness among my students Danzo, He had a set amount of time and he was incapable of completing his task. End of story."

"But then to let the three genin get away from you-"

"A miscalculation." He grunted, through gritted teeth. "The pink one proved to be less of a deadweight than I had pegged her for and Kurama's relationship with the Uzumaki boy was far more developed than your intel suggested. Nevertheless, I succeeded in marking the Uchiha, which is all I wanted to do really."

"And it couldn't have gone in a more inconspicuous place?" Danzo said, practically shouting.

Orochimaru's face morphed into a scowl with a suddenness that clearly spelled out his inner-frustration.

"He wears a big collar! Where else should it go, his fucking bellybutton?" He yelled, form shooting up from it's relaxed "feet on the table" position to a pressured, lurched over one.

"Would have been preferrable." Danzo sneered.

"The seal's connected to specific chakra nodes in the neck you dolt! Anywhere else and its effectiveness is halved!"

The two sat in a tense silence for what felt like a full minute before the sound of footsteps echoed through the room. Both immediately shot their gazes towards the sound, fearing the presence of an outsider, only to find Kabuto tiptoeing over with a glass of water.

"Here you are Mr. Shimura." He whispered, placing the drink down on the table.

Danzo took the glass in his hand, ice cubes wobbling from the sudden movement. A single slice of lemon had been meticulously angled along the rim of the glass.

"What took you so long?" He asked.

"W-well, it sounded like you two were getting rather heated. I didn't want to interrupt." The young boy stammered nervously.

A further silence overtook the room as Danzo eyed up the glass. Moving swiftly, he reached into the pocket of his shirt and retrieved a small patch of paper. An annoyed scoff immediately flew from Orochimaru's lips.

"Honestly."

"Can't be too safe." Danzo replied, dropping the patch into the water.

After a few seconds of floating, its surface was tinged a soft green color. He quickly picked it out and took a sip.

"I'll take a glass too thanks Kabuto." Orochimaru said.

"Right away sensei."

As he watched his student walk away, Orochimaru began to lean back against the chair with a slight frown. It was clear from the way he was now speaking and moving that the ever-present comfortability that was imbued in his aura had vanished. For a man that was typically so loose, he was coming off as incredibly dry right now. It seemed as if maybe he was not as confident in his actions as he was attempting to project.

"Perhaps we should shift gears here, hm?" He said.

"I think that would be a good idea." Danzo replied

While still shrill, there was now a certain grounded quality to Orochimaru's voice as opposed to the jovial, brink-of-laughter bass that had permeated his tone previously.

"What about Rasa, have you heard anything from him?" Orochimaru asked.

"The last I heard he was beginning to travel. At this point, I don't think there's much more to discuss. He knows what to do and what orders his troops are to carry out."

"And what makes you so sure he's going to do any of that?"

Danzo raised an eyebrow sharply.

"What are you implying?"

"As I understand it, you've promised him a frankly lucrative amount of foreign aid as well as various trade deals." Orochimaru said, a noticeable flicker dancing behind his eyes.

"That would be correct."

"Well, think back to the conversation we had earlier. You're hardly the most trustworthy person to be working with. Perhaps Rasa may find your promise unconvincing or, even worse, insubstantial."

Danzo's gaze fizzled with suspicion.

"And what would this be based on?" He asked, coldly.

"Pure speculation of course."

Danzo paused for a second, realizing that this topic required him to think his words over.

"I am not under the illusion that either of you are men of your word. Men of their word simply don't exist in backroom politics. I also have no doubt Rasa has flirted with the idea of stabbing me in the back and trying to take Konoha outright. Perhaps he has even voiced this idea to you in private… "

As Danzo's eyes burrowed into his own, Orochimaru did his best to keep any vulnerable facial features as impassive as they could be.

"However, he must know that even in the pathetic state we're in now, Konoha's military is still enough to grind Suna's own down into a pile of ashes."

Orochimaru couldn't help but let out a slight grin.

"Is this a direct threat?"

"Only if he makes it so." Dazno said, before taking a sip from his glass. "Besides, I doubt he's foolish enough to attempt a coup, not matter how much he wants to. He came crawling over to me when his little Jinchuriki trick didn't suddenly transform Suna into not a shithole. I'd imagine he'd want to try something a little bit more low risk this time."

"Was the trick not impressive though?" Orochimaru asked.

"Oh, it was but it's actual achievements were middling. Less crime in the capitol village, but only because it's all pissed off to the outskirts. The main reason he did it was because of the classic Suna inferiority complex. They started off occupied by Iwa then got occupied by Kiri, who also made sure to pocket their culture along with it, decayed into a balkanized hellhole under their greatest leaders and were then reduced to playing feeder league for Konoha. Rasa succeeded in ensuring they weren't positioned as an international punching bag any longer, but that's not enough when half of the population are struggling to eat."

Danzo, who was beginning to feel rather heated at this moment, proceeded to take yet another sip from his glass. As if on cue, Kabuto quietly emerged back into the room holding an identical one in his hand.

"Here you go sensei." He said quietly, passing the glass to Orochimaru.

"Thank you, Kabuto." The man replied, eyes peering back up to Danzo. "Surely you would cede that he has done infinitely better on the Jinchuriki issue than you have though?"

"I watched the tape from the exams back. It appears that the boy is not nearly as invincible and battle-hardened as he led me to believe."

"Is he not still preferable to the Uzumaki though?"

This seemed to hit a nerve. Danzo's face screwed up as if he'd just bitten into the lemon on his glass, lips furling in perked anger.

"Of course he is, but that is hardly my fault."

"Well, who's was it?" Orochimaru asked.

He knew full well who's Danzo thought it was but no harm could be gained by getting the old man to unleash a little bit.

"Hiruzen's, obviously! He simultaneously pampered the boy while attempting to isolate him from the rest of society. Now, the son of one of the most adept and talented Shinobi of all time, as well as the host of our greatest weapon, is a blithering idiot and a hard to ignore one at that."

A loud sigh left Danzo's lips as he slouched somewhat in his chair.

"And this is why you wanted him assassinated?" Orochimaru asked, with a slight smirk.

Danzo looked up at him with annoyance.

"I should not have to explain to you why Hiruzen Sarutobi is ineffective as a leader, and you know that. To think I'm going to sit here and vent to you of all people, like a moody teenager- "

"Calm down, Danzo. I simply want to know a little bit more of why you want to assassinate your decades-long colleague. You talk a very big game about wanting to protect Konoha but yet you're here planning to destabilize it from within, to the point where you almost expect a foreign power to try and seize it."

With this, Orochimaru leaned forward. The dark of the night mingled with the warmth of the candles and ran down his serpentine features, shading his face like a muddy painting.

"All I'm saying is that I fail to see how this benefits the village you claim to love so much. From where I'm sitting, this only seems like a power grab."

"Believe me, Orochimaru- "Danzo started, suddenness in his voice indicating a clear annoyance with the subject matter. "I would be more than happy to step back if I thought Konoha was in safe hands but the fact of the matter is that it isn't and it hasn't been for a very long time. Hiruzen's always been soft when it mattered. We could have demolished Kiri during the war if he'd ordered it but he was too scared of being compared to Tobirama to pull the trigger. Hell, look at you. Snatching kids from the streets to experiment on, planning to assassinate members of the government, and he let you walk."

Orochimaru's eyebrows raised.

"Not quite how I remember it- "

"Just because he didn't gift you a passport and send you on your way does not mean for onesecond he was hard on you. He refused to investigate you for weeks after the signs were beginning to suggest your guilt. His ignorant, compassionate mind just couldn't imagine one of his precious students doing something so awful. Yes, he tried to put you away when there were no other options left but he was conflicted. Conflicted that he had to put away a known criminal."

Orochimaru pursed his index finger on his chin as his lips folded over each other in amusement.

"That's interesting because he didn't seem that conflicted when he slammed a fireball into my face. Besides, you seem to be condemning me an awful lot considering you now deem it alright to work with me."

Danzo paused for a second, glaring at Orochimaru with his exposed eye.

"Don't flatter yourself, you're a bit-part player in what's happening now. There are forces moving in the ninja world that are far bigger than anything I've ever seen before. Bigger than international conflict and far bigger than you." He spoke, voice cold.

His words were intentionally vague as to not que Orochimaru in to anything he may not have known. Luckily, what Orochimaru "may not have known" was a very limited pool of information.

"Is this about Iwa's six paths scroll?" Orochimaru asked with a grin

"Word travels fast in the circles you run in." Danzo noted. "You'd be correct too. We'd already been in communications when I got word but I would be lying if I say a day had past where I hadn't thought about it since then. One fifth of the most dangerous weapon in the shinobi world, gone like that. It's a disaster on a unpresented scale and a faux-empathic ideologue like Hiruzen is going to do nothing but act as a pig to the slaughter. The shinobi world is brutal and unforgiving yet he insists on ruling with such untenable compassion. It's a joke."

A sudden stillness came over the room. Even Orochimaru felt a shiver run through his back as Danzo began to look over him.

"When I was a young boy, I watched my home village be torn apart by poor leadership and an inability to act. I would rather die than watch the village that saved me from a life of poverty and starvation succumb to the same fate." He spoke, almost softly.

The two sat soon found themselves sitting in silence yet again. It was only as Danzo leaned back against his chair that conversation resumed.

"And you, what reason do you have for wanting to kill Hiruzen now that you have the Uchiha marked?"

Orochimaru thought for a moment.

"I believe he promised me a stick of gum when I was younger after losing a bet. I never received it."

It took Danzo a little while to realized what his companion had just said. When he did, however, his face scrunched up into a tepid, unimpressed glare.

"I think we've discussed most everything we can here." He said, clearly annoyed at Orocohimaru's unserious answer.

"I would agree." Orochimaru contended, stepping up to his feet. "Come along Kabuto, we're leaving."

Danzo watched them leave without so much as a goodbye or acknowledgment that they were even there. Instead, he listened intently for the click of the doorknob, waited an hour to make sure Orochimaru was gone and then retrieved two half-drafted documents from one of his chambers. On it were instructions for a never-ending ANBU patrol to be stationed outside the Uchiha compound at all times. On another was a comprehensive overview of any vulnerabilities Suna could exploit during the Exams.

He had never been foolish enough to think Orochimaru and Rasa were trustworthy. He was just confident enough that whatever double cross they attempted to pull would already be planned for. The only reason he'd bothered coordinating with the two of them was that for Konoha to survive, Hiruzen Sarutobi had to die.

A loud sigh left his lips at this thought.

It was a shame. He was never one for companionship but out of all those he interacted with on a regular basis, Hiruzen was the only one he'd consider a friend. He was a good man but in that lay an unfortunate contradiction. Good men could not exist in the ninja world and Danzo knew that well.

He just had the unfortunate task of removing this one directly.