A/N: I'm going to warn you in advance: this story is a bit weird.

The story explores a canon-divergent AU where Danzo is the Third Hokage. The narrative focuses around one key incident and the resulting fallout from said incident, the entire thing spanning a total of ten years. It is divided into two main parts. The first part covers years 0-6 and is non-linear. It cycles through four main character perspectives (Sasuke, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Itachi) while also adding in a few different perspectives for greater context. I envisioned it as being sort of like a puzzle, each chapter providing clues as to what happened, how the characters are involved, how much they know about the situation, and how they're connected to each other so that, as the work progresses, the full story becomes increasingly clear. The second part covers years 6-10 and is completely chronological. All of the main character perspectives (Sasuke, Jiraiya, Kakashi, and Itachi) are visited in each chapter of the second part. This is where the bulk of the storytelling and world-building comes into play, so the chapters become significantly longer at this point (for reference, about four chapters in the first part = one chapter in the second part).

Now that's still admittedly a very...vague explanation of what this story is haha. But in an effort to avoid possible spoilers, I'm going to leave it at that! I will just say, though, as a final note, that since the events of this story are very canon-divergent, if something isn't explicitly mentioned in the story, I didn't include it. Anything that is kept the same as in canon is stated.

I do also just want to take a moment to thank anyone who decided to click on this story and give it a try. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it! And, of course, your feedback is more than welcome!

24 Hours Before

"Nothing to report, sir." Danzo Shimura looked up and briefly considered the Root member standing in front of him, then returned his gaze back to the document he was reading.

"That's a shame," he remarked, placing the page aside and grabbing another. The Root member didn't reply.

The sun had nearly set when Danzo looked back up at the shinobi.

"Report to the others. Tell them to continue with the mission." The Root member gave a sharp nod and disappeared.

Danzo tried to continue reading once the ninja left, but soon found himself leaning back in his chair and gazing out over the Hidden Leaf Village.

"Such a shame," he mumbled, looking beyond the bustling center of Konoha to the outskirts where the Uchiha clan resided. He was well aware that the village would initially take a large hit in productivity because of his choice. There would be questions asked, backlash from other clans, maybe a few protests. Not to mention there would be the issue of having to hire an entirely new police force and reassign all the missions currently tasked to Uchiha shinobi. But ultimately, Danzo knew that this was the only way to ensure the village's future safety. The Uchiha clan could not be trusted, and it was his job as the Hokage to stop them before they completely destroyed the village.

He turned around and returned to his reading. He had made his decision; all he could do now was wait for it to be carried out.

• • •

10 Years After

Itachi Uchiha gazed up at the looming green gates of Konohagakure, a painful ache forming deep within his chest as his eyes tracked up to the leaf insignia carved above them. The wooden panels of the gates were decrepit, the concrete archways were cracked, and the paint was terribly faded. It was hardly a formidable showing, but Itachi knew that Konohagakure had never drawn its strength from walls or barriers. Its greatest weapon was the shinobi lying in wait inside, ready to lay down their lives to defend the village's citizens against any given threat.

He had once been one of those shinobi. After all, Konoha had been his clan's home for generations, so it was only natural that he would also dedicate his life to protecting it. Once upon a time, he had even dreamed of bringing peace to the village, of ensuring that no child would ever experience the atrocities of war and battle that he had.

He couldn't help but think it was ironic that he was now the one marching an army up to its gates.

It had, in theory, been his brother's idea. But nonetheless, Itachi had agreed and contributed to its execution. He told himself that they were justified, that they were merely here to retrieve what was stolen from them all those years ago. They were not here to start a war, to bring the village to its knees or burn it to the ground. They were here for recompense, and after that was given, he and his brother would leave Konohagakure behind and settle somewhere far enough away that it's poisoned roots could never reach them again.

A strong hand suddenly gripped his shoulder. "Ready, brother?"

Itachi steeled his resolve with a deep breath and let the familiar sting of chakra collect behind his eyes. He may not be able to make the world a better place for Konoha and its people, but he could make it a better place for his brother. This was their birthright — they were Uchihas, and they were here to take back what was theirs.

Itachi turned and locked eyes with his brother, Sharingan to Sharingan.

"I'm ready."

• • •

4 Hours Before

Sasuke was fighting the urge to fidget when Iruka finally decided to dismiss the class. He had held them over for about twenty minutes, claiming that the lesson was too important to stop and finish after they came back from their holiday break. He had spent approximately five of those twenty minutes ranting about how he wouldn't have to hold them after if someone (cue Naruto's uncontrollable snicker) hadn't interrupted the lesson by crumpling up the handouts and throwing them at various unsuspecting students. Sasuke himself had nearly been on the receiving end of one such attempt, but had neatly dodged it. This apparently triggered a large amount of frustration from the dunce, since he fired about twenty crumpled balls in rapid succession at Sasuke right after. While Sasuke ended up getting hit by about five of them, the stunt also led to Naruto getting caught by Iruka, so Sasuke couldn't claim to be too upset about it.

Until Iruka forced them to stay after, that is.

Sasuke had been watching the clock for the entire class, desperate for it to end so he could finally get home and start the holiday break. For the first time that he could remember, no member of his clan had a mission assigned over the holiday. Itachi had been away last year, Shisui had been away the year before that, and the year before that his father and three other clan members had been absent for the celebration. But this year, they would all be together, and Sasuke could hardly wait. It would be the best holiday ever, he was sure of it.

So he figured it was reasonable to be a bit annoyed after finding out he had to wait even longer for the break to start because of the moron seated two rows behind him.

But now — now he was free, and he practically jumped out of his seat and ran towards the nearest exit in his excitement.

Unfortunately, he never made it out the door.

"Sasuke, can I talk to you for one moment?" The boy turned and nearly gaped at his teacher. Iruka had to be joking. What could he have possibly done that warranted him staying after even later? Iruka, however, merely smiled kindly at the child's dumbfounded expression and waved him towards his desk.

Sasuke felt his shoulders slump and tried his best not to pout as he shuffled over to his expectant teacher, watching enviously as his classmates filed out of the classroom.

"Yes, Iruka Sensei?" he mumbled, staring at the floor in defeat. He looked up when he heard Iruka chuckle.

"I'm going to discuss it in depth with your parents after the holiday break, but I wanted to let you know that I'm recommending you for the graduation exam this year." Sasuke's eyes widened in shock, and he felt a smile beginning to form on his lips.

"Really?" Iruka nodded.

"I know you've only been at the Academy for a year, but I think you're ready to take the next step and become a genin." Sasuke's face split into a grin. He wanted to jump, yell, maybe even dance — but most of all, he wanted to get home and tell his big brother the news.

He beamed up at Iruka. "Thank you, Iruka Sensei." His teacher smiled and placed a hand on his head.

"You deserve it, Sasuke. You'll be a fine shinobi." Iruka glanced at the clock. "Now, get home and enjoy your holiday. I'll see you back after the break and we'll set up a meeting with your parents to discuss the details." Sasuke nodded happily and ran out the door.

He knew it — this holiday was going to be extra special.

• • •

6 Years After

Jiraiya stared across at Naruto's apartment. He'd been on watch for hours now. He was tired, his eyes stung, he had a raging headache, but he couldn't risk abandoning his post and leaving the boy vulnerable, not when he knew that Danzo had his eyes on him.

Danzo, the jackass, was finally beginning to take the threat posed by the wayward Uchiha brothers seriously, something that Jiraiya had been urging him to do for the past two years. Jiraiya had been keeping track of the boys' movement since they defected from the village, and their actions had only been becoming more and more alarming. Itachi appeared to be amassing a following, traveling from land to land and gathering any rogue shinobi who would join him. He had not been hard to follow: Jiraiya simply planted a few spies along Itachi's path and had them join his entourage. He'd ordered them to observe and report back to him intermittently. Overall, the group seemed peaceful enough, but the growing number was becoming rather worrisome.

Itachi, however, was not his main concern.

The younger brother, Sasuke, had practically fallen off the face of the earth. He had been relatively easy to keep track of while he was with Orochimaru, but after he abandoned the Sannin, there were almost no sightings of the boy. This in and of itself would not have been problematic had Jiraiya not gotten a series of reports earlier remarking on how strong Sasuke had become within the past few years. His training under Orochimaru had apparently paid off, and there was no telling what he was capable of now. Thus, Jiraiya was particularly anxious about the fact that he had no idea where in the ever living hell the boy currently was, let alone what he was currently doing. Last he'd heard, the boy was heading west, but Jiraiya wasn't entirely sure whether he believed that report. He imagined Sasuke would be looking to reunite with his brother, who was currently east. Jiraiya would soon find out whether his instincts were correct either way: if Sasuke was indeed headed towards his brother, they should end up crossing paths within the next few weeks based on his (very) rough timeline of Sasuke's travels.

The brothers' potential reunion seemed to be the piece of information that alarmed Danzo the most. He wasn't concerned yet, but he was wary enough to start making preparations for if (or when, in Jiraiya's opinion) the Uchihas decided to divert their attention toward the Hidden Leaf Village. Jiraiya had been relieved at the time to learn that his warnings were finally being taken seriously.

Until he realized that those preparations involved Naruto.

Jiraiya wasn't sure why Danzo wanted Naruto. He knew it had to involve the Tailed Beast sealed inside him, but Jiraiya couldn't figure out how Danzo intended to use it against the Uchiha brothers. His Root organization was seemingly impenetrable, so Jiraiya hadn't been able to find out any relevant information regarding the matter.

All he knew was that regardless of what Danzo's plans might be, they would not prioritize Naruto's safety. Danzo would do anything to protect the village, and if that required hurting an innocent child, he would. The Uchiha incident proved it.

That was why Jiraiya had planted himself outside of Naruto's apartment every night for the past week. Jiraiya would be damned if he let Danzo harm his late student's son. There had to be another way to protect the village, a way that didn't involve Naruto or any other innocent life.

Jiraiya just had to figure out what it was before Danzo got to the boy.

• • •

3 Years After

Kakashi looked at his team with utter disdain. He'd already been unimpressed with them after reading their Academy files, but somehow they were even more disappointing now that he was seeing them in person. Naruto Uzumaki was a loudmouth troublemaker, Sakura Haruno was an unmotivated teenager, and Sasuke Uchiha was talented but looked utterly bored and disinterested (he hadn't looked up once since Kakashi arrived). Kakashi rolled his eyes to the heavens and took a deep, calming breath. It wasn't like he officially had to deal with them for their entire genin careers, he reminded himself. They'd attempt the bell test, they'd fail to understand the concept, and he'd recommend that they be sent back to the Academy. Then he'd wipe his hands clean of them and wait to be assigned a new, equally uninspiring group next year.

He sighed and looked back down at the kids, bracing himself for what would likely be a painful next few hours.

"Alright, why don't we start with some introductions? Sakura, you go first."

The pink haired girl stared at him, her eyes wide with apprehension.

"Uh, hi, my name is Sakura Haruno and I, uh, I..." She trailed off, and Kakashi watched as a flush appeared on her cheeks. He raised an eyebrow at her apparent anxiety. How this girl thought she could become a shinobi when she couldn't even find the courage to introduce herself was beyond him.

Though, he supposed that's what he was meant to help her with as her teacher.

He sighed again and took pity on the poor girl. "Go on. Likes, dislikes, dreams for the future, tell us anything." The girl nodded vigorously.

"I, uh, I like...I mean who I like, uh..." She glanced at the Uchiha sitting beside her.

Fucking hell.

Kakashi had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. Guess that's what he got for trying to help.

"That was great. Okay, Naruto, you're next."

Something something ramen, something something Hokage. Kakashi was only half listening. He let the boy go on for ten minutes about whatever before finally stopping him.

"Fantastic, Naruto. Now how about you, Sasuke?"

Sasuke raised his head for the first time that day and looked at Kakashi, giving him a small smile.

"Hi, my name is Sasuke Uchiha and —"

Kakashi couldn't claim to have heard the rest of what the boy said. He was far too busy staring intently at his new student's face.

The boy sitting in front of him looked eerily like Sasuke Uchiha. He had the same dark hair, pale skin, and ebony eyes, but Kakashi had been on the surveillance team assigned to the Uchiha clan for nearly a year leading up to the incident. He knew what each member of that clan looked like down to their minuscule tattoos and odd birthmarks.

And the person sitting in front of him was not Sasuke Uchiha.

He cocked his head as he silently studied the boy, still not hearing a single word that was coming out of his mouth. No, he told himself, that had to be Sasuke Uchiha. Maybe he was wrong; he hadn't laid eyes on the kid for three years after all. And he knew for a fact that Sasuke Uchiha had been in this genin class since he was eight. There was no way his classmates wouldn't have noticed if Sasuke Uchiha was suddenly replaced by an imposter, right?

But maybe...they wouldn't have. Kakashi vaguely remembered seeing a report after the incident stating that Sasuke Uchiha had taken a leave of absence from the Academy. The fact that he excelled in most areas coupled with a written recommendation from his teacher (who had abruptly been assigned to another class that year, Kakashi noted) allowed the boy to graduate with his classmates despite the long absence. Given the boy's time away from his peers coupled with the amount kids' appearances typically change between the ages of nine and twelve, Kakashi figured that it might have been possible for someone to surreptitiously replace the actual Sasuke Uchiha with the imposter sitting in front of him. At that point, only someone like him who had intently studied the boy's face would have been able to tell the difference. And given how shutoff the Uchiha clan had been from the rest of the village, Kakashi couldn't imagine that there were that many people besides him and his surveillance team who knew exactly what the boy looked like. The greatest obstacle would've been his Academy class, and a bunch of tweens would easily be fooled by this impersonator.

That, or this was actually Sasuke Uchiha and Kakashi was just mildly losing his mind. Which also made sense, considering the man had only gotten around three hours of sleep within the past two days.

Kakashi was forced to break himself out of his conspiratorial trance once he realized 'Sasuke' had finished talking. He lifted himself off of the iron beam he'd been leaning against and smiled derisively at his new students.

"Well, seems like this will be interesting at the very least."