Author's Note: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. Things have been super busy the past few weeks and on top of everything else we brought home our new puppy a couple days ago. So, extra crazy. Anyway, enjoy.
Chapter 25
Sakumo stood glaring at the red and white robes that hung in his closet. He had never held any aspirations towards the Hokage's seat and he certainly didn't like the trappings of his new position. Even after several weeks he found the robes awkward and uncomfortable and there was no way he could possibly fight in them without getting hopelessly tangled. He supposed he could wear them over his standard gear but then he'd be hot and sweaty and even more miserable.
"Hell with this!" he muttered, bypassing the robes and reaching for his regular clothing. If anyone didn't like it, they could remove him from being Hokage as far as he was concerned. He'd do the job because Hiruzen had asked and because his village needed him; damn Hiruzen for knowing just how to play on his sense of duty and honor anyway. He wasn't going to make himself even more uncomfortable just for appearances. He was well aware that appearances could be important. However, here in the village he was already well-known. His silver hair alone was not exactly common, the exact shade being unique to the Hatake Clan. He could save the formal get-up for when he needed it. Hopefully never.
Comfortably dressed in the familiar uniform of a jonin of the Hidden Leaf, Sakumo brushed out his still-damp hair, tying it back into its customary pony-tail. He'd fight anyone who even thought to mention cutting it off. He'd worn it long since he could remember and his late wife had loved it. He picked up his flak jacket with its short red-tipped white sleeve. He may be the Hokage but he was still the White Fang. He tied his headband firmly around his head and finally recognized himself in the mirror again.
"Forget to pick up the dry cleaning?" Kakashi asked dryly as Sakumo walked into the kitchen. "I'm sure one of your new bodyguards would be willing to fetch it for you."
"Don't you have better things to do than pick on your father?" Sakumo groused. He glanced out the window at the ANBU who were perched in nearby trees, keeping watch. He had told them in no uncertain terms that they were not going to loiter around inside his house. He didn't want or need bodyguards. His rise to the Hokage's seat hadn't suddenly rendered him incompetent.
"Not at the moment."
Cheeky brat! Sakumo thought fondly as Kakashi looked up at him, grinning. The dark mask was pushed down around his neck as he ate. Sakumo was pleased to see his son smile. It had been too infrequently recently, even for someone as serious as Kakashi. Kakashi had never experienced the loss of someone close to him before Obito. The death of his teammate and friend had hit him hard. Even more so because Obito had died saving Kakashi's life, then gifting him with his newly-awakened Sharingan to replace the eye he had lost. Kakashi had been the captain of their team for the mission and he had replayed the mission over and over again in his mind, wondering what he could have done differently, not yet fully accepting that there hadn't been anything more he could have done. That it had been his first mission as a jonin and as captain had made it all the more difficult for him to accept that he wasn't somehow to blame.
It had been months since the Kannabi Bridge mission but it would take time, Sakumo knew, to heal the wound in his son's heart. Sakumo knew from experience that the pain of losing a loved one never truly healed completely. At best, the wound would scar over, leaving the loss tolerable if not painless. Sakumo still felt the pain of loss of friends and comrades and family that he had lost over the years. Over a decade since her death he still missed his wife with searing intensity.
"I thought shinobi were supposed to respect the Hokage," Sakumo muttered.
Kakashi's expression turned serious. "I hold the Hokage's position in the highest regard," he said as if insulted that his father would doubt him. "Which is why I told the stone carver you'd have time for him to take some measurements this weekend."
"Stone carver?" Sakumo said blankly. "Measurements?"
"Yeah. You know, for Hokage Rock?"
Sakumo's eye twitched.
Kakashi took another bite of his meal, practically radiating innocence.
It was going to be a long day.
Sakumo hated politics. He understood they were a necessary part of running a village. That didn't mean he liked them. Being a shinobi was simple. You had your mission, you carried it out to the best of your abilities, rinse, repeat. Being Hokage was so far out of his realm of experience that he was certain he'd go mad from it. And he wasn't even a month in. It was a good thing his hair was already silver, he thought darkly, because it certainly would have been after his tenure.
He was currently sitting around a small table in a side meeting room with the three members of the Leaf Council, Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, and Koharu Utatane. He had asked Shikaku Nara to join them. He had intentionally told Minato not to attend. He had discussed the situation with his advisor and the other man agreed with him that this needed to be done. However, Sakumo wanted to insulate Minato from the potential fallout in this instance. If Minato was to succeed him, he couldn't be seen as embroiled in decisions that were unpopular to the Council. Shikaku was also aware of what he was about to do and agreed with the decision. Sakumo welcomed his support. He doubted what he was about to do was going to be well received. Moral support aside, the Jonin Commander would have his own role in what Sakumo was about to propose.
"How are you settling into your new position, Sakumo?" Homura asked. He glanced sidelong at Sakumo, frowning slightly at his casual clothing.
"Well enough," Sakumo replied, ignoring the side-eye he was getting from the Elder and inwardly chaffing at the forced pleasantries. He was well aware of Danzo's veiled glare. He knew that Danzo had put forth Orochimaru's name for the Hokage's position but had been overruled in the end. Sakumo regretfully wished he could say he was surprised that Orochimaru hadn't been a popular choice for the job. He'd known Orochimaru for years; they'd grown up together. Orochimaru had always been rather antisocial to all but a select few but recently he'd become even more distant. Sakumo had spoken to him even less than Jiraiya over the past few years and Jiraiya was hardly in the village while Orochimaru hardly left. When Sakumo did see him, there was a sense of darkness around him that Sakumo couldn't pinpoint the source of. It made him uneasy and he always trusted his instincts. He pushed thoughts of Orochimaru from his mind for now. Danzo was about to be a lot more unhappy with him in a few moments.
"Thank you for agreeing to meet on such short notice," Sakumo said, cutting right to the chase. He saw no need to sit through more forced pleasantries and polite small talk. He had a job to do, even if he hadn't wanted it. There was a pile of paperwork on his desk that seemed to grow every time he turned his back. If he was away from his desk for too long, he wouldn't be able to find it again beneath the scrolls and papers. He had spent all morning working his way through it and it seemed he had hardly made a dent. He was half-convinced that it was some sort of evil conspiracy to drive him completely mad. Maybe not, but it made him feel better than to believe that he was just inept at doing paperwork.
"That is what the Council if for," Koharu interjected. "To advise and aid the Hokage and the running of the Village. Though it is unusual for the Jonin Commander to be present."
"I value his input and there are matters in which he is will be aiding," Sakumo stated, making it clear the matter was not open for debate. "As to why I've asked you here; Lord Hiruzen stepped down from his position because he felt the Leaf Village needed to move in a new direction. After seeing how things are done these past few weeks and some careful consideration, I agree. Things in the Hidden Leaf cannot continue as they are."
"What exactly are you getting at?" Danzo demanded. He was displeased with the choice for the Fourth Hokage. He had known Orochimaru would be a hard sell but he'd hoped that his fame and intelligence would work in his favor. The Fire Daimyo was weak-willed and should have been impressed by having one of the legendary Sannin dangled in front of him. Even if the hat had gone to Namikaze, Danzo could have worked with that. Minato was young and idealistic. Danzo was certain he'd have been able to eventually manipulate the young man into doing his bidding. If there was one thing Danzo was good at, it was manipulating people into doing what he wanted while making it seem like it was their own idea all along. Sakumo would be much more difficult to influence. His natural genius coupled with his sense of honor and duty to the village meant he was a very formidable opponent. He may understand the necessity of dirty deeds but he would not condone many of the more morally questionable operations that Danzo handled should he ever find out about them.
Sakumo turned his gaze to Danzo, meeting his glare steadily. Sakumo was not at all intimidated by the other man, something Danzo wasn't used to. He didn't like it. "Simply this: There currently exist two sources of power in the Hidden Leaf. The Hokage's office and Lord Danzo's Foundation. Most of our citizens do not even know of the existence of the latter. Most shinobi do not even know of it. Yet it wields considerable influence over the Hidden Leaf Village and our affairs. Even extending, in some cases, to our dealings with the other Hidden Villages and lands. This cannot be allowed to continue."
Silence met this proclamation as those assembled digested his words and the intent behind them. As he suspected, they were less than pleased when they began to realize what he was saying.
"This is how it has always been. The Hokage working in the front, someone working in the dark, carrying out those duties that the Hokage cannot," Koharu stated as if that settled the matter. "The formation of the Foundation was approved by the Third Hokage."
Sakumo shook his head. "Just because that is how it has always been does not make it right. It may have helped Lord Hiruzen sleep at night but I will not have Danzo's Foundation shinobi conducting black-op missions that I know nothing about, 'for the good of the village'." His tone told everyone present exactly what he thought of the last phrase. He didn't buy it for a second. Sakumo was not naive. He might not like it but he understood full well that sometimes unpleasant and even illegal tasks may be a necessity for the greater good. He knew enough of Danzo's reputation, however, to not be entirely convinced the greater good was his main focus. The man was ambitious, of that there was no doubt. Sakumo was certain he only did what was good for the village so long as it was also good for him as well. He did not want to wait around to see what would happen when those goals no longer aligned.
"You do not have the authority –!" Danzo nearly shouted, half-rising from his chair.
One silver eyebrow raised in silent challenge, abruptly halting Danzo's tirade. Danzo remained half-standing, glaring at Sakumo. Sakumo remained seated, his expression blank, silently waiting. No one dared do more than breathe as they watched the silent power play taking place before them. Their gazes locked and held for a handful of heartbeats before Danzo slowly sank back into his seat, his expression filled with hate. He was not in a position to challenge Sakumo here.
"I have every bit of authority," Sakumo said softly, his voice full of menace made all the more frightening for its calm. Where Danzo was loud in his rage, Sakumo was quiet. "I am the Hokage. My word is law. As of this moment, the Foundation is no more. It is to be dissolved and disbanded immediately. All personnel will be reassigned to positions fitting their skills, whether that be in the ranks of my own ANBU, the regular forces, or elsewhere. As Jonin Commander, Shikaku Nara will be in charge of overseeing the reintegration process to ensure it goes smoothly." He glanced at the other man, who nodded in understanding and agreement. Shikaku had no love for Danzo and even less for the things the Foundation was rumored to have carried out.
"You can't do this!" Danzo hissed.
"It is already done," Sakumo stated with finality. "We're finished here," he said as he stood. The others rose as well as he walked out.
Once out of the stifling confines of the Council room, Sakumo inhaled deeply. He had no illusions that Danzo was going to take his decision laying down. He just hoped he wasn't making a mistake. Danzo wielded considerable influence and was not a man to cross lightly.
"For what it's worth, you're doing the right thing," Shikaku's voice said at his shoulder. They began walking towards Sakumo's office. He closed the door as they entered the spacious room. The walls of the village had ears but the Hokage's office was secure. "Danzo's had too much leeway in running his own ANBU for far too long."
Sakumo let out a mirthless chuckle as he dropped heavily into his chair behind the desk. "I doubt I've heard the last of this."
"Maybe not. But what can he do? The Hokage gave an order. He'd be a fool not to obey."
"Yeah, maybe. I don't trust Danzo. He's too shrewd to let go of so much power so easily."
"You think he's going to make a move against you?"
Sakumo shook his head. "Danzo's ambitious but he's not stupid. An attack against the Hokage directly would only serve to weaken his position. No, he'll be much more subtle. He's more likely to try to stir up dissent or undermine me some other way."
"Well, I don't envy you trying to figure it out. You should make certain to keep the ANBU on alert."
"I can take care of myself, you know." Why did everyone seem to think he had suddenly forgotten how to fight? Maybe he should start carrying his chakra blade around to remind them.
"Maybe so. But you said it yourself, Danzo is ambitious. I wouldn't put it past him to have someone try to stick a knife between your ribs. Just be careful and watch your back. I know you never wanted to be Hokage, Sakumo, but this village needs you right now. If anything were to happen to you, Danzo would have another opportunity to make a grab for power. I don't relish the thought of going to war yet again."
"Me neither. I'll be careful."
Shikaku frowned. "Danzo stands to lose a lot of power in the Village with his organization gone. He doesn't need to assassinate you to weaken you. As your son, Kakashi is entitled to an ANBU guard as well."
Sakumo stiffened at the unspoken implications. Shikaku was right. If anything should happen to Kakashi, especially because of his position, it would destroy him. Danzo was a dangerous man. It would be foolish to underestimate him. If he couldn't get to Sakumo directly, he would have no compunction about harming Kakashi in order to do so.
"Kakashi is a capable jonin," Shikaku added. Sakumo's reaction to his words hadn't gone unnoticed. "Targeting him will not earn Danzo any favor within the Village. The ANBU would just be an added precaution for now."
"You're right, of course," Sakumo said. He managed a weak smile. "He'll hate it and try to slip away as often as possible. It'll be good practice for them." The smile fell from his face. "I can't believe Lord Hiruzen allowed Danzo so much leeway. What was he thinking?"
Shikaku gave a small shrug. "You'd have to ask Lord Third," he replied diplomatically. He had his own theories and was certain Sakumo did as well. They did not paint a flattering picture. Both men had great respect for the Third Hokage and neither was willing to voice their speculations on this matter out loud.
"Right," Sakumo said. "At any rate, you're going to have your hands full with reassigning and reintegrating Danzo's Foundation people. Let me know if you need additional resources. We're stretched a bit thin at the moment but I'll assign whomever we can spare. Keep me apprised of any problems."
"Of course, Lord Fourth." Shikaku pretended not to notice Sakumo's wince at the title. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go and coordinate with Inoichi over at the Intel Division. There are rumors that some of Danzo's people may have questionable backgrounds."
Sakumo nodded, dismissing him. He rubbed one hand over his eyes as the door closed behind Shikaku. He knew there would be repercussions, even if disbanding Danzo's personal ANBU was in the best interest of the village. A shadow organization with no oversight was not in the village's best interest, no matter that it had the Hokage's approval when it had been formed. Sakumo half-dreaded what they would uncover about the Foundation's activities once they began digging. He decided not to borrow trouble by worrying about that until they got to that point.
There came a knock, then the door was pushed open. "I take it your disbanding of Danzo's Foundation was not well received," Minato said as he walked into Sakumo's office. Sakumo was slumped in his chair behind the desk with his head tilted back, starting at the ceiling and pointedly ignoring the piles of paperwork that were beginning to take over his desk.
"It went about as well as expected," Sakumo replied.
"That bad, huh?"
"Well, we didn't expect Danzo to be happy about it. The Elders weren't too keen, either." Sakumo straightened and rubbed his hands over his face. He dropped his hands and looked up at Minato. "I'm assigning an ANBU guard for you and Kushina for the time being."
"What aren't you telling me?" Minato asked suspiciously.
Sakumo shook his head. "Nothing. It was Shikaku's idea, actually. He reminded me that Kakashi is entitled to one and I'm extending that to you and Kushina as well. It's simply a precaution. Danzo is not someone to cross lightly. He's ambitious and I cannot imagine he'll let go of so much power without a fight. Men who become accustomed to wielding such power don't relinquish it easily."
"That's why you didn't want me to attend that meeting."
"I wanted to insulate you from this, yes. I knew it would be an unpopular move, at least as far as internal village politics are concerned. Besides, there was no need for you to face Danzo's ire along with me."
"Do you think he's going to disregard your orders?"
"Not openly. I don't doubt that he's got some sort of back-up plan in place. He stands to lose too much to not have planned for something like this." Sakumo sighed and dropped his head into his hands. He could feel a headache coming on. "I hate this job."
"You could delegate some of this paperwork, you know, Minato commented.
"I've been delegating it. Every time I do, three times as much takes its place. Kakashi is going to have grandchildren by the time I get through it all. How Lord Third ever left this office is beyond me."
Minato scanned a pile of scrolls. He picked them up. "I'll take care of these. Why don't you take a break, clear your head, come back refreshed."
Sakumo narrowed his eyes at him. He didn't like the feeling he was being handled. Minato's expression was earnest and his gaze was guileless. Sakumo realized that he wasn't trying to handle him but was genuinely concerned. He should have expected it; he'd seen the care Minato had for Kakashi and his other students. Minato was going to make a great Hokage in a few years, he thought. Even if he was a bit of a mother hen. Or perhaps because of it. And it had been weeks since he'd had a good workout.
"Suit yourself," Sakumo said, getting to his feet. "I'll be back in an hour or two. I'll be at Training Ground Five if you need me." That training field happened to be conveniently designed specifically for kenjutsu training. He had missed the feeling of his tanto in his hand recently. He grinned. He was going to enjoy this.
Author's Notes: Don't worry, we haven't heard the last of Danzo yet. And since a lot of people have asked - yes, the Sannin will show up again, I promise.
