When Tobirama had chosen Hiruzen to become his successor, he hadn't had much time to contemplate on his decision and it's consequences. He had trusted his student's intelligence and will of fire to guide him and his other students to support their comrade and new Hokage.
Even though it hadn't been more than a few days for him, he couldn't believe how naive his past self had been.
Sure, Hiruzen had managed to not screw up completely. Konoha had survived... Actually, that was it. Konoha had survived. It wasn't strong, it wasn't stable and it surely wasn't the haven of peace Hashirama had intended it to be.
Seventy years after the establishment of Konoha and after three great shinobi war, one of which led to the destruction of Uzushio, peace seemed even further on the horizon than it did during the warring clans era. Even worse was the fact that Konoha itself had no peace amongst itself.
The clans were still as segregated as they were around the founding of village, with no corporation happening other than within the old alliances. Civilian born ninja were shunted of to genin corps and given no proper guidance to grow. The jinchuriki was treated like a village pariah. Danzo had fallen low enough to train an army of emotionless child soldiers in ways that would even put Hidden Mist to shame. And the Uchiha were on the verge of rebellion.
This was a mess and a half, and Tobirama was the one responsible to clean it, he thought as Hiruzen proceeded to tell him about the increased power of civilian council and changes to the academy curriculum.
"Stop." Tobirama said firmly. "Let us deal with one problem at a time. Who is Naruto-kun's official gaurdian?" He asked regrettably. Tobirama wanted to take the gaurdianship of the Uzumaki child, but it couldn't be fair to him if his gaurdian had to divide his loyalties between the village and him.
Hiruzen sighed. "My student, Jiraiya. He was chosen as Naruto-kun's godfather by his parents. However, he is responsible for Konoha's spy network and cannot spend much time in the village."
"I will reassign the gaurdianship, then. Are there any friends of Naruto-kun's parents who would be willing to take him in?" The Niidaime asked.
"Uchiha Mikoto has been petitioning to get his gaurdianship for years. She was a friend of Kushina-chan. But it wouldn't be wise to give the jinchuriki's gaurdianship to a clan that intents on rebelling."
Tobirama contemplated on that. "I think it's the perfect solution, hitting two birds with one stone..."
"But.."
"Hiruzen, Naruto-kun's seal is so masterfully made that even I can't open it without a key, let alone the Uchiha. Giving Naruto-kun's gaurdianship to Uchiha Mikoto would be instrumental in conveying our trust in them. It would be a step to come to a peaceful solution."
"Sensei..."
"What were you planning to do about this coup?" He interjected.
"I was hoping that they'd drop the plans after realising that they won't stand a chance against the collective might of Konoha."
Tobirama couldn't contain his snort at that. "The Uchiha? Surrendering against impossible odds? If there is one thing I've learnt about that clan is that they are stubborn as mules. If they think they are right to carry out the coup, they would do that regardless of the odds of succeeding. The only way to stop them would be to either convincing them that a coup isn't required or committing a full scale genocide."
Hiruzen's silence indicated that he had considered the idea of genocide. Tobirama was finding it hard to compare this tired old man with the bright eyed, optimistic young man he knew, or had known.
"That boy, Shisui? Does he support this coup?" He asked.
"No. He and the clan heir, Itachi, have been spying on their clan for the village. They are also trying their best to put a stop to the plans."
"Shisui wouldn't have much luck in that. Despite his rank, he's still a teenager. He wouldn't have much influence with the elders. How old is the heir?"
"Twelve." Hiruzen answered, causing Tobirama to stare at him with incredulity.
"Twelve? How has he been passing you information? Thorough his homework at the academy?" He asked, as a brief flare of irritation in chakra if one of the ANBU stationed in the room drew his attention. "Or maybe not." He murmured, before calling out. "Crow."
The next moment, a small ANBU operative was standing in front of him.
"Remove your mask." Tobirama ordered.
The ANBU obeyed promptly, revealing the face of a pre-teen Uchiha.
"Didn't I write a clause that restricted entry in ANBU to those below fifteen?" The Niidaime asked his student.
"I changed it to make the minimum age to thirteen." Was the reply.
"Did you also change the number system to make thirteen come before twelve?"
"Itachi-kun here was an exception." Hiruzen replied, as the boy stood silently with face perfectly blank.
"Is that so?" Tobirama murmured. "I'm afraid I cannot let this continue, Uchiha-kun. Please, hand over your mask."
The boy did so, only hesitating briefly. "I mean no disrespect, Niidaime-sama, but my father would consider this an insult."
The words could be taken as an idle threat from an entitled brat, but Itachi's grave tone indicated that he was more worried about the effect of his demotion to village clan relations.
"And if I take you on as my apprentice, would he still consider this an insult?"
That seemed to still the Uchiha for a moment. "No, Niidaime-sama, he wouldn't." He answered, without emotion.
"Then, return home and tell your father the news, Itachi-kun."
The young boy bowed deeply before vanishing.
"An apprentice?" Hiruzen spoke up. "Not that I disapprove, but you barely know anything about him. What made you decide to take him on as your student, sensei?"
"The same thing that had prompted me take in you and your teammates as my students- the Will of Fire."
Time was a strange thing. It healed wounds, distorted memories. Over the years it changed people's perception so much that they wouldn't even recognise their past selves.
Shimura Danzo realised this the day he heard the news that the Niidaime had somehow appeared in Konoha, alive and not a day older than he was last seen. His first reaction had been disbelief. There was no way that an alive (and supposedly immortal) Senju Tobirama would remain away from Konoha when it suffered through two wars.
When Yamanaka Inoichi performed a mind walk on the individual and declared him to be the real Senju Tobirama who had time travelled because of a sealing accident, Danzo's reaction hadn't been joy at his sensei being alive, as he had expected it to be. It was dread.
Over the years, even after the death of his sensei, Danzo had served Konoha in a way he had imagined that the Niidaime would be proud off. Hiruzen was a soft Hokage and unlike Tobirama-sensei, he didn't have the guts to make hard decisions. Danzo, therefore, immersed himself in darkness to give Konoha a fighting chance in the wars.
But now that he knew that the Niidaime was back, Danzo wasn't so sure that his methods would meet the approval of his sensei, who had decided to take the hat again.
He was proved right when he was summoned to the Hokage's office a day after the Niidaime's second inauguration.
"Danzo." Tobirama-sensei greeted as he entered the office, without looking up from his paperwork.
"Hokage-sama." He replied, keepin his voice emotionless. "You summoned me?"
"Yes. I would've thought that a change in regime would be enough of a reason for the Hokage's council to meet the new Hokage, but now that I can sense Kagami's Sharingan under your bandages, I see why you wouldn't want to meet me." The Hokage answered.
Danzo didn't reply. He didn't need to.
"I'm assuming that since their hasn't been any record of Kagami bequeathing you his eye, you took it from him?"
"I took it from his corpse, yes." He confirmed.
Tobirama-sensei looked up and Danzo felt those red eyes pierce his soul. "I've been going through the records. Who started the Third Great Shinobi War?"
"I did. Hatake Sakumo's mission had been sabotaged. War would have started eventually anyway, but at that time Konoha would have been the village that benefited the most from it." Danzo felt he had to explain, even though the man in front of him was decades younger than him.
"And did it? Did Konoha benifit from the war?"
"It didn't." It stung him to admit.
"War never benifits anyone, Danzo. I thought I had been successful in teaching you that lesson, but apparently not." The Hokage noted. "I have a mission for you."
"A mission?"
"Yes. It is one suited to someone of your capabilities. You are to track down the missing nin Orochimaru, defeat him to bring him back to Konoha, dead or alive, and rehabilitate any victims he kidnapped to experiment on, regardless of their nationality. This is a solo mission. Orochimaru is an S class opponent. Sending even three teams of ANBU wouldn't be enough to match him, and wasteful when he can be handled by a single shinobi."
That was an embellishment. Danzo, while a war veteran and accomplished ninja, was an old and crippled shinobi, while Orochimaru was still in his prime. He would certainly be capable of defeating Orochimaru, but this mission was as likely to end in his death.
Still, it was a mission given to him by his Hokage, a Hokage he respected. A Hokage that was ruthless enough to send his own former student to his death when he wanted it out of the way. Danzo didn't fear that Konoha would be in safe hands even if he perished at Orochimaru's hands.
"As you command, Hokage-sama." He answered, bowing his head, before leaving to prepare for what could be his last mission in life.
