I apologize in advance if this is a bad chapter. I tried my best to make them as in-character as possible, but I have very little prior experiance writing Danzo and Hiruzen and have never read anything where they're important. In other words, they are based on my personal takes from the show. I hope it's tolerable.

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It had taken a total of five minutes for Tobirama to make his way to the Hokage Tower. Getting in, on the other hand, was something else entirely.

When the village had first been founded, he had made a point of making sure it was difficult to reach the Hokage without proper reason or rank. This had never been an issue for him since he was, well, the Hokage's brother.

Tobirama found that it was much more difficult to get a personal audience with the Hokage when he was playing the role of an outsider.

While it was pleasing to see the security was so tight, it was hard for him to find much appeal in it when he was the one being locked out.

Still, he had to persevere. Soon enough he'd be able to speak with the Hokage and get this mess of a situation figured out. With this in mind, he took a deep breath to steady himself.

His sharp red eyes locked on to the jonin behind the desk, pressing on in the so-far unsuccessful debate, "I understand that the Hokage is a busy man, but it is important that I speak with him soon. It's in regards to the recent Uchiha Clan issues."

This seemed to get his attention. Dark green eyes snapped up from behind the desk, the man pausing in his previous idle work to give Tobirama a look-over. "If you have information concerning the whereabouts of Itachi Uchiha, you need to fill out a high-alert information report." pointing across the room to another jonin-filled desk. "The Hokage will look at the report as soon as he can. You will be informed and called back in if further detail is needed."

Tobirama could tell the man was growing tired of dealing with him, but quite frankly, the elder shinobi couldn't find it in himself to pity him right now. He was far too tired of dealing with his own system as it was. "It's not in reference to him. I need to discuss Sasuke Uchiha and his arrangements. He-"

His lips paused before he could say more, his attention pulled elsewhere. The sound of the tower's door opening was easy enough to ignore. The feeling of a set of familiar chakras wasn't. Especially when he knew one of them oh-so-well.

Tobirama paused as he watched the two elderly men enter. Hiruzen. His long-time student. He was wearing the Hokage's robes, so Tobirama supposed that meant it hadn't been as long as he'd thought. The fourth man on the mountain must only be preparing to take up the role. By his side was another man, on that he could place easily as Danzo. An elder of the village, he would guess. Those two always had been rather close as children, he reminded himself. It seemed their friendship had lasted even into their twilight years.

Though, he noted, it was easy to see how it had changed even with a brief look. They were speaking amongst themselves, leaning towards each other as they whispered in hushed tones. Hiruzen's brows were pulled together in weak concern, all the while Danzo looked tired and uninterested.

Their chakra, which was similar but not quite the same, reflected this. Hiruzen's seemed so dull and worn out, nothing like the warm compassion he was used to feeling from his student. Even Danzo, who he didn't know nearly as well, had vastly different chakra. Unlike the firey determination he had always felt within the boy, his chakra now seemed...cold and consuming. Their chakras had both darkened with time, matching their unenthused expressions.

He ignored the green-eyed man's objections as he took heavy steps towards the two men, his sharp ears listening to them speak as he neared. They were looking towards each other, as if pointedly refusing to look in his direction while they walked. "You're fabricating things out of unwarranted guilt." Danzo's quiet but firm works snapped at Hiruzen, as though they'd been having the conversation for a long while. He made a shushing motion with his walking stick, cutting off the conversation as Tobirama finally parked himself in front of them. It was then that they were no longer able to ignore his presence.

"If a questionable chakra appears in the village, it doesn't seem very leader-like of you to ignore it." Tobirama's heavy voice cut in, watching as Danzo gave something akin to an unnerved leer. Hiruzen, on the other hand, paused at his words completely. His hand, which had been holding a smoking pipe, slowly lowered as he looked over the man ahead of them.

Tobirama imagined that he must be quite the sight. Dressed from his nose to toe in black, his hair pulled into a ponytail with a weed he found on the side of a lake. He would worry that his student might not recognize him, or that he would perhaps mistake him for a man of the Hatake clan, had the Sarutobi not looked into his red eyes for so many days in his youth.

Alongside this, it would have been truely saddening had his star pupil not recognized his chakra. Even after so long, the memories of a loved one's chakra signature wasn't something someone just forgot. If he thought back, he was sure he could remember what Itama's had felt like.

That was a thought he quickly dispersed, instead steeling his expression as he watched Hiruzen try to gather his words. The jonin from before was standing to the side, right in between the three. A few ANBU had left their positions in the shadows, watching Tobirama with narrowed eyes. He wasn't surprised they didn't recognize him-- short of his red eyes and cheek markings, there wasn't much to connect as far as his statue and he went. He lacked both his armor and his spiked hair, after all. "Lord Hokage, Lord Danzo, would you like us to handle him?"

Tobirama eyed the man who offered to take him on only briefly before turning to Hiruzen with a quirked brow. His hands folded under his chest, waiting for his answer expectantly. Hiruzen placed his pipe back in his mouth momentarily, a long moment dragging on as he seemed to consider it. Tobirama knew, though. He knew his student when he was finding his composure. So as irritating as it was for it to seem like he was considering sending those ANBU his way for him to deal with, he waited until a heavy voice came from behind the pipe. "No, no. All is well. We have business to discuss with this young man." a smile came to Hiruzen's face as he spoke to the ANBU, masking his discomfort easily. "It will need to be private, of course. So please do give us some time to speak."

The ANBU gave synchronized nods, the shinobi disappearing with a flicker at Hiruzen's words. When his student turned back to him, he continued on with his path towards the Hokage's quarters, Tobirama standing by his side as they walked. Danzo was on his right while Tobirama was on his left. A deafening silence overcame the three as they walked.

It wasn't until they were in the Hokage office, shutters closed and soundproof seals activated, that he was able to lower his mask for the first time since he arrived in the village. He sat himself in one of the room's chairs, waiting for Danzo and Hiruzen to wearily do the same. "We have some things to discuss." he frowned, the growing realization that the Uchiha clan had fallen under his student's watch unsettling him. What the hell had happened in such a short time period?

"We do." Danzo agreed from where he sat on an opposite chair, eyeing Tobirama suspiciously. Tobirama only quirked a brow back, the silver-haired shinobi listening as the bandaged wrapped shinobi spoke. "Perhaps we should begin with how we've all come to be in the same room once more?"

The Senju decided to let the cold arrogance slide in favor of getting his much-awaited answers, simply nodding as he eyed the two. "We should. Then, we can move on to more important issues," he added. The red-eyed shinobi noted the way they locked in place, as if steadying themselves for the conversation. Good. "But first, I have to ask why you're here. This is a discussion of great importance, as I'm sure you've gathered, Danzo. I suppose you've taken the role of the Hokage's advisor?"

As Danzo was about to answer, Hiruzen cut in, his words serious as he watched Danzo. "He was formerly a member of the elder council and as such an advisor. He is no longer, but if this has anything to do with what I believe it does, it is important for him to be here. He has helped run this village for the last few decades, after all."

Danzo sent Hiruzen a blank look, the only noticeable shift being a small narrowing of his eyes. Tobirama quirked a brow at this, inquiring, "What, exactly, made Danzo choose to or have to leave the advisory position?"

"Nothing of notice. He merely grew tired of it, I suppose." Hiruzen answered, not skipping a beat as he offered a smile. This one was vastly different from the one Tobirama was so used to seeing, though. This wasn't one of his genuine or sweet smiles. This was mixed. It was the kind of smile he would give when he was covering for Koharu or trying to get Homura to do something questionable with him. He had become better at disguising it, yes, but he had seen Hiruzen's genuine smile too many times to not know the difference.

He decided to let it go, now convinced that something was wrong. His student wouldn't lie to him so blatantly, not over something as serious as this. He would let Hiruzen talk himself into a corner, if need be. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Very well, then. It was a seal. One I created before my death. It was similar to the reanimation jutsu, though it required neither a caster nor a sacrifice." Tobirama explained, omitting certain information just in case, "It was a month-long process. One which would only activate under certain circumstances."

He watched as Hiruzen seemed to mull over the information, the dark-eyed shinobi watching the smoke float out of his pipe with a calm expression. There was an underlying sense of sadness within that calm stare forward, one which led Tobirama to believe that he knew exactly what he was talking about. As such, he continued, "This seal was set to activate only when there was suspicious activity involving the Uchiha."

The words felt a bit sour on his tongue, now that he said them out loud. He had been so sure that the Uchiha would make a power grab, he had barely considered the possibility of them being the target of almost complete annihilation. "I returned just yesterday. I went to check on the clan, only to find out that my previous worries seem to have been misplaced. I've seen the destruction that the Uchiha clan has faced, as well as the little it has left behind." he paused briefly, composing his thoughts before he spoke, "I met with Sasuke Uchiha last night. He has told me what he knows of the Uchiha downfall. However, I would like to hear what happened and what is going on from you, Hiruzen." After all, a six-year-old's perception wasn't always the most reliable form of report. Perhaps there was some other side to this Sasuke was simply too young to have noticed.

"As you have seen, the Uchiha clan has fallen," Hiruzen stated the obvious, going over all the basic information as he spoke. "There are only two members of the clan left, as far as we know. Itachi and Sasuke, the two children of the former clan head." he sighed, "Itachi slaughtered the clan roughly a month ago, leaving only Sasuke behind. It seems as though he was overwhelmed with his stance as the clan heir as well as being one of Konoha's top prodigies."

Danzo nodded solemnly, adding, "He was also facing unofficial murder accusations from his kin for some time before the slaughter went down. It is believed that he murdered his elder cousin, the only one who had been able to keep up with him as far as power goes. It was never confirmed, but from what Sasuke has told us, it seems that these accusations were true."

"So all in all." Tobirama summarized, "He murdered his cousin in order to secure his place as the top shinobi of his time." and most likely to gain his mangekyou, he noted internally, "However, his plans were slowly coming to light. Knowing he was doomed and that his reputation would be gone soon, he snapped, killing off his clansmen. Most likely due to a large majority of them being part of the police force while the others were caught in the crossfire, I take it? Though, that does leave the question of why Sasuke was left alive."

Hiruzen brought his pipe down from his lips, explaining with a somber tone, "Exactly. As for Sasuke...he was left behind as a form of self-punishment, it seems. Based on the information Sasuke gave us when questioned about the night, Itachi plans to wait for Sasuke to come after him. He wants Sasuke to be the one to kill him off, once his brother becomes strong enough. Knowing Itachi, he most likely sees it as a sort of poetic irony."

Tobirama narrowed his eyes at this, leaning forward in his chair as he listened. "Yes, it does seem that you had to have known Itachi fairly well, or had at least have taken notice of him. I saw quite a few awards in his bedroom when I was inspecting the main house. Many of which included your and the elders' chakra signatures. His own seemed pretty young at the time of graduation. He seemed to progress rather quickly through the ranks, as well."

Though, he noted, the chakra in the signatures hadn't felt hostile in the least. They'd had an almost bittersweet feel to them. Still. That could go many ways. He could have been bitter about not having progressed sooner, but glad to have done it. Perhaps he was proud to have the second-highest score, but jealous of the one who had beat him. There were many ways to tie his chakra signatures at the times to the ambition Hiruzen and Danzo described.

"Yes, Itachi was truely something." Danzo mused, "He had fulfilled the graduation requirements within a year of his entrance into the academy. According to his sensei, it was unlike anything anyone within had seen in a long time."

Hiruzen seemed unable to resist a look of amusement at this, chuckling lightly as he pulled the pipe away from his mouth to speak, "It wasn't just his teacher's praising him, either. Sage knows the girls of the village would all but trip over themselves to get a chance to talk to him. The boys on the other hand-"

He was pulled to a stop as Tobirama stood, the red-eyed shinobi not nearly as amused with the idea as Hiruzen was. He knew how Hiruzen tended to get off track when he was uncomfortable, which wasn't really something he was in the mood to deal with when it came to their current discussion. "In case I have not made this blatantly clear." he interrupted, "This is not intended to be a social call. So if you would sit up, stop going off-topic, and answer my questions, it would be much appreciated."

Tobirama was about to sit down when he felt a stinging in his nose, which was assaulted by the heavy stench of smoke. The underlying frustration of having to listen to his student discuss the early graduation with such ease must have been getting to him, for when Hiruzen was paused in place, holding that damn pipe, he couldn't resist but to snatch it straight from his fingers. "Along with this, it is incredibly rude to be smoking in such a closed-off room. The windows are closed, and frankly, I do not need a face full of smoke while I'm trying to speak with you." he asserted.

Something seemed to have snapped in Hiruzen's brain, as when his former sensei stood over him, his entire attitude shifted. His eyes had widened ever so slightly, back straightening. "Of course. My apologies."

Tobirama wondered briefly if he had really been gone that long, that Hiruzen thought it was okay to first lie to his face and then try to avoid subjects. He shook his head briefly as he sat back down, adding, "And you-" to Danzo, "Need to stop being so snide." he made eye contact with Danzo's one visible eye. Honestly, he couldn't even keep himself from looking half dead, but found it within himself to try to act high and mighty with Tobirama? "This is an important conversation. I am the former Hokage, he is the current Hokage. You are the Hokage's aid. If you were not chosen to be Hokage, there is a reason for that. Either be helpful or get out." he turned to face forward, not allowing Danzo a chance to argue. "Now, if you are done, it would be an appropriate time to tell me why the gaps between Itachi's promotions were so small, Hiruzen." his arms crossing over his chest.

"Of- Of course." Hiruzen cleared his throat, continuing, "Itachi began the academy at age six. He graduated at seven due to his impressive abilities and at-home learning. He became part of team two and stayed until he was ten and passed the chuunin exams." though he seemed hesitant to add in this next piece of information, he added, "He became a member of the ANBU at age eleven, then a captain when he was twelve."

"The minimum age to become an ANBU captain is thirteen." Tobirama pointed out, brows pulling together as he listened. His legs were crossed, not the least bit pleased as he heard Danzo's next words.

The bandaged shinobi spoke in an eerily calm voice, on he still wasn't quite used to hearing from the boy who had been so hot-headed and emotional. "We rearranged Itachi's paperwork to state that he was thirteen. He was more than capable of running his own group, despite his age."

Tobirama, though normally a cool-headed man, was finding it hard to keep his calm after being run in circles with the jonin this morning and now with his own former subordinates. "Evidently not, if he decided to massacre his kin within a year of getting the job. What purpose could you two have possibly have had to push him through the ranks so fast?"

"War was continuous around those times." Danzo reminded, "The Third Great Shinobi War seemed to begin just as soon as the second one came to an end. It was best to have experienced fighters for when the next war came around. Sometimes young fighters are necessary-- you know that just as well as anyone."

"Yes, young shinobi were necessary during my time period." Tobirama scowled, "Which was the express purpose of the village. It was to make sure children weren't fighting in life or death situations constantly. It seems we did not make this explicit enough in the founding records."

Hiruzen cleared his throat, "It wasn't a common occurrence, I can assure you that much. These cases only happened under very specific conditions with shinobi who had proven themselves."

Tobirama gave a long irate sigh, the former Hokage clarifying further, "It doesn't matter how much they prove themselves. Even going beyond the ethical implications, having children fight is a terrible idea from a military perspective. No matter how smart or strong they are for their age, they're still children. Children lack general experience, have habits of being rash, and are not emotionally mature enough to endure these types of conditions for long periods of time. Children are a danger to both themself and others under these conditions."

"It seems rather hypocritical for you to be preaching ethics, all things considered." Danzo quipped, the hot-headedness that Tobirama remembered hidden behind a layer of icy impasse.

Hiruzen gave Danzo a look of disbelief, ready to say something, but was unable to as Tobirama replied in a cutting tone, "If you want to accuse someone of something, do it. Dancing around the issue is of no help to anyone."

Danzo didn't miss a beat, ignoring Hiruzen's warning look. "They're not accusations. Simply facts. You've done things that many would consider abominations. Your reanimation jutsu didn't just appear one day. You had to have experimented with raising and controlling the dead. Your expertise in the realm of kinjutsu is proof enough now, as you stand here! Everyone can agree upon one thing, no matter how interesting they find the second Hokage. He was not an ethical man. Even Hiruzen can agree that there are faults to be found."

Hiruzen paused at this, Tobirama quirking a brow at his student. He didn't say anything, remaining in his seat with his arms and legs crossed as he listened to Hirzuen. His former student looked uncomfortable with the attention on him, explaining while pointedly looking away from Danzo, "I never said they were faults, Danzo. Just actions I didn't agree with."

"Such as?" Tobirama inquired, not moving from his spot as he listened with narrowed eyes.

Hiruzen explained, "You sold the tailed beasts after Lord Hashirama had already suggested that the other nations would be receiving them free as a way to balance power. They didn't appreciate that, in the long run. Nor did they like Konoha keeping the nine-tails, which is believed to be the strongest."

"That's not all," Danzo spoke, watching Hiruzen with sharp eyes. "Hiruzen, tell him."

The words were quiet, hushed as if he were the guilty party and not making an accusation. "You left me to be the Hokage."

Tobirama's brows drew together, "Of course I nominated you to be the Hokage. You were the strongest of your generation and had a good heart to lead. I don't see how this is an issue." He had thought Hiruzen would be the next Hashirama while Danzo would be the next Tobirama. Apparently, he had been wrong, though.

This much was obvious as Hiruzen's eyes narrowed, accusing with something that seemed close to heartbreak. "We were on a mission. You left to go die. My sensei, who I'd known for over half my life, went to go die while we ran. When I returned home, there was no time to mourn. Instead, I had to start giving orders and sending my other comrades off to die."

He was going on and on now, his frustration not even hidden as he tried to explain, "When you took over as the Hokage, you knew the position inside and out. I didn't. I had to learn bits and pieces I couldn't have known despite being your student. There was no training. I was just thrown into it and expected to lead a war while managing all the normal Hokage duties. I made so many mistakes, which ended with far more deaths than should have been necessary! Within a month of you dying, I had accidentally sent Kagami to his death!"

Hiruzen was pale as he spoke, unsettled by the words just as much as Tobirama was. The news of Kagami's death felt like an arrow through the heart that he couldn't acknowledge right now. If he did, he didn't know if he'd be able to continue with this meeting.

"The village needed a leader. You were the best option at the time." Tobirama frowned, fingers silently digging into his crossed arms as he steadied his expression. "I regret leaving you with such a burden, but it was a necessary evil. I assumed you would be able to lead them for some time and then would find a successor when the time came. I didn't think I would return to you still working decades later!"

Hiruzen glowered back, not in the least bit surprised by his former sensei's blunt words. He made eye contact with Tobirama, and despite the circumstances, the silver-haired shinobi was glad to see his student hadn't become a complete pushover. "I took up the role of Hokage for what I thought was a manageable enough time. I forged peace with the other nations! I took on a team and trained them! I even picked a successor and trained him to become the Hokage after he proved himself trustworthy and fit for the job. I never intended to continue this job for so long, but I didn't have a choice when Minato died. No one else was reliable enough to take the job. Or willing, for that matter! None of my students were willing, and everyone who did step forward had questionable leadership skills."

Tobirama rubbed his temple, holding out his hand. "You know what, if you're that stressed out, and think you're that bad at it, hand the hat over. You've tried more than enough, but it seems you just aren't emotionally capable of running this village anymore. Not if what little I've seen of the situation is any indicator."

Danzo objected, "You've been gone for decades. What makes you think you'll be able to find a good enough successor now? Or do you plan to be reinstalled as the Hokage? Don't tell me you're choosing to ignore all the issues you created during your short time in office!?"

"I'm not ignoring them. I'm fixing them. This village has strayed so far from what Hashirama and I originally planned, and I refuse to let it go on when I'm fully capable of doing something about it." Tobirama asserted.

Danzo scowled, "So you plan to just waltz right into the village, reclaim your station, and continue on as though you hadn't been dead for years? Do you truely think the citizens will accept that? For that matter, what about the voting system? No one is going to vote against Hiruzen."

"No, I won't be reclaiming the title as Tobirama. I will be using an alias for the general public and be instilled as a temporary leader while I work to find someone more suited and willing. I know for a fact there are emergency procedures Hiruzen can go through to temporarily transfer powers." Tobirama spoke seriously before turning back to eye Hiruzen, who was handing over his hat with careful hands.

He could feel the utter shame coming from Hiruzen, his student seeming caught between being embarrassed for his inability to handle the role and relieved to be able to finally take the hat off. Above all else, he seemed shaken if nothing else. Not that Tobirama could blame him. "Good. We can work out the official issues later on. For now, we have more important matters to discuss than who caused this mess. We're all to blame. Me for shoving the job onto you without warning, you for continuing while incapable, and Danzo for pointing the finger at anyone but himself."

With that said and done, he sat back further in his chair, scowling, "Now, if we're done with this ridiculous argument over whose fault this is and how we got here, I would like to start discussing how to fix it."