XV: Strangling Roots

Itachi followed the Hokage as they neared the Military Police Headquarters. They were approached by Shikaku Nara on the street outside the entrance to the building.

"What's the situation?" the village leader asked the Nara Clan Head.

Shikaku fell in step with Itachi and the Hokage. "I wish I knew. I just got an alert that something was going on and got here to find that old war hawk Danzo with a small army of ANBU surrounding the place. Where they came from, I have no idea."

Itachi looked up at the rooftops of the buildings surrounding the police headquarters to see figures in ANBU cloaks and masks. He could guess that they were members of Root.

"What about inside the building?" the Hokage asked.

"From what I can tell the police have every entrance under guard," Shikaku answered. "I was able to convince Danzo that, as the Jonin Commander, I had a right to negotiate with them and was able to communicate several messages to the Chief."

"Her response?" the Hokage questioned.

"She assured me that Naruto is safe," Shikaku replied. "But she will not allow anyone in the headquarters at this moment."

"What if Lord Hokage and I go to meet her?" Itachi proposed.

Shikaku thought on this for moment. "That could work. I'm sure Mikoto trusts her own son." The Jonin Commander turned and signaled to a nearby group of shinobi. Itachi was surprised to see Jun Uchiha walk out from among them.

"You needed something, Lord Shikaku?" she asked.

"I told you, I'm not a lord of anything," the Nara Clan Head replied.

Jun grimaced in response. "Sorry, Sir."

Shikaku turned back to Itachi and the Hokage. "I've been using the Uchiha who recently transferred over to the regular forces as messengers. I was hoping that Mikoto would be more apt to trust other members of her clan. So far it seems to have smoothed out the process a bit."

"Is Danzo aware of this?" Sarutobi asked.

"He is, and he's made his objections clear," Shikaku replied. "But from what I can tell, Mikoto has no ill intentions. I don't know what made her take such drastic steps, but I haven't seen a reason to treat her as an enemy or fear of collusion between the Uchiha." He turned to Jun. "Lord Hokage and Itachi Uchiha would like to meet with the Chief. Go inform her of that."

Jun nodded in response before walking to the entrance to the Military Police Headquarters.

"What do think of her?" Itatchi asked Shikaku once his clanswoman was out of earshot.

"Young, eager," the veteran jonin replied. "She'll need to get a lot more experience, but I think she has the makings of a fine Leaf shinobi."

Itachi nodded in response before turning his attention back to Jun. She was standing at the entrance to the Police Headquarters, talking with someone inside. She finished imparting her message and then returned.

"The Chief would be willing to meet with the Hokage and Lord Itachi," the young Uchiha said as she approached. "She will be waiting at the back entrance for you."

"Good, let's find a quick resolution to this situation," the Hokage said. He turned to Shikaku. "Keep an eye on Danzo, and keep an eye out for Kakashi. He's running a very important mission for me."

"Kakashi, huh?" Shikaku questioned. "I'll be on the look out."

The Hokage nodded before turning to Itachi. "Let's go then."

The Uchiha Clan Head glanced over at Jun. "You stay here and help Shikaku with whatever he needs."

"Understood, my Lord," the young Uchiha woman replied, nodding.

Itachi moved to follow the Hokage down an alleyway leading behind the police headquarters. He kept an eye on the presumed Root members on the rooftops as they started going around to the backside of the building.

"Danzo's up to something," Itachi commented once he was certain everyone besides the Hokage was out of earshot.

"If he believes that the Uchiha threaten to take control of the Nine-Tailed Fox, he'll do whatever he believes necessary to protect the village," Sarutobi replied. "I believe that he is being too cynical and untrusting, he has a tendency to assume the worst of others. However, I can't say for certain that I wouldn't take a similar course of action if I thought as he does."

"You seem to know him well," Itachi said.

"We were friends when we were youngsters," the Hokage replied. "We were both students of Lords First and Second and over the years we have placed great trust in each other both with our own lives and with the fate of the village."

Itachi kept his silence, noting to himself that it must be hard for Sarutobi to go against someone he's seen all his life as a friend and a comrade.

The two rounded the corner to the backside of the building, where there was a single side door leading into the headquarters. The Hokage approached and knocked on it. Mikoto poked her head out and, on seeing who it was, slide out.

Itachi was surprised to see her, or more accurately the state she was in. The sleeve on her left arm was torn, revealing a bloody bandage beneath it. She also had gauze wrapped around her head, the part over her temple tinged red with blood.

"What happened, Mikoto?" the Hokage asked, obvious concern in his voice.

The new Police Chief's eyes flited back and forth between Itachi and the Hokage, studying them. "I hope that your presence here means that I don't have to suspect Lord Hokage," she said to her son.

"I assure you, I wish only to protect Naruto, just as you do," the Hokage stated.

"We heard from Shisui that there had been another kidnapping attempt," Itachi explained. "He told us that he sent Naruto and Sasuke to you."

A confused look appeared on Mikoto's face. "Sasuke? When I arrived at the house Naruto was alone, waiting by the front door. Sasuke wasn't there."

Confusion now found a home on Itachi's face. Had Sasuke split off from Naruto for some reason? His younger brother had become so protective of his friend that Itachi had a hard time understanding why he would do that.

"What of your injuries?" the Hokage asked.

"Naruto explained to me what happened, with someone pretending to be ANBU to take him away," Mikoto began. "I took him inside, tried to give him something to eat, but before we could get to the kitchen a pair of intruders in ANBU masks and cloaks broke into our home. I was barely able to fight them off and protect Naruto. After that I decided to bring him here."

The Hokage nodded as he took in this information. "I see. You did well to protect the boy, and I can't fault you for taking the precautionary measures as you have. But I want to assure you that those ANBU were not acting under my orders."

Mikoto put a hand on her hip as a severe look crossed her face. "Not acting on your orders? They're part of your ANBU."

"It's a long story, Mother," Itachi said. "Suffice to say, there is a subsection of ANBU that we believe to be behind this."

"A subsection?" Mikoto questioned. "Under whose command?"

As if in an answer, the soft ping of a walking stick echoed through the alleyway.

"Danzo," the Hokage said, turning to face his old friend.

"You're too soft, Hiruzen, as always," the Root leader said. "This is the second time that the Uchiha have attempted to claim the Nine-Tails for themselves, clearly they cannot be negotiated with."

"Claim?!" Mikoto exclaimed. "I'm trying to protect him, from you, apparently!"

"Danzo, order your men to stand down," the Hokage commanded.

The Root leader stood silent for a moment before releasing his grip on his walking stick, letting it fall to the ground. "I cannot do that, Hiruzen. I cannot risk a tailed beast being used against the village."

"You don't even know that they're going to use the Nine-Tails!" the Hokage responded. "You're just assuming!"

The two elder shinobi glared at each other for splint second, Itachi feeling a sense of danger the likes of which he had never experienced before. In this atmosphere he chose to activate his Sharingan, just in case.

"The Uchiha have already formed plans to instigate a coup before, Hiruzen," Danzo commented. "It would be foolish to assume that all of them have let go of those ambitions."

"Wait, you knew?!" Mikoto questioned. She glanced at her son and, noticing his lack of a reaction, exclaimed, "Itachi!"

The Uchiha Clan Head didn't listen to her. He was in his own thoughts, assessing the situation. Danzo was a dangerous extremist, clearly, in charge of a unit of the ANBU that seemed to be more loyal to him than to the village itself. In a sense it reminded him of situation he had found himself with the clan and the coup, and that comparison told him that he needed to take action before it was too late.

Itachi's Sharingan made contact with Danzo's uncovered eye for a split second and, in that fraction of a moment, Itachi cast a genjutsu on the Root leader.

Within the illusion, Itachi made himself disappear before standing suddenly behind Danzo, driving a sword through the elder's heart. Blood poured out of the wound and pooled at their feet.

"So you have made your choice," Danzo commented, without a hint of strain in his voice. "You are talented, boy, there is no doubt about that. I don't know if there's been a Uchiha as gifted as you since Madara. But you have a long way to go before you can insert yourself between Hiruzen and me."

A sword erupted from Itachi's chest, blood pouring out of the wound and pooling at their feet. The young Uchiha glanced over his shoulder to see another Danzo, holding a sword in much the same pose as Itachi himself was to the first Danzo. Itachi's eyes widened when he realized that the bandages that had been covering one of the elder's eyes were pushed aside. A Sharingan glowed through them.

In an instant Itachi broke the genjutsu, finding himself next to the Hokage and Mikoto once more. Grasping at his unwounded but somehow in pain chest, he collapsed to his knees.

"Itachi!" Mikoto exclaimed, kneeling next to her son.

"Where-where did you get that?!" Itachi yelled, activating his Mangekyo in a moment of panic.

"Well, Hiruzen, your pet Uchiha just tried to place me under a genjutsu," Danzo said, clearly ignoring Itachi. "Still think you can trust them?"

"I'm standing right here," the Hokage replied. "Don't think you can misrepresent what's happening right now."

Danzo performed a few neck rolls as he loosened his stance. "Then it seems we are at an impasse."

"So it seems," the Hokage said. "I'll give you one last chance to stand down."

The leader of Root did not respond, instead taking a deep breath as he formed a hand sign.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!" the Hokage yelled before Itachi could even notice that the legendary shinobi was performing hand signs. A stream of intense fire spewed forth from the Hokage, taking the form of a dragon as it bore down on Danzo. The Root leader stopped mid breath and leapt up into the air, using his chakra to cling to the walls of the neighboring building. The dragon changed course to follow, Danzo dodging once again as the fiery beast impacted where the elder had just been.

"Itachi, can you stand?" the Hokage asked, keeping his eyes on Danzo, who was still clinging to the walls above them.

The young Uchiha tried to pull himself to his feet but found himself unable to find his balance, his body still feeling the aftereffects of his genjutsu skirmish with Danzo. Itachi looked over his shoulder to see a pair of Root members approaching from the other direction, blades drawn.

"Company!" the Uchiha called out.

"You two, get inside," the Hokage ordered.

Mikoto put her son's arm around her shoulders, supporting him as they hobbled together to the door. Itachi glanced over his shoulder to see the Hokage going two on one against the Root members, disarming both of them in a virtuosic display of taijutsu. The two assailants repelled, the shinobi known as the Professor created a pair of shadow clones to guard their rear before retreating through the doorway with the mother-son duo.

Once all three of them were safely inside Mikoto released her hold on Itachi and lowered the emergency barricade to prevent forced entry.

"I didn't think Danzo would act so brazenly against you, Lord Hokage," Itachi said.

"He's plotted against me in the past," the Hokage commented as he straightened his clothes. "Though he's never been this direct."

Mikoto threw the village leader a questioning glance. "And you allow this man to remain in a position of influence?"

The Hokage's brow furrowed as he hesitated in his response. "I've never doubted his loyalty to the village," he finally said. "I'm well aware that I've given him too long of a leash at times, but he's often taken up the tasks that I was...unwilling to do myself."

"Would one of those tasks have been wiping out our clan if we rebelled?" Mikoto pressed.

"I would have exhausted all other options first," the Hokage replied.

Mikoto turned to her son. "I suppose you were the reason they knew about the coup."

"In part," Itachi replied.

"Were you also behind your father's change of heart?" Mikoto questioned.

"Shisui, actually," Itachi answered.

The Uchiha matriarch sighed. "I don't want to believe it, but I have to at this point."

"Now that you know the full story, what will you do?" the Hokage asked.

Mikoto paused, considering her response. "If the village leadership already knew what we were planning, then we were doomed from the start no matter what we did. I can't say that I'm happy about it, but we've come too far and lost too much to turn back now. And I have to admit, I do think that the clan as a whole is in a better place now than it was before. So I'll go along with your plans for now."

"Thank you, Mother," Itachi said as he pulled himself to his feet. "In any case, Danzo is a common enemy here."

"That he is," Mikoto commented. "Will he try to force his way in here?"

The Hokage shook his head. "I doubt Danzo believes that he could defeat me in direct battle. More likely this was part of a larger scheme. He wishes for me to be trapped in here for some purpose."

"And we can only wait to see his plan unfold," Mikoto replied.

"Just so," the Hokage confirmed. "In the meanwhile, I would like to check on Naruto. Where is he?"

"In my office," Mikoto answered. "A bit scared, but mostly he's just wanting ramen."

"Sounds like him," the Hokage commented as he and Mikoto began walking down the hall.

"Hold on," Itachi called out to the pair.

"Yes?" the Hokage asked, turning to face the Uchiha.

"Are you aware that Danzo has a Sharingan?" Itachi asked. "When I tried to use genjutsu on him he countered with one."

"Sharingan?" the Hokage echoed. "I've never known him to have one. I mean, he lost that eye years ago on a mission late in the First Great War." He paused as realization spread across his face. "It was the same one that Kagami Uchiha died on."

"Shisui's ancestor?" Itachi asked. "From what I understand, he was a close comrade of yours."

A great frown found its place on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face. "To think he had been hiding such a thing from me for all these years. It is clear that he can no longer be allowed to act freely." He turned to Mikoto. "Will you show me to the armory? I need attire suitable for battle."

The Military Police Chief nodded. "Right this way, Lord Hokage."


Sasuke walked alongside Shikamaru, Choji, and Hinata, making the last few turns before they reached the Military Police Headquarters.

"Hey," he heard someone say. He turned to see a man approaching two others a short ways off from the group of children.

"You heard what's happening?" the first man said to the other two.

"No, what's up?" one of them responded.

"The Uchiha are holding the Hokage hostage at the Military Police Headquarters," the first said.

Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks, feeling his blood run cold.

"Are you serious?" one of the other men asked.

The first nodded in the affirmative. "The Uchiha are trying to take over the village, but a bunch of people are going to stop them."

"We should go too," one of the other men said.

"Yeah," replied the other. "Damn arrogant Uchiha, they've really overstepped their bounds this time."

The two walked off in the direction of the Military Police Headquarters while the one who had initially told them dispassionately watched them leave. When the pair disappeared from sight he turned down an alleyway and walked away.

The Uchiha had taken the Hokage hostage at the headquarters? Was that true? What of Naruto?

"Hey," Shikamaru said, putting his hand on Sasuke's shoulder and pulling him out of his own head. "Don't worry about gossip, let's go see what's going on."

Sasuke nodded in response before the group continued on their path. The scene they saw as they turned the final corner was unlike anything they had seen in their young lives.

A mass of people stood around the premises of the Military Police Headquarters, yelling and shouting. Many held signs decrying the Uchiha and a few even had simple weapons, pitchforks, spears, and the like. A loose ring of what appeared to be ANBU separated the crowd from the object of their ire. The four students stood silently, uncertain what to make of the scene before them.

"What is going on here?" Shikamaru asked they came onto the scene.

"I'm not sure," Sasuke replied.

The pair of men from before walked past the group of children. One of them did a double take.

"Hey," he said, pulling at his companion's arm. "Isn't that kid a Uchiha?"

"Yeah, that's the Clan Head's kid brother." the other replied as he turned his attention to the group of academy students. "You think we can ransom him for the Hokage?"

"Let's try it," the first man said. The two of them began approaching the children.

Before they could get more than a few steps closer, however, a giant hand suddenly appeared between them. Sasuke followed it and the arm it was connected to back to a large man with a great mane of reddish-brown hair and purple line markings along his cheeks.

"Papa?!" Choji exclaimed, Sasuke immediately noting the similarities between father and son once the connection was pointed out.

The Akimichi Clan Head turned to the two men on the other side of his hand. "You fellas can keep going. There's nothing for you here."

The pair apparently took the veteran shinobi's word for it, as they were walking away when Choza's hand returned to normal size.

"What on Earth are you kids doing here?" he asked, approaching the group of students. "This is not a time or place for you."

"We know about Naruto, Papa," Choji said.

"Naruto?" Choza echoed. "What about him?"

"We know that he's in there," Sasuke answered, gesturing to the Military Police Headquarters.

"And that he's something called a Jinchuriki," Shikamaru added.

Choza frowned as he took in the children's statements. "Then I can't let you just go back home. The four of you should come with me, I'll let Shikaku decide what to do with you."