Despite agreeing to follow the Anbu willingly, Kioshi flashed killing intent when one member attempted to place a draining tag on him. It was one thing he would not let himself be subjected to. Not ever again.
He was innocent and wouldn't be treated as a criminal. Danzo had attacked him first. If the Hokage wanted a full explanation, then he would need to face him at his current power and strength.
The Anbu backed off at his glare. Kioshi didn't check if this was out of respect or fear, but as long as the demand was obeyed, it didn't matter.
One member flash stepped away, while the others kept a close eye on him. Most of the Anbu signatures were foreign, and the ones he did recognize were currently on duty, so he didn't strike up a conversation. Anbu identities were supposed to be secret, and currently, they were in a public setting. The sight of his apparent arrest had already drawn quite a crowd.
Kioshi's return to the village had been made public a week ago. It was still a high point of gossip. His features were recognizable, and many people whispered and pointed under normal circumstances. Now that Konoha's secret guards and military surrounded him, even more stared.
Thankfully, it wasn't long until the Anbu messager returned. "The Hokage said he will see Ninja Hirano unrestrained. We are to escort him to his office."
All the Anbu masks bore into Kioshi at this to see if he would comply. Kioshi nodded, gesturing with a hand for them to lead the way. The group flashed quickly across rooftops to avoid further attention from civilians. Two members broke off and escorted him to the Hokages office when they reached the building.
The Hokage was waiting inside the room when they entered. "Lord Hokage," Kioshi said neutrality, not deigning to bow. Despite the casual stance and tone, there was sharp anger inside. The lack of a respectful gesture clearly showed he was not pleased with the old man. The Anbu guards picked up on the mood and tensed, ready for action.
"Ninja Hirano, can you please explain what has happened?" The Hokage asked, also being slightly on guard. "Investigations have led us to believe that there has recently been a destructive battle of an unknown cause involving both you and the former Elder Danzo Shimura. His whereabouts are currently unknown. Could you perhaps inform us of his location?"
"He is dead," Kioshi stated bluntly. "I killed him."
"I seeā¦" The Hokage finally said carefully. "You must have had a reason for this. Could you please explain?"
"He attacked me," Kioshi stated in the same blunt tone. "I discovered a few secrets of his, and he believed it was best to get rid of the witness so he could continue on with his traitorous acts. Members of Root also attacked me on his orders. It seems that he isn't as "retired" as you led me to believe."
The Hokage's brow furrowed, studying Kioshi for any sign of deceit. "This is indeed troubling if true. I believe it would be best to continue this conversation alone." The Hokage waved a hand to dismiss the Anbu members in the room. They hesitantly obeyed. Privacy seals were then activated.
"What has Danzo done for you to resort to such actions?" The Hokage asked once they were alone. The man must have seen the fury in Kioshi's eyes, because the tone was one of resignation. This wasn't a small discovery.
"Besides working illegally underground and trying to kill me?" Kioshi stated sardonically. "Danzo said he was the one who ordered the Uchiha Massacre!"
"He told you this?" The Hokage blinked, surprised.
In response, Kioshi activated his eyes. The Hokage took a step back, frowning deeper and getting into a defensive stance. Instead of attacking, however, Kioshi simply made a portal and let a certain arm fall out of it, grabbing it and forcing one of its closed eyelids open.
"He did," Kioshi affirmed. "And this is one of Danzo's arms- the one that was wrapped in bandages. As you can see, there are a total of ten Sharingan's embedded in the flesh. Danzo also admitted that he attacked Shisui and stole one of his eyes as well. Suicide is not what lead to his death. There was no excuse for this! The Uchihas have committed no crime against Konoha! And Itachi rarely resorts to violence unless necessary. You would have to be a fool not to realize other things were at play. Itachi definitely wouldn't murder women and children without reason, and Danzo has always hated the Uchiha and envied their power! The clan's extermination has always been the man's goal! This is proof of that! "
The Hokage blinked again at this, moving away from starting at the arm to meet Kioshi's gaze. There was true shock there. That was good. At least some of this was news to the man.
"This is the true reason you removed Danzo from the council isn't it?" Kioshi said. "He ordered the massacre without your permission."
"Yes," the Hokage finally sighed, seeing no way out of it.
"At least this means you weren't fully in on it," Kioshi said in partial compromise."But you were still aware of the order. The punishment you gave is insulting. Does the Uchiha clan really hold so little value in your eyes?"
"I was not aware of Danzo's true motive," the Hokage defended. "I believed he was only trying to stop a war."
"Then you are a fool!" Kioshi said. "People like Danzo are never satisfied with peace! They hold no true loyalty or respect for anyone but themselves! It is your love and weakness that has allowed him to hurt others for so long!"
The Hokage didn't protest the statement, simply looking saddened and worn.
Silence reigned for a few moments until Kioshi broke it. "Itachi doesn't deserve exile," he stated firmly. "He simply obeyed the direct orders of a village elder. Publicly declare Danzo's crimes so that he can return home."
The Hokage grimaced and shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that. You are not fully aware of the situation. Itachi is currently involved in a vital espionage mission. Declaring his loyalty will put him in danger and will destroy his status as a missing ninja, which is something he needs at the moment to succeed."
"Is the mission really that important?" Kioshi asked skeptically. "Or do you simply wish to protect your friend's memory and cover up your own incompetence?"
The Hokage grimaced again. "Both, I'm afraid. Believe me, I am well aware of my failings. I am not as hardened or aware as I once was. And for that, I apologize. I have wished for retirement for some time. My support behind the Fourth Hokage is proof of that. Sadly, he is dead, and there is no other suitable candidate currently able or willing to take the position. The village needs to have faith in its leader. Konoha is already in a fragile state. With the new threat of Kumo, now more than ever we need a lack of inner conflict."
Kioshi thought about it. The Hokage had a point. Exposing Hiruzen's incompetence would only hurt the village unless someone better could replace him. S-rank ninjas were rare. They were the only people suitable for the role of a Kage, as anyone lower in rank wouldn't be respected by other nations or the people.
Right now, Konoha's options were low. Kioshi was young and wanted to focus on getting stronger. Jiraiya was busy and was needed as the head of espionage, and Tsunade was drunk and depressed. Itachi and Kakashi were also other options, but they could also be considered young, busy, or unstable at this time.
He admitted, for the time being, that Hiruzen was best where he was.
Still, he wouldn't let things be fully hidden. "Danzo should still be blamed for attacking me and for stealing an allied clan's bloodline without permission," he declared. "You don't have to say anything about the massacre for now, but at least make Danzo's other crimes known so when the truth does come out, it will be more easily believed. I don't want Itachi to stay a criminal forever. This espionage mission of his also shouldn't be forced. If he wants to return, then all should be revealed."
The Hokage slowly nodded.
"I'm also going to tell Sasuke," Kioshi continued. That caused the Hokage to start in protest, but Kioshi's glare held no room for argument. "I promised I would help him find out the truth and staying confused and ignorant isn't good for his health. I will make sure he understands the gravity of the situation and the importance of staying silent until Itachi returns."
The Hokage sighed at this. "Very well."
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The next day, Kioshi made good on his promise. He took Sasuke to a secluded location and told him what he learned during his battle with Danzo and his discussion with the Hokage. As expected the boy was hurt and furious. It would take some time for the boy to come to terms with what Itachi had truly done.
Thankfully, however, most of Sasuke's anger was centered on Danzo and the Hokage. The boy wanted to have the Hiruzen removed from his station immediately for allowing such thing.
Kioshi explained the reasons why the old man's current station was best for now, and that they would make moves to remove the Hokage from office once a new candidate was available.
Sasuke argued that Kioshi was such a person, but Kioshi refused the notion once again. Even though young Kages weren't completely unprecedented, it wouldn't be good to get stuck in meetings and have more responsibilities thrust upon him.
He still had weaknesses that others could exploit. That had been made obvious in his fight with Danzo. Without the ability to make portals, he could have been quickly worn down. He'd need to continue training to strengthen and condense his core. This would help his regeneration speed and charka reserves, putting him on equal footing with other S-Ranks if more canceling instruments ever came into play.
If Danzo had understood his abilities more, or if Kioshi hadn't understood Danzo's abilities in turn, then the fight likely would have ended a lot differently. Information was a powerful tool. There was a reason ninjas put so much energy and resources into obtaining it.
That was one of the reasons he kept his TV knowledge a secret. Surprise was a strong ally, and characters in this world would likely hunt him down if they realized how much he knew. They would want to obtain the knowledge for themselves or eliminate the threat.
It was a war of pros and cons. If he did explain his "seer" abilities then allies could help him in his goals. It might even be the thing that could convince Itachi to return. Kioshi didn't know all that was accomplished and obtained by Itachi during his time as a spy, but Kioshi's knowledge surely trumped it. With Itachi actively working with Konoha, how much stronger would they be?
But what if he unintentionally made things worse by exposing the knowledge? What if people didn't take his words seriously, or he led people astray due to a changing canon? Could he really afford to ignite so many unknowns? It seemed safer to keep things close to heart, silently building strength, and then attacking quick and hard when the opportunity arose...
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The next few years were spent doing just that.
The first year was spent training himself, Sasuke, and Naruto in ninja techniques. Other academy students also joined their training sessions after Naruto started to improve and bragged about how great his new sensei was.
Kioshi didn't mind. Having multiple sparing partners was beneficial for the children, and the more people he could help, the better. It would prepare them all for the future.
Despite this, only an hour a day was spent as an "academy sensei." He needed his own time to train, and the children were still young. Their attention span was only so high. Most just wanted to have fun or spend extra time with their crushes. The training sessions were mostly to build relationships with Konoha's future talent. It would take some time for them to actually be of use.
True prodigies weren't just centered on instruction, intelligence, and determination. It was also something physical. It was rare for someone to be able to do chakra techniques as a child, let alone as a toddler. Kioshi, Itachi, and Kakashi were the exceptions. Most had to wait until puberty for their true abilities to develop.
It was one of the reasons why even the most prestigious ninja schools focused mainly on taijutsu, weapon, and genjutsu training for their students. Kioshi did this as well, simply helping the children sharpen and push their thresholds in basic techniques.
Naruto improved the most out of all of everyone. Kioshi suspected that this was because the boy had actual instruction now. On investigation, Kioshi wasn't surprised to find that most of the academy teachers were not only ignorant but were purposely teaching the Jinchuriki wrong.
Mizuki was one of the worst of them. Kioshi decided to get rid of the enemy spy sooner in this reality. This would change canon, but it was worth it. The man was dangerous.
Besides, Naruto being convinced to steal the multi-shadow-clone-jutsu likely wouldn't happen anyway. That had only happened because Naruto had failed the graduation exam, and now Naruto was rising to be one of the best in the class.
There were too many changing variables for Kioshi to risk having such an enemy around. He exposed Mizuki as a spy of Orochimaru after confirming the fact with mental chakra, and the Hokage was grateful.
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A year and a half later, when Naruto got close to the point of graduating, Kioshi asked for multi-shadow-clone scroll to make up for changing that part in the storyline. The technique wasn't exactly secret, so this didn't cause too many questions. The scroll was mostly only forbidden due to its habit of extracting too much chakra from an individual and killing them.
Naruto, however, had more than enough physical chakra to spare. In fact, he had so much that he couldn't even perform genjutsu clones without exploding out and ruining them.
The boy was an Uzumaki. The bloodline was resilient. Naruto also was a junchiruki. Worst comes to worst, the fox would save him.
Kioshi admitted to the Hokage that he knew what Naruto was. It wasn't exactly hard to put together considering people kept calling the boy a demon.
He also admitted that he suspected that the Fourth Hokage was Naruto's father. The facial similarities were hard to ignore. The boy had a powerful responsibility and a strong lineage that could go far if given the proper tools.
The Hokage agreed with the sentiment and handed over the scroll. The facts about Naruto were confirmed, but Kioshi was ordered to keep things secret. The yellow flash still had many enemies from the last war, and exposing Naruto's Jinchuriki status would also put him in danger.
Kioshi told the man that the argument was weak. If secrecy was so important, then why was the entire adult population in Konoha made aware and allowed to speak to the boy in such a way? Any spy would have to be an idiot not to figure it out. At the very least NARUTO should be told so he could learn how to control or work with the fox.
Surprisingly, the Hokage agreed and explained that he planned to tell Naruto about the fox once the boy became a ninja. Apparently, Mizuki had only barely beaten him to it in the original timeline.
The Hokage also explained that he planned on telling Naruto of his parents once the boy was strong enough to defend himself. The existence of a child of the Fourth Hokage was actually quite a well-kept secret, as Kushina's connection to Minito had been hidden from most.
Naruto would never be able to keep such a secret. He might try with persuasion, but with how much he idolized Hokages and wanted to be noticed, it was bound to slip out sooner or later. Revenge-filled lunatics were still out there. They might be able to put the facts together with the current clues, but if Naruto started shouting it from the rooftops, becoming a target was inevitable.
Kioshi acquiesced. For now, he'd let the matter rest. Knowing of his parents might be a comfort to Naruto, but there was wisdom in keeping it secret currently.
Hopefully, the boy's new budding friendships would help fill the hole. Kioshi's training sessions were having a positive effect. Even Sasuke was coming out of his shell and talking a bit more. He and Naruto were actually starting to gain grudging respect for each other. When they were placed on the same genin team a few months later, both actually seemed pleased.
The Konoha 12 team selections were all the same as in canon. The only difference was that Naruto was second highest in the class instead of last. The theory that Konoha averaged out each team was apparently incorrect. Sasuke and Naruto were the strongest in combat, and Sakura had the highest rank in chakra control. The pink-haired girl was also quite good at taijutsu seeing how Kioshi had privately convinced her during training that strength was the best way to impress Sasuke. All in all, they were the best genin team of the generation.
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More months passed and Kioshi kept up his one-hour evening classes. Attendance was actually quite high from the graduated portion considering their increased responsibilities. Some of Konoha 12 came even more due to being dragged there by their teammates.
While Kioshi wasn't spending time teaching, he trained fervently to increase his own abilities. There were many things he wished to improve on.
The first thing was his Dojutsu. He'd learned that it wasn't something to neglect. Bloodlines usually always gave unique abilities and advancements to those who had the dedication and skill to find them. He set apart time each day to ponder and test different possibilities.
He also spent time every day working on his mental abilities. Being able to use them more effectively would be extremely deadly to those who didn't constantly emit canceling energy.
And the last main thing he worked on was his medical ninjutsu. It still took a lot of time and focus to perform. If he could get to the point of being able to heal himself or others while in combat, then drugs, poisons, or debilitating injuries would be a lot less fatal.
All these skills took time to show significant progress. Some things didn't work at all, which was extremely frustrating. But Kioshi persevered.
