The geopolitics of the Elemental Nations were a strange thing. The relationship between the Daimyo of a nation and his Hidden Village was always precarious. Nominally, the leader of a Hidden Village served the Daimyo, pledging the service of his Shinobi, and carrying out missions in the name of his Lord. In actuality, and even more so regarding the five major powers, this relationship was far more nuanced.
The Kage of the five major villages were political leaders in their own right, wielding virtually unchecked influence and power. After all, who would dare challenge the power to level entire cities? Konoha, in this aspect, stood apart from the other Villages, Danzo mused.
The Hokage had always been deferential to the Fire Daimyo, following the precedent set by Hashirama when he had first created the office. Tobirama had shifted that power dynamic in favor of the Kage, when he revolutionized Konoha's military, creating an organized, disciplined fighting force. He had established the traditions of Jōnin Sensei taking on teams, discarding the previous system of clans raising and training their own children. This had effectively tripled Konoha's manpower and fighting force, catapulting Konoha from the premier Hidden Village to the uncontested superpower on the continent. That the Nidaime Hokage plunged the Shinobi World into the first continent-spanning world war, pitting Konoha against three of the other major powers, and had ultimately died fending off the Nidaime Raikage and his Kinkaku Force was merely vindication of his reforms. Three years after his death, Sarutobi Hiruzen lead Konoha to triumph, forcing Kumo, Iwa, and Suna to sue for peace.
Danzo had been there the day Sarutobi had singlehandidly ended the war, casting down Ryōtenbin no Ōnoki in a prolonged duel while battle raged all around them. His victory had shattered the morale of the combined Iwa-Kumo force, forcing them to withdraw from the field. The Sandaime Hokage earned his moniker that day, the Kami no Shinobi going down in history by defeating the Tsuchikage in single combat. Danzo vividly recalled the terrible power of Ōnoki's devastating Jinton kekkei-tōta, how with a single jutsu he reduced three square kilometers of Ame no Kuni to smoking ruin and bare earth. Danzo's teammates had died in that battle, dematerialized. He had nothing to remember them by, not even their ashes had remained. Hiruzen won the war, but Danzo had sworn that never again would Konoha's survival be threatened, never again would they depend on their Hokage to be their salvation.
Danzo created ROOT in the years between the first and second Shinobi World Wars, a clandestine force that would ensure Konoha's supremacy remained unchallenged by carrying out the most despicable, heinous acts of sabotage and assasination. It was ROOT that instigated the Second War, bombing Kumogakure, and it was ROOT that had brought Suna to heel at the peak of the conflict, assasinating the Second Kazakage. The end of the war saw Iwa humbled and Suna reduced to Konoha's puppet in all but name, all without Hiruzen ever being forced to take to the field.
Konoha had been blessed with the emergence of Namikaze Minato in the years before the Third War. The irrepressible force of nature that the blonde-haired genius had been had unilaterally reshaped the Elemental Nations. That battle in Grass still lived on in infamy in Iwa, when the future Yondaime Hokage unleashed his army-killing Hiraishin for the first time. The man had slaughtered a thousand Shinobi in the blink of an eye, and the entire Ninja World was cowed into submission. Of course, it had been ROOT and Orochimaru who had infiltrated Kumo, assasinating the Hachibi's jinchūriki. Its subsequent rampage and the devastation that ensued had crippled Kumo, preventing them from actively participating in the Third War.
Shimura Danzo's hand moved slowly, carefully, brush applying ink to the scroll in a deliberate, elegant manner. In the silence of his shadowed office, Danzo could almost hear the ghosts that still haunted him, could almost see the blood of his long dead regrets staining the walls.
"You murdered them, Danzo!"
"For the village, Hiruzen."
"They were barely more than children! Jiraiya himself trained them!"
"They were conspiring to bring an end to our way of life, our society. Terrorists do not deserve mercy."
"How many innocent lives will you end in the name of protecting our village, Danzo? How much blood, how many lives is this peace worth?"
"As many as it takes, Hokage-sama."
Danzo stopped, allowing the ink to dry. He closed his good eye, counting the cost of his long life. He was no fool, he was keenly, excruciatingly aware of the nature of the organization he ran, of the amorality of his actions. Still, his conviction, if anything, held strong. If the death of a hundred innocent lives would preserve the life of even one Konohan citizen, it was worth it. He alone would bear the weight of these sins, the terrible burden of the atrocities he had committed, the cost of deeds that horrified even the most battle hardened Shinobi, that his village would prosper a little longer.
"The Tree grows tall.. when the roots run deep." Danzo whispered to himself.
The door creaked, and a masked figure stepped through, instantly taking a knee.
"Danzo-sama. One Uchiha Itachi has arrived, asking to see you."
Yes. For his Village, he would do anything.
Jiraiya was never a patient man. In his youth he had been brash, hotheaded, and aggressive, preferring to settle disputes with his fists and jutsu, rather than word and mind games. Those had always been the domain of his paler, craftier teammate.
Orochimaru.. Jiraiya shook his head at the thought of his former friend. And indeed, he had once counted Orochimaru as a dear friend, the closest thing he had to family alongside Tsunade. Jiraiya still remembered, all too painfully, the day Orochimaru murdered those prisoners in Rain during the Second War. In hindsight, Orochimaru's descent into insanity had begun long before the inhuman experiments and brutal atrocities. Jiraiya's greatest regret was that he had been too caught up in his childish envy and pride to truly take notice of the warning signs. By the time Team Hiruzen earned their title of the Densetsu no Sannin from Hanzō, and went their seperate ways at the end of the Second War, it had been far, far too late. The next time Jiraiya saw Orochimaru, it was at the close of the Third War, with Sarutobi choosing Minato over him as Yondaime Hokage. Jiraiya would never, could never, forget the look in the White Snake's eyes that day, for it was the moment that Jiraiya knew now that Orochimaru turned his back on Konoha.
And now here they were, two estranged childhood friends, once two thirds of the team that had been the pride of Konoha, two of the greatest Ninja their village had ever produced, both S-ranked legends in their own right, now stood across one another, motionless, in a remote alcove in Tea Country. Truly, the irony was as bitter as ash in Jiraiya's mouth.
"You tracked me down, Jiraiya. I'm surprised, not many people could do that. Maybe you do have a brain somewhere in that oversized skull of yours." Orochimaru's chilling voice broke Jiraiya from his memories.
"There aren't many places to hide a snake, Orochimaru. You just have to know where to look." Jiraiya replied, posture still relaxed.
"Sensei would be so proud of you, Jiraiya-kun. Are you here to kill me? Avenge the Uchiha?" Jiraiya marveled that even thirty years later, Orochimaru's condescension could get under his skin.
"You've lost the right to call him Sensei, Orochimaru. He loved you, you know. Like a son."
"Is that sssadness I hear? How... endearing." Orochimaru hissed.
"My sadness isn't for you. Why'd you do it?" Jiraiya was curt.
"Kukuku.. quite the question, Jiraiya.."
"Look, I know you had backup from within the village. No way in hell was it a foreign op, I redid the seals myself. Either you had a secret personal unit, or someone in the village orchestrated the massacre. Don't make me beat the answer out of you."
"You speak as if you could, Jiraiya."
"The last time we fought, we were both gēnin being schooled by the old man. If you don't believe I'm your equal now, you don't deserve your title of genius."
"Well then, why don't we find out?" Jiraiya tensed at his teammate's threat, subtly preparing himself.
"Kukuku.. ever the hothead.. I suppose I could tell you. It would be far more amusing that way.." The Snake Sannin's eyes glittered with malice, a sick approximation of amusement playing across his serpentine features.
"After the old man confronted me about my experiments, I went to ground. Danzo approached me with a proposition. The last time I worked with the old Warhawk I had a tremendous deal of fun, and so I thought why not?"
"I handed the rest of my surviving experiments and subjects over to him to supplement his little private army in return for freedom to act outside the village. I murdered some people here and there for him, did some espionage.. your claim of sneaking into every Hidden Village isn't all that impressive, you know. I'm sure I'm only one or two away from doing the same. Kirigakure had some wonderful unagi... and the bloodline purges made acquiring new test subjects remarkably convenient.. Kukuku." The man's megalomania was getting the better of him, Jiraiya noted. He had a compulsive need to gloat, something that hadn't changed since childhood.
"The Uchiha were on the verge of rebellion, Jiraiya-kun. I'm sure they had their reasons, not that I bothered to find out. Danzo asked me to remove them, and I did so. I suppose he meant for me to die as well, at the hands of the old man or somebody else. It was his ROOT that massacred the Uchiha, really. I only slaughtered the main family and a few others." His casual dismissal of the genocide was chilling, and Jiraiya knew his teammate was truly lost.
"Go back, go ask Sensei. I'm sure he had a hand in it, one way or another. This world isn't as pretty and clean as your precious ideals, Jiraiya." Orochimaru chuckled.
"Am I meant to believe that you did this for the good of the village?" Jiraiya spat.
"Oh, of course not. Rest easy, Jiraiya-kun. I do intend to burn Konoha to the ground and put Kusanagi through the old man. That cursed place has earned its destruction thrice over. I had my own goals, killing the Uchiha."
"Sasuke." Jiraiya's fury crept into his voice.
"Kukuku... I've always wanted a Sharingan for myself.. harvesting it from him will be a pleasure."
"You're insane. You're actually, totally, insane. I can't believe Tsunade-hime saw something in you."
"Still bitter? She'll never love you, Jiraiya."
"She'll never hate me, either. You on the other hand... when she finds out, I'm not sure I'd pity you."
"Enough. I grow tired of this. Are you going to attack me? Finally ready to prove you deserve Sensei's approval?"
"I'm not going to waste my time. You left before this conversation even began, don't take me for a fool. For all your arrogance, you're still afraid to fight me, Orochimaru."
The malovelent, unhinged smile on the clone's face grew to unnatural proportions.
"It seems you really have grown a brain.. farewell, Jiraiya-kun. The next time we speak, it will be far less civil, for sure."
Jiraiya deemed a response unneccesary, instead driving a whirling sphere of superdense chakra into the chest of the clone, reducing it to steaming chunks of shredded snake meat.
He turned, facing the vague direction of Fire Country.
'You have some questions to answer, Sensei..' The Toad Sage brooded.
Kakashi looked on fondly as Naruto scrunched up his face, struggling to mould his chakra as his father had instructed him.
"I just can't get it, dad."
"Naruto, the Bunshin no Jutsu is the simplest kind of Ninjutsu there is. Concentrate on your chakra. You can do it."
"There's too much! It's like a whole river of chakra, and I just can't get it to do what I want.." Naruto sounded dejected.
Kakashi knelt down to meet his son's downcast gaze, and sorrow filled his heart at the haunted pain buried in those bright cerulean eyes. His bubbly boy had never been the same since he had lost his best friend, since that cursed night. His eyes, once the liveliest pools of joy and uncontrollable energy were now constantly shadowed, guarded. Even his body language had changed, he carried himself with a tense alertness that Kakashi found all too familiar.
"Describe it again, Naruto-chan?"
"I'm.. I'm trying to tap into the tenketsu like you taught, but it's like dunking my head underwater. I guess I have too much? Is that bad?" Naruto's frustration was evident. The boy had thrown himself into training since being released from the hospital three months ago. He had told Kakashi he wanted to grow strong enough to never need protecting, to find and rescue Sasuke. Kakashi shivered at the thought of his son tangling with the Snake Sannin, but had agreed to up his son's training intensity. He owed that much to his son, he supposed.
The results of his intense training the past three months surprised even Kakashi. He was eight, but the speed at which he learned and mastered the various Shinobi fundamentals that Kakashi had taught him was shocking. The little Naruto had figured out the Kawarimi No Jutsu within a week of Kakashi explaining it to him, and had taken even less time to learn the Henge no Jutsu. Even in Taijūtsu, the boy was learning faster than Kakashi expected, and his near manic dedication to training and working out had created a freakishly fit eight year old. His unnatural stamina was helpful here, being able to train for hours on end was a huge factor in his rapid development.
"That's a possibility. The Bunshin does require the greatest control over your chakra, and the more you have, the harder it is to control and mould." Kakashi noted. His son's face fell, disappointment clear.
"But tou-chan.. I gotta figure it out somehow! Iruka-sensei told me that I have to master the Bunshin to pass my exam and graduate!"
"Okay then... let me teach you this trick." Kakashi gave him an eye smile before walking straight up the side of the tree he had been leaning against.
"Whoaaaaaa!" Naruto's squeal of awe was adorable. Kakashi flexed his core, remaining anchored by his chakra infused feet perfectly perpendicular to the tree.
"It's called tree-walking, it'll help you with your chakra control. Focus on the tenketsu in your feet..."
Kakashi chuckled as his son destroyed another tree, sheer chakra output blowing chunks out of the Konohan Hardwood, before moving to catch his flailing boy.
The noise woke Shiba and Bull from their fitful napping, the two ninken grumbling their annoyance. Pakkun told them to shut it, before turning back to Kakashi.
"Say, when you gonna give the kid the contract?"
"You'd let him? He's still a kid." Kakashi's reply conveyed surprise.
"At the rate he's going, he'll make Jōnin faster than you, Kakashi. Just give him the contract." Pakkun sniffed.
"You just want more belly rubs, don't you." Kakashi picked Pakkun up by his midriff, allowing the pug to settle comfortably around his shoulders.
"He's a good kid, Boss. You worry too much."
"Dad!!! I'm getting the hang of this!" Naruto's squawk was followed by another dull thump as his chakra overloaded, fracturing the wood under his feet. He'd made it further up the tree though, Kakashi noted as he moved to catch his son again.
"You're learning quick. Not scared to fall?" Kakashi teased his son.
"Nah, I know you'll catch me, dad." Naruto gave him an eye smile.
Kami, he loved his son.
"This law has been approved by the Civilian Chamber?"
"Hai, Hiashi-sama. The Clan Heads will vote the next time the Council is convened. Of course, final executive approval remains with the Hokage."
Hyūga Hiashi nodded at his adjutant, dismissing the Branch Family member. His attention returned to his young daughter and heiress, who stood trembling with exhaustion.
"Are you tired, Hinata?"
"N-no, Tou-sama."
"Good. Your performance has been satisfactory thus far. Do not disappoint me. Now, The Third Movement once more."
The lavender haired eight year old shifted gracefully back into her Jyūken stance, only the subtle tremors in her legs betraying her fatigue. At some unheard signal, the girl began her kata for the umpteenth time that evening, striking and moving, weaving and dancing. Her father moved with her, parrying and blocking, matching her movements exactly, flowing with the fluid agility that a lifetime of Jyūken cultivated.
"Enough." Their dance came to an abrupt halt, Hinata midway through a strike. She froze in position, tensing up to remain motionless. Hiashi noted her form. It was close, but it was not perfect, not enough for his heiress.
"You are hesitating still. You have the technique, but you do not flow. Trust yourself, and if you cannot, trust my teaching." He admonished his daughter, face stern. Her blush came unbidden, shame causing her to turn crimson.
"Recover." His command caused her to almost collapse as she relaxed, but she caught herself, standing straight.
Hiashi nodded, the barest hint of approval showing.
"There is a new law regarding the Shinobi Academy being addressed in the Village Council. It will affect your future." He turned away, motioning for her to follow.
"I have not yet decided how to vote on this matter. The lesser clans will follow my lead. As my heiress, I wish to hear your thoughts on the issue." He turned, handing an ornate scroll to his daughter.
"The bill proposes to impose an age limit on graduation from the academy... twelve years old?" Hinata read quickly, and Hiashi quietly approved of his daughter's ability to decipher the difficult legalese.
"Yes. Should it pass, students will only be allowed to take the exam at the age of twelve. Some believe Hokage-sama drafted the proposed law."
"He wishes to limit the graduation age?" Hinata cocked her head. To any other, the quirk would have been soul-crushingly adorable, but Hiashi was made of sterner stuff.
"He believes that children should be children, and that accelerated development severely hampers their emotional well-being, as well as psychological stability."
"This will affect me?" Hinata questioned.
"Iruka-san and Mizuki-san expressed that you have performed well for the academy curriculum. Only the Hatake boy surpasses you within your class." Hiashi's voice betrayed nothing of his true thoughts.
"Naruto-ku-ah! Naruto-san is very talented!" Hinata stammered.
"Regardless, your instructors asked if I wish to have you take the graduation exam at the end of the year." Hiashi ignored his daughter's slip.
Hinata blushed again. Hiashi would have never tolerated such a lapse of discipline in any other, but it reminded him too much of his late wife for him to grow upset. He simply did not mention it.
"Should this law pass, you will remain in the academy until you are twelve. I would expect that you continue your development, despite the new limit." Hiashi continued.
"Ano.. the decision is yours to make, Tou-sama."
"I will choose what you think is best, Hinata." Hiashi strayed dangerously close to showing emotion.
"Umm.. I would like to remain in the academy for a little while longer.. but if Tou-sama desires for me to develop as soon as possible, I will try my best." Hinata spoke, words almost tripping over one another in her haste to answer her father.
Hiashi suddenly knelt, coming eye to eye with his daughter. Her pale, pupil-less eyes widened almost comically at the sudden movement.
"You are my heiress, Hinata. One day you will rule our clan, the Hyūga. Be confident, be sure when you speak." He spoke, and for a moment, Hinata thought she heard her father's voice soften from its usual solemn, serious timbre.
He straightened, smoothing down his pristine robes.
"I will vote in approval for the law the next coming meeting."
"Hai, tou-sama. I will not disappoint you, I promise." His gentle daughter bowed deeply, soft voice filled with determination. She left the dojo, the pitter-patter of her little feet striking the immaculate floor echoing behind her. Hiashi stayed a little while yet, contemplative.
Her mother would have been proud of her. How could he not be?
A/N
I'm back!
My apologies, I was rather busy the past weekend.
A little bit more character development, fleshing out some side characters and pushing the plot along.
Trying to write from Danzo's perspective without blatantly spoiling some future plot points was quite the exercise, but I hope there's some better insight into his mindset.
Also, I've always found Hiashi's portrayal in many fanfics to be grossly unfair. No sound parent would willingly and knowingly abuse their child for the sake of pushing them to be "better". Coming from an Asian family I've had my fair share of dealing with ludicrously high expectations from your father, and while it can be emotionally destructive in its own way, it's definitely not the "kill my daughter so that my more promising younger daughter will become heiress" kind of insanity, because that's seriously sociopathic. I will try to write him to the best of my ability as a realistic, albeit very demanding/strict father.
By the way, I have yet to decide on the pairings, if any. Definitely, Kakashi will settle down in the future, but I haven't decided on who. Naruto's is far more up in the air, I haven't even figured out if he's going to have a pairing or not. Let me know your suggestions!
Till the next chapter, read and review!