"Mist is not a village. It is a sack of angry sharks, all of which are carrying swords."
– Quote carved into the Mizukage's desk. It is unclear who put the words there, and when.

-O-

Despite the heated argument, Kakashi was enjoying himself, just a little bit. It was rare to see two powerhouses reduced to red-faced children. Guy and Tsunade were both deadly ninja, of course, but at the moment they squared off like gangly teenagers.

Besides, given the importance of the topic, Kakashi was faced with a choice: laugh at the absurd scene in front of him, or give in to the stress that had taken root deep in his limbs and left the muscles tense and knotted.

"Yes he could!" Guy shouted.

Tsunade grabbed him by his jumpsuit and pulled him forward, so his face was a mere inch away from hers. "No he could not, and your blind faith does you no credit."

"If you're not gonna kiss him, you shouldn't hold him so close," Kakashi interjected. Tsunade jumped as if stung and dropped Guy again. "It could lead to all sorts of awkward misunderstandings for random passersby."

Jiraiya took that as his cue to butt in, because of course the Toad Sage was skulking around. If it weren't so funny, Kakashi would be concerned over the fact that Konohagakure's spymaster was lurking out of his sight and listening in. "He's right, you know. I could get jealous, or something."

"I didn't realise you were back!" Tsunade shouted, tackling him and pulling him into a tight hug. "It's good to see you again."

It took Kakashi all of ten seconds to realise what Jiraiya's return meant. He was halfway out the clearing before Jiraiya snagged the back of his jacket and pulled him to a halt. "I know you want to see Naruto, but I have important news," Jiraiya said.

Kakashi brushed his hand off and turned around. "Be quick about it then." The Sannin were legends, it was true, but Kakashi wasn't some wide-eyed genin to be awed into silence by every ninja that could take him in a fight. He wanted to see his student with his own eyes and make sure Naruto hadn't been hurt or, even worse, gotten a stupid tattoo or piercing. Too many genin came back from their first extended trip with a rather permanent memento they ended up regretting.

"It's about Orochimaru," Jiraiya said, and Kakashi's stomach dropped.

Silence fell over the training ground. Kakashi stopped fidgeting. The argument between Guy and Tsunade ended abruptly. Watching the emotions slide off Guy's face like water off a pane of glass was still as terrifying as the first time Kakashi had seen it. What lay underneath was as sterile as a scalpel and twice as sharp. Tsunade, on the other hand, was all heat; her anger rolled off her in waves, literally. Plants withered and died under the weight of the chakra that surrounded her in a shroud.

"While I was travelling with Naruto, there was an opportunity to meet an old contact of mine," Jiraiya explained. "I got some information about a missing-nin turned scout for our favourite snake. He was supposed to pick up some information from one of Orochimaru's spies in Konohagakure. The drop-off happened half an hour ago, and I took both the spy and the courier into custody."

"That's why you're back early, then," Tsunade said.

"Yes. This was too important an opportunity to pass up." Jiraiya's face was stern, and Kakashi tried not to think about how he'd dug out the information from his captives. It took a strong stomach to do the things Kakashi had done, but there were rumours about what the Leaf's spymaster had access to. "And I got even more than I bargained for. During questioning, the spy – undercover as a civilian – revealed the name of the former head of Orochimaru's spy network inside the Leaf. Kabuto Yakushi."

Kakashi recognised the name, although by the looks of things he was the only one. "Kabuto Yakushi. Genin, slated for promotion, slightly older than a typical promotion age. But he died right before he could take the Chunin Exams. I kept an eye on the investigation into his death, but it found nothing useful."

"Whoever did it was a professional. No bungling amateur could have killed Yakushi – apart from being one of Orochimaru's most skilled operatives, there's some indications that he was also a member of Root." As Jiraiya finished speaking, Kakashi swore behind his mask.

The undercurrent of anger in the clearing was potent enough that a haze of killing intent spread amongst the trees. Tsunade was the one who spoke. "If it's true, Danzo will have to answer for this. He can't ask for an independent command and then fuck up this badly. Again."

Root was polarising, to say the least. A siloed intelligence division that worked exclusively through patsies and catspaws, it had been accused of scheming against the Hokage's office more than once. Still, being able to carry out sabotage and assassinations that couldn't be traced back to the Hokage was a powerful tool. Furthermore, Root was also the last line of defence against internal enemies. Actually arresting the targets was carried out by ANBU but Root had identified threats that would otherwise have escaped notice.

Occasional messes aside, such as the nasty business in Rain a decade ago that led to Hanzo's government falling, Root had proved its worth over and over. And its enigmatic leader, Danzo Shimura, had enough influence with the Hokage that mistakes were quickly forgotten. Up until now the people in the know were willing to follow the Hokage's example, and Root was left to its own devices.

All that went out the window if Root itself was compromised, of course. And if Orochimaru had stopped at a single agent, then Kakashi would eat his own headband – metal plate and all. For decades, Danzo had argued that outside interference would prevent Root from doing its job, would expose it to the Leaf's politics, ruin its independence and lead to information leaking out. Now he'd been caught with his pants was a failure of the highest order.

"Danzo will push back, the way he has in the past," Guy disagreed. There was no trace of his usual bombastic personality now. Kakashi's lazy slouch had also vanished, and Tsunade's eyes had narrowed into slits. "He's one of the few ninja who can make full use of Root. Talent like that doesn't grow on trees. I can't think of anyone who would be ready to fill his shoes." His gaze shifted to Jiraiya. "Anyone who can be spared from their current role, anyhow. Root can't be left like this, so Danzo should be removed despite that. But the Hokage won't see it that way. We need to plan countermeasures with that in mind; Danzo might still be in charge, but maybe there can be a shake-up of the organisation."

"Either Danzo has that talent and gave Orochimaru access to the village's secrets for his own reasons, or he was thoroughly played by his opposition," Kakashi disagreed. He added his own support to Tsunade's statement."If Yakushi was in Root, Danzo's position is weakened irreparably. He has to go."

"I'll need a few days to find out for sure," Jiraiya warned. "It might still turn out to be a coincidence." He didn't sound very convinced of that, though.

Guy took a half-step forward and planted his feet in the dirt. "If it's true, we will take this to the Hokage. And I will be coming with you if you need it."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Jiraiya said. "I take it you feel the same way, princess?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes at Jiraiya in a way that hinted at some background to the nickname, but Kakashi didn't care about digging into that particular secret at the moment. The other jounin were already dispersing, but he still had questions.

"Before we go," Kakashi said, and Jiraiya paused at the edge of the clearing. "Did you find out anything else?"

Jiraiya grimaced. "The highest priority for Orochimaru's informants is to gather information about a specific chunin. The snake wants to get his hands on the Sharingan. You know how badly that would end for Konohagakure."

There was a name that Jiraiya hadn't mentioned, hadn't needed to mention. Sasuke.

A kunai was in his hand before Kakashi even realised he was drawing a knife. "Over my dead body."

"There's reports of a tall swordsman accompanied by a shorter man with long dark hair trying to strike at Orochimaru directly," Tsunade said, voice soft and calming for all that the weight of her anger had scoured the earth for a dozen yards in every direction. "It fits the modus operandi of Akatsuki – two high-ranking ninja leading a group of mercenaries. And we think in this case it's Kisame Hoshigaki and Itachi Uchiha. If Itachi finds Orochimaru then, one way or another, Orochimaru stops going after Sasuke's sharingan."

Guy patted Kakashi on the shoulder. "If that does happen, I don't want to be anywhere in the area."

"It's all falling apart, isn't it?" Kakashi asked nobody in particular. "When we're stuck hoping the Leaf's two biggest problems take care of each other."

"It could always be worse," Jiraiya said, though he looked tired, and wasn't that a terrifying thought? "We might need to put our backs into it but there's a path through this mess."

"Asuma thinks it's time to try assassinating Itachi again," Guy told him. "He's volunteered to lead the mission."

"That's the argument you walked in on. Guy's a believer, but I think all that exercise has turned his brain into muscles. The kid ain't bad, but Itachi would slap him around if he's in a good mood or just run him through otherwise." Tsunade scowled and, without saying her farewells, she left the clearing.

Jiraiya and Guy looked set for another long conversation and Kakashi couldn't bring himself to wait any more. He exchanged a meaningful look with Guy, and the other jounin nodded once. They had an understanding.

"You know where I live," he said to both of the other ninja in the clearing. Extending an offer without ever putting it into words, he could just about manage. Anything more forthright was out of the question. That wasn't the sort of man he was.

There was more to say but Kakashi had other priorities. He went to find his students.

-O-

Picking up Naruto's trail was straightforward. Kakashi ran through a series of seals and summoned Pakkun. Of all his summons, he had the closest relationship with the small pug, and it was also the dog most happy to help with less-urgent matters.

"Yo," Pakkun greeted him after a moment's pause. That would have been him checking there wasn't a fight going on, Kakashi knew.

He patted the pug on the head. "I need to find my students, and the faster the better."

One of Kakashi's favourite things about Pakkun was the lack of backtalk and arguing. After a quick sniff of the evening breeze to pick up the scent, Pakkun leapt to the next roof along. Kakashi followed him into the heart of Konohagakure.

Their first success took only five minutes, and the second came right after. Naruto had already run into Sakura and they were catching up outside Naruto's favourite ramen stand. Kakashi looked Naruto over from his rooftop perch – he wasn't hurt, he looked happy and a quick glimpse with the Sharingan showed that his chakra had become more refined and clear. There was no damage to the chakra coils, or signs of tampering with the seal.

"Let's fetch Sasuke as well," Kakashi told Pakkun, but the dog shook his head.

"He's on his way already. Give him five minutes and he'll be here, we might as well wait."

Kakashi fed Pakkun a dog treat, and then sent him back to the summons realm with a pat on the head.

That last tidbit was interesting – it implied the Hokage knew Jiraiya had returned, which was expected, and that he'd passed that on to Sasuke, which was not. Kakashi decided to puzzle it out later. Right now, he was busy with far more important things.

A gentle leap sent him across the street and to the fleck of earth in Sakura and Naruto's blind spot. Lesser ninja would have needed chakra to muffle the sound of their landing, and so given themselves away, but Kakashi wasn't an amateur. The two chunin remained unaware of his presence.

"...and there were all these beautiful views from the top of the cliff, ya know?" Naruto said, arms waving as he tried to convey the experience. "What have you been up to in the meantime? Learn anything good?"

"Kakashi's been working me hard, but it's showing results." Sakura was being cagey and avoiding specifics about her skills out in public, which Kakashi approved of. "He's also being a top-tier bastard about a few things, like–"

"Hey, kids," Kakashi interrupted, taking advantage of the perfect opportunity.

"–like showing up unexpected and uninvited," Sakura finished with a scowl, though the twinkle in her eye took the sting out of it.

Naruto, by contrast, hurled himself at Kakashi and hugged him around the waist. He clung on like a limpet. It was so unexpected that all Kakashi could do in reply was pat the boy on the head, but a moment later when Naruto pulled himself free, Kakashi understood what had happened. He was seconds too late, though.

"I told you I'd get the bells from him somehow!" Naruto shouted, triumphantly waving the two bells he'd taken out of Kakashi's equipment pouch.

"Now, Naruto, are you sure those are bells?" Kakashi wove a gentle illusion over the objects in Naruto's hand and he dropped the 'dog treats' he was suddenly holding. Kakashi caught them and tucked them away again, but he was impressed nonetheless.

"Evening, all," Sasuke said as he strolled into view. There were deep stress lines on his face but when he spotted Naruto his whole expression brightened.

"Kakashi just offered to pay for dinner," Naruto shamelessly lied by way of a greeting. "You're looking tall and brooding, by the way."

"Better than short and silly," Sasuke shot back, though there were only a few inches between them in height. A short scuffle followed, which ended with Naruto in a headlock and Sasuke clutching his stomach, winded. Both were grinning.

"Boys," Sakura muttered as they pulled apart again, again with a twinkle in her eye. "Let's just order our food."

There was a lot of catching up to do and Kakashi found it easier to stay apart from the conversation, amusing himself by eating without taking his mask off. Naruto told stories about his travels to the wide-eyed envy of Sakura and Sasuke, to whom it sounded like a series of exotic holiday. Going by the gaps in Naruto's tale, Kakashi picked out a few lessons that Jiraiya would have taught him. On the whole, he approved of the way the Sannin was steering Naruto's development.

Sasuke, on the other hand, bragged relentlessly about his new skills. From reheating his ramen broth with a chakra exercise, to tilting his stool onto a single leg and then holding it there, he found any and every chance to show off. It was a sign of his growing social isolation, Kakashi mused, and he decided that – whether Sasuke was officially his student or not – he would be keeping a closer watch on the boy. There were other topics that needed to be addressed between just the two of them, anyway.

He was pleased to see that Sakura was the most level-headed of the lot. She kept her cards close to her chest and stuck to amusing anecdotes about training, missions and her day-to-day life. Even an enemy would struggle to glean anything useful from the conversation. Her chopsticks were lightning-fast and several times she stole some mushrooms from Naruto's ramen while he was distracted.

As the meal was winding down, the conversation turned to where the trio wanted to head next. After all, in Naruto's words, "There's a whole village's worth of fun to have!" That was Kakashi's cue to leave.

He pushed his stool back and stood. "Well, I have to be off."

"I don't suppose you'll be late leaving, the same way you're late arriving for everything?" Sasuke asked hopefully.

It was nice to see his students wanted to keep him around. For a moment, Kakashi almost reconsidered.

Naruto quickly ordered another bowl of ramen. "You can't go before the meal's over, that's just rude," he told Kakashi. It was a transparent attempt but no less touching for it.

"Just because you lot get the evening off doesn't mean I can skip my own training," Kakashi told them finally. It was tempting to spend more time with his adorable students despite that, but Kakashi wasn't planning a solo session. He couldn't leave Guy waiting.

Kakashi paused just long enough on the rooftop opposite the ramen stand to hear his students realise they were stuck with the bill. Smirk on his face, he left them behind.

-O-

The Land of Fire had been named after the infernos that swept through the northern forests every few years. It was, therefore, something of a surprise for many travellers who reached the center of the country to see a very wet environment. The trees around Konohagakure were closer to a jungle than a forest, and given the rivers and lakes amongst the trees there was more water than fire to be had. Even inside the Leaf itself, streams and rivers wound their way past the homes and through the training fields.

Night had fallen and so Kakashi couldn't see the nearby brook and the pond it fed, but the sound of running water was loud in the stillness. Despite the late hour, he didn't have to wait long. Amongst the dark and the trees he drank from a small hip flask, steady sips of brandy keeping him warm.

"This place works as well as any other," Guy said as he strode into sight. The taller man was a bare shadow in the night, and Kakashi knew that a flicker of will would hide even that.

Kakashi wreathed himself in chakra and faded into the dark as well, ready to begin. "Then let's not waste any more time."

"Agreed." With that, the clearing was empty again. They were both here for a spar rather than a game of hide and seek, but that was no excuse for getting sloppy. Besides, Kakashi found Guy rather soon.

The first exchange of blows was careful, probing. Neither of them expected to find an opening, and so Kakashi feinted and then swayed away from the reply. They moved fast and held nothing back but they had fought enough in the past that there were no clever tricks left to either of them. Victory would not be snatched swiftly; it had to be earned piece by piece.

Guy was physically the mightiest ninja in Konohagakure bar Tsunade, and although he had a strong foundation in every ninja art he'd poured his sweat and tears into taijutsu. Kakashi doubted he would ever be a match in that regard, since his own skills were more eclectic. That sheer variety was a strength in its own right, though.

A passing thought, infused with a sliver of chakra, was enough to lay a genjutsu on Guy. It was a weak thing, barely noticeable even to one who was expecting it. Guy didn't dispel it but that might just be an attempt to lure Kakashi forward – the man had a nasty habit of only tearing through illusions when his foes were already close and committed.

As Guy pressed forward, Kakashi gave ground and darted into the trees where it would be easier to land an ambush. Guy sent two clones out and rather than expose himself by attacking, Kakashi spread out a ring of earth chakra that seeped into the soil. The clones had no footfall and he put them out of his mind, focusing on the real Guy.

The whisper of wind against the back of his neck was all the warning he had before Guy sprang at him. In hindsight, the idea was obvious, and Kakashi cursed as he tumbled away from a heavy axe kick. Guy had threaded a current of air through his hiding place – and probably a bunch of others as well – and checked whether it was disturbed or not. The control needed for a technique like that was beyond most jounin, but Kakashi himself could have used it, and so it was arrogance to assume Guy was unable to.

Arrogance that he was now paying for as he blocked a kick, slipped away from a grab and felt his carefully-crafted illusion shatter into a thousand broken fragments.

"I'm still not sure how you placed that genjutsu," Guy admitted in between punches.

Only a fool gave away their tricks in the middle of a fight, Kakashi thought. He'd used the slight shifting of his foot – guaranteed to draw Guy's eye – to deepen the shadows at his back, and then leveraged that into an illusion to throw off his opponent's depth perception, bit by bit. It was a nasty move that he would hold onto for other fights against a lesser calibre of foe, even if it had failed today.

Kakashi caught a punch and let the force push him back, his feet skidding over the forest floor. It put him out of reach of the followup kick though Guy closed the gap again before Kakashi could reach for any ninjutsu.

The next hit would have weakened Kakashi's guard, and started a struggle that Guy would likely win. Instead Guy pulled his punch and stepped back, sinking into a sitting position on the thick layer of dead leaves that covered the ground.

"What was that for?" Kakashi asked.

Guy shrugged. "You don't need a fight, you need a conversation."

"And I'm guessing you have a topic in mind, as well," Kakashi said bitterly. Probes into his personal life were unwelcome, but Guy had a habit of breaking down his barriers through sheer perseverance.

The jounin mulled it over, taking his time before replying. When he did speak it was with confidence – Guy was sure of his line of questioning. "Why the hostility towards the Hokage? He's a good man who's worked hard for the village. We don't owe him blind obedience, but there is an expectation of respect."

"Would you feel the same way if Hiruzen had taken one of your genin?" Kakashi shot back.

That shut Guy up, as he'd known it would. Kakashi pressed on, taking a seat next to his friend-slash-rival.

"Not Lee, of course. But imagine, perhaps, that Neji needed to be hidden away for a few months, to keep him out of the reach of Cloud." It was well-known that even the slimmest chance of getting their hands on a new bloodline drew Kumogakure ninja like flies to shit. "You can't go with him, naturally, and so the duty falls to another. And then, a few days later, the Hokage sits you down and tells you that Tenten has a special talent. She's irreplaceable. He has a use for her, he doesn't say, but you can hear it echo in the silences anyway. And just like that, she's not yours any more."

"Irreplaceable," Guy repeated, and not for the first time Kakashi wondered at how such a large man could have such a soft voice. There was deep sorrow in it, and an undercurrent of anger. "As though my student is a collection of skills and traits, tricks and tools and bloodlines, and not a person to be cherished."

"Hiruzen is the Hokage. He's bled for every soul living in its walls, and on his worst day is a better ninja than I. Perhaps this latest scheme is necessary, for stability or to ensure the village doesn't lose vital skills that will keep it safe in the years to come. But when I had audience with him, it wasn't fear, or sorrow, or righteous anger that I saw in the Hokage's eyes. It was naked greed. And for that I hate him, just a little bit." The words left Kakashi's lips and he felt… terrible, but the weight on his shoulders was a little lighter.

Sharing the anger had helped, and not just emotionally. There was a considering look on Guy's face that heralded some inner turmoil. Guy might not outright fall into Kakashi's camp but, if push came to shove, he wouldn't back the Hokage to the hilt either.

Would splitting Guy's loyalties lead anywhere? Kakashi had no plans to do anything drastic, but given the news about Root it was important to lay some groundwork. The Hokage had trusted Danzo implicitly, and so if Danzo had leaked secrets to Orochimaru then Hiruzen's word would lose a lot of its value. Perhaps Kakashi was going to wind up hurting the old man for no tactical gain. Still – everything he'd told Guy was true. Ninja schemed and lied, but in the end a hard truth was a more terrible weapon than a honeyed manipulation could ever be.

And, deep down, Kakashi felt no regrets over causing problems for a man who'd wounded him so. Not when the Hokage had pressured the one weak spot Kakashi had allowed himself – his students.

Where the loss of one student would have been hard enough, both Sasuke and Naruto being taken from him was a cut to the heart of who Kakashi was. Who he had become, rather, since the day he'd been impressed by three awkward genin with too-big dreams. His students, his team, were now torn apart – Jiraiya had sought to protect Naruto, had cared for him and helped him, and so Kakashi could forgive that. Losing Sasuke was a bitter blow with little to cushion the impact. And Sakura had stayed with him, though he knew it was selfish and that sending her along with Naruto and Jiraiya would have been better for all involved.

Kakashi didn't have a favourite. All of his genin had wormed their way into his heart, and there was no line he wouldn't cross to keep them safe. If forced to choose a single student, even with a knife held at his throat, he didn't know if he could make a decision.

Kakashi didn't have a favourite. But if he did, his favourite would be the student that had stayed.

-O-

Sasuke slept with the window closed and a pair of traps hidden in the shadow of the windowsill. Anyone moving any part of the window frame would end up with a hole in their hand and a loud alarm blaring inside the bedroom.

The glass of the window was held in place by seasoned wood, and a careful application of heat and moisture was enough to work it loose. The warping of the wood was a pale imitation of what the Mokuton could achieve, but for this it was serviceable. Kakashi slipped through the opening before replacing the pane of glass behind him. With the moon at his back and a kunai in his hand, he loomed over Sasuke's sleeping form. Then he cleared his throat.

It was downright impressive, watching Sasuke wake and instantly strike. The first cut was parried, the follow-up kick was blocked and Kakashi interrupted Sasuke's fireball technique with a gentle squeeze of his student's throat. Once Sasuke finished coughing up smoke, he was awake and fully aware of his surroundings. He turned his eyes to Kakashi, clearly irritated.

"You can just ring the doorbell, you know," he complained.

Kakashi shrugged and kept the glint of amusement well-hidden. "It's bad manners to try someone's doorbell at night. They might be trying to sleep."

"Why are you here?"

"I come with a story and a lesson," Kakashi said, sitting down on the only chair in the room. As Sasuke rubbed sleep from still-bleary eyes he put his feet up on the desk and slouched back, carelessly fishing for his hip flask. He drew his hand away at the last moment; no matter how hard this was going to be, Kakashi wouldn't demean the dead by drinking while he spoke.

"Couldn't this wait until the morning?" Sasuke asked. "When everyone else is awake? And, specifically, Naruto and Sakura?"

Kakashi shook his head. "The secrets of the Uchiha clan are not passed on under the light of the sun." How few of those secrets he could offer, he didn't say. Sasuke's inheritance would be thin indeed when it came to the accumulated knowledge of the Sharingan, gathered over centuries, but Kakashi would give what he could.

The words had at least grabbed Sasuke's attention. He was leaning forward with hungry eyes.

"The story is of a Team Seven that existed long ago. Minato Namikaze led three skilled ninja on a critical mission, but was pulled away by the demands of war to reinforce a collapsing front. He earned his legend on the battlefield that day. Some think, and I agree, that he single-handedly ended Stone's entire Western offensive due to the losses he inflicted over the course of a blood-soaked minute. But it's his subordinates I want to talk about today. Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha and Rin Nohara." The words came easy, and Kakashi knew that were he a braver man he would have told this tale sooner. "We were ambushed and Rin was captured. The details don't matter but Obito proved to be a better man than I, and we split up, but I doubled back and followed his trail later. We fought a Stone ninja who used the famous Iwagakure Chameleon technique to beat us handily. At the moment he would have killed us, Obito's Sharingan woke up and he was able to see through the enemy's illusions. We rescued Rin but Obito saved me from an earth jutsu and lost his life as a result."

Kakashi paused to steady himself. Even after all these years the memories were still raw.

"After he was already dying he told me to take this eye," he pulled up his headband to reveal the Sharingan, "in order to protect Rin. I had lost my own eye in the fight, you see, and Obito always wanted what was best for us. No matter the cost to himself. And so he died blind and alone mere minutes after he received the Uchiha bloodline that he had wanted for so long."

"Where is Rin now?" Sasuke asked quietly. There was grief in his eyes for an uncle he'd lost before he was even born, who lived and died as a ninja and was spared the dreadful slaughter of the Uchiha Massacre but for all that had suffered greatly. But he was grateful too, Kakashi could see, for even the smallest scraps of the history that was denied to him.

"She's dead," Kakashi said, tone neutral. The only way he would make it through the conversation tonight was if he kept them both focused on the part of the tale that mattered right now. Rin would get the vigil she deserved in the morning, when he visited the graves.

"That's the story," Sasuke said carefully after the silence had stretched on, "but what's the lesson?"

Kakashi shrugged. "If I was a member of the Uchiha clan I would have solid proof, but as it is the lesson is entirely derived from this story. Obito Uchiha had waited a very long time for that Sharingan, and despite being one of the stronger chunin it never happened until he needed it most."

"You think the Sharingan is called forth by need, somehow," Sasuke said. His quick wits weren't the only reason Kakashi enjoyed teaching him, but they definitely contributed.

"Yes. Does that fit with your own experience?"

Sasuke thought about it, and Kakashi waited patiently to hear the answer. "I'm not sure. I've had moments where I was under more pressure, I've come closer to injury, but in the forest I had this understanding that there were a lot of comrades relying on me. That makes it sound so trite, but it really wasn't."

That… that actually fitted with Kakashi's pet theory. "For the moment, let's assume that that's true. The Sharingan activates when either you or someone you care about is in danger. What does that tell us?"

"Maybe those Uchiha who didn't ever unlock the Sharingan just never wound up in dangerous situations?" Sasuke suggested. His eyes brightened. "Or perhaps there are some civilians with Uchiha blood who never came into their birthright. There might be more Uchiha out there, just waiting to be found."

"The first is likely by my own reckoning, the second less so," Kakashi said. "But, more importantly, this suggests that unlike the Byakugan – which activates when chakra is supplied, with no other qualifiers – the Sharingan was designed."

If the trigger for the Sharingan's abilities was need, and a complex need at that, then it implied someone had made it that way. A convoluted chakra trigger that could distinguish between anger, fear and dread in different contexts was beyond anyone but a seal master to create. The odds of it occurring naturally were miniscule, and Kakashi had never come across another bloodline that was so responsive to the user's will. The Sharingan was complex. Its various abilities were too different to come about from the same root mechanism. Either the Uchiha had several parallel bloodlines that happened to activate at the same time, or the Sharingan was a tool that had been built, long ago.

"What does that mean?" Sasuke asked, shaken.

In truth, Kakashi wasn't entirely sure himself. He had a few guesses, though. "Think of this as a test," he advised. "We'll speak more of it another time when you've had a chance to process everything and come to your own conclusions."

There was a chance that Sasuke uncovered something useful if left to his own devices. Kakashi was all too aware of the fact that his Sharingan was grafted on. A true Uchiha might have more insight into its inner workings.

Sasuke knew better than to complain at the abrupt ending of their chat. Instead he told Kakashi not to damage anything on the way out, then rolled over and pretended to go back to sleep. As Kakashi passed through the window again he knew Sasuke would be thinking for hours yet.

When Kakashi got back to his empty apartment there was a note on his pillow. He recognised Jiraiya's scrawl – for a sealing specialist the man had truly shoddy handwriting. There were only four words on the paper, and put together they made his blood run cold.

Snakes are in Root.

-O-

The jounin assembled in the same clearing the next afternoon. A low winter sun sent narrow shafts of golden light between the tall trees. Kakashi was the last to arrive, but there was no conversation going on just yet.

"We're finally all here," Tsunade greeted him. "Let's get this shitshow started. Our esteemed colleague here visited the Hokage this morning to ask for Danzo's removal, given the situation. The old monkey told Jiraiya to piss off, and that Danzo is staying in place. What's our next step?"

It was cold but not overly so, and besides all four of them could regulate their body temperatures without conscious thought. The weather would not force them to make rash decisions. With that in mind, Kakashi presented his opening argument. "Danzo Shimura cannot be trusted to lead Root any more. Depending on how Hiruzen responds to our demands, whoever replaces him might also be suspicious. The rot has set in and must be cleared out. If the Hokage can't see that he's a danger to the village."

"Agreed," Jiraiya said. Other than that he seemed content to watch rather than get involved in the discussion. Neither Tsunade nor Guy spoke up just yet.

Kakashi shrugged. "I don't have much else to add, for myself. Shall we decide how we'll approach the Hokage over this?"

"If needs be I'll march into that office on my own. The old monkey's gotten hard of hearing over the years but with enough of a fuss he'll have to acknowledge this." Tsunade's anger was written all over her face, and Kakashi thought with alarm that she might actually attack the Hokage if he turned her away from his office without addressing her concerns.

Guy was the voice of restraint. "The Hokage will drag his heels. He trusts Danzo to a greater extent than has been earned, and so we may not get what we're after. It might be worth considering what else we can propose, if we have to settle for a lesser prize."

"Danzo needs to go, no matter the cost," Tsunade disagreed loudly. "There is no alternative we can settle for. If Root is fully turned to Orochimaru's purposes we're talking about an existential threat for the Leaf."

Jiraiya was the last to speak. "All of you are right. It will take a lot to convince Hiruzen, which is why I wanted to speak to you all before having another go. We'll visit him together and present a united front."

It was Guy who broke the silence, shifting from side to side as he frowned. Kakashi didn't blame him for being nervous. A delegation of the highest-ranking jounin in the village, presenting a demand to the Hokage, was toeing the line of treason.

One of the first Kazekages had been deposed by an informal coalition of jounin, once upon a time. They had ruled Suna as a military junta for over a decade afterwards, until the resulting infighting led to one of their number being crowned and the rest either fleeing or dying. The Hokage would be familiar with the story, as were the other jounin.

Hypothetically, would the Hokage be right to be worried? There was a lot of power gathered in the clearing, both physical and political, Kakashi acknowledged. As former head of ANBU he had a lot of pull with the Hokage's guard, and Jiraiya and Tsunade together were more than a match for Hiruzen Sarutobi in combat. Guy and Kakashi lent the whole thing an air of legitimacy, as two of the senior jounin, and could clean up the aftermath. The clans would need to be bought off, but that was never hard.

If they moved fast and without warning, they could pull it off. Bile rose in the back of Kakashi's throat as he realised how small a push it would take for things to spiral out of control.

Tsunade would follow Jiraiya's lead, that much was clear. She'd turned down the Hokage's 'requests' to return to the village for years, and her bond with her former teammate was much deeper than that with her teacher. Guy would do what he thought was right, and damn the consequences. In this case, that meant deposing Danzo. He himself had been the only wildcard, Kakashi realised. Between the four of them, they could strongarm Hiruzen, especially if they moved fast.

Things would never be the same after this, but Kakashi couldn't quite bring himself to care. Kabuto would have been in the same exams as his own students. And Hiruzen had taken one of those students away from him, for his own ends. The relationship between them was already damaged beyond repair.

"When we do this," Kakashi said. As those words crossed his lips and he committed to the scheme, the other ninja relaxed a little. "We need to move fast. There can be no warning, no chance for Danzo to get his own version of events in place."

"Root won't know I snooped through their files, but there's a limit to how long I can keep my investigation into Kabuto secret. If Danzo suspects Kabuto's involvement in Root to be known, he'll be preparing to stymie us," Jiraiya warned.

That sounded like there was no time to waste. Kakashi adjusted his headband so it was loose on his eye, ready to uncover his Sharingan at a moment's notice. "Let's go."

The path to the Hokage's tower was short and easy for the four ninja. "We're only going to force Danzo's dismissal," Jiraiya told them at the base of the building. "No more than that, but also no less. He's a knife at the throat of everyone in this village and if Hiruzen can't see that then we'll have to make the decision for him."

Outside the tower, two pairs of chunin guarded the walls. Their role was to prevent outside infiltrators, though, not Leaf ninja. The quartet blew past them and up the tower's outer face, heading for one of the less-known entrances to the building.

Jiraiya led the group through a window on the highest floor, where the Hokage's office sat. None of the really sensitive documents were kept up here, Kakashi knew – they were all sequestered away in underground storerooms. The Hokage's office was as much a status symbol as a workspace, though, and so it commanded a view of the whole village. The converse was also true. The Hokage's seat of power was visible from almost anywhere in Konohagakure.

There wasn't a way to access the office directly from the outside, but the window to the waiting room could be opened if you knew the trick. Kakashi was at the rear of the group and kept an eye out for any interference that Danzo might be sending. By rights the old cripple should have no way of knowing what was going on, but underestimating a man who'd survived almost a century in the seedy underbelly of the ninja world was a short path to failure.

The two ANBU by the door looked their way, but Kakashi shook his head and after a moment's hesitation they stepped aside. The senior ANBU flicked a questioning glance at him and Kakashi made the gesture for 'negotiation/barter/bribe' back at her, then pointed at the Hokage's office. She relaxed at that, and Kakashi knew she wouldn't interrupt the proceedings. They had worked together twice, and he figured that his signals would be interpreted as 'we are here for an argument, not a fight'.

As the four ninja filed into the Hokage's office, Kakashi didn't know whether he'd lied to her or not.