Author's Notes: I know, it's taken me forever to get this chapter up! The past few weeks have been one piece of bad news after another, one of which was just soul-crushing. I couldn't concentrate on anything and had to take a step back for a bit. It's getting better and I'm still plugging away but the next few chapters may be a bit delayed, especially with the holidays coming up way too fast.

I've also realized that I have a lot of stuff happening in the next few chapters that I hadn't anticipated initially. I'm in the midst of some major rewrites and making certain that I've included everything in a way that actually makes some semblance of sense. There are a few things that are currently hanging - don't worry, I haven't forgotten about them. Danzo's hardly the type to go quietly after all. That's part of what took me so long for this chapter. I realized that my original subplot that the Land of Rivers mission from a while back was supposed to set up wasn't going to work but I still needed to do something with that whole thing, at least as far as Dai was concerned.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. Enjoy.

Chapter 26

"The Village Hidden in the Valley sends their regards and congratulations," Minato said, handing a rolled scroll to Sakumo.

"From Lord Ejiri, huh? Word travels fast."

"What do you expect? Change in leadership of one of the Hidden Villages can mean a change in the balance of power between nations. It's prudent to know the politics of the other Kage and to feel out potential allies. Or adversaries."

Sakumo grumbled something derogatory about politics under his breath as he took the scroll and skimmed it. Minato pretended not to hear. The parchment contained the usual congratulations on his appointment to the Hokage's position as well as expressing the desire for continued good relations between the Land of Rivers and the Land of Fire. Sakumo dropped the scroll on top of the papers he had been working on and leaned back in his chair.

"Should I draft a response?"

"Yeah," Sakumo rerolled the scroll and handed it back to Minato. "Before you do that, I want you to check on something for me. There should have been several Hidden Leaf shinobi assigned to the Hidden Valley almost a year ago. Make certain someone actually went."

"What would our shinobi be doing there?" Minato asked.

"Training their people."

"Really?" Minato asked. He knew the Hidden Villages guarded their techniques jealously. It seemed odd that the Hidden Leaf would have sent shinobi to train those of another country.

"Uh huh. I was the one who had to negotiate that little provision so I didn't wind up staying there myself. I want to be sure that we honored our end of the agreement."

"You? What happened?"

"Not much. Lord Third asked me to deliver a treaty to the Land of Rivers during the last war. They're situated between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. Having them as our ally meant we could move some of our forces to another front. There were the usual terms – mutual aid and cooperation and whatever. The Hidden Valley agreed on the condition that I remain to train their shinobi."

"Name recognition," Minato realized. "They wanted the prestige of having their shinobi trained by the White Fang?"

"Something like that." Sakumo rolled his eyes. "I don't know where they got the fool idea that I'd be a good candidate to train their people. I'm a terrible teacher."

"They just accepted that?"

"It may have taken a bit more persuasion but that's the general gist. I did agree to have the Hidden Leaf send shinobi who were qualified."

Minato smiled as he pictured that. He knew that despite his dislike of politics, Sakumo was quite capable of being diplomatic when the situation called for it. He also knew that his refusal to remain in the Hidden Valley wasn't due to pride or feeling that remaining would be beneath him but rather the knowledge that he would not be suited for the task. His humility was part of what made him so popular, Minato thought. And a good Hokage. Sakumo wanted what was best for his village and her people, not himself.

"I'll write something up and have it back for your signature before lunch," Minato said.

"That'll be fine."

As Minato left his office, Sakumo dug through the piles of paperwork that covered his desk, searching for a specific file. The reminder of his mission to the Land of Rivers had reminded him that there was something else he needed to take care of.

Dai was uncharacteristically subdued as he walked towards the Hokage's office, a feeling of unease worming its way into his stomach. His last mission a few days ago had started out fine but had then gone to hell spectacularly. He'd been escorting a noblewoman on her shopping trip, tagging along to carry her purchases. It hadn't been anything out of the ordinary. She had shopped and shopped, the pile of packages in his arms getting higher with each stop until he couldn't see a thing. He had continued to cheerfully follow along as best he could under the unsteady mound until his foot had caught in an uneven patch of ground and he'd gone sprawling, the noblewoman's shopping flying everywhere. He had begun gathering the fallen packages, spouting apologies all the while as she shrieked loud enough to make his ears ring. He'd felt terrible.

He knew the chunin in charge of the genin assignments wanted him removed as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. Lord Third had been sympathetic and not stripped him of his rank as he had feared. Now there was a new Hokage. He had met Sakumo Hatake once and had carried out an A-ranked mission with him. It had been the pride of his career to have stood side by side with the White Fang. Sakumo had been kind and had treated Dai as a comrade rather than a joke or a burden. But at the time Sakumo had simply been a jonin of the Hidden Leaf, not the Hokage.

Dai knocked hesitantly on the door and slowly pushed it open upon hearing the invitation to enter. His gaze was drawn to the figure standing by the large windows, gazing out over the village.

He looked exactly as Dai remembered him, dressed in his shinobi gear rather than the Hokage's robes, the silver pony-tail hanging to his shoulder-blades. His hands were clasped behind his back and his posture was relaxed, radiating quiet confidence.

"You – you summoned me Lord Hokage?" Dai said, swallowing hard.

Sakumo turned away from the windows and moved towards his desk. "Yes, Dai. I wanted to speak to you about your assignment."

Dai felt his heart sink. "I can explain – "

"I've already had words with the chunin in charge of assigning your missions," Sakumo stated.

"I see," Dai replied softly. He wondered how he was going to tell Guy that he was finished as a ninja. He was so proud of his son, who was already a chunin. He was convinced that Guy would become a great jonin one day and would make the village proud. He had always known that Guy would surpass him and had been pleased by the knowledge that his son would be a shinobi worthy of respect. Even knowing he was passing his father Guy had still always looked up to him. He didn't want to see Guy's disappointment in him.

"I reminded him of the importance of selecting appropriate personnel when staffing missions. He seemed to have forgotten. Being short-handed is not an excuse to only send a single man on a job that requires a team."

Dai raised his gaze, confused. He had thought Sakumo was going to chew him out before kicking him out. Seeing Dai's consternation, Sakumo's expression softened. "I doubt very much that the shopping habits of the spoiled rotten have changed much since my genin days," Sakumo said. "Too much money spent on more things than they could possibly ever use. I used to hate those assignments. There was nothing worse than relaying a bunch of shopping with your team all day. A team," he repeated. "You use a team so that you not only have enough arms to carry everything but so that you can take turns running stuff to wherever they're staying. There's no way a single person can keep up."

"Oh." Dai didn't know what to say to that.

"The reason I asked you here was not to discuss your last assignment. I want to offer you another position, if you're interested."

"Another position?" Dai wondered.

"Yes. How would you like to teach taijutsu at the Academy?"

"I –" Dai was at a loss for words. "Me?" he finally managed. "At the Academy?"

Sakumo nodded. "This last war has left the Leaf Village woefully understaffed. Finding qualified instructors is difficult at best right now. I've already spoken with the Academy principal. They could use a taijutsu specialist for the younger students. It would also entail teaching a couple of first-year classes as well. Basics such as Village history and the Shinobi Rules of Conduct, things like that."

"I don't know…" Dai longed to say yes and jump at the chance. He had no doubt that Sakumo had arranged this opportunity for him. Other than the Third Hokage, Guy, and Kakashi, Sakumo was the only shinobi in the village who didn't look down on him. Dai respected Sakumo greatly. He couldn't stand the thought of bungling this assignment and disappointing him, too.

"Come with me," Sakumo said, getting to his feet. Dai followed wordlessly as the Hokage led the way from his office. It was a short walk to the Leaf Ninja Academy as it was adjacent to Hokage Tower. Sakumo entered a yard where a class of young students stood listening to their instructor explain the rules of taijutsu sparring. The Academy principal stood nearby. Upon catching sight of the pair, he walked over to them.

"Lord Fourth," he greeted. His gaze turned to Dai. "And you're Might Dai, I assume. I remember Guy well. He was a very determined child. I hear he is a chunin now."

Dai beamed with pride. "Yes. He is a splendid shinobi. I have no doubt he will become a great jonin someday soon."

The other man nodded politely. "Since you are here, you have decided to take the position?"

Dai hesitated. "I'm not sure…"

Sakumo caught the eye of the instructor and waved him over. Recognizing Sakumo as the Hokage, the other man hastily made his way to them while the children looked at the newcomers curiously. "Lord Hokage!" he said, looking slightly apprehensive.

"Can we drop the 'lord' stuff?" Sakumo muttered. "My given name's served me well enough my entire life, you know." He sighed at the scandalized looks he received. "Never mind. Might we intrude on your class for a bit? I'd like Dai here to get a feel for instructing Academy students in taijutsu."

"Of course!" The instructor motioned for Dai to accompany him as he walked back to where the students were patiently waiting. He introduced Dai to them, explaining that he was going to assist in that day's lesson.

Sakumo tucked his hands into his pockets as he watched the first pair of students face off. Several pairs sparred, putting the basics they were learning to the test. Two students – a boy and a girl - were facing one another. The girl was clearly hesitant, her posture hunched as if she was trying to hide. The boy came at her aggressively, sensing a weak opponent. She went stumbling back, falling to the ground. She remained on her hands and knees as the instructor called for them to break. Her head was bowed, her hair falling in front of her face and her shoulders shook.

"Come on, Ume, get up," the instructor said, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

Ume got to her feet, wiping a hand across her eyes as she did so. She positioned herself at the rear of the assembled students, trying to remain unnoticed.

"Are you hurt?" Dai asked her softly.

"No."

"Then why are you crying?"

Ume sniffled. "I hate taijutsu. I always lose."

"Did you try your best?"

She gave a half-hearted shrug.

"Ah! That is your problem! You must embrace your youth and give it your all!"

Ume stared up at Dai dubiously. "But the other kids are all stronger," she protested. "I'll just lose anyway."

"True strength is not about defeating someone who is strong," Dai said.

"It's not? Then what is it?"

"It is about protecting that which is most precious to you."

"What's precious to me?"

Dai nodded.

"I don't understand."

"Ahhh," Dai said knowingly. "Protecting that which is most precious to you – that you would be willing to die to defend - is what gives you strength."

"It is?"

Dai nodded as Ume pondered his words. A few minutes later he name was called for another round. Ume faced her opponent, her shoulders hunched. She glanced over at Dai, who gave her a broad, toothy grin and a thumbs up. She squared her shoulders as she assumed a fighting stance, her jaw clenched with determination. She stumbled as she blocked a kick but she remained standing. She lunged suddenly, managing a glancing blow to her opponent's shoulder. A kick knocked her legs out from under her and ended the match. Unlike her previous match, she grinned as she got to her feet. She trotted over to Dai.

"I did it! I got a hit! Thank you, sensei!" She bounded back to her classmates.

Sakumo smiled as he watched the exchange. He had suspected Dai would be good with young children. He recalled how Kakashi had spoken of Guy's father when he had been younger and he'd liked him, even if he didn't always understand his passion about youth. Dai had been as supportive and encouraging to Kakashi as he had to Guy even when the boys were competing with one another. Sakumo had always made note of anyone whom Kakashi actually liked. His own experience with the other man had convinced him that Dai was capable of more than he had accomplished thus far.

"He certainly understands the Will of Fire," the Academy principal commented.

"You sound surprised," Sakumo said.

"I had my doubts when you first approached me," he admitted. "I do not pay much heed to the village gossip but…" he trailed off uncomfortably.

"It does not paint a flattering picture of Dai," Sakumo finished for him. "I believe that our shinobi expect him to fail without ever giving him a proper chance. If he could find a place to utilize his strengths rather than having his weaknesses constantly highlighted and where he was supported rather than dismissed or ridiculed, I believe Dai could do well."

"You are very wise, Lord Hokage."

Sakumo snorted. "I am nothing of the sort."

As the class ended and the instructor rounded up his students, Dai rejoined them. "She called me 'sensei'," Dai said, flushed with pride. "I never thought…"

"Then you're accepting the position?" Sakumo pressed.

Dai nodded, looking slightly uncertain. "But I've never taught – "

The principal interrupted him. "There is already a curriculum in place. You need simply follow it. Any of the other Academy instructors will be glad to give you a hand if you run into problems. Come, I will give you the course material so you can look it over. It will be lunch time soon and I can introduce you to some of the other staff then. If you'll excuse us, Lord Hokage."

Sakumo motioned for them to go, pleased with how thigs had turned out. Perhaps his new position did have some perks after all.

The next weeks passed without incident. Nor did anyone see or hear complaint from Danzo. Shinobi involved with the Foundation had begun presenting themselves to Shikaku Nara for evaluation and reassignment. There had been no assassination attempts, no unrest, nothing. It appeared that Danzo was complying with his orders to disband his Foundation without fuss.

Sakumo didn't trust it.

He did not have time to ponder what Danzo could possibly be up to as there were still any number of other things that demanded his attention as Hokage, ranging from the mundane to pressing matters. The mundane he shamelessly foisted off on Minato as much as his conscience would allow. Which left him to deal with those matters he couldn't hand off to his advisor.

One such pressing matter was the Uchiha Clan. While Sakumo didn't have anything against the Uchiha, he knew he was not their favorite person. There were many in the Clan who still opposed Kakashi's possession of the Sharingan. He'd learned that Fugaku's name had been put forward for consideration for the Hokage's seat as well. That he hadn't even been considered by the Council had rankled the proud Clan who already had a tense relationship with the rest of the Leaf Village, despite being one of the founding Clans.

The First and Second Hokages had been Senju, the other founding Clan. The Third had been a student of theirs. The Uchiha felt a member of their Clan wearing the Hokage's hat was long overdue. Instead Sakumo, who belonged to a Clan in name only, now held the position. Even at its height, the Hatake Clan had never been large or powerful or influential. Even though it hadn't been an intentional slight, it was perceived as almost a slap in the face to the large and powerful clan.

Sakumo had learned that there was talk among the Uchiha about rising up against the rest of the village. The details were unknown and it was only rumors. But the tension between the Uchiha and the rest of the Village was unmistakable and resentment had been brewing for a long time; practically since the Hidden Leaf had been founded. He had sent a few shinobi whom he trusted implicitly to try to subtly get a feel for the situation. While he had no reason to distrust the notes that had been left by his predecessor about the situation, he wanted to verify the state of things for himself before making any decisions. The reports were worrying. There was no outright hostility but those he had sent had reported a feeling of tension and unease. This was not something he could ignore. Even if the rumors were false Sakumo felt that easing the long-held tensions and resentments could only be good for everyone.

Sakumo decided to approach the issue the way he did most things in his life: by tackling it head on. To that end, he summoned the head of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku, to his office.

"You wanted to see me, Lord Fourth?"

"Yes, Lord Fugaku. Please, come in." Sakumo waved the other man into the office as he set the scroll he had been reading aside. Fugaku stood stiffly in front of the desk. Sakumo didn't know much about the other beyond what was common knowledge. He'd met him in passing a small handful of times but never worked with him.

"We're both very busy so I'll get right to the point," Sakumo said. "Are the Uchiha planning an uprising against the Village?"

Fugaku couldn't hide his shock at the Hokage's blunt question. He took a moment to frame his answer. The man across from him was not to be underestimated. "There has been… dissention… among members of my Clan," he said carefully. "Ever since the founding of the Hidden Leaf there have been those who do not trust any among the Uchiha, despite us being one of the founding Clans. I suppose Madara's breaking with the village did not help matters," he admitted grudgingly.

"I see." There was nothing in Sakumo's expression or tone to indicate what he was thinking. He was quiet for a moment, then began slowly, as if weighing his words carefully. "I do not pretend to fully understand the nuances of the tensions between your clan and the rest of the Hidden Leaf. Though I have seen for myself that they exist and things are apparently reaching a breaking point. The last thing I want is for the Hidden Leaf to be plunged into a civil war," Sakumo stated. "And for that to be avoided things need to change between the Uchiha and the rest of the Village. To that end, I have a couple of proposals for you to consider.

"First, I want to form a council that includes not only that large and prominent Clans but also representation for the smaller clans, the non-clan shinobi and the civilian population. Their purpose will be to discuss issues affecting the entire village. I believe that the non-Clan and civilian population have been underrepresented in our policies for too long. We are a shinobi village, true. But the civilians also play an important role in the economy and support of our village and they deserve to be heard. This council will give them a voice."

"You intend to replace the current Council?" Fugaku asked. It was a bold move that would certainly be met with resistance from the Village Elders who sat on that Council.

Sakumo shook his head. "No. Perhaps, eventually, this group will naturally come to replace it. This is not the time to redefine the structure of the entire Village leadership. However, I am adding a representative of this council to the Village Council. Ideally this will give everyone a voice. I would like the first representative to the Council to be you. The Uchiha was one of the founding Clans of the Hidden Leaf, along with the Senju. I believe it is fitting for you to be the first delegate for this new Council.

"Secondly," Sakumo continued before Fugaku could say anything, "the Uchiha were shunted off to their own district years ago. Supposedly in order to make it easier for the Police Force to do their job as it is near the prison. While there may not have been any maliciousness in this decision, realistically it has isolated the Uchiha from the rest of the village. I propose either relocating or opening the District to be more accessible.

"My third proposal ties into my second; since its inception, the Leaf Police Force has been the sole responsibility of the Uchiha. Perhaps it is time for that to change. I would ask you to consider having an open enrollment for the Police Force. In exchange, allow more Uchiha to join the regular shinobi forces. It would mingle your Clan among the Village and show you are willing to defend the Hidden Leaf more than just internally."

Sakumo gave the other man time to digest his words. He knew he had just thrown a lot at him. He hadn't seen any point in dragging things out. The problem wasn't going to go away unless the underlying issues were resolved. In order to resolve them, changes were needed. Best to get them all taken care of in one fell swoop.

"You have given this quite a bit of thought," Fugaku finally said.

"That there were tensions among the Uchiha and the rest of the village was brought to my attention right after I got stuck in this position. I've been trying to come up with something that would be mutually acceptable to everyone involved. Lord Hiruzen told me that he stepped down because he felt that the Hidden Leaf needed to move in a new direction, that change was needed in order for our village to remain strong. He was right."

"You are proposing some... significant changes," Fugaku stated dryly. Significant was an understatement. He'd heard a rumor that the Hokage had already challenged Danzo who was certainly not a man to anger lightly. Sakumo Hatake was certainly not afraid to shake things up, he mused. "I cannot simply agree to such sweeping changes. Not without consulting the rest of my Clan as what you propose will have a great impact on them."

"I would never ask you to simply agree," Sakumo said. "Take it to your Clan. Think it over. Should you decide against it, I will not force the Uchiha into doing anything they do not wish to do. I am simply hoping to find a way for everyone in the Hidden Leaf to feel included and to live peacefully among ourselves. There are more than enough external threats, I'd prefer not to have internal ones as well."

Fugaku regarded the Hokage for a long moment. The relationship between this office and the Uchiha had always been strained, ever since Madara and Hashirama's time. The suspicion with which the Second Hokage had held the Uchiha hadn't helped matters. Sakumo had no ties to the Senju and was well known to be an honorable and loyal man. That wasn't something Fugaku could ignore. He believed that Sakumo was truly trying to find a way to bridge the gap that had formed between his Clan and the village. It was more than his predecessors had done. Sakumo had little reason to want to help the Uchiha after the way his son had been treated after inheriting Obito's Sharingan. Yet he was prepared to make sweeping changes to the village in order to do so. It was certainly worth bringing the matter to his Clan for consideration.

Fugaku inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment and agreement with the Hokage's words. "Then I shall present your proposals to my Clan and return when we have reached an agreement."

"That's fine. Take what time you need. I understand that these decisions are not ones to be made lightly."

"Indeed not. If there is nothing else, Lord Hokage?"

"You mean that wasn't enough?" Sakumo deadpanned.

Fugaku let out a soft snort of laughter as he turned to leave the office. The new Hokage was certainly full of surprises. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing.