Spoiler: I posted this and the next chapter together because... well, you'll see why. Please don't rage-quit at the end of this chapter. I promise it's not what it seems.

Chapter 30

"Sakumo, might I have a word with you?"

Sakumo raised tired eyes to the familiar figure who stood framed in his office door. It was getting late and he was trying to finish up some work that had gotten pushed aside due to the crisis with the Uchiha. Tomorrow was going to be an early day and he wanted to be done so he could go home. Politeness won out.

"What can I do for you, Lord Hiruzen?"

"I have heard that you intend to execute Danzo tomorrow morning." His tone suggested that he didn't quite believe it.

Sakumo sighed inwardly. He knew that Hiruzen had been a teammate of Danzo's under the Second Hokage, along with the other village Elders. It was probably why the previous Hokage had allowed Danzo so much leeway with his Foundation and why the Council had gone along with it. He wondered if the older man had any idea what Danzo had really been up to. He decided he could live without knowing if the man he had always respected had turned a blind eye to the atrocities they were uncovering. Some questions were best left unanswered.

"You heard correctly," Sakumo stated.

Hiruzen frowned. "Execution seems rather extreme – "

"With all due respect, Lord Third, it is appropriate. Danzo orchestrated the attempted massacre of an entire clan. That alone is treason against the village. From what my people have uncovered that's barely the tip of the atrocities the Foundation has carried out."

"Whatever Danzo has done, it has been for the good of the Hidden Leaf!"

"Has it?" Sakumo challenged.

"Sakumo, I know you may disagree with some of his methods but as a shinobi you are well aware that sometimes difficult choices are necessary to ensure our stability and survival."

"Difficult… choices...?" Sakumo repeated slowly. He felt the respect he'd always had for the previous Hokage crumble a bit. It hurt.

"Yes. I know you may not approve but this is how it is. How it has always been."

Sakumo shook his head slowly. "No. No, I refuse to believe that. As shinobi we are often called upon to carry out difficult missions – assassinations and the like – in order to achieve and maintain stability. But not mass murder. Not of civilians. Not of children. Certainly not of our own people."

"What Danzo has done – "

Sakumo cut him off. "Would you have really approved the annihilation of an entire clan? Did you approve of the use of child soldiers? Of researching forbidden jutsu? Of human experimentation? Because we've uncovered evidence of all of this and more and that's only what we've discovered so far."

"Exceptional children becoming shinobi at a young age is nothing new. You know that as well as anyone. Kakashi was a genin at five and a jonin at twelve. You were not much older yourself as I recall. Young, yes, but not unheard of. The Foundation took in orphans with potential and trained them from a young age, yes. In order for them to serve the Hidden Leaf as they got older. Many orphans become shinobi; there is nothing sinister or unusual about that. The orphanages have been overflowing since the end of the Second War! It was a win-win for everyone. There was a time that the Leaf conducted human experimentation in an attempt to resurrect lost jutsu. But that was long ago. The experiments were discontinued once it was realized the cost was too great."

Sakumo stood abruptly, shoving the file he had been working on aside atop a precariously stacked pile. He didn't want to believe that Hiruzen – a man he had respected his entire life – has condoned the atrocities Danzo had committed. And to try to bring Kakashi into his argument to justify Danzo's actions...

Sakumo's voice was cold. "Unfortunately, Lord Third, the files we uncovered do not suggest that such things were carried out in the distant past but are occurring right now."

"That's impossible!"

"Danzo's own files prove otherwise." Sakumo unlocked a drawer and pulled several files from it. He tossed them across his desk, motioning for Hiruzen to take a look.

The former Hokage picked up the top file and flipped through. His face fell at he glanced at the contents. It was damning evidence of the Foundation's wrongdoings. He didn't bother looking at the others. The weight of his guilt pressed down on him. He had willingly turned a blind eye to what the Foundation was doing, trusting in his old friend, believing that he had the village's best interests at heart. He'd had some doubts about the purity of Danzo's actions but had dismissed them upon receiving Danzo's assurances that he would never go against the principles upon which the Hidden Leaf had been founded. He was forced to admit to himself that he hadn't wanted to probe deeper; that a part of him had known his doubts were well-founded.

He glanced up to see the anger simmering in Sakumo's eyes. Sakumo was an honorable man. What the Foundation had done wouldn't sit well with him. Hiruzen couldn't blame him for being angry with him as well. He had approved the formation of the Foundation and as Hokage should have been well aware of their activities. "I see," he said softly. "I had… suspicions… that Danzo was not being completely honest with me about all of his activities. But I truly believed that what he was doing was for the benefit of the Village…" His gaze fell back to the files he held. He continued, subdued, "Danzo was once my teammate and dear friend. I would like to see him one last time."

"I'm afraid that is impossible. The ANBU are under strict orders not to allow anyone to see Danzo. No exceptions."

Hiruzen opened his mouth to argue, then closed it again. Sakumo's expression was as firm as his words. He would not reconsider. Hiruzen had gone along with Sakumo's nomination to the Hokage's position in part because the White Fang wasn't one to be pushed around. He had never expected to be on the wrong side of that same stubbornness.

"I see," Hiruzen said softly, his tone filled with regret. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry you are forced to deal with the consequences of my own weakness, Sakumo."

Sakumo didn't know how to respond to that. He wanted to be angry. It had been Hiruzen's blind trust in Danzo that had led them to this point after all. Instead all he felt was bone-deep weariness. He took back the folders, shoved them back into the drawer, locked it, and pocketed the key. "I'm going home," Sakumo stated flatly. He didn't have the mental fortitude to deal with this right now. "Good night, Lord Third."

"Good night, Sakumo," Hiruzen said regretfully to the man's retreating back, knowing that Sakumo was going to have anything but.

The grey, overcast morning seemed to mirror the somber mood of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Word of what had occurred in the Uchiha District had spread throughout the entire village within hours. That such an event had been orchestrated by a Village Elder against their own village had left many concerned and uneasy despite assurances from the Hokage that this had been an isolated incident and steps were being taken to ensure such a tragedy would never happen again. That Sakumo had spoken personally with the leaders of the Clans and representatives of the populace was the only reason the Leaf hadn't fractured apart with suspicion; the committee that Sakumo had formed to allow village policies to be more inclusive had been life-saving in this regard. It was well known that the White Fang was an honorable man who did not give his word lightly. His loyalty to the village and her people was unquestionably absolute. Even those who did not necessarily agree with all of his decisions since becoming Hokage grudgingly respected the job he had done thus far in leading the village. They would continue to trust in him for now.

A small crowd was gathered atop Hokage Tower. Executions such as this were rare events. Sakumo was displeased by the crowd. He would have preferred to carry out the sentence quietly rather than have it become a spectacle. The magnitude of Danzo's crimes meant that everyone wanted to see justice was carried out. Sakumo had reluctantly compromised by allowing only the leaders and representatives among the villagers to attend. Which was still far too many people for his taste.

Danzo stood haughtily in the center of the round rooftop. Four ANBU stood direct guard over him. A large number of ANBU and jonin were stationed all around the roof and strategic positions nearby. The ANBU had rounded up as many Foundation shinobi as they could find. Comparing them against the files that had been seized it appeared that most of Danzo's people were either in custody or dead. The few unaccounted for were assumed to have fled the village. Sakumo wasn't taking any chances that they wouldn't try to foolishly mount a rescue. He had been complacent when it came to Danzo once. He would not make the same mistake again.

The village was still under lock-down, though the restrictions had been lifted for shinobi to leave and return from missions. Sakumo intended to lift the order completely once this unpleasant task was complete. He doubted the rogue shinobi were hanging around a village that was on high alert for them. The bingo book had already been updated with the identities of the missing Foundation personnel.

Danzo watched Sakumo stride across the roof with a cold eye. As he had since his first weeks in office, Sakumo had eschewed the traditional Hokage's robes in favor of his standard jonin gear. He was surrounded by an air of quiet confidence. Sakumo had always been a natural leader. It was one of the reasons that - despite his protests to the contrary - he made a good Hokage. His signature chakra blade was strapped to his back. While he normally wore his jonin uniform, he did not carry the weapon on a daily basis while in the village. Sakumo halted before Danzo. Their gazes locked, a silent battle of wills. Despite Danzo's assertation that Sakumo was too weak to do what was necessary there was no doubt or hesitation in the other man's eyes.

Sakumo took a deep breath. He hated this job. "Danzo Shimura," He spoke clearly, his words carrying across the silent crowd as he pronounced judgement. "You have committed treason against the people of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. You have defied the orders of the Hokage, broken Village law, and murdered citizens of this village. You were ordered to dissolve your Foundation and have all of your personnel present themselves for reassignment. In spite of this you continued to conduct secret missions without the knowledge or approval of the Hokage's office. You caused the deaths of dozens of villagers, including civilians. You attempted to cause an uprising, bringing the Leaf Village to the brink of civil war. Therefore, I, Sakumo Hatake, the Fourth Hokage, sentence you to death for your crimes. The sentence is to be carried out immediately."

"You will realize your mistake sooner than later," Danzo hissed. "This village needs me and what I do."

Sakumo looked the other man straight in the eye. "No, we don't. Your way may have made it easier for the pervious Hokage to sleep at night. But that does not make it right."

"You are a naïve fool, Hatake. For all your power and prowess, you still can't see that which is right in front of you. The Village Hidden in the Leaves has grown weak and soft! We must do whatever is necessary in order to ensure this village remains strong! Our way of life - our very survival - is at stake!"

"Murdering our fellow villagers does not make us strong. Killing innocent civilians does not strengthen us. Shinobi protect the weak; we do not kill them in cold blood." He drew his tanto, face set in grim lines. This was not a duty he relished but he would not ask another to carry out the unpleasant task. This was his burden to bear.

Sakumo allowed his chakra to flow through the blade, enhancing its cutting power. The execution would be quick and painless; he was not a cruel man and killing brought him no joy. He swung, a neat arc that sliced cleanly through Danzo's neck.

Danzo smiled coldly at him, still standing where he'd been just a split second before.

Sakumo blinked. He knew he hadn't missed; he had felt the slight resistance of his blade slicing through the other. Genjutsu? Sakumo immediately focused his chakra, releasing it in a controlled burst to dispel the illusion. Nothing about the scene changed. What the hell…? The low muttering building around him told him he wasn't alone in imagining the impossible.

Danzo slowly began unwrapping the bandages from around his right arm as if he hadn't a care in the world. As they pooled on the ground, Sakumo recoiled in revulsion. Imbedded into unnaturally pale flesh were eyes. Not just any eyes – Sharingan. As he watched, swallowing against the bile that rose in his throat, one of the eyes turned milky white and closed.

"I told you that I am necessary to the survival of the Hidden Leaf," Danzo stated.

Sakumo heard a sharp intake of breath at his shoulder. He glanced to his side. Fugaku Uchiha was staring in horror at Danzo.

"What am I looking at?" Sakumo asked urgently. "Is this some sort of genjutsu?"

"Izanagi." Fugaku looked shaken. He met Sakumo's gaze grimly as he explained. "It's a forbidden technique. Put simply, it allows the wielder to change reality. Anything negative to him - such as injury or even death - he can make it so it never happened. At the same time, anything positive for him remains. In exchange, it destroys the user's sight."

Sakumo didn't like the sound of that. "How do we defeat it?"

"Nobody knows for certain exactly how long each use can be sustained as it has been a great many years since the technique was last used. All that is known is that it can only be maintained for a very short time. A minute, perhaps two, for each use."

Sakumo frowned. In combat a minute could be an eternity. He turned to the ANBU and jonin that stood nearby. "Clear the area! Get everyone out of here!"

"Lord Hokage – "

"Do it!" Sakumo barked. "Danzo can rewrite time. I don't want to give him the opportunity for a slaughter! The fewer people that are here, the better!" He turned back to Fugaku as the ANBU and jonin began herding those in attendance to safety. Others took up offensive positions around the rooftop, ready to defend and support their Hokage once he issued an order. "Is there any way to counter it?"

"Not that I'm aware. Izanagi is a strictly forbidden technique. It is a perversion of the Sharingan's power."

"So we just have to kill Danzo, what, five more times?" Sakumo took a rapid inventory of the number of eyes on Danzo's arm.

"That should end it, yes." Fugaku's eyes spun into red and black as he activated his Sharingan in preparation for battle. The Hokage had not allowed him to be the one to execute Danzo, stating that the Elder had hurt the entire village and as such, it was his duty to carry out the sentence. Fugaku hadn't been pleased with the decision though he had respected that Sakumo was in a difficult position. The Uchiha had been greatly harmed, of that there was no doubt. But the Uchiha did not have the best relationship with many of the other clans of the village, including Danzo's. Sakumo was a neutral party and no one could accuse him of seeking revenge. Fugaku hadn't raised a fuss so long as he was allowed to personally witness Danzo's demise.

Now, however, things were different. Danzo had stolen the Uchiha's dojutsu and was now perverting its power in a heinous way. He would not live out the day. Fugaku would make certain of that.

The fight did not last long but it was difficult and not without casualties. Danzo had a number of surprisingly sneaky and powerful jutsu at his command. He had been a formidable shinobi in his youth and still retained much of his former skill. Add a healthy dose of self-preservation and no compunction about killing his foes and he became quite a tricky opponent.

Sakumo was grimly relieved as he struck Danzo down. The final eye on his arm had closed previously when one of the ANBU had attacked. With no Sharingan left, this was the killing blow.

Danzo faded from sight. Sakumo whirled instinctively. Danzo, anticipating Sakumo's turn, had appeared back where he had been, now at the other's back. Before he could correct himself, Sakumo felt a blade slide into his back. Agony flared as he realized what had happened.

Sakumo dropped to his knees as his legs suddenly refused to support his weight anymore, the katana Danzo had skewered him with protruding from the center of his chest. Blood flowed from his mouth and his grey eyes were wide with shock and pain.

"Dad!" The agonized scream cut through the fog that had descended over Sakumo. He tried to raise his head, to reassure his son that everything was going to be alright. His body didn't want to obey his commands. Kakashi… was his final thought as the world faded away completely as he pitched forward, the hard ground rushing up to meet him.