7th Year of Danzo's Rule

Nara Shikamaru silently trudged through the village on his way to the academy. The air was still cool and damp as the sun had yet to rise and suck the moisture away. Hardly anyone was awake and walking through the lamplight streets at this hour, but Shikamaru knew that somewhere his classmates were also making their way to Room 404, curfew-exemption cards hung on a long cord on each of their necks. Academy students were required to complete at least two extracurricular studies, and the only time they were provided for these studies was before the school officially opened at 7:30.

He and his classmates enjoyed a somewhat unusually close relationship. Whether it was because many of their parents were close, or because of the encouragement of their sensei, Iruka, or simply because they bonded through the pain and boredom of D rank missions, he knew that such unity was unsettling to the government and that they were therefore watched by the government. Shikamaru wondered at the paranoia of the Hokage, that he would worry about a bunch of seven-year-olds, but he also had a keen sense that he and his classmates were not normal seven-year-olds, ninja training aside.

As he noiselessly made his way up the stairs and down the hall, he could see the light shining under the door to Room 404. Hinata was always there first, followed usually by Ino. Today, the extracurricular study was linguistics and code—easy enough to teach themselves, and definitely exciting as they were beginning to form their own secret code and language. Despite the fun it was for them to have their own form of communication, unknown to senseis, parents, or even older siblings, it also proved to be useful.

The temperature in the room wasn't any warmer than it was outside, but the sight of his friends made it seem so. Rather than desks, they sat at two long wooden tables and in large cushioned chairs that were challenging to climb into. Once everyone had arrived, Sakura pulled out copies of a story she wrote and handed one to everyone for them to translate. The eight of them were silent until Iruka-sensei came up to get them for class. Hinata, Ino, Sakura, Choji, Kiba, Shino, Sasuke, and Shikamaru all filed out of Room 404 and into classroom 205. Not for the first time, Shikamaru had the feeling that they were missing something, or someone.

Itachi waited patiently for his father to finish reading and signing a report. Uchiha Fugaku was looking more harried and sallow, lately. He was desperately trying to keep the clan together, but seven years of maltreatment from the government was too much for his father, the elders, and the clan as a whole. Itachi studied his father, the slight tremor in his hands from stress, the reddened eyes from lack of sleep, and the soft way he glanced in his son's direction, as if he knew the terrible news Itachi brought with him but didn't blame his son in any way. Itachi gripped the crisp scroll tighter, anger and sadness curling in his stomach, as he realized the clan head had given up. This scroll would be the last demands Danzo would make of the Uchiha.

The Uchiha Police Force was being disbanded on the basis that the strict way of life imposed by the dictatorship and enforced by its military, the Root shinobi, hardly allowed for internal village crimes, and therefore such an operation was unnecessary. It was only through sheer will and the political machinations of Fugaku and the other shinobi clan heads that kept the largest public government dissenter, the people's protectors, from disbanding sooner. What's more, Danzo wanted members of the police force to be assimilated into Root. Itachi felt his eyes twinge at the thought. Assimilated. They'd be tortured and reprogramed into more Root drones. He focused again on his father.

"Please, say something, Tou-san."

Fugaku sighed. "I'm afraid, Itachi. With Nara-san and Hyuuga-san in prison and Jiraiya-sama missing for the last four years, the resistance is losing hope and power. It's been too long since our side had a good day. At least this way, the rest of the clan will be left alone. As clan head to clan head, Itachi, keep our people safe."

Kakashi stared at the gates to the rainy city. The grey clouds and grey buildings all blended together, the only pop of color he saw was the orange umbrella he carried over his shoulder. He really did not want to go any closer. The whole place was so drab and unwelcoming…though he did enjoy the company of some of the other ninjas. They all had quite funny characters. With a sigh he ambled up to the entrance, the mud squelching in his sandals and between his toes. He would be reprimanded for walking inside with messy feet, but he refused to wear anything other than the open-toed sandals he'd always worn.

It took him about an hour to finally reach his destination.

"You're late, Kakashi."

"Ah. Sorry, Leader-sama. I got lost on the road of life."

In a darkened corner of the room, an orange-masked nin twitched and sent him a loathing glare.