Chapter 17

Naruto had been rushing through the forest for a few minutes, with his body covered with the Kyubi's chakra and a single tail visible behind him. He was using the power of the Bijuu to sense Shukaku's location. The Bijuu within him had said that he could just do it himself by using the chakra. Of course Naruto hadn't questioned the Bijuu on the idea; he had simply been too focused on getting those traitors.

When he finally caught up to the Sand siblings, the blond crashed landed into the ground and the chakra that had been around him dispersed. He looked at the three with a dangerous look as he took out his sword, and immediately sharpened it with wind chakra.

Kurama was truly impressed with Naruto – not that he was infuriated at Suna's betrayal and or that he was ready to take on three genins on his own, who were surely powerful. But it was the fact that despite his anger, he hadn't allowed his chakra to influence him. Kurama had suggested he use his chakra because he was sure the hatred coupled with the blond's anger would force the blond to draw out more chakra and possibly give him some freedom, but there had been nothing.

The blond remained 'pure' in his anger.

'I'm truly impressed that you can control yourself in this state. Even the kindest person would have been influenced by my chakra, but you have held firm,' Kurama said to his host. 'How you control your anger is remarkable for a human.'

"Do not compare me to the humans you have dealt with, Kyubi,' Naruto responded in a calm tone. "My anger is too much for this world. If I do not contain it, this land around me would change its form and it would not stop destroying until there is nothing left in me…" The blond was speaking through his mouth that the Sand siblings heard him.

"Naruto," Temari was the first to speak. She looked a bit fearful, but she braced herself to speak once more. "Please let us explain what happened…" she begged.

"There is nothing to explain," Naruto responded in a dangerous tone.

"We will not fight you Naruto!"

"That is fine by me," Naruto said taking a few steps towards the Sand siblings. He suddenly disappeared from his position and flashed in front of Temari. As he raised his right foot, the blonde didn't attempt to dodge, she merely stood still. Kankuro didn't have time to defend his sister with his puppet, and instead, jumped in front of her, and took the kick that slammed into his left shoulder.

"Maybe you guys don't want to fight, but I can't just watch you being attacked for no reason at all," Kankuro said through gritted teeth. He tried to unwrap his puppet, but Gaara grabbed his right hand.

"Stop it," Gaara stated in a firm tone. It was one of those no nonsense tone. "Naruto, at least give us a chance to explain. You can do whatever you want thereafter, but no matter what, we wish you no harm and we will not fight back."

He understood that the blond was angry, but they didn't know anything. Perhaps Sunagakure as at fault for allowing itself to being deceived by Orochimaru, but they could not be blamed for something they didn't know about. They had not betrayed Naruto, and he wanted to get that message through.

Naruto had seemed like someone who could be reasoned with before.

Naruto tilted his head to the side – he was still for a second with Gaara still holding Kankuro's hand. In a split second, Naruto stabbed his sword through Kankuro's right shoulder. The sword pierced through, causing the genin to yelp in pain while cursing Naruto.

"Why do you not wish to fight? Why is there that look on your eyes that doesn't spell regret? When people do things like this, they either show remorse or are just cold about it, but I have known you two, you're not cold hearted. Why?"

"That is because they didn't know anything!" Kankuro shouted, holding his bleeding shoulder. "I knew, but they didn't know anything. They were not told because they knew that they would tell you about it. We were also betrayed. I think at this point, it is safe to say that Orochimaru has been impersonating as our father, and was the one to make this decision. He probably had to do that because our father refused to offer him help."

Naruto stood still for a moment before sheathing his blade. It would explain why Temari had been saying that her father hadn't been himself lately. It was something reasonable. "I should kill you because you knew about it," Naruto stated calmly. "But at this moment, I want to shred Orochimaru into little pieces of snakes with my own hands and feed the snakes to my..."

The blond trailed off as he sensed four chakra signatures surrounding them. Knowing that they were noticed, the four Ne agents flashed into the clearing. "You are all to come with us under the order of the Godaime Hokage, Shimura Danzo. The three of you are wanted for Suna's betrayal and you are needed as Konoha's Jinchuriki."

"Conniving pieces of shit," it was definitely the first time that the three Sand siblings had heard Naruto curse; perhaps that was really a first. He wasn't in a good mood now. The saying that Danzo was Hokage was just dangerous.

This wasn't something that Naruto wanted and not something that would make his life easy. A dangerous animal as Danzo would only seek to destroy him and his mother. The cripple would only wish to control him and the power of the Kyubi. Naruto could not allow for that to happen. He would not stand for it.

For now, there was a question, what to do? Should he just disappear from this place and rush off to his mother? If she wasn't in a safe place there wouldn't have been a question about it – she was safe, so he could afford these other thoughts.

If he just left, the snakes breathing his air would go after the Sand siblings. At this stage, Naruto couldn't say he cared. He wouldn't be troubled if they died – they no longer served a purpose, especially now that Danzo had become Hokage and Suna had betrayed Konoha. Anything that had been worked on with the Sandaime would be torn apart.

Well, he was feeling a little high, he could release some stress by tearing through those Root shinobi before rushing back to Konoha. His mother would be safe and he could work out on what had to be done.

Naruto turned to the Sand siblings with the expression on his face looking indifferent. He spoke in a slightly cold tone. "If it is true that Danzo has managed a coupe, you will be in trouble. My mother would be saddened if anything happens to you. Escape now, I will smite the vermin," the blond said as he turned to face the vermin.

Gaara nodded. He was sure that these people would not simply allow them to escape from this place without putting up a fight. They were the children of the Kazekage and were valuable political tools. These masked men wanted to get them to Konoha so that they could be used to make Suna bow to the demands of Konoha. He would have to creative if he was going to escape from this place.

Still, even if they escape today, what would happen if Konoha decides to march towards their home Village in order to make them surrender or even take over their village? Gaara would have to fight. He could not abandon Suna to say that he wanted to become stronger, and he could not allow his sister or brother to become slaves of Konoha.

His beloved sister would be hit the most. He was a Wind user, and a female. Konoha didn't have that many great Wind users; they would use her to breed wind users. The thought sickened Gaara, but at this stage, he could not do anything.

He would have to negotiate with Naruto. From how things appear, the blond was also facing a wall. If he was going to fight Konoha shinobi even though he was a Konoha shinobi himself, it meant that there was trouble. Those people wanted to use force and Naruto wasn't going with it. It was possible that the blond had the thought of killing them all.

"You have my thanks, Naruto," Gaara said humbly. "I hope we will talk soon. Suna will be forced to surrender as it cannot match Konoha in might, but that isn't a path that will dwell well with me. If this is the kind of people we will be surrendering to, the future looks bleak. I would rather surrender to you."

Having said that, Gaara grabbed his siblings and then exploded into a tornado of sand before drilling into the ground. A second later, there was no trace of his presence or for his siblings.

"Should we go after them?" One of the Ne agents asked.

One shook his head. "No, we know they are heading for Sunagakure. We can get them at any time. For now, let us focus on this one…"

Gaara would be more than willing to surrender Sunagakure to him? Naruto liked that idea. It worked as some of sort of a reprieve if he could get hold of the Sand. His mother has said she liked the village and it could become a home if all else failed.

"How did Danzo even become Hokage? A few minutes ago, the Sandaime was still in charge," Naruto said in question, looking at no one in particular. "Does this mean that the invasion is over? But if it is indeed true that Danzo has become Hokage then he had planned for this to happen at this time."

How did it manage to skip through the Sandaime? Was the old man still alive or dead? At this stage, Naruto didn't know how he would feel about it if the old man was indeed dead. But if he was dead it meant that Orochimaru was alive. He needed to get rid of that snake in the near future.

It still didn't please him that the invasion had been kept a secret from him. These people had withheld the information from because they thought he would run away from the village at the thought of Konoha invasion. They really did consider him a flight risk; well that was actually the truth.

"There is no reason we have to tell you this," one of the agents said tonelessly. "Now are we going to do it the easy way or the hard way?"

"Killing you will complicate things," Naruto said calmly. "But I want to and I will. There are no witnesses and if questioned, I can simply that you were killed by the Sand siblings. You'll be dead to refute those claims," the blond dropped in his front, hitting the ground with both his hands and stood like a four-legged animal.

The malicious chakra began to pour out, covering his body in crimson glory. As the malice spread through the trees, the Root shinobi held firm, not allowing themselves to be intimidated by the powerful chakra. They had gone through simulations on how to handle a Jinchuriki and they were confident – there was no reason to panic.

Two chakra tails formed behind Naruto and begun to swing in a dangerous way before the blond disappeared in a blur.

Konohagakure

Jiraiya frowned as he looked at the unfolding situation around the village. He could understand what was going on – Danzo was making his move. About a hundred of nameless masked men belonging to Root had suddenly appeared out of nowhere the moment the Sandaime was confirmed to have been killed. They went on about killing everyone considered an enemy of Konoha – even some of the Suna shinobi who had surrendered.

It left a bitter taste in Jiraiya's mouth to see something like that happening. There was no need to kill shinobi who had surrendered, but Danzo had supposedly ordered his men to kill everyone who was an enemy. It was being probably done to weaken the enemies in case the man has something planned up.

But why would Danzo be making a move now? Were where the Root Anbu all this time they were fighting? If they had been involved from the get go, things would have ended in a quickie and there would have been fewer casualties. The Sannin really didn't know what to do about now.

While the Sannin was standing atop of the academy just beside the Sandaime's corpse, an Anbu dropped beside him. "Danzo has mustered a coupe and has taken the Hokage's office with the Daimyo's approval. Hiashi and Shikaku were present by neither were able to stop it – it occurred while the invasion was in motion."

Jiraiya frowned deeply at hearing that. "Who do you work for?"

"Sandaime Hokage," the Anbu reported. "He knew that Danzo had been planning to turn the village against Naruto by saying that he was working with Sunagakure as to try to get revenge over how he was treated. The Sandaime had Naruto help the villagers evacuate to help counter this."

If Danzo was able to get the villagers to hate Naruto, he would have had the opportunity to get Naruto into the dark side. He would surely try to brainwash the blond into working in the shadows to protect Konoha as its weapon – that was the dream after all. Jiraiya would never allow something like that to happen. He doubted he would even get the chance to say no to it though – Naruto would say it for himself.

The Anbu continued speaking, "In case Danzo becomes Hokage; I was told to inform you that you should try by all means to bring Tsunade back to the village. Naruto may escape Konoha; you're to assist him that way you will keep contact with him if he does escape."

"If Naruto leaves Konoha, he won't come back," Jiraiya said firmly. It was going to happen and Naruto would be hunted down by Konoha and all of Danzo's allies. There was really nothing keeping the blond in this village and if his mother was willing to leave with him, it would be all over.

"Naruto will return to Konoha – for Mikoto. He will leave the village with Uchiha Sasuke. Unfortunately, the Sandaime doesn't know what will happen thereafter." The Anbu said.

Jiraiya was certain that if he doesn't offer Naruto help on a safe place, he would not be able to know what the blond would be thinking and doing. Naruto would surely just disappear from the face of this world and pop up in the future years. Perhaps by then it would be too late to change things. He needed to get in the blond's head now before anything happens.

Sasuke would have to return to this village because his clan was still here and he could not abandon his mother just as his mother could not abandon her clan. She would be forced to stay behind. Once Sasuke has become strong enough, he will return for his clan and for Konoha – that was easy to make out, but Naruto's route was a little tricky.

Jiraiya looked down at his sensei; with everything happening around and within his head, he really could not grieve. Well, time would come, but really he was sad. His sensei had planned on dying here. But by dying here, he had left quite the mess behind and things could go either way since he didn't have a handle on things.

He should have done something about the Daimyo when he learned that the Fire Lord was in the village. He had probably come here on Danzo's request. Jiraiya didn't put it past the war hawk to have manipulated him to get what he wanted. The fact that the cripple had Feudal Lord's approval meant that he couldn't do much about Danzo's grab at the Hokage mantle.

Things have really just become complicated… a lot more troublesome…

"Danzo has already become Hokage, bringing Tsunade here won't change anything," Jiraiya said with a bitter frown. He didn't even know if the woman would be willing to return to Konoha. He had tried that before, and nothing had worked. What would be the difference now?

"Danzo's occupation is only temporary," The Anbu stated in a firm tone. "The Sandaime knew he was going to die, you should know that as well. Since he didn't know how Danzo would react, he drafted his will and named his successor. If you manage to bring Tsunade back into the village, she will be the rightful Kage. I have his will in my possession and until your former teammate returns, I will keep it that way."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. For someone who had spent the last days scheming and plotting things, it would have been a surprise if the old man hadn't planned for Konoha even after his death. Still. There was a problem. Danzo had already taken the seat; he would not relinquish it that easily.

The Anbu disappeared before Jiraiya could say anything.

The Sannin knelt down and stared at the content look his sensei had on his face – he must have died having done something to Orochimaru that made him a happy person. He could not figure what – he had been focused on Orochimaru's summons and handling other nuisances.

"Is it true?" Kakashi asked appearing before the Toad Sage. He didn't say anything for a moment as he stared at the Sandaime with a sad look on his face. This was going to be a sad day for Konoha and it was going to be compounded by what he had just heard from some Anbu.

Jiraiya didn't respond to the question. He took out a sealing scroll and sealed the Sandaime's body. Preparations for the memorial would have to be started today so that by Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, they hold the funeral. Konoha would surely be sad. The village held some love for the old man and it had really become difficult to speak of the Hokage without speaking about the Sandaime.

He had held the position for quite a number of years and despite his old age, he had commanded respect. Konoha had truly lost something. Honestly, Jiraiya was sad. He may have had some troubles with his sensei, but through and through, they had stuck with each other and the old man had always been there. He wasn't perfect, but he did try to be a good person.

It was going to be surely sad from now on. No Minato, no Hiruzen… who did he have left? Naruto didn't really care about him and he couldn't say they really close. He did care for the blond – that should at least count as something. He would have to reform those bonds with Tsunade or else he would go insane.

"Yes," Jiraiya finally said in a quiet and slow tone. "It is indeed true Kakashi," the man straightened himself and put on a serious look on his face. "We have to take more serious measures now or else this village will be turned into something neither of us likes by that man."

Kakashi didn't look happy at all. He knew what Danzo was all about. To many he was just an old man who loved Konoha and has been in involved in the Village's leadership for quite some time, but the Jonin knew the man was a freak in the dark. He could play the part of a good person, many believed it, but he was the devil walking by a cane.

"Isn't there something we can do?" Kakashi was really not willing to serve under the war hawk. He had known for a long time that the man had wished to be Hokage – he had at one time been given the job to kill the Sandaime by the cripple after all. That really complicated things as he didn't know where he now stood with the current Hokage.

"He went through proper channels with those important clan heads and the Daimyo. It was more like a coupe really," Jiraiya said through gritted teeth. "No doubt he has his support and if we try that, it will lead to a civil war. The village is still burning with the invasion, taking it through a civil war will only destroy it and it will open a window of opportunity for other villages to attack."

Kakashi frowned. "So he made this move knowing that rebelling would be unlikely," the Jonin said. "What then? Are we going to allow him?"

"For now," Jiraiya said with a nod. "Sensei made a plan. I just have to make sure that it works, no matter what. I have to get Tsunade because if I don't get her, Danzo will be permanent."

"Have you seen Naruto?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "If you want to look for him now, you have to go to his house. Not even Danzo can get through the security there."

Before Kakashi could respond, a white masked Anbu flashed before the two. "Jiraiya-sama, Hatake Kakashi, you both summoned to the Hokage's office, now," the Anbu said before disappearing.

Hokage Office

"Good, I don't have to use force to get things done," Danzo said as both Kakashi and Jiraiya appeared in the office he now occupied. "I understand you two must be going through some things, but Konoha must come first."

"Don't make yourself too comfortable," Jiraiya said flatly to the cripple. He wasn't going to reveal anything. It would set the man to work out a way to counter the Third's plan. "What do you want from us? There are things that have to be dealt with."

Really, the villagers had yet to be taken out of the evacuation chambers. The invasion might be over, and battles may have already stopped, but there were things that needed to be handled. Calm had to be restored and now doubt the news about the Sandaime's death was surely making rounds around the village and soon enough, the mood around would be a bit gloomy.

The Sannin wasn't really going to be taking orders from Danzo. He would do as he pleases and Danzo could not force him to do anything. He was still a Sannin and would not bow simply because of threats from the man.

Besides, this was only for a short while. He would get Tsunade back, even if he had to use force. There was no other way to handle things at the moment.

"Don't concern yourself about things outside," Danzo stated calmly. "My men are already ushering the villagers towards this tower. They will be gathered here along with everyone so that I can make an announcement and tell them of Hiruzen's death. Hiashi, Shikaku and Koharu will offer words of comfort and I will strengthen the villagers will.

"Jiraiya, you are to leave this village now and fetch Tsunade. She has enjoyed her time enough. She is needed back in the village and Kakashi; you will no longer lead Team 7 but will be drafted back to Anbu. Your duties will begin in an hour: you're to take up a squad and head out to the outskirts of the village and be on the lookout for three nights. You will return thereafter…"

The man seemed to have things planned out. You wouldn't say he had taken the office not more than an hour ago but yet he had all the plans. Well, he had been planning on becoming Hokage for about a lifetime now. One couldn't fault him for being a little excited.

"I will leave after the Sandaime's funeral," Jiraiya said calmly. He wasn't going to leave Konoha just like that. He was sure Danzo just wanted him out so that he could wave his hand without him interrupting his plans. He wasn't about to allow the man to do whatever he pleases. He wanted him and Kakashi out because they held some influence within the shinobi population and without them, the man could have a smooth sailing.

On the bright side of things, Danzo didn't know that bringing back Tsunade would be his downfall. He could smile knowing that, but that would have to wait for now. He needed to make sure that Danzo does not make himself comfortable in 'Tsunade's' seat.

"Are you refusing an order from your Hokage, Jiraiya?" Danzo questioned with narrowed eyes. He hadn't expected it to be so easy. Controlling Jiraiya was out of the question even. The man wasn't a child and the only reason he was still standing here was because of his loyalty to Konoha.

"Yes, I am," Jiraiya responded calmly.

"I figured you'd say something like that," the war hawk said. "It's fine, but as you wait to get things done with Hiruzen's funeral, my men will be searching for Tsunade. I know where she is and know that they will be using any means necessary to get her back to the village. I don't need her legs, but her hands and mind."

Jiraiya snorted at the thinly veiled threat. "Try that and it is your men who will be returning without their legs, well, that is if they do manage to escape with their lives intact. Despite everything, Tsunade is still a Sannin," the Toad Sage said, not worried the least for his former teammate. She could handle herself. Really there was no need to worry about her.

"I have not forgotten," Danzo said emotionlessly. "Kakashi, get ready to leave in an hour… if you choose not to follow my instructions, you will be charged with insubordination…" he didn't need pieces that wouldn't work for him. He would rather the Jonin die than be working against him.

Kakashi swallowed slightly and nodded like an obedient soldier. He didn't have any doubt that the man just wanted him out of the village, but there was really nothing he could do about it. "Hai," the Jonin said before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

Danzo looked at Jiraiya – who was staring at him calculatedly. "Is there anything you want, Jiraiya?" The war hawk asked quietly. "There is a lot that I must fix. Sarutobi left quite the mess and I must deal with it all. If you don't mind, get to your point so that I can do my work."

It hadn't been even hours and the war hawk was already planning on replacing everything that his sensei had done over the years. Danzo was going to undo all the work the Third had done. It sickened Jiraiya at how things were moving. This was still a sensitive time. When where they going to grieve with this man looking over their shoulders and starting to screw up everything?

He needed to get Tsunade quickly or things Danzo would ruin everything.

"What do you plan on doing with Naruto?" The Toad Sage questioned in a serious tone.

Danzo didn't bother responding to the question – it was a stupid question and Jiraiya should have the answer. It wasn't even hard to guess how the Sannin would react to it, but he was the Hokage of Konoha and he would do what he wanted. If Jiraiya was going to try to stand in the way, he would have to be removed.

The war hawk had plans to make sure that happen if things got difficult. He could tolerate Jiraiya because he didn't underestimate the man's power and he knew how useful he was and would be for Konoha – if things go in the right way anyway. If not, the Sage would be a problem that would need to be solved.

"Do you even need to ask that question, Jiraiya?" The war hawk questioned, staring straight at the Sannin. He wasn't going to hide his motives now – Not when he had become Hokage. There was nothing that Jiraiya could do. He had Konoha's might in his hands. It was only a few who shared the same opinion about him as Jiraiya and Kakashi and that worked well for him as he wouldn't face much opposition from the shinobi forces.

"Naruto is a shinobi of this village and will be utilized for this village's safety and prosperity in mind," Danzo added in a flat tone. "It doesn't matter what anyone thinks. I will admit things have to be handled with care as Naruto is a flight risk… not even you can deny that…" the 'cripple' paused for a moment. "I am giving you this task of bringing Naruto to me so that I can talk to him, with you present of course."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. He could not understand what Danzo was trying to play at, but it was obvious that Naruto would not agree to anything the man would suggest. Even he could not sway the blond on thinking otherwise. Danzo would try to use force to get Naruto to do his will but that would not succeed.

Would Danzo try to take Naruto by force in his presence? If that happened, he would be forced to intervene but Danzo could point that as a betrayal and would try to get him in the bad side of the Hidden Leaf. Jiraiya didn't want to be a menace to Konoha but he would not pick Danzo's Konoha over Naruto.

If he did that, he would no longer be Jiraiya the Toad Sage.

"When do you want him?"

"In an hour," Danzo said. "I have a few things to do before that. There is quite a mess in this village and calm needs to be restored. I must also deal with Sunagakure for its betrayal…"

"Isn't that something that the Council should decide?"

It wasn't visible but Jiraiya was sure Danzo had shrugged carelessly. "There is no council. I am the Hokage and I will decide the best way forward for this village as its leader. The council will be called when needed but it will not help me to run this village. I have my vision and they do not share it, neither do you."

Jiraiya did not say a word; he merely vanished from the office.

Once Jiraiya was out of the office, Danzo snapped his fingers and two white masked nins appeared out of nowhere. "Go fetch Baki," he ordered one of them before turning his attention to the other one. "Have you found any success in trying to bridge the barrier around Minato's house?"

The Root shinobi shook his head slowly. "No, Danzo-sama," he said. "But Naruto isn't anywhere in the village, so it is safe to say that he is inside that house. Trying to use force to destroy the barrier would likely cause panic around the village, so at this point, we have no way forward."

Danzo nodded, not the least surprised, but feeling some resentment towards Minato for being able to get one over him even when dead. "That is fine. Perhaps we should have destroyed it while the invasion was still occurring. In any case, I have assigned Jiraiya to bring him here. With Jiraiya, he won't refuse to come."

A couple of Minutes Later

Shikaku let loose of a long breath as he weighed things calmly. It was a different turn that was troubling but there had to be a way around things. Danzo could not be allowed to take that position permanently. This village would become hell if things were allowed to continue as they were. He desired for a peaceful tomorrow and what Danzo would bring would be nothing but chaos and pain.

"Jiraiya-sama," Shikaku said as the man appeared before him. He hadn't even looked back to see the man but had sensed him. Perhaps this was one of those moments when a shinobi's senses awoke fully in order to deal with the mess around. "I figured you'd make an appearance before me…"

Not unexpected. This was the Nara head after all. "Sensei made a plan… but it might take some time to materialize. You're in a strong position as a Jonin commander and know Danzo well enough. Can you make sure that Danzo doesn't do anything drastic while I go out to try to enact the Third's plan?"

The Nara head appeared to think deep for a few moments before responding. "Tsunade…" he said quietly. "Did the Third name her as his successor? If so, things will work out perfectly then… Danzo's allowance to become Hokage was to stand if the Sandaime didn't name a successor. That was agreed by the others.

"It is going to be troublesome, but I will do my best. I know that we cannot have a safe future with our lives in Danzo's hands…" the man paused for a moment. "I suggest you leave soon. We can mourn the Sandaime later, this isn't a time we can let our guard down or Danzo will strike us down."

Jiraiya frowned. He hadn't planned on doing something like that, but this was the best option for Konoha, not for him.

Naruto's House

Itachi had never seen Naruto looked slightly pissed off and panicked before. He wasn't mad at the moment, but he sure as hell wasn't happy and he really did look worried. Perhaps what was happening around the village worried him. Even he was worried.

"I thought I would be a little sad knowing that the Sandaime is dead, but at the moment I don't feel anything. It is strange… perhaps it is the range of emotions flowing inside of my head," Naruto said to Itachi.

Sasuke looked surprised that Naruto could say that he was feeling some mixed emotions. Perhaps his mother was right, Naruto was a person – he does have emotions. Still, given the look on his face and body language, you'd never guess he was going through some troubling thoughts. The blond rarely looked troubled by anything.

The younger Uchiha decided against commenting. He was sure if he said something stupid, Naruto would kick him out of the room and Itachi would not object. To stay in the conversation and know what is being planned and said, he would need to keep his mouth shut and just listen.

"What did you hear outside?" It had to be something big that was making the blond worried. Itachi could tell that Naruto was worried about something even though his expression didn't show much of it.

"Danzo has become Hokage," Naruto said, suddenly sounding calm. "The first thought was dragging my mother and leave this village… but that man will chase after us. I cannot afford to have my mother living on the run with me. Besides, it would be a little sad if I were to leave your mother in this village ruled by that thing."

Mikoto smiled as she walked into the small room, "I feel so happy that you care that much about me," the Uchiha said. "I know you want to talk a few things out, but Jiraiya is in the kitchen with your mother and he says Danzo wants to see you."

Naruto looked massively displeased. "Itachi, we will most likely do a massacre later on…" the blond said as he walked away from the room.

Mikoto frowned hearing those words from Naruto. She knew what he meant by that. She understood that Danzo was going to try to force Naruto to become a weapon and Kushina would not want that. Naruto wouldn't even want to stay in this village ruled by Danzo. For Naruto to stay, Danzo had to disappear and the only that was going to happen was through killing him.

Mikoto stared at her son for a long minute after Naruto had disappeared. He was going to see Danzo and from what he had just said and knowing the war hawk, the blond would not be in a happy mood when he does return. He was going to possibly look for Danzo's head and he would do it even if Itachi doesn't help it.

If his power alone was not enough, the Kyubi would breathe again. The Uchiha knew Naruto well enough to know that he did not joke when it came to his mother. He was also certainly in a good mood following Suna's betrayal.

Perhaps what made things a little better was that even he was being rational enough to understand the situation. Rasa had not betrayed his or his mother's trust. The fact that Orochimaru killed him was proof enough. If he had indeed betrayed them, he would have lived to fight during the invasion.

"Danzo being Hokage isn't the most desirable thing," Mikoto said with a slight frown. "His presence changes everything. We cannot live as we want with him in that office and really, despite everything, I fear for Konoha's future with him leading it."

"Not in the sense that he will actually allow the village to be toppled," Itachi said in response to his mother's worries – Mikoto nodded in agreement. "Danzo will always have a dark streak about him. I am sure that he will not waste the time to attack any village he deems to be a threat to his Konoha. If it means fighting the entire Elemental Nations, he will bring Konoha to war to achieve his goals."

Mikoto didn't want that. It would just bring the village to fight endless battles. There would be a lot of blood being shed and she did not want to see that. The Uchiha wanted to enjoy her life. If things came to blow, no life was guaranteed. She could not say she would live to see Naruto become a man.

It would be a massive disappointment if that does happen. She was riding all her hopes in that happening. Naruto had to develop, for her and not for anyone. She would claim him as hers and nothing would stop it. Well, as long as she was alive to make that happen.

Focusing on Itachi once more Mikoto nodded. "It isn't something that I saw happening. I don't think you did too," she said taking her eyes towards little Sasuke. The young black haired was staring between the two adults, listening attentively. She smiled, Naruto was training him well. A little while ago, he would have been asking too many questions and exploding over things he didn't even understand.

"His tomorrow will not be a happy one with Danzo in charge. More than anything, Itachi, I want to protect him; I want him to enjoy a good life you never got to enjoy. Konoha will be divided and it will be forced to experience dark memories that may never be erased in our history," Mikoto added in a quiet tone.

Nothing was going to be safe. It was just wrong to allow a person like Danzo to rule Konoha. He was going to openly do his dark activities now as there would be no one to stop him and he will no doubt plan to control other nations. He could not allow that to happen. Such an action would not lead to peace, but to just more resentment towards Konoha.

"What do you suggest, mother?" Itachi asked. Leaving Konoha was out of their question. The clan was here. This village was their clan's home.

"When Naruto returns from the meeting with Danzo, he will be talking about killing the man," Mikoto said. "For him, living in this village will be impossible with Danzo at the helm. It is either he leaves or he gets rid of the thing that makes things difficult for him."

Sasuke found the appropriate moment to respond since coming into the small room. "The best option will be to get rid of the Hokage. I have seen how he behaves. Naruto doesn't keep anything around him that is a nuisance or doesn't help him in anything. If something is useless he discards it without a second thought.

He was willing to discard Ino because she had become useless… she was his childhood friend. From what I hear, the Hokage is a massive threat, and the only way Naruto deal with that is through taking his sword out."

Itachi looked at his younger brother for a moment before responding. "You have gotten a good grasp of how Naruto behaves…"

Sasuke shrugged. "He isn't that hard to figure out. He is somewhat simple, but that doesn't mean he is easy to deal with," the younger Uchiha said a bit carelessly.

"As simple as he can be, understanding him is a different matter altogether. Not everyone can understand him and only those who can understand him will be able to live in the same wavelength as him," the eldest of Mikoto's children said in a calm tone. "Nevertheless, I am happy that you're able to understand bits about his character. You have a long journey with him and if possible, I don't want anything separating you from him."

Sasuke stared at his brother for a long minute. In just a couple of conversations with the man, Sasuke had come to realize that Itachi was never going to speak ill about Naruto. If anything, the Uchiha seems to have nothing but praises for the blond. It made him curious. Why was it like that? Naruto did not win any personality awards. He wasn't that much of a great person in Sasuke's eyes.

"What do you rate him so highly?"

"Perhaps it is because that I have known him for a long time," Itachi said. "Despite everything, Naruto is a good person and he knows more than anyone what a good person should do. I believe that if it wasn't because of his unfortunate situation, he would have turned into a great person who would be loved all over as his father was loved.

"He hates evil, and yet he himself has no problem in committing evil and he won't even stop evil even though he dislikes it – as long as it doesn't influence his life. Contradictions, yes, But no one is perfect in this world. Naruto may have many flaws as a person, but if he was to rule this world, he would make this world the ideal world for peace-lovers."

Sasuke tilted his head to the side. He did not fully understand what his brother was really trying to say, but he got the wind of it.

Hokage office

It was almost amusing to see looking so contemplative as he stared at Naruto. The blond before him was just a brat but it was apparent that the war hawk was thinking hard to get things done. Perhaps he knew that Naruto could just disappear from this place within a second and given what he carried, any village would be open to welcoming him.

Kumo would even give him the VIP treatment. The blond had the Kyubi in him and could also use the Thunder God technique, if that didn't make him a valuable asset then Jiraiya didn't know what would. For Naruto it wasn't just the power but the mind as well. The blond was sharp. The Sandaime worked overtime just to make sure that he stayed on top.

His sensei had admitted that if Naruto had been a little older and much more experienced, their games would have played out differently.

Still, how was Naruto going to play this? The blond was very careful and he made calculated moves rather than reckless movements. There was always a plan – just like with his sensei. Well, the old man had been called the professor. It wasn't for nothing.

"You failed in your pursuit of the Sand siblings," Danzo said – his first words since Naruto appeared in the office with Jiraiya. "Given your personality, I'd banked on that you'd kill all three of them for the betrayal."

Naruto stared for a few moments. He really didn't want to be here. There were so many things that he needed to do. His tomorrow was in a sinking boat at the moment – or at least that is how it looked with Danzo sitting behind that desk. It would not be for long, but the present spelled that outcome and it left a sour taste in his mouth.

The fact that Danzo was wearing the mask of the Hokage didn't mean that he was going to change his approach towards war hawk. Nothing had changed. He still didn't like him and would not be bowing now, and not ever.

"That is your interpretation on the matter," Naruto responded indifferently. "I did not fail. To say I have failed would be making the assumption that I was given a mission to kill them. If that so, then you can say so. Nevertheless, what of it, what if I have?"

Danzo narrowed his eyes slightly. There was nothing in the child's tone or expression that he could read. The blond's emotions were locked away. How should he handle things then? Naruto had one weakness and that was his mother. If he needed to get the blond under control, he needed to get him through his mother. It didn't require any complex schemes that would require extensive work and maintenance.

"There is nothing of it," Danzo said with a slight shrug. "But it is good that they are still alive. This way, I can use them to get hold of Suna. I do not wish to completely destroy it. Speaking of which, your planned marriage will still go ahead. I have spoken to Baki, and Temari will soon be living with you as your wife."

It didn't matter if he was talking to just a kid. He had what he had in mind and would go through it. Of course Suna didn't have to agree to it. They would be forced. It was either they agreed to it, or he would just do it by force as well as punish them for it. Talking was much simpler for both sides and he was going to run away with it.

Jiraiya thought of furiously interjecting but he held himself well. Danzo wasn't going to be Hokage forever. Once he got Tsunade, he would remove the man from his seat. And besides, this was Naruto the man was talking to. The blond would have a measured response, not a childish outburst.

"Nothing new," Naruto said with a shrug. Of course with Suna's betrayal, things could never be the same. He might not have killed them, but things would never return to the way they were. Perhaps over time he would get around the idea, but Kankuro had known and he would never be forgiven.

Never…

The Sandaime had also known about the invasion but kept it away from him on purpose. Naruto didn't want to think much about that because it would make him think some nasty things about the old man. For now, it was best to just leave the dead, dead.

"Yes," Danzo said with a nod. "You will not run from Konoha. If you do, I will hunt you down until I find you. And you must remember that you can't always be everywhere at any time. You're just human, you're not omnipresent. There are things that will happen and you'll never be able stop them. To avoid that, you will do as you're told."

Danzo had just threatened his mother without uttering the specific words. A stupid person would not notice the threat but Naruto had played the game for far too long along with the Sandaime Hokage to miss a glaring threat like that, and one that was directed towards his mother.

Naruto did not forgive anyone who threatened his beloved mother. You could curse him and spit on him, but no one threatened his mother. It was unforgivable, blasphemy.

A little while ago, Naruto would have exploded, but he held himself well, although his jaws clenched. His eyes also sharpened a bit. He was a different person altogether when he responded. "I see," Naruto said as if he was thinking hard. "What else?"

"I will take over your training from tomorrow. You don't use the Kyubi's power in the way that I wish. We have to change that. You will become Konoha's weapon. After I am done with you, you will be able to protect everything that you value and hold dear," Danzo said firmly.

Naruto did something he rarely does – he snorted disdainfully. "Go home and work on your play book, Danzo. Do you think I am stupid? You just said that I could not protect everything because I was human and now you say that once you are done with me I will be able to protect everything. The Sandaime never made such contradictions that made him look foolish."

If that wasn't enough, Naruto shook his head in disappointment.

Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh at this. It was damn amusing. No one really spoke like Danzo like this. Even he had never been in a position to give a response like that. Naruto was something else. Perhaps he was used to just playing the game with the Third.

The old man could have been called weak, and lacking in terms of courage, but when it came to using his mind to get things done, he had a way. Jiraiya could say that his sensei had been much shrewder than Danzo. It was almost like the brat was exposing the man for being a fraud.

"I will let that slide today," Danzo said after a few moments of silence and reflection. "But I will not allow you to talk to me like that again. I am the Hokage, and you will speak to me as such. You will not disrespect me."

"Or what? I'm at a position where I understand that I am very much valuable. I have no qualms in doing your kind of missions and I have the Hiraishin as well as the Kyubi in my disposal. Lose me, you lose both. Maybe you can say that you will get the Kyubi, but I'd find that amusing. If I die, the Biju goes on a rampage. Who will stop it? Do you know a seal strong enough to hold a Biju as powerful as the Kyubi?

Something happens to my mother and this village will become hell to everyone who lives within it. I am not saying I hold all the cards, but I am not expandable. Correct me if I am wrong…"

Danzo narrowed his eyes dangerously. The blond was close and not completely wrong and that bothered him. He wasn't happy about how things were going in the moment. The blond was disregarding the fact that he was the Hokage and could make his life a living hell if he wanted to. He didn't expect the blond to be this uncontrollable. How was Sarutobi able to keep him on a tight leash?

At this moment, he had no hold and the blond could disappear at any moment. It was seriously a problem that he could not let slip through. He had to solve this or he would never get what he wants with the blond. This meant that he would have to discover the former Kage's secrets quickly.

Danzo refrained from making any more threats. It was best that he did not. He could allow the blond to go home and gloat about this one. He needed to retreat and think things over in order to get the winning formula. Threats were not working. He needed something that would get him to work with the blond and he would find it.

"Nothing is ever so sure in this world. I would rather get rid of a powerful tool than keep it close to me when I cannot control it," Danzo said.

That just meant that the man was a control freak. He liked being in charge of everything. This was a clear difference between him and the Sandaime Hokage. The old man had known that he could not control every situation. Still, he always worked around the situation to make sure he got there. The Third was the type who saw that a mountain was too steep for him to climb and got out to search for the muscles to carry him up all the way to the top.

The Third could dine with his enemies and still flash an 'honest' smile. Danzo could not. He only had one mask and that was an emotionless look. Hiruzen had been a master of all masks. He could play the gentle old man who had lived for far too long and seen too much and sometimes a cruel, cunning and genius.

That wasn't to say that he was perfect.

He wasn't.

"In any case, you're dismissed. Report to me tomorrow afternoon so that I can brief you on what we will be going through… I need you to grow up into the perfect weapon for my Konoha to reign supreme," Danzo stated without any fear.

Finally, Jiraiya had something to say about that. "What is that supposed to mean?" The Sannin demanded. Danzo was already planning something sinister. Maybe even invasions on other villages so that Konoha can control them and the removal of everything that he sees as a threat.

"Don't concern yourself with it. Hiruzen's memorial will be made tomorrow. It is best we do this quickly and move over his era to begin mine," Danzo said with a slight wave of his right hand. He didn't say anything but looked down at the paperwork already filling up his desk. There was a lot of work to be done. He would have to pull a late one. Not here obviously, but inside safe house.

Jiraiya did not say anything in response. He knew the man wasn't going to tell him anything. The Toad sage walked up to Naruto and placed his right hand on the blond's shoulder before they disappeared from the office.

The two appeared in atop of the Hokage Monument.

"While that was amusing to watch, are you sure it was a wise decision to antagonize Danzo?" Jiraiya asked in a serious tone. One must never underestimate Danzo and even if Naruto did appear to be all over the war hawk, the man could not be taken any less serious. The man was still shrewd. The fact that he was sitting in that office as the Hokage was proof enough.

In response to Jiraiya's question, Naruto shrugged off nonchalantly. "I could not see myself speaking to that fake cripple as if he was a respectable man. Besides, he will not last in that position."

Curious, Jiraiya took the bait. "What do you mean by that?"

"The Sandaime must have known that he was going to die. Orochimaru was the one student he loved the most and was his greatest regret. No matter what he did, the snake was always something that turned his head upside down. He has always known that Danzo wanted his seat, and should have known that the man would attempt to take the office in the wake of his death. Well, he didn't attempt it, he did it."

Naruto did know the old man well enough. Well, it was to be expected. The Sandaime Hokage had known Naruto more than anyone. It was the old man knew the blond more than his mother did. "He left a will, naming his successor. During the meeting with clan heads, Danzo said that he would occupy the position of Hokage until sensei names his successor as it was his right to do so. I'm guessing he said that because he knew that sensei would not live through the invasion. But did not see this one coming.

"I will leave the village tonight. I am going to try to find Tsunade. I won't take long. I will make sure that I return within a week. If I wait any longer, Danzo will just make it much more difficult for Tsunade to take over and the more the days go by, the more settled he becomes."

Naruto looked down at the village he didn't care about. That was a long route and he did not have the patience for it. It would take time and there were no certainties on it. "The Sandaime's memorial is tomorrow. I would advise that you attend. Danzo has already made himself comfortable. If there is damage, he has already done it. But you can do as you like."

"Are you worried about me?"

"Don't fool yourself," Naruto said indifferently.

"Ouch," Jiraiya said holding his chest in a comical show of pain.

Naruto's House

When Naruto stepped in front of Itachi, he already had his mind made up about what he was going to do about Danzo. The man could not be allowed to live longer than he was living. Naruto would not even give the man the time to spend more a night as a Hokage. It was enough that he had achieved his dream, he could not be allowed to enjoy it.

If he allowed for another day for the man to be acting as Hokage, he would only be creating a prison for himself. Danzo would surely come up with a way to get his hooks all over his life. Before something like that happens, it was best to just get rid of the man.

"Itachi, Danzo will not see tomorrow. I cannot allow it. He has made threats that have displeased me. Your ideal Konoha cannot come to pass with that man acting as Hokage…" the blond stated in a firm tone. "Midnight, I will be sharpening my blades and after which, I will go out prepared to let four-tails out to cause a massacre."

Itachi wasn't surprised. He had expected it to happen and his mother had said Naruto would return ready to kill Danzo. "Why now? It hasn't been a day since he became Hokage."

"Exactly that, Itachi. At this point, Danzo will not allow Anbu to get close to him. His Ne will remain close and he will always use his hidden facilities to conduct private business. If he dies tonight, no one will complain. This is the best possible chance to get rid of him."

Itachi stared at Naruto for a long minute for responding. "It's ironic that Danzo ordered me to massacre my clan for the sake of Konoha and now I have to do it to him and the rest of his troops. This will be last mission. I'm afraid that I cannot even go back to the Akatsuki if I do this," the Uchiha said stoically.

Midnight

Naruto looked at Sasuke with a blank expression on his face. The young Uchiha was standing in front of him and Itachi, staring at both of them with an equally blank look. How he was able to hold his look with both of them staring at him was something that was noteworthy but not praise worthy.

"What are you doing Sasuke?"

"I didn't think you were the kind of question the obvious," Sasuke responded in a flat tone.

Naruto blinked. He wasn't amused, but not angry either. This was Sasuke and what he had said made sense. He did not question the obvious. The right question to ask Sasuke should have been if the black haired thought he was going to be allowed to go with them to fight Danzo. The thought hadn't even come to his mind, but now that he was facing it, it was something that he had to consider.

"You're not coming along with us, Sasuke. It is going to be dangerous," Itachi said to his younger brother in a firm tone. He could not allow his younger brother to experience something like this, and there were going to be dangers that would threaten his life.

Sasuke glared at his older brother fiercely. "You and Naruto are always leaving me behind when you do important things. I am tired of being treated like a child. I want to be involved!" The young Uchiha complained as loudly and firmly as he could.

"But you have yet to grow. It is this kind of attitude that makes you childish," Naruto pressed. "If you want to be treated better, start behaving. You're a making fuss right now. Your voice is too loud, people will hear us and silence will be eliminated."

Sasuke merely glared back at Naruto but the blond shrugged it off.

"In any case, I think it will be good for you if you tag along. It will be dangerous and you will come close to death. Perhaps even suffer some life threatening wounds, or even lose a hand, but it can be attached and you will back to fight as good as new right?"

Naruto just painted a rather grim picture that Sasuke was willing to consider.

"Hate us if you like, but the truth is that you're not ready for this. You don't know what we are dealing with. Going with you will mean that you will become a burden, and I'm sure you know what happens when you become a burden to your teammates," Itachi said calmly. "I'm sorry Sasuke, but I cannot risk it. I understand what you're saying, but I still cannot allow you to come with. Your mother would not forgive me."

End Chapter

A Question about the meeting with clan heads being unrealistic was raised, understandable. However, as far as I am concerned, clan heads are not usually in the first line of attack. Aren't leaders usually sitting behind thick glasses watching their soldiers fight while planning strategies and everything? The meeting called was not by Danzo but by the Daimyo. Hiruzen was fighting, who is there to watch over everything and plan for things other than the clan heads? Having said this, I will disagree with the point of saying they wouldn't allow themselves to be dragged into a meeting. They didn't even know what the meeting was about.

In any case, things have happened in this order.

The Omnipresent Sage