AN: So, first things first. I want to thank everyone for reviewing, I am really happy with how well this story is being received. I hope it continues to be liked, so here is the next chapter. Enjoy!
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Meddling In Fate.
Chapter 5: Bittersweet Sonata.
Sachi and Karin hadn't slept in a real bed in a long time. It was easily the best sleep either girl had in years. Waking up in an unknown place though had startled them both, until the nights events returned to them.
Karin had already fallen asleep by the time Shisui brought Sachi back to the apartment he stayed in with Sasuke – the other Uchiha children staying in the apartments next to his so he could keep an eye on them. It was temporary until the Uchiha district could be cleaned up and renovated.
Upon seeing her sister whole and alive, Karin tackled the older redhead into a hug.
"Nee-chan, you're okay!" Karin exclaimed. "I was so worried!"
Sachi's eyes softened and she returned the hug, rubbing soothing circles into Karin's back.
"It's alright, Karin-chan," Sachi muttered. "I'm fine now."
Karin raised her head from where she'd buried it and sniffled once before smiling. She usually didn't react like this, but in the two years since their parents died they had never been attacked like this. Not by such high ranking ninja. Bandits were usually the worst of their threats, they were very careful to stay away from ninja.
"Come on, Imouto. We should get up and greet our host," Sachi stated, and Karin nodded and hopped off the bed.
"Where will we go after today, Sachi?"
"We'll be staying in Konoha. For now Shisui has offered us this room until I can bring in some money and get us a place to live," she answered her sister, who blinked owlishly behind her glasses.
"That's very kind of him. He's the one you saved, the reason it took you so long to come home?" she asked, and Sachi pouted.
"You're still sour about that, huh?"
Karin 'hmph'd' and Sachi chuckled as they exited the room. Sliding the door shut behind her, Sachi made her way to the kitchen on memory alone. It wasn't the hard, there were only three bedrooms, a bathroom, a small living area and kitchen in the apartment from what Shisui had briefly showed her last night.
In the kitchen were Shisui, and a small army of children. Sachi smiled at the chaotic scene, while Karin gawked wildly. She'd never seen anything like it. Some of the kids were younger than Karin, a few older.
Some were rowdy, impatient and in some cases downright annoyed or depressed. There were two babies, hardly over a year old, maybe nearing two, one throwing baby food randomly, and at the center was an exasperated Shisui. Trying to make some form of food for everyone.
"Shisui, Shisui... can we have ice cream?" a small raven haired girl asked, bouncing in her chair. She couldn't be more than three. Obviously too young to truly take in what had happened, most were.
"Mochi!" another cried.
"No Ayano, Haru," Shisui said, shaking his head as he placed eggs on their plates. "Haru, please sit down."
A boy around four was running around him, the one who had asked for Mochi. Sachi couldn't help but laugh at what she was seeing in front of her, before placing her fingers at her mouth and blowing. The loud high pitched whistle put a stop to the noise and movement instantly.
Shisui's downtrodden face seemed to light up with relief at seeing her. Maybe he thought she would know how to handle kids, seeing as she took care of Karin. She could see Shisui had been quickly loosing his patience, and it was only thanks to his ANBU training he even kept it as long as he had.
"You're up," he said. "Great, uh I would offer you a seat but as you can see... it's a bit packed in here."
Sachi nodded, and looked at her sister only to see the redhead had locked her gaze onto one of the older boys sitting at the table. She recognized the boy as Sasuke, and she bit the inside of her cheek at the almost hollow looking black eyes that stared at them in barely there confusion.
His scowl was deep set, and he looked more than a little annoyed by his extended family – most probably weren't even directly related to him for generations if at all the clan had been that large. They were still his clan though, so Sasuke put up with them.
For some reason Sasuke thought he had seen the older of the two redheads somewhere before. It was blurry at best, but it was hard to shake the feeling at the oddly bright shade of dark red hair.
He was a little weirded out by the shorter girl, who had an even odder hair style then the older one, hers was spikier-messier on one side but was perfectly straight on the other.
She was beginning to remind him painfully of those girls at the Academy who followed him around, so he glared hatefully at the girl, making her flinch back and then return his glare with equally hateful bright red eyes.
"Who are you?" he asked, his voice lacking so much emotion Sachi felt her breath hitch.
She remembered a time, a life time ago, when her voice had sounded so similar. When living with the Dursley's got so bad she could just scream, when Cedric died in front of her, when Sirius died... the first few weeks after the war.
Sasuke was truly the most affected by the massacre. But then again he was the oldest except for two others who looked nearly as depressed. Other than Shisui, Sasuke had no close family left, and Sachi doubted he considered Itachi much more than the person to massacre the clan.
"Ah, I thought I already told you Sasuke," Shisui began, chuckling nervously. "These are Uzumaki Sachi and her younger sister, Uzumaki Karin. They'll be staying with us until they can get a place to stay of their own."
Sasuke wondered where he'd heard that surname before.
"Red-san!"
Sachi gasped as a small body collided with her waist, and she looked down to see one of the smaller children had tackled her in a hug. Large black eyes, common among the clan, and wavy short black hair – also common.
All the children had black eyes, but not all of them had black hair. A few had shades of dark brown, or even duller medium brown or black.
Slowly she recognized the girl as the one who had hugged Shisui the night of the Massacre, though she didn't have a name for the girl.
"Hi," Sachi said, awkwardly.
"Umeko, you realize she doesn't know who you are," a boy about six said, rolling his eyes. She realized this was the boy who thanked her for saving them that night. Unlike most his hair was a shade of dark brown.
"I'm sorry, I don't know any of your names, but I do remember most of you," she said with a smile.
"You've met her before?" Sasuke asked.
"She's the one who saved us that night," an older girl with dull medium brown hair said, her black eyes sad. She was easily the eldest at eleven years old.
Sasuke's eyes widened and he seemed to process this before his eyes narrowed into a glare. His fist gripping the blue fabric of his shirt.
Standing he snapped. "Why..." the words were so softly snarled it was uncertain what he said, but just the one word was enough for both Shisui and Sachi to know what he meant.
Why then were they the only ones saved? If both Shisui and Sachi were there why were only a dozen children saved? The answers weren't something either could truthfully give.
He stormed out of the room, and they heard the front door slamming shut. The children all looked downtrodden by his absence, and she realized that while there were at least two or three a little older than Sasuke they were all looking at the clan heir for some sort of guidance.
It was Karin who broke the silence.
"What a jerk."
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He had never felt so old. He'd thought the Kyūbi attack was bad, but this was turning out to be an even bigger nightmare.
The Uchiha massacre had been harrowing.
He had the council breathing down his neck, Shisui was just lucky there were so many surviving Uchiha with the potential of awakening the Sharingan, otherwise the council would be breathing down his neck to find a wife and populate the clan once again.
Added onto the political nightmare the massacre had caused, he had Danzō to build a case against and his regular duties as Hokage. Hiruzen had been hoping things would calm down once Shisui was officially made clan head, until Sasuke was old enough and married. Shisui had more right to the title than even Sasuke did if one wanted to be technical.
If Kagami hadn't been the kind of man he was and given the clan head title to his cousin, Mikoto's father, than Shisui would have been the clan heir instead of Itachi or Sasuke. Many seemed to over look the fact Shisui was the eldest direct descendant of Uchiha Madara (with Obito's death in the third war).
Kagami's father was the eldest son of Uchiha Madara.
Mikoto was descended from the younger son of Madara, which usually would have made her clan head, but the Uchiha elders were a bit on the traditional side. This meant when Mikoto married her husband would for all intent and purposes become clan head.
It was a commonly forgotten fact that Fugaku, though distantly related to Mikoto, was descended from Madara's line as well; through one of Madara's brothers. Not Izuna, but one of the older ones. Hiruzen could never remember which one so it probably wasn't important.
Shisui much like Kagami had no desire to be clan head, but recognized he was the only one who could take the position for now. He had to take care of the surviving members of his clan. Things had calmed down for a few days, but it was merely the calm before the storm it appeared.
He didn't know how Danzō had found out about Sachi and the girls younger sister, but the little red headed girl who could only be the sister of Uzumaki Sachi was sure of every word she told him.
Danzō had truly done it now, and both Sachi (who had the infamous Uzumaki temper) and Shisui intended to bury him. Metaphorically and literally.
It was the end of the line for his old friend.
When they had returned to the village, Hiruzen had talked to Kakashi, Tenzō, Shisui and Sachi before dismissing the two ANBU and talking to Shisui and Sachi privately about what to do concerning Danzō.
Both were under the firm belief he had to be removed, like all threats to the village and the Hokage were. Maybe a part of it was Shisui still held a grudge for Danzō's part in the massacre of his clan, even though Shisui knew it was coming long before Danzō interfered in their plans for peace.
Despite Shisui's peaceful nature and lack of the usual Uchiha arrogance, he was still a shinobi. A former ANBU (as he'd retired from ANBU not longer after his sudden return to life), and an Uchiha.
There were none better at holding onto a grudge than an Uchiha. Some said the Uzumaki were just as bad, and knowing Kushina as he had he had no doubts of that; Sachi certainly had a reason to want Danzō out of the way.
Hiruzen would admit he was hesitant to send his old friend and comrade to death. Danzō had once been his friend and rival, a teammate during certain missions in the second war. Danzō hadn't always been the way he was now, the turning point had been the death of the Nidaime Hokage.
Danzō had nearly idolized the man, when Tobirama made Hiruzen his successor there had been a change in Danzō. At first it was small, barely noticeable. Making Danzō one of his advisors had been a way to let his friend know he wasn't forgotten despite not being chosen as Sandaime Hokage.
Maybe, looking back on it, it was more like adding insult to injury.
As time went by Danzō grew to resent the way Hiruzen ruled, with diplomacy more so than power or an iron fist. While Tobirama had been a just Hokage he also hadn't been a push over.
In Danzō's own words, Tobirama would have never given into Kumo's demands for a Hyūga in reparations for their dead ambassador who had been caught trying to kidnap the Hyūga heiress.
Hiruzen knew it was the truth, but Konoha just wasn't up to another war so soon after the Kyūbi attack. So he'd swallowed his own pride and moral, allowing Kumo their demands. The fact Hizashi had been sent in place of Hiashi was unfortunate, sad, but necessary to keep the Byakugan from another villages hands.
He'd always done what had to be done. For the sake of the village, the children and the will of fire. Hiruzen knew a lot of what Danzō had done in the shadows over the decades, but he was surprised at the details Shisui had to share.
He was taken aback when the boy had told him how Danzō had stolen his eye, in order to gain the power of his Mangekyō Sharingan – a terrifying notion. He knew what Shisui's eyes could do and he barely trusted the boy himself with such power.
He was more surprised that Danzō had gone so far for power, even if he believed it in Konoha's best interest. Logically Hiruzen knew Sachi and Shisui were right. He'd over looked Danzō not disbanding the Foundation when he was told.
His actions against the Uchiha, the fact he knew he had to do something about the eye he'd taken from Shisui, and now this... he was all out of chances to give.
By noon the day after his recovery team returned with Uzumaki Sachi and bodies of the Root found at the scene, everything was prepared.
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Hiruzen looked up with a small smile when there was a few short knocks, and then the door opened to show a bandaged man. Knowing now what he did the bandages around his eye made more sense, Hiruzen realized grimly.
Danzō's face betrayed no emotion. Likewise Hiruzen kept his emotions schooled, allowing not a hint of betrayal to appear.
"You wanted to see me, Hiruzen?"
"Danzō, have a seat my friend," he said, and Danzō sat down across from the Hokage.
The table was set up with little cakes and tea. It was odd, but not unusual for a meeting like this to occur between the advisors and Hokage. Usually the other two were here as well, but Danzō saw no threat in Hiruzen's behavior.
"What is this about?" he asked, hesitantly accepting the tea, but rejecting any of the cakes.
He discreetly inspected the tea for poisons, though this was more out of habit than belief in Hiruzen's ability to do so. He could see no color difference from normal green tea, nor did the smell seem off. Sipping the tea he was satisfied to find the taste was not off from what one expected of green tea.
"I was going through the recent batch of graduates, and noticed just how each had done in the Academy," Hiruzen began, sipping his own tea. "I couldn't help but notice how the Academy standards had changed since the older generation. Given the changes that tend to occur during wartime aside, the standards have seemed to drop since the end of the third war."
Danzō raised an brow, but nodded. He too had noticed this, but when he bothered to bring it up it was simply brushed aside. Why Hiruzen allowed the civilians as much power as he did was beyond him.
The council had been formed by Hashirama to appease the civilians years after Konoha was founded. It was a simple fact that despite being a mainly military village, they had needed the civilians to completely become the Konoha of today.
Most shinobi did not know anything of being merchants or farming, and many attempts had floundered in the first year of Konoha's birth and so they brought in civilians to give birth to the shops, merchant stands, and agricultural success they had today.
After a few years the civilians decided they wanted in on the political power of Konoha, and with the threat of loosing resources Hashirama had formed the civilian council. It was small at first, and they had very little power.
The only power they had was over civilian matters, and over time it had grown from little power to them having a say in what the Shinobi Academy and the Civilian Academy taught.
The latter being of Hiruzen's doing. Usually the curriculum fell to Hiruzen, the elders, and Nara Shikaku, but after the third war there was much to do. Then with the Kyūbi attack only a few years after the war Hiruzen had finally given into pressure and the rest was history.
The Academy of today was little more than what the civilian side thought the Shinobi Academy should teach. Even the history books had been replaced and heavily edited to make it seem more glorious to the civilian raised children.
"I've been trying to tell you this for a while now, Hiruzen," Danzō said. "The death rate of our shinobi has gone up since the end of the third war, at least as far as genin and chūnin go. Those of the older generation have been holding their own well, most are still alive; Sarutobi Asuma, Hatake Kakashi, Yūhi Kurenai... etc."
"Yes, I apologize for not looking into this sooner my old friend," Hiruzen said, and he was being completely honest. "I actually have Shikaku looking over the current curriculum now, I wished to get his opinion before our meeting."
"And? How did that turn out?"
"Not so good. I made a mistake allowing the civilians to have as much to do with the Shinobi Academy as I did. I should have spread the work load out more to allow us to work with it more. In the last few years graduation has fallen to below average, most genin to graduate do not make it to chūnin ranking anymore. Some drop out all together, and there has been a lack of kunoichi graduating or surviving past their genin rank. Most are civilian raised."
"It is a concern. What do you wish me to do?" Danzō asked, placing his empty cup down.
"Hm, not much I'm afraid. Mostly I just wished to discuss this with you, get your input. Also to announce some other occurrences." He began his tale. "Not long ago I met a young girl, she's a bit of a nomad with her sister."
"Oh?" he asked.
"She's actually the one who saved Uchiha Shisui."
Hiruzen watched Danzō's reaction carefully.
"Uzumaki Sachi, she was recently attacked by unknown assailants. Most likely ninja from another village wishing to take the power of two full blooded Uzumaki females for themselves. She was able to escape, thankfully, and has decided to take my offer of joining the village. I plan to have her skills assessed later in the week."
"Two Uzumaki, that is quite rare these days," Danzō admitted, schooling his features.
Inside he was a bundle of suspicion and anger at the failure of his ninja to obtain two female who couldn't have been trained that well considering their ages. The older was only sixteen from his sources, the younger couldn't be older than the Uchiha heir himself.
Either the girl had been well trained by her parents since a very young age, or she was a prodigy herself. Maybe both. He was rather impressed, she had defeated his ninja with minimal wounds.
Though from Uchiha Shisui's return he knew she must be a very powerful medic, maybe more so than even Tsunade-hime if she could regrow the boys missing eye. He sighed silently, he'd underestimated the girls abilities assuming her to be a medic first and foremost. He wouldn't make that mistake again.
Danzō went to speak, but found his mouth hard to move, his hand twitched, but seemed to refuse to listen to his demands. Looking from his hands to his friend who was wearing a rather passive but grim expression his vision began to blur ever so slightly before righting itself.
"W-w-what..." he tried to get out, but found it harder to speak than it was to move his mouth.
Hiruzen sighed. "I am sorry Danzō, but your actions have forced my hand."
There was a shimmer in the air and on either side two figures came into view. He hadn't even noticed them hiding, and he didn't recognize whatever jutsu was used. It wasn't any he'd seen, but looked similar to the Meisaigakure no Jutsu (Hiding with Camouflage Technique).
The girl was average height, built as many kunoichi were, with long nearly straight red hair, and bright emerald green eyes. A peculiar lightning shaped birthmark on her forehead. The boy he recognized easily as Uchiha Shisui, his Sharingan activated and a steely resolve present in them.
He snorted. "I... see."
"You really didn't think I hadn't told Hokage-sama everything, did you Danzō-sama?" Shisui asked neutrally. "I thought the Root you had following me would have noticed something by now."
"So.. you'd... noticed." Speaking was becoming easier, but his body still felt heavy and useless. His chakra was also lower than it should be.
"Hn."
"Sachi, please begin so we may be done with this," Hiruzen ordered, not wanting to prolong this anymore than he had to.
Sachi nodded and walked over to kneel down beside the sitting elder. She reached into her right hip pouch and pulled out a scroll. Smearing blood on it she opened the scroll with little hesitance and rolled it out beside her.
Inside were ink wells, brushes, paper tags. The very basics for any fūinjutsu beginner, but he knew from how she began handling the tools she was far from a beginner.
"What are you doing, girl?" he asked, and the redhead spared him a quick glance.
"Nothing your ANBU didn't try to do to me," she said, a small smirk on the corner of her mouth.
"And the tea?" he asked as he tried to regain motor functions beyond speaking.
"A simple herbal mixture. Oder-less, tasteless, and it doesn't change the color of liquid or food it's added to," she said. "It's meant to slow down motor skills slowly, until you loose the ability to move. A paralytic, but it doesn't last long. The fact you can talk again means it's already leaving your system. It was only meant to leave you unable to move so I could place the seals."
"Impressive, you couldn't have had more than the last twelve or so hours to craft this plan," he muttered, and Sachi finished the first set of skills which would leave him without the ability to move at all once the herbal mixture wore off.
While placing them on his chest she made sure to check for existing seals. What she found she slowly and carefully went about disabling to the best of her ability. Moving his bandages aside she began the last array of seals around his eye, a fail safe of sorts until she could remove the eye.
Danzō sighed.
"Well played Hiruzen," he said.
Shisui and Sachi both looked up along with the Hokage when ANBU dropped into the room.
"Keep working, Sachi," Shisui said, attacking the ninja closest to him.
The Hokage stood, called out orders to his own ANBU standing guard outside and engaged those who got too close to Sachi and Danzō, proving that he had not simply been sitting behind a desk since becoming Hokage.
Sachi unsealed another scroll which she laid next to the first, revealing medical supplies. Seeing the need to finish quickly she went straight into removing the eye. As she worked she kept her senses open.
The Hokage's ANBU, Shisui, and the Hokage himself proved more than enough to take care of Danzō's ninja, yet one or two did get passed them.
With a sigh she allowed her chains to extend from her back, two of which impaled the two ninja coming up behind her with ninjatō's. She began pulling out the safely removed eye when Danzō's had grabbed her wrist.
Her eyes widened, and she noticed the black seals appearing on his chest. It only took her a second to realize they were seals of negation. They were placed in hidden areas and were very hard to detect, they were used to deactivate seals such as the one she'd placed on him.
"When..." she began, but her wrist was wrenched back and her head slammed into the table before she could finish.
"A genjutsu when my ANBU arrived, I was rather surprised none of you had noticed," Danzō said, standing up almost stiffly.
She groaned, lifting her head from the table and turning her blurring vision to the man. Her chains snaked along the floor and twisted up towards Danzō who avoided them only to be faced with the Hokage's Bo-staff.
The air was forced from his lungs by the staff digging into his gut, then his chest and finally heading for his throat. He ducked under it. From his blind side he felt searing pain when his bandaged arm was nearly taken off by Shisui's ninjatō.
The bandages fell away and showed them what they hadn't noticed. Sachi had been placing seals on his chest, and one around his eye, but she'd felt no need to remove the bandages on his arm to do so.
It was a mistake it seemed. His arm was rather grotesque, but looked like something rather freshly done. What was most disgusting were the handful of Sharingan eyes implanted on it.
Not wasting a moment Sachi sent her chains out once more and wrapped them around the elder. He was already sloppy from the herbal mixture not completely being gone, and without Shisui's eye he had a rather large blind spot he wasn't completely used to having again.
"Hokage-sama," An ANBU began, checking around suspiciously for anymore Root. "Is everyone alright?"
Sachi reached up to the small cut on her hairline, and wiped the blood away. Letting her hand linger at the cut she quickly healed it to avoid any distractions, and turned her attention back to Danzō.
"I'm fine," the Sandaime said, and Shisui and Sachi echoed the same. "Take the bodies to the morgue, we can deal with this from here."
The ANBU nodded, and began gathering the Root ANBU bodies into scrolls before they left.
"Shisui cut off his arm, we can't let him have any advantages," Hiruzen said, and the raven haired boy nodded. The arm was severed, and Danzō hissed at loss.
Despite all his tricks, the Uzumaki chakra chains were something even he couldn't escape as he was now. Considering they were powerful enough to subdue Bijū they may be inescapable by anyone.
"We should hurry, I can't hold my chains forever," Sachi said.
"Of course. We need him to talk. Shisui can you use your genjutsu on him?" Hiruzen asked.
"I don't know. I've used it once already, commonly it takes up to a decade to be usable again."
Sachi frowned but a possibility came to her.
She asked, "With your original eyes?" He nodded. "While the ones you have now are identical, the fact they are not your original ones may trick them into believing the ten years is already up. It's just an idea, but it's worth a shot."
Shisui nodded, activated his Sharingan and though Danzō did try to avoid it his gaze locked onto Danzō's remaining eye.
"Kotoamatsukami."
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Hiruzen was disturbed by just how much Danzō had gotten passed him in the last two decades. Under Shisui's Kotoamatsukami he spilled any secret they asked him to.
He admitted rather passively his involvement with Orochimaru, how long he'd known of Orochimaru's experiments, and his part in certain areas during the third war. He'd admitted to desecrating graves to get genetic material with Orochimaru's aid.
How he had been working to add the Shodaime's cells to his own, so his stolen eye would not need quite as long to recharge between each use of Kotoamatsukami. There were many admissions by Danzō, so much so that the man dug his own grave.
Getting the location of the foundation was just as easy, and the files Danzō kept painted a picture of a man who thought what he was doing was truly for the greater good. The good of Konoha, a place he loved, a place he wished to build in his own image.
Unfortunately he'd long since lost sight of right and wrong, and buried his own humanity so far it was basically erased. He was the epitome of the darkness of shinobi, and it would be his downfall. Still, Danzō was a respected man within Konoha, if not considered a bit overbearing and a warmonger. Lacking the emotions that kept shinobi human despite their job.
There was just too much to out Danzō for. It would risk the truth of the Uchiha massacre coming to light, not to mention it may make the civilians question if the shinobi system really had their best interest and protection in mind.
So a public execution or even a trial was not worth the risk. Instead it would be private, just the elders and clan heads. It would happen quickly, by the end of the day in fact to make sure none of Danzō's Root got any ideas to rescue the man.
His death had to be made to look like a natural occurrence. Danzō was not a young man anymore, and he was considered a bit frail from his injuries. Something like heart failure would not be questioned. Sachi was the one who came up with the idea to simulate a heart attack.
Until then Danzō was taken to a secure holding cell.
"You can do this?" Hiruzen asked. "In such a way it can't be traced back to you?"
Sachi nodded, pulling a few glass tubes with herbs inside from her left hip pouch. She took the mortar from the scroll with her more civilian medical supplies – such as scalpels and the like.
"Yeah, my mother was a herbal mistress. She taught me everything she knew, and over the years I became good enough to create my own mixtures."
True enough, it was actually a potion she'd created in her first life. It was used to execute prisoners in Azkaban more humanely than the Dementors kiss. It was made from primarily mundane ingredients. Everything Muggles would have heard of, like nightshade for example.
"It'll take at least twenty-four hours to take effect but it'll work," Sachi said. "Uh, do you have some sort of open flame? A burner of some sort?"
Hiruzen nodded, and retrieved a portable device that would hold one of the test-like tubes over a open flame. It was similar enough to a Bunsen burner, Sachi thought, and probably something the Medical corps worked with.
Crushing the herbs together in the stone bowl, and then adding them periodically when it was needed she finally took it off the heat, stirred the now slightly cloudy but otherwise clear liquid before adding the last herb, and putting a stopper on the tube.
"That's it?" Shisui asked, having never quite seen it done like that before. He had assumed it would take longer than ten minutes.
"Yeah. Like I said it's very simple to put together, though there are a few mixtures I know that take a lot longer. Most mixtures don't require a heat source to create, but there are a handful I know that are best done over an open flame."
Again it was true, but because of the lack of magic and many of the magical ingredients which were needed for the majority of potions there weren't many.
Most of her work with herbs now were mixtures taught to her by her mother, and any kunoichi with a skill for poisons and the like might recognize. Depending on regions though and the style taught every kunoichi had different styles of herbal mixtures.
"Will it show up in an autopsy or testing?" Hiruzen asked.
"No," Sachi said. "It's completely undetectable. By the time the heart fails any trace will have already left the body."
"Good. Shisui take this to Mitarashi Anko to place it in something to give to Danzō. I have a few more things to talk to Sachi about," he said.
Shisui nodded, shared one last look with Sachi who gave him the vial of poison, and left.
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"Hokage-sama, I have a few questions I wish to ask as well," Sachi said.
"Of course, that's understandable," he said, and motioned towards the door. "Lets head to my office. I believe this meeting room needs to be cleaned before it's used again."
Indeed it did need cleaned. After the fight between the few Root Danzō had either planted within the ANBU or brought with him, there were broken walls, furniture, and blood on the floor. They left the meeting room and relocated to the Hokage's office soon after.
Sachi chose to stand as the Hokage sat at his desk.
"Now, first I believe we should settle the matter of your placement among the ranks."
Sachi nodded. She had already confirmed the night before that she'd planned to be a ninja and not a civilian. Though she did not enjoy some aspects of the ninja life, she was the type of person that a civilian lifestyle was just too mundane. Chances were also good Karin would be joining the Academy soon.
"How do you think your skills stand?" Hiruzen asked.
"To be completely honest I'm not sure. My parents taught me everything I know and they were jōnin before Uzushio fell," she began. "I am the most skilled in fūinjutsu, though I am still working on using it in battle. I also still have a ways to go before I can claim to be a master of seals. I have large chakra reserves like most Uzumaki, and my control is pretty good. I am very good at using the Uzumaki Kongō Fūsa (Adamantine Sealing Chains), and my special chakra ability. My affinities are fire and wind, though I do know one lightning based jutsu – Raiton: Kage Bunshin (Lightning Release: Shadow Clone), and one or two earth jutsu."
Sachi took a breath before she continued.
"I've developed a technique were I combine careful control of my fire chakra and wind chakra to my taijutsu, but it does need work. Commonly I end up with slight burns or abrasions from using it, which is one reason I wear gloves. My taijutsu is one of my better skills, and of course I can use shuriken and kunai, along with a tantō, but I don't have much desire to further my kenjutsu as I'm not very good at it. I have skill with herbal mixtures as you've seen, and I know some medical ninjutsu. Though I know how to dispel genjutsu I am not very good at using it myself."
The Sandaime was very impressed. Sachi's parents had taught their daughter well, and to create a technique as she said she had... not many her age could boast that. She had more skill in diverse areas than he'd expected. He would have to see it for himself though before he could give her a ranking.
"I see, knowing this I'd probably place you as high chūnin or even jōnin level, but I want to have you fight some of my ninja to make a final decision."
"Understood," she stated. "Hokage-sama about my living arrangements. Shisui has kindly offered us his guest bedroom but I don't want to be a bother to him. He already has so much to focus on. I'd like to get a job or even start any sort of mission you can give me as soon as possible so I can afford a place for Karin and I."
"There is no need to worry. Mito-sama set up an Uzumaki fund of sorts that any Uzumaki could draw from upon arrival until they settle in. You can begin searching for a place. Considering the importance of the Uzumaki I believe it would be best to build a small compound for the clan. If you wish though you may go simpler and just get an apartment. As for getting a job until you can begin taking missions, that is up to you."
"Thank you, for now we will continue staying with Shisui while I decide what to do about that." Sachi tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "There is something else. My father, Uzumaki Jin, had a cousin who was brought to Konoha when she was a child. Uzumaki Kushina. He became clan heir after she left, and I wanted to know if she's still here?"
Hiruzen's eyes widened. He had already assumed that like Kushina, Sachi and Karin were from the main branch of the Uzumaki clan. He had not however thought them to be so closely related to Kushina and as a result, Naruto.
This was good news. It gave Sachi even more right to become the Uzumaki clan head until Naruto was old enough, and for her to become his legal guardian. Should she decide to, he was pretty sure she would given what he'd seen of her personality already.
"I did know Kushina, unfortunately she passed away the night of the Kyūbi attack."
Sachi froze, taking a sharp breath before she sighed seconds later. Hiruzen looked on sadly at the girls dashed hopes.
Standing from his chair, Hiruzen said, "Follow me, Sachi. There is someone I wish to show you."
She blinked owlishly but did follow close behind the aging leader.
"Who?" she asked.
He smiled. "You'll see."