Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Naruto

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"Lord Danzo," Every member of The Foundation kneeled as their leader walked into the room his cane clicking on the ground. Other than the simultaneous greeting it was the only sound in the dark tunnels underneath Konoha giving the dank Root HQ and even more ominous feel than it already had.

Coming to a stop feet from his gathered army Danzo stared impassively at the weapons he had amassed. They were strong, but even with that strength, it wasn't enough to take Konoha. That was why as much as he disliked the idea of working with the man more than he already did, Danzo needed Orochimaru to take control of Konoha. The snake could believe he was using Root to get in the village but in reality, it was he who was being used.

After Orochimaru invaded the village and killed the Third Hokage, Konoha would be ready for him. Anyone who he didn't think could step away from Hiruzen's weak view of the Shinobi world. He would stamp out their flames and the long-running Will of Fire, the weakness of the Village Hidden in the Leaves would be extinguished. And Konoha would reign over the Shinobi world as it should have from the moment they won the Second Shinobi War.

However, it wasn't time for that yet, and the village still needed its Root's to work diligently.

...

(Hokage Mountain)

Standing atop the carving of his sensei's head Hiruzen looked out at the village he had protected for so long. The sun setting over the horizon cast a glow upon his home and the longest reigning Hokage smiled around his pipe. He shouldn't have been happy, but he was.

Not even Danzo's treachery or Orochimaru's impending invasion could destroy the love he felt as he watched over his village.

"Danzo." Closing his eyes Hiruzen shut himself in the dark. The same way he had shut Danzo away. One of his greatest failures. Maybe if Danzo had been able to see the beauty of Konoha he wouldn't have slipped so far into the darkness to try and take over the village. To believe that killing Konoha Shinobi would somehow be protecting the village.

And now his oldest and once ally would have to be killed. Betrayed in a tragic tale of irony by his own Shinobi.

"I'm sorry, my friend."

"Lord Hokage!"

Opening his eyes as an urgent call sounded behind him Hiruzen turned around pushing his personal feelings away. His time as Hiruzen Sarutobi was done, it was time to be the Third Hokage, once again.

"Yes, Aoba?"

"Sir," The Tokubetsu Jonin kneeled bowing his head. "Genin Team 7 under Hatake Kakashi have returned to the village. Kakashi has sent two shadow clones to the Anbu HQ. He request's your presence immediately, sir."

"I will head there now." Hiruzen nodded. "So begins the corrosion of the Foundation."

...

(Wave Country Days ago)

"Gato." Hiding in the trees Naruto looked down at the boats ferrying bandits to Tazuna's bridge. On the bridge, the sounds of fighting could be heard and as much as Naruto wanted to rush in and save the day. To relive moments from his past, before his entire world had gone to crap, he couldn't. It wasn't his place. This was Naruko's world, she was the hero of this story.

But that didn't mean he couldn't help her.

"Using a Genjutus to get Gato and his lackey's to attack the bridge earlier will save her a friend." Haku shouldn't have had to die in his world and he wouldn't die here. Neither would Zabuza. Whether the Hidden Mist Jonin turned a new leaf with how he treated Haku or not wasn't his concern. Zabuza was never a bad person and cared for Haku in his own way. A way that only Haku could see.

It wasn't Naruto's place to decide how they treated each other. If Haku was happy being a tool for Zabuza then that was his choice. No matter what anyone else though.

"Gato, what is the meaning of this?"

"The bridge builder is still alive, Zabuza. You're not worth your price."

Shaking his head at Gato's stupidity Naruto stepped back into the shadows of the trees. His work here was done. Gato was a fool to think that his hired thugs to kill not only Zabuza but four-leaf ninja as well. Even if three of them were Genin untrained thugs didn't stand a chance.

"Naruto-taicho."

"I thought I told you to wait at camp, Sai," Naruto said over his shoulder as a pale skinned black haired youth stepped into the light streaming through the tree canopy.

Sai stared at Naruto with the same blank face the original Sai had. "Lord Danzo wanted us to return to Konoha immediately after our mission."

"I know, Sai. But there's a Konoha Genin team down there fighting Zabuza Momochi."

"One of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist."

"That's right." Naruto nodded. "Just making sure they don't die."

"Why?"

Sighing Naruto rubbed his mask. Seeing Sai and emotionless tool again sucked. Even if it wasn't the Sai he had been friends with.

"They are Konoha Shinobi, Sai. Same as us. Their deaths make the village weaker." It wasn't what he wanted to say. He wanted to tell Sai that as fellow Konoha Shinobi they had a duty to

"Hai, Taicho, I understand."

"I don't think you do." Naruto thought as followed Sai back into the trees. But he would do his best to teach him. He knew this Sai wasn't the Sai he had been friends with. No one in this world was the same. Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, Sakura all his other friends. Each and every one of them were completely different people. They might act and look the same but they weren't the people he lost.

"Those people are gone." And it was Sasuke's fault.

Sasuke had dragged him to this world. Tricked him into believing that he could save his friends.

Even if Madara hadn't cast his ultimate Genjutsu the legendary Uchiha had still won. Naruto lost everything and he was living in a fake world. It wasn't a Genjutsu, every being in this world was alive and Naruto would die to keep it that way but to him on a personal level, they were fakes.

It's why he had stayed in Root for so long. Spying for the old man was a good excuse but keeping his distance from his friend's doppelgangers was the main reason. He just couldn't see them as the people he knew. Not even Sasuke who was from his world was the same.

...

Walking down the road back to Konoha Kakashi looked up from his book as he heard a small growl. Looking around he saw Naruko and Sasuke talking about the demon brothers and Sakura glaring at them. Ah, so that was where the noise had come from. "I should try and break her out of that habit."

It wouldn't do good for team cohesion if she got mad at Naruko every time the blonde said so much as a word to Sasuke. How was he going to do it though? He was hoping a C-rank would snap the girl out of her fantasies about the life of a Shinobi. Not that it worked. Sasuke went and saved Sakura which only made the girls dreams a reality.

Of course, he couldn't order Sasuke not to save his teammate. It would contradict his words the day of the bell test. He was glad his student cared for his teammates. After what happened with Itachi he had been worried Sasuke would be like him when he was a Genin. Arrogant in his power and anti-social.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, can't we go any faster?" Naruko called from ahead of him. "Tazuna isn't with us anymore so we don't have to slow down for him."

"Naruko, it's your first mission outside the village, just enjoy the scenery," Kakashi said and went back to his book ignoring the glares he got from Sakura and Naruko for his choice of reading.

And he couldn't leave the Land of Fire until his secondary mission was complete. "Turncoat Root members."

He hadn't seen one of those since Kinoe. Danzo usually had his personal Anbu thoroughly brainwashed to serve him and only him. The elder could say it was for the village but Root didn't serve Konoha, it served Danzo.

Blinking as Sasuke slowed down to walk next to him Kakashi waited patiently for his Genin to speak.

"Sensei, above us."

Glancing up at the sky Kakashi smiled as he noticed the black shape flying over them. So, Sasuke was a decent sensor ninja. Neither Naruko or Sakura noticed the two chakra signatures. If they looked up they would have passed the shape off as a bird.

As the figures grew closer Kakashi siganlled to his clones in the trees as the two bodies came into view. Spinning downwards on a deadly course of impact with the ground.

Sakura screamed covering her eyes.

"Calm down," Kakashi said as his clones caught the two Root members. "They're Anbu black ops."

Walking towards his clones he looked at their catch and nodded. Crow and Rat. Just like the Sandaime said.

"Hasn't been a crow since Itachi." Kakashi set the mask over the spy's face. And that kid was definitely an Uchiha.

"Come on, team." Kakashi ordered. "My clones will take these two back to the village."

Watching Kakashi's clones leave Sasuke frowned. "Naruto?"

It had to be. Two Root ninja falling out of the sky right in front of his team, and while they were on their way to Wave. Maybe it was just the way this worlds timeline went, another change because they were in a different dimension. It had to be, right?

"No." The dimension traveling Uchiha shook his head. Too many things pointed to that Anbu being Naruto for it to be a coincidence. But how could it be Naruto? The dobe knew the crimes Danzo had committed. Understood that his hatred for the man was far greater than even his hate for Madara. Naruto would never work for him.

But who else could it be?

Gritting his teeth he stopped listening to Naruko and stared ahead clenching his fist so tightly his finger nails dug into his palms drawing blood.

"Naruto, you bastard."

I'm back! I know it's been a while since I updated but hopefully, if all goes well I should be updating more frequently.

Now that Naruto has spent his time in Root it's time for him and Sai to become Konoha Shinobi. And what better way than the Chunin Exams. In the exams, Naruto and Sasuke finally clash. I've been taking my time on that chapter and I hope you guys like it!

...

Coming Soon!

"Naruto, I told you when we first arrived that if we change too much we would lose control. What if Tobi and the Akatsuki attacked the village sooner because you save the Third Hokage?" Sasuke eyes burned with a rage that Naruto was all too familiar with.

He saw it on the roof of the hospital when they first fought. At the Valley of the End. Sasuke was going to be taking this fight seriously.

"You would risk the lives of every person in the village for the life of one old man?"

"I would." Naruto flipped the kunai in his hand into a reverse grip his red eyes spinning. "And don't try to act like you care about anyone other than the people you care about. You've always been selfish, Sasuke. And that will never change."

"Maybe, but the facts remain the same. By saving the Hokage you put the timeline we are familiar with a jeopardy." Sasuke narrowed his eyes that mirrored Naruto's. "And by doing that you put the people I care about at risk. You always wanted me to care about our teammates, to protect my precious people. Well, this is me doing that."

Crouching on the branch he was standing on Naruto channeled chakra to his feet. "I will save the old man. I won't let you stop me!"

"Sasuke!"

"Naruto!"