TimeShifter: The cliffhanger is just perfect to lead into the next arc, neh? Anyway, keep an eye out for my foreshadowing. Some of it might give you a chuckle as you realize just what I had going on.

Chapter 30:
Danzou's Trial

Madara growled angrily. Nagato and Konan's defeat was one thing. Nagato using the Rinnegan to revive everybody he killed was something else altogether. He didn't know why the defeated pair went to such lengths to betray him. He knew they didn't trust him, but he always figured he had them on a pretty short leash.

Madara could control them because he controlled their hatred. He easily toyed with them by stringing their hearts along contented paths of darkness and revenge. They could distrust him all they wanted as long as he maintained control. The last thing he wanted was a lack of control, and he had lost a lot of his tightly gripped control in their defiant last act.

He could only think of one real reason. Something Naruto said convinced the rage-filled, self-proclaimed deity that Konoha could defeat him, Madara the true immortal. It would have made him laugh if he wasn't seething so. No even as irritated as he was, he knew a promise to defeat him could only weigh so much. Did the blond haired demon promise peace? Did he promise a peace without violence and death, much as Nagato's older ambition?

Madara doubted the second bearer of the Rinnegan was as foolish as to accept any peace offering. He was missing something, and he didn't know what. He turned, calming noticeably, to his last descendent. He didn't know if Sasuke could pull off any lofty ambitions, but he at least had to give the only survivor of the Uchiha Massacre some credit.

He scratched his chin in contemplation. Letting the Kage of the various lands continue to romp and roam freely was out of the question. He could have his war hawks kill them off and subsequently control their land, a military coup de tat so to speak. It wasn't full proof, but, at the very least, it would give Akatsuki more leverage.

Initially, he was going to assign Sasuke and Hawk to accomplish the task, attacking the Council of Shadows. With Suigetsu off to complete some unknown mission, he was left with few other options. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he came to a decision. "I'll call you when I have a task for you. For now, pursue whatever you want. I have some other business to attend to."

In a quick gust of wind, Madara disappeared in a swirl of black and orange. Sasuke nodded grimly and turned to his remaining subordinates. Karin and Juugo watched him expectantly. When he finally spoke, he sounded sullen, as if resigned to some fate. "It's too late to stop Suigetsu, so we'd better get to the designated meeting point." Without another word, he leapt into the distance, and his subordinates quickly followed.

There were many things running through Sasuke's mind. His elder didn't seem at all interested in reviving the Uchiha clan. His words and actions reminded the last Uchiha of somebody raging against an ancient slight. To top off his aggravation, Madara had a hand in the Uchiha massacre. He was only beginning to understand the reason, but he had already decided not to delve too deeply. He sought revenge first and Uchiha revival second.

He knew it was a long trip to their base hidden somewhere along the Fire/Rice border. He also intended to remain silent. Sensing his mood, Karin and Juugo decided it best not to bother him. As they traveled, he thought about what he did and, most of all, didn't sense from Naruto during the battle against Nagato. It was eerie not quite understanding what he felt coming from a person he once called a true brother.

Naruto had changed. He wasn't even sure 'drastically' was the right word. His chakra was immense, even Juugo and Suigetsu felt it from their vantage point. It was easy to attribute the overabundance of chakra to the Kyuubi, but the balance also felt unusual. To his Sharingan, it looked like a third component was there that he couldn't quite identify.

However unsettling it might have been, it proved to be too great an obstacle for Nagato to overcome. The self-proclaimed deity fell to a supposed fool. Sasuke narrowed his eyes in thought. The village elders were the real fools. They sinned against the Uchiha by playing Konoha's fears against the hidden abilities of the Sharingan. They sinned against somebody he once felt comfortable calling a true brother by playing Konoha's fear of the pure chakra entity.

For their sins, the elders were going to perish in the fires of Konoha. From the ashes, a new, prouder Konoha would rise. The Uchiha would stand proudly from their rightful position, revived and revered. It was almost too bad; in the end, the true brother he spared would have to be sacrificed for the new world order.

"Come on, talk to me Naruto-kun!" Kanaeru raised her voice slightly in frustration. She looked on sadly as he lethargically stared out the window. The white, puffy clouds were high, and the birds were singing. In fact, one innocently pecked at something unseen on a nearby tree branch. She looked pleadingly over her shoulder to Sakura.

The pink haired kunoichi shrugged and shook her head in shocked confusion. Before the older kunoichi entered, the blond genin had been as obnoxious and hyper as ever. He was bouncing around demanding to be let out of the hospital. The atmosphere changed the moment she entered. His expression almost looked gloomy. There was a spark of resentment in his eyes.

Sakura honestly couldn't blame him. All his life, he didn't know he had family. She was willing to bet a part of him, however small and forgotten, had felt abandoned. To suddenly know he had family, she didn't blame him for feeling depressed and letting supposedly lapsed feelings resurface. She also knew, however, he wasn't one to hold a grudge.

Neither knew what Naruto was thinking. He hadn't really spoken since he fainted. Shizune forbade visitors his first day in the hospital, so only she and Sakura were able to speak with him. He refused all visitors the next day, so only medical staff spoke with him. He only answered simple yes or no questions.

In reality, they had to accept facts. In the course of a few hours, he had gained a great deal of new insights. He knew he had friends. He was as precious to his precious people as they were to him. Hinata spoke and acted volumes of her love for him. He had people he considered his family. Kanaeru was related by blood. He lived most of his life not knowing who or where his parents were. They were dead, and his father was supposedly loved by the people.

Of course, his mind was also processing what happened with Nagato. However, his darkened point of view was easier to understand and digest than the personal revelations. He made peace with and befriended Gaara, another jinchuuriki begrudged by his own people. He was close to Sasuke before he turned rouge. No, he understood pain so deep it created hatred and desire for revenge.

He wasn't even paying attention to what was going on around him. Truthfully, he wanted nothing more than to talk with and get to know Kanaeru. He wanted to know why he was left alone for so long. He wanted to learn more about his parents. He wanted to talk for hours, asking questions and getting to know where he came from.

Instead, he felt like all his energy left him the moment she entered the room. He turned from fighting the nurses to leave to simply staring out the window into the oddly peaceful village…ruins. The sound of wind through the window flap couldn't soothe the ache in his heart.

"Ah, so troublesome." He turned to face the new presence as he sat back in the chair beside his bed. Shikamaru leaned back, pushing the chair to lean with him. It creaked as he perfectly balanced his weight. "It just doesn't feel like Konoha without the loudmouth running around making life troublesome." He shrugged. "At least Hinata's making life a bit interesting."

Naruto perked up slightly at the mention of his weird, dark precious person. His expression lightened with his mood, and his attention seemed focused on the brilliant strategist. "I heard from tou-san; she did a bang up job representing the Hyuuga. Said something about not believing it was her first time standing alone at the council. Fire-sama was real impressed, too; tou-san said."

Shikamaru eyed Naruto warily from one, barely open eye. "You know; she came to visit you. They said you weren't accepting visitors, and she really wanted to talk to you before she had to prepare for the clan council meeting." The way he emphasized 'really' made the blond genin flinch. Satisfied with the feeling of guilt, the strategist continued. "I wonder if I should tell her to try her luck again…"

"I…" Naruto started but trailed off. He was silently thankful when he was given the time to collect his thoughts. "I'll go see her, see everyone." He paused to look up at the ceiling. "I'm just..." He sighed. "…a bit overwhelmed." He fell back against his pillow, dejected. He didn't mean to make everybody worry, but he had a lot on his mind and couldn't think straight.

Shikamaru nodded his head. "I heard they didn't want to let you out of the hospital just yet." He couldn't suppress a chuckle when the blond flinched. "They said something about exhausting enough chakra to kill ten jonin." He catalogued his friend's knowing flinch. "Of course, they were exaggerating. There's no way you could pull something like that."

Naruto nervously chuckled. "Yeah…" He knew he couldn't hide anything from the genius of his graduating class, but he didn't feel like delving into it. Instead, he decided to learn what he could about the clan council. "Anyway, you said Hinata-chan impressed your tou-san at the clan council?"

Shikamaru nodded. He was unfazed by the avoided question. Some things were better left to a clear head and ready heart. Instead, he let his chair fall forward. When it sat firmly on all four legs, he sat cross legged and tented his hands in front of his mouth. "Yeah, it started when Fire-sama stated that Konoha needed a leader. They were discussing potential candidates for an interim or permanent replacement for Tsunade-sama…"

"I-It's true that Jiraiya-sama taught Nagato-san, but…" Hinata shook off an eerie feeling scratching at the back of her mind. She felt oddly compelled to stop, but she unflinchingly continued. "…but Nagato-san strove to make peace be-before…" She looked to Danzou, further compelled to stop through fear and a strange force of will.

She shook her head. "…before Hanzou betrayed that peace he sought." She returned her gaze to their daimyo, as if suddenly remembering he was there. "Nagato-san did hate Konoha before he met Jiraiya-sama, but something changed as they spent time together. He came to forgive Konoha and subscribe to Jiraiya-sama's drive for peace."

The Fire daimyo nodded. Strangely, part of him wanted to stop her from speaking. Still, he respected her father. His insight often brought in a great deal of revenue and helped Fire prosper economically and militarily. He would feel foolish to ignore his daughter and current heir. Still, he felt compelled to remind her of the facts. "No matter what he may have felt for a short time, he did attack Konoha."

Hinata looked down. "That was…" Her voice was quiet, trembling. She couldn't find the self confidence that made her act to save Naruto. She felt a strange compulsion to stop. She didn't feel like she had changed at all since graduating from the academy. She felt like the shy, scared little girl nobody noticed, and she didn't know why.

Instead of giving in and quivering like she knew she would have all those years ago, she dug deep for the courage and self confidence she felt not too many days ago. She dug for what made her stand up and fight the strongest of the Pein Rikudou bodies when she knew she would lose. Her fists clenched and unclenched as she fought an unsettling feeling that she couldn't place.

Her jaw snapped tight, clenched as she found a reserve she nearly forgot about. She looked into the Fire daimyo's eyes with a confidence she always longed to show her father, Neji, and, most of all, Naruto. She stomped out and ignored the strange feeling to stop. "If Danzou didn't stand beside Hanzou, Pein Rikudou would never have been born from Nagato."

Her firm voice and stance surprised much of the clan council. They knew her as the shy heiress, a wallflower hardly capable of speaking for herself. A few knew about how she stood against Tendou, but several still dismissed it as an exaggeration. As her words sank in, eyes turned to Danzou. Suspicion showed in their expressions as if they just remembered something.

Konoha's war hawk didn't skip a beat. "I'm afraid this little girl is too inexperienced in diplomacy to understand what was obviously going on." He sent her a vehement glower before continuing. Though incensed, he did not show it outwardly. "I, alone, saw the political and military gains to be made. I saw an opportunity, and I took it."

He settled into a lecturing pose. He was going to teach Hiahi's daughter what it meant to stand in a political arena without the necessary weapons, especially experience. "Rain was suffering from social turmoil after the end of the war, and Hanzou was fighting to regain his country. Self righteous 'freedom fighters' rose up to oppose his rightful leadership, and he sought to quell them."

"Hanzou was a powerful leader at the time, and it would have benefited Konoha greatly to have an ally in him. The rabble who opposed his leadership were little more than extremists looking for vindication." He turned his gaze to the Fire daimyo. "As can often be the case, there were complications. Though my troops and I fought hard, we could not confirm the elimination of every 'freedom fighter' that day."

Shibi quietly spoke up before heated accusations could be thrown. "I must point out, Danzou-san, that everything Katsuyu-san saw and heard was meticulously logged." He lightly shifted his shades. "Shikamaru-kun and Rikka-kun toiled assiduously to ensure the veracity remained on record for review. I believe it prudent to confer what Nagato-san revealed." He pointedly nodded to Shikaku.

The Nara head sighed. Though he was happy to finally have his chance to speak, he wasn't thrilled about having to work. "According to the report, the freedom fighters you disparage were a group of like-minded individuals seeking peace for Rain. They were led by a young man named Yahiko; Nagato and Konan stood by him."

The Fire daimyo looked at him expectantly, so continued after rolling his shoulders. "Anyway, they set up a meeting with Hanzou, and they come to find only an ambush waiting. Danzou and a group of masked leaf ninja stood with Hanzou. The fact Nagato called them ANBU is disturbing as they are the Hokage's personal army." He stared pointedly to Danzou. "No mission was authorized for any ANBU squads to Rain during that time period."

The war hawk almost smirked. "I didn't take any ANBU with me to Rain, and Sarutobi would have stopped Hanzou from doing what was necessary. Instead, I took ninja I personally trained. I suppose you could call them an organization, an origination named ROOT. I trained them personally to defend the roots of Konoha and Fire. ROOT's sole mission is to increase the military power and readiness of Konoha in case of emergency."

"It was the soft-hearted nature of the last two Hokage that endangered this village! We were at war, and we didn't finish our enemies' ambitions while we could. It was foolish to leave Hanzou alive or Rain alone. Instead of sweeping through the land and wiping out the threat, we let is spread like a disease to our roots. As it was no longer in Konoha's best interest to eliminate Hanzou, I made a deal."

Danzou stood, over half the clan council oddly captivated by his very presence. He slowly approached the high seated Fire daimyo. He gestured a sweeping bow. "Fire-sama, I only work to make Konoha and Fire the best they can be. Don't you think we should work hard to ensure we are a power nobody would dare stand against? With my personally trained soldiers, we can stand against the invading hordes."

As the Fire daimyo looked on as if hypnotized, it was Hinata who found her voice among the clan council. "That's wrong!" She cringed but didn't back away from the venomous glare Danzou gave her. "Nobody's trying to invade! We have to stand united against Akatsuki because they want to wipe all ninja out! You made Nagato-san a threat when you tore the last of his family from him!"

"Things happen in war, little girl." Danzou practically spat at her. "Though better trained than ordinary ninja, they still can't see everything on the battlefield. We thought we got them all after that one brat brought out his unusual toy, but I suppose he managed to get away with that other one, the paper girl." He diplomatically left out his opinion of the academy; it was a joke in his mind.

He turned back to the Fire daimyo. Oddly, he seemed to react as if there were no interruption at all, as if Hinata had not been so rudely insulted. "Imagine the power Fire could obtain. If I were Hokage, I could easily devote everything to the security of Fire. You'd have personally trained ROOT assigned to protect you, and nobody would dare stand against you. We could even end our fear of other Kage and their villages."

Hinata shook her head. "No! This is wrong! Why is Fire-dono acting like this?! It's like he's not even listening to what I've said. He's even ignored Nara-san and Aburame-san. It's not like him. It's not like him at all!" She shook an odd feeling from the back of her mind. Something was bothering her, but she couldn't quite place it.

"There is a war coming." Danzou continued without pause. "Three peace loving Hokage lulled us into a false sense of reality. If I had been given the Uzumaki like I asked, he would have been trained by ROOT into a highly effective ninja from the start. He would have long ago surpassed what he displayed the other day, and Akatsuki would fear us instead."

Hinata's eyes went wide, and her full attention turned to Konoha's war hawk. "He wanted to make Naruto-kun ROOT?!" She shook her head fervently. "No! That's not right! He's talking about brainwashing an innocent child like it was nothing!" She paused in her thoughts and noticed a few heads nodding. "Wait, brainwashing…? H-He couldn't… Could he?"

She swallowed nervously. If she was wrong, she could get into a lot of trouble. She had to do something. She had to do something for the most precious person in her life. She wanted to support Kakashi for him. Perhaps even more than that, she had to protect Tsunade for him. If Danzou had his way, he might be able to do more than become an interim.

Taking a deep breath, she settled her nerves. She was going to fight an uphill battle if she was wrong, but she was willing to take the risk. Something didn't feel right, and that something was gnawing at the back of her mind. She thrust her hands together to form familiar family hand seals. "Byakugan!" Her perception changed as chakra and blood vessels bulged.

Except for Shikaku and Shibi, the able ninja on the clan council were on their feet in an instant. Though the spike in chakra brought no killer intent, Fire daimyo was surrounded quickly by a protective array. It was Danzou, however, who shrank away from the crowd. His lips twisted in a snarl to low to make out.

Hinata focused all her attention on Danzou. She ignored the calm and not so calm demands for her to stand down. She maintained the family hand seal and deepened her focus. Her eyes narrowed as her vision focused on and enhanced her target. As his chakra pathways magnified, she grew more and more surprised by what she saw.

She didn't know how to explain it. His chakra pathways under his bandages were different. They reminded her of Sasuke's chakra pathways. They were also active. He was using some kind of technique, and the gnawing at the back of her mind grew worse. She saw his chakra react and flare, and the gnawing grew worse.

She released her focus on him and generally looked around the room. The council members calling for her to stand down looked like their chakras were being affected by an outside force. They weren't under a genjutsu, but they weren't acting completely on their own either. A few looked unaffected, but they couldn't act against the flow of the crowd. They were trapped in the chaos she started by activating her Byakugan. However, even they didn't seem to notice Danzou's flaring chakra.

She pointed somewhat hesitantly at him, finally snapping that gnawing feeling in the back of her mind. She suspected he was the cause as she called him out. "Danzou-san, you've been actively using your chakra this entire time." Heads swung in his direction, astonished eyes resting on him.

He huffed, ready to reprimand her assertion and point out that she activated her kekkei genkai. She cut him off even before he opened his mouth to speak. "You've been doing something to affect the minds of Fire-sama and the clan council. I've felt a strange compulsion the entire time until I noticed what you were doing." She paused to lower her hands to her side, Byakugan still glaring.

She pointedly turned her head from side to side. As a Hyuuga, there was no need, but she was getting a point across. She also noted some clan council members breaking the strange hold. "He has two, different chakra pathways. It's as if he had multiple transplants. Underneath his bandages, my Byakugan sees pathways similar to Uchiha Sasuke."

Her declaration was enough to break the rest of the clan council members out of their daze. Even Fire daimyo glared angrily at Konoha's war hawk. It was one thing to play with pretty words and dance politically. It was quite another to use ninja techniques to play mind games and control the path a council followed.

As Danzou frowned and heatedly glared at Hinata, Fire daimyo spoke angrily. "Is that all the faith you have, Danzou? You think you can make me and the clan council dance around in the palm of your hand?" He turned to Hinata. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. Now, could you keep your eyes on him? It would be unsightly to have him control the proceedings once more."

She was about to nod, but a squad of ANBU appeared surrounding Danzou. His frown deepened with the lines of his face. He was angry, and things kept spiraling out of his control. The ANBU squad was led by a woman wearing a Hawk mask. Though Hinata knew who she was, she refrained from happily calling out to her. Identity was valuable to members of ANBU, especially the captains.

"Danzou…" Hawk started as calmly as she might order tea. "…you're under arrest for suspicion of murder and treason." The revelation brought gasps from around the clan council. She quickly eyed Hinata. "Several of your 'personally trained ROOT' have been convicted for the treasonous act of attacking and killing loyal Konoha shinobi during a time of crisis."

The lines on Danzou's face deepened with his frown. He was obviously seething, and he knew he had lost complete control of the situation. He openly glared at Hinata and stealthily reached inside his robes for his katana. As he focused chakra to his feet and prepared to behead his last annoyance, his eye was forced wide open. He was held in place by ANBU, threateningly. A kunai was to his jugular, another was pointed straight up his jaw, and another pressed into his back ready to tear cloth and break skin.

He suppressed a growl of pain when he noticed his wrist was broken. As his katana rattled against the floor, he noticed it was Hawk holding his hand at an unnatural angle. For a moment, he thought he could see red through the nonexistent eyeholes of her mask. "You are also under arrest under suspicion of the murder of a visiting dignitary from Kumo of Lightning."

Danzou's expression showed no sign of surprise or guilt. "You will find I am not easily amused." His heated glower remained on the ANBU captain holding his hand hostage. He was in no position to fight back, and he could tell they weren't responding to his manipulative chakra. "The little Hyuuga brat ruined a perfect opportunity."

Hawk smirked haughtily to insult the elder shinobi further. "If we had acted when we first arrived, we might not have gotten such an easy confession out of you." Before he could retort, she practically snapped his arm as she twisted him around. She easily restrained him with chakra sealing tags. With him silenced and half-conscious, she ordered her squad to remove him to a cozy jail cell.

She politely turned and bowed to Fire daimyo. She had never personally dealt with him, but she had some dealings with dignitaries. She had arranged escorts and schedules for very wealthy visiting merchants. It was important to be as polite as possible. "I beg your pardon, Fire-sama. We couldn't allow Danzou-san to further manipulate the proceedings."

He nodded appreciatively. "You're dismissed, ANBU-san." He didn't even finish waving his hand before her form flickered and disappeared. He didn't appear surprised and quickly cleared his throat to return attention to the task at hand. "I must thank you, Hyuuga-dono, for recognizing the threat and acting upon it. Without your quick thinking, we might have let Danzou have the very control he desired."

She cutely blushed and bowed her head respectfully. "Thank you Fire-sama. It was my duty and pleasure to act in the best interest of Fire and Konoha." She fidgeted to quiet cheers and exuberant chuckles. She put her hands between her legs and continued to look down as discussions raged around her. She spoke her opinion when asked, but she felt comfortable with whatever the clan council decided about Kakashi's role.

Ultimately, the final decision on the fate of the Hokage position rested with the jonin council. The general consensus was to trust the jonin council and any medical reports on Tsunade. She was in a coma, but there was nothing the medics could say on her condition…yet anyway. They didn't know if she would recover, and they were unsure how fit for duty she might be upon recovery.

There were more questions floating around than anything else, but they at least decided on one thing. Hatake Kakashi would represent Konoha as the interim Hokage at the Council of Shadows. He was certainly capable of fighting at the same level as most Kage, and he was famous enough not to be disputed. They were comfortable with their choice.

Shikamaru was surprised; Naruto managed to remain silent the entire time he retold what his father relayed. The blond genin had an excited look on his face when he suddenly exclaimed just how happy he was. "Hinata-chan stood up to that crook?!" He continued after the genius nodded and nursed his ears. "That's so awesome!"

Shikamaru decided to tune his over enthusiastic friend out. He knew the blond could chatter on for hours about useless things. Though he was mostly not paying attention, part of him listened just closely enough to catch any worthwhile questions. From time to time, even he was surprised by the number one unpredictable ninja's insight. It was really scary some times.

"Hey Shikamaru, what did that ANBU mean when she said something about getting Danzou to confess?" Naruto's sudden question almost made the tactical genius fall out of his chair. He proved he was paying attention and had caught one of the most important details. He even patiently waited for his lazy friend to recover.

Being lazy, it took a moment for Shikamaru to recover. He wasn't expecting an intelligent question so early. He was expecting to sit and happily laze about for half an hour waiting for the hyperactive ninja to calm down. Instead, he only had his peace for a sum of… He carefully looked to a clock. …ten minutes. He resigned himself with a sigh before answering.

"It may surprise you to know that some people plan things out before they attack." He chuckled when his blond friend appropriately humphed and crossed his arms over his chest morosely. "Anyway, ANBU just finished investigating ROOT members they caught as the clan council meeting started. Hawk was directing her squad members where and how to move when Hinata confronted Danzou."

As the hyperactive ninja smirked, the lazy ninja continued. "Tou-san said it was like watching a fresh genin suddenly take on a seasoned jonin." Shikamaru sighed when Naruto frowned. "Anyway, Hawk decided to wait and watch. That decision may have saved them from more trouble later."

"'cause Hinata-chan revealed Danzou was manipulating them!" The lazy ninja was taken aback at the hyperactive ninja's important insight. The blond genin had correctly deduced and concluded the benefits of waiting and consequences of rushing in headlong. It may have seemed like something simple, but, to anybody who knew the blond, it was a rather significant step.

Shikamaru smirked. He knew he was going to support his hyperactive friend's bid to be Hokage. He was sure he would play a big part in his office. He only felt more secure backing the golden-hearted Naruto. Then again, the decision never was all that difficult.

Kakashi looked on, completely distressed. Even when chaos ruled… Even within a tent… The situation just wasn't right for so much paperwork to pile up! He understood his sensei's anguished screams. He understood Sarutobi and Tsunade's looks of abject fear. He sympathized with Jiraiya turning down the exulted position.

He pitied Naruto and all future Hokage.

Shizune pushed him further into the tent and immediately started going over the most important documents. While missions were important and had to be approved and sorted, the village needed to be rebuilt. Because the village needed to be rebuilt, contractors needed to be approved, hired, and paid. The treasury had enough money to continue paying shinobi, supply the village with food and water for about two months, and rebuild about a sixteenth of Konoha.

After he finished with contractors and merchants, Shizune forced him to move onto missions. Thankfully, she kept a tight ship. Knowing approvals had to be made rapidly; she set chunin and jonin she trusted to finding competent and trustworthy contractors for repair. The same chunin and jonin already had missions sorted by rank and best recommendations.

Though it was nightfall before he finished, he was thankful he didn't have to make all the decisions. If they were left to him, he was sure an impatient clan council would be waiting for weeks. The Council of Shadows, after all, was mandatory, and only the Hokage could approve foreigners' travel into Konoha and final mission details. He was only the interim, but he was expected to act with the full authority and duties of the office.

He was about to leave when the tent flap opened to reveal Shizune, fresh paperwork hugged to her chest, and Kanaeru. The latter was a surprise, and she looked somewhat disheveled. Knowing it was best not to mess with an already upset woman, he settled back down to listen to whatever request was being made of the interim Hokage.

"I'm taking Naruto out of Konoha." Kanaeru started without preamble, and she wasn't surprised when Kakashi dragged a palm against his face with a 'why me' expression. "He needs to understand why he was left alone in Konoha and sort out his feelings. If he doesn't get this, he won't be ready for that thing Tsunade wants him attending in three months."

He slowly blinked in thought. Shizune watched nervously, only because she didn't trust the implications of either decision. When he finally spoke, he indicated the folders Tsunade's assistant held. "I take it you prepared more paperwork for me for a reason." It was a statement more than a question. As Kanaeru nodded in acquiescence, Shizune set the folders on the temporary desk.

He opened the first folder, and his eye went wide. Closing it, he went onto the next. He continued scanning through the folders quickly until he came to the end. "You won't object to any decision I make concerning the team assignment?" She shook her head in approval. "I want Shikamaru and Sakura accompanying Naruto and Hinata." He turned to Shizune. "Place those four on active duty as being on extended, multi-mission assignment."

Kanaeru smirked. "You won't regret this." She didn't think the proposal would be hard to pass. It wasn't unusual to request a four-man cell for the types of missions she had lined up, and she really wanted to spend more time with her nephew. Requesting Hinata had the double bonus of a diplomat and somebody to tease endlessly.

The first mission was rather easy and more of a courtesy. The four-man cell assigned to complete the missions outlined were to escort a dignitary and her entourage to a predetermined destination. The destination would then become a headquarters of sorts to prepare for and deploy out to the rest of the missions.

He was about to respond when he heard a disturbance not far from the interim Hokage's tent. His jaw went slack and visible eye wide. He stood and practically ran out of the tent, almost pushing an ill prepared Shizune to the ground in his rush. His shoulders slumped and arms hung at the sight. In the middle of a fresh crater, he spied two giants among men.

The two men wore Iwa hitai-ate and dressed in little more than a loose vest and black trousers each. While both wore black trousers, one wore a red vest, and the other wore blue. They were identical otherwise. Their muscular build restricted their movement, but they were boisterous and scarily capable.

They were also surrounded by suspicious and wary ANBU. No less than six squads surrounded the loud brothers. Kakashi wasn't near enough to hear them, but he knew he had to approach and clear up…whatever was happening. He shot a glance to Kanaeru, but he was surprised when Shizune handed him a folder. With a questioning gaze, he opened the folder.

His head fell when he read the contents. The Iwafutae clan was famous for their ability to create strong, intricate stone structures. They were also famous for their eccentric behavior and lack of originality outside their craft. In fact, the brothers causing a ruckus in the middle of the village were named simply Ichi and Ni. The red one was Ichi, and the blue one was Ni.

"Hey onii-san, I don not think the little people trust us." Ni called to his older brother.

"Hey otouto-san, it is rude to call little people by little people." Ichi chided his little brother.

"What should we call them then, onii-san?"

"Hmm? They are in masks, so maybe ANBU, otouto-san."

"That is an excellent idea, onii-san. Hey ANBU, I am sorry for calling you little people, despite the fact that you are much smaller than we Iwafutae." Ni paused to a moment to watch their reactions. "I do not think that worked, onii-san. They still seem to mistrust us!"

"You are a fool, otouto-san. You still called them little people, so they are most insulted." Ichi whapped his younger brother over the head. "Leave the thinking to me, otouto, because I thought of a wonderful idea." He pointed to the remains of the Hokage Monument. "That is an important landmark, you see, and we should repair it!"

Ni's eyes went wide, and he clapped his hands excitedly. "Oh, what a wonderful idea that is, onii-san! We should repair it as good as new and show the ANBU just how trustworthy we are! Shall we get started, then? Such a monumental task…" He chuckled. "…requires much time and concentration."

Ichi chuckled as well. "Oh why certainly yes otouto-san, we must make the ANBU appreciate how helpful we are! It is unbecoming of an Iwafutae to let such beauty to be defaced!" He chuckled. As he opened his mouth to speak, he noticed something. "Oh no, we must protect the Iwafutae from the copying eye of Konoha's Kakashi!"

"Yes! We cannot let Kakashi copy our highly prized jutsu!" Both spoke in unison, actually scaring several of the present ANBU. "Iwafutae clan jutsu are only for Iwafutae! It is shameful, oh so shameful, to allow the eyes of the copycat to lie upon them! Even though Tsuchikage-sama and Earth-sama ordered us to help in anyway we can, we cannot allow even an A-rank mission to steal our Iwafutae clan jutsu!"

Kakashi blinked lazily and rubbed his ears, which were ringing annoyingly. With a sigh, he knew he had to correct them, or things would never get done while he was around. "Even if I wanted to copy your jutsu, I can't copy kekkei genkai." He cringed when they let out a loud 'oh' and continued. "Anyway, I'm acting as Hokage for now, so I need to see how trustworthy you are before I leave to meet with the other Kage."

"That is excellent news to hear!" The brothers shouted in unison. "The copycat cannot see through our Iwafutae clan jutsu, so we are free to use them to our leisure! Then watch, Kakashi, as we revive the lost Hokage Monument!" They turned to face the crumbling monument and sat harshly against the ground. They rapidly progressed through hand seals before pushing their hands together, fingers intertwined, to point at the ruined monument.

Kakashi shot a pointed glare to Kanaeru before returning a lazy glare to the former Hokage Monument. He was not surprised to see rocks from the cliff side rise into the air. It was common among Doton techniques. However, the brothers Iwafutae lifted boulders and rocks heavier than most Doton users could and higher than normal chakra reserves would allow.

The weight and height they could handle didn't speak to the Iwafutae clan abilities. In midair, the smallest pebbles to the largest boulders folded and molded into their original shapes. They moved like liquid and merged. As the brothers sweated, rough faces appeared and joined the cliff face. They dropped their technique and fell to all fours, panting and sweating heavily.

Kakashi nodded. He knew they were skilled, and he knew they could complete the task. What they accomplished in a few minutes would have taken over a year to complete with regular Doton users and skilled contractors. They weren't done yet, however. The faces were too blocky, and the eccentric Iwafutae could never leave a job halfway.

He turned and started to walk away. "I want two ANBU squads escorting them, from the shadows of course. Do not interfere with their work or interactions unless you feel you have to. I'm sure you understand their importance to rebuilding Konoha as quickly as possible. Assign them to groups working on the walls, gates, and, of course, monument." He nodded, satisfied. Even with the brothers Iwafutae skills, those three alone would take months, and they were vital to security and morale.

He only wished he didn't have to put up with Iwafutae eccentricities. Shortening work on those sectors from years to months was well worth a little headache, though. As interim Hokage, he had to make the tough decision. Oh, how he knew he'd suffer for his leadership role. "Tsunade, please recover soon…"

Danzou stared venomously at the door to his jail cell. He was sitting on a stone bed in the most secure place in Konoha. The underground ANBU headquarters was the only place structurally spared from Pein Rikudou's rampage. The walls were made from chakra absorbing materials and laden with chakra suppressing seals. Even so, his wrists and ankles were wrapped with chakra disrupting seal tags. He didn't even have running water to potentially mar the seals.

He hated to admit it, but he was completely powerless. He was sure cameras were watching his every move and for any potential visitors. His ROOT agents didn't know where he was, so they couldn't use time/space techniques to get to him. They also had no idea where he was being watched from, so any escape attempt would be futile. He was also sure his best and brightest ROOT agents were already under lock and key.

A smirk came to his face when he saw swirling orange and black. His head slowly rose to meet his master. "Ah, it's been a while since I last saw you." His mouth clenched when he attempted to properly great his master. Of course, there was a seal etched onto his body to prevent him from ever speaking of his master. Still, he knew him when he saw him. The swirling mask couldn't hide his distinctive chakra. There were other important factors, of course.

Only one man knew Konoha well enough to remove any and all obstacles. He likely took out the people monitoring the cameras. He also helped build ANBU headquarters when Konoha was founded, so he knew the most secure cells and how to bypass security. The immortal Uchiha Madara was the only entity capable of freeing Danzou from his untimely incarceration.

"Really, to imagine one of my war hawks was so useless…" The masked Uchiha's words practically spat venom. "I had high hopes for you, so I gave you ROOT and all the secrets of Konoha. Now, you're rotting away in the highest security jail cell Konoha has to offer because you got sloppy. I guess your personal training regiment isn't as full proof as you thought."

Danzou took the criticism patiently. His master was the only one who he allowed to speak to him in such a manner. He nodded in acquiescence. "I admit; I did not see this turn of events. My ROOT agents cannot speak of me much the same as I cannot speak of you. Unfortunately, I spoke rashly when the little Hyuuga girl spoke against me in council chambers, and ANBU had wisely chosen to wait and listen."

Madara shook his head. "You should have used that gift I gave you. I didn't help you obtain Shisui's jutsu just to see you fail so miserably. You should have been able to make the ANBU think as you wanted. You should have been able to force even those who know what you were doing to think what you wanted them to."

He tilted his head to one side arrogantly. "Then again, I suppose that would be hard for you. Your body was incompatible with Uchiha chakra pathways. You could only use Shisui's jutsu to half its extent." He slowly, purposely drew a left-handed katana. "That's why I used Fuuin to slow Shisui's eye and arm's aging. I'm sure my next war hawk will use this gift far more accurately than you."

Danzou's eye went wide, and he backed away as best he could on his stone slab of a bed. "Wa-Wait! What are you doing?!" His back straightened against the wall of the jail cell. He felt weaker than normal as his body came in direct contact with the wall's material. "I've always been loyal! You're breaking your word!"

"Oh?" Madara cooed. "I do believe you've gotten it backwards. I do not serve you. Oh, quite the opposite." He drew closer and prepared the katana to strike. "Ironic, isn't it? You're going to be killed by your own katana after failing your master." His visible eye seemed to glow menacingly. "Any last words, war hawk of Konoha?"

"I-I can't even speak your name!" Danzou practically whimpered. "I can't describe you, so there's no way to link me to you! I-I can still serve you!" He tried to raise his hands defensively, but they felt heavy for some reason. In a flash, his life ended as his head separated from his body. His mouth hung agape in a silent scream as his body fell limp.

Madara wiped the blade clean and dropped it. He left no trace on the weapon, so he had no problem with ANBU finding it. He watched blood pool under the body with a morbid fascination. "No, you can't verbally identify me. I thought you were supposed to be intelligent. I'm sure you could have found a way to make your master known if you put your mind to it."

He turned slightly to look over his shoulder. He could hear approaching voices and footfalls. "Oh, it seems it's time for me to leave. "I'll let ANBU dispose of your useless carcass…after I collect what is mine." He made a single hand seal, and parts hidden by bandages on Danzou's body glowed. In a swirl of orange and black, Madara disappeared from Konoha.

A few moments later, the jail cell door opened to reveal Ibiki. His back was turned for the moment as he addressed the ANBU escorting him. "You know what to do. Bring me those tools I want, and keep that person on standby." He turned around, and his eyes immediately went wide. He turned back to his ANBU escort. "Get me Inoichi and Shizune! We need to recover what we can while we have the opportunity!"

He actually growled. His job was interrogation, and his latest subject was murdered before he got to him. "Find out how something like this happened! Review the security tapes and bring me whoever slacked off!" The ANBU bowed respectfully before wavering and disappearing to carry out their assigned tasks. It was never a good idea to cross an incensed Ibiki.

He rubbed his neck as he looked at the mess. "Well, it might be easier to find out the truth like this. If Inoichi gets here soon enough, he can review the traitor's memory. Shizune can access his muscle memory later." Noticing something, he knelt beside the body. "His right arm's missing…" He looked suspiciously at the head a short distance away. "Well, I don't know if his right eye socket was empty or not…"

He decided to investigate the scene until ANBU returned with Inoichi and Shizune. He figured he might be able to figure something out. Though not a specialty, he had a keen eye and detail-oriented mind. He didn't miss that the weapon left on the scene was Danzou's own katana. He just didn't know how or understand the significance.

"What do you think of Danzou, anyway?" Anko asked, seemingly innocently. She had orders to keep her eye on Sai, but the orders seemed more urgent with suspicions of treason surrounding him. She was curious if the ROOT agent she was assigned to work with was just as guilty.

For his part, Yamato was mostly curious. Like Anko, he had experience with Orochimaru and no tolerance for traitors. However, he had worked with Sai for a while. He seemed like a kid who just needed a second chance. However, loyalties were still hard to place. ANBU reports seemed to indicate that he approached Danzou's place regularly, and he was still visited by ROOT agents.

Sai looked at her for a moment before glancing at the ground. "I'm sorry; I can't speak on the matter." His breath escaped him as a fist slammed into his gut. He knew it wasn't as hard as Anko could hit, but she held him aloft by the thin collar of his shirt. "I-I really can't." He stuck out his tongue to reveal a forbidden Fuuin.

She released him, only partly satisfied. "Can you at least write about him?"

Sai was about to answer, but Anko and Yamato suddenly fell to their knees. Their eyes rolled back and eyelids closed as they lost consciousness. "Yes, I'm interested to know too." A masked man was dangerously close. His robes gave him away as Akatsuki…

Please don't forget that I have a new poll up, and my forum is open.

I present the new, completely, one-hundred percent original arc! Can you tell who my new, least favorite characters are? Can you guess why?

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,098
Story Page Count: 16.5

Terms and Jutsu:

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