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Authors note
Sorry for the long wait. I had originally planned to do the next chapter of Specialist, yet about 6000 words in, it all just vanished. All that was left behind was a few lines of gibberish, which I'm told means that it's encrypted. And I can't get it back. This pissed me off so much; I couldn't even try to rewrite it. So I worked on this instead. I sent it out for proofing on May 31. One beta still hasn't replied yet, and the other managed to get it to me last week, which was a miracle considering where he is right now. Unfortunately, I'm in the middle of training right now, and since I'm only getting 4-5 hours of sleep a night, I haven't been able to work on it until now.
Now, there are two important things to note about this chapter. One, it's a little dry in some parts, and I use the Japanese names for countries, simply because I think they sound better. Two, whenever I use dates, I'm going to be putting A.F. (After the Founding) next to it. This is my estimate of how much time has passed since Konoha was founded, which marks the end of the Hidden Clans Era and the beginning of the Hidden Villages Era. I estimate this to be about eighty years when Canon starts.
Check out my story challenges, The Great Shinobi War and Son of Battles, on my profile.
Special thanks to Simonmountney for proofing. Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed. I should have responded to everyone, but if I missed you, I apologize. All reviews/criticism is welcomed. Without further ado, I give you chapter four of Naruto: The Reckoning
This will be AU (obviously) and Naruto will be two years older than Canon. Which means that the Kyuubi attack will be two years earlier.
Summary: A single moment's hesitation during the Kyuubi attack changed everything. Now as the world rushes towards war, a new order begins its rise.
'THOUGHTS'
LINEBREAKS=CHANGE OF SCENE/POV
Chapter Four
Chugging back cup after cup of sake, Tsunade was absolutely miserable. No, miserable didn't come even close to describing her right now. She had never felt anything near as painful as this. Not when her grandfather and granduncle died, or Dan, or Nawaki, or Minato, not during any of the wars she'd lived through, not when Orochimaru defected, nothing had ever caused her as much pain as this.
What was the source of this pain? Well, it could be summed up in one single, life-shattering event.
Flashback Five months ago
Tsunade strode quickly down the hallway in search of her son, Shizune struggling to keep up without breaking into a jog. They had been kept busy the last few days saving the life of an unfortunate ANBU who had had the bulk of his lower back -spine included- torn out by a giant ice cream scoop.
…
…
Well, not really, but it certainly looked like it.
They had managed to save him, though he would never walk again, let alone be a ninja. Still, he was alive, and that was enough for her. Besides, maybe they'd find a way to let him walk again in the future. After all, she'd heard that Suna had a fairly decent success rate using wooden limbs and high chakra control to realistically mimic real ones.
So maybe the poor man would be able to walk again. Who knew?
Still, she couldn't bring herself to care about the man too much right now. Not when she had more pressing concerns right now. Namely, her son.
As expected, Naruto had taken to his training quite well, despite his lack of interest in some of the subjects, and his instructor reported that he was easily Genin level. But there was something that disturbed her, no matter how hard she tried to pass it off as just her imagination.
Tsunade couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong with her child. He seemed to be experiencing these odd bouts of forgetfulness or disorientation from time to time. It was made even worse in that it seemed to be happening more and more often in the last few months.
Or maybe she was just finally opening her eyes to the fact that Naruto's condition wasn't just childish forgetfulness. Who knows how long it had been going on, with her refusing to consider the possibility that something was wrong?
'No…no nothing is wrong with him.' Tsunade scolded herself. 'I'm just getting worked up over nothing. I've been working too hard and worrying too much. I need a vacation.' She felt a smile grow on her face as her thoughts continued. 'Besides, I can take Naruto-chan with me. He could probably use a vacation as well, and I'm sure I can convince the One-Eyed Bastard to make it happen.'
Smiling happily, Tsunade almost started skipping when she caught sight of her son and Ebisu sitting at a table enjoying a quick lunch.
Making a shushing motion to Ebisu, Tsunade snuck up behind Naruto, wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and covered his eyes. "Guess who!" she said playfully as she rained a number of loud, exaggerated, and in no way embarrassing -regardless of what Naruto might later claim- kisses on her baby's head and face.
Perhaps it was to be expected that he would be a little jumpy given his recent training, but the way Naruto thrashed to get free brought a frown to her face. "What don't tell me you're embarrassed by me, Naruto-chan?" Tsunade mock scolded. "You should proud to have such a cool m-"
She felt her breath catch as Naruto turned in her arms and sent her a glare. Not that the glare really affected her, if anything, it just made him look even cuter. No, it was the look of utter confusion in Naruto's eyes as he stared up at her.
She couldn't explain why her chest suddenly felt constricted as Naruto gazed searchingly into her face. "Naruto-chan." she began worriedly. "Are you alright?"
"I'm sorry but," Naruto began unsurely. "Who are you?"
Tsunade glanced over at Ebisu for a moment, taking note of the way his eyebrow rose in surprise as he looked on, before she laughed nervously. "What are you talking about, Naruto-chan? Don't tell me you've forgotten me after just a few days?" she asked, trying to keep the nervous tremble out of her voice.
She could feel her fear mounting as Naruto turned to his instructor questioningly before looking to her again. "Do I know you?"
"Naruto-kun, stop fooling around." Ebisu barked. "You know full well who Tsunade-sama is."
"Tsunade-sama? As in, Tsunade Senju? Of the Sannin?" Naruto asked in confused awe. "But…I've never met you before…right?"
That was the last straw for Tsunade, as she quickly ran through the hand seals for the diagnostic jutsu running her hand over Naruto's body, barely noticing as Ebisu quickly made his way to crouch in front of them. "Look at me, Naruto-kun." Ebisu ordered as he took Naruto's head in his hands. "Do you know what day it is?"
"Um…Thursday. Why do you ask?" Naruto answered as he instinctively pulled his head back a bit.
"Do you know where you are? How old you are?" Ebisu continued as pulled a flashlight from his pouch and shined it in Naruto's eyes.
"In the ANBU training compound and I'm four and a half. Will you stop that!" he said as he tried to bat away Tsunade's hands. "What are you doing? What's going on?"
Tsunade didn't pay any attention to the two, as she continued her scan, growing more and more worried by the lack of any apparent medical explanation. "Ebisu!" she barked as she scooped Naruto into her arms and began walking away. "Tell Danzo what's happened, I want the best doctors the village has to offer ten minutes ago!" she ordered as she sprinted off towards the infirmary at full speed, determined to help her son.
Flashback ends
Tsunade did nothing to stop the tears that ran down her face as she discarded her cup and drank straight from the bottle. They still didn't know what happened to Naruto, even now. They could find nothing wrong medically, and every Yamanaka she'd dragged in to check on him turned up nothing.
Her current theory was that Naruto was suffering from some new form of mental degeneration or something similar, something that hadn't been documented before, or possibly a result of the Kyuubi's sealing.
All of his memories prior to moving to the ANBU compound- what little he'd have of the first three years of his life- were simply gone. Normal enough for anyone to forget years down the road, but not for a not even five year-old.
The year and half between moving in here and the day they discovered his condition was filled with holes, ranging from Tsunade and Shizune, to his studies, to his ninja skills, to the layout of the compound. His body remembered some things, even if his mind didn't, and he'd been able to pick up most of it again fairly quickly, but that couldn't be said for his memories of his family.
And they couldn't just re-teach him about how Tsunade always made sure to tuck him in at night, or how she hummed a happy tune whenever she cooked for him, or how he loved apple juice because she told him it was her favorite as a child. How could he relearn that he wanted to be like his mother and become a "doctor ninja" or that he used to love playing with her necklace while she held him in her arms?
The fact that she couldn't even tell him that she was his mother was the final blow, and she'd begun drinking again shortly after, in between sleepless nights spent combing through every medical book she could find on the mind and whatever she could borrow, threaten, and in some cases, downright steal from the Yamanaka clan.
Flashback
"What the Hell do you mean, we shouldn't tell him!" Tsunade roared angrily. "Why the Hell not!" She spat as she slowly advanced on the One-Eyed Bastard who had the audacity to make such a suggestion.
"Think about it Tsunade-hime." Danzo said in his usual, despicable calm. "You said it yourself; the most likely possibility is that he has some sort of degenerative mental disorder, right? So the last thing we want to do is confuse him."
"We don't know that for sure. It could just be a side effect of the sealing." Tsunade said defensively. "There's nothing to suggest that this will be permanent, or that it'll happen again in the future."
"That remains to be seen, though I certainly hope you're right, Tsunade-hime. I'd rather not be forced to declare Naruto-kun a deficient Jinchuuriki." Danzo murmured as he stared at the medical report.
She stiffened in rage before speaking in a deadly quiet voice. "There is nothing "deficient" about my son."
"I think you're missing the point. If anything like this happens again, we might not have any other choice than to create a new Jinchuuriki." Danzo retorted. "And I'm sure you know what happens to those who have their Bijuu removed from them."
Tsunade literally froze at that. There had never been a Jinchuuriki who survived losing their Bijuu before, and she wasn't willing to gamble on Naruto being able to survive that.
'But…why is Danzo saying he doesn't want to label Naruto-chan…deficient?' she thought with a scowl. "Why haven't you?" she asked suspiciously. "You're not known for your generosity. So why are you so willing to give Naruto-chan a second chance?"
Danzo remained silent, staring down at the report in his hands as if he didn't hear her. As she went to ask again, he finally spoke.
"Minato was a fool." Danzo said bluntly, causing Tsunade to blink at the sudden change of subject. "But he was a loyal fool. He sacrificed his life and that of his child's, to save this village." he sighed as he turned to Tsunade. "Not the fate I would have chosen for the boy, but there it is. Naruto-kun is as much a hero as Minato. So I'm willing to give the boy a chance. It may not be much, but it's better than most Jinchuuriki get."
Tsunade was stunned to hear such a…humane…response from the old ninja. For as long as she had known him, Danzo had always struck her as an ambitious, ruthless, hardened and embittered old war veteran. But looking at him now, Tsunade couldn't help but wonder if she might have misjudged him.
Sure, he was all those things, but so were many who went through a war, and he had gone through all three of the Great Shinobi Wars. That was sure to have a negative effect on a man. But perhaps, somewhere deep down, there was a good man, struggling with his demons while trying to do the right thing?
Luckily, before she could continue down that path, Danzo opened his mouth again.
"Of course, there is another reason why it's best not to tell Naruto-kun about his heritage."
'Or maybe he really was just an asshole.'
"There is no good reason to keep Naruto-chan from his heritage, you old relic." Tsunade stated resolutely as she folded her arms and sent the man a glare. "You're already keeping it from the rest of the village, but I won't let you keep it from him."
She didn't back down in the slightest when Danzo leveled a mild glare at her. "We've been over this, Tsunade-hime. I told, on the day Naruto-kun was born, he can't-"
"Be a Namikaze or a Senju, I remember." Tsunade interrupted irately. "How does that apply to this?"
"Consider this, Tsunade-hime." Danzo answered. "How are we going to keep his heritage a secret if he walks around calling you "Kaa-chan"? Ebisu might not have caught on, but he was told that you had been given the task of raising Naruto-kun, even before you and he met."
Tsunade was unimpressed. "So what? So people will know who raised him, what difference does that make?"
"The difference." Danzo began. "Is that Naruto-kun shares physical trait characteristics with you. So when people see a blond child calling a blond woman "Kaa-chan", their first thought is not going to be, "oh look, that woman must have raised him, but they aren't really related, despite how much they look like it". They'll assume that you're his mother."
"I am his mother." Tsunade pointed out crossly. She considered it a victory when the old bastard sighed exasperatedly.
"But we don't want people to know that. You're a well-recognized person. People aren't going to mistake you for some ordinary mother and son." Danzo reminded her." And even if we tell the entire world that you two aren't related, do you think our enemies will care? All they'll care about is that Tsunade Senju is raising a child, a Jinchuuriki child. They'll stop at nothing to kill him."
Tsunade felt her gut twist in fear at that. "I'll protect him." she declared stubbornly.
"And how will you protect him when he goes on missions? Or when the next war erupts?" Danzo questioned with a shake of his head. "No, he'll be far safer this way."
She opened her mouth to object when he spoke again. "At the very least, we should keep it from him until he's old enough to defend himself. Then we can tell him."
Tsunade felt her eye twitch. What was it with him and taking things from her just to offer to return them? At the same time, he did have a point. She and Minato had always known the danger Naruto would be in because of them. The difference between them and Danzo was their response to this threat.
Their plan had been rather simple. Minato would put a Hiraishin seal on some of Naruto's clothing, and spend his days fulfilling his Hokage duties, while Tsunade would be a "stay at home mom" to look after and protect Naruto. This suited her quite well, since she didn't care much for the rest of the village. The only time she'd have to leave would be in the most extreme medical emergencies.
Of course, there would be times when their roles would switch, mainly when Minato had a day off, and she would relax…somehow. At the time, she couldn't even think of anything that she'd rather be doing then spending time with her baby. But Minato had insisted, and she eventually agreed.
In addition to that, Naruto would receive training from not only herself and Minato, but also Jiraiya, Sarutobi, even Kakashi and Shizune. In theory, by the time he started taking missions outside the village; Naruto would already be a powerhouse, escorted by one of the strongest Jounin-sensei the village had to offer.
Jiraiya had thought that had meant him, but Tsunade had other plans. Jiraiya was powerful, of that she had no doubt, but he was also a pervert, and while Minato may have turned out alright, she hadn't been willing to gamble on that happening a second time.
She'd actually been planning to convince Sarutobi to do it. After all, what assassin in their right mind would go after a target under the protection of the Shinobi no Kami?
Danzo's plan on the other hand, was on the other end of the spectrum. Only this time, Naruto wouldn't get a Jounin-sensei at all, and while he might have the power of the current Hokage and most of the ANBU protecting him, Naruto was probably less protected now then he would have been had Minato lived. The question was, what else did Danzo's plan involve?
"Assuming I agree to this," she growled, feeling her bile rise as she said that. "How long would I have to wait to tell him?"
Danzo rubbed at his chin as he closed his eye in thought. "Eighteen." he said as he opened his eye. "By eighteen, he should be nearing his prime, and his control over the Kyuubi should be quite good as well."
That would not do. "Six." she stated forcefully. "Kakashi was a Chuunin by that age." she added as Danzo started to object.
"Kakashi wasn't in danger of being hunted down because of his heritage." Danzo retorted. "Sixteen. And that's the youngest I'll accept." he paused there as if something just occurred to him. "However, if you can find a way to reverse…whatever it is that's happened to Naruto-kun, then I suppose this will all be redundant."
Tsunade perked up at that. "So if I can "cure" him, then none of this matters? Everything can stay the way it is?"
Danzo shrugged. "I don't see why not. We'll just have to make sure he understands what he can and can't say about his heritage."
"Deal." Tsunade proclaimed with a grin as she left the office.
Flashback ends
She had been so sure that she could solve this within a few weeks. She was Tsunade-fucking-Senju after all! She was hailed as the single greatest medic-nin in the history of medicine.
Yet even after all these months, she was still no closer to finding a way to restore Naruto's memories. What's worse was the feeling that she could have prevented this. How many times had she come across a dazed or confused Naruto, sometimes even wandering the hallways as if lost? How many times did she see the confusion in his eyes when she brought up something from the past? And each time, she just brushed it aside, assured that nothing could be wrong with her baby boy.
If only she had done something, if only she had checked him sooner, maybe she could have prevented, or at least reduced the damage.
And with each day that passed without her baby recognizing her, with every day that she kept the truth from him, she felt her heart breaking more and more. And as the pain grew, so too did her desperation, and from that, her despair. Until, a little over a month after Naruto's diagnosis, it all boiled over and she did something that she had sworn she would never do again when she had learned she was pregnant.
She drank. A lot.
The next morning, once the hangover had worn off, she had redoubled her efforts to find a cure. And she continued to fail. With each failure, she found herself drinking more and more, until, the only time when one could be sure she was sober, was when she was with Naruto -as she would never let him see her like that- and when she was struggling to find a way to reverse Naruto's condition.
"Damn it!" Tsunade snarled as she swept the scrolls, books, and sake bottles from her desk. "Why can't I fix this!? What is the cause? Is it the Kyuubi's chakra? A side effect of the sealing? What!" She pressed her eyes into the palms of her hands. Her head was killing her, and that knocking sound bouncing around the inside of her head.
She growled as the knocking seemed to grow louder and more insistent. "Can we shut the damn noise!" she growled to herself.
"Tsunade-sama? Are you in here?" came a very familiar voice from the other room.
'No…no no, no!' she thought frantically. 'He can't see me like this! I can't let him see me like this!' she dashed around the room, shoving sake bottles in drawers and under her bed. Unfortunately, she had far too many bottles to possible hide in the short time she had as the sound of Naruto's footsteps drew closer.
Abandoning the sake bottles, Tsunade moved to cut him off before he entered the room. As she neared the door, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. She looked like…well…like she'd spent the last five hours drinking. Which she had, but that's not the point. The point was, she was a mess.
Tsunade frantically straightened her clothes and tried to fix her hair, discarding her necklace in a nearby drawer when it tangled in her hair. Sadly, there wasn't much else she could do as Naruto stuck his head into the room.
"Tsunade-sama?" he asked, before stepping into the room. "You didn't answer when I called. Are you alright?"
No, she wasn't alright. Still, just looking at him always made her feel better, and her smile showed it. "I'm just fine, Naruto-chan. Why don't we go sit in the other room? This one's a bit of a mess."
Naruto glanced around the room before fixing a deadpan look on her. "Tsunade-sama, it looks like a hurricane hit in here."
Folding her arms, she let out a huff. "Very funny. If I remember right, your room is- don't drink that!" she exclaimed as her arm blurred forward, snatching away the not quiet empty sake bottle that Naruto was sniffing.
"Hey!" he objected. "Give that back!" What followed was a rather humorous dance as Naruto tried to snatch back the bottle and she kept moving her hand out of his reach.
"You can't drink this, Naruto-chan." Tsunade scolded.
"Why not?" he whined as he tried to reclaim it again.
"Because it's not good for you. Sake can cause all kinds of health problems, so I don't want you to ever drink it. Understand?" she lectured as she ushered her little boy out into the other room.
"Really?" Naruto asked worriedly as he stared up at her.
"Really." Tsunade answered with a smile. She had intended to try to illicit a promise from him about never drinking when-
"But then, why do you drink it so much?" Naruto asked confusedly.
"Er…because it's ok since I'm an adult. So it isn't as dangerous for me." Tsunade mentally sighed in relief at dodging the bullet. Or so she thought.
"You mean it's still dangerous!" Naruto looked appalled. "Tsunade-sama, how could you be so reckless!" he asked as he snatched the bottle from a surprised Tsunade. Before she could respond, Naruto darted to the small kitchenette and tossed the bottle in the trash.
She blinked in surprise as Naruto marched up to her with an adorable look of determination on his face. "I want you to promise not to drink sake anymore!" he demanded.
"Excuse me?" Tsunade asked with an incredulous laugh. Just moments ago, she had been planning to get him to swear off alcohol and now here he was doing the same to her?
"You said it yourself, sake is dangerous, so I want you to promise not to drink it anymore." Naruto reiterated.
Tsunade wasn't quite sure how she was going to answer that, but before she could reach a decision, she realized something. Naruto was taking her word for it. He was taking her word as the truth…because he had faith in her…in his eyes, she could do no wrong. Her eyes widened as the pieces came together.
It might be a long shot but…before losing his memories, Naruto always believed Tsunade. Always. To him she was the absolute authority on anything and everything. And he's displaying that same unshakeable faith in her now.
Ok, it was a long shot, but it was the only sign that her baby was still in their somewhere. And that was more than enough reason for her to grin widely and scoop her baby into a hug. "Ok, Naruto-chan, I promise to cut back on my sake." she reassured him as she nuzzled his head. After all, she would probably need a little pick-me-up from time to time.
"Now," she chirped as she loosened her hold on him. "Did you need something?"
Naruto stared up at her in confusion for a moment before exclaiming. "Oh, Ebisu-sensei told me to tell you that Hokage-sama said that we're going to try to use the Kyuubi's chakra tomorrow."
"What?" she asked worriedly. "So soon? But you're only a little boy!" she would definitely be having words with Danzo later.
"Hey! I'm not a little boy! I'm already five years old!" Naruto objected defensively. "Besides," he added with a wide smile. "I know that you can fix anything that might go wrong."
In other circumstances, Tsunade might find Naruto's absolute faith in her heartwarming. But in this case, all she could do was worry.
Meanwhile
Danzo sat in his darkened office, sipping some sake while looking over a trio of reports on his desk. The first was a report on young Naruto's progress, and wasn't anything too spectacular overall.
Name: Naruto Uzumaki
Age at Beginning of Training: Three, October 19, 67 A.F.
Current Age: Five, October 27, 69 A.F.
Primary Instructor: Chuunin Ebisu
Training Details: Training began with the standard Academy curriculum. The trainee was already proficient at reading, and so the focus was switched to writing, which was mastered to a proficient level faster than expected as a result. He struggles with mathematics and science, but this seems to largely be due to a lack of interest. He excels at geography, and has mastered all Academy level studies on the subject.
Physical conditioning has reached as close to Genin level as possible given the trainee's age. Special attention has been paid to the trainee's speed and reflexes to make up for the inability to improve his physical strength at this time. In addition to his high stamina level, this has allowed the trainee to fight an opponent at Genin level for extended periods of time. Trainee's abilities with basic weapons; kunai, shuriken, etc. is easily at Genin level, and the trainee shows exceptional potential at dynamic fighting. Unable to proceed further due to lack of muscle and reach. NOTE: Recommendation for training in Chakra reinforcement to make up for lack of muscle mass submitted by Chuunin Ebisu, on July 7, 69 A.F.
Trainee is either able to use all of the Academy Ninjutsu proficiently, or has mastered them. He can use them all without needing to call out the technique for focus. Hand sign speed is adequate for his age.
Trainee has also mastered Academy level Genjutsu, as well as Genjutsu Kai. NOTE: Recommendation for beginning the Tree Walking Exercise submitted by Chuunin Ebisu, March 19, 68 A.F.
Trainee was able to access his chakra for the first time, three months into his training. Chakra levels have been confirmed to be at a high Genin level. Surprisingly, his chakra control has been rated at low to mid Genin level. (The amount of interference from the Kyuubi seems far less than anticipated. Please advise.)
Danzo flipped the folder shut without reading the rest. He already knew the report's contents. Young Naruto's abilities were as close to Genin level as a five-year-old could get, and he was pleased with the boy's results. With the exception of his small size, young Naruto was well within the standards of a Genin ranked shinobi. Now they just had to make up for the boys current deficiencies.
To that end, Danzo had approved the use of the Tree Walking Exercise to improve the boy's control, as well as to pave the way for teaching him higher ranked Nin and Genjutsu. Naruto's greatest weakness was definitely in his Taijutsu and basic weapons skills, and Ebisu had come up with the best solution outside of waiting for the boy to grow.
Unfortunately, Danzo had to put the Chakra enhancement training on hold for the time being. It was time they started testing young Naruto's ability to utilize his "prisoner". In fact, he had already arranged for Jiraiya to be present tomorrow when Naruto attempted to channel the Kyuubi's power for the first time.
Danzo couldn't stop the shiver that ran up his spine at the thought of that beast's power. He would never admit it to anyone, but the Kyuubi no Kitsune still haunted his dreams, even after five years. There were even times when he wondered if it wouldn't be better just to leave sleeping demons lie, and just pretend that the Kyuubi really was dead.
But each time that happened, something reminded him of why they needed to use it. Be it a report on Kumo's latest military buildup, or signs of Iwa reigniting hostilities, or when he learned that their esteemed "allies" in Suna had created their own Jinchuuriki shortly after Naruto began his training.
The sad fact of the matter was, they needed the Kyuubi and Naruto in order to check the power of the other Jinchuuriki. 'Besides,' Danzo reminded himself. 'Didn't I put that Juin Jutsu on Naruto to keep the Kyuubi's power under control? As long as we're careful and don't push the boy too far too fast, everything should be fine.'
Shaking his head, Danzo turned his attention back to the second folder on his desk, marked S RANK. It was this report that was the cause of his drinking that night. He didn't even bother to open it once again, already having committed it to memory. In fact, he should go ahead and destroy the file to erase all evidence of his deeds from two years ago.
Flashback
Danzo waited patiently in his office after sending a messenger to retrieve Tsunade and her apprentice to assist with a critical condition patient that had just been brought in that night. Really, the odds of this happening on the Senju family's first night in the ANBU facility were almost too good to be true.
Once Danzo was sure they were both in the infirmary, he had put one of his plans into motion. Now he was just waiting to see if things had gone according to plan or not.
'Speak of the devil…' he mused idly as the door opened and one of his ROOT ANBU made his way to kneel in front of his desk. "What do you have to report, Fuu?" he asked, careful to keep his voice relaxed, almost bored as he discreetly observed one of the most promising of his ROOT members.
The Yamanaka rose and stood at attention before his Kage. "The operation is complete, Hokage-sama. There were no complications."
"Good." Danzo murmured in approval. "I trust you followed my instructions to be subtle."
"Of course, Hokage-sama." Fuu answered. "It should take several months before the boy completely forgets her, and by then all signs of my Jutsu will have faded away. By the time Tsunade-sama discovers the effects, there will be no evidence that it was anything but natural cause."
Danzo snorted at that. "I somehow doubt she'll believe her only child forgetting her will be the result of "natural causes." Still, as long as there is no proof that we had anything to do with it, then it will serve our purposes well enough." Pausing in thought, he continued. "Make sure to discreetly check on the boy from time to time to insure that nothing goes wrong. Understand?"
"Hai, Hokage-sama."
Flashback Ends
Just as Fuu had promised, Naruto slowly came to forget his mother, little by little, until just five months ago, when the day came when the boy didn't even recognize her. And it was this that tore at him.
Danzo was no more a stranger to guilt than any other shinobi, and it could be said that he had committed more than his fair share of sins. And it would be the truth. He always took comfort in the fact that each of his many sins had served some greater purpose, had somehow been necessary. It didn't get rid of the guilt completely, but it sure made living with it easier.
Yet even knowing why he did it, knowing that it was important that Naruto be kept from being too influenced by his mother in order to be what Danzo needed him to be, nothing had ever caused him such guilt as seeing Fuu's handiwork. Of hearing the screams of anguish and pain from a devastated mother. Odd considering that objectively speaking, he had done far worse in his life than make someone forget their mother. Of course, not even that lessened his feelings of guilt.
Then there were the unintended consequences. Tsunade hadn't taken her son's…forgetfulness…very well. Not that he actually expected her to have a positive reaction. Still, Tsunade's reaction was more than a little regrettable.
No one outside those who had known of Tsunade's pregnancy knew just what effect it had had on her. Namely, her sudden obsession with maintaining her health and that of her unborn child's. There were few things in this world more terrifying than an overprotective, hormonal, pregnant Tsunade who had decided to go cold turkey when it came to her sake.
It wasn't long after learning of Naruto's…amnesia…that her alcoholism had returned with a vengeance. 'My God that was a nightmare-'
"Hokage-sama," came his secretary's voice. "Sandaime-sama is here to see you. He says it's urgent."
Turning on the lights, Danzo removed the various reports from his desk and disposed of his sake before responding. "Send him in."
After a brief moment, the door opened to admit his old rival, a rather serious expression on his face. "Danzo." Sarutobi greeted coolly, though he had come to expect such things in the last five years.
"Sarutobi. Please, have a seat. How about some tea before we get started?" He asked amicably. "I think you'll enjoy it, it's a new blend that I discovered while in the market the other day."
"Yes please, that sounds quite nice." Sarutobi agreed as he took a seat in front of Danzo's desk. As they both sipped at their drinks, Danzo studied his former rival turned predecessor. The man was looking fairly well for his age, though Danzo was pleasantly pleased to note that the man's baldness had increased some since their last meeting, while Danzo retained a decent head of hair. Petty of him perhaps, but then, old habits do die-hard. Sarutobi appeared to have been increasing his training somewhat in the last few years, so he seemed to be retaining the majority of his skills.
Perhaps more important, he knew that Sarutobi hadn't been overtly doing anything to usurp his authority. On the surface, the man kept to himself and his family, living the life of a retired man, usually broken only by visiting with his student Jiraiya. This is not to say that Danzo thought Sarutobi wasn't trying to usurp him, just that the man was keeping it subtle, restricted to intelligence gathering for the most part. However, Danzo seriously doubted that Jiraiya and Sarutobi were meeting to discuss porn of all things.
Other than that, the man looked about the same as always, though he may have gained a few more wrinkles due the work Danzo had assigned him.
It had taken some thought, but he eventually found something to occupy the old monkey's time, shortly after the Senju moved into the ANBU complex. He had decided to put Sarutobi "in charge" of Konoha's diplomatic core, where the man "thrived". Sarutobi had managed to maintain the current state of affairs with the various nations. Despite what some may think, Danzo was not opposed to using diplomacy when possible. He just didn't put much faith in the other parties upholding their end of the deal. There was a difference.
Most people made the mistake of thinking that diplomacy was only about creating or maintaining peace/alliances. However, the truth of the matter was that allies and peace were only a part of it, though the most well-known. Diplomacy was also about intelligence gathering, manipulation, sabotage, even war. Perhaps the greatest game of chess, diplomacy was used to set nations against each other, while one's own nation could reap the benefits.
A prime example was the last Great War, where through subtle manipulations, false intelligence, and diplomacy, diplomats from Iwa and Tsuchi no Kuni (Earth) managed to convince Suna's council that Konoha was responsible for the disappearance of their Sandaime Kazekage. They subtly influenced the various members, arranging for this council member to discover this information, for a diplomat to make an offhand comment to that member. This continued until eventually, when the Suna council pooled their "information" they found themselves with "the truth". And all the while, Iwa made it seem like Suna had "discovered" it themselves.
They had even managed to manipulate the situation so that the more Konoha denied involvement, the more certain Suna became that they were close to recovering their beloved Kazekage. And then came Sakumo Hatake's disaster of a mission.
The result of course, was Suna attacking Hi no Kuni in force, intent on recovering their leader and occupying most of Kawa no Kuni in the process. And while Konoha was reeling from the unwarranted assault, Iwa made its own move, launching a massive invasion that overran Kusa no Kuni in less than a week, and then moving on to seize a majority of Hi no Kuni's northwestern provinces. Once that was accomplished, they launched a smaller, though no less devastating attack on Kaze no Kuni, who had already committed most of their forces to their offensive against Hi no Kuni.
At that point, it seemed a foregone conclusion that Iwa would come out as the real winner, regardless of whether Suna or Konoha won the war. Even when Konoha got around to launching a counter attack against Iwa, it seemed likely that Tsuchi no Kuni would retain most of its new holdings. That is, until Minato Namikaze finished his Hiraishin.
In the following weeks, Minato did more damage to Iwa's forces than the rest of Konoha's forces did in the previous two years, pushing the Iwa Nin all the way into Kusa no Kuni. A month later, and the war was over, ending in a negotiated peace that left Konoha as the undisputed victor.
In the end, Konoha received a new "ally" in the form of Suna, who were finally left with no choice but to choose a Yondaime Kazekage and to officially apologize to Konoha and Hi no Kuni for their false accusations and starting the war. They also had to pay a large sum of "reparation" money, and remove all of their forces from the then occupied Kawa no Kuni. In short, they lost a great deal of manpower and respect in the war, and gained nothing other than an "ally" in Konoha.
Iwa on the other hand, didn't even gain that much. They too were forced to pay reparation and to take the blame for escalating the conflict to the status of the Third Great Shinobi War. On top of that, their military capabilities were shattered by Minato, and Iwa still hadn't recovered more than five years later.
Finally, Hi no Kuni was able to claim close to half of prewar Kusa no Kuni's land, citing the massive casualties Konoha suffered driving the Iwa forces out of the country as justification. Kusa's Daimyo protested this of course, but with no one else at the negotiating table powerful enough to check Konoha, there was little that could be done. Kusa no Kuni was left as a de facto ally of Konoha, forced to depend on them to prevent Tsuchi no Kuni and Iwa from invading once more, or worse, Sanshouo no Hanzo and Ame no Kuni.
Danzo studied the man who had been largely responsible for the negotiations, alongside Minato himself. The Daimyo's court had largely praised the outcome of the war, and put their "full" support behind them, much to Danzo's disgust.
They had been in the perfect position to destroy or cripple beyond repair, three different Shinobi Villages, two of them among the Great Villages. Without their villages, Kaze and Tsuchi no Kuni would have been easy prey for the various shinobi nations to pick away, piece by piece. At that point, Konoha and Hi no Kuni's only threat on the mainland would have been Kumo and Kaminari no Kuni.
Instead, the status quo remained unchanged, and Konoha's enemies were left to lick their wounds and slowly recover their strength, leaving a new war as the inevitable outcome, continuing the cycle.
"So," Danzo broke the silence. "What brings you here? Shouldn't you be looking after your daughter and grandson? I heard you actually named the poor kid after the village?" he asked with a wry smirk.
"I'll have you know, Konohamaru is a fine name." Sarutobi retorted. "But that's not what I came here for." Taking a scroll from his own robes, he placed it on the desk before continuing in a grave tone. "You need to see this. It just arrived an hour ago."
Dropping his smirk, Danzo took the scroll and unrolled it. With each line he read, he felt his incredulity grow more and more, before turning his stare onto the Sandaime. "Kumo is offering…peace?" he asked unbelievingly.
"So they claim." Sarutobi answered. "And while they don't say it outright, there are hints of a military alliance. There isn't much in the way of details yet, but their Yondaime Raikage would like to send us their Shinobi Gashira as a sign of their goodwill, and to begin the negotiations."
That got a raised eyebrow from him. That Kumo would be willing to send their equivalent of a Jounin Hancho into the heart of another shinobi village, with little to no security was unheard of. Which could be a sign of their seriousness. Or it could mean something else.
"I know you don't really believe in things like allies and peace through diplomacy." Sarutobi continued after seeing the look on his face. "But this could be the chance for the first alliance involving three of the Great Shinobi Villages in the history of the Hidden Villages. If this pans out, the mainland will have a lasting peace finally. Surely you see this as an opportunity we can't afford to miss."
Danzo snorted. "That's interesting coming from you. Or have you forgotten that it was Kumo Nin who killed Nidaime-sama, your own sensei?" he said wryly. "Besides, I have complete faith in our Taki allies. They, at least, have proven themselves time and again."
"Yes, Taki has proven themselves to be trustworthy." Sarutobi conceded. "But do keep in mind; they were once our enemies as well. They even tried to assassinate Shodai-sama, yet they're now our oldest and closest friends. Why can't Kumo do the same?"
"They can, just as soon as they stand by and honor a treaty for half a century." Danzo retorted. Sighing, he raised his hand to forestall any more arguments. "Send them a reply saying we're willing to talk. We'll go along with the talks for now, and I'll make a final decision later on."
"Very well, I suppose I should be glad you're at least willing to consider it." he paused there for a moment before asking, "If we do enter a military alliance with them, do you plan to use this to wage war on the other villages? I know you were never satisfied with how the last Great War ended, but I'd like to think you wouldn't start another war over it."
Glancing at his old rival, Danzo stood and made his way to the window, looking out over their village. "I will do what is necessary to protect our home. Not to settle a grudge, or to expand our power and influence. If it becomes necessary for us to fight a war to defend our values and our people, then so be it."
When it became obvious that he would say no more on the matter, Sarutobi eventually excused himself and left Danzo to his thoughts.
After a few minutes, he left as well, heading deeper into the building and entering one Konoha's most restricted areas. The War Room.
Another common misconception among civilians and rookie Genin was that the War Room was just that. A room used during war times. That notion was not only false, but also stupid. If they actually dismantled the War Room during peace, then they'd lose precious time setting it back up every time a war broke out, and in the hectic confusion of resetting it, key information could be lost or misplaced.
In reality, the large room was always in use, covered in maps, intelligence reports, logistics, the works. This made it far simpler to keep track of the various situations throughout the Elemental Nations.
As he entered, he nodded in acknowledgement to the men and women who kept it up and running, constantly updating the information presented on the large table that took up the center of the room, covered in a large map of the Elemental Nations, along with some key notes on whatever might be going on in each nation.
The rest of the information was separated and kept at the various desks and work areas lining the walls of the room, each area reserved for information pertaining to a single country.
It was to the main table that he walked, staring down as he pondered the new situation with Kumogakure, and how it would affect the nations around Konoha.
He started with the western border with Kawa. Outside of a few scattered ninja clans, Kawa lacked a shinobi military, and due to the way the current Kawa came into being -a treaty between Hi and Kaze to create a buffer zone following the end of the Second Great Shinobi War - they also lacked a unified conventional military. Many of the feudal lords refused to accept the current Daimyo as a legitimate leader, claiming that he was just a puppet of Hi and Kaze, despite the fact that the first Daimyo of the current Kawa died less than two years after the country's formation.
Overall, while they could become a powerful nation in their own right, they'd have to actually work together to accomplish it. Something they'd yet to show any signs of doing, and as such, they were no threat against any nation, let alone one of the Five.
Beyond Kawa was Kaze no Kuni and Konoha's newest ally, Sunagakure. Their alliance was the first between two Great Shinobi Villages, and was seen by many as a great stride towards a lasting peace. But Danzo knew better. After the Third Great Shinobi War, Suna had no choice but to accept peace on Konoha's terms, and even after almost six years, they had yet to recover their full strength, despite the creation of a Jinchuuriki three years ago. Their situation was made even more difficult by their Daimyo's anger from the last Great War. Whether as a punishment or because he no longer trusted Suna, the Kaze Daimyo had all but cut off funding to the village.
Their current Kazekage was powerful in his own right, and Kaze's natural defenses made conquering them a daunting task. Beyond that, their Puppet Corp allowed them to field a rather large army of warriors, which is probably part of the reason they had survived to this point.
Overall, Suna was not only the smallest of the major villages, but also currently the weakest, relatively speaking. Despite that, there were only one or two of the "minor" villages at most that could match them militarily, and their influence was still a powerful thing. Depending on the situation, Suna could prove to be an asset in the event of war. Or a liability, if they think they have a chance for revenge.
Turning his gaze to their northwestern neighbors, Danzo found his eye resting on Ame no Kuni. There was disturbingly little information on Ame in the last few years due to Hanzo's policy of isolationism. There were some evidence of a possible civil strife, but nothing concrete, and Danzo hadn't seen Hanzo since the Third Great War when they banded together to deal with a growing peace movement in Ame no Kuni. The battle resulted in horrific casualties among their respective forces, yet they seemed to have accomplished their objective as the group faded away shortly after, leaving Hanzo's power secure and Ame's neutrality in the war assured.
Fortunately, what little information they had suggested that Ame still hadn't recovered its strength to the point they once possessed during the Second Great War. The current Great Villages didn't like to talk about it, but Amegakure had once possesed the title of a Great Shinobi Nation itself. Back then, Ame had encompassed parts of present day Tsuchi, Hi, Tori, Kusa, Kawa, and Kaze, making it the largest nation outside of the Great Five themselves. It was also a rather dirty secret that instead of isolationism, Hanzo had once preached imperialism and constant expansion, telling his people that "if we don't expand, we die". And given their fanatical loyalty –or fear- of the man, Ame no Kuni was more than willing to die for Hanzo's military conquests.
As a result, once the Second Great War started, Iwa, Konoha, and Suna had an unspoken agreement. Ame had to fall. Throughout the war, even as they fought each other, each of the three made it a point to deal as much damage as possible to Ame, until in the last few years of the war, Ame's territory had been reduced to its present state, with the rest of the land being seized by the neighboring nations. This was also the bloodiest period of the war, as not only Hanzo take the field himself, viciously defending his remaining territory, but the shinobi of the other three Great Villages involved kept clashing with eachother within Ame no Kuni as well. In the end, Sarutobi had ordered another invasion led by his own students to break Hanzo's will to fight. Unfortunately, this didn't happen until after the man had attacked the three themselves, killing all others who were with them, before sparing the three and giving them the title "Densetsu no Sannin".
The war ended a few weeks later with the formation of Kawa and a treaty of nonaggression signed between Konoha and Ame. Iwa and Suna stopped fighting simply because of the sheer damage that Hanzo had caused them single-handedly; no one had dared attack Ame since, in fear of the slaughter Hanzo would wreak upon them before they finally brought him down. Which made Ame no Kuni an excellent buffer nation.
Overall, while he would never dare say that Hanzo wasn't a threat, he seemed to be more than willing stay within his own borders.
To Ame's northeast was the current Kusa no Kuni, a ragtag collection of farming villages and small cities, with Kusagakure probably the weakest of the Hidden Villages. Granted, that was like saying Suna was the "weakest" of the Five Great Shinobi Villages, or that the Ichibi was the "weakest" of the Bijuu. Still, other than Kusagakure itself, the only reason the nation still existed at all was because Konoha wanted a buffer between Hi no Kuni and Tsuchi no Kuni.
Their only real military power was in Kusagakure itself, completely lacking any conventional force outside of militias. Meaning that in the event of war, Kusagakure would have no choice but send a great deal of their shinobi to fend off the Samurai and conscript armies of their enemies, in addition to trying to hold off any shinobi sent against them.
Officially, Kusa no Kuni had no allies or treaties with anyone. Unofficially, they were de facto allies with Konoha and Hi no Kuni, counting on them to act as a deterrent against a second invasion by Iwa, while using Iwa's hostility towards Konoha to keep a desire for their nation to act as a buffer.
The last of the buffer nations was Konoha's longtime ally, Taki. Like Sarutobi had said, they had started as enemies, yet they joined forces during the First Great Shinobi War. They had remained allies ever since, despite the odds. Danzo hadn't fully trusted them until the Third Great War, when Konoha faced defeat and Taki had everything to gain by betraying Konoha to side with Iwa or Suna, hell, even siding with only themselves. Yet they didn't. They remained loyal to their alliance for a rather simple reason. The people of Taki no Kuni and Takigakure were a rather…honorable people. Surprising given the way the world was run. They gave their word when they signed the treaty, and they would honor it so long as Konoha did. It was that simple.
Taki competed with Ame for the unofficial title of "the strongest of the "minor" villages" and was perhaps the closest one to gaining the title of a Great Shinobi Nation. The terrain that made up Taki no Kuni was among the toughest in the world, and they were masters at defending themselves. Add in their Jinchuuriki and their Hero's Water, and they were almost impossible to be successfully invaded.
If there was anyone Konoha could count on, it was Taki.
There were only a handful of other nations bordering Hi no Kuni to the north, two of which -Ishi, which was originally a part of Taki prior to their rebellion, and Yu no Kuni- had little to no shinobi presence. Though why Yu no Kuni would disband Yugakure in all but name baffled Danzo. Ironically, the one with the largest number of active shinobi was also the smallest country.
Ta no Kuni had over a score of ninja clans, and prior to the Third Great War, could field well over three thousand shinobi. However, the Daimyo of Ta no Kuni during that time was…well, an idiot. He fancied himself a great general and squandered his shinobi fighting pointless battles against the neighboring nations, until his country was reduced to it's current incarnation of an agricultural state that struggled to remain above poverty. The various ninja clans under his command took the brunt of the war, and could now only field a few hundred at most.
And what did the fool Daimyo do then? He moved away to Mizu no Kuni, blaming the shinobi for not fighting well enough to defend the nation, then going somewhere where his "talents" could be better appreciated. Oddly, the man was assassinated en route to Mizu, the killers never identified. How strange.
Ishi no Kuni possessed a decent conventional military, but couldn't pose a real threat to any of their neighbors due to their lack of a shinobi force, even Ta no Kuni would stand a decent chance against them.
That left only two nations on the southern peninsula. Cha no Kuni was a powerful nation economically speaking, but possessed little in the way of military strength. It didn't help that the country and its government were saturated by various yakuza families, which were usually locked in a deadly game of cat and mouse, each trying to increase their own influence while damaging their enemies.
Officially, Cha was a vassal state to Hi no Kuni, paying a rather sizeable annual tribute in exchange for Konoha's services and protection from anyone who would seek to take Cha no Kuni's wealth for themselves.
Unofficially, Hi and Cha no Kuni's economies were so closely tied together, that Hi no Kuni couldn't afford to lose Cha to anyone else, without the very real risk of an economic collapse. Which was why Hi no Kuni had never tried to expand further onto the peninsula.
The other nation on the peninsula benefited from that decision as well, allowing the rather unstable nation -which had been known to change its name and ruling family three or four times a year- to hold together despite the overwhelming presence of Hi no Kuni.
Satisfied that he had a good grasp on the political and military issues surrounding his nation, Danzo turned his attention to the northeast, beyond Yu and Shimo no Kuni to Kaminari no Kuni.
Following the end of the First Great Shinobi War, Kumogakure and Kaminari had turned their collective attention to the nations to their north, conquering and subjugating them one by one over the years, ignoring the conflicts in the other nations up until the waning years of the Second Great Shinobi War. It was then that they attempted to push south, only to suffer a crushing defeat at the hands of the then Uzushiogakure led coalition of Shimogakure and Yugakure, allowing Konoha to send their own forces to fend them off.
The brief but bloody war between Kumo and the Uzu coalition resulted in Kumo conquering a quarter of Shimo no Kuni, but they never again journeyed south in great numbers outside a brief attempt at annexing the various islands of the Adrisian Sea. The shinobi of Uzu, particularly the ruling Uzumaki clan, were all but wiped out, resulting in the country and its Hidden Village being destroyed almost overnight by a surprise attack by Kiri, who saw an opportunity to destroy one of the only Villages it truly feared. Even then it cost them two of their legendary Swords.
Since then, Kumo had remained within their borders, even during the Third Great War, although the political tension had never really faded. Until now that is.
Could Kumo really be willing to discuss peace now? After all these years? Why? What did they have to gain from this? Was it really just to lessen the tension between their two nations? Or did they have an ulterior motive?
Motioning for one of the shinobi guards to him, Danzo ordered, "Send for Jiraiya, and tell him it's urgent."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." the man said with a bow before making his way from the room.
Call him paranoid, but Danzo just couldn't quite believe that the situation was as simple as it seemed. But what was Kumo after?
He continued staring at the map, trying to find the missing key that would reveal Kumo's intentions. Danzo was so lost in thought that he failed to notice Jiraiya's arrival until the man spoke. "What's so important you had me dragged away from my research?"
Danzo felt every muscle in his body tense at the sound of Jiraiya's voice and he had to physically restrain himself from lashing out at the man. 'Fool!' he cursed himself. 'You can't afford to forget just what Jiraiya is! He might act like an idiot at times, but the man is one of the greatest ninjas to come out of Konoha, and he is the greatest spy.'
Danzo had no doubt that if Sarutobi and his students ever made a move against him, it would be Jiraiya who would kill him. Likely without him ever knowing the attack was coming.
"Jiraiya." Danzo greeted, trying not to give away just how shaken he was. "I'm sure you've heard about the latest development with Kumo?"
The Gama-sennin leaned against the table and folded his arms, studying him with a blank face. When he finally spoke, it was with a neutral tone. "If you're referring to their supposed offer of peace, then yes, I've heard about it."
"Supposed offer?" Danzo questioned with a raised eyebrow. "You don't seem as optimistic as your sensei."
Jiraiya shrugged nonchalantly. "Sensei doesn't know everything I know. Besides, he's always optimistic when it comes to a diplomatic peace. It's in his nature."
He nodded in agreement, as he turned back to the map, studying Jiraiya out of the corner of his eye. "What do you know? Do you have any proof as to their intentions?"
Jiraiya shook his head. "I don't have any idea what their intent is. What I do know is that they've continued their military buildup unabated for the last eight years. Unlike us, they haven't been in a major conflict since the end of the Second Great War." he paused as if considering something before adding, "And they've finally managed to get a stable Jinchuuriki for the Hachibi, in addition to the Nibi."
That caught his attention. "The Hachibi? I was under the impression that they still couldn't create a stable container. When did this happen?"
"They sealed it inside the current host thirteen years ago. Since then, he's been able to gain an amazing amount of control over his Bijuu. Add in the Nibi and their ordinary shinobi forces, they have no reason to want an alliance with us, if they don't have anything planned." Jiraiya paused again before continuing. "The only thing that makes any sense is that whatever they want; they don't want Konoha to interfere with it. They might even want our help with it."
"So then the question remains." Danzo sighed, "What do they want that peace with us would help them accomplish? Expansion? Acquiring resources? Undercutting the other villages? What?"
"Expansion is a possibility. Especially when they're already beginning to undercut Iwa." Jiraiya conceded, "But their targets would be limited to Shimo. Unless, of course, they decide to try annexing the islands of the Adrisian Sea again."
"Yes," Danzo mused, "I suppose they would want our help to prevent another intervention from Kirigakure. Especially after what Kiri did to them when they tried after the Second Great War." He sighed again and rubbed at his eye tiredly. "But I don't suppose we have any proof of any of this, do we?"
Jiraiya just shook his head and ran his eyes over the map.
After several moments of silence, Danzo said, "See what you can find out. They say they'll send their Shinobi Gashira to represent them in the peace talks. Do what you can and see what your informants can pick up."
"Fine. Now if you'll excuse me." The Sannin said as he started to leave.
"One more thing, Jiraiya." Danzo called. "Naruto-kun will be attempting to access its chakra tomorrow. I want you to be there."
That stopped the man in his tracks. "So soon? Don't you think we should wait until he's a little older?"
"Calm down, I'm not asking the boy to try to master it in a day. Just to see if he can access it yet or not. And if something goes wrong, I can immobilize him while you do what needs to be done to the seal." Danzo said tiredly before thinking of something. "By the way, do we know who the Hachibi Jinchuuriki is?"
Jiraiya clenched his jaw momentarily before answering. "His name is Kirabi. He's the younger brother of the current Raikage."
Danzo snorted at that. 'How fitting'.
Two months later
December 27, 69 A.F.
Danzo sighed as he tiredly massaged his head. Just a few hours ago, after weeks of stalling and political dancing, he had given in to Sarutobi and the council, and signed the treaty with Kumogakure.
The treaty was very similar to the ones they already had with Taki and Suna. A simple, mutual defense pact, increased trade, and obviously, a non-aggression pact, all mixed into one package. Everything they would want in a treaty. Yet Danzo couldn't help but be disgruntled.
He knew Kumo didn't want the treaty for the sake of having a treaty. They had to have a reason for it. They didn't need any part of the treaty, unlike Suna who were left incredibly vulnerable following the last Great War, or Kusa whose existence was dependent on it.
But even after looking into the situation, even throughout the negotiations, the closest he came to finding the answer was a handful of vague comments about a "possible conflict of interests" with another village or "fending off future aggressions". Fending off whom? Conflicts of interest with whom?
'Well, I suppose we'll find out soon enough.' Danzo thought with a sigh. 'I wonder if I should have at least held out for a better offer before agreeing.'
"Hokage-sama!" A Tori masked ROOT ANBU burst into the room. "There's been an incident."
Straightening in his seat, Danzo leveled a stern glare at him. "Report." he ordered.
"Kumo's Shinobi Gashira has kidnapped the Hyuuga Heiress, Hinata. He was intercepted and killed by Hiashi Hyuuga." the ANBU reported stoically.
'Son of a bitch!' Danzo mentally cursed. "How did he get inside the Hyuuga compound? Did he have inside help?"
"It appears he's been canvassing the compound since he arrived. Kumogakure must have been planning this from the beginning." Tori answered.
"I want the other members of Kumo's delegation arrested and taken to Ibiki immediately." Danzo ordered. "Send for the council; tell them to assemble within the hour."
"Hai, Hokage-sama!" the Tori masked ANBU saluted before Shunshining away.
'Damn it, out of all the possible motives, I can't believe I never considered this!' Danzo growled to himself. "Tatsu, Hebi!" he barked angrily as he grabbed a blank scroll and scribbled furiously.
"Hai, Hokage-sama!" the two acknowledged as they kneeled in front of him.
"Tatsu, I want you to find Hizashi Hyuuga and give him this scroll. Make sure no one sees you do so." Danzo ordered as he handed the scroll to him. "I can't stress the importance of this enough, Tatsu. Absolutely no one is to know about this."
"I understand, Hokage-sama." Tatsu said as he took the scroll and left via Shunshin.
Writing up another scroll, this one far more eloquent and respectful. "Hebi, get a team of the fastest ANBU together, and deliver this scroll the Daimyo. I want this scroll in his hands no later than tomorrow."
"Hai, Hokage-sama!" and with that Danzo was left "alone" with his thoughts. Turning his chair to face the window. The current peace, which had lasted for almost six years, would undoubtedly be shattered by this incident. And it would be up to him to lead the Great Tree through the coming storm. It was a storm he intended to see through to the end.
Danzo stood on the roof of the Hokage building, staring down on the gathered populace of the village. He had called the entire village together for his speech, and to bear witness to the end of an era.
"A few days ago, on December 27th, 69 A.F," Danzo began solemnly, silencing the low murmuring as he did so. "One of our oldest and proudest clans was suddenly and deliberately attacked, by the delegation from Kumogakure. The goal of this attack was two-fold. The first was the kidnapping of the Hyuuga Heiress, three year-old Hinata Hyuuga. Their intention was to eventually use little Hinata as a breeding tool, raping her over and over again until her body finally shut down, her children raised as mindless slaves and weapons of Kumogakure." He was forced to stop as the gathering erupted into roars of outrage and angry disbelief.
He could understand their disbelief. After all, didn't Kumo offer them peace? Didn't they just sign the treaty a few days ago?
Once Danzo had reestablished order, he reassured them. "Thankfully, that part of their plans was thwarted, by little Hinata's father, Hiashi Hyuuga." This was met by numerous exclamations of "Thank God!" and "Good work Hiashi!"
"Unfortunately," Danzo began again. "The second goal was successful. The Kumo Nin succeeded in stealing or destroying large portions of the Hyuuga clan's archives. Since then, we have confronted the Raikage, and he in turn has demanded that we release the captured Kumo Nin, and turn over Hiashi so that they may punish him, for the death of their Shinobi Gashira, the man who led this attack, kidnapping Hinata himself. The Raikage says that if we refuse to turn Hiashi over to them, the very people who attacked his family, our family, they will go to war against us. They, who blatantly broke the treaty between us before it was even a day old, threaten us with war."
He paused as the crowd began to murmur angrily, some in shock or surprise, others in fear. "It is obvious," he continued, raising his voice to be heard. "That planning this attack began many weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Raikage of Kumo has deliberately sought to deceive us with false statements, and proclamations of hope for a new, lasting peace. The attack on the Hyuuga compound has caused severe damage to Konoha's security, and was a significant blow to our military power."
The cries of outrage grew louder, forcing Danzo to raise his hands in a motion for silence. "No matter how long it may take us, to overcome this premeditated invasion, the people of Konohagakure, in their righteous might, will win through to absolute victory." he was interrupted again, this time by thunderous applause from the crowd, mixed in with cheers of approval and jeers against Kumo and their demands. Rather than try to calm them, Danzo merely raised his voice and continued. "Because of this, unprovoked, dastardly attack by Kumo, I've asked the Daimyo to declare a state of war." Danzo reached into his robes and withdrew a scroll bearing the symbol of the Daimyo. "I have here, his response. 'Tell me what you need to defeat this great threat, and we will meet those needs.'"
Rolling the scroll back up, Danzo gazed over the crowd again. "As of this moment, we are at war. Take all necessary steps to prepare yourselves, and your families. That is all, and may the Will of Fire watch over us all."
Turning away, Danzo went back to his office, plans and counter-plans running through his head. Despite what he had said, the war hadn't actually started yet, and likely wouldn't for some time. There would likely be months of political and diplomatic maneuvering in both nations, by those who wished to avoid a war at all costs, and those who wished to stall it.
And as much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, Danzo was part of the latter. He needed time to enact the necessary changes to his village, and to gather allies that he could trust. Besides that, he hoped to better prepare young Naruto for the coming conflict. Not to mention finding a way to neutralize Iwa and to avoid being so weakened by the war with Kumo that they could no longer influence the world.
"Hokage-sama," one of his ANBU spoke as he appeared before him. "Hiashi-sama is demanding to see you."
'Hmm, it took him longer than I was expecting.' Danzo thought amusedly. "Send him in." he ordered as he shuffled through some of the papers on his desk. 'This should be interesting.' he mused just as an enraged Hiashi stormed into his office.
"What is the meaning of this?" Hiashi demanded in a cold fury. "You have no right to do this."
Glancing up from his work, Danzo asked with a flat tone. "Perhaps you would have preferred it if I gave in to their demands and handed you over to them? Even knowing what happened, there are those in both Konoha and the Daimyo's court who would see sacrificing you as acceptable in order to avoid a war."
"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it, Danzo." Hiashi stated, his Hyuuga composure cracking slightly.
"That's Hokage-sama to you." Danzo pointed out coldly. "And contrary to popular belief, I'm not a mind reader. Now, if you're done acting like a child throwing a tantrum, perhaps you could enlighten me."
Hiashi took a deep breath, holding onto his composure, if only just. "Why did you send the ANBU to round up the Hyuuga Branch family? Why aren't I being allowed to see them?"
"I would think that's obvious." Danzo commented dryly. "Kumo Nin made off with a portion of your archives. Archives that included information on the Hyuuga Caged Bird seal."
Hiashi's eyes narrowed. "Are you accusing members of my clan of conspiring with Kumogakure?" he asked, obviously insulted and enraged by the implication. In fact, if he didn't know better, Danzo would say the man was actually suspicious himself.
"Of course not." Danzo snorted. "I have complete faith in them. But as I said, they made off with some of your scrolls. We must assume that the ones on the Caged Bird seal are among them. Imagine the damage they could do with those scrolls? The ability to fry the brains of dozens of our shinobi whenever they wish." he shook his head before setting a cold glare on the Hyuuga. "No, we can't take that risk. So I've rounded up the Branch family…and I'm having their seals removed."
"What!" Hiashi spat, his calm finally gone. "You can't do that, you don't have the right to do that!"
"I have every right." Danzo said idly, turning his attention back to his paperwork.
"The Shodai Hokage explicitly promised to honor the rights of the clans, to not interfere their internal aff-"Hiashi tried to object.
"I'm well aware of what the Shodai promised." Danzo interrupted smoothly. "I was there when he said it after all. But that doesn't apply here."
"Who are you to decide that!?" Hiashi spat angrily. "I demand you put a stop to this at once and return my clansmen!"
"Or else what?" Danzo asked with a raised eyebrow. "I do not have to, nor will I ever give in to such a demand that places such a large threat on the village." Standing to his feet, Danzo placed the Hokage hat on his head. "Now, if there is nothing else, I have a lot of work to do."
Danzo could almost hear Hiashi's teeth grind as the man hissed. "This isn't over."
Once Hiashi had left, Danzo made his way to the ANBU compound where Hizashi and the others had been taken. With the few ANBU members capable of seal work there as well, they should have about a quarter of the Hyuuga unsealed. 'I'll have to help speed things along.' he thought to himself.
Arriving at the compound, one would expect an atmosphere of fear or anxiety. What greeted Danzo was an excited, restless feeling in the air as Hyuuga clansmen paced anxiously awaiting their turn or laughing happily as they marveled their newfound freedom. "Hokage-sama!" one of the Branch children called, causing him to become the center of attention. "Where've you been? The ANBU said you were on your way a long time ago!"
Danzo looked down on the child in surprised amusement. The four year-old was unusually expressive for a Hyuuga. "My apologies. I got caught up in a meeting with Hiashi-san." And with those simple words, every Hyuuga stopped whatever they were doing. Glancing around, Danzo saw that every Hyuuga was staring at him worriedly, though some showed it more than others.
He could almost hear what they were thinking. "Hiashi must have demanded that the Hokage stop unsealing them. He would have put all of his not inconsiderable power into the demand. What if the Hokage relented? No Hokage had ever involved himself in a clan's internal affairs before, let alone so blatantly. Would he take away their newly gained freedom?"
Keeping up a stony expression, Danzo slowly made his way to where the ANBU were seated next to small tables holding ink and brushes, with an equal number of seats opposite them. Once there he nodded to a Tora masked ANBU and took a seat. "Well," he sighed as he got comfortable. "Who's next?" he asked with a smile as he picked up a brush.
There was a sort of shocked disbelief from the gathered Hyuuga, so still smiling, Danzo motioned to a nearby girl, a child of no more than seven or eight, to sit before him, even going so far as to pat the seat in what he imagined was a grandfatherly way. "Go on lass." he said gently. "Take a seat."
Her eyes widened in disbelief, before she slowly sat in front of him.
Still smiling, he reached out and gently tilted her head so he could see her seal. "Now, just keep your head like that, and try not to squirm." he admonished lightly as he slowly drew his brush across her forehead, eliciting a slight giggle from the girl. As if it were a signal, the tense atmosphere shattered, and the excitement returned to the room.
A few minutes and a few hand seals later, the girl's Caged Bird seal faded away as if it had never been. The girl rubbed at her forehead for a moment, then smiled brightly. "Thank you, Hokage-sama!" she chirruped as she leaned forward and hugged him, much to his surprise. A moment later, she skipped away to chatter excitedly with another child, her younger sister if he had to guess.
Watching the little girls, Danzo couldn't help but feel a small amount of regret. There was a time when he had considered having a family of his own, particularly grandchildren that he could watch over and teach, to be looked up to by small grandchildren and respected by older ones.
But somewhere along the way, he'd lost sight of that, or perhaps, he had just kept putting it off, telling himself that he'd settle down as soon as the war was over, as soon as the village was safe. But the village was never truly safe, the wars never ended for long, and before he knew it, he was a scarred old man, unable to see himself in a relationship.
'It was probably for the best.' he thought with a bittersweet smile. 'I wouldn't have been able to care for a family very well, being who I am. They would have been in constant danger from the, admittedly, many people with a grudge against me.' Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he gestured for the next Hyuuga to sit in front of him.
It took a few more hours for them to finish, but eventually every Hyuuga was seal free. Stretching, Danzo turned and found the gathered Hyuuga standing in front of him, Hizashi and his son Neji at the forefront. "Hokage-sama. We can never thank you enough for this." Hizashi said solemnly, the mirror opposite of little Neji who was smiling brightly.
"No," Danzo shook his head. "If anything, I've done too little. For my entire life, your family has suffered in bondage, and no one, myself included, did anything to stop it." He elicited more than a few gasps when he bowed to them. "Forgive me for my inaction." he asked with a tinge of regret in his voice.
"No!" a young voice cried out. "It's not your fault Hokage-sama, and you've freed us now!" Neji spoke fiercely. "We can't blame you anymore than we could blame the Yondaime, or the Shodai himself!"
The boy's outburst triggered a number of similar sentiments from the others, each expressing how he did what he could, or that at least he had done something to help them. More importantly were the declarations of undying respect and loyalty that they offered him.
Through it all, Danzo had inwardly smiled. Konoha was now at war, and he had enraged the Hyuuga's Main family. But he now had the Branch family, several times larger than the main family, loyal to his cause.
Translations
Shinobi Gashira=Head Shinobi, for this story, he's the equivalent of Konoha's Jounin Commander.
Densetsu no Sannin= the Legendary Three Ninja
Jounin Hancho= Jounin Commander
Sanshouo no Hanzo= Hanzo the Salamander
Kaa-chan=Mommy
Juin Jutsu=Curse Seal
Sensei=Teacher/master/doctor
Tora=Tiger
Tori=Bird
Hebi=Snake
Tatsu=Dragon
Gama-sennin=Toad Sage
Hi no Kuni=Land of Fire
Tsuchi no Kuni=Land of Earth
Kaminari no Kuni=Land of Lighting
Kaze no Kuni=Land of Wind
Mizu no Kuni=Land of Water
Ame no Kuni=Land of Rain
Kusa no Kuni=Land of Grass
Taki no Kuni=Land of Waterfalls
Uzu no Kuni=Land of Whirlpools
Ta no Kuni=Land of Rice
Cha no Kuni=Land of Tea
Yu no Kuni=Land of Hot Springs
Shimo no Kuni=Land of Frost
Ishi no Kuni=Land of Stone
Kawa no Kuni=Land of River
Did I miss any?
AN:
I never understood why Konoha would give in to Kumo's demands, even if to avoid a war. So I had Danzo purposefully say things the way he did to incite the crowd. After all, what would offend you more, "Kumo tried to kidnap a little girl to steal her bloodline" or "Kumo kidnapped a little girl in order to rape her over and over again"? I don't know if Kumo really intended to rape Hinata or not(though I don't know how else they could get her bloodline), but being forced to be a breeding machine, even if only through artificial insemination, isn't too much different than rape. Plus, it pisses people off, which unites them for a time, and as any leader will tell you, it's always better to have all the people united behind you during a time of war. Some of you probably noticed how similar Danzo's speech was to FDR's following the attack on Pearl Harbor. This is because: A, I'm not a speech writer, and B, the public opinion during these two events strike me as incredibly similar. At the time, many Americans thought the Japanese had deliberately lied to them by acting like they wanted peace while in reality planning to attack them all along. Not entirely accurate, yet that's how it came across to many Americans. Whereas Kumo really did pretend they wanted peace while secretly planning to kidnap Hinata. As always, any and all reviews/criticism are welcome.
Peace, Vaan.