Author's Note: Welcome back all!

This chapter was set to come out in 2 weeks but a member of the discord as nicely, so here it is ahead of schedule. Aren't I such a nice guy?

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I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 49: The Old Guard

Tsunade took a seat and looked intently at the man across from her. Her friendly smile was one of those smiles even an idiot with no sense about him could tell was fake. "You can leave us alone," She instructed her ANBU guard, who nodded wordlessly and closed the door behind them.

"Have you come to rub salt in the wound?" Danzo asked with less contempt than Tsunade expected. "Color me surprised, and here I thought Hiruzen taught his students to be gracious in both victory and defeat."

Tsunade suppressed the urge to frown. She always had to make a mental note to reign her emotions in before speaking to this man. Something about him just pushed her buttons to an extent most others could not.

"You know why I'm here," Tsunade said simply. "My people at the Cipher Core tell me you're being difficult and won't help remove the seals on your right eye and right arm. Now… Why would that be, Danzo; afraid of what we will find?"

Any attempt to try and remove Shisui's eye from the socket would trigger a defensive Fuinjutsu and shield the eye from any external threats. The situation with his arm was equally troublesome, a complex seal that no one in the Cipher Core had the knowledge to crack.

"Is it my fault that you employ incompetent Shinobi, Princess Tsunade?" Despite the dire straits Danzo was in, he maintained an air of superiority. "Surely that is not the best the Leaf has to offer? If so, I worry even more about what will become of you all if these are truly my last days among the living."

'If?' Tsunade thought. 'He's definitely plotting something. I'm confident Naruto or Jiraiya could crack this, but I still don't trust this bastard in the slightest. I refuse to let either of those two get this close to him right now.'

"You and I both know that the Jutsu protecting the eye and arm will be undone after your death," Tsunade challenged. "I am in no rush to collect."

"Good; That means there is nothing for you to worry about."

"Well, then I guess there is nothing left for us to discuss. Tomorrow is the big day, so please make sure you put in your last meal request with Ibiki," Tsunade placed her hand on the desk and pushed off of it to stand. "I would say it was a pleasure working with you, but what's the point in lying when you'd see right through it?" She turned around quickly to leave, but Danzo's words stopped her in her tracks.

"As much as I did not want to believe it, I now realize that the future generations of the Leaf are in good hands."

"Is that right?" Tsunade asked, her back still facing him. "Have you finally come around to me in your final moments, you old badger?" She finished sarcastically.

"Hmph," Danzo grunted out a laugh. "Princess Tsunade… the best thing you could have done as Hokage was step down and let me assume the office like I was always meant to," Tsunade didn't see it, but his expression turned somber. "However, even I must accept that such a thing is now impossible. My already shaky standing in the village has all but deteriorated in a matter of a single week; you have all made quite sure of that."

"Get to the point. I have no interest in listening to your regrets."

Danzo's visible eye hardened. "Do not make the same mistake twice," He warned. "When the time comes, hand the reins over to that boy… He will succeed where you and Hiruzen have failed. Where I have failed."

Tsunade blinked. "You mean Naruto?" She asked in surprise. "He put you on death row and you're advocating for him to become the next Hokage?"

Danzo leaned forward and his face remained stoic. "I was beaten handily at my own game by a brat with decades less experience than I," His tone betrayed no anger. "The potential in that boy is perhaps the most I have ever seen in my long life, and it would be utterly foolish to waste it."

"I never expected to hear this coming from you, Danzo. Have you given up your ambitions that easily?"

"I suppose… After a few days of reflection in here, I have come to the conclusion that the era of the old guard might be coming to an end. If Naruto Uzumaki is any indication of the future generations, then perhaps I am not as needed as I once thought." Danzo chuckled humorlessly. "Despite what you may think of me and my methods, I truly care for this village. That has never wavered."

Tsunade almost couldn't believe it. She never doubted Danzo's devotion to the village, it was his greed and selfishness that worried her the most. He wanted the Leaf to prosper, but it needed to be through his methods. That kind of all-or-nothing mindset along with his extremely questionable morals was a bomb waiting to explode. And yet, if his words are to be taken as the truth, he was willing to give all of that up for true change to occur.

"If you truly care about the Leaf, then call your men off," Tsunade demanded. "I'm well aware that Root ANBU are plotting a surprise attack tomorrow at the execution to free you from custody. Your help with that could save a lot of lives."

"No."

Tsunade's tongue clicked in annoyance. "So, everything you just said was bullshit?" She asked angrily and turned to leave once again. "It was foolish of me to think for even a second that you were being genuine."

"My followers are entirely devoted to my goals, nothing I say will stop them from trying to free me," He explained. "Besides, they would just assume I was controlled by Genjutsu to give that order. So no, you will have a fight on your hands whether you like it or not."

"Bastard…" Tsunade grumbled. "Maybe we would be better off just killing you now."

"Look on the bright side, Princess Tsunade," Danzo mocked. "All of my subordinates will be there tomorrow in an attempt to free me. What better way to capture them than that? Are you willing to give such an opportunity up? Kill me now, and they will know… The marks on their tongues will disappear and they will scatter without a trace."

"And if they manage to free you tomorrow?"

"Then I flee the village with my followers and continue to assist the Leaf Village from afar," He responded simply. "Now, doesn't that sound like a win for both sides?"

Tsunade bit the inside of her cheek. He was right and she knew it. There would never be a better time to round up Root members than tomorrow. At the same time, going through with such a plan would put the lives of her Shinobi at stake. What was the right answer?

Tsunade would agonize over this decision through the night; that, she was sure.

"You're a real rat bastard, you know that?"

"So I have been told."

Naruto leaned on the metal railing atop the Hokage Tower. Overlooking the village with the bright blue sky overhead, he sighed contentedly. "It sure is nice out," He said.

Sasuke chose the shade to lean up against one of the tower's curved pillars. One of his closed eyes cracked open once Naruto decided to interrupt the peaceful silence. "What's the point of us staying at the tower where we're safe from Root if we're not going to stay inside? Isn't this counterproductive?"

"Ah, I can't help it," Naruto said frustratedly. "I can't sit still with the executions scheduled for tomorrow, ya know? I just want it to be over so we can finally move past this." Sasuke remained silent, which prompted a side-eyed look from Naruto.

The past couple of days had been uneventful for them. Team Hebi had pretty much laid low under ANBU surveillance, for once blissfully unaware of the goings on around them. Their part was over, the rest now fell on Tsunade and the higher-ups to drive this thing home. Or so they thought.

Naruto frowned. "You know, I just realized I never asked you how you felt about all of this," Both of Sasuke's eyes were now open. "What are you thinking right now?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know," Naruto scratched the back of his head, eyes pointed up at the pristine sky. "I know you aren't the most expressive guy, but I figured you would be at least a little happy that your clan will finally be avenged. And yet there you are with that typical scowl on your face. You heard Tsunade, she's even going to make a public announcement to the whole village about the truth behind what Itachi did."

"If I were you, I wouldn't celebrate anything until we see that bastard hanging from a rope," Sasuke did not mince his words. "There is a strong possibility that his ANBU will try something from now until the execution. There is no way they're going to let their master die; the Hokage better make sure security within and surrounding the Torture and Interrogation building is up to par."

"Kakashi-sensei and Master Jiraiya are there, so we won't have to worry about that. I doubt even you and I together could get to Danzo with those two guarding him. Their best time to strike will be when Danzo is transferred from his cell to the gallows."

Sasuke grunted. "As I said, don't celebrate until it's over. Destroying his standing in the village isn't enough… He deserves the same fate he cast on my clan."

"You're okay with how this is going down?" Naruto asked carefully. "I know you were dead set on killing Itachi when you thought he was acting of his own free will; you don't have the same desire with Danzo after learning the truth?"

"I just want him dead; it doesn't matter how it's done."

Naruto blinked. "That's… surprising; wanting revenge by your own hand was your entire life up until a few days ago. What changed?"

Sasuke sneered. "You're asking a lot of questions all of sudden. Why do you care, anyway?"

"I'm your friend, you ass." Sasuke blinked at Naruto's blunt response. "Sure, we've fought… made mistakes, but you've always been my friend. I wouldn't have tried so hard back then to drag you back to the village if you weren't. An insufferable bastard like you should be grateful to have people who care about you, you know that?"

Sasuke chuckled. "My brother loved this village deeply, and so do you," He explained with a sigh. "I think I'm finally beginning to understand what Itachi was trying to tell me, what he stood for. Village, Shinobi… If done right with the right people leading the way, this system can change the world for the better; its past failures can be attributed to Danzo and others who corrupted the system. I don't want to be one of those people who perpetuate the cycle. For that reason, I will keep my hands clean, defer to the Hokage, and trust her process to handle their fate. Once I accept that, I'll move on to my next goal."

It was only a few short years ago, and yet so much was different; the world, their perception of it, and even Naruto and Sasuke themselves. Despite all that, their friendship never missed a beat. No one could get Sasuke to open up like Naruto could. In the leadup to the Tenchi Bridge mission and their expedition to kill Itachi, Naruto had convinced himself that Sasuke would walk his own path far away from the village and never look back.

He was no longer sure of that.

"And what goal is that?" Naruto inquired.

"I will become Hokage and change the future of the Leaf Village. Itachi's image of this place is attainable, and I will do whatever it takes to achieve it."

Naruto's eyes widened slightly. "The Hokage, huh?" His lips curved into a small grin. "You know, a couple months ago I would have died from laughter if you told me that. But now?" He shook his head. "The Sixth Hokage, Sasuke Uchiha… I have to admit, it has a nice ring to it."

"Really?" Sasuke asked. "Do you mean that?"

"Of course I do." Naruto nodded. " You've got my vote when the time comes. I think you have what it takes to be a great Hokage."

"What about you?" Sasuke questioned. "I know you told me that you don't care about becoming Hokage anymore, but is that true?"

"Are you asking my permission to do this? That's so unlike you."

Sasuke shrugged. "We both want the best for the Hidden Leaf; I would just rather us not make the same mistakes as our predecessors and fight over the seat. Who even knows if they will give the hat to someone that went rogue."

Naruto turned back to his view overlooking his home. The cool winds brushed lightly against his skin. The decision to give up his dream of Hokage was not one that he made lightly. To be Hokage, that was his dream… To the point that it was an extension of his personality. Therein lies part of the problem. Naruto's initial desire for the hat was for all the wrong reasons. To be acknowledged, respected, and loved were the desires of an isolated child who simply wanted to be accepted by those around him. He later came to realize that such things were not good reasons to become the Hokage. Along the way to that conclusion, Jiraiya's role caught Naruto's attention more than it ever had before. As his respect for Jiraiya grew during their time together, the more he realized the value he provided to both the Hokage and the village. There are things that Jiraiya could do that Tsunade simply could not; she was confined to the village, only able to leave on rare exceptions. When a critical mission was needed, Tsunade would call Jiraiya to handle it. And he would. Jiraiya was also given autonomy that other Shinobi only dreamed of; he'd earned it, after all.

Naruto's eyes widened.

If Sasuke were to be Hokage, he would need a Jiraiya he could rely on no matter the situation.

"I can be that person," Naruto muttered to himself.

"What did you say?" Sasuke asked irritably. "Stop muttering to yourself and answer my question, idiot."

"Yeah, alright," Naruto smirked. "And when you become Hokage, I'll be there to support you. After all, someone will have to be out in the field doing the dirty work while you're here protecting everyone and making changes."

"Hn," Sasuke smiled thinly and extended his hand. "Deal."

They shook hands, thus entering into a new bond that could reshape the foundation of the Shinobi World.

"Can they hurry this up?" Suigetsu picked his head up so he could see over the lip on the roof of the building. Sasuke, Naruto, and Karin were all lying prone next to him. "You'd think they would have a sense of urgency knowing that an ambush could come at any second."

"We're almost there," Naruto whispered. "Now put your head down! We're supposed to have our presence concealed! Root operatives won't try and get him if they know how well-guarded he is."

"If they haven't made a move yet, then I doubt they will," Karin added. "And from what I'm sensing, I don't really blame them."

"What do you mean?" Naruto questioned. "What are you sensing?"

"We're suppressing our chakra signatures, but that guy down there isn't." Karin's tone betrayed a sense of awe. "Other than you, Naruto, and that shark guy from the Akatsuki, that tall guy with the long white hair down there has some of the most powerful chakra I have ever felt. He's your Master, right; one of the Legendary Sannin just like Orochimaru? It's almost unreal to think that people like him actually exist."

"If they're desperate enough, they won't have a choice," Sasuke argued logically. "They're getting farther away, let's move to a closer spot."

…

Kakashi looked over his shoulder at a group of buildings and grinned beneath his mask. "As expected by someone trained by you, Master Jiraiya, Naruto has gotten quite skilled at hiding his presence. If it weren't for that Hozuki kid, I don't know if I could have detected them."

Jiraiya refused to turn his attention away from the direction of the three elders, who were surrounded by a sea of ANBU Black Ops. "Your senses have dulled, Kakashi," Jiraiya teased, knowing full well there were too many people around for Kakashi to use his nose effectively. "That brat still has a lot to learn before he can hide from me. Though I will say, he seems more adept at it than Sasuke Uchiha." A twinge of pride made its way into his tone. 'Jiraiya one, Orochimaru zero,' He added mentally. 'Wait, no; Orochimaru's dead… Jiraiya two, Orochimaru zero.'

Kakashi looked around. The streets of the village were completely clear, but he could see curious villagers peeking out their windows as they walked by. "Not sure how I feel about a public execution. Is Lady Tsunade confident that such an obvious lure will draw them out?"

"She seems pretty confident, though it's not like they have much of a choice," Jiraiya responded simply. "It was a good idea to only allow just Shinobi to attend. Too large of a crowd would have made it easier for members of Root to hide amongst them, or even use them as hostages. I don't think I have to tell you that we need to be ready for anything."

"Yeah."

…

"Damn, there sure are a lot of people here," Suigetsu whistled at the hoard of bodies in front of the gallows as the three Elders were escorted up by members of the ANBU. "Leaf Shinobi sure love a good hanging, huh? This reminds me of the stories I used to hear from my brother about the Bloody Mist."

"Shut up, Suigetsu. We need to focus," Naruto hushed. If anything the onlookers appeared nervous and scared, not eager to see three people die. He watched the ANBU start to tie the nooses around their throats. "...What is going on? Where is Granny Tsunade, anyway; shouldn't she be here in case things go south? Something feels wrong about all of this." A sudden familiar feeling of dread washed over him for a reason he couldn't quite understand.

"What do you mean?" Suigetsu asked. "I don't see anything wrong."

"Exactly, and there should be."

Karin's eyes suddenly widened. "Guys, they're here! I sense chakras coming from multiple directions!"

"I see them," Sasuke sprang to his feet and drew his blade. "There, on those buildings across from us! They're moving fast!" Several hooded figures were darting across the rooftops opposite Team Hebi's position.

"On the ground too!" Suigetsu got into a readied stance. "They're flanking from behind the crowd!

"That's it, let's go!" Sasuke commanded. "Karin, you stay here; Naruto, Suigetsu, you're with me!" He braced himself for his top speed.

"Wait, don't!" Naruto held out his hand to block Sasuke from leaving. This feeling… He knew exactly why this felt so familiar to him.

"What?!" Sasuke appeared too confused to be angry. "Naruto, what the hell are y-"

"Boom!"

Sasuke was interrupted by a series of massive explosions from beneath the gallows. Team Hebi watched in shock as the three wide-eyed elders and ANBU standing above it were engulfed in the blaze of fire. Mass panic ensued down below and the flaming debris that rained down on their heads did not make the situation any better. The Shinobi in attendance scrambled to get as far away as physically possible. Kakashi, Jiraiya, and other high-ranked Jonin were seen trying to control the situation as best they could, but it was too much. They seemed completely unaware of what had happened.

"What?!" Sasuke yelled. "Is this some kind of trick by Root?!"

Naruto's gaze switched between the previously spotted groups of hooded figures. They had stopped moving and just stared ahead at the flaming remains of the wooden frame. "No, I don't think it is." He said. "Danzo's men haven't moved… They're just as confused as everyone else!"

"Shit!" Sasuke looked at Karin. "Karin, are you able to sense Danzo's chakra?"

Karin shook her head, her eyes wide. "Danzo's chakra signature was completely erased by the blast, along with the other two elders and nearby ANBU Black Ops; I can't sense a thing. Whatever just happened, it was definitely real!"

Naruto's mind raced as very recent memories surged to the forefront of his mind. "I knew it… This is just like what happened in my apartment; the same series of explosions and everything, but why?! How?!" They were connected somehow, he just knew it. "There is no way Granny Tsunade would be behind something like this, not when we were so close to doing it the right way. An invasion from another nation also seems unlikely."

"Are you saying that someone other than Danzo rigged your apartment, and they're also behind this?" Sasuke asked frantically. "Who could possibly have done that other than Root?"

"I have absolutely no idea," His brain had other plans and flashed an image from the other day. It was the young woman who radiated evil intent he had come across while being dragged through the village by Team Hebi. The way her eye lids opened until it looked like her eyeballs would fall out of their sockets made his skin involuntarily crawl once again. Why of all times was he remembering this?

It had to mean something!

Naruto shook his head. Deciphering cryptic messages from his brain wouldn't do him any good, not when madness was taking place just below them. "Can you guys please walk me through what happened when you found me the other day?"

"At a time like this, are you crazy?!" Karin blurted out. "You guys have to get down there! I can tell by their chakra that Root is pissed and they're surrounding the other Shinobi!"

"They can handle it, this is important!" Naruto urged them to stay on track. "What happened when you found me unconscious!?"

Karin winced at his tone but obliged. "W-Well, Sasuke was able to wake you up, and then-"

"Start from the beginning! Where was I, was anyone else around when you found me?" Naruto didn't remember anything that happened clearly until they were up and moving.

"We weren't the first ones to find you," Suigetsu answered with a hand underneath his chin. "Yeah, there was this nice lady. The shop owner! She and I had a real nice conversation; did ya wanna hear about that, too?" He finished with a sarcastic tone.

"Shop owner…?" Naruto repeated. They couldn't mean-

Suigetsu nodded. "Yeah, pretty sure she owned the tea shop across the street from your place," Naruto's eyes widened. "She seemed pretty worried about ya."

Suigetsu, Sasuke and Karin watched all of the color drain from Naruto's face.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Sasuke asked.

"I need to go," Naruto responded strangely. He had no time for an explanation. "You guys stay here and help round up Danzo's grunts… There's something I need to take care of." He turned to leave, but his friends weren't going to make it easy.

"Just what the hell is going on now?" Suigetsu asked. "You really think we're just gonna be okay with you leaving with no explanation?!"

"Suigetsu is right!" Karin pleaded. "We're here for you, so let us help!"

Naruto didn't hear a single word they had said. One second he was there, the next he was gone. Only Sasuke was able to track his movements at such high speeds.

"Bastard!" Suigetsu cursed under his breath. "The selfish asshole always has to do everything by himself!" He looked at Karin, then Sasuke. "We're going after that idiot, right?!"

"You guys go, I'm going to stay here and help," Sasuke ordered. "I need to confirm that Danzo is really dead and that nothing funny is going on here. I doubt Naruto needs your help in a fight, but he may need you for something else. So go."

Suigetsu and Karin both nodded.

"Right!"

…

Naruto sped through the village as fast as his legs would take him. The more he learned, the less sense things made. He wasn't entirely sure how this connected to the two bombings and the woman who emanated pure evil, but it was a lead he simply could not ignore.

How he hoped his gut was wrong.

Five-year-old Naruto leaned forward and peeked his head out from the alley behind his apartment. Before he stepped out into the open, he swung his head from left to right. No one to be seen, and the coast was clear.

He didn't want to deal with all of their stares today.

With every step he took he could feel the money in his pocket move around slightly. He was hungry and didn't feel like cooking anything. That is, he was currently out of instant ramen and the idea of going to the store with people around made him feel anxious. Which meant Ichiraku Ramen was on the menu for today.

That was until a delicious smell in the air caught his attention. Like a Ninja Hound, Naruto followed the tantalizing aroma until he was in front of a building not too far from his home.

Naruto looked up at the large sign out front and squinted his eyes "R-Ryok-kucha-ya," He sounded out slowly. He looked around, then peered into the shop; it was empty besides the owner - a forty-something-year-old lady with her medium-length black hair pinned up and out of the way while she worked.

"I wonder if she's nice like Ayame and the old man." The blond pondered. He knew it was a risk to walk in there, but the food smelled so good. From what he could tell from the menu hung up in the front window, the shop sold tea and sweet dumplings.

Naruto's stomach growled audibly.

He loved ramen more than anything, but that didn't mean he was always in the mood for it. Ichiraku was just the only place that would accept his business without a big fuss. Naruto enjoyed tea and sweets as well, it was just difficult for him to go out and purchase such things.

Naruto gingerly pushed open the shop's front door, which rang the bell attached to it. The sudden sound startled him, but he was in too deep to turn back now. The owner's head - pointed down while she swept the floor swung up to welcome her new guest. There was already a wide smile on her face.

Just when Naruto was about to gleefully reciprocate the greeting, the woman's face soured.

"You!' The woman spat in disgust. "What do you think you're doing in here!?"

"I-I," Naruto shriveled under the woman's venomous tone. He was positive he'd never met this lady before, so why was she treating him like this? "I j-just wanted to get some food a-and it smelled really good, and I-I-"

"Your money's no good here. I don't serve monsters!" She screamed at the terrified child. The rage on the woman's face intensified. "I don't care what Lord Third says! Leave and never come back, or you'll regret it!"

Naruto wanted nothing more than to run as far away from here as he could, but his feet were frozen in place. Before today villagers would typically either ignore his existence entirely or stare at him silently with hateful eyes. This was the first time one of them had verbally attacked him, and he wasn't sure what to do. Why were they so angry at him when he hadn't done anything wrong?!

"I said get out of here!" In her anger, the woman threw the broomstick at him. That was the jolt Naruto needed. He turned around and ran away at speeds impossible for a typical child. The broom landed with a thud just in front of where he had previously stood. However, the woman wasn't done yet. She chased after the boy, stopping just outside her front door. "That's right! I never want to see your face in here again, you murderer!"

After a moment of standing there in silence, the shop owner sighed shakily, walked back inside, closed the door behind her, and flipped the 'Open' sign over so it showed as 'Closed' to any potential customers.

She made her way into the back room and sat down at a desk in the corner. This was where her husband used to sit every day to budget and maintain the books for their business. Those fond memories where they would laugh, love, and support one another while working hard to provide for their only son felt like an eternity ago, but it had only been five years.

Her eyes fell on a picture frame with her, her husband, and their beloved son smiling from ear to ear. It was their picturesque, happy family. She lifted her arm up and shakily traced her finger over the image of her son.

"You would have been thirteen today, Higeki." The widow whispered to herself while she placed her head down in her arms and openly began to weep. As much as her heart wanted it to be, she knew this wasn't the blond boy's fault. And yet when she saw the Nine-Tails vessel for the first time since the death of her family, she was overcome with a rage nearly impossible for her to control. Her kind and understanding husband would never forgive her for treating such a young boy so horribly. "...I'm sorry for my weakness, please forgive me… I'm so sorry."

*Ring*

The middle-aged shop owner picked her head up. "A customer today with everything going on? How odd," A flash of orange entered her peripheral, followed by a pair of hands that roughly grabbed her around the collar. She was lifted up by her shirt until her feet were no longer on the ground. "W-Wha-" Then, she saw them.

A pair of furious blue eyes.

"P-Please don't hurt me," Squeaked the woman fearfully. "You can have all of the money in the register if you promise not to hurt me!"

"Cut the bullshit; I really don't have time for it." Naruto's tone was as cold as steel. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Y-You're the boy who was hurt the other day," Recognition flashed across the woman's face as she struggled against his tight grip and frantically kicked her feet. "I don't understand, why are you doing this?! I have never done anything to you!"

Naruto ground his teeth together. His suspicions were confirmed. "Never done anything, is that right?"

"Naruto! What are you doing?! Let her go!" A familiar feminine voice said.

He looked over his shoulder to see Karin and Suigetsu standing in the doorway. They looked worried and distressed but didn't attempt to make any sudden moves.

"P-Please get help and save me!" The woman screamed frantically. "H-He's trying to hurt me!"

"What are you guys doing here?" The blond asked harshly over the woman's pleas. "I told you to stay back and help the others. I can handle this all by myself."

Suigetsu stepped forward slowly with his hands up. "H-Hey we're just worried about you, blondie." He said slowly. "I like violence as much as the next guy, but what are you doing? You've got your hands on an innocent old lady that hasn't done anything wrong. She even tried to help you when you almost died."

"That's how I know she's an imposter," His response made Karin and Suigetsu arch their eyebrows in confusion. "I met this woman once before when I was a kid… I don't think I've ever met a villager that hated me more for being a Jinchuriki than her, and yet she doesn't seem to remember that happening."

A glimmer of surprise flickered in the woman's eyes.

"Wasn't that a long time ago?" Karin argued. "It's not that hard to believe that she could have forgotten, right?"

"No, you weren't there," Naruto said quietly. "She called me a murderer. I've thought about that day for over ten years, and the only conclusion I could come to is that someone close to her died in the Nine-Tails attack. It's the only thing that makes sense, and if it's true there is no chance in hell she would forget the day we met."

"I-I have no idea what you're talking a-about." The woman was shaking violently and on the verge of tears by this point. "P-P-Please just let me go and I w-won't tell anyone this h-happened. I-I s-swear, p-please!"

"You're with that other woman I saw that day, aren't you?" Naruto asked, which seemed to confuse his friends further. "She was walking quickly in the direction everyone else was running from, and when she noticed me she got spooked and disappeared. Why would that be unless she was expecting me to be somewhere else? Like, stowed away unconscious in your shop after getting blown to high hell? I bet you were furious when my friends showed up before you could get the chance to drag me off the street."

Karin stayed quiet this time. Now that she was able to get a grasp of the situation, there was something strange that bothered her. Expected of a civilian, the woman's chakra was very weak but the flow of her chakra was not typical given the circumstances. Outwardly she seemed frightened and distressed, but inwardly she was unusually calm.

Suigetsu crossed his arms and his chest and frowned. "Are you even listening to yourself, blondie? She's just an old lady. I mean, doesn't that seem a bit far-fetched?"

Naruto smiled thinly at the expression on the shop owner's face. "Does it? He asked her suggestively.

The woman's face contorted into an unsettlingly wicked smile.

"Heh, ya got me." Her voice was far more menacing than it was a moment ago.

"What?!" Suigetsu and Karin said in shock.

They watched in horror as the woman's appearance began to morph. Her hair changed from black to green, her eyes from brown to yellow, and her skin to a sickly whitish color.

Whatever this thing was, it was not human.

Naruto's eyes widened.

…

"His name is Zetsu." Sasori began with a blank expression. "He is a white, humanoid creature with yellow eyes and green hair. His adept tracking comes from a skill he possesses that allows him to move undetected underground. As for where he is right now, well, I have absolutely no idea."

…

"You're Zetsu." Naruto let go of him with one hand and grabbed a tag from his pouch. Before Zetsu could even think about reacting, a suppression tag was slapped on his chest. Naruto wrapped his now free hand around the Akatsuki Spy's throat and squeezed tightly.

"Guiltyyyy!" Zetsu responded flamboyantly, unperturbed by the tight grip around his neck. "I must say, Naruto Uzumaki, you continue to surprise. I've been here for so long I didn't think anyone was ever going to find me out."

"I thought you were already dead! How is this possible?" That's when it clicked. "Shit, that means that woman I saw is also-!"

"One of me was already killed!" Zetsu responded cockily. "You may have found little old me, but good luck finding the rest of us! Haha!"

"Tch, bastard!" Naruto's fingers tensed and he had to resist the urge to snap Zetsu's neck. "You murdered and impersonated the tea shop owner to spy on me, blew up my apartment with me in it just to try and capture me, and then you did the same thing to kill Danzo! What the hell are you playing at?!"

"Ah, so it worked? Danzo is finally dead, is he?!" Zetsu responded in a delighted tone. "That is such great news; I'm so far away from the festivities that I was worried I would have to wait a few hours to hear an update." He frowned mockingly at Naruto's gradually increasing anger. "What, didn't you want him gone too? If anything, we did you a favor before his Root dogs tried to bust him out. You should be thanking us!"

"Don't play dumb with me! Why kill Danzo? What was the point when we were going to kill him anyway?"

"Ha!" Zetsu laughed. "As if I'd tell you something like that! Do you think I'm an idiot, you dumb fox?!"

"You said there were more of you in the village, right?" Naruto asked calmly through narrowed eyes.

Zetsu's eyes narrowed to match him. "There sure are! But if you think I'm gonna tell you where they are, then you-"

'Snap.'

'Thud.'

…

…

…

"Ya killed him," Suigetsu said dumbly.

"Yeah," Naruto replied simply. "I did."

"Well… why the hell did ya do that when we could have squeezed him for more info?"

"He was getting on my nerves," Naruto answered honestly. "Besides, we don't need him. I have an idea."

"What else is new? You always have some damn idea…" Suigetsu grumbled. "I'm tired of ideas!"

"Well… then you're really going to hate what I'm about to say," Naruto chuckled. "But I'm going to need you to stay here and impersonate the old lady."

"You know blondie, sometimes I really hate you."

"I know, Suigetsu. I know,"

Author's Note: Judge and jury were already established, but the executioner was... Zetsu?

Naruto past experience with the hostile Tea Shop owner is briefly mentioned in "Chapter 32: A Rat Hidden Amongst the Leaves." This ultimately allows him to uncover the dark truth that the village isn't nearly as secure as once thought. An indeterminable amount of Zetsus lurk in the shadows. What sinister purpose do they have, and why did they kill Danzo when he was already on death row?

The only way to answer those questions is to continue reading. Join me again next time with Chapter 50: Man of Many Faces.

Leave a review and let me know what you thought!

Ky111 - You mentioned potential fallout in your last review, and fallout you got! Though it may not have been quite what you were expecting.

And yes, muddying the trial with an entire laundry list of things Danzo has done would have probably worked against their cause.

Lilthug - I love Death Note and I can really see the similarities now that you've mentioned it. That's actually really cool and gives me an entirely new perspective on a scene that I wrote lol.

SgtSmelly - I appreciate all the reviews you left! What did you think of this chapter and the fate of one Danzo Shimura?

Jerry2boy3 - I love that I reinvigorated your love for fanfics and hope you stick around for the rest of this ride!

NaruCrazy - Delaying the execution was important. As explained in this chapter, Tsunade's plan was always to dangle the lure that is Danzo to get all of his followers out of hiding. That way they could hopefully take them all into custody.

ImHellaUgly - It was important to them that they bring down Danzo through the proper channels. Naruto has matured a lot since his killing of Jaaku in the Land of Water. In a way, I'm sure the execution would have been more satisfying for them, as well... but things always have a funny way of turning out. Don't they?