"Even if it hurts, even if you're in pain,
You have no choice but to stand up.
No matter how beaten you are,
You have something to protect."
-Kamado Tanjiro no Uta, Go Shiina ft. Nami Nakagawa
Arms crossed, leaning back against the wall, Minato regarded his advisor.
Danzo Shimura stood before him in the middle of the room.
Minato knew him best as a former teammate and friend of Lord Third, a man he greatly respected.
"You wanted to see me, Lord Hokage?" Danzo asked.
Each corner of the room had an identical set of vertical seals drawn down the wall just below the ceiling, preventing unwanted ears from hearing classified information.
Only Kakashi, Kushina, his advisors, Lord Third, and Biwako knew where his safe house was, but the precaution didn't hurt.
Only three days had passed since he returned from his diplomatic mission to Kumogakure. The main purpose of it was to show the skeptics like Onoki that Konohagakure was committed to keeping the fragile peace that existed between the great nations. His willingness to venture into the land of his strongest enemy with only a small team of elite Anbu sent a message. Even if while he smiled and publicly shook hands with A, the finer details of peace were being hammered out by the Daimyo in an undisclosed location.
The trip gave Minato the opportunity to meet Killer Bee again and, discreetly, see if his Flying Thunder God seal withstood the corrosive chakra of the Eight-Tails. It had.
Someday, in an equal showing of commitment to long-term peace a delegation from Kumogakure would come to Konohagakure.
When he came back, and at Kushina's insistence that he take a break, he'd slept for sixteen hours straight. Then there was checking and re-checking the seals in the secret room where Naruto would be born and the paperwork that piled up in his absence.
This was his first free moment since he woke up. If not now, Minato knew he wouldn't have a chance to address the Amegakure situation for a long time.
"Why wasn't I made aware of the Foundation's involvement in Amegakure?" Minato asked. He watched Danzo carefully, but other than a pause the older shinobi didn't react.
Bird's investigation of the Foundation didn't turn up anything so far, but Minato expected as much. The number of ninja Danzo reported to be part of the organization was the same as Bird observed. On all official records there was no credit to the claims made by Nagato and Oka.
For Kakashi, skepticism outweighed belief. His student wanted undeniable evidence because an accusation of treason was not to be taken lightly, especially when the ninja who made the accusations were not of the Land of Fire.
But Minato believed them.
"So, those four are still alive after all, huh? Finally, some good news."
But what Nagato and Oka told him had much bigger implications than they realized. Minato could only think of one thing Hanzo the Salamander could offer that would be worth a portion of the Foundation.
"Yahiko reminds me of you, you know? Kid's got charisma, I tell ya. If I had more time back then, well, I just have certain things I wish I could've done."
It seemed impossible, unforgivable, but had Danzo been planning a coup d'Etat against Lord Third? It was a thought Minato wouldn't voice unless he was absolutely certain.
If the goal was as innocuous as making an ally out of Amegakure, why keep it hidden?
"Before I head off, do something for me, will you? If you meet those four again and they don't seem too different, put your faith in them. Between you and Yahiko, maybe peace really is possible."
"And where, might I ask, did you hear such an accusation?" Danzo asked after a moment.
Minato had the feeling that even with weeks or months, Bird would find no connection between Amegakure and the Foundation. "I can't tell you that," he answered.
He waited, saying nothing else. Danzo gazed at him for a moment more and dropped the innocent act.
"I established a network of spies in that wretched place," Danzo finally said. "I accomplished exactly what Jiraya did. But on a much smaller scale, I admit."
Minato closed his eyes, considering his words carefully. "What about them being sent out to battle? How much of our forces were killed by Foundation members?"
Danzo's eye narrowed. "Every ninja knows the risks of long-term infiltration and what they may have to do to maintain that cover. Don't be soft about this, Minato."
He couldn't reveal that he knew about the deal just yet. At least not until he knew how deep the Foundation's roots were under Konohagakure—
The door behind Danzo swung open.
Lady Biwako, kimono-like dress creased and ruffled, narrowed her eyes at him. "Minato! What are you doing? Kushina's gone into labor and you're here chatting with Danzo."
Minato's eyes widened. He pushed away from the wall. "Kushina—Has she been taken to—"
"Are you going to ask questions, or are you going to come help me deliver your child?" Biwako cut him off. "Naruto, and I suspect the Nine-Tails, won't be kept waiting."
His mind went blank. The Nine-Tails. Right. Somehow, Naruto's arrival terrified him more. His body hurried after her on autopilot.
Danzo's insubordination under Lord Third would have to be dealt with, but wasn't Naruto too early? Ten months was late, he knew, but it still felt too soon. The unreported members of the Foundation had to come from somewhere, but there were only two people in Konohagakure who could reseal the Nine-Tails and one of them was in labor.
"You too, Danzo," Biwako said, turning away. "Come along."
"No. I'll return to the village and begin preparations in case—"
"All the preparation in the world won't matter when facing a monster like the Nine-Tails. Should it escape, we'll need all the help we can get to distract it until Minato is able to reseal it. Do you disagree, Danzo?"
"I won't let that happen," Minato said firmly.
Danzo was silent. "You're as difficult to dissuade as always, Biwako. Very well."
.
.
.
"Mikoto?" Minato asked.
The matriarch of the Uchiha stood on the other side of the table. Kushina squeezed her hand so hard her knuckles were white, but if Mikoto felt any discomfort, she didn't let it show.
Biwako, at the end of the table, picked up a folded white sheet, draped it over Kushina's waist, and tugged it down over her legs. Danzo observed from the farthest corner in the room, closest to the entrance.
"You sound so surprised, Lord Hokage. Would you be less so if I were at home, Itachi on one arm and Sasuke on the other, having left your wife to find Lady Biwako herself?" Mikoto asked wryly.
Minato blinked once. "No—I—"
"She's kidding, Minato," Kushina said, trying to smile. "She—She was a good host. Watching Itachi and Sasuke play—it was nice. I hope Naruto—" she winced. "I hope he and Sasuke become good friends."
Mikoto's smile had a teasing edge and Minato saw why they were friends. He was more familiar with Fugaku, admittedly. He hadn't spent much time with Mikoto without Kushina being there too.
Minato pulled Kushina's shirt up, the spiral seal on her belly showing even without pushing chakra into it. Sweat slid down Kushina's forehead. Biwako pushed up her legs.
As much faith as Minato had in his ability to hold back the Nine-Tails, it was still dangerous. He appreciated Mikoto for taking care of Kushina in his absence, but she shouldn't be here. "Thank you, Mikoto. But I can take it from—"
"No!" Kushina gasped. She tightened her grip on Mikoto's hand. Only the smallest wince escaped her.
"I want her here, I—" Kushina grimaced, squeezing her eyes shut.
"I think I'll stay. If you'll allow me, Minato," Mikoto said.
Words began to spill out of the seal, the chains Kushina used to hold back the Nine-Tails coming undone, and Minato's worry for her won out over the potential consequences of Mikoto's presence. He knew, at least to the Hyuuga, this would look like favoritism.
Minato held both hands on top of each other on her belly. Trying to fix the strained seal might harm Naruto. All he could do was stall it coming undone.
"You're nearly fully dilated already, Kushina," Lady Biwako said, bent under the sheet. "You're lucky. This should be a quick delivery."
He should've been the one with Kushina instead of Mikoto. If he were, neither an advisor he suspected of a terrible plot, nor Mikoto would be here—
A hand cupped his cheek, startling him.
"You're having stupid thoughts again aren't you, Minato?" Kushina asked, hand slipping away. She managed a wobbly smile. "Don't worry so much, you know! Just... focus on Naruto for now, okay?"
Minato lowered his head, staring at the stone table. He shook his head. "I still can't believe I'm going to be a father."
Kushina started to laugh, only to break off with a deep grimace. "You're such a silly man, you know?"
"Focus, you two!" Biwako snapped just as Kushina's body seized in pain and Minato felt a sharp stab of fear for her.
Before he could ask Biwako if this was normal, the seal stole his attention. The spiral started to unwind, the characters tumbling out of the middle, splitting off in four directions up and down her skin. Suddenly, the malevolent intent of the Nine-Tails was overwhelming, a massive pressure in the air pushing down on him.
Mikoto pursed her lips, eyeing the seal.
"Agh." It took everything Minato had to keep the tailed beast down.
"Mikoto—It hurts so much—"
"Don't tell me the Red Hot Habenero is afraid of a little pain? Something like childbirth should be nothing for her," Mikoto said, her free hand squeezing Kushina's shoulder.
"R-Right..."
"Now push, Kushina, and do it quickly," Lady Biwako ordered.
Kushina nodded, and then she screamed. Minato's eyes darted to her strained face, but it was all the attention he could give her. The seal pushed against his hands like it was alive, the spiral fighting him as it inched back, the Nine-Tails clawing to escape. The characters crawled across her shoulders and slowly advanced down her arms.
The Nine-Tails thrashed and Minato bowed his head but didn't move his hands. "Hurry and come out, Naruto!"
Frowning, Mikoto stared at the seal with her sharingan.
"One more big push, Kushina. You're almost—" A second shrill scream drowned out Biwako, and then Minato heard the sharp cry of a baby. His eyes widened.
Kushina fell back, panting, and the strain on the seal disappeared, words retreating back up her shoulders and down her chest. Biwako straightened, wiping blood off Naruto with an orange blanket.
"Naruto," Minato breathed.
"Congratulations," Mikoto said, eyes fading to black. "You did exceptionally well, Kushina."
Minato made himself look away, focusing chakra into the seal. He'd have to salvage what he could and make his own version of Kushina's chakra chains until she was well enough to—
Biwako gasped and Minato's head jerked up. She took a step back, holding Naruto tighter to her chest, and he followed her gaze to the masked man standing behind Danzo.
The masked man held a kunai to his advisor's throat, his other hand holding a paper bomb up next to his face. Danzo's eye was wide in shock.
"This one is quite the influential figure, isn't he?" the masked man asked languidly. "Second only to you I'd say, Hokage."
Mikoto's eyes flashed red.
"You should really put those away. That is, if you don't want me to ignite this." The masked man waved the paper bomb back and forth.
Clicking her tongue, Mikoto retracted her sharingan.
Whoever he was, he was powerful. If he was here, then the Anbu outside had been killed. Minato's barrier and alarm seals had been bypassed with ease. "What do you want?" He kept half his attention on the seal, the Nine-Tails' malice washing over him as he pinned the beast back down.
"Why, that should be obvious. I want the Nine-Tails jinchūriki," he answered.
Kushina's eyes widened.
Minato's own narrowed. No matter what differences he and Danzo had, what the elder might or might not have done, he was still the lifeblood of the Foundation. Without Danzo, what would they do? What were they ordered to do? How much did this masked man know about how the village worked?
"My life is meaningless," Danzo spoke. "I'm more than happy to die, if that's what it takes to protect the village."
"Well, Hokage?" the masked man asked.
Minato's lips pressed into a thin line. He'd keep Kushina safe and save Danzo. "I can't do that," he answered, pulled out a three-pronged kunai, and threw it.
Kushina cried out, curling up on the table, his hastily made prison unfinished. It would hold for now.
His kunai passed through the man's mask.
The air in front of the masked man began to warp and twist as Minato's kunai bounced off the wall behind them, pulling himself and Danzo in. "Very well," the man said.
Danzo inhaled as he began to disappear. "Don't do—"
Minato appeared behind them, kunai in hand. He reached for the back of the masked man's cloak.
"—what he wants, Minato—"
Minato's hand closed around empty air. Surprise rippled through him. He looked at his palm, swearing he touched him, but his fingers had met no resistance. He pressed two fingers to the ground, but he couldn't sense them.
"Lady Biwako! Promise me that—no matter what you'll take Naruto away from here and keep him safe," Kushina gasped, arms around her stomach. "Promise me!"
Biwako dipped her head. "I'll protect him with my life."
Biting his thumb, Minato pressed his hand flat against the ground, channeled chakra, and a summoning seal appeared. Kōsuke stood before him when the smoke cleared.
"Oh, Minato—!"
"There's no time, Kōsuke. Find Kakashi and bring him here. Tell him that he's to assist Lady Biwako in protecting Naruto. He's not to leave her side under any circumstances." He wanted desperately to see Naruto, but the village came first.
Kōsuke's smile turned into a frown. The toad nodded once and took off, vanishing from sight in seconds.
The only reason to want the Nine-Tails was a desire to destroy his home. He would save Danzo, but this was bigger than him. What was stopping the masked man from causing wanton chaos in the village until his hand was forced anyway? If the masked man could sneak up on him, he could kidnap anyone in the village, at any time.
He had to go after them because he couldn't let an enemy like that roam free.
"I trust you'll handle this, Minato?" Biwako asked.
Minato stood. "I will."
It was better if Naruto was kept apart from them. He was the easiest, most vulnerable target. Kōsuke was the fastest toad he knew and once Kakashi heard his orders he would be here as fast as his body would allow.
Minato strode over to Kushina and picked her up. Her eyes were closed, head lolling against his chest, one of her hands pressed against her stomach. Even with the little strength she had left she was trying to repair the seal. His fingers tightened around her. He'd keep her safe.
"Mikoto, I'm going to take Kushina somewhere safe. It's a lot to ask, but could you stay with her for now?" Minato asked.
"Of course," Mikoto said. "I never had any intention of leaving her."
She was a good friend. Minato freed a hand to offer to her. Once her fingers touched his, he teleported them away.
.
.
.
Minato reappeared in the middle of his safe house. He carried Kushina to the bed while Mikoto pressed a hand to her forehead, shaking off disorientation.
"Just hold on, Kushina," he murmured, smoothing her hair back. He'd fix the seal properly when he came back.
She caught his arm when he turned away, eyes barely open. "You'll bring Naruto, right? When it's over?"
"Of course. I'll bring Kakashi, too."
Kushina's smile was faint. Her hand fell away.
Minato pulled on his Hokage haori and Mikoto sat at the edge of the bed, holding Kushina's hand.
"I'm counting on you, Mikoto," Minato said, strapping a pouch full of three-pronged kunai to his side.
"Kushina's the strongest person I know, Minato. She'll keep the Nine-Tails subdued with little trouble from the fox," Mikoto assured him.
Minato closed his eyes for a moment. She didn't know how relieved it made him feel to hear that. "I'll be right back," he said.
And then he was gone.
10 月
It was Obito's lucky day.
He didn't expect Danzo of the Foundation to be present as the nine-tails' jinchūriki gave birth, but it was a welcome surprise.
His plan was quite simple, really. Set the Nine-Tails on Konohagakure, then sit back and watch the chaos unfold. Between the might of the Third and Fourth Hokage the village might survive, but not without heavy casualties. The blow to their forces combined with all the demolished buildings, well, Konohagakure would be occupied for a while licking its wounds.
No matter the outcome, Konhagakure would be taken off the board. There would be one less set of eyes watching him as he prepared for the Eye of the Moon plan.
It would be more effort than it was worth to track down Danzo and go through all the trouble of infiltrating the village for a simple assassination. But when an opportunity dropped into his lap like this, who was he to refuse?
What did a group of children raised to be emotionless tools do when they no longer had orders to follow? When they were left in the dark to dull and rust?
He'd find out soon enough.
Obito never expected the Hokage to trade the jinchūriki for Danzo. But in knowing he was after her the Hokage would put her somewhere safe, like a safe house that only those completely loyal to the village would know of.
The exceptions being, say, his genin team.
.
.
.
Obito transferred himself and Danzo to the top of Hokage Rock, standing on the head of the Fourth. Turning his head, he saw the whole village laid out before him.
How very tranquil.
"I'm of no use to you as a hostage," Danzo spat vehemently, hand curling into a fist. "Do as you wish, but I'll never tell you where the Nine-Tails is."
Obito chuckled low. "That would be too bad if I ever intended on letting you live in the first place."
Danzo stiffened. Obito raised the kunai, quickly spinning it so the point was aimed at Danzo's chest, and brought it down.
A weathered hand clamped down around his wrist, stopping him. Danzo grunted, straining to hold him back, and Obito thought that perhaps he was a formidable shinobi twenty, thirty years ago.
He applied fire chakra to the paper bomb in his other hand, the hiss making Danzo's head jerk toward the sound, less than an inch away from his face. The seal in the middle glowed bright, Danzo's eye widened, and Obito released it.
The paper bomb didn't leave his hand before it exploded, before Danzo and everything around him was engulfed in white light. Intangible, Obito didn't feel the power of it, nor was he affected by the heat. The boom was loud enough to rouse the ninja down below, if the debris raining down didn't do it first.
When the explosion subsided, Obito stood in the middle of a crater, the top of the massive head blown clean off. The blast had disintegrated Danzo.
White Zetsu poked his head out of the rock beside him, his missing right half leaving his face partially deformed. "How am I supposed to copy his face now? There's not even a little bit of him left—"
An exhale behind him. Obito turned, surprised, but the small spheres of wind chakra were already too close to dodge. It was only because of the sharingan that he saw them at all. He'd let his guard down, his reaction time delayed by a second too long.
Zetsu was behind him before he'd fully turned around. His body jerked, spheres of wind blasting holes through his front, and Obito stepped out of the way as he fell. Zetsu was still smiling, even with a hole where his eye used to be.
Knowing his durability, Obito didn't give him a second glance. Instead, his eye narrowed at Danzo. The elder stood near the edge of the cliff, alive and well, not even a hint of a burn on his clothes.
He watched Danzo die before his very eyes, and yet here he was. Obito stared at the wrappings around Danzo's face. His persona slipped back into place as easily as his mask.
"Ohoho, this is certainly a surprise," he said, perfectly at ease. "Was that Izanagi? I wonder, which one of us is the criminal here, again?"
Danzo's eye narrowed. "Someone filled with only hostile intent wouldn't understand the sacrifices that must be made in order to keep a village safe—"
The Fourth Hokage landed soundlessly next to Danzo, a hand on his shoulder, haori flapping behind him. The Hokage took in Danzo, then those piercing blue eyes locked on him.
Danzo stared at the Hokage in shock. "Minato, but why would you—?"
"It's nice of you to finally join us, Hokage," Obito quipped.
Zetsu would play dead for now. Having a nearly unkillable companion on his side wasn't a card Obito wanted to reveal just yet.
Minato's hand moved off Danzo's shoulder and down into his pouch. "Allowing an enemy like him to walk around freely would be irresponsible of me," he answered. "I have to end things, here and now."
Danzo frowned deeply. "The only way to prevent the most casualties is to ensure the safety of the Nine-Tails jinchūriki above all else, even if a handful of people die as a result—"
"I can't do that," the Hokage interrupted sharply. "The entire village is my home. Everyone here is my family. I won't treat anyone in my family like a sacrifice!"
Without waiting for a response, the Hokage threw one of his signature kunai.
"Interesting ideology, Hokage," Obito commented, the kunai passing harmlessly through his neck. "How many will needlessly die for you to uphold it, I wonder." He didn't move as the Hokage appeared behind him, nor when a kunai slash phased through his back.
"I thought so," the Hokage thought aloud, but there was no time to contemplate his words.
Danzo ground his teeth, clearly in disagreement with his Hokage, but he didn't speak. Rat. Snake. Horse. Snake. Dog. He inhaled deeply and Obito darted towards him, intending to finish what he started.
Obito leapt over the first wind blade, allowed the second to pass through him, and reached for Danzo's throat, watching a ripple of uncertainty flash over his face.
Out of the corner of his eye he saw a three-pronged kunai, a hand close around it, and a bright blue glow. Rasengan.
Obito phased through Danzo, turning his fall into a roll, and a spinning orb of chakra hit him in the back, driving him into the ground. Cracks zig-zagged down the face of the stone head.
Obito choked, shocked, and managed to turn his head slightly to look behind him. The Hokage stood in the space between him and Danzo, one hand on the elder's back.
You truly are the 'Yellow Flash.'
The Hokage shoved the rotating ball of chakra deeper into his back, intending to kill him with it, and the damage became too much. Beneath his mask, Obito smiled. I win.
And then he popped.
A/N: 10 月 - October.
Madara Uchiha proved that sharingan + clones is seven layers of OP wrapped in eight layers of broken.
*on Danzo: One thing I don't like about the series is how Danzo was used as a scapegoat to excuse the actions of other characters. It's not Hiruzen's fault the Uchiha massacre happened. It was Danzo. It's not Hanzo's fault that his paranoia ate him alive. It was Danzo. Danzo led the Akatsuki into a trap. It was Danzo that suggested the Uchiha be relocated, etc. Which is why I removed most of the direct influence Danzo had in Amegakure. And attempted to make him less of a walking scapegoat and more of a character here.
tldr: Black and white characters are boring to write.