Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

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'Person thinking'

"Person talking"

"Jinchuriki talking inside his head with Bijuu"

'Bijuu thinking'

"Bijuu talking"

"Bijuu talking inside jinchurki's head"

Chapter 25 – Operation Bait and Switch

Four days after receiving Itachi's report on Naruto, Hiruzen found himself in the same room with the three elders once more. This time however, there was no one to scan for lies, for things were quite clear now. There was also the concern that overplaying the card that is Naruto might not be wise in this phase.

Koharu, ever the impatient one, began the conversation: "So, Hiruzen, what is the reparations plan that you discussed with Fugaku?"

"We agreed on a multipart plan that will allow the Uchiha clan to be reintegrated into Konoha proper.

The first phase concerns itself with placing Uchiha clan members back into operational shinobi ranks. The intent is to replace two thirds of the current Konoha Military Police Force with non-Uchihas of equal or lower rank. During patrols, cells will consist of three shinobi. One Uchiha will be present in each patrol to provide insights on how to conduct the tasks at hand, as well as Sharingan genjutsu assistance, should that become necessary. The other two team members will be one chunin and one genin trainee. Genin will be rotated in the police force and some may opt, in time, to work for the KMP on a permanent basis.

The handover takeover process for this transition was agreed to require approximately one year, plus-minus a few months, depending on how quickly the replacements pick up on their duties. At the same time, the formerly operational shinobi that are now assigned to the KMP will provide refresher training to the KMP members that will become operational shinobi, in order to ensure they are up to speed on our latest TTPs (tactics, techniques and procedures).

Should any non-KMP shinobi prove inadequate to provide the required refresher training, Fugaku is responsible to ensure his clan's shinobi do indeed become fully operational, under the supervision and only upon receiving the approval of the Jonin Commander, Nara Shikaku.

Phase two deals with the social reintegration of the Uchiha clan into Konoha proper. The intent is to have them move back into their former compound near the heart of Konoha. This phase will commence somewhere in the third quarter of the first phase, assuming the reputation of the clan will have been improved as a result of the operational Uchiha clan members conducting themselves properly during their time in the field."

"I see. In essence, phase one acts as a probation period in which the clan would prove themselves to the population of Konoha as loyal shinobi to the leaf, thus making everyone feel safer with the idea of having them back into the thick of things." Homura intervened.

"That is the intent, yes."

Koharu's impatience took the best of her yet again. "What about the clan surveillance and the Hokage position? We are not even going to go into discussing that permanent elder council member position, because that was just ludicrous."

Chuckling at his former teammate's antics, Hiruzen replied "Indeed, the permanent Uchiha elder council position was off the table from the start.

Concerning the clan surveillance, that would cease as soon as the reparations process begins. After all, we have to show a modicum of good will as well and, since their clan will be dispersed conducting missions, they will have less of a chance to gather together in one place at the same time.

As far as the hokage position is concerned, I told Fugaku that I am not opposed his appointment, provided the clan's reputation improves to the point where he is seen fit for the position from a social and political level. We all know that he has the strength required for the job. However, it is not he who becomes Hokage that is acknowledged by the people; he who is acknowledged by the people may become the Hokage."

"This all sounds well and good, Hiruzen, but what if the elders of the clan do not accept? Are you prepared to do what must be done?" Asked Danzo. To Hiruzen, it seemed that his old friend was a bit irritated by his jab regarding how the Hokage are elected. Which was good, because that was precisely his intent.

"Shisui will ensure this decision will be accepted unanimously."

"Again, with Shisui. That boy's eyes will not assuage the views of an entire clan and the elders accepting such a proposal all too readily will make more than a few members suspicious. You're playing with fire, Hiruzen."

"I must trust in my shinobi. It is my duty as Hokage. Should this negotiation fail, we will reconvene and consider other options."

"By that point, it may be too late." Argued Danzo once more.

"And I will take full responsibility."

"If you say so… When will the meeting between the Fugaku and the clan take place?"

"In 5 days' time."

"I see."

"If there are no more questions, this meeting is adjourned."

-FOUR DAYS PRIOR TO UCHIHA COUNCIL MEETING-

An exhausted Naruto could be seen laying on his back, panting and barely conscious.

"This is way harder than I thought. And my skin burns all over."

"It would have been much easier had you mastered at least that tree climbing exercise. But, seeing as there is no time for that, we must make do with what we got."

"I know, I know... By the way, how will we know when it's go time?"

"While the ROOT agents have been trained to deny their own emotions, they can still convey focused intent. Remember when Itachi showed up at the academy to pick up Sasuke?"

"Yeah, actually. The agent did feel a bit more intense right before he darted off, away from Itachi-niisan."

"Indeed. We will use those kinds of cues to determine whether we should act or not. Either way, from this point forward, keep your sensing ability up and sharp during classes, because we need to know about his change of intentions as soon as he reveals it. Our success in denying him his target depends on it."

"Jiji does know about that guy in the tree though. Don't you think he will send someone to deal with him when the time comes?"

"He might, but we cannot rely on that. For all we know, by the time help arrives it may already be too late. Now, I will heal the burns and we will resume training."

"Roger, Kurama Sensei!"

Chuckling at Naruto's antics, the Kyuubi responded, "Keep that up, and I might just begin to like you."

-TWO DAYS PRIOR TO UCHIHA COUNCIL MEETING-

Sometimes around 14:00 hours, Shisui Uchiha was making his way home after turning in his report from his latest patrol. It was then that he was greeted by an ANBU agent halting right in front of him.

"Shisui-san, Danzo-sama requests your presence at the Fire Temple shrine on the northern edge of Konoha in two hours' time."

"Did he mention his reason for this sudden request?"

"He only said that it was a matter of great importance. Danzo-sama mentioned you would understand what he meant."

"I do. Tell him I will be there."

When Shisui arrived at the scene, Danzo was already waiting for him.

"What is it you wished to discuss, Danzo-sama?"

"Shisui, tell me, do you honestly believe Hiruzen's plan will succeed?"

"Yes, sir. I do. Fugaku-sama has the charisma required to persuade the elder council of our clan that the proposed reparations plan is the appropriate course of action. And, should they disagree, I will be there to ensure that thigs go smoothly."

"You seem quite confident in those eyes of yours."

"I have trained really hard to ensure this mission will not fail, Danzo-sama."

"I understand. However, I disagree with Hiruzen's perspective. I believe the Uchihas as a whole are a liability to the security of Konoha. The only thing your clan seems to be good for is providing me with your eyes."

Danzo then attempted to jump Shisui and take his eye. However, he found himself placed in a paralysis genjutsu by Shisui.

"I'm sorry, lord Danzo. I cannot allow you to take those eyes. I must leave now."

Before he could leave however, he found himself paralyzed. Just then, Danzo disappeared from view and reappeared behind him.

Struggling, Shisui turned his head towards Danzo, stupefied. "Izanagi! But that is one of our closest guarded secrets!"

"Not guarded well enough it seems. And because of that, I now will have your eyes. They are the key to everything!"

Danzo then reached into Shisui's eye socket. However, just when he thought he had it, Shisui's body burst into a puff of smoke.

"Shadow clone?!"

A very familiar chuckle could be heard from everywhere around Danzo "Shadow clone indeed, Danzo. You just fell for the cheapest trick in the book. Shadow clones were designed by the Second Hokage as a means to fool the Sharingan, you know."

"Hiruzen?! Where are you?! Show yourself!"

"Hoh? I thought you liked this technique so very much."

"The chameleon technique?! But how?"

"I am not called 'the Professor' for nothing, you know. And I also happened to have received the assistance of a certain Uchiha clan head who was more than willing to help me in reverse engineering the technique that made Hanzo the Salamander such a deadly opponent."

"We both know that this technique has a glaring weakness, Hiruzen."

"Indeed."

Just then, Danzo made a few hand seals and executed a Wind Style: Great Breakthrough technique intended to raise as much dust as possible so as to pinpoint the silhouette of his old teammate.

"Found you."

At that moment, 10 ROOT agents surrounded Hiruzen and Danzo in a circle. Danzo however, had other plans in mind.

"ROOT. There is no meaning in hiding our intentions any longer. I will deal with my old teammate. You go and get me Shisui's eyes. Kill anyone who stands in your way. Surely, he must be somewhere in the vicinity. Much like his father Kagami before him, his loyalty to the Hokage is second to none."

At his command the other shinobi bolted in several directions, intent on finding their quarry.

"You read the situation well. They would have simply been in our way"

"So have you it seems. Though I wonder who it was that exposed me so fatally. None of my agents would have given you anything."

"And yet, here you are."

"Indeed. But what will you do about the clan? And what of Fugaku's younger son? Surely you were aware how much of a liability family can be in such situations, were you not?"

"Fear not, old friend. The situation is taken care of."

For the first time in his life, Danzo showed genuine surprise, followed by anger. To have been played so thoroughly was an embarrassment beyond belief.

"I will come out on top this day, Hiruzen. When I am done, the clan will be eliminated and you a victim of their plots. Konoha needs a strong leader, one who will ensure she will take her rightful place in the world."

Taking his stance, he responded solemnly "I will weep for Konoha the day someone like you would place the hat on their head, old friend. Fortunately, today is not that day."

"We shall see."

Classes were finally over. Everyone except for Naruto and Sasuke had already left. It was then that Naruto felt a jolt and, not a moment later, the ROOT agent from the tree appeared right in front of Sasuke.

"Sasuke-san. Fugaku-sama has requested that I escort you back to the compound on his behalf, since he and Itachi-san are occupied in an important meeting with the Hokage."

Sasuke, for his part, was somewhat suspicious, but it wasn't the first time his brother failed to come pick him up. At least this time he sent someone.

"Oh, ok. Lead the way, ANBU-san." The pair then turned away from Naruto, making their way out of the class.

"Now/Now"

All of a sudden, the ROOT agent felt a punch as heavy as ten boulders in the back of his head and his world went black.

"There is either back up or additional shinobi at his rendezvous point. We must get Sasuke out of here, now!"

"Sasuke, come with me! You're not safe!"

"What the- Naruto, are you insane?! And what's up with your eyes?!"

"Itachi asked me to protect you. We don't have much time. We gotta go. NOW!"

"I am not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on!"

"… I really didn't want to do this…"

Fast.

That was all Sasuke could think of when he received the heaviest punch to the gut he ever got. Shortly after that, he felt himself being picked up like a ragdoll and carried somewhere, away from the school premises, at incredibly fast speeds.

After what seemed like a good minute, he was placed in a location that looked somewhat like a basement, in the poorer part of Konoha. He got his bearings after another thirty seconds or so, only for his eyes to fall on the exhausted form of his classmate (and apparent kidnapper), Naruto.

Needless to say, Sasuke was fuming. So angry he was, in fact, that he got up, marched right to Naruto's position, picked him by the collar and punched him right back in the gut.

"What the heck was that?! And where are we?!"

"Oh, that burned… Look… Sas'ke, let's sit down… I'll explain… Everything… Kami, this burns…"

Sasuke refused. His furious glare was pointed straight at the blond. "No thanks. I think I'm good here. Now explain. Or else."

"Right… Give me a minute…"

Sasuke's immediately let go of his classmate and took a few startled steps back, when he saw his body getting covered in a very thin layer of red-orange chakra that started to heal his skin. Only now did he actually notice that the blonde was literally covered in skin burns. It was as if he had been stuck under the desert sun for one day too long.

"Naruto, what are you?"

"I guess there's no hiding it from you now, is it? Hehe."

"Naruto. Explain. Now. Or I'll shoot a fireball right at your face."

"Right, right."

Plumping back down and leaning against the wall, Naruto began his explanation. "So, some people in the village wanted to kill your entire clan and that agent was gonna use you as bait against your brother and father to stop them from fighting back. I stopped him, brought you here where hopefully they won't find us and now your dad and brother and a bunch of other people are fighting to save your clan from getting killed. Oh, and I'm the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi and you're the first person I ever told that secret. Yay!"

Sasuke, was, understandably, dumbfounded.

"Naruto, is this some stupid prank?"

"Sasuke, do you really think I'd punch an ANBU agent in out of the blue AND in front of someone else, just for a prank? The whole point of making pranks is to not get caught! Duuh. Dummy."

"I could see you doing that. Loser."

"Jerk. Oh, this hurts so bad…"

After a few moments a realization struck Sasuke and he entered full panic mode. "Wait! So, my brother and father are fighting some bad guys to save the clan?! And what about mom?! I gotta go out there and fight too!"

"No, you're not, Sasuke! We're a couple of kids! What are we gonna do against a bunch of jonin?! All we're gonna do is get in the way, or worse, get caught and then your father and brother really WILL die!"

"But didn't you punch an ANBU agent into the ground just now?"

"Oh that. That was already planned a week ago and he was taken completely by surprise. No one would expect a clueless academy student to move and hit that way. And that guy was definitely no jonin. Any jonin worth their salt would have reacted to my hit and would have planted a kunai in my skull before I even knew what was going on. Let's face it Sasuke, the best way we can help right now, is to stay out of the way."

"Argh! Fine… Where are we exactly?"

"My pranking den." Replied Naruto proudly.

"Pranking den?... Wait, you ARE the Prankster King of Konoha!"

"The one and only, hehe." Replied Naruto as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

Unexpectedly, a smirk appeared across Sasuke's face. "Hehe, Hiraku-ojisan was super bummed about that case, you know. Said he kept only getting dead ends. How did you keep him off your back like that? He's the best investigator in the force. After dad of course."

"Friends in high places, hehe."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"The whole Prankster King thing was more of a way to distract people from what I was actually doing."

"And that is?"

"I am a special type of sensor. I could locate the agents that were gonna attack your clan. So, we needed a reason for me to go around the entire village without these guys suspecting that we're actually tailing them. Since I had already started my pranks before this whole thing started, it only made sense to use that as the excuse. I would have done those pranks on those stupid merchants anyway, but it was definitely easier to do it when Hokage-jiji had my back, hehe."

"So, you think Hiraku-ojisan knew about you?"

"Sure did. He just played the fool but left it to everyone else to suspect me."

"Huh, this is so crazy… And what did you mean about you being the jinchuriki of the Kyuubi? I thought the Kyuubi was dead."

"Nah, you can't kill a bijuu. So, the only option the Yondaime Hokage had was to seal it into someone. It had to be a newborn so they can adapt to the chakra of the Kyuubi. I was born that day, so I was picked for the job. Now all the adults hate me because the Kyuubi lives inside of me, but they think I'm the Kyuubi itself. Gotta love my luck, right?"

"…Ok… But if the Kyuubi is sealed inside you then you're its jailer, not the Kyuubi itself… Wow, the adults really are stupid."

"Yeah… But not all of them are like that. Some get it. The cool ones. Your dad is one of them. And Itachi-niisan. And Hokage-jiji. And Higurashi-ojisan."

"And what was that power you used against that agent? Was that the Kyuubi's power?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"How did you do it?"

"Well…"

One hundred ROOT agents were stationed in the bunker underneath the Uchiha compound, waiting for the signal to commence the elimination of the clan. Quiet as death itself they were in their silence. Soon, the trap door to the bunker opened. A single person entered the large underground hall and it was not who they expected.

"You DARE threaten my clan on our own turf! Let me show you how I earned my moniker 'Wicked Eyes'."

Instantly, ten ROOT agents made to stab Fugaku on the spot. None succeeded, due to a crimson aura surrounding the clan head's body. Soon the aura turned into a skeleton and then into the body of what seemed like a sorceress with closed eyes. Her hair was long and flowing. Her robes ornate and regal. A most beautiful messenger of divine fury she was.

When Fugaku opened his left eye, the avatar's eyes snapped open and, in her eyes, Fugaku's Sharingan pattern was reflected, for all of his enemies to see.

"Ame-no-Uzume"

Instantly, all one hundred agents were caught in the genjutsu of his avatar. For the first time in their lives, they felt… Joy? Bliss? It was like looking at the greatest dancer in all of the elemental nations. Her smile, an art work. Her movements, the very essence of the word grace. A mesmerizing beauty. The very embodiment of joy. Their minds understood that they were trapped in an illusion, but they simply did not care.

The right eye then opened and the avatar's eyes bled.

"Amaterasu"

Instantly, all agents burst into flames. But they did not shout. They did not cry for help. Their minds were too busy with the dance they were still witnessing. Gently tricked, like lambs to the slaughter, did the entranced agents let their souls pass into Death's warm embrace.

The sound of burning bodies falling to the ground filled the vast underground bunker. A few moments later, there was only silence. Silence and flame.

Fugaku closed his eyes and his avatar perished.

Not long after that, several of his KMP subordinates arrived at the scene. An eerie silence fell upon the company as they witnessed the devastating power of their clan head.

"Come, we have over 30 of these bunkers to clear before the day is done. Let us hope Hokage-sama survives his battle as well."

Without a word, the company followed through a corridor leading to a connected bunker. Only a few remained to gather up the ashes of the dead and ensure there were no survivors. With ROOT, you can never be too careful.

Shisui and Itachi were waiting about half a mile away from Danzo's proposed rendezvous. The moment his clone dispelled, Shisui reacted.

"It's game time" Shisui affirmed.

"Understood." Not long after their exchange, Itachi placed his hand on the ground and a crow appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Itachi, what did your crow eyes see?"

Having 'consulted' with his crow for a moment, he dropped a treat for it, at which point he replied "10 ROOT that split in 5 directions, in teams of two. Hokage-sama and Danzo-sama have engaged in battle." The crow picked the treat in its beak and disappeared in another puff of smoke.

"I see. Shall we go pick them off?"

"It's best that we do. I'd rather avoid them ganging up on us."

"My thoughts exactly. Let's go. Hope you can keep up, little bro."

Smiling, Itachi responded "I will do my best."

"Wow… that's insane. So, you're actually friends with the Kyuubi?"

"Yeap. Hehe."

"How do I even compete with that? How does anyone?!"

"Well, there are people out there who are stronger than me right now, so…"

"I guess… Also… what was that about you calling Itachi-nii "Niisan"?"

"Oh, ummm… Well, you see, he's been my bodyguard for this entire mission, so, we kinda got close, you know."

"You got to go on an actual mission with Itachi-nii?! And he never has time for me?! What the heck?!"

"Wait, Sasuke, it's not like that."

"What do you mean? What do you know?! Do you have any idea how many times I asked him to train with me?! How many times he said he was too busy and that we'd do it later?! And all this time, he was spending it going on missions with you?!"

"What? No. That's not what I-"

"I can't believe Itachi-nii cares more about the class loser than he does about his own brother!"

"Shut up, Sasuke!"

"No, you shut up, loser!"

Naruto then put his hand on Sasuke's mouth and pointed towards the door.

"Someone's coming. 300 meters away."

"How did you-?"

"Sensor, remember? We gotta hide. Let's hope they didn't spot us. There's a tunnel right through there. We can walk, but they'd have to crawl. Let's hope this guy's not a sensor."

Naruto then guided Sasuke towards a hastily made tunnel that led to the outside of the building. Steadily, they made their way through and towards the exit. As soon as they got out though, Naruto was filled with a sense of dread. He looked towards Sasuke, who could read his fear.

Without a second thought, Naruto grabbed Sasuke and, reinforced with Kyuubi's chakra once more, jumped up and forward, onto the roof top of the building across the street from his pranking den. As the two looked down, they saw… nothing?

"Poop! It's the invisible guy!"

"Invisible gu-?" Sasuke couldn't even finish his sentence because Naruto yanked him once more and took his place in front of where he felt the ROOT agent's body. The blonde hero was hit full force and thus lost control of Sasuke, who in turn slipped on to the edge of the roof, where he was now hanging by his hands, with his grip weakening by the second.

The invisible agent then made himself seen. He was just as bland as the other one, but definitely more fearsome.

"Sasuke-san. I am here to escort you to the Uchiha compound on orders of Fugaku Uchiha."

This time, Sasuke realized that these guys were indeed fishy. Climbing his way up, he brushed the dust off his feet and then looked towards the ROOT agent, albeit, from a bit of a distance.

'Itachi-nii, Dad, mom too, are all fighting for the clan. Even this loser is sticking his neck out for me. And what do I do? I run away and scream like a pansy! No more. I'm gonna take this guy on!'

As fast as he could, Sasuke formed a particular set of hand seals. Ending with the Tiger seal, he shouted with all his might: "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique)!"

Even he was surprised at the size of the thing. In all his days of training, he never managed to get it to that size. It was glorious! 'If only dad could see me now. Maybe he'll think I'm worth something too.'

Luckily, Naruto had been punched to the side and was out of harm's way. The ROOT agent for his part dodged it easily. What the agent did not expect however, was a kick to the back from none other than Hiraku Uchiha, KMP's second in command.

"Hey Sasuke-kun. I see you've been practicing your fireball jutsu. Great job distracting him. Now, take Naruto and go somewhere safe. This is no place for children."

"Is the clan really in danger?"

"Yes. But we got it covered. Now go!"

"Yes, sir!"

With that, Hiraku engaged the formerly invisible agent in a fierce battle, while Sasuke grabbed Naruto and took him behind one of the chimneys.

As soon as they got to cover, he slapped Naruto on the face none too gently, in order to wake him up. Needless to say, he was quite happy with the annoyed look the blond had upon awakening.

"What the heck, Sasuke?! What was that for?!"

"You were out. Hiraku-ojisan came and started fighting that invisible guy. We gotta get away. Any ideas?"

"Yeah, I have a few hiding spots around the village. There's another one close by actually."

"… Of course you would have another hiding spot…"

"Hehehe."

"So, Danzo, aside from the Sharingan your right eye socket, what else have you pilfered?"

Danzo, for his part, steadily unrapped his right hand. Hiruzen, on the other hand, decided to go for his go-to tactics and summoned his old friend, Monkey King Enma.

"Hiruzen, what is it you need me for?" upon seeing Danzo's now unsealed right arm, his eyes narrowed in disgust. "Danzo, not even the dead can rest because of you…"

Danzo's right arm was revealed to have three sharingan implanted on them, with seven more sockets waiting to be filled.

Hiruzen's reaction mirrored Enma's immediately after seeing Danzo's form. "Danzo, how come you by these eyes? And what have you done to your body?"

"Many Uchiha have died in the line of duty over the years, Hiruzen. I merely ensured they continued to do their duty well past their demise."

"You have stooped too low, old friend. Enma, let us end this."

The human and monkey duo then tag teamed Danzo in a fierce taijutsu battle. Without his right eye however, Danzo was exposed. Using that Izanagi was a gamble that now seemed to cost him dearly.

Soon enough, Enma managed to land a deep gash in Danzo's right kidney using his claws and not long after that, Hiruzen also struck him in the stomach, pushing him away from them.

Danzo struggled to keep up the pace, but his opponents did not let him. He knew he was in too bad of a condition to continue fighting like this. There was no other choice.

Before Sarutobi's and Enma's eyes, Danzo disappeared like a mirage. Both looked around cautiously.

"Enma, be prepared, he could appear anywhere."

Sure enough, Danzo's unharmed form reappeared behind Hiruzen, intent on killing him with a wind coated kunai. Hiruzen quickly lept away from his opponent, Enma now at his side.

"Saru, your back."

"No worries. It's bleeding but it's shallow. Had I not moved however…"

Hiruzen and Enma were given no respite.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu (Summoning technique)!" upon shouting this command, a large puff of smoke surrounded Danzo, who was now standing on the back of his great orange elephant summon Baku. The creature immediately started inhaling all its surroundings, intent on sending Hiruzen and Enma into the void.

Upon realizing their predicament, Enma turned into his diamond staff form and extended in order to reach Hiruzen. As he was dragged in, Hiruzen grabbed the staff and extended it well within Baku's mouth, planting it right in front of the great elephant's uvula, on its soft palace. He then stuck his feet to the staff and proceeded to go through the hand seals for a fire style jutsu.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!" a great fireball soared towards the Baku's mouth and the beast quickly shouted in anguish from the pain caused the flames. Not long afterwards, the summon vanished, leaving a somewhat panting Hiruzen and a cautious Danzo on the ground.

"How many times must we end him, Hiruzen?" asked a bewildered Enma, still in his staff form.

"I wager as many times as he has eyes open on that hand of his. Assuming he does not possess eyes on other parts of his body as well."

"Cracking jokes, at a time like this? That is very much unlike you, Saru."

"I have been reminded recently that it's not good for one's health to take things too seriously. That is not to say we will not act decisively, however."

Having said that last part, Hiruzen took a standing pose, with Enma in staff form vertically to his right and looked straight at Danzo.

Danzo was understandably concerned. Immediately, he pulled two shuriken which he coated in wind chakra to amplify their range and sent them flying towards hiruzen. Hiruzen however, dodged them easily. Immediately however, the shuriken were followed by a barrage of wind bullets. To counter them, Enma's staff form expanded in diameter to be as wide as Hiruzen's body, covering him.

From behind his staff, the Hokage weaved through a series of hand seals and then cast "Earth Style: Swamp of the underworld." right underneath Danzo.

The ROOT leader was distracted for a second but managed to get his footing by walking on the swamp as if it were water. As he was looking down however, his left eye caught the sight of Enma's arm extending from the staff, intent on strangling him. Danzo immediately jumped to the side to avoid getting caught.

Enma's distraction was all Hiruzen needed however, because suddenly, Danzo felt his body unable to move.

'Kagemane no jutsu (Shadow possession technique)' thought Danzo. Sure enough, looking down, he could see his shadow connected with that of Sarutobi. 'He took advantage of the starting sunset to hide his shadow possession in that of Enma's extending hand. By the time I touched the ground, it was already too late. Formidable teamwork.'

"Kage–Kubishibari no Jutsu (Shadow Strangle technique)" thought Hiruzen as a hand of shadow made its way up Danzo's body, intent on strangling him. Danzo struggled to free himself, but to no avail. His windpipe was crushed and he was struggling for air. Shortly after his apparent demise, he disappeared like a mirage once more.

"It is fitting that you should die once for each of the bodies you have desecrated, Danzo."

Appearing a few meters to the right of his most recent execution scene, Danzo replied "I did not think you had it in you to kill me in cold blood. I suppose I was wrong about you. You are not as soft and I'd expected you to be. That is good."

"Danzo, you have only one eye left. Any last words before I end you?"

"Only this: I am not the real enemy of Konoha."

"Then who is?"

"Your wayward legacy."

"Orochimaru…"

Taking advantage of Hiruzen's moment of distraction at the mention of his former pupil, Danzo cast a series of vacuum blades towards the Hokage, intent on skewering him. A hand extended from Enma's staff once more, grabbing Hiruzen by the back of his neck, while the staff itself shot upwards with the Hokage in tow.

"Saru, keep your head in the game! One mention of Orochimaru and you're immediately a sitting duck."

"I apologize for my distraction, old friend. Let us proceed." Hiruzen then grabbed the staff, extended as it was, and rolled mid air in order to hit the ground with all the momentum at its disposal.

Danzo moved quickly to the side and not a moment too soon, because the staff's strike was deceptively fast. Coupled with its length and durability, the ROOT leader could see deep cracks in the ground that reminded him of Tsunade's punches. Needless to say, he did not want to be on the receiving end of such a blow.

Hiruzen and Enma made their way back to ground level. A glance towards his staff and the monkey king turned back into his animal form. This puzzled Danzo, because that was unlike Hiruzen's modus operandi.

"Did you know, Danzo, that monkeys are notorious tricksters?"

Taking a fighting stance, Danzo replied "I did. And what of it? I suppose you're going to attempt to cast a genjutsu on me?"

"Not all tricks require genjutsu." He replied smirking.

Suddenly, Danzo felt his right arm cut clean off and portion of his torso went with it. Before he realized what happened, the appendige was grabbed and sealed into a storage seal.

"When Enma expanded to protect you from the wind bullets… You made a clone and had it use the chameleon technique to get to me… And you used Enma's change of form as a distraction to keep me guessing… Clever… As expected of a Hokage." Danzo realized.

"Got it in one." Replied Hiruzen smirking. "I must thank you for this technique. It is most useful, if a bit exhausting for the uninitiated. But we are not uninitiated, are we, old friend?"

It was then that Danzo knew he had lost to his old teammate once more. He was completely outclassed and outsmarted. 'I suppose there is a reason Tobirama sensei chose him as his successor after all. To have lost to the very technique I had stolen from Hanzo in order to gain the Hokage's seat. How ironic…'

Still bleeding from his missing right side, Danzo fell to his knees. Oddly enough, he was smiling in defeat. His expression grew grave soon after that however, as he broke the silence one last time.

"Hiruzen. You should know… Orochimaru's intention… is to get himself a body… fully compatible… with the Sharingan… I wa-… merely a prototype… -proof of concept… death of the Uchihas… only way…"

Before he fell face down, Hiruzen rushed to grab him in his arms.

"No, old friend. There are other ways. Had you told me sooner, we would have had more time to respond to this threat. As it is now, I must act with haste to protect both the Uchiha clan and Konoha from my wayward student. I will do what I must to protect the good people of this village from my past mistakes, as I have done today."

"Good… There is fire… in your eyes… once again… The leaves… need their roots… no more…"

It was somewhat poetic to see the ultimate nihilist fade away with hope in his eyes. Solemnly, Hiruzen placed Danzo's body into a storage scroll. It hurt him to acknowledge that he had that scroll prepared in advance for this specific occasion. Now was not the time for sentiment however. He needed to be strong, for all of Konoha depended on him right now. Looking towards Enma, he commanded.

"My friend, the battle is far from over. Let us meet with Itachi and Shisui. Their roles in what comes next is crucial."

Hi, Everyone!

I hope you enjoyed the portrayal of Fugaku's Susanoo variant. I wanted to give him something unique that matched his monicker. Also, I figured he should have something that can affect a large number of shinobi, since he was always stated to be comparable to Minato, who was also a great shinobi to fight against large numbers of opponents. Figured having them compete in the same area of ability would make sense. Also, I wanted to give him a Susanoo variant that had some of the abilities of his sons in some faschion. We all know that Itachi's best Mangekyou ability was his Tsukuyomi and Sasuke's Mangekyou was more proficient in the use of Amaterasu. I figured that having Fugaku possess a Mangekyou that is the Jack of all trades/master of none version of his two sons would be appropriate.

As far as the Danzo fight, I figured it would make sense that he wouldn't have ten sharingan in his right hand already, since I figured he would have had the rest after the massacre. I also wanted to portray Hiruzen as having a fighting style that is more aligned with the Monkey king, hence him being a bit more of a trickster and such. I am aware that the fight might be less bombastic than some might expect, but Danzo was not exactly a power house when it came to jutsus, so it made sense that Hiruzen would keep his attacks relative to his opponent's.