Naruto watched the absolute madness that was the Nine Tails' chakra stir behind the cage. Although the light inside the cage was dim, he could only squint due to the brightness comparable to the sun that he could see inside the cage thanks to the Rinnegan. The Nine Tails had the densest, most potent, and chaotic chakra he had ever witnessed. And it was completely Yang in nature. He could see nine great tails swishing behind the gigantic form of a fox. Its eyes were blood red with slit pupils, and its mane was reddish orange. Fangs glittered dangerously in its open maw.
"H-hello." Naruto cursed his involuntary display of fear. He had nothing to be afraid of. As long as that cage stayed closed. Besides, Granny Mito and his parents were with him. Yeah. He was safe. He might not have been so intimidated if he wasn't capable of seeing the absolute monstrositous chakra that stood before him. Not even the Shukaku came remotely close.
The Nine Tails observed his new jinchuuriki carefully, completely ignoring the three others in the room. After a while, it spoke.
"Uzumaki Naruto." It's voice boomed. "For what purpose did you come here?"
"Uh… I just wanted to say hello, Kurama."
"Do not call me that name as if you are familiar with me." The fox snorted in derision. "I would not be deigning to speak with my captor now if it wasn't for the old man…"
"Super gramps sage spoke to you too?" Naruto asked excitedly.
"He did. And rest assured, he did not ask me to be your lapdog."
"What did he talk to you about?" He asked, genuinely curious.
"He feels that you are a little different from the other transmigrants of Ashura. I was tolerant of the original, but everyone else simply sought to control me. It remains to be seen what your true motive is."
"Transmigrant? What's that?" Naruto furrowed his brows in confusion.
Kurama huffed in annoyance. "The chakra of the two brats, Indra and Ashura, didn't die with them. They lingered in this world much like that of my old man. Unlike father, who is passive and hesitates to interfere with worldly affairs, they actively meddled in the affairs of posterity. They attached themselves to the bodies of new hosts as time went on. Hashirama and Madara were the most recent examples."
"That explains a lot of things." Mito muttered. "Those two had an unhealthy obsession with each other."
"So, I have Ashura's chakra in me? So there should be someone with Indra's chakra, too. Don't tell me that's Sasuke!" He exclaimed, realization hitting him. There were only two or maybe three Uchiha left. Sasuke was the only one with the same age as him. Unless Madara was really alive like Dad thought.
"Not much of a guess as there are only three more from that accursed clan." Kurama muttered darkly.
"I always felt his chakra was a little familiar…"
"Mikoto's son and Naruto are chakra brothers?" Kushina exclaimed. "I always knew they would grow up to be best friends!"
"Have you not been listening? They are destined to hate and kill each other." Kurama said viciously.
"No," Mito countered. "If not for that unfortunate incident, Hashirama and Madara would have been great friends."
Kurama snorted. "Fate always finds a way. The seeds of darkness are already planted inside the young Uchiha."
"Sasuke may be a bastard, but he's my teammate. I don't have any problems with him. And he doesn't hate me either. I think." Naruto declared.
"Those of Uchiha blood fall too easily into the curse of hatred. I predict the same will happen to him. Just wait and see."
Naruto folded his arms stubbornly. "It won't happen just because you want it."
"And it cannot be avoided just because you want it."
"It can! I'll find a way!"
Kurama sighed. "You are too young and naive to understand the darkness of the shinobi world. Contemplate what you saw from the young spy you killed. This is the norm, not the exception."
"I'll change it, then. I'll change the world if I have to!" Naruto declared boldly.
"There he goes again." Kurama snorted in disdain. "All of Ashura's descendants are blessed with an unhealthy dose of idiocy and naivety."
"This is going nowhere. I believe we can agree to disagree." Minato intervened, tired of the back and forth.
"I will only tolerate your visage as long as you are silent," Kurama growled. "The same goes for my past two captors. I shall speak to the shrimp merely to heed my father's wishes." He then turned to Naruto. "So, what do you want from me, Uzumaki? You want my power? Not satisfied with the incredible eyes of my father, you want to control me as well and ascend to become a god?"
"I don't want a thing from you!" Naruto declared stubbornly. "I'll change the world, without your help if I have to!"
"It will be entertaining to see you fail," Kurama said dismissively. "You will come to me when all else fails, just like the two before you. Now, leave me in peace."
As they walked away from the chamber, Kushina sighed. "That went better than I hoped. I think he likes you."
"Like is too strong a word. Tolerate is more apt." Mito agreed.
"I don't need that stupid fox," Naruto grumbled under his breath, frustration evident in his voice.
"Let's not draw any hasty conclusions," Mito said pacifyingly. "We shall now return to reality." She nodded to Kushina and Minato. They smiled back and bade goodbye to Naruto with a quick hug.
A moment later, Naruto opened his eyes to the real world. Mito removed her palm from his stomach. "That was an enlightening trip." She sighed. "Let's see how the war has progressed."
Mito closed her eyes and concentrated as she felt the chakra signatures around them. She expanded the radius of her observation sphere, slowly taking in all that was happening in the village.
"It seems most of the fighting has died down. However…" She frowned.
"What is it?" Naruto asked, not liking the look of alarm in Mito's face.
"There's no need to be alarmed." Mito prefaced. "But I couldn't sense Jiraiya and Hiruzen's chakra. This is possible if they are within a sensing barrier or deep underground. How far can you see with your Rinnegan?"
Naruto was startled. He increased the flow of chakra into his eyes to locate their chakra signature. Since the quantity of chakra they posessed was quite substantial, he could usually see it from quite far away. Slowly, he moved his eyes across all directions as he searched for their chakra.
"Found them!" Naruto exclaimed in relief after a few minutes, looking downward.
"They are underground. In the primary base of ROOT." It felt weird that that information came to him. He furrowed his brows when he saw the chakra of someone who probably was Danzo. He had a Sharingan in his right eye and multiple Sharingan in his… arm?! The Sharingan in his eye looked more… advanced than the ones in his arm. The arm was also totally weird, containing a chakra that was not Danzo's own.
"Hiruzen heeded your warning, I see. But are they going to act before the invading shinobi are fully out of our borders?" Mito asked with concern. Why would the Hokage stir a hornet's nest at this hour?
"ROOT is no better than the invaders," Naruto said angrily. "Orochimaru had some understanding with Danzo. Danzo wouldn't interfere with the invasion if Orochimaru left after killing the Third Hokage." He was super proud of the way he indirectly pointed out Danzo's lack of interference to the Old Man.
Mito's eyes burned with fury. "That… is high treason. To think he would sink so low to be Hokage. I can't believe I'm saying this, but he seems to be even worse than Madara."
'Naruto,' Naruto jolted as he heard his father's voice in his head. 'Can you create a shadow clone while imitating my chakra?'
"Okay," Naruto said, confused. "Shadow clone jutsu!"
A puff of smoke erupted as the jutsu took effect. Instead of a typical clone, Naruto's eyes widened in shock as the figure of his father materialized beside him.
"What do you know, that worked." Minato grinned, looking at his corporeal body. "I'll have to avoid taking any critical hits, but this will do nicely. Time to lend a hand to Jiraiya sensei and Lord Hokage. Thank you, Naruto! We'll catch up later!" With that, he disappeared as if he were never there.
"...what just happened?" Mito asked, scarcely believing what she saw.
"Well, long story short, I guess my dad is back in action." Naruto grinned, this time imitating Kushina's chakra while creating a clone. "Shadow clone jutsu!"
"That Minato…" Kushina appeared, shaking her head fondly as she appeared. "A genius if there ever was one. I won't be much help in this situation, so I'll stay with you, Naruto."
"Mom, how did Dad just disappear like that? Is that the Flying Thunder God jutsu I've heard about?" Naruto was thankful for Kabuto's intel regarding the most feared technique in recent shinobi history.
"That's right!" Kushina grinned. "You should totally learn it, y'know! I wasn't fast enough to really use it in battle. Not that I needed it, since others usually did the running when I entered the battle." She bragged.
"It seems to be much faster than Tobirama's." Mito mused. "It would be a good idea to have Naruto learn it, since our enemy also has an advanced Space-Time ninjutsu."
Jiraiya watched as Danzo listened to a report from his subordinate, detailing the progress of the war. From his body language, Danzo looked none too pleased at Konoha's easy victory.
"Dismissed." Danzo ordered, and the ROOT agent vanished. "It seems we will have to wait."
"Should we not strike now, while the village is still recuperating, Lord Danzo? The Hokage is bound to be tired and injured, and I can get rid of the Sannin using my bugs." A masked ANBU voiced his opinion.
"This is the danger of thinking yourself, Torune," Danzo shook his head with disapproval. "Do not underestimate Jiraiya. If he fell for a trick like that, he would be long dead. And we am unsure about the situation with Hiruzen. It is not known what happened inside the barrier, as none of our operatives could go near it without raising suspicion."
"Aww… thank you for the praise, you old coot." Jiraiya said, casually leaning against the far wall of Danzo's chamber as he appeared. "Now, why don't you surrender and be tried for your treason?"
Danzo stiffened as he noticed the intrusion. Beside him, Fu and Torune leaped into action, targeting the Sannin. They discounted the fact that Jiraiya looked a little different than usual, and he had two tiny frogs perched in his shoulders.
"Sage art: Bath of boiling oil!" Jiraiya spay a large volume of oil at the two shinobi. Synchronizing with his movements, a tiny wizened toad spat a pressurized steam of wind from his left shoulder. From his right shoulder, another old toad with bobbed purple hair spat a huge torrent of flames. The three attacks combined together to form a superheated blast of fire that enveloped the two shinobi and Danzo, who was standing behind him. The entire room was soon engulfed in a roaring torrent of flames. Jiraiya stood unbothered at the middle, coating his body with sage-powered water chakra to cool himself down.
The fire died down to reveal two charred corpses. Danzo stood in his earlier position, watching Jiraiya carefully.
"Have you decided to betray the village as well, Jiraiya, and join your teammates in their defection?" Danzo asked coolly. He seemed unaffected by the deaths of his soldiers.
"You are the one who stabbed us in the back, Danzo. I heard everything that you said." Jiraiya shot back.
Danzo was unbothered. "You have started imagining things, then," he said, already thinking of a way to escape.
"You give me little credit, old friend." Another voice joined the room, its tone filled with chilling fury.
"Sarutobi," Danzo acknowledged, showing no change in his composure. "I see that you have bested Orochimaru. Please educate your other students as well." As soon as he saw the Hokage, Danzo started channeling chakra to his right eye. He needed a minute at most, and the Hokage would become his puppet. It would be suspicious, of course, but he was left with no other choice.
"Your games end here, Shimura," Hiruzen said, spitting the last word.
"Pity," Danzo remarked. He raised a hand to signal his underlings to attack but frowned at the lack of reaction. "ROOT!" He commanded, this time with urgency.
Jiraiya wore an expression of sheer disbelief. "That's…. impossible…" He felt the world spin as he sensed a chakra that he hadn't felt in thirteen years flitting about all around the network of rooms that consist of the ROOT headquarters. Within seconds, the dozens of ROOT operatives who were in the base all seemed to have fallen unconscious.
"What happened?" The Third asked, concerned at his rapidly paling student. Even Danzo looked progressively more alarmed the his calls to his subordinates went unanswered.
At that moment, someone suddenly appeared in front of Danzo. He didn't get the time to even blink as he felt a palm pressed against his stomach. He felt a sealing formula spread in his stomach, and his chakra abruptly stopped listening to him. As his vision blacked out, he recognized the visage of the Fourth Hokage.
"How…?" Danzo choked, slipping into unconsciousness as he felt his chakra flow stop completely.
Minato's turned to the two stunned spectators as Danzo's unconscious body hit the ground. "Sensei! Lord Third! Long time no see!" Minato grinned as the Third clutched his heart in shock and the Sannin almost fainted.
"Minato?!" Jiraiya's high-pitched voice echoed off the walls of the room.
The Third Hokage watched as his successor and predecessor arrived and easily dealt with Danzo. Hiruzen never anticipated witnessing Minato's signature technique again—the Hiraishin, a jutsu of remarkable complexity that only a prodigy like the Fourth could master. Minato had to simplify the technique into three components to teach his bodyguards, yet even then, it required years of dedicated practice for them to execute it. The man before him was unmistakably Minato Namikaze, whose soul was known to dwell within the Death God's belly. This was not a reanimated shinobi -besides the impossibility of summoning a captive soul, the clarity and mischief in the Fourth's eyes confirmed it. How on earth had Minato returned to the world of the living?!
"Minato… what… how?!" He heard Jiraiya croak beside him.
"By the sage, it really is him." The toad elder, Fukusaku, said in astonishment.
"But how?" Shima rubbed her eyes, unable to believe what she saw. Even if her eyes were deceiving her, her senses sharpened by sage art could not be fooled. This was indeed Minato Namikaze. But he possessed far too little chakra, almost as if it were a shadow clone…
"Well, long story short," Minato said, after confirming that there were no other shinobi nearby, "It's thanks to Naruto's Rinnegan."
"Can it revive the dead?!" Jiraiya was at a loss for words. Surely, even the sage couldn't do that, right?
"No, no. I didn't explain it well. I sealed my chakra along with Kushina's within Naruto, to help him if the seal was ever weakened and guide him to gain control of the Nine-Tails. When Lady Mito took him inside his consciousness to meet the Nine-Tails, we decided to meet with him. Our chakra wasn't meant to linger long after the meeting, but Naruto was stubborn. He used his Rinnegan to imitate our chakra and reinforce it with his own. I realized that if he made a shadow clone with my chakra, my consciousness could connect with it and manifest physically." Minato explained.
"So you're a clone with Minato's chakra and consciousness." Hiruzen nodded, finally understanding the situation. "That's incredible. How did you know we were here, why did you decide to come here, and how did you reach this place without your Kunai?"
"Lady Mito asked Naruto to look for you. He found you here, and we knew that you were going to confront Danzo. Naruto saw that Danzo was using Shishui's Mangekyo, and I knew that a prolonged confrontation would be dangerous. I decided to intervene and cut the meeting short. As to how I came here without my kunai,..." Minato smiled predatorily. "When I became Hokage, I insisted that Danzo give me a tour of his facilities. As Jiraiya sensei could sense the location of ROOT's base, Danzo had no choice but to comply. I had placed quite a few Flying Raijin seals inside the base without his knowledge because I feared the day Danzo's ambition got the better of him." He grinned. "And with that, I'm out of chakra. I'll see you later once you meet Naruto." He gave a small salute and puffed out in a cloud of smoke.
"There's someone with the Rinnegan now? Is it your old student?" Fukusaku asked in surprise.
"No, this is Minato's son. He awakened the Rinnegan due to some… circumstances. I will elaborate more later. Thank you for all your help, Ma, Pa…"
"There's no need to thank us, Jiraiya Boy!" Shima whacked Jiraiya's head affectionately. "Come and have dinner with us! We hardly ever see you."
Jiraiya turned green at the mention of dinner with the toads. "You know how busy things are. I'll visit soon."
"We'll hold ya to it." Fukusaku smirked, and the elder toads disappeared. The Third and Hiruzen were now alone in the room.
"So…"Jiraiya turned to Hiruzen, "That happened."
Hiruzen silently took out his pipe and lit it. "I'm afraid this is going to be a long day." He said, eyeing an immobilized Danzo.
The Third Hokage watched his once-trusted teammates squirm under the weight of his gaze. He was sat in his office. The invasion was finally dealt with, and he had received briefings from various Jounin. Now, he needed to deal with the aftermath of Danzo's actions.
Danzo, bound and unconscious, was placed in front of his desk. Koharu and Homura watched his exposed right arm and right eye with disbelief.
"To think he would go so far…" Koharu muttered, shaking her head.
"This begs the question, who implanted those sharingan in his arm? His right arm looks unnatural." Homura was horrified at the level to which Danzo had mutilated his body in pursuit of power.
"I think we all know the answer to that question." Hiruzen gazed at his teammates intensely. "Danzo and his subordinates stood by as Orochimaru attacked the village."
"As incriminating as the evidence against him is, I feel that we must also hear his side of the story. A proper trial should be conducted." Koharu advised. "I find it hard to believe that he would collude with Orochimaru."
Hiruzen sighed, leaning back. "The evidence is conclusive. Jiraiya and I heard him and his subordinates discuss the next course of action. We are witnesses to his treason. He will be charged with high treason and handed over to the torture and interrogation unit to reveal the full extent of his activities, after his Sharingan are removed from him." The Third leveled a stare at his former teammates. "Make no mistake. I did not call you here to seek your advice. Merely to inform you about our teammate and to see how much you were part of his schemes."
"How dare you accuse us!" Homura snapped.
The Third Hokage's eyes narrowed, his expression hardening as he faced the blatant disrespect from his former teammates. As he slowly rose from his seat, his former teammates felt an invisible weight press down on them. It was as if the air around them had solidified, making it difficult to breathe. They had felt Hiruzen's considerable power as an ally, but have never been on the receiving end of his wrath.
"Your outrage does not change the facts," Hiruzen's voice was calm but carried a steely decisiveness. "I do not make these decisions lightly. My duty is to the village, above all personal connections—even those forged in battle alongside each of you. I have led Konoha through challenges that would have broken lesser shinobi, always with the village's best interest at heart. You stand in my office, questioning my authority, yet you forget—that trust is not given but earned. Your unwavering support for Danzo these past years, especially during the Uchiha massacre from which he so clearly benefited, clearly calls into question your loyalty."
"He was manipulating us!" Koharu exclaimed, futilely trying to shake off the weight of Hiruzen's pressure. "We would never betray Konoha! You know this!"
"And yet you would have vouched for Danzo if I had not presented the proof so clearly." Hiruzen countered. "The two of you shall henceforth be considered as retired. Your advice regarding the matters of the village is no longer welcome. Know that I am overlooking a great deal and this is the laxest consequence for your transgressions. You can expect to be under observation for the foreseeable future. You may leave."
Koharu and Homura looked down, the weight of guilt finally settling on them. The fact that they never questioned Danzo's loyalty or intentions was foolish, at best. Their negligence had cost them dearly. Knowing that there was no use arguing the matter further, they turned and left the room.
Two ANBU appeared as Hiruzen gave a signal. "Transport Danzo to the Torture and Interrogation unit. Hold off any questioning until I am present."
"Understood, Lord Hokage!" The two ANBU disappeared, taking Danzo with them.
"You had to made some tough calls," Jiraiya said as he entered the office through the window.
"Today, I saw twice what my lineancy had led to. First with Orochimaru and then Danzo. I am already unfit to continue my duties as Hokage." He looked at Jiraiya seriously. "Please, Jiraiya. I ask you once more. Lead this village."
"You know I'm not suitable for such a stuffy place." Jiraiya shook his head. "Now if it were the princess, she would be perfect."
"Even if Tsunade were to consider it, what good would a Hokage be if she is afraid of blood?" Hiruzen rubbed his temples in frustration. "How long do you think Naruto would take to reach the level of a Jounin?" He asked jokingly, but he really did want to know the answer.
"Hard to predict." Jiraiya shrugged. "If he keeps up this pace and there aren't any distractions, a year at most. It's the mindset and combat experience that will take time to acquire, not the power."
"What do you think about Kakashi?"
"As Hokage? He would be ideal." Jiraiya nodded. "The only problem is that his Sharingan is more of a handicap to him rather than a blessing. If it weren't for that, he could have become Kage-level by now in terms of chakra and power."
Hiruzen nodded in agreement. "We don't have viable candidates who can contend to the likes of Ay or Onoki. I wish Minato had come back for real rather than as a clone…"
"I understand your pain. But why are you in such a hurry to retire? No one could have known what Danzo had turned into, and I am equally responsible regarding Orochimaru. Is it because of what the previous Hokage told you?"
"The question has been haunting me for some time, and this unexpected war really hammered in the necessity. What my predecessors said merely echoed my thoughts."
Their conversation was interrupted by a hesitant knock.
"Yes?"
"Lord Hokage, Kakashi Hatake is here to see you, along with Uzumaki Naruto."
"Send them in," Hiruzen instructed. The door immediately opened, and Naruto and Kakashi came inside.
"Kakashi, we were unable to update you on a few significant developments concerning Naruto." The Third Hokage began.
Kakashi nodded. This is probably regarding Naruto's soul absorption bloodline limit.
"Before that, Naruto, we need to summon Lady Mito." The Third said, turning to Naruto.
"Lady Mito?" Kakashi said, startled.
"Lady Mito was summoned by Orochimaru along with the past Hokage using the forbidden reanimation technique. Fortunately, Lady Mito managed to free herself from Orochimaru's control and killed him." Hiruzen explained. "She is still with us, and her presence will be a considerable blessing in stabilizing Konoha."
While they were talking, Naruto unrolled a scroll he had carried along and channeled his chakra into a sealing formula etched on it. A burst of smoke erupted, and Mito Uzumaki materialized before them.
"Lady Mito," the Third Hokage rose and bowed. "Allow me to thank you for the invaluable service you have done to the village by getting rid of my wayward student."
"It is too early to celebrate," Mito said, as she took a seat opposite the Hokage. She indicated Naruto and a befuddled Kakashi to do the same.
"We should hold our celebrations," Mito began, her tone serious. "I've examined the cursed seals on Sasuke and Anko Mitarashi. While I've managed to remove them, my findings are disturbing. They seem to be a type of immortality jutsu, embedding a fragment of Orochimaru's consciousness within them. This means he could potentially take over anyone who bears these seals. We know of two other individuals currently affected. In some form or the other, Orochimaru is still alive."
Hiruzen furrowed his brows. "I did think his death was too easy. How long do you think it will take for him to possess a new vessel, Lady Mito?"
"If he has to initiate it, it may take years. Possibly less if they rely on the cursed seal regularly. But if one of the vessels voluntarily sacrifices themselves, he could regain a body in a single day."
"We cannot rule out that possibility. Orochimaru attracts the desperate and brainwashes them to be loyal." Jiraiya said.
"Fortunately, Naruto now knows the location of almost all of Orochimaru's hideouts, and possibly the information regarding who might have the curse marks. Isn't that right?" Kakashi eyed Naruto. Kabuto was probably a close confidante of Orochimaru. He was relieved that Sasuke's curse marks would no longer be a problem due to the legendary shinobi that now sat next to them.
Naruto nodded, much to the surprise of the Third Hokage and Jiraiya.
"Let me guess. More bullshit from the Rinnegan." Jiraiya sighed.
"The what?" Kakashi snapped his head towards Naruto.
Naruto grinned and dispelled the illusion surrounding the Rinnegan. "Ta-da!"
Kakashi stared at Naruto's eyes, which were no longer the usual brilliant blue. His eyes were now purple, with a ripple pattern.
"That's certainly new." Kakashi said lightly. 'His bloodline is a dojutsu. And that's the Rinnegan?!' "That Rinnegan?" He asked, out loud. He didn't see any visible changes in Naruto's eyes. Were they activated at will like the Sharingan?
"The one and only," Jiraiya confirmed.
"If only Sakura awakened the Byakugan, we'd have the full set." Kakashi joked. He was still reeling with disbelief. Perhaps the uncharacteristic humor was a defense mechanism.
"So, how did the sage's eyes end up with Naruto?" Kakashi asked.
"Well, it turns out that he's my great-great-great-something grandpa," Naruto explained.
"Uzumaki and Senju are descendants of the sage's younger son, while the Uchiha are the descendants of the elder son." Mito clarified.
"I see." Kakashi furrowed his brow. "Do we know why Naruto awakened it, and not any other descendants of his?"
"Well, that's where things get a little complicated," Naruto said, sighing.
Kakashi's head spun from the earth-shattering revelations that were shared with him over the past half an hour. Naruto briefed them about his meeting with the sage, his vast array of new abilities, how he and Sasuke handled the One Tail, how Mito helped them, how Sasuke and Anko's cursed seal were removed, his meeting with the Nine-Tails, and his meeting with his parents inside his seal.
"Well, that's quite an adventure." Kakashi laughed weakly. "Any other incredible revelations, Naruto?" He asked jokingly.
"Just one more." Naruto grinned. "Shadow clone jutsu! Shadow clone jutsu!"
"Oh." Kakashi gazed at his sensei and his wife, both smiling warmly at him. "Hello sensei, Lady Kushina," he said in a daze.
"Hey Kakashi," Minato grinned.
"So… is this another power of the Rinnegan?" Kakashi asked weakly. 'Does his eyes truly preside over even life and death? First, he pulls out someone's soul, then he brings someone back to life?!'
"No, Kakashi sensei. Well, it is sort of. But I didn't bring them back to life. I was able to imitate their chakra when they appeared inside my seal. I transferred a good part of my chakra to them so that they wouldn't disappear quickly. Then Dad had this amazing idea. If I created a clone while imitating their chakra, they could transfer their consciousness to it."
"Oh. I see." Kakashi really didn't see. But he had a feeling that when it came to the legendary eyes that birthed all bloodlines, it was good to lock sanity inside a drawer and throw away the key.
"So, Lord Third," Minato asked his predecessor casually. "Who had the bright idea of revealing Naruto's status as a Jinchuuriki to the whole world?" He had been itching to ask that question the moment he gained a corporeal body.
The Third sighed. "I played no part in it. The culprit is most likely Danzo. He probably leaked the information so that the other villages knew that the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki was still in Konoha's possession. It was unnecessary and uncalled for, since no village would believe the popular narrative that a tactical genius such as you had killed it."
"I thought so." Minato nodded. Kushina was taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She didn't want to dispel the clone that gave her substance by needlessly wasting chakra over a temper tantrum. But it was hard.
"When you interrogate the Shimura, take me with you." Mito said coolly. "I will be able to make him talk."
"Of course, Lady Mito." Hiruzen said thankfully. Truthfully, he was nervous of using a Yamanaka clan member for the job. Who knows what traps Danzo hid within his body? Mito could probably extract every bit of information Danzo had if she put her mind to it.
"Naruto," Jiraiya said, taking advantage of the lull in conversation, "I want you to tell us everything that you learned from Kabuto. If it's strenuous, we can sit in multiple sessions. But we must ensure that nothing is left out. First, let's go over the most crucial information."
The Third Hokage sat in the meeting room of the Hokage Tower and watched as the Jounin commander, the ANBU commander, and the heads of the various military divisions and clans took their seats. Such meetings were rare, and would usually happen only in the preparation or aftermath of a war.
"You may notice that three people are absent." The Hokage began. "Danzo Shimura, Koharu Utatane, and Homura Mitokado."
"Yes, their absence is curious. Especially since the ROOT was not involved in helping the efforts for countering the invasion." Shikaku Nara said.
"Indeed." the Hokage sighed. "Danzo Shimura had conspired with Orochimaru to perform a coup. He was caught red-handed while conspiring with his agents on how to depose me, now that their plan to have Orochimaru kill me during the invasion failed."
Shock rippled through the assembled shinobi.
"He was a traitor?!" Inoichi Yamanaka stood up, fury evident in his voice. "He took our children, only to train them as his pawns?"
Similar exclamations of anger were heard as the clan heads realized their folly in letting Danzo recruit their children. The Hokage had not forced their hand, but they were quite afraid of Danzo and couldn't decline his request of handing him one shinobi from each clan.
"I understand your anger." Hiruzen sighed. "Even I was blind to his ambition. We only realized it during this invasion, where his folly was exposed completely."
"Were the elders a part of this coup?" Hiashi Hyuuga enquired.
"I am not certain to what extent they knew of his schemes, but I believe they did not know about his attempt to aid Orochimaru or overthrow me. Either way, they are dishonorably discharged from their duties and will be under observation for the foreseeable future. As for Danzo, he shall receive his punishment after intel is extracted out of him."
"I will be at your service, Lord Hokage." Inoichi volunteered.
"I appreciate that, Inoichi. However, it may be too risky to access his mind directly. I shall discuss this with you more." Hiruzen nodded. Inoichi tilted his head in acknowledgment and sat down.
"The next matter concerns my battle with Orochimaru. Orochimaru resorted to the impure world reincarnation jutsu and brought the First Lord Hokage, his wife Mito Uzumaki, and the Second Lord Hokage back to life."
"That is a dangerous jutsu, especially in the hands of someone like Orochimaru." Shikaku observed. "But I assume the reanimated shinobi would not be at their full power?"
"Thankfully, that is true. Orochimaru could only make them as powerful as his ability to control them. However, he did not anticipate that Lady Mito Uzumaki had developed a counter for this precise situation. It is not an exaggeration to say that it is thanks to this that I am still alive."
"We heard that Orochimaru was killed. What of the reanimated shinobi? What did Lady Mito do?" Shikaku asked curiously.
"She released herself from the control of the reanimation and turned the jutsu against the caster. My predecessors were released from the reanimation when Orochimaru realized that Lady Mito had broken free of his control. She subsequently dealt with Orochimaru using a tailed beast bomb, which most of you would have seen go off inside the barrier. She is still with us, and will be working on preventing future reanimations before she departs."
"When you say she's still with us, Lord Hokage…" Hiyashi looked at the red-haired Kunoichi sat near Jiraiya, looking completely bored with the proceedings.
"Precisely. Lady Mito, if you would…" the Hokage smiled. Mito waved a hand, dispelling the disguise.
"I-its her!"
"Your Ladyship!"
Many of the older shinobi abruptly stood up, recognizing the legendary figure from the faint memories of their childhood. However, her form was not that of the old woman they were accustomed to. It was Mito Uzumaki in her prime, her face youthful and her hair as red as blood. Only her eyes revealed the fact that she was not truly alive.
"Settle down." Mito sighed. "I appreciate your enthusiasm, but we have pressing matters to deal with."
"Indeed." Hiruzen sighed. "The first among which is the fact that Orochimaru is still a threat. He has the means to resurrect himself." This was the main reason he had to reveal Mito's existence to the top echelon at least. They needed to fabricate an identity for her to move about freely in the village.
The room abruptly dissolved into chaos.