The arena inside Konoha was echoing with voices and shouts. The battleground below was like a desolate ruin, dust flying all around. And there they were, sons of the Uchiha clan leader and the Kazekage battling. It was a deadlock, for now, as both shinobi vainly tried to hit each other with Taijutsu or other techniques. The sight of the battle was intriguing and terrifying to the civilian audience at the same time. The Kazekage and Hiruzen watched the fight from their seats, an open seating place with a pagoda-like roof that went even higher than the rest of the arena.
"I must say, lord Kazekage, your youngest son is a thorough prodigy," Hiruzen commented, the Kazekage chuckled dryly and replied.
"Quite right sir, he has learned to harness the one-tail's power to some extent, but the Uchiha boy also shows much promise." Hiruzen agreed, and both leaders went back to silently observing the fight.
Sasuke retreated safely and charged a chidori in his left hand. Gaara also prepared, as sand escaped from the gourd on his back, forming a defensive layer around him. Sasuke charged, his left hand glowing brighter than a thunderbolt. Gaara shaped wind chakra into a crude shape, and also charged, his chakra sand keeping pace with its master. Both shinobi clashed, and their respective techniques made an impact. The Chidori obliterated through the wind chakra, and there was a loud explosion as dust flew all around. After a moment, as everything became visible again, everyone present in the arena watched jaw-dropped; Gaara had formed around himself a thick protective coat of chakra sand, and Sasuke's left hand was plunged right inside it.
Gaara's eyes widened at the sight of blood, his blood leaking from the wound in his lower shoulder, the Chidori had broken through. A tinge of fear went over Gaara, as the stinging pain continued. This was impossible, someone being able to even touch him, let alone draw blood. Sasuke quickly pulled his hand out and retreated to a safe distance, Gaara was left murmuring inside the sand dome, his hands red with his blood.
But before anyone could see what happened next, a wave of gases swept through the arena, and everyone fell to the ground where they were, unconscious. Some shinobi managed to break the genjutsu, but it was too late. The Kazekage disappeared from his seat, and before Hiruzen could properly react, the Sunagakure leader was at his throat, holding a kunai to kill. The four ANBU assigned as bodyguards quickly noticed this and tried to retaliate, but failed as a squad of eight Mountain shinobi appeared from nowhere and held them back. They quickly spread out to the four corners of the seating place and cast a barrier jutsu. The rest of the four mountain shinobi got into a fighting stance to deal with the ANBU.
Hiruzen stood calmly, not even reacting, and spoke with an indifferent voice,
"So, this is how it is."
Underground bunker, Konoha
It was a dark and shady chamber, as it always had been because the tasks conducted here were of a rather, disturbing nature. Information is the second most important asset for a state, after money; you can acquire intelligence through money, or interrogation, this was for the latter. A concrete dome, with a single dull bulb hanging from the ceiling, and below it a plain table and two chairs facing opposite to each other.
On one end of the table sat a young man in his mid-twenties, a hint of fear and worry in his eyes, frantically looking around the room. His hands were tied behind his chair, and a chakra restriction seal was on his forehead. Before him sat the best, and most ruthless, intelligence officer of Konoha, Ibiki Morino. His colleague, Inoichi Yamanaka, stood near the door of the chamber, leaning on the war, his upper body covered in a shadow due to the dim light. The mood remained tense for a few moments, as Ibiki stared into the captive's soul, and the latter only became more nervous. The silence was broken by Inoichi who spoke with a slight smirk,
"So, Amegakure can't send Genin for the exams, but they sure can send a rat in here." The captive gave a nervous smile, and spoke in a reassuring tone,
"P-please, men, I'll tell you whatever you want, just don't," The man didn't speak any further, and there was no need for him, everyone knew what he was referring to. Ibiki replied with a chuckle that sent shivers down the captive's spine, the interrogator spoke,
"Hm, yes. If you just tell us everything we want, it wouldn't be necessary to resort to some more, violent methods." Inoichi motioned at his colleague, who then started questioning him with an intimidating look,
"Did Hanzo himself send you?" The captive hesitated to speak, he opened his mouth once or twice but in the end, changed his mind. Ibiki sighed and pulled out a toolbox from under the table. Inside were various tools and devices of, a disturbing origin. Pliers, little hammers, keels, fine knives, some acid. The bald interrogator pulled out a penknife, and motioned it toward the captive's hands,
"It seems you hate yourself." With a sadistic grin on his face, intended to dishearten the captive, Ibiki slowly moved his hand forward with the pliers, the prisoner finally broke down in a desperate voice, speaking,
"No, please, I will speak. But what I am about to say, they will kill me for it."
"They?" Inoichi leaned forward, his face now visible as the light fell on it, his neck craned forward and his eyes lightly squinted. The captive continued,
"Yes, Hanzo of the Salamander is long gone, Amegakure now has a new leader, one better, and more powerful than Hanzo. I don't know much about him, he only passes orders through his female subordinate, an intimidating woman, he always hides his identity." Inoichi put his fingers on his chin in thought, and commented,
"Explains why Ame has closed itself to the outside world, they are trying to hide the news about Hanzo." Ibiki quietly nodded in agreement, then turned back to face his prisoner.
"And what's his name? Any notable actions in the past?" The prisoner opened his mouth to speak,
"I.." But before he could speak any further, a loud thud and explosion disturbed the three men in the bunker. There was a loud explosion, then another, and another, which shook the Earth.
Inoichi's face became worried and serious, he commanded Ibiki and rushed to the exit,
"Put him back in the cell, we must check what's going on." Ibiki obliged and tightened the seal on the prisoner, then roughly dragged him back into the dark stone chamber.
ANBU HQ, Konoha outskirts
Danzo sat patiently in his seat, his eyes closed and his manner calm. The room was dimly lit, made entirely of pale stone that emitted a saddening feeling, above Danzo's stone seat was a giant symbol of Konoha carved into the stone, while portraits of the four Hokages were placed on the walls, their eyes and face covered by shadows from the candles.
Danzo had his fingers joined together and leaned back on the chair, lost in thought. Silence remained for a few minutes, which was then interrupted by the swift motion of an ANBU, who seemingly appeared out of nowhere, bowing to Danzo, his emotions couldn't be known behind the mask, but there were no emotions most probably.
"Speak." Danzo calmly ordered, the ANBU obliged,
"There's an attack on the Hokage lord, it was a surprise attack from the Sand and Mountain villages, what shall be done?" Danzo picked up his cane from near his seat, placing it in front and resting his hand on it, thinking about what the ANBU just said. It was remarkable, how the man could maintain his composure in such situations.
"Order half of the ANBU to stay back, the rest go fight the invaders." The ANBU, who had been taught absolute discipline all these years, to never question the higher-ups, often through corporal punishment, showed a hint of doubt as he heard these words.
"But lord, the Hokage is in immediate danger." Danzo slightly opened his eyes, meeting gaze with the ANBU, and replied,
"There can always be a new Hokage, and new buildings, but there can't be the village without its people, tell the other half to safely escort them to bunkers, and protect them." The ANBU nodded and turned to leave, as he was about to jump away, he could feel his master's gaze fixed on him as if eyeing the defiance he had sensed in him, questioning of orders, that was one of the greatest sins in this society, and not following them even more so. But the ANBU quickly erased these last rays of freethinking from his mind, as was taught in the foundation, and quickly left.