Interlude

Danzo

The Shimura Clan.

One of the very first clans to join the village of Konohagakure no Sato in its founding days.

The number of members in the clan was abysmal compared to the others, yet their worth wasn't found in numbers but in their willingness to go above and beyond for the village they called home.

Yet there was an interesting fact about the Shimura.

You see, despite being a clan, the only power they held was in politics. Only four of the 18 members were current Shinobi, while the others were either Shinobi accountants, recorders, or interrogators—a clan well-known to be low in manpower. The only clan currently lower was the Kurama, which was only due in part to the Kyuubi attack along with their heiress currently struggling to control her Kekkai Genkai.

Now, you'd think the Shimura Clan would be inferior to other clans—strength-wise, at least.

And on the surface, you'd be right.

With only 18 members, the only acting Shinobi in their 30s, and the rest of the clan well above the age of 50, there was no competition they could give the other major clans. They were practically near extinction, and everyone knew it. They were no longer a threat, either as a force or politically.

That's where you'd be wrong.

In the eyes of the other clans, the Shimura were a lesser clan that had no pillar of support left to keep them up. However, to the Hokage and the elders of the village, the Shimura held a power more than capable of rivaling even the Hyuuga Clan in no part due to the current leader and the heir he raised himself.

Danzo, the War Hawk as he is known, the one who had raised his own army in the shadows and did any and everything to make sure Konoha stayed the strongest in the Elemental Nations, stood over the woman he had put an investment into over 15 years ago.

Shimura Kagero.

A youngling born out of wedlock from a now deceased Shimura Homura.

Danzo knew almost immediately that the kid was special. Despite holding no Kekkai Genkai, she could challenge the best agents he had to offer. She took to their way of life better than any he'd had before, to the point where she was officially recognized as the one to be the heir to the Shimura legacy.

Now, Shimura Kagero, age 19, adopted daughter of Shimura Danzo and the heiress of the clan, kneeled before him as she prepared to deliver her report from her current 'mission'.

"Report." The gravelly voice of the clan head spoke through the silence, making the woman before him lower her head slightly in respect.

"I have both good and troubling news, Danzo-sama." The War Hawk revealed nothing outwardly, yet his silence prompted the younger Shimura to speak. "I have found the Jinchuuriki and his team to be more than adequate as Shinobi of the Leaf... Though, regarding the 'mission', I'm honestly not sure of what I've found."

"…Explain." The Shimura head urged.

"I observed the Jinchuuriki once again, as you've ordered. As I predicted, the power he possesses has only grown stronger along with his convictions. There is still no sign of the Kyuubi, but I believe I will have the opportunity to pull it out in the coming months before the Chunin Exams."

"…And the problem?"

The girl hesitated, something Danzo noted wasn't common for her. "I, fear that there is little I can teach the Jinchuuriki. He is far past his peers, to the point where I believe he should skip Chunin. If he held even an ounce of experience, then I could see him as a Jonin within the year. He's developed his own style of fighting and even procured a weapon of his own. It is unknown where he got it, but I believe it is from this 'benefactor' we still know nothing of."

"...And this 'unknown'? How sure are you that it is not the Kyuubi?"

The kunoichi raised her head until she was looking into the eye of the man who had raised her since she was but a naïve little girl.

"I remember Kushina and the Kyuubi's chakra like the back of my blade, Danzo-sama. I can say with absolute certainty that, whoever or whatever it is, it is not the Kyuubi. At this point, I'm ready to believe the Kyuubi has, in fact, disappeared to places unknown."

Danzo didn't bother checking for deceit in his adopted daughter's eyes.

She has never lied to him. Since that was the case, it meant it was time to look at the situation at hand. Now that the truth about the Jinchuuriki had been confirmed, the only thing left to do was to either figure out how to see exactly what Jinchuuriki was hiding behind that seal or have the blonde willingly spit out the truth himself. A Yamanaka was out of the question for obvious reasons, and Danzo knew the blonde wasn't one for revealing secrets. A more subtle approach was all they had, which meant he would have to move plans for the future a lot closer than expected.

"How long will it take?" He asked, not needing to explain himself to the girl who knew him better than any other.

"Not long, sir. Four months max. He'll be more than ready for the Chunin Exams by then.

"Good. Continue to observe and report any new developments. This matter is no longer delicate. Use your skills and resources as you see fit and get the results we need." Danzo's tone suddenly became harsher as he made sure to get his point across and show the seriousness of the situation. "Failure is not an option. Is that clear?"

The answer came immediately in the form of a lowered head and a "Hai, Danzo-sama" before she disappeared in a blur of leaves.

Now alone, Danzo turned on his heels and headed to the entrance that would lead him to his personal underground tunnel—all the while thinking of a certain blonde-headed Jinchuuriki who had gotten his attention years ago.

The boy who was not controlled by emotions. The boy who had shown more than adequate qualities for a shinobi. The boy whose true genius could only be seen through the shadows. The boy held talent that far surpassed even the greatest genius of this and previous generations. Kagero may have been the perfect shinobi to run ROOT and protect Konoha from the shadows, but Uzumaki Naruto held the potential to be everything he wanted in a shinobi in the light.

Danzo had no illusions that he was getting old. It was a fact that he could no longer deny, and the position of Hokage wasn't getting any closer. Soon, the time would come for Hiruzen to pick a new successor, and Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi were not suitable candidates for the position. One had practically turned her back on her village, the second was a lecher who was more interested in women than owning up to his duties, and the last's drive as a shinobi was nonexistent.

He had found a more than suitable successor for his legacy, but six years ago, he found a suitable Hokage—one he believed he could eventually morph into doing the things that needed to be done.

Now, it was his successor's job to make sure the Jinchuuriki followed the path he'd paved for him, even if he had to cut some loose ends to make it so.