A/N: Detailed author's note at the bottom.

Interested in seeing responses.

Don't own the Naruto series or any characters, if I did, there would be no insane monologues in every single freaking fight.

Two years later …

Danzo sat bonelessly in the Hokage's chair, his good hand clutching his head. The screams of the wounded – or those driven insane by youkai – reached him even here, mixed in with the faint sound of crying, the rumble of earth techniques being used to shift rubble, and the faint boom of water techniques to put out the still raging fires. A huge swath of the forest was simply gone, a huge scar six miles long still radiating enough demonic chakra to kill a normal man in minutes.

The Kyuubi was gone.

The village still stood, but without a Hokage.

Whatever Minato had done to stop the beast seemed to have worked, but not before hundreds of ninja were killed and many civilians destroyed. His own wife was among the dead. His only remaining son was alive but badly injured. He himself had very nearly been killed, with one arm barely working and his right eye not seeing much of anything.

He clenched his fist as the image of his wife flashed in his mind's eye, then forced himself to relax, exhaling sharply. Anger – emotion – instinct reactions – these solved nothing, and weakened both a shinobi's resolve and their greatest weapon, their intellect.

He knew, intellectually, that his anger at Minato was unfair. There had to be a container for the Kyuubi, and the list of candidates for such a job was very short. If Kushina got much older she would not have survived the stress of childbirth combined with the stress of being a jinchuriki – even by thirty she might not have survived, not even counting the chance of enemy action killing her. If not Minato, another would have eventually gotten her pregnant.

After all, there were no more Uzumaki, and who knew if any other beings could survive having the Ninth sealed into them. No one would be likely to volunteer to try.

But Minato, Danzo, even the Council had understood this! Every precaution had been taken, everything had been prepared – and for nothing.

The village had been wrecked by blasts of fire and wind, and thousands were dead. Smoke still rose high into the sky, from where the Kyuubi's blast had destroyed a section of the forest and ended the lives of hundreds of ninja. It would take years to recover from the physical devastation, but the other effects were even worse. Kami knew how many had been driven into catatonia or insanity by the killing intent of the beast, or would suffer years of nightmares and reduced capabilities. The demonic taint left lingering in the air had already killed off hundreds of house pets and had sickened many of the animals in the forest around Kohona.

In the coming days, there was no guarantee they would survive. In the world of the shinobi, weakness and vulnerability meant opportunity and death.

He stilled himself with an another effort, resolving not to think about the losses, personal or to the village. He could and would mourn later. For now, he had to act. With a grimace he forced his only remaining eye to open, glaring up at the battered, bloodied figure standing before him.

Kagami Uchiha, his old teammate, had managed to escape any severe damage, although his flak jacket was melted in a long line near his stomach. Of all the Uchiha, Kagami was the only one Danzo had any trust in. The rest of the clan, in his opinion, was a time bomb waiting to happen, particularly the arrogant Fugaku, who'd challenged Kagami for leadership of the clan multiple times. Kagami was one of the few not in ROOT who was fully aware of the program – he made use of it from time to time himself, having ROOT solve certain problems for the Uchiha and allowing Danzo to take two young Uchiha into his ranks himself.

Unlike most of his cowardly clan, who'd been busy 'protecting the populace', Kagami had been on the front lines right alongside Danzo and the other elders, fighting to contain the Kyuubi until the Fourth could defeat and seal the beast. When it had been teleported away, only Kagami – with his mastery of the shunshin and his eyes – had been fast enough to get to the site where the beast had gone down, along with their Hokage.

Danzo eyed the man, frowning at what he held in his hands. In said hands was the form of a tiny, blond haired child, forced into sleep by way of a simple jutsu, still wrapped in a soft blue blanket. Faint whisker like markings decorated each cheek, while a fell sort of energy still emitted from the complex seal on the child's belly, slowly fading as the minutes ticked by.

With a long sigh, Danzo gave what passed for a nod. "So. You survived. I presume that is the new container?"

Kagami nodded. "Yes. His own child. Kami forbid Minato use someone else's kid. Then again, the kid was right there, so maybe he was rushed for time. I've examined the seal already – complex, but tight. It is stable for the moment, but you probably want Homura or that fool Jiraya to look over the sealing details. I am no sealing master, but the fact that demon chakra is circulating through the boy's system can't be good. No idea if there is a key...didn't see one."

Danzo rubbed his fingers across the battle scar on his chin. "I see. The boy's entire status makes for a gigantic target. Last Uzumaki, jinchuriki of the most powerful of the tailed beasts, and Minato's son?" He paused, musing. "We'll deal with that in a bit. What of the battle? From a distance it looked like Minato sealed it – the Kyuubi – away into himself."

Kagami nodded. "Oh, he did. Just not all of it. You probably want to send your men to examine the scene of the battle, but …" The Uchiha gave him a sour, sardonic smile. "There were two witnesses, old friend. I already got what information I needed from them. The Hokage sealed part of the beast into the boy, the rest into himself."

Danzo nodded. "I see. Who are these witnesses?" He could not allow such information to leak out …

Kagami shrugged. "Doesn't really matter, since I already killed them both. A branch Hyuuga and a clanless. Both chunin. I was able to conceal the boy before anyone else saw, even that worthless nephew of mine." He paused, looking out the window over the village. "It was...just luck. A few more meters to the right or left and I'd have been dead, then who knows who would have gotten to the child first?"

Danzo nodded, even as one of his ROOT servants appeared at the window, coming in a moment later, blood soaked and limping. "Danzo-sama, initial reports."

Danzo glanced at Kagami, then shrugged. The man already knew the truth anyway. "Proceed, Dagger."

The ninja knelt, his matte-black clothing a contrast to that of most Kohona forces. "I have confirmed Minato Namikaze and the previous Kyuubi container are both dead. They appear to have died in the restraint and resealing of the Kyuubi into the child. Marks on the body of Minato would indicate at least some portion of the Kyuubi was sealed away into his body."

Danzo inclined his head. "This I know. Continue."

The ninja paused. "Sealing teams One, Two, and Three have managed to seal away and store at least some of the loose chakra of the Kyuubi. Recovery Team One has obtained two sets of main branch Hyuuga eyes." The ninja glanced at Kagami hesitantly before continuing. "A set of functional Sharingan was also obtained from a dead Uchiha, Sesmon."

Kagami snorted. "He was a weakling. While I'm not surprised he died – probably from fear – I'm astonished he ever even activated the Sight. You can have those eyes, Danzo."

Danzo nodded. Trust the Uchiha patriarch to be a coldly pragmatic sort. "Continue. Losses?"

Dagger withdrew a scroll. "Two thousand eight hundred plus civilians killed, and at least a thousand have been damaged by youkai. Of the civilian losses, four hundred sixty three were children under the age of five – the killing intent simply stopped their hearts. We estimate another thirty six hundred civilians will have mental trauma. Of the main forces, eleven genin, two hundred sixteen chunin, and one hundred ninety eight jonin are dead. Of the ANBU, one hundred and twenty seven chunin, two hundred sixteen special jonin and two hundred fourteen jonin died. Of the ROOT, thirty six jonin are dead."

Danzo scowled. "Much heavier losses than I could hope for. How many wounded?"

"Hundreds, possibly more – we are still attempting to determine a breakdown by rank, and we have no way of knowing if any will survive long term. Without Tsunade-hime, treating youkai contamination is a skill few have mastered. Rough projections would suggest at least a third of the wounded will not live the week."

Danzo nodded. "Get a hold of the highest ranking ANBU captain, have him ready two hunter-nin teams to find and bring back Tsunade or at least her apprentice. Send an alert to Jiraya and the Daimyo. And have the Clans and Council assembled. If you hear any evidence or rumors of Minato's son, eliminate them." He paused. "Also, send Nono up here."

The ROOT ninja was out the window a moment later, and Danzo turned to face the Uchiha again. "This does not look good for your clan, Kagami. With the precautions taken with Kushina's pregnancy, the only way the Kyuubi could have gotten free if it was … released. And if eyewitness initial accounts are correct, the Kyuubi appeared to have been under the influence of the Sharingan – its eyes were in that pattern, which was not its usual appearance."

The other frowned but nodded, still holding the baby almost absently. "I know, Danzo. It was clear to more than one person that the Kyuubi was under the effect of the Unspoken Eye. The lore of how Madara controlled the beast to fight the First is well known, including the fact that when dominated its eyes appeared to have the Sharingan themselves. But the only one in my clan to have the eyes capable of such is a blind old man who doesn't have the chakra to even tree-walk, much less dominate the Nine-tails." He shook his head. "We no longer adhere to the method of gaining such an eye, unless it happens by accident."

He glanced down at the baby, pushing back the blanket a bit. "So either we have a rogue Uchiha of unknown power on our hands – or Fugaku and the Clan Elders are hiding something – or rather, someone – from me. I'm not sure which is more upsetting to me."

Danzo's grimace tightened. "The Nidaime did not trust your clan, old friend. Nor do I. We both know the chances of a rogue Uchiha no one knows of are almost nil. If your clan turns on Kohona, I will have no choices in my actions." His voice had an actual tone of regret in it, and that made the Uchiha chuckle.

Kagami shrugged, still focused on the tiny form of the baby. "Given the clan elders plan to have a vote on Clan Head to have me replaced with someone 'younger, more in tune with the needs of the clan' I suspect the results will soon be academic. Too many of the younger generation have forgotten just why the Uchiha came to form Kohona with the Senju. If they turn, they will no doubt be destroyed."

He looked away from the baby, towards the window. "If that happens...I cannot stand with them, and I will not ask you to stay your hand, except to my grandson, Shusui. If they would listen to reason I would ask you employ that approach first..." He trailed off.

Danzo nodded, relaxing slightly. "And if they will not? If we had to resort to extreme methods to correct the problem?"

The old Uchiha raised his eyes to meet Danzo's good one. "...one cannot properly grow the bonsai tree without trimming, nor harvest the fields without the scythe. If they are behind this – and I cannot say who or why m clan would be – then it is for reasons that have little to do with the good of the village. There is a heavy undercurrent of dissent about the isolation from the village – without understanding why the original clan elders had us separate from the village"

Kagami sighed. "In any case, I will do my best to make them see reason. But if they commit treason against the Leaf, if they have used the old, vile methods, or if they refuse to listen to me… then I think a long-term mission for me to the Daimyo's court would be a way for me to relax." He met Danzo's gaze squarely. "At that point, you can act with a free hand on the kunai. If they DID release the Kyuubi, they essentially murdered the Hokage, his wife, your wife, and hundreds of others. Kill the adults and we can try to salvage the children."

Danzo gave a flicker of a smile. "And people claim I am heartless."

The Uchiha snorted as someone knocked on the door. "You are, bastard. I am merely practical." He half turned as the door opened, revealing the soft features of the Chief Medic, Nono Yakushi.

"Shimura-dono? Her voice was querying, her eyes glancing at the form of Kagami and the child in his arms.

Danzo stood, wincing in pain. His knee had taken a bad hit in the fighting and he'd probably need a cane going forward. "Nono, seal activation motuku."

The woman gasped, shuddering, then stilled. Danzo observed her for a moment before continuing. "The baby is the son of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki, and is the new jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. This information is to be released to NO ONE. Until such time as we determine the best way to use the child, you will care for and raise him."

She nodded, numbly. "I will do my best, Shimura-dono. Perhaps Kabuto can help when I am not around. What are my orders?"

Danzo pondered. Unlike the other villages, Kohona had never actually created a jinchuriki before. The seal used by Mito on herself and then on Kushina was some kind of esoteric suppression/forced sleep seal – the power of the Kyuubi was utterly locked away in both of them. They had no experience in utilizing them.

That clearly wouldn't be the case with this child – even now he could literally feel the youkai leaking from him in tiny amounts. Keeping that a secret from the Uchiha and Hyuuga, not to mention the Aburame or Inuzuka, would be impossible. And Kami only knew what would happen if a Yamanaka tried to mindwalk the child.

Making up his mind, he stared at her. "His status as a jinchuriki will be revealed to a select few. His parentage will not, until the proper time. We simply do not have the resources to protect the boy given his importance from outside kidnapping or assassination attempts. I will provide an area for you and him in a place sealed against outside discovery. For now, raise him as your own."

She nodded. "ROOT protocols?"

He paused. The lack of having created jinchuriki in Kohona meant he had little to no practical knowledge of the best method to ensure they were stable. He almost ordered her to start the emotional suppression training, but hesitated.

Some people in ROOT reacted badly to such training, while others had mental issues in the long run. They couldn't afford an emotionally compromised weapon, but nor could they afford an emotionally unstable one. He pondered and sat back. "For now, do not initiate the protocols. We will reassess once we have a clearer understanding of how a jinchuriki's mind develops."

Kagami handed the child over to the woman, a frown on his scarred features. "Not to be a oni's voice in this, but the situation is dangerous. Mito and Kushina had strong, firm minds and wills when the beast was sealed into them, and it was locked into slumber for the most part. This … seal may hold, but the beast is active. It may have access to the baby's mind, and there are no defenses to stop it."

Danzo nodded. "This I know. Which is why I want the seal examined, so we know what kind of weapon we have."

Kagami arched an eyebrow. "What kind of weapon? A tetsubo, like other jinchuriki, I would suspect."

Danzo shrugged. "Despite his many flaws, Minato was not the fool his sensei was. He did not obliterate the entire power of the Kyuubi with his sealing, which means this creation of a jinchuriki was deliberate. As I cannot imagine the sentimental fool damning his own child for no good reason whatsoever, he had some reason to think we would need the power the child could give us. In fact, given said sentimentality, the threat must be both extremely powerful and dire … and he had no time to let us know what it was."

Kagami frowned. "You surmise that this 'threat' is what freed the Nine-tails? Not my clan?"

Danzo's smile could almost be called sad. "More like in conjunction with your clan, Kagami. Thus, we have a situation where we are facing an unknown enemy. If we have a war machine, then we will use it. If the boy's Uzumaki blood runs true, that is another resource we can use, with proper breeding. At the proper time, with the correct grooming, his parentage will be a morale weapon. And... even if the boy becomes compromised, or the seal proves unstable in the long term, a weapon remains dangerous even if not wielded in the chosen manner, as Rin has taught us. "

Kagami rubbed his chin as Nono left the room. "...even from you that is cold. I, for one, do not blindly trust Minato's seal work. He was no Uzumaki, and Kushina wasn't even half trained. While their works with seals are better than most anything others could do, a seal applied in a rush during a battle with a demon lord and with a dying wife cannot be flawless, as you said. But Nohara's capture and Kiri's use of her...if the boy becomes unstable you plan to let him unleash the beast? Why not simply fix the seal and save the boy's life?"

Danzo shrugged. "It is a matter of expediency. I care nothing for the niceties people cling to in order to sleep soundly at night. The boy is a weapon. He will either be a sword to be wielded, or a bomb to be detonated, but he cannot change the fundamental nature of what he is. Fixing a seal that does not function will not save his sanity if that is a problem, and at that point there is simply too much danger in trying to fix it and failing."

Kagami sighed. "We will have to wait and see, then." His lips quirked. "I would like to be there when you tell Hiruzen's teammates about the boy. Homura will completely lose his shit, old friend."

Danzo moved from behind the desk, wincing at the pain in his knee. "Explaining the situation to the Council in terms they can understand will be … amusing, as will notifying Homura and Jiraya." His dry tone sharpened with further sarcastic tones. "I also cannot wait to hear the line of pathetic excuses from Tsunade-hime about why she has turned into a drunken vagabond. But..."

He turned to the wall, where the formal hat of the Hokage hung, and gave a tight, satisfied smile.

"...one must have faith in Kami and karma that events will bring things into the proper place at the proper time."

Author's Notes and Details:

Kagami Uchiha is not an OC, he is the ancestor (grandfather?) of Shusui in canon. He was also on Tobirama's team when he sacrificed himself, so even the Uchiha-hating Tobirama must have trusted him, thus Danzo does as well.

For the Uchiha not to have blown up earlier than the Massacre someone with the trust of the Kohona leadership must have been in charge for most of the time prior to at least Naruto's birth.