Chapter 32
DANZO SHIMURA
It was rare for someone like him to be threatened given that his existance and operations were a rather well guarded secret, and to most of the village Danzo Shimura was nothing but an old, retired war hero that had once been a teammate of the Sandaime Hokage.
But now, for the first time in many years, Danzo had found an enemy who had uncovered his secret, a stubborn, resilient enemy who plotted against him without any care at all.
Few had ever targeted him without care, and yet he had never found it so difficult to deal with a problem before this. Initially, he was unsure about who this enemy was, but the identity became clearer and clearer with every passing weak, and now he had a clear suspicion about just who was the shinobi daring enough to go after him.
Izuna Uchiha was proving himself to be quite a mess. The young Uchiha prodigy had begun to show his true colors, and the prodigy seemed to be on a warpath with him, as agent after agent sent to spy on him vanished, with half their mask left infront of his house door.
There was little to no proof of his involvement in these attacks, and Danzo could scarcely bring them up to Hiruzen, for most of these shinobi had been on unsanctioned missions, the details of which must never see the light of day.
The mask would be all that would be left of his men, with no trace of the person leaving them there, yet he knew who was behind it. He knew it very well.
"It is rare for you to call on me Shimura," spoke the old man softly, and as his usual point of attacks against the boy failed, Danzo had the make unconventional moves.
Regular attacks against the boy did not work, for he lived in the Uchiha district, one of the most secure places in the entire village. Propaganda, and subterfuge had failed to pull down the boy's spirits, who was about to become an even bigger thorn in his side by becoming the head of the Fifth Divison, the Medical Corp.
To this day, he wonders how Hiruzen got the idea to make the boy the head of the Fifth Division. Yet his old teammate seems set in his decision, and given the powers and reach of a division head, even if it was the smallest one, he knows that the boy would cause him a lot more trouble if he ever got that position.
"I would not have done so if it was not necessary, Gin," he answered the Uchiha clan elder, whose life he had once saved years ago. The older bald man smiled as he nodded.
"So, what brings you here, Shimura," the bald plump man asked as he sipped his tea.
"Because I doubt that a man such as you would come here only for tea," and the man was astute enough to see through his intentions. At least a part of them.
"Indeed, I have come here on grave business," Danzo began softly as he sipped his tea, as the older Uchiha clan elder nodded.
"And what business would that be?" he asked.
"I always thought that the Uchiha were a clan that honored tradition and pragmatism, and yet I am much concerned about the actions of one of your young members," he began slowly as the bald man raised a brow.
"A young member," he whispered back while rubbing his chin.
"Perhaps you wish to talk about the young clan heir, young Izuna-kun?" he asked, and Danzo nodded.
"Indeed," he replied as he put down the cup.
"Many in the village are concerned about the young boy's actions and his intentions of breaking the long-held traditions of this village. The boy refuses to abide by the aged traditions and wishes to replace Tsunade Senju as the head of the Fifth Division," and the old man Gin nodded, a small frown appearing on his face.
"The boy is indeed troublesome, but we are not so concerned about his actions as of yet. After all, Fugaku Uchiha is still quite young and rather capable of leading the Police Force for quite some time," and Danzo raised a brow.
"Then will you let him run rampant and destroy years of tradition for no reason at all," Danzo asked.
"I thought the Uchiha better than that," and the older man's gaze narrowed at the insult.
"And why are the actions of the young Uchiha a concern to you?" questioned Gin Uchiha as Danzo did not answer for a second, before he looked the man in the eye and opened his mouth as he used the greatest bait at his disposal.
"Because it would make it much more difficult for me to recommend the name of Fugaku Uchiha as the next Hokage...."
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And after a rather illuminating discussion with his ally in the Uchiha clan, Danzo made his way to the main gate of the village with his own pair of guards and saw a small retinue already waiting for him over there.
A retinue led by none other than his old teammate, Hiruzen, stood there in the white Hokage robes, as the two most powerful men in the village stood by his side.
One of them was the new Jounin Commander, Nara Shikaku, the new Nara clan head. And the other one was the newly appointed head of the Intelligence division, Yamanaka Inoichi, another clan head who was to join them in this journey.
"You are late, Danzo," his teammate chided him as he shrugged.
"By a few seconds," he replied, as he turned to face the other two men who were set to join them on this journey.
"Nara Shikaku, Yamanaka Inoichi," he greeted. The two younger men nodded, and Hiruzen turned towards them all.
"Let's go, we have wasted enough time..."
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IZUNA UCHIHA
The Uzumaki Tower was a rather large spiralling building on the edge of the village that was once home to Lady Mito, the wife of the Shodaime Hokage. To the common man, the building was a memento of the woman in question and her village, which had been a staunch ally of Konoha in its early days.
But the ninja knew of its true importance and how the place was created specifically by Mito Uzumaki and Hashirama Senju to suppress the malignant Bijuu chakra and allow the jinchuriki to acclimate themselves to the ancient power sealed inside them without putting the village around them at risk.
The building was often heavily guarded, and none were allowed entry without the Hokage's approval. As Izuna found himself in the massive spiral tower, he was rather impressed by its vastness and power.
Despite it being years since its conception, the building felt as if it was alive, and the secret of this lay in the material used in its construction.
"Mokuton," he whispered as he touched the wooden walls of the building, as the blonde jounin behind him nodded.
"Indeed, this is the fabled Wood release of the Shodaime-sama," added Minato-san as he led Izuna to Rin-san's abode. and it was his first time seeing the impressive wood release like this, and just one look at this building allowed one to imagine the might of the man who was blessed with this technique.
"The wood here is stronger than steel, or stone. It makes one wonder just how strong was the Shodaime at his peak," whispered Minato-kun, and Izuna nodded.
"You have read Mito-sama's diaries, so you must have an idea," and it had been those ideas which had allowed the man to infer about the true prowess of the Mangekyo Sharingan, highlighting his astute intelligence, for Izuna could think of no other shinobi who might have put together the haphazard clues so quickly.
"The written word can hardly do justice to the prowess of Hashirama Senju, Mito-sama wrote that the lord first was powerful enough to decimate all the Five Great Nations single handedly, if only he had ever desired to do so," and as Izuna thought about what he knew for himself, he found that an apt measure of the man's power.
"Given that this is but a representation of a fraction of his power, I hardly doubt that," and they finally came upon a door, and he could see the massive sealing formulas that spread all around it, seals that were designed by an Uzumaki as Minato-san placed his hand on the door.
"She is inside," and the seal lit up, and began to unravel as they were led into a small room, at the centre of which sat a the young brown haired kunoichi as she gripped her head.
"Sensei," she called out weakly as she looked up and Izuna saw Minato-san's face twist for the fraction of a second before he gave her a warm smile.
"I have brought you a guest, Rin," and with that Izuna stepped forward and saw the brown haired girl's eyes widen.
"Izuna-kun," she called out, her voice weak and weary, and he did not miss her dishevelled and devastated appearance, with large dark circles around, bloodshot eyes.
"How have you been, Rin-san?" he asked as he gave her a small wave.
"Sensei must have told you about it," she answered with a broken smile as she turned to face the blue eyed teacher.
"I cannot take it any more, sensei. I cannot. It is still rampaging, I am sorry, but won't be able to hold on for much longer," she pleaded weakly, as the jounin's lips thinned.
"I have brought Izuna-kun here to help," he said as her eyes widened slightly.
"Indeed, you must not give up. I might be able to help," he said softly as he stepped forward and walked up to her.
"Can you really help?" she asked and Izuna nodded as he took her arm in his hands, and frowned as he saw the scalding skin.
"I can," he assured her, as he cast a quick diagnostic ninjutsu, as he examined what he could of her body.
"These scalds and burns," he whispered as he turned to face Minato-san who was watching him work with both hope and concern.
"They are from the corrosive bijuu chakra. The lack of rest, is depleting her own chakra reserves, and her charka networks are being overrun by the corrosive bijuu chakra," he added, and it was a dire situation.
"We cannot fully tighten the seal," the man answered.
"Because if we do so, she would never be able to become a jinchuriki. Her body has to acclimate to the bijuu chakra," the man added. Izuna nodded, understanding the man's point, and saw Rin-san ask again.
"So, will you be able to help me?" she asked in a broken and pleading tone as she looked into his eyes, and Izuna nodded.
"I will. But you will have to put your absolute trust in me," he said as she nodded.
"I will need to access your mindscape as I did in the cave in the cave," he asked. She smiled and gave him a nod, gripping his hand tightly.
"I trust you, Izuna-kun. Just please help me," she asked and Izuna nodded as he took a deep breath, and pushed chakra into his eyes, and in an instant the world around him sharpened, and he was able to see the details which were once hidden to him.
The crevices in the wood, the small bumps on her skin, and much more.
"Look into my eyes, and don't be anxious," and as he stared into her eyes he felt his chakra enter her body, and the bijuu'c corrosive chakra roared in retaliation as Izuna tiny needles prick her skin, as he did not relent as he slowly came into existence in the mindscape of the brown haired kunoichi.
"ROARRR!' and it was a mess, as the Sanbi roared and thrashed behind a massive golden cage, and yet its chakra pulsed in the air as a young Nohara Rin sat there clinging her head infront of the giant mighty three tailed beast.
"ROAR!" the beast roared again as it saw Izuna, and its tail hit the age, sending forth a massive wave. Yet Izuna was not bothered as he stepped forward and walked past the young huddled-up form of Nohara Rin towards the beast itself as he stared into its eyes.
"I know that you can understand me, three tails," Izuna began.
"Or should I call you Isobu," and in a second the beast's movements halted as Izuna looked into the beast's eyes.
"Know this that I take no joy in seeing you chained up like this, but I am not your enemy, nor is the girl behind me your enemy," and at that, Izuna's eyes shifted once more as he felt his face wetten as a drop of blood gathered in his eye.
"Yet if you persist in your actions you will kill both her and yourself. So, I do this for your own good," and with that, he pushed his chakra into the mighty beast, as blood dripped down his face and into the water down below.
"Sleep!" he ordered, and the beast's eyes sifted, and in an instant, they were replaced by the red of the Sharingan before the lids began to close, as the Sanbi's tails fell down, and its rampage ended.
"Huh!" Izuna felt his legs weaken as he fell to his knees, and as he stared down at the water he found it red, as if laced with blood as he stared into his own reflection in it.
The bijuu's chakra in the air grew thinner and thinner as the turbulent water eased up, and the Sanbi's body fell down and became inactive as Izuna felt himself pushed back into his own body.
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.
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"It's done," the voice of Minato-san came from beside him, as Izuna opened his eyes and found the man supporting the unconscious form of his Rin, who had fallen asleep in an instant. Izuna nodded and as he made to pull back his hands he felt a sharp stabbing pain and looked down and saw that she had grabbed her arms rather tightly, her nails pinching into his skin had made him bleed.
He slowly removed her hand, as Minato-san helped her into the bed, as he put a blanket on her as he turned to face him.
"Thank you, Izuna-kun," he said, smiling softly at him, and Izuna shrugged.
"It was nothing," he said and as he made to stand up, he was surprised by a sudden bout of lightheadedness, yet he steadied himself rather quickly.
"That took more chakra than I had anticipated," he whispered as he wiped away at his face, and saw blood coat his sleeve, as him and Minato-san walked out of the room.
"The jutsu will hold for half a day, maybe a bit more. But it should give her much needed rest. You should call for me once more, in a day and I can cast it once more," he replied and the Yellow Flash nodded.
"I will," and then they walked towards the roof of the tower, as Minato-san turned ot face him.
"You said that there was something that I could help you with," and Izuna had mentioned so.
"Yes," Izuna answered as he looked into the man's eyes.
"I wish for you to train me...."
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