Sold

"Damn it. All this over a jinchuriki that lord fourth left here." Hiruzen grumbled at his desk as he sifted through the pile of complaints about the young child. Four years into this mess and the complaints have yet to stop. Danzo stood in the room looking at a few of the scrolls that had the issue's written in them.

'what happens when the ninetails gets loose?'

'Why is the brat even still here? Why isn't he dead?'

'Why is the ninetails allowed to wander around like that?'

'Why haven't you locked him up yet? The ninetails could get loose again and destroy the village! Lord fourth didn't die for this brat to live freely like this'

The complaints rained on in about a dozen other scrolls, all about how they haven't killed the young boy yet and why he's even in the village still.

Danzo had been keeping an eye on the boy and to his surprise he showed quite a bit of promise of molded by the right person. The evening was in full swing and most had gone to bed already when he decides to go check on the child that had caught his eye.

"Hmn?!" The boy wasn't in his home. So where was he? 'Where did Hiruzen place the brat?'

The smell of copper and the sound of liquid dropping answered his question as he laid eyes on a blond haired, blue eyed boy that had three whisker like birthmarks on his face; who's leg and arm was covered in blood.

The terror in his eyes amused the old man who stared at him with curiosity. Why the child was dripping blood and up at this hour was answered by a small shout that sent the child running onto the next building and continued the chase by ducking into an alley.

A small gasp of pain was heard when Danzo ducked into the same alley, keen on watching this event finish. Upon further inspection, the blonds leg seems to be on the brink of breaking unlike his arm that was already broken.

Scrabbling to hide behind a box, the pursuer jumped over unaware. Danzo watched the relief wash over the boy as his body relaxed and he sighed.

In a flash the boy was pulled up by wire around his waist and grabbed by his near broken leg in a tight grip. He swallowed the pain and only let out a yelp.

The chuckle that the man released scared the boy and set his heart pumping "Did you think that you could really hide from an elite ninja like myself, ninetail brat?" The man asked with playful aggression in his voice "ANSWER!!"

The boy hung there, dripping blood onto the gravel below. The ninja scoffed, shaking the boy who flinched at the pain "Let this be a reminder of what you are, demon" driving a kunai into the brat, his stomach didn't bleed much as the kunai acted as a cork. Simply letting go, he let the child fall before jumping off to who knows where.

The jinchuriki hit the ground with a wet 'thud' "Naruto...Not Demon... Naruto" The boy whispered while trying to sit up but the blade tugged inside and caused him to hack up a grotesque amount of blood; leaving him panting after. The expression he held was odd, the child wanted to cry but perhaps he forgot how? "Why are you hiding there mister?" He asked in a lower tone as he got back up, now with a hand over his wound and a kunai in the other. The blond stood up and faced Danzo's direction.

As he thought, the child shows some potential after all. The poisoned words seeped into his mind as he stood up in the shadows, towering over the frightened boy. Curious on what reaction he would get, he released a small amount of chakra more or less as a way to scare the child.

Blue eyes widened at the feeling, though he stayed in the same spot. The anbu leader found himself chuckling internally. He liked this child.

The bandages that covered Danzo's face slightly shocked the child, who shifted his weight backwards. As quick as a breath, the boy leapt away and ran for his home, asking that it would grant him at least some form of security. At least enough to heal his wounds.

"Excellent" And with that the alley was left cold and empty as Danzo returned to the foundation. The next day would be quite the day as Danzo had a plan.

**Time skip: The next morning**

Hiruzen agreed to meet with Danzo to discuss the matter of the jinchuriki, who was on both their minds albeit for different reasons.

"Have you come up with a solution?" Danzo enquired as he drank some of his tea.

"Yes." No remorse was held in his voice when he gave his answer that shocked even Anbu leader himself.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I won't have my reputation destroyed because of one child and his antics. It will only be for one year until I come up with another plan."

Danzo hummed in acknowledgement "Once that year is over. I would take him off your hands and place him into the Anbu black ops. He will train and serve under both you and myself." Danzo's snake like tongue worked to persuade the Hokage into the decision where it benefitted the both of them.

Where he planned to sell the boy intrigued him but created no concern inside as there was now another tool promised to be added to the arsenal.