Advancing Plans

Back in Konoha, Hiruzen has just received some news from their spy in Root. Kakashi has revealed that Danzo wants to take his Sharingan. Hiruzen was frowning heavily before he sighed. He signalled an Anbu who flickered in front of him kneeling.

"Yugao, call Danzo here."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." The Anbu flickered away and a few minutes later, Danzo opened the door without knocking and started talking.

"What is it Hiruzen? I am very busy." Hiruzen sighed again at the rude behaviour of his old friend.

"Kakashi Hatake will no longer be part of Root, effective immediately."

"What?! You can't do that, he's the only Sharingan user in Root. If you want to remove him you'll have to replace him."

"I can and I just did. You seem to be forgetting something here, just because I ignore your actions doesn't mean I don't know what they are. I am the Hokage, not you, I have the final say in everything, not you."

Danzo was stunned at Hiruzen saying something against him and reminding him of his greatest pain, not being Hokage.

"We have a bad relationship with the Uchiha as it is, there will be no replacement for Kakashi. You can leave now." Danzo awoke from his daze and left the room hurriedly, but he gave a quick hmph before closing the door.

Hiruzen sighed at this and started massaging his temples "I really am too old for this job."

~~~

Four days later, Jiraiya, Raiden and Itachi reached Konoha. They were a bit late since they took a detour to the demon desert to show Jiraiya the ruin they saw, they had no problem going through the shinobi there unseen since they have one of the best spies in the world accompanying them.

Jiraiya examined the seals and building and gave them his conclusion.

"This building seems to be the missing armoury of Uzushiogakure, it was lost after it was destroyed. The Uzumaki had knowledge about space-related seals which helped create the Flying Thunder God that Minato was known for, they should have applied a seal on it before that made it relocate elsewhere.

This seal should change the armoury's location periodically. If the villages that destroyed Uzu were able to get there hands on this we would have lost the Second Great Ninja War. Most seals here have most likely been destroyed by the passage of time, but the weapons are still here.

The Uzumaki were great swordsmen and women with great talent in making swords, they even helped make the Sword Of The Thunder God for the Second Hokage.

I could help you get inside since with the passage of time most of these seals have lost most of their powers, but since you are learning sealing I'll leave this as a test for you."

"Sensei, about the chakra signatures we sensed in the upper floors?"

"I heard from Kushina about some artefacts that had special powers passed down from their ancestors, these are most likely them. You should focus on your sealing training in the future, this place is a treasure trove!"

After that, they continued their journey and reached Konoha. Jiraiya went towards the Hokage tower to report on the Chuunin exams and what happened concerning the deal.

As he entered the office, there was an Anbu with physics-defying silver hair and an Anbu mask shaped like a dog.

"Kakashi, what are you doing here?" Asked Jiraiya extremely surprised, as his reports are to be done through someone else.

Hiruzen and Kakashi both looked towards Jiraiya before Hiruzen sighed yet again, he has been sighing more often recently.

"Looks like Danzo is even more screwed up in the head than we thought. He was planning to take Kakashi's Sharingan, or so he overheard so I had to pull him out."

"Where does that leave the mission? How will we continue the investigation?"

"Kakashi, tell him what you told me."

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Jiraiya-sama, I have someone that I think we can turn to our side, but there is one issue if Danzo wanted my Sharingan, who's today he doesn't already have one? Which means he can turn him against us again with enough manipulation."

Jiraiya entered deep thought before raising his head,

"Who is the person?"

"Do you remember the info that came in about the boy that can use Wood Release? That's him, I am sure he has the will of fire and can be turned."

Both Jiraiya and Hiruzen were thinking of a solution for this issue before suddenly Hiruzen thought of something.

"If he has a Sharingan, we can only resort to its masters. We will approach the Uchiha clan head for help."

"That is a great idea sensei, this way the Uchiha will know that the village and the Hokage have not given up on them just yet. It's hitting two birds with one stone. We will have to advance our plans and your friend will be able to help us with that since he has been there for much longer than you." Jiraiya said while switching looks from Hiruzen to Kakashi with a smile.

"Another issue is that a lab of Orochimaru's has surfaced in the land of fire, Kakashi you will investigate it, but wait, for now, we will contact the Uchiha first and set our game plan since Danzo most likely has connections with Orochimaru."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"You can leave now." Kakashi flickered after that and only Jiraiya remained in the room with the Hokage.

"What is the result of this Chuunin exam? And what happened to the deal with the Kazekage?"

"The Chuunin exams ended with only Raiden and Itachi being promoted and as for the deal, I agreed that we stop taking missions from the land of wind on the condition that we get a ten-year extension on the current alliance with them, along with taking a look at their new Jinchuriki."

"Good, we don't need those missions anymore, anyway, they were just a means to worsen relationships between the villages, but Danzo always refused that we stop taking them saying that it'll help weaken Suna.

Sigh, anyway, Their new Jinchuriki, what is he like?"

"The new Jinchuriki is the son of the Kazekage, he's the same age as Naruto. I pity the boy, his father only thinks of him as a weapon. he had almost no control over the joke they called a seal and apparently kept showing openings to the one-tails that he made use of to rampage around the village.

The boy had insomnia, most likely afraid that he'd rampage in his sleep. He manifested natural sand control without the one-tails power which means he will have a great future especially if he was trained by his father, which is likely to happen.

I helped the Kazekage reinforce the seal for three bricks of chakra metal, of course, I left a seal inside that could incapacitate him if he ever attacks us."

"Good, like I said in the message, it was your call. I trust you enough to know that you wouldn't do anything that'll harm Konoha."

"Hehe, you embarrass me, sensei" Jiraiya and Hiruzen continued talking for a while mostly about the talent of Itachi and Raiden before Jiraiya headed to leave.

"One more thing, we need someone to help facilitate the extension of the treaty. Your disciple just became a Chuunin, he should be able to do it."