Zetsu's POV (Nearby Team Seven)
"Now that was an interesting battle. Orochimaru's men acted as ordered, but were too insignificant to make anything happen." Black Zetsu decided as the two watched Tsunade summon a giant slug to carry off the battered Team Seven. It was tempting for him to attack them. Injured as most of them were, it would most likely be a battle against Tsunade. But she was nothing to take lightly. Even Orochimaru never was keen or earning her ire.
"They didn't do well at all did they? Orochimaru-sama won't be pleased… Though perhaps the news of the Akatsuki being here may make it better!" White Zetsu annoyingly chipped in. Black Zetsu must've been a terrible man in his previous life to be stuck with a brother like this.
"Juzo Biwa and Kisame Hogaki…" Black Zetsu carried on as his mind focused on that surprising aspect. "It is difficult to dig up information on them, even more so to confirm membership. Though these two were considerably powerful, Juzo seemed less so, but Kisame Hogaki is quite the member. A shame we could not get involved…"
"I prefer not to be murdered!"
Black Zetsu ignored this as the two halves emerged from the earth below. "Regardless he'll want to salvage this somehow. The woman is dead, and this other one was unimpressive, but this one…" Black Zetsu mused as he stared as the downed and masked face of the leader of the team. "He'll want this one…"
Both Zetsu bit down on an arm of the unconscious body of Dosu. The two slowly dragged him into the earth with them, Tsunade and co missing this all the while. Orochimaru always preferred to play with failures like Dosu…
Danzo / Hiruzen's POV (Hidden Root Base - Hidden Leaf Village)
Danzo furiously walked down the halls of the Root base. He was followed by two of his top shinobi. Fu Yamanaka and Torune Aburame. The two were his best bodyguards and most trusted men. Their talent and loyalty would be tested tonight.
Torune was an influential member of the Aburame clan, one that wielded a unique branch of their jutsu, making him one of the most lethal shinobi in the Leaf, known to kill with a single touch. Better yet, he represented a true shinobi excellently, he was driven purely by logic and loyalty. He wore a face mask that only left his mouth exposed. His headband was sewn into it, and gray goggles were also sewn into the mask. He had short, spiky, black hair and was covered in a black kimono.
Fu was a simple man even closer to perfection than Torune. His clan was the Yamanaka. As such, he had valuable tools as he was a skilled user of their jutsu and powerful shinobi in general. He had auburn hair pulled into a neat ponytail. His expression was empty, but his yellow eyes shined with intelligence. He wore a black kimono with an orange jacket over top.
The reason for their moving was a recent report. One of his spies kept an eye on the Slug Sannin, who lived in a smaller village these days. Supposedly, she was getting a grasp on the crime world, hoping to increase Leaf's influence in the criminal world. In truth, he suspected Hiruzen had crafted the mission to allow the grown woman to "grieve." It seemed she achieved this by drinking constantly, gambling, and smashing anyone who pissed her off.
Her mob boss setup was cute, but much too flawed for Danzo's liking. So, it became necessary to keep an eye on her. People had accused him of being paranoid throughout his life, but as always, his instinct proved correct. The spy had dug up some valuable information while watching her. Information regarding a different Sannin, information that makes him his enemy now.
Orochimaru and he may have worked together, but this was necessary. Hiruzen had failed to kill him when he had a chance. And Jiraiya, as helpful as he was as a spy, seemed unable to find the snake. So Danzo reached out and offered to cooperate. Danzo would look the other way regarding missing shinobi or crimes committed in the area. As long as the snake kept it within the carefully arranged agreement. Better to lose a few ninjas on occasion versus what the snake could genuinely do. If Orochimaru chose it, he could wreak havoc on their forces. Indeed, they would kill him eventually. But it would likely be too costly. Hiruzen knew nothing of this, of course. The man would've never agreed to this. Likely citing the moral quandary of working with such a detestable man. Time has shown it to be quite beneficial. But Danzo knew that if the shinobi forces or even Hiruzen heard of this, he would likely perish for "treason."
Yet he did not hesitate to call this meeting and prepare to betray Orochimaru. Many had called Danzo traitorous. Known for a long line of manipulations and lies. But he simply did not see it this way, could you betray someone you never held loyalty to? Danzo cared little, people would always muddle his actions. He needed no approval, even as he pursued his dream. To be the Hokage, yet Hiruzen had always unintentionally stopped him. Outshining him throughout his career. But he had always known he would be a better Hokage. He would make the village strong. That is what it was all for. To make the village he loved the most into the best. To protect it regardless of the cost. That was the reason he had pursued Hokage. He truly believed himself the best candidate. How ironic it was that he now saw how blind he had been. His deal with Orochimaru was a foolish one. Orochimaru had never been fooled and had likely just ensured he could not be linked to anything outside of the agreements. Danzo had been suspicious when shinobi MIA rates had not dropped. But the snake had no ties or evidence to prove it. Even with his own forces looking into it fruitlessly. But now he will remedy this, the Snake had pushed it too far.
His spy, located in Tsunade's land, had informed them of an attack on Team Seven. The heir of the Yamanaka clan had always produced promising shinobi. The genius of the Hyuga clan, from the Side Branch but infamous for his growing strength. His eyes were safe, but he would surely be an asset. And one of the two Nine-Tailed jinchuuriki. His mother may be stronger for now, but his source had long ago confirmed he had impressive mastery over the Kyubi. He is not complete yet, but he will undeniably be valuable in time. From his words, it seemed Orochimaru had set up an ambush without permission. He was allowed to occasionally attack Ninja as long as he got approval. But never the jinchuriki…
Shinobi simply were not helpful to Leaf. No bloodlines or heirs had been part of their deal. They had never spoken of the jinchuuriki, but that was merely because it was obvious. But this was a clear violation. He had also had several patrols acting oddly. His mole there said an entire squad seemed to be significantly different. They had disappeared for two hours during their patrol. They had returned and been questioned and tested. They claimed to have pursued a cloud group they had run into. But even though they were cleared, his mole suspected they may be spies. Orochimaru may make one mistake in a great while but never two. He must've not cared if his movements were known. This suggested he was doing something that would antagonize him and something big enough to throw away subtly. There was only one thing he could see the snake playing risk for. The death of his former sensei, a man he now openly resented. Hiruzen Sarutobi may, in the next few hours, face an assassination attempt.
He may not hold any genuine love for his old friend, but he has always been a net positive for the village. He might be soft now, but Danzo would not allow him to pay for his own crimes. However, when moving to save Hiruzen, he would likely be exposed in the process. The Root must survive as well as Hiruzen for now. Despite himself, there were no suitable candidates. The council would elect Jiraiya, Tsunade, and perhaps even Kakashi. But they would all be poor replacements. Hiruzen was soft but no fool. And despite Danzo's detesting of him, he was powerful. The candidates besides him missed either the strength or wisdom.
Unfortunately, despite his lifetime of politics, they were all likely to be elected over him. As such, he could not allow Hiruzen's death. He had already sent the remaining Root to desert the village to escape prosecution. He had officially removed Tenten and Sai from employment. Sora would meet up with the other Root wherever they set up. They would continue to operate with a new focus on Orochimaru. Sora had been his choice for a new leader. Strength-wise, he needed his more powerful or knowledgeable members for what he expected to be a brutal fight. So he needed someone loyal, and since his Root may very well lead to the destruction of the Leaf, he needed someone who wasn't entirely broken. Sora somehow managed to hold on to his humanity at the Root. Perhaps with that, he would build a Root to support the Leaf that would not become the darkness they hid in… there was no time for regrets.
Danzo, Fu, Torune, and the ten more masked members all exited the base, which was buried in the ground. The group didn't bother covering the entrance; they would be brought into the light soon anyway. They took off towards the Hokage Manor. It was time to do as they always had done: fight the fight others simply couldn't see.
X-X
Hiruzen's POV
An old man calmly painted an odd seal on the side of the Hokage manor. He felt pity for the Hokage as he prepared their dual venture. However, as a former clan leader of the Uzumaki and a much older man who knew the world's harshness, Ashina had, after all, assisted in creating a village he had run. Only to be hidden, forced to watch his home be destroyed years later. Now, he would also allow the Hokage to go to the parish. Ashina may have been older than any man had any right to be, but he regretted it daily. He had initially hated the world when his clansmen died. He had come out of hiding to raze the earth of those who crushed the Uzumaki. But then he met Ikam. Ikam was unabashedly a cruel man. He had admitted to being the direct cause of the fall of the Uzumaki. Oh, how badly Ashina had tried to kill him, but Ikam merely defeated him and told him a story. Oh, what a story it had been. A look into what had become of his clansmen before their untimely demise. It had been a rough thing to hear. Such was the sin of his kin that he had sworn allegiance to Ikam as long as he finished what he had started. The ancient man hated himself somewhere deep down for betraying everything he had stood for. But he was a shinobi and a leader. Shinobi must be cold and unfeeling, willing to endure whatever awaited them. A leader was responsible for his men. As such, now that he knew what they had done, he would ensure it never came to be again.
Ashina finished drawing his seal right as he felt several robust signatures approaching. He drew and slowly opened a scroll that pulled him in before poofing away. It was a shame he must help the end of a man of Hiruzen's caliber. But such was the price of protecting the sinful Uzumaki.
Hiruzen felt a strong pulse of chakra that was unfamiliar to him. Instantly, two of the Anbu on guard duty of him appeared. Outside the room, he felt eight Anbu escorting civilians out of the building while checking it for intruders. Hiruzen's guard was unique in the sense of how long they had guarded the old man. They were experienced, demanding, and knowledgeable. Hiruzen nods to his two guards. He removes his robe and exposes a black full-body suit and an armored headpiece. He and the guards approach the location of the signature as the others secure the building. As they exit to the outside, he sees Danzo and various Root anbu standing outside and observing something on one of the walls.
"Danzo! What is the meaning of this!" He called. "This better not be some pl-"
"Much worse, I'm afraid of my old friend. I have considerable reason to believe Orochimaru has some kind of assault on the Leaf. Likely specifically targeted to you. We were here to ensure your safety and spotted an unknown assailant painting the seal behind you." Danzo explained calmly.
"Horse, check the seal and see if you can gleam anything from it." Hiruzen barked in business mode. "Interesting information indeed old friend. I must ask, though, how would you know?" Killing Intent leaked from the older man. Danzo responded in kind, releasing his own. Despite the great tension in the air, both groups of Anbu seemed to be unaffected. As the rest of the Leaf Anbu assembled, they all prepared themselves for battle.