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(Unchecked growth can be dangerous. The Leaf, much like the wildfire, burns brightly and grows freely.)
Shimura Danzo had fled Konohagakure no Sato under accusations of treason and criminal conspiracy. Of his old teammates, only Sarutobi Hiruzen might grant him any sort of mercy. Mitokado Homura and Utatane Koharu wanted him tortured slowly for implicating them in his plots, and for including them in projects that had been used to cover for Shimura’s illegal activities. Uchiha Kagami felt personally betrayed, and wanted Shimura interrogated, publically humiliated, and then burned alive for his schemes intended to eradicate the Uchiha Clan. Akimichi Torifu was quieter about his anger, but Shimura’s ROOT had been full of kidnapped and broken children, at least one from every Clan, and the Akamichi would see justice done on those children’s behalf.
That one of their own, that one of Tobirama-sensei’s students, could act against Konoha and all the Village stood for like that… they wanted Shimura dead and buried in a dozen graves. To betray the Will of Fire so completely… Shimura Danzo was no true Konoha shinobi. More, they now doubted that he ever had been. Such an insult to their sensei’s teachings and memory could not be allowed to live.
So great was the anger of Konoha’s ninja that any mention of the missing-nin would see the area swarmed with Leaf-marked headbands and bone-white animal masks. No one in their right mind would risk partnering him. Shimura Danzo was harried and hunted, his head actively sought by every Leaf shinobi in the field.
It was an abrupt departure from the norm. Any other Hidden Village would have put a bounty on Shimura’s head an gone on with their usual business.
Not so, Konohagakure no Sato.
It made the other Hidden Villages more than a little uneasy. Shimura Danzo was the only high ranking shinobi to ever betray Konoha. Every other Hidden Village had their share of high profile defections. They had chunin and Jounin and S-rank specialists defect in secret and in highly visible massacres both. Konoha only had Shimura Danzo on their list.
It almost explained why the Leaf Village as a whole took Shimura’s defection so personally. Every single Konoha-nin snarled and spat when they heard Shimura’s name. They hated him, the way they failed to hate even their enemies, and it was an attitude that baffled the other Villages.
Crazy, tree-hugging lunatics who wanted who wanted to be friends with everyone should not be able to channel that much focused hatred.
It was unnatural.
So when it was Konoha’s turn to host the international Chunin Exams every Nation sent a selection of genin teams. Sure, they would be watched, but it was a chance to observe the Leaf-nin on their home turf. Even Iwa sent a handful of teams, because the Densetsu no Sannin and the Yellow Flash has gotten started somewhere and someone would be willing to gossip about childhood misconduct.
That Kiri had lost control of the Sanbi to Konoha was still whispered about even a decade and a half later. Perhaps they thought that with Uzu gone Konoha was vulnerable to the bijuu again, but it had not been Uzushio who had delivered the Tailed Beasts to the Hidden Villages. It had been Konoha, and all the Countries were reminded of that fact when the Sanbi’s new host had run straight home. Not to rampage, as the Bloody Mist had intended, but to be succoured. To have her seal repaired and the power of the Three Tails added to her own.
Kiri’s audacious plan to unleash the Sanbi on Konoha had backfired spectacularly, and now Konoha had two human containers to their name. Loyal jinchuriki who fought for their Village and were always backed up by a squad of Leaf-nin so that they were impossible to capture. Squads that worked alongside demonic chakra and never feared it being turned on them.
When Kiri had demanded the Sanbi’s return, Konoha had laughed the messenger straight back out the gates. The bijuu, Konoha had announced to all the Countries, had been part of the inter-Villages peace treaty. Given in good faith that the wars between Clans were over and that the killing would end. Three times had that treaty been broken. Deliberately broken. Konoha was well in their rights to reclaim their own property.
The jinchuriki, Konoha had made it known, were all welcome to make Konoha their home. Given the frequency with which strong ninja abandoned the other Villages, and Iwa’s crushing defeat during the last War, there had been very rapid backpedalling as the other Hidden Villages rethought their aggressive stances.
They had gotten used to the way Sarutobi Hiruzen played politics, the third Hokage’s willingness to bend instead of risk conflict or offense. The fourth Hokage was a very different creature. (It had been nearly fifteen years since Sarutobi Hiruzen had stepped down after the Third War, and they still could not get a clear answer as to which of the man’s students had taken over leadership of the Leaf.)
The thing was, more than one Kage had realized in stark terror, that Konoha was telling the truth. The bijuu were placed in each Village’s custody as a defensive measure in part of a non-aggression pact between all of the Hidden Villages. Konoha had the legal right to reclaim the bijuu from every Village that had ever attacked them.
So Konoha’s cheerfully vicious stance on international politics, the mystery of the Fourth Hokage’s identity, and the determination to utterly destroy their most infamous (only) missing-nin had the Kage collectively recalculating what they actually knew about the Leaf.
Depressingly little, as it turned out. Thus, sending genin teams to the Chunin Exams with strict orders to do some damned recon. Specifically, to find out what method Konoha used to keep it’s ninja so fanatically loyal.
The reports the Kage got back in return were half hysterical shellshock and half existential crisis. Every Kage came to the individual conclusion that they would need to see Konoha in person to discover the truth of things themselves. Once word got out that all of the Kage would be in Konoha for the Exam Finals, none of them could back out either. Not without losing an incredible amount of face, anyway.
The number of converging plots and counter-plots made a Gordian Knot look like a child’s game of Cat’s Cradle.
Then the Kage actually arrived in Konoha, and their genin team’s reports made so much more sense. After such headache inducing revelations as the Densetsu no Sannin sharing the position of Konoha’s Yondaime Hokage…
/…/
“Gives us some regular time off!” The Toad Sage laughed raucously, like not keeping complete control of a military state was normal. “None of us wanted to age as fast as sensei did, doing it all alone!”
“It also allows us the freedom to pursue…” The Serpent Master’s lips twitched in a smile as he gave the White Fang a heated look. “Hm, other interests.”
“I have a hospital to run!” The Slug Princess snapped, one dainty fist denting the chakra-reinforced ironwood arm of her chair. “That kami-damned hat gets only one third of my attention and no more!”
/…/
Or that the Bloody Red Habanera and the Yellow Flash had procreated together…
/…/
“Naruto’s my godson!” The Toad Sage grinned as the stadium was filled with a thousand identical madly cackling blond’s swinging wind-natured chakra chains in gleeful abandon. “Takes after his mother, that one!”
/…/
To say nothing of the Konoha born shinobi’s predisposition to rampant, rabid amounts of pack mentality…
/…/
“Hm. It appears that the little Hyuuga Heiress is working through her issues.” The Snake Master mused idly, the Leaf genin in the viewing stands going full on screaming insane as B’s student coughed up blood after the tiny white-eyed mouse of a girl sent him flying the full length of the arena with a single open-palmed shove.
“About damned time!” The Slug Princess cackled in a way that set the Raikage’s nerves on edge as he remembered the very blunt response to his attempt to blame the negotiation breakdowns on Konoha after his agent had failed to kidnap an unsealed Hyuuga. “Good girl! Kick his ass, Hinata!”
/…/
After all that, the invasion by an army of Missing Nin was an honest relief. (Although it did explain a bit about why Konoha was so determined to bring Shimura down. Any man capable of turning all those traitors into a cohesive fighting force was a danger that was best removed.) Finally! Some straightforward violence without any mind-breaking subtext or world shattering personal revelations!
“HOW DARE YOU SHOW YOUR FACE HERE AGAIN YOU TRAITOR!” The roar came from every direction, from every throat, and the visiting shinobi froze in place as the Killing Intent of an entire Hidden Village was aimed at a singular target.
/…/
“… Holy shit.” The Mizukage paled and made the executive decision to drop the matter of the Sanbi for good. One on one Konoha-nin died easy, except they knew that so they had a habit of travelling in mobs and this display right here was a prime example of why Konoha had unilaterally won all of the Wars. You fought wars using armies, and armies were just really big mobs.
… Why had no one ever realized this before?
/…/
Then there were seals and boss Summons and all of Konoha’s propensity for ludicrously overpowered jutsu concentrated in one small area and enough firepower being tossed around to leave the watching Kage lightheaded.
/…/
“… It’s very odd not to be the target of this.” The Raikage winced as the Yellow Flash tore through the ranks of attacking shinobi, his wife cutting a crimson swath on his right, while an Uchiha couple turned the battlefield into a nightmare of flames and flying steel on his left. “I wonder what Shimura’s plan is?”
/…/
“I’ll show you all! You’re making Konoha weak!” The missing-nin leapt back, eyes wild as four seal-wrapped coffins rose from the ground. “I’m doing this for Konoha!”
There was an outraged shriek from the Slug Princess. “Where did you get that jutsu?”
Shimura did not answer in words, his hands flying through seals as a wave of strange white bushin pushed the Konoha-nin back. Chakra surged, so thick in the air you could taste it. First one coffin cracked open, then another. The Shodai Hokage, Senju Hashirama stepped forward, looking as he had in his prime. The sclera of his eyes black as pitch, and an obvious sign of his unnatural origin. Beside him stood his wife, Uzumaki Mito, the first container of the Kyuubi no Youko.
The third coffin opened, and then the fourth.
Two seal-adorned bodies hit the dirt with meaty thuds.
The battlefield went silent.
“… Huh.” The Toad Sage muttered, then raised his voice. “Not quite up to performing there, Shimura? I hear that’s a common side effect of senility!”
“What is this?” The missing-nin leader hissed. “I did everything right! I made sure of it! Hashirama-sama is here, so Tobirama-sensei should be here too!”
While Shimura was busy ranting, two of the white bushin quickly shoved control tags into the raised shinobi. (The last thing Zetsu wanted to deal with was a runaway resurrected Senju Hashirama. Although Shimura’s outrage was understandable. Why had only half of the targets been summoned back? Shimura had even failed to bring back the one Zetsu was the most interested in!)
“How dare you!” The Slug Princess snarled. “Desecrating my family’s memories this way! I’ll kill you for this, bastard!”
“Hm. I wonder if the Nidaime took steps to prevent anyone from raising him with this jutsu. As a failsafe against being controlled by enemies of Konoha. That would imply that he extended the same protections to the other failure.” Orochimaru hummed thoughtfully and tilted his head. “Our of curiosity, Shimura, who was the fourth you intended to summon?”
“Why would Sensei do anything to protect Uchiha Madara that he didn’t also apply to Hashirama-sama?” Shimura snarled, the cracks in his psyche readily becoming apparent. “All four of Konoha’s Founders should be here to help me take back Konoha!”
“Ha! This reminds me of the plot twist in my newest book!” Jiraiya snorted and pulled out a scroll. “The necromancer wanted to use the Hero’s zombie as a general in his undead army, only the spell didn’t work because the Hero had faked his death and was currently imprisoned in the seraglio of the Harpy Queen.”
“So what you’re suggesting.” Orochimaru looked delighted as Sakumo gave Jiraiya an odd look. “Is that the Edo Tensai failed because one of the fundamental requirements for success was not met. Such as the target needing to be deceased?”
There was a pause as everyone processed the implications of that.
“That asshole!” Tsunade pounded her fists together. “He ditched his paperwork on Sensei and got away with it! My Uncle’s a genius!”
“It wouldn’t work for you, Hime.” Jiraiya coughed to hide a grin. “You’d break your cover the second you hit up a bar.”
“Not to mention that theory is dependant on both Nidaime-sama and Uchiha Madara being alive.” Sakumo interjected mildly. “Alive nearly eighty years after being reported dead, at that.”
“That’s impossible.” For a walking corpse, Hashirama managed to produce a very evocative face of sad apology. “I killed Madara myself. He’s… he’s certainly dead. I mean, I did let Tobi take Madara’s body after, but… the Uchiha said it was okay! So, um…”
More silence, combined with a pervasive aura of disapproval mixed with mild horror and occasionally broken by the noise of clashing armies carrying over from the larger battlefield.
“… If anyone could have done it.” Tsunade announced grudgingly. “Uncle would have.”
“But Madara’s dead!” Came Hashirama’s distressed protest.
“With all due respect, Shodai-sama.” Sakumo pointed out candidly. “So are you.”
Shimura, who had been using their distraction with the conversation to activate and subsequently fail at the Edo Tensai a further three times, levelled a flat look at the Team that had run him out of Konoha. (War kept their shinobi sharp. Kept the Village strong. If the White Fang were a true Konoha ninja he would have shouldered the blame for the failed mission the way he was supposed to without whining about it. Instead Hatake had gotten the Sannin involved and somehow uncovered all of Danzo’s careful arrangements. Ungrateful short-sighted brats who had the gall to call Danzo a traitor! After everything he had done for the sake of Konoha that they were too selfish to acknowledge.)
“Hashirama-sama. Mito-sama. Kill them.” Danzo pointed to the Sannin, all emotion wiped from his face. As nice as it may have been to see Tobirama-sensei again, to show his teacher how well Danzo had taken his lessons to heart, it would seem that such was not to be. Nevertheless, Danzo had Hashirama-sama and Mito-sama and all the power that implied at hand. It was only half of what Danzo had wanted for this portion of his plan, but Danzo had contingency plans in place, given the likelihood of at least one of the sacrifices being destroyed before the summoning was complete.
As galling as the abject, inexplicable failure had been, it was not the end of his plans. (Of course Tobirama-sensei has taken steps to prevent himself from being summoned. Sensei never had enjoyed being told what to do. Of course Tobirama-sensei had also ensured that Konoha’s greatest enemy could never be turned on them again.)
“I’m sorry about this, Tsuna-chan.” The Shodai apologized as wooden limbs crashed down. “We don’t really have a choice.”
“Please destroy these false bodies quickly, children.” Mito added, chains rattling to life around her. “Before we slay you.”
Seals lit up, so heavily saturated with chakra that they glowed in the visual spectrum, centered on the coffins meant to release Senju Tobirama and Uchiha Madara. Jiraiya leaned over, peering at the forming lines from atop his battle toad with a suspicious frown.
“That’s… Hiraishin? But not…” The battle fog drained enough for what he was seeing to actually register. Then that information combined with his earlier joking speculation and the idea of what a man Tsunade said was a lot like Orochimaru could do with over fifty years of undisturbed research time. Jiraiya screeched without shame. “Get back get back get back!”
Given that Jiraiya was Konoha’s foremost Seal Master, the Konoha shinobi in the area removed themselves from the danger zone double-time. The invading ninja faltered, surprised by the abrupt retreat just long enough for the Elder Council to finally arrive on the scene to confront Shimura Danzo. The Council landed at the Yondaime Hokage’s side just as the last line in the forming seal closed.
Three seconds after Jiraiya screamed for a retreat, the discarded coffins exploded.
“… A delayed reaction?” Danzo frowned. Edo Tensei did not work like that. It was an all or nothing technique. If, however, the repeated attempts had somehow overloaded whichever fail-safes Tobirama had put in place before his death, then…
“Oh look. It’s Hashirama, attacking Konoha.” Vaguely amused and entirely unsurprised, Uchiha Madara tilted a sideways look at his companion. “I do wonder how that came to be.”
“I really should have done a better job of cleaning out my labs before I left.” Frowning, Senju Tobirama folded his arms and glared at the surrounding ninja. “Well then, what do you want? Someone here Invoked us by name.”
“Invoked is rudely.” Madara muttered, hands on his hips as he joined Tobirama in staring down the gathered shinobi forces in stern disapproval. “No adherence to proper conduct at all.”
Hashirama, who had spent the greater part of his adult life married to an exceedingly Proper Lady, flinched. An involuntary reflexive response to tone and word choice that gave Sakumo the chance he needed to disengage and rejoin Orochimaru behind the temporary safety of a barrier seal.
The Council of Elders just stared.
“… Sensei?” Kagami managed at last. “And… and Shisou? What…”
“Looking good, Sensei.” Torifu gestured expansively to indicate the entirety of the new arrivals. “You too, Madara-sama. You look healthy.”
“Thank you, Torifu.” Tobirama inclined his head to his former students. “Excuse me a moment.”
A flash of white light. Hashirama squeaked, and Mito gasped. A flash of white light. Tobirama reappeared by Madara’s side. Hashirama and Mito stumbled back, once again in control of their own actions. “There, that’s done.”
“Look at their eyes.” Absolutely enthralled, Orochimaru was straining forward, not quite excited enough to forget his caution. (Yet. The battle was still young and Senju Tobirama was right there.) “The Edo Tensai leaves the summoned with black eyes, but they… their eyes are normal.”
“I knew it!” Tsunade crowed in victory, shaking her fist. “You did fake it! Uncle, that was cruel! We thought you were dead all this time!”
“What? Tobi!” Hashirama looked appalled. “How could you… is that Madara? Tobi why are you with Madara? How are you with Madara? And why are you dressed like that?”
“I don’t need to explain myself to you, Anija. You’re dead.” Tobirama glowered, dressed in white tiger fur and blue silks. Although far less ornate than the flowing layers of red and gold Madara was wearing, the expensive fabrics and indigo scaled armour was several degrees of magnitude more decorative than anything Tobirama had consented to wear in the past. “Which reminds me that I still need to deal with the upstart who summoned you.”
“Control seals are nasty things aren’t they, Hashirama? Almost enough to drive you mad, being forced to turn on your home against your will.” Ignoring the gaping zombie, Madara turned a flat look towards Danzo. “That one. I remember that… creature he has with him. It’s the thing that imprisoned me before my death.”
Lip curling in a snarl, Tobirama looked Danzo over. “I’m disappointed in you, Shimura. It took nearly a decade of isolation and torment on top of a puppet seal to set Madara on Konoha, but you… you’ve chosen this.”
Paling, Danzo took a step back. “… no.”
“It would seem.” Tobirama continued, relentless as the tide. “That I have one final lesson to impart on you.”
A glance at Madara, paired with a quick smile, and then Tobirama crashed down on Danzo like a tsunami made flesh.
“… Shisou? Are you…” Kagami faltered when Madara turned to face him, but managed to press on a moment later. “Did Sensei really, um… we were told you died?”
“Kagami. You’ve aged well.” A wry smile, drawing attention to Madara’s youthful countenance, and Madara looked over his former apprentice with warm approval. “Your concern for my mortal remains is appreciated, if overdue, and unwarranted. Nothing ungodly, nor unnatural, had any part in Tobirama and I escaping our deaths.”
“Oh.” Kagami sighed in relief and grinned. “That’s good to hear. I never had the courage to ask Sensei what had happened when I was a child.”
“Nidaime-sama looks…” Sakumo coughed to cover the vengeful cackle that wanted to escape as Shimura was beaten into the ground without mercy. “Ah, he looks rather displeased.”
“My husband does not take disappointment well.” Was Madara’s dry agreement. “Between the personal betrayal, the broken oaths, and the blatantly disrespectful Invocation, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tobirama eats him.”
Hashirama sputtered. “What?”
“What?” Madara scowled at the flailing revenant. “I married him more than fifty years ago, Hashirama. It’s a little late to be taking offense now!”
“Not that! Congratulations by the way, it’s about time! I meant the other thing!” Hashirama pulled at his own hair in frustration. “Tobi doesn’t eat people! If you’re married to him now why’re you still spreading mean lies about my little brother?”
A beat. Two. Madara’s eyes slid away from Hashirama. “Oh look, the plant creature is trying to escape.”
“Madara!” Hashirama’s jaw dropped. Some of the listening shinobi went green.
“I had better go set it on fire. For the good of the world.” Leaping into the air to avoid Hashirama’s lunge with the ease of someone used to dodging the man’s ballistic hugs, Madara unfurled massive black wings, peacock eyes of red-white-gold catching the light.
“Why the hell do you have wings?” The distraught howl rose over the battlefield as Hashirama took off after Madara. “Get back here, Madara! And for that matter why are you younger than Tsuna-chan?”
“Oops.” Completely deadpan, even as he sat on the shoulder pauldron of a giant made of bones and black flame. A giant that dug up a screaming plant-thing and crunched it to pulp between fanged teeth.
“’Oops’ is for when you spill ink, Madara!” Hashirama shouted indignantly. Madara sniffed haughtily and pulled another white plant-thing out of the ground using his bone giant. Without breaking eye contact with Hashirama, another squealing jubokko shoved into Susanoo’s maw, Madara smirked at Hashirama’s frustration. “And you. What do you think you’re doing?”
Heavily battered Danzo in one hand and a storage scroll in the other, Tobirama paused. “Hn.”
“No.” Pulling on every ounce of authority he had ever possessed in life, Hashirama pointed at Tobirama. “No, Tobi. You cannot ‘save him for later’! Senju Tobirama you put that scroll down!”
“It is a sad day.” Jiraiya said as an aside to a boggling Tsunade. “When the Uchiha is less of a creepy asshole than the Senju.”
/…/
Forgotten in the scrum, the visiting Kage and their guards watched with blank faces as the Konoha-nin cheerfully ripped the invading forces apart. A zombie Shodai Hokage chased the ghost of the Nidaime Hokage around, screaming some very disturbing things about it not being proper to eat the flesh of his fallen enemies. A red-eyed demon watched the show with a faintly bemused expression from the shoulder of a monstrous oni.
“I wonder if he’s actually intending to eat Shimura.” The Kazekage mused. “Someone that old doesn’t seem all that appetizing, to me.”
The visiting ninja were thus reminded that Sand and the Leaf were allies. Allies on good terms even. There was a subtle shifting as the Suna-nin were given a bit more room.
Rasa and the nearly-feral jinchuriki that was his youngest child wore the exact same half-puzzled look when they noticed the shuffling. “What?”
/…/
Invasion successfully repelled. Traitor successfully arrested and packed off to T&I. Tsunade turned to her great-uncle and crossed her arms. “So you faked your death.”
“No.” Tobirama disagreed mildly. “I did not.”
“You did something!” Hashirama squinted suspiciously at his little brother. “What did you do, Tobi?”
“No, Tobirama.” Madara brushed off his robes as he landed and eyed his husband warningly. “Not unless he takes the natural path.”
“… Very well. You are correct.” Tobirama seemed to droop, just a little, and gave his elder brother a regretful look. “I’m sorry, Anija, but you aren’t part of this world anymore. And until you are, I can’t give you any answers.”
“Touka-chan owes me a basket of peaches.” Mito mused impishly, laying a quelling hand on Hashirama’s arm before smiling gently at Tobirama. “Do what needs must be done, brother-in-law.”
“Goodbye.” Tobirama activated the banishing seal designed to interrupt the Edo Tensai. Mito and Hashirama crumbled away to dust, and some of the watching shinobi made soft noises of sorrow.
“Time for us to go.” Madara spoke quietly after a moment, for once respectful of the sombre mood.
“If you need us again… Invoke our names.” Tobirama looked at his former students, those who had managed to stay true, and smiled.
“Just remember to lay in the proper offerings if you do!” Tossing back dark hair, Madara rolled his eyes. “Honestly, it’s like no one knows how to properly honour a god anymore.”
“Did they ever?” Tobirama asked in turn, tone wry and fond as he offered Madara his arm.
“Hmph.” Madara stepped up to Tobirama’s side. “Take us home, you insufferable Senju.”
“Yes, dear.” A flash of white light, and they were gone once again.
In the ringing silence their departure left behind, Kagami stared beatifically into the distance, eyes glazed and smile edging on deranged. “… Shishou and Sensei became gods.”
“… Well.” Hiruzen agreed faintly. “I… suppose we should have expected as much?”
Tobirama’s students all nodded, projecting an air of stunned calm as the other Konoha shinobi exchanged looks that ranged from disbelieving to ecstatic.
Yes. They really should have been expecting this.
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