Woooo. It's been a long time! I'm so sorry it took so long! This was a hard chapter to write and I just wanted to get to the next part of the story and ahhh I'm sorry! Anyway, I am just posting this quickly because I'm about to go away for a few days, so if there are any grammatical mistakes I will fix them when I get back!

I hope you like this chapter because it was a real labour (of love but labour for sure!)

Part Six: The Fourth Hokage II

Chapter 20

Above ground in Konoha, as day turned to night the lanterns lit the streets casting a warm glow as people made their way to-and-fro, chattering and laughing together. The civilian population was instinctually aware of the strange atmosphere in the village, but they could only understand up to the point that something was happening, but none of them knew what it was. There was no outward sign of anything suspicious, but living in a shinobi village enabled a sixth sense of sorts and although there was a tremor of concern, it didn't extend deep since the shinobi didn't seem to be agitated to the point of concern for them.

The off-duty shinobi who roamed the village kept alert and listening for whispers of what had happened, while keeping an eye on the increase of ANBU security throughout the village. Many subtly ensured they were prepared in case they were called into action for whatever the Hokage was preparing for. Minato Namikaze was young to be sure, but he had earned the respect and fear of his fellow shinobi. His age mattered little when they were reminded of just how far above them he stood. Though some were harder to convince than others, the shinobi of the Leaf would have faith in their young leader until it was broken.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was not blind to the atmosphere. He sucked on his pipe as he sat in quiet thought in his home, wondering if he should be concerned that he hadn't been involved in whatever it was that Minato had put into place. When night had truly fallen, he was both surprised and unsurprised when an ANBU agent appeared before him and summoned him to Torture and Interrogation.

Elsewhere in the village, Kushina Uzumaki shivered with a sudden chill as she stirred the pot of food on the kitchen stove. She knew it was unlikely her husband would come home, he'd warned her as much, but if he did, she wanted him to have something to nourish him. A little wrinkle creased her brow as she frowned, she could feel the Nine-Tails becoming restless again. She knew that even if she asked, Kurama wouldn't tell her anything. Still, she had made some small progress with him after the revelations that in the past of Obito, Kakashi and Rin, he was extracted from her. At the very least, they were both in agreement that it would definitely not happen again. The consequences for both of them were greater than the cons of their current situation. But Kushina was worried because as much as Kurama hated her, he hated and feared Ryuu Uchiha more, and if the Nine-tails was afraid it was cause for alarm.

In the Uchiha District, Mikoto watched Itachi furrow his brow in concentration as he practiced twirling three of his kunai in his fingers, a trick he'd learned without her knowing how or when. He was such a bright child, more serious than others, but he still smiled. She knew that it was the influence of Obito and Kakashi, who had forced the quiet and shy Itachi to socialize. If he didn't have them, if they hadn't introduced him to Shisui, Itachi would have been so much more isolated. Mikoto had seen what isolation did to children like Itachi, and she was always grateful to those boys for helping him.

She gave her son a soft smile and placed a hand on her lower stomach. It wasn't quite time yet, it was a little early to be certain, but Mikoto was sure that soon Itachi was going to be an older brother. With role models like Obito and Kakashi, she knew that he'd take to the role. But in the back of her mind, Mikoto was worried about Ryuu Uchiha's plans for her son and for the village. She was glad that the Fourth trusted and relied on Fugaku, but with him being away from home so often and that she would likely be indisposed soon, Itachi's safety worried her, and what did it all mean if she would have another child. Would that child be involved to? The Uchiha couldn't quite seem to shake off its past demons.

Unaware of his wife's dilemma and deep underground in the chambers of the Torture and Interrogation department, Fugaku stood with Hizashi Hyuga and listened to the request of the Hokage with a barely controlled temper. Though there had always been a little tension between the Hyuga and the Uchiha from old grievances, Fugaku sensed the anger rising in Hizashi. One thing he knew they could both unite on was that the theft of either clans dojutsu was cause for war. If one of their clans was targeted, then the other would surely be on time.

"I hope you are prepared for the consequences should Danzo find a way to maneuver himself out of this," Hizashi said seriously. "That man is capable of anything."

"So it seems," Fugaku said tightly.

Minato didn't respond to them, he merely informed them that Fugaku would appear to be the only examinee of the eye, whilst Hizashi used his Byakugan where Danzo could not see him in an attempt to determine if he used seals or something else to distort Fugaku's vision.

Inoichi and Shikaku entered the office of the Head of T&I with the results of the Cypher Divisions examination of the evidence Kakashi and the other ANBU teams had collected hours earlier.

"Whether or not he has a Sharingan eye behind those bandages, Danzo Shimura is finished," Shikaku said darkly. "His ties to Orochimaru's inhumane experiments are indisputable. They found messages in his script with his seal, orders and more."

Minato's expression hardened.

"Over the course of the war he provided Orochimaru with orphaned babies and children and the First Hokage's DNA, trying to create another wood-style user," Inoichi explained coldly and with disgust.

The shock and disgust between the clan leaders was palpable. Minato breathed deeply, satisfied but unhappy at the mounting evidence against a man who had served the village for many, many years.

"Fugaku, Hizashi, let's begin."

Kakashi greeted the Third Hokage at the doorway leading down the stairs to where Danzo was being held.

"Ah, Kakashi. Are you to be my escort?" Lord Third asked pleasantly.

Kakashi inclined his head respectfully.

"And I'm here to inform you of today's events," he replied blandly.

The Third looked at him with serious interest and waiting. Kakashi stepped aside and allowed him to enter. They walked together leisurely as if taking a stroll through the park.

"Both Orochimaru and Councilman Shimura have been arrested for treason."

The Third paused a moment but did not show much more of a reaction, and then continued walking as if they were strolling through the village on a pleasant spring day.

"For these events not to have reached the rest of the council is impressive," he Third murmured after a moment.

"Access to the building has been denied to anyone not involved in the S-ranked missions. As you might imagine, Councillors Homura and Kohara are very displeased at being kept out of the loop by the Hokage," Kakashi replied. "The sensitive nature of this mission meant that many were left out of the planning." He gave the Third a sidelong glance. "Councilman Shimura is currently being examined on suspicion of dojutsu theft."

He saw the Third's jaw clench, but he remained silent.

"Ayame Uchiha has also been detained for launching an attack on Danzo and the ANBU Root division," Kakashi informed him.

"And what of Orochimaru?" The Third questioned, sounding far calmer and unaffected than Kakashi knew he was.

"He's also detained, but at the moment we are unable to access him for reasons I'm not at liberty to reveal, my apologies, Lord Third."

The Third nodded but Kakashi could see the tightness in his eyes and knew that he was displeased and running through all the consequences these drastic actions the new and young Fourth Hokage had taken, and he didn't envy anyone to ever be named to the seat.

"So where are you taking me now?"

"The Hokage wishes to speak with you, but Ayame Uchiha has requested to speak with you first."

"Very well," he said with resignation. "I suppose it's time for things to be said."

Kakashi remained silent as he guided the Third through the dim hallways and towards Ayame's current cell.

Ayame rolled her head to the side look at the door as she heard it being opened. She was laying on the cot and growing very bored with her forced captivity. She saw the familiar figure of her old sensei, and heard Kakashi's low murmur as he closed the door. The silence echoed off the walls, and she could feel the turmoil rolling off him and with a heavy sigh sat up and looked at him.

"If you're really that shocked then I underestimated your propensity for stupidity, Sarutobi-sensei," Ayame drawled. "And don't look at me like that. I told you this day would come and it's your own blindness that led to it."

"You have always been so sure of yourself, Ayame. You might forgive an old man for second-guessing what was right when victory was the only thing that ensured our survival," he responded.

"Always the diplomat. You only wanted victory, even at the cost of true innocents," she said with a cutting smile. He didn't give any outward reaction, but she saw the flash of regret in his eyes and her smile became sharper. "Are you angry with me, Sarutobi-sensei? You can be honest, I can take it."

He shuffled slowly forwards and sat heavily beside her. She shifted slightly to make room for him. He stayed there quiet for a moment, thoughtful and she waited.

"You don't see me as someone you can trust, do you?" He asked her.

Ayame stared ahead.

"That's not entirely true," she replied. "Now that you're retired, I trust you more."

"But I was not worthy of your trust as Hokage," he stated.

"No," she said without hesitation. "You were not. You let yourself be too influenced by others, I didn't trust you to do what was necessary even when it was hard."

He paused.

"You speak of Danzo."

"Of course I do," Ayame spat. "You're not the only one whose friendships were forged in war and bloodshed, but you couldn't rise above individual loyalties to stop the damage he was doing. Your blindness forced me into situations I should never have had to be part of," she said bitterly.

There was a troubled look on his face.

"I have never asked you more than you were willing to do, Ayame," he said. "Whatever other actions you took were your own."

Ayame laughed, but it was mirthless.

"I suppose you would think that, but nothing I've done in my life has been by choice. The only thing I ever wanted was taken away from me before I could even voice my desire for it."

"You would have made a good Hokage," he said, giving her a soft smile.

She gave him a look, her eye narrowed. She didn't like that he had figured that out, that silent dream she'd had as a child.

"Have you really not figured out my mission? Why I was given it?" She paused, not replying to his comment. "Have you really not figured out the truth about my mother?"

"You give me too much credit," he said wryly.

Ayame rolled her eyes.

"You're called the Professor for a reason, sensei. If you haven't thought of a few theories, I'd be sorely disappointed."

He gave a low chuckle and she waited, staring at the wrinkles on his face.

"I know your mother was more than she appeared," he said after a moment. "It was clear there was a great secret being protected by the founders and by the Nara."

Ayame smirked.

"Theories, sensei?" She questioned him, knowing that her lack of denial was understood and was an encouragement for him to continue.

He shook his head.

"Do not play games with me, Aya," he said sharply. "I am tired and today's events are enough upheaval for me. The Hokage has summoned me."

Ayame let out a little sigh and decided to give him a little nudge in the direction of the truth and see what he'd make of it.

"Minato was always going to be the Fourth Hokage, and he was always going to be the one who I trusted because Sakura Haruno told me that you wouldn't be able to separate your ties with Danzo before it was too late," she said just as sharply.

He turned to her, catching the use of her mother's true surname and stared at her for a moment. She saw the calculation in his eyes, all the years of little clues coming together.

"I would imagine your more outlandish theories hit closer to the mark than you realize," she said wryly, looking away. "Come find me when you want to know the truth. Minato might tell you something, but if he doesn't, don't be offended, it's probably out of respect for me and my mother and his little team who are also involved in all this and always have been."

Knowing she was finished from the tone in her voice, the Third stood and walked to the door, pausing there before opening it.

"Ayame. If you ask it of me, I will be your ally against your brother."

She blinked in surprise and stared as he gave her a sad smile.

"I must take responsibility for my role in all of this. I might not know the reasons for Ryuu's betrayal, but I saw his decline and did nothing, just as I closed my eyes to Danzo."

Ayame twisted her lips.

"You won't survive the encounter."

He gave her a long look.

"Neither will you."

She watched him turn and close the door before she smiled, closed her eyes and leaned back on the wall again.

Danzo was secured in the center of a large domed room, completely restrained in his chair by chakra seals, and secured to the ground with chains. The chains were added after the confirmation of Danzo and Orochimaru's partnership, and the ANBU lining the walls were all on high alert for anything and everything.

Minato had been informed that the Third was meeting with Ayame, Kakashi would be along with him soon enough, and it was time for Fugaku and Hizashi to investigate the eye. Hizashi activated his Byakugan and peered into the room, studying Danzo. He gave a heavy sigh and clenched his jaw, giving Minato an imperceptible nod. Minato pursed his lips. He saw the tension in Fugaku's shoulders.

"Ayame is many things, but she wouldn't accuse someone of dojutsu theft without proof," Fugaku said gruffly, visibly upset. He looked at Minato. "If you - I can't go in there or I'll kill him."

"You would be within your rights as clan leader," Hizashi growled. "My brother would never let this kind of disrespect pass without severe judgment."

Minato gave them both troubled looks and just as he was about to speak, Kakashi opened the door and was followed inside by the Third Hokage. Both Fugaku and Hizashi looked at the Third with barely disguised suspicion, and he looked back at them evenly, not showing any emotion.

Minato met his eyes, and a moment later, the Third looked through the glass to Danzo. Kakashi closed the door quietly and stood beside it. The Third greeted them all and Minato presented the evidence against Danzo to him. The Third listened, his face growing pale, and Minato looked on him with some pity but was filled with mixed feelings about the courses of action the man had taken or not taken.

"Will you allow me to speak with him?" The Third requested.

Minato gave a nod, and the Third entered the chamber, while they all stood by the window and watched the interaction silently.

Danzo's eye moved to the door as it opened and his face twisted with a scowl.

"So you came," he murmured.

Lord Third was quiet for a moment.

"What sorry old men we've become," he said.

Danzo closed his eye and gave a low chuckle.

"It must be nice to walk free with such a heavy conscious," he said spitefully.

"Is it true?" Hiruzen questioned. "Your eye."

Danzo didn't answer.

"I am sorry, old friend."

Fugaku gave a low scoff and folded his arms over his chest at the sound of regret in the Third's voice.

Danzo opened his eyes and narrowed his gaze at Hiruzen.

"We will see how sorry you'll be when this foolish child of a Hokage finds himself in a situation where he needs what only I have been able to provide this village, who will he turn to? The Uchiha? Their Princess?" Danzo scoffed and Minato's face turned hard. "She's more of a threat to the village than anyone outside it."

"Ayame Uchiha is the most loyal Leaf ninja we have ever produced," Hiruzen answered, his voice turning hard. "You have always been against her for reasons I do not understand. If you cannot see that she is not like her brother, then you have never truly seen her."

"I have seen more of her than anyone else," Danzo hissed.

"And how would you have done that?" Hiruzen asked, his voice light but tone suspicious. "She has spent more time dark in ANBU and away from the village more than she has in it, in both times of war and peace."

Fugaku folded his arms over his chest and Hizashi looked at Minato, who stared resolutely at Danzo who once again closed his lips and refused to speak. Suspicions continued to mount against the man, and surely he understood that. Hiruzen turned to leave but paused when Danzo spoke again.

"Are you sure you want to allow this naive Hokage to proceed with this farce of interrogation on me?" He questioned, almost mockingly. "You understand, don't you?"

Minato couldn't make out the expression of the Third's face, but he didn't respond and entered the room where Minato and the others stood and looked at them with a blank expression before he gave Minato a long and resigned look.

"I fear I have left you a heavy burden," he murmured, looking down a moment before meeting Minato's gaze again. "Do what you feel you must, as is your right as Hokage."

Hizashi turned to Minato when the Third left, and Minato saw Kakashi hanging back looking at Danzo through the mirror with a coolness in his expression. There was a tightness in his eyes, and Minato wondered what kind of history Kakashi had with the man specifically because there were things that he knew Kakashi hadn't and wouldn't share.

"So what will you do?" Hizashi asked solemnly.

Minato turned his attention from Kakashi back to Danzo Shimura, his shoulders and chest feeling burdened, and set his mouth in a firm line.

That, he thought, was a good question.

Obito woke groggily to the whispered voices of the nurses around him. Their voices were incoherent and quick, speaking in hushed tones. He could feel an ache from his arm, and fatigue through his body. The voices slowly started making sense and he heard a few words that took a moment to sink in.

It was gossip about Danzo. The voices faded and he heard the click of the door to his room and he took a deep breath, filling his lungs completely before letting it go and slowly blinking his eyes until he grew used to the light in the room.

An unusually soft but familiar voice roused him into complete consciousness.

"Finally awake, are you?"

Obito looked towards the corner of the room and saw Ayame standing there, arms folded, leaning across the wall, looking out the window. He glanced around, but neither Rin or Kakashi or Minato-sensei were there.

"I sent the kiddies home to rest. They've been here for days," Ayame said as if knowing what he was thinking.

Obito swallowed, his mouth feeling thick and dehydrated. He glanced around and saw a glass of water beside his bed. Ayame made no move to help him sit without struggling, she just continued to stare out the window. It stung a little that Kakashi and Rin weren't there, but he could understand the reason why.

"How long?" He asked, his voice croaky.

"Five days," Ayame replied. "It was a nasty poison, and Tsuna wanted to keep you under to heal without interruption. Minato wasn't too happy with that."

Obito wiped his eyes.

"I need to go to Minato-sensei," he murmured.

Ayame turned her head to stare at him, and Obito paused, seeing the look in her eyes.

"What is it?"

"Last night Danzo escaped with help from his sleeper ROOT agents."

Obito froze.

"A lot of evidence came to light during his time in Interrogation," she said with a cruel smile. "There's going to be an overhaul of the Hokage council. Those old bats will be stripped of their positions for their deceptions to both Lord Third and the Fourth. It's been an interesting few days."

"But he's escaped."

Ayame nodded.

"Don't worry, he'll be found - eventually. He's signed his own death warrant."

Her voice held a certainty to it and her eyes were cold enough to make Obito shiver. He took another drink of water and breathed deeply, taking in the information. He glanced at Ayame, who had returned to staring out the window and couldn't work out what kind of mood she seemed to be in. She was thoughtful, but there was a coldness to her words and a cruelness in her eyes. She was unhappy about something but excited at the same time. Obito clenched his jaw.

"I guess they need me as soon as possible, right?"

He rubbed his arm and berated himself for allowing himself to be injured like he was.

"Get dressed. You don't have time to sit around, Obito. It's been decided that Tsunade is going to retrieve Orochimaru with you. She's about the only one who'll be able to do it without dying, so get up and go to Minato. I've got something to do."

"What will you do?" He asked, feeling an odd sense of foreboding from her words.

Ayame only smiled at him, lifted her fingers and disappeared.

Obito's retrieval of Orochimaru added days to his stay in the hospital. Without Tsunade there to restrain her ex-teammate once Obito brought him to the physical world, he was sure that things would've gone badly - he wasn't in good enough condition to handle the snake on his own and no one wanted Minato involved more than he had to be, as much as Minato hated watching others do the work for him. In the unlikely event Tsunade failed, the oddly distracted Ayame was there as back-up. Orochimaru was furious and destroyed part of the T&I lower section, and injured a few ANBU agents before he was eventually shackled by chakra restraints.

Kakashi, Obito, and Minato all noticed the look in Orochimaru's eyes whenever Obito was around or mentioned. Kakashi knew it was the way that the snake used to look at Itachi, with lustful and gleeful greed. Minato had never seen that side of the man he had always admired before, but now since his sins were in the open, Orochimaru didn't bother to hide it. It was unsettling to them all, particularly Obito who know knew he was going to have to watch his back more carefully now that a snake had his twisted mind on his eyes.

Even more shocking to the village than the betrayal of Orochimaru was the news about Danzo Shimura. He had been a stalwart pillar in the community and many couldn't believe it, until the news of his escape and subtle spread of information about his involvements with Orochimaru's experiments. People slowly began to come forward with their own admissions about his underhand dealings with them or their families in the past.

Homura and Koharu were beyond furious at what had occurred without them being informed of anything. It took some time before they were calm, and Minato was thoroughly surprised at what the pair decided to do. Danzo's interrogation had revealed that Homura and Koharu, and even the Third, had some knowledge or at least some suspicions of what he was doing. Instead of distancing themselves from it, they took on that burden themselves, taking any blame from Lord Third, to ensure the village wouldn't lose faith in its leadership. The Hokage couldn't be tainted, and councilors could be easily replaced. They spoke to the clan leaders with their heads held high and dignity intact, and everyone in the room knew what they were sacrificing for the village. Despite their own feelings towards what had been done, the leaders of the clans felt respect for the two who they had to admit had always acted in the service of the village. Despite that, they became quickly hated by the villages who spread rumours and were not aware of the truth, and to ride out the storm retreated into a short exile, telling Minato that they would respond to his call should he need them.

Ayame had watched everything unfold with mixed feelings. As glad as she was that the old bats were all gone from the council, she felt sorrow for the Third, who had never looked more tired, and as pleased as she was that Danzo and Orochimaru had been exposed, she was equally angered by Danzo's escape from the justice he deserved. She was sure that wherever he was, Ryuu had enjoyed the spectacle of the last week, and if Ayame knew Danzo, she knew that she and her brother were on his list of things to take care of, and she could hardly wait for the day he came for her.

The village only needed to wait a few days longer for Jiraiya's return before anyone who still didn't believe in Danzo Shimura's deceit finally had to admit they were wrong.

Minato looked up in surprise when the door to his office burst open and an unusually harried looking Kakashi appeared.

"Is it true?" He asked, breathless. "About Jiraiya?"

Minato put down his pen and sat back in his chair, taking in Kakashi's appearance. He was struck by the frantic hope in his usually apathetic eyes. Minato didn't need to ask what he meant and he didn't need to hide anything from Kakashi in any case.

"Jiraiya returned last night with a male child from a hidden laboratory."

Kakashi tensed.

"Is he…alive?"

Minato, curious about his reactions, nodded.

"He's being monitored at the hospital by Tsunade herself," he said. "Is this something you know about?"

Kakashi swallowed and his eyes drifted away for a moment in thought.

"Perhaps," he replied. "If he's… if it's him I - " Kakashi cut off, oddly emotional.

"He was important to you?" Minato asked gently.

Kakashi nodded and Minato glanced at his paperwork before smiling and standing.

"Shall we go together?" He suggested.

"Thanks, sensei," Kakashi said quietly.

There were only a few and far between moments when Kakashi let his guard fall. Minato still found it difficult to reconcile Kakashi's adult mind with his young body and looking at his worried and hopeful eyes and fidgeting fingers, he truly appeared to be the young teen he looked to the world. On the short walk to the hospital, Minato kept a steady flow of conversation with him though Kakashi barely responded, seeming too distracted.

They both froze at the same time, feeling the same sense of danger, and then they felt the spike of chakra. Minato placed his hand on Kakashi's shoulder and transported them to the roof of the hospital.

"It's Danzo," Kakashi said. "It has to be."

Minato pressed his lips tightly and nodded. He could sense the chakra of the disgraced councilman. Kakashi looked panicked, and Minato kept a tight hold of his shoulder to stop him rushing off. Wordlessly he warned Kakashi of the more immediate threat: they were surrounded.

He felt Kakashi tense in anger and let go of his students' shoulder, only managed to appear calm. Inside, Minato was seething with anger.

"I suggest you consider what you're doing," he said aloud, his voice hard. "You are shinobi of the Leaf and I am your Hokage."

Neither Minato nor Kakashi moved when the ROOT agents closed in on them, stepping forwards so they were more clearly seen.

"We serve Lord Danzo," came the robotic reply.

Minato narrowed his eyes, debating for a moment on capture versus kill. He glanced around at them all, knowing that he was standing on the roof of the hospital, a place he was loath to fight at considering the people inside. He needed this to end quickly.

"You shouldn't threaten Minato-sensei in front of me," Kakashi said, the sound of his Chidori cutting through the air, his anger palpable. "That was a mistake."

Minato's thoughts echoed Kakashi's words: they shouldn't have threatened his precious student. The pair of them moved, Kakashi straight ahead and Minato using his famed speed. There was no hesitation in either of their movements because as much as it caused Minato pain, Danzo was a traitor and this was an invasion of his village with the intent to harm those under his protection.

And Minato couldn't forgive that.

Red eyes glowed in the darkened room as trespassers and traitors descended. Ayame licked her lips in anticipation of the coming battle. She was hidden beneath the bed, holding the railings beneath to remain invisible even though she had already become the Purple Ghost.

The foolish children Danzo had brainwashed to do his bidding failed to secure the room completely; not one of the four bothered to check under the bed. Silent, slow, predatory, The Purple Ghost waited. She was not like other shinobi, whose heart raced during their missions, who mind whirled and imagined the outcomes. Her heart was slow and steady, her mind clear, eyes sharp. She could see the chakra of those in the room, she could hear them breathe, she was not going to die here.

Her spine tingled when she heard the soft but so familiar tap-tap of his staff as Danzo entered the room. She knew that he was only there himself because he needed to confirm the identity of the child Jiraiya had found in the test tube in one of Orochimaru's laboratories before he took the poor kid away, otherwise it would have been a faster mission.

The moment she heard the door softly click shut, she lowered herself to the floor, flexing her fingers to give them back some feeling after so long clutching the frame, before reaching for her prepared weapon. With her sharingan, she could see where all the shinobi in the room were. Four ROOT agents in each corner of the room with Danzo approaching the side of the bed. She had a split second to act before they noticed her.

She slammed the paper seal on the bed above her and activated it, creating a barrier seal around the boy and his bed. She heard Danzo's hiss and rolled from under the bed, flinging out her weapons and pushing herself up to standing at the same time, weaving to avoid the attacks coming at her and throwing her pre-prepared chakra infused shuriken at the small ink spot on the ceiling. The moment it hit, her secondary seal activated and they were all trapped inside the room. She was nothing if not prepared.

"You fool," Danzo growled, furious.

Ayame didn't have time to smile. She ducked immediately, missing the attack from his agents, and swiped up with her sword as she twisted around and felt the blade as it slashed through clothes and flesh and muscle and bone. She heard a gasp of pain and before the body had fallen to the floor and she had already moved to her next victim.

Danzo stood at the doorway behind his two remaining subordinates, glaring at her in a way that made Ayame grin. His agents were stoic and ready for attack, but she could sense the unease, the fear.

"I would have been so disappointed if you didn't come, Danzo. But you did, and it makes me so excited."

She licked her lips and he looked at her with disgust, his mask of indifference to her falling away to reveal the depth of his loathing. Ayame practically shivered with excitement at such a foe.

"This barrier will not hold me," Danzo said to her.

"I don't care," Ayame shrugged. "I like the chase, and traitors are the best prey."

"I have only ever acted on behalf of the village, you will never understand what I have done or why," Danzo said, his voice edging into frustration. "You're naive and foolish, like - "

"Like who?" Ayame challenged. "Everyone who isn't you?" She barked a laugh. "You think that only you can protect the village? You think that no one else walks the dark paths that are necessary, how arrogant you are."

Danzo hissed through his teeth and one of his subordinates attacked her. Ayame twisted her body, seeing Danzo begin to work on the seal behind him, and simultaneously pouring lightning chakra into her sword, so that when she flipped backward and dropped her sword midair, her foot connected with the hilt, sending it into the unsuspecting shinobi who'd attacked her at a speed to fast for him to dodge.

She landed on her feet in a crouch, the shinobi sprawled on the floor in front of her, dead from electrocution, and felt the first fatigue from the drain on her chakra. The final ROOT agent stepped forward to guard his master.

"You can't have your little experiment," Ayame bared her teeth at Danzo. "If you want him, try and kill me. But you don't have much time, Tsuna will be here any minute - "

That was when they all heard the sound of a thousand birds singing and felt the release of chakra from the Hokage.

Her grin widened and Danzo scowled.

"Kill her quickly."

The rage rolling off Tsunade Senju was enough to make the entire hospital shake more than the release of killing intent was causing its inhabitants to shudder and stop.

"Using my goddamn hospital as a battleground - "

Tsunade's voice was dangerously low and angry. Obito held Rin's hand tightly, keeping her against the wall and out of the way while Tsunade clenched her fists and contained herself, barking out orders for evacuations of the non-critical patients. Worry flooded him as he cast out his sensors and felt Ayame engaged in battle and felt the approach of both Minato-sensei and Kakashi. He was so focused on sensing what was happening in the flurry of movement within the hospital, he didn't notice Tsunade's approach.

"And what the hell are the two of you doing just standing there?"

Tsunade loomed threateningly over them.

"Waiting for orders," Rin answered, somewhere between meek and confident.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes and Obito looked back at her with a nod. He was ready and would have left already to get to Ayame if Rin hadn't been there.

"Shizune!" Tsunade called. The girl appeared by Tsunade's side, ready for orders. "Have Rin help you. Keep her from overextending herself."

"Yes, my Lady," Shizune nodded.

"But - "

Rin looked to Obito but cut off when she saw the renewed anger and impatience dawn on Tsunade's face. Obito gave her hand a squeeze and let her go with Shizune.

"You come with me." Tsunade gripped him by the collar and turned swiftly, dragging him along with her as she stalked down the halls. "You're basically fine, but you're going to go and get Ayame for me so I can kill her."

Obito wanted to argue, but the look in her eyes would have made even Kakashi back down. Tsunade let him go and they continued swiftly, everyone else stepping aside to let Tsunade through.

"That damned pervert," Tsunade muttered. "He knew that boy was going to draw out the traitor, I'll never forgive him for involving the hospital in this."

"I think Ayame put a barrier around the room," Obito told her.

Tsunade scoffed.

"Of course she did, the self-sacrificing moron," she responded grumpily.

"I can get in there," Obito told her.

Tsunade gave him a sideways glance.

"Why do you think I brought you with me? I'm surrounded by idiots."

Obito almost smiled.

Ayame could have very well killed the ROOT agents without leaving so much as a blood splatter on the wall. She just didn't. It might have been detrimental to fighting in an enclosed space, having blood pools on the floor, but she didn't care. She wanted Danzo to see the blood, she wanted him to step in it, to see if he would react in some way. He didn't, which was both disappointing and unsurprising. He merely eyed the blood and bodies with distaste.

Ayame stood by the window, her sword dripping blood to the ground, her eyes red. Danzo, now alone and without his bodyguards, stared back at her. She wanted to provoke him more, to make him rage and prove that she was always right about him.

"Didn't you ever wonder why my mother looked at you with such cold eyes?" She asked him, measuring his expression. "Sakura Uchiha, a hero of the village whose tragic family history endeared her even more, and you never understood why she never trusted you, someone she'd known since the village founding."

Danzo's lips turned downward and his eyes narrowed at her.

"You snap and snarl and provoke. I know your game, Princess. It won't work on me," Danzo responded easily.

Ayame bit at his own subtle provocation with enthusiasm and gave him a cruel smile.

"She told me you have always been weak and inferior, you've always been nothing beside Hiruzen Sarutobi."

That last comment hit Danzo where she had aimed, his ego was wounded and it made his entire being radiate anger and irritation. Whatever he was about to do or say was interrupted by the unwelcome release of a furious chakra from above them. Danzo cursed under his breath.

"Looks like little Minato is angry," Ayame hummed.

"So is Tsunade."

Ayame had seen Obito's arrival through her Sharingan a moment before he appeared and a moment before Danzo. Danzo used that moment to slam his hand against the barrier in another attempt to break it, and Ayame glanced at Obito, who met her eyes a moment. She glared at him, cursing his presence before lunging forwards with her sword to take off Danzo's head.

Danzo ducked and dodged her attack, swiping at her with a wind enhanced kunai.

"You seem a little panicked, Danzo" Obito commented as they exchanged blows.

Ayame almost threw a kunai at the kid in annoyance but she kept her focus on her opponent. She had seconds left and that was all. She could feel Minato working on the barrier. As the last blow to Danzo's twisted ego, she turned her head to make sure Obito couldn't hear or read her lips as she whispered to Danzo:

"Ryuu sends his regards."

There a split second of silence before he snarled at her.

"I knew it," he growled, backing away from both her and Obito.

Minato's work was finished without warning and the barrier fell, creating a moment's hesitation in the room. Ayame waited, appearing more patient than she was for Danzo to make up his mind: flee or fight. He didn't have much time since his opponent would be Minato Namikaze, someone even a man as arrogant as Danzo Shimura knew would be the end of him. Sometimes even Ayame wondered how long it would take Minato to kill her in a fight to the death.

With darting eyes and clear desperation, Danzo decided on flee. He made a break for the window and she could feel the surprise and suspicion from both Danzo and Obito as she stood still and let him go. Her suspicions that Obito was there for her and not Danzo were confirmed when he didn't make a move to go after the traitor. She could feel his eyes bore into her.

"What did you say to him?" Obito questioned. "You want to kill him, so why didn't you do it?"

Ayame's body shook as she fought against the temptation to hunt down Danzo and slaughter him. Kakashi and Minato appeared at the door, seeing them both inside the room. Tsunade's thunderous chakra was quickly approaching. Ayame refused to look at anyone for a moment as she stilled her body and prepared herself for what she was going to do next.

"Where is he?" Minato demanded, looking at the carnage in the room. Blood pooled on the floor, splattered on the walls, dripping down her sword, and four masked dead bodies without their master in sight.

Ayame nodded to the window but just as Kakashi and Minato moved forwards and were about to go after him, Ayame had her sword at Kakashi's throat, forcing Minato to stop and stare at her.

"What are you doing?" Obito jumped forwards.

"You have a choice to make, Hokage."

Kakashi stared at her calculatingly, reading that she wasn't truly a threat to him and stood without panic. Now that she had everyone's full attention she lowered her sword and stepped back.

"What choice?" Minato asked in a hard voice.

"I want to know that too," Tsunade said from the doorway, enraged.

Ayame sheathed her sword.

"You don't need to risk the lives of your shinobi to get rid of Danzo. Let him go and have the work done for you. It's already in motion."

She could feel Obito putting together the pieces of what she'd said and then look at her in horror.

"You didn't - "

Suddenly the world went back and she felt pulled and she was not standing in the hospital room any longer. She glanced around; she was in total darkness, and felt the multiple blocks on her chakra and the power of the seals in the room and immediately understood, anger flaring.

"MINATO!"

She screamed his name, angry that he had done this, angry that she hadn't seen it coming, angry that she hadn't been able to read his movements and evade him.

Over the intercom, his voice was firm and unrelenting.

"I told you what the consequences would be for acting independently."

Ayame hissed.

"You foolish brat!" She screeched. "Let me out of here!"

"Ayame Uchiha, you are being held under suspicion of treason and collusion with enemies of the Leaf Village. I wouldn't bother to try to find a way out of the room you're in, it was designed for you and sealed by me."

Ayame screamed in frustration, wanting to tear down the walls of her darkened prison and rip out the floor.

"I will kill you when I get out of here!" She threatened Minato. "You can't keep me in here! I have to be there to stop him!"

There was silence, and after a few moments, she realised that he'd left her there and now she was alone and imprisoned.

Her manic laughter echoed off the walls and she tried to absorb what had just happened and how the hell she could have miscalculated Minato's response.