In the dim, candlelit underground base.
When Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived with his personal ANBU guard, he saw a one-eyed old man standing alone in the empty base. Hiruzen's brow furrowed. He turned and ordered the ANBU behind him, "Wait here for me."
By the time Hiruzen reached the old man's side, he saw him staring thoughtfully at a map of the ninja world. Hiruzen broke the silence. "Danzo, the peace of the ninja world was hard-won. What are you scheming now?"
"The peace you believe in is nothing but a castle in the air..." Danzo Shimura turned, his gaze dark. Seeing the anger on Hiruzen's face, he said in a deep voice, "Monkey, did you come here to put me under house arrest again?"
"Last time you secretly incited Itachi Uchiha to destroy his clan, I didn't hold you accountable. I thought you could stay quietly in the village..." Hiruzen slammed a stack of mission folders onto the table in front of Danzo. "This time you dared to collude with your former subordinates and target the village's own ninja. Danzo, you have overstepped."
"..." Danzo Shimura looked up, staring at his old friend without denying the accusation. "I just wanted to test the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, to prevent a repeat of the Nine-Tails' rampage..."
"That is not your business."
"Monkey, have you taken any preventative measures at all?" Danzo slowly pulled a scroll from his robes and handed it to the Third Hokage. "A jonin, easily killed by the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki. Do you know what that means?"
"Release!"
Bloody corpses fell from the unrolled scroll onto the floor.
Danzo pointed at the bodies. "Look. Every one of these was a jonin, and every one was killed in a single blow... This is the 'all is well' that you believe in!"
Hiruzen looked at the wounds on the corpses. The ferocious aura of a Tailed Beast's chakra still lingered on them, and each body's face was frozen in terror. He was very familiar with the Nine-Tails' chakra; ever since Naruto was a child, Hiruzen had been checking the boy's seal to ensure it wouldn't leak.
Hiruzen's expression gradually turned to surprise. He snapped his head up. "When did this happen? Where is Team 7 now?"
"Their whereabouts cannot be determined." Danzo closed his eye and shook his head gently. "I originally wanted to send my people to protect the village's Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, in case they encountered danger..."
"Danzo!" Hiruzen interrupted him coldly. "There's no need for such lies between us. I know exactly what you're thinking!"
If you're going to lie, at least put some heart into it... How could this one-eyed old man possibly be so kind-hearted? Besides, even if he wanted to protect Naruto, it wasn't his place to interfere.
Hiruzen himself had designated Kakashi Hatake as the leader of Team 7 precisely because Kakashi was one of Konoha's top jonin, with more than enough strength to protect Naruto Uzumaki.
"My initial goal was not the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki..." Danzo nodded, his voice deep. "It's just that the location of Shisui's Kotoamatsukami Mangekyo Sharingan is unknown. I believed it might have fallen into Itachi Uchiha's hands, so I wanted to try and control Sasuke Uchiha to force Itachi to appear..."
Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent.
That reasoning was very much in line with Danzo.
The loss of the Kotoamatsukami had made even him lose sleep. Because of it, Hiruzen had recently considered having Itachi contact him to see if he could get any information.
However, ever since joining the Akatsuki, Itachi's movements had been unpredictable. Forget contacting him; even finding a trail was extremely difficult. The idea of that eye, which could change another's will, being in anyone's hands was unacceptable to Hiruzen.
"You've put me in a very difficult position!" The Third Hokage pondered for a moment, then shook his head with a sigh. "The unknown location of Shisui's Kotoamatsukami is indeed critical, but if Sasuke Uchiha is harmed, it would break my promise to Itachi... Moreover, your rash actions have violated my orders! After Root was disbanded, those men became ANBU, not your private army!"
"..."
"Monkey!" Danzo suddenly interrupted, his eye snapping open. "Everything I do is for Konoha... You wouldn't want to find yourself silently put under Kotoamatsukami's genjutsu one day, would you?"
Danzo took a step forward, watching his old friend's face change. "If Kotoamatsukami is really in Itachi's hands," he said grimly, "we can hardly be sure what he would do, given his mindset..."
"The Will of Fire in Itachi is stronger than in most people in this village!" Hiruzen retorted, glancing at Danzo. "You are not to interfere in this matter again. I will handle the rest! Recall those rogue ANBU to the village, and you are forbidden from having any contact with them!"
"Monkey, can you really handle it?" Danzo clenched his ninja sword, his voice low. "You are the leaves that bathe in the sunlight. I am the root hidden deep beneath the tree... If people find out the Hokage is still in league with a rogue ninja, it will surely cause dissatisfaction in the village... And as Hokage, you have always been soft-hearted. This weakness will surely be exploited by Itachi...
"He is the 'Itachi of the Sharingan' that makes the ninja world tremble in fear. The darkness he has seen may be even deeper than ours. Do you think an Itachi Uchiha, who could ruthlessly slaughter his entire clan at thirteen, would just hand over the Kotoamatsukami Mangekyo on your command?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent.
Danzo was right. No one who knew the power of Kotoamatsukami would ever hand it over. And if the one who possessed it was Itachi Uchiha—a man who had been an independent thinker since childhood with his own views on everything—he would never surrender it. The power of that Mangekyo was too terrifying.
Plus, that Mangekyo was Shisui's eye. Shisui and Itachi had been like brothers. He would absolutely not give it up easily.
If Hiruzen were to handle this himself, there would be too many complications. If he provoked Itachi into turning against him, the potential loss would be too great.
Hiruzen looked up at Danzo. If he let Danzo do these things, with proper handling, he could later order him to hand over Kotoamatsukami. If all went well, Danzo wouldn't have the guts to resist. If the operation failed, he could just deal with Danzo then and lock him up for good.
"I can order you to stop at any time," Hiruzen Sarutobi clenched his fist, ordering in a low voice. "I will temporarily suppress this matter. Your actions can only be directed at Sasuke Uchiha and Itachi... If you obtain the Kotoamatsukami Mangekyo, you will immediately bring the Uchiha brothers and that eye to me... If any mistakes occur, or if you have any thoughts you shouldn't have..."
"Monkey!" Danzo ignored the threat, his eye narrowing slightly. "Everything I do is for Konoha."
----
Bonus:
Danzo Shimura: What do you want?
Hiruzen Sarutobi: Kotoamatsukami, Itachi Uchiha, and Sasuke Uchiha must all be kept safe.
Danzo Shimura: That's a lot to ask. What do I get?
Hiruzen Sarutobi: I won't pursue your wrongdoings.
Danzo Shimura: So, I get nothing?
Hiruzen Sarutobi: Hmm? Didn't you say everything is for Konoha?
Danzo Shimura: Fine, I get it. But if I get Kotoamatsukami and control Itachi, can you let me be Hokage?
Hiruzen Sarutobi: You're still young...
Danzo Shimura: I'm almost seventy! By the time I'm seventy-one, or seventy-two, I'll probably be in the ground!
Hiruzen Sarutobi: You're still young. Now go get Kotoamatsukami for me.