'Where am I?' a man asked himself. He blinked and saw himself surrounded by a large number of people in all black, all wearing animal-themed masks on their faces.
The man began to panic internally, yet as soon as he did, he suddenly felt himself filled with memories that were not his own.
Memories that gave him a retrospective of two separate lives from the one that he had lived, with their own experiences and tribulations.
In one life, he lived as a shadow, a man who always fell short of his closest friend and could never achieve his life's dream. He aided his friend in the early days because he felt it was his responsibility, and upon seeing his friend's naivety, he decided to take matters into his own hands and do the darker deeds for their homeland so his friend wouldn't have to.
He persevered in the Darkness, becoming the man that his friend could depend on. He supported him from all the challenges that were ahead, both internal and external and led to an era of prosperity and peace for his Village.
However, the scars that the First War left on his mind, followed by the deaths of his true love while out on a mission, led to him growing far more extreme in his methods, to the point that his morality began to become darker and darker.
Rather than merely living in the Darkness to support his friend, he began to grow consumed by it. He stared into the abyss for far too long before it decided to stare back.
Eventually, he grew so paranoid that he felt that even his friend, whom he had supported for so long, was no longer fit to serve as the leader of their home. He was disillusioned that only he could properly lead to the prosperity of his homeland.
He no longer cared about the means of how much one had to sacrifice to achieve the goal of protecting his Village, as he had sacrificed everything he had to do so, making him believe that everyone else should as well.
This mindset changed him from the Root that accepted all of the Darkness so that others would not bear the pain he would, to the Root that craved desperately to become the light that his friend was so that he could lead his home towards the prosperous age he knew it could arrive.
Even at this point, he had not yet reached the absolute level of no return, yet many of his actions showed he was on his way there.
In another life, he lived as the light, as a person responsible for the lives of those he viewed as his children and who guided them toward becoming the best versions of themselves.
He was a parent, a leader, and a beacon to all of them. His children were the reason he swore to protect them no matter the cost, even sacrificing his own life to ensure their safety.
As the Guild Leader of the illustrious Fairy Tail, he believed that it was his job to lay down his life for everything that he believed in, and he demonstrated his will to do so on multiple occasions. He eventually ended up in a wheelchair due to his willingness to use a forbidden technique to protect everyone.
The man, finally regaining his bearings, spoke to his subordinates in a gruff yet decisive tone that echoed his age.
"Leave me."
The agents didn't hesitate to follow his orders, and they all left the room without a second thought.
The man stood up, walked to his nearby bathroom, and looked at himself in a mirror.
'So I've been reborn into the world of Naruto as Danzo? Why? What could make someone wish to put me into his body, and also give me access to Markarov's powers and abilities as well as knowledge of all Three Great Spells? Markarov only knew how to use one of them, not all three.' He questioned himself.
The man could feel his body changing, adapting rapidly as it strengthened itself until it was on the same level as Makarov Dreyar's, while his Chakra reserves were rapidly increasing to the point that he felt nearly invincible.
He then removed the bandages on his arm and eye, seeing that they were normal appendages rather than the Hashirama cells and Sharingan.
'So I'm Danzo now, huh?' The man, no, Danzo questioned himself.
'Based on my memories, Minato is still the Hokage. Wait! Today is October 9th. That means that Kushina will likely give birth tomorrow and that Obito will make his move on the Leaf. I can not allow that to happen. Perhaps that idea I saw on a forum once could be possible.' Danzo thought to himself before he wrapped his bandages back on his body.
"Light." Danzo muttered softly, with a small ball of light appearing in his hand as he headed to leave, though his thoughts were on the spell before him.
'So my magic can be used similarly, except that Chakra is used to fuel them rather than Ethernano. And with the increase in my Chakra Reserves, I feel that I could rival some Uzumaki based on my sheer amount of it. It seems Markarov's Ethernano was transformed into Chakra and given to me. He (He or I? Food for thought) truly deserved the rank of Wizard Saint.' Danzo thought as he left his room.
Danzo still used his cane even though he no longer needed it, as he felt that tricking weaker enemies into thinking he was a weak old man wasn't a bad idea.
"Follow me from a distance. I'm heading to the Hokage's Office." Danzo said after leaving his room. Even though no one responded, he knew they would accept his command.
'Looks like Danzo hasn't begun turning all his soldiers into emotionless puppets yet. Though they are still trained to a level akin to it, he hasn't started the practice of making them kill the people they grew up with. I'm glad to know I took over his body before he became the Hitler of the Leaf.' He thought.
Leaving the ROOT base, Danzo began moving through his secret tunnels until he arrived near an ANBU base in the Village. He came from behind a wall as he headed out.
None of the ANBU Shinobi present even looked his way, which Danzo felt had to be due to his charm being far too strong rather than him looking like an evil old man.
After leaving the building, Danzo traveled the streets of Konoha, and he was shocked fully at the sight of the bustling streets.
'Even seeing it in my memories didn't do the Village justice. It truly is beautiful. I see why my counterpart wanted to protect it so badly in his early years.' Danzo thought.
The Village seemed more like a city than a Village, and with the lights on the street, Danzo couldn't tell what level of technology it had reached.
Just as he was reminiscing, he suddenly felt something bump into him, and he saw a child.
The little girl who bumped him merely blinked innocently as she looked up at him, though the two ROOT shinobi behind him tensed as if they were ready to strike the child down instantly.
However, both relaxed when they felt Danzo glare at them from the side of his eye. He then crouched down to be at eye level with the girl.
However, upon realizing that neither his original life nor Danzo had dealt with children, he decided to rely on Markarov's memories.
"Hello. Would you like a few Ryo to get an ice cream cone?" Danzo asked the girl, with him stiffly attempting a smile.
But the little girl seemed to hear the magic words as she jumped and gave him a hug, causing both ROOT agents to prepare to strike.
Just before they could, Danzo showcased his new skill in manipulating his Chakra as he enveloped them, and they both froze due to the weight of it.
Danzo lifted the child up, and he went to a stall to buy her one.
"Thank you,, Grandpa!!! " the little girl said as she got it. Danzo merely patted her on the head before he left, ready to go to his final destination.
~
Danzo walked past the receptionist's desk as the poor girl rambled at him about protocols and procedures that needed to be followed.
Danzo then arrived at the door and heard the sound of laughter inside, making him frown.
'The Village could be destroyed tomorrow night, and these bastards are laughing? Maybe I've gotten too serious due to Danzo's memories, but they still should hold a certain level of decorum.
Danzo proceeded to show his own maturity as he walked in, and the laughter stopped once the three people saw his appearance.
He looked at the three people in the room, each of whom held considerable influence in the village.
'Shikaku Nara. The Jonin Commander and the current Hokage's Advisor.
Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash, and the Fourth Hokage.
And... Sarutobi Hiruzen, The former God of Shinobi, The Professor, The Third Hokage, and ... my best friend in this life.' Danzo thought to himself as he glanced at all three.
While he thought Hiruzen merely boasted for himself when given the title of God of Shinobi in his past life, after looking through his memories, he completely understood the reasoning why he received such a title during the First Great Ninja War, both literally and politically.
In terms of actual power, the man had such a mastery over Ninjutsu that he could take control of another Shinobi Jutsu and use it against them. His Genjutsu skills could envelop an entire battlefield, and his Taijutsu could dismantle all types of opponents. And that was without mentioning the vast number of Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, and Medical Ninjutsu that the man knew.
But, in terms of political power, it gave him the strength to legitimize his reign as Hokage so that the other founding clans or the Daimyo didn't get any ideas, as anyone who wore the same title as Hashirama (Even if that man was on a whole new level) would be a dangerous enemy to make.
Danzo narrowed his eye, though he said nothing as he walked to the seat beside Hiruzen and Shikaku, making everyone's eyes twitch.
"Lord Danzo, what can we do for you?" Minato said as he sweated slightly at the man's audacity.
"I request that we change the location where your wife will give birth." Danzo said as he poured himself a glass of tea, and the other three in the room became serious upon hearing his words.
"Oh, why do you suggest that, Lord Danzo?" Shikaku asked, his mind already breaking down Danzo's veiled threat.
'Could Danzo wish to make a move on the Jinchuriki? I knew he was dangerous, but not to that degree.' Shikaku thought to himself.
"The location has been leaked to too many people. I request that we relocate the birth to one of the Summoning Lands. That way, we can ensure we won't have any unnecessary issues." Danzo said while sipping the tea.
"We have had a Jinchuriki give birth before with no issue, and we also had the transfer happen with no issue. What makes you think the situation will be different?" Shikaku asked.
Danzo took another sip of the tea before he responded.
"That may be true, but the Village was stronger during those instances. Lord First was still with us during the previous birth, deterring anyone from acting. On the other, we had all three Sannin, myself, Sakumo, and Hiruzen all monitoring the event while Lady Mito led it herself.
Currently, if an incident were to arise, we would only be able to count on the three S-Class Shinobi in this room, maybe a few extra if you consider the Uchiha and the Akimichi, and that is far from enough if we wanted to deal with the Nine-Tailed Fox. Now, are there any other issues with my idea?"
The room descended into a quiet silence, with Hiruzen being the first to speak.
"What is your plan, Danzo?"
Danzo froze slightly upon hearing that, with him then looking at Hiruzen with a slight frown.
"To protect the Leaf." Danzo answered.
"From what?" Hiruzen pressed.
Danzo went quiet at that, with him not knowing if some things should be revealed now.
After a few moments of hesitation, he finally made a decision and looked at Minato.
"Can you place a privacy seal over the room?" Danzo asked.
Minato seemed surprised at the request, though he agreed and placed his palm on the wall while sending his ANBU guards out of the room.
"I have received word of an unknown Uchiha traveling through the world. This Uchiha is alleged to be in possession of a Mangekyou Sharingan." Danzo said simply, yet the words shocked everyone
"How? That should be impossible!!" Hiruzen yelled.
"I do not know. But I will not be revealing my source, Hiruzen. And I do not wish to take any chances, for if they act on this, the entire Village may be in jeopardy." Danzo said before taking another sip of tea.
'Should I have some of my Shinobi steal me the recipe for this?' Danzo thought.
"Okay. I will contact Mount Myoboku and see if they will allow Kushina to give birth there." Minato said decisively.
"This-" Hiruzen began but was cut off by Shikaku.
"We should also still have the designated site seem real, so that way, if an attack does happen, we can be prepared for any possible outcome." Shikaku added.
Danzo merely nodded, with him agreeing on all the points.
However, when he looked over and saw Hiruzen struggling with something, he got up and began to walk to the door.
"Hiruzen, would you mind going for a walk with me." Danzo asked.
The shock on Hiruzen's face was not hidden, with him unable to believe that it was something his old friend would say, though he decided to trust him once more as he joined the man, exiting the Hokage's office.
"Did Elder Danzo just invite Lord Third for a walk?" Minato asked, unable to believe it.
Shikaku couldn't answer, as even with his mind that rivaled computers, he couldn't understand Danzo's actions.
~
Danzo and Hiruzen walked for silence throughout the Village, only speaking to the civilians who spoke to the two of them.
It didn't take long for the two to arrive atop the Hokage heads, with them sitting atop the head of Tobirama.
The silence didn't end until Danzo spoke first.
"It's always breathtaking. I understand why Hashirama-Sensei and Tobirama-Sensei would sacrifice their lives to protect it. Don't you?"
Hiruzen looked at his old friend, and for the first time in nearly two decades, he felt like he saw his friend again.
He did not see the ambitious man who seemed to want his position, the man who got consumed by the Darkness that he didn't wish to face, or the man whom he fought with on the battlefield after their Sensei was killed.
No, he saw his first friend, the young boy who declared alongside him that they would compete to become the Hokage, the one he trained till midnight with his father to ensure he could defeat him in the Academy spars.
He didn't see that Darkness of Shinobi.
He saw Danzo Shimura.
He didn't know what made his friend change; he had long grown accustomed to the man being an estranged ally rather than a friend, but he enjoyed it.
Just being near his brother again, in all but blood, made him feel as if they were back in their youth, bugging Tobirama to teach them another Ninjutsu.
And seeing that, he gave Danzo the biggest smile before he nodded in agreement.
The two men, who grew up like brothers, looked at the Village they had built and, for the first time in decades, reminisced with one another.
~
'So tonight is the night, huh?' Danzo asked himself as he looked at the massive amount of ROOT Shinobi gathered before him, with them all not daring to look up at their master.
He had nearly 300 Shinobi under his command, all possessing the strength of at least a Chunin.
'I see why Hiruzen was so apprehensive about dealing with Danzo in the original timeline. This much force could lead to a civil war.' Danzo thought to himself.
"Tonight, you all are to patrol around the Village and respond to any unseen situations. Remain in the shadows, as the ANBU and Jonin will also be patrolling, and I don't need any jurisdiction issues to arise." Danzo said with all but two of the agents remaining.
"Kai, Doi, you two are with me. Let's go." Danzo said as he began exiting, heading towards the location they set up for the trap.
Danzo arrived with his Chakra hidden, standing beside Hiruzen, Homura, Koharu, and some of his most elite ANBU agents as they waited for the masked man to arrive.
"Did you send word to those students of yours?" Danzo asked.
"I did. Jiraiya responded that he would return to the Village as soon as possible. Orochimaru and Tsunade have yet to respond." Hiruzen said.
Danzo merely snorted at that, surprising Koharu and Homura.
"If you actually taught the brats correctly, maybe we wouldn't have this issue." Danzo said, to which Hiruzen gained a tick mark on his head.
"I don't see any students you taught?" Hiruzen said with a smirk.
"Just wait until this is over. We'll settle this on the training grounds," Danzo said, and Hiruzen agreed while smiling.
"Quiet, you idiots! What if you alert the enemy." Koharu said as she narrowed her eyes at them both.
Homura smiled, feeling as if they were back with Team Tobirama.
Just then, they all turned their attention to the location as they felt an unseen Chakra signature appear.
Danzo immediately threw several Shuriken coated with Wind Chakra at the person, though they merely went through him.
Danzo and Hiruzen's Body Flickered around the man, with them eyeing him cautiously while preparing for battle.
"I... see, " the Masked Man said as his Chakra erupted. He looked at Hiruzen and Danzo with his Sharingan, the hatred inside him making Danzo and Hiruzen feel as if they were being stared at by a cold beast.
"Who are you?" Hiruzen asked as the Adamantine Staff appeared in his hands, seeming as if he had already summoned it.
"Does it truly matter? Since you have thwarted my plans, everyone here will have to die." He said before moving in an instant, with him charging at Danzo first.
However, just as the man grabbed Danzo, Danzo coated his body with his Light Chakra and said something that stunned everyone there.
"Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
Danzo felt the man in his tangible state because he felt his hand touching him, which made Danzo use one of the techniques he had tested earlier that day.
Danzo had tested his knowledge of his powers, which included being able to use Fire, Light, Ice, Wind, and Sealing Magic in the form of Jutsus. However, due to Markarov's knowledge, he possessed far more forms of Magic than just them.
Combined with his powerful body, Danzo felt he had reached an echelon of power only under those who reached the level akin to Gods, like Hashirama and Madara.
Due to his lack of combat experience, the kick connected before the Masked Man could phase through it, sending him flying away.
Danzo then unwrapped his bandages and drew his blade, shocking everyone as they thought he was disabled.
"I haven't had a decent battle since the Second Great Ninja War, so I may be a bit rusty, but that does not mean I'm unprepared for the likes of you." Danzo said as his blade began vibrating.
Danzo glanced at Hiruzen. They both charged at immense speeds at Obito, who allowed the attacks to phase through him again.
'I wonder, could that be used? No, I won't reveal I can bypass his Kamui until I can kill him for good.' Danzo thought to himself as he added flames to his vibrating blade, making him appear akin to another old man.
A single slash of the blade sent massive amounts of flames at Obito, though he simply phased though it and prepared to stab Danzo, yet a staff extended towards his head, forcing him to phase through him again.
As he was about to retreat, multiple Senbons coated in Wind Chakra headed his way, while a Water Blade was spat in his direction from the other side, courtesy of Koharu and Homura, respectively.
Obito could only click his teeth in frustration. Throughout the entire battle, the teamwork shown by the four was something that he was unable to overcome.
Every time an opening appeared, another team member would press him, yet he could not kill Homura or Koharu due to Danzo and Hiruzen's presence.
He had been forced to keep his Kamui active for nearly three minutes, and he could see that his time limit was approaching.
"It seems I'll need to use that." Danzo muttered loud enough for Obito to hear him, hoping that the man would retreat.
'Does the old bastard have a way around Kamui? That shouldn't be possible.' Obito thought to himself while continuing his attack.
Seeing this, Danzo paused in place before he formed a triangle with his hand as he began to chant.
"I invoke... Fairy Law!!!"
By this point, Obito's senses and instinct began to warn him of a threat, with him immediately making his entire body intangible.
Danzo's hands began to hold a bright light, one that seemed to illuminate the night.
The Nature Energy around them convened into Danzo's palm, as if it was commanded to move at the direction on a higher power.
When Danzo finished, the light blasted at Obito, with his instincts warning him to move at all costs, making him make a drastic decision.
The attack hit, but unlike before, it blasted Obito, seemingly obliterating him on the spot.
The smoke cleared, with it revealing Danzo panting while Obito was nowhere to be seen, with him exhausted after using such an attack.
'I didn't think it would be that Chakra Extensive. Even I felt exhausted after just a single one. But I doubt Obito is dead. It's likely he simply used Izanagi to escape with a spare Sharingan. I don't doubt that he would possess one.' Danzo thought to himself before he looked up at his shocked allies.
"What's the matter? No longer want that spar?" Danzo said with a smirk.
~
Inside of the Hokage's building, Danzo looked at the child in Minato's arms as he heard the report made by the Elders and the Third Hokage.
'So an unseen enemy who could become intangible? Seems truly terrifying.' Minato thought before looking at Danzo.
"What Jutsu could affect a man that can't be hit, Lord Danzo?" Minato asked.
Danzo seemed relaxed, with him drinking his tea as he responded.
"It's a Kinjutsu I developed to deal with enemies like the Third Raikage. It deals damage to the Soul and Spirit first and then the body once it connects. But, using it comes at the cost of your life force if used on too many opponents at once." Danzo answered, shocking everyone again.
'A lie never hurts.' Danzo thought
"Well, I'm afraid today has been quite the eventful night for me. Could I be excused to rest for the night, Lord Hokage? Anything else can be explained at the council meeting tomorrow." Danzo said, after which he left the office without looking back, quite exhausted after the night he had.
~
Inside the forest, a man with a disfigured face and a body adorned with tattered clothing stood as he held one of his eyes, the color grey.
'A Jutsu capable of bypassing Kamui? That should be impossible. Danzo Shimura. That man is a threat, and I'll need to be careful for a while, especially since that was the last time Sharingan Madara had. Seems I'll need to hunt a few Uchiha.' Obito thought to himself before disappearing, as if never there from the beginning.
[Let me know how you like it!!]