"Oh? Sarutobi… the Third Hokage went to the Senju clan compound?" Danzō frowned, listening to his subordinate's report. What was Hiruzen doing there? The place was deserted now, old and dilapidated, much like the Uchiha compound.
"Yes, sir. Also, the Nine-Tails stayed at the Uchiha compound all night."
"Hmph, a useless Sharingan-less brat. If the Hokage insists on protecting him, so be it." Uchiha Ying was inconsequential. Danzō simply wanted to use the situation to gain some control over the Nine-Tails jinchūriki, but Sarutobi Hiruzen wouldn't budge.
"Keep a close watch on the Hokage Tower. I want to know what he's doing there."
"Yes, sir."
"Wait. Send someone to test Uchiha Ying. If he acts strangely at all, bring him to me!"
"Yes, sir!"
---
"I die during the Chūnin Exams? Killed by Orochimaru… because I sealed his hands?" In the Hokage Tower, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the yellowed notebook, his expression a mixture of confusion and disbelief. The handwriting, even the style, was identical to his teacher's, Tobirama Senju. But the contents… he couldn't believe them. He might be vulnerable to a surprise attack by Orochimaru one-on-one, but how could Orochimaru kill him in front of everyone in Konoha and simply walk away? Wouldn't anyone intervene? What about the Anbu? His Hokage Guard? Unless they were… like he was back then… *cough*. Hiruzen had spent the entire day in his office, unable to fathom how he, the Hokage, could die so pathetically in his own village.
"Could this be some elaborate hoax?" But what kind of jutsu could achieve such a thing? Genjutsu? Only Uchiha Shisui's Kotoamatsukami could be so effective. No one else could cast genjutsu on him undetected…
"Wait, could it be Uchiha Itachi?" No, impossible. Itachi wouldn't do something so frivolous. Speaking of Shisui… though Uchiha Shisui was dead, his unique Mangekyō Sharingan wasn't. Could someone have obtained it and be targeting Konoha? Puffing on his pipe, Hiruzen's thoughts spiraled into chaos.
"But what if it's true? What if Tobirama-sensei really did possess a future-seeing jutsu?" He reread the yellowed notebook from cover to cover. The details surrounding his death at Orochimaru's hands were quite specific, including how Orochimaru would kill the Kazekage and impersonate him to infiltrate Konoha, even using the Kazekage's authority to position Sunagakure shinobi for an attack. If this predicted future were true, then with the right preparation, Sunagakure, even the Land of Wind, would be his for the taking! The temptation was immense.
"That damned Orochimaru, stealing Tobirama-sensei's body!" If he hadn't, Hiruzen could simply use the Edo Tensei to summon Tobirama and ask him directly, saving himself all this agonizing speculation.
"Go, assemble all Anbu members at the Hokage Tower!" Regardless of whether the notebook was genuine, a hoax, or something else entirely, the prolonged peace had made the Anbu complacent and weak, a problem that demanded immediate attention.
"Yes, sir!"
Soon, the Hokage Tower's meeting room was filled with masked Anbu operatives. With his assistant's help, Hiruzen reviewed the roster.
"No wonder…" He sighed after perusing the list. Anbu Captain Moonlight Hayate, Squad Captain Yūgao Uzuki… not to mention the rest of the roster filled with middling chūnin. What was Hayate's level? Did he even have the capabilities to be Anbu Captain? And this was the Hokage's direct Anbu force? No wonder Orochimaru infiltrated Konoha so easily…
"Sigh." Back in Konoha's prime, the Anbu, with just White Fang, was enough to terrorize other villages. Then there was Orochimaru, and later, Minato Namikaze—legendary figures. Even after Minato's death, there was the younger generation: Kakashi and Uchiha Itachi. Each one a formidable shinobi. Unlike now…
"Hokage-sama, is something troubling you?" Seeing the Hokage sigh openly, the Anbu, led by Hayate, asked with concern.
"No," Hiruzen replied, scanning the room before his gaze settled on a young shinobi with a mask covering the lower half of his face. He hadn't realized that the only capable shinobi in the Anbu was someone he'd poached from Danzō's Root.
"I just hadn't realized how long it's been since the Anbu has seen an influx of new blood." Hiruzen naturally wouldn't reveal his true thoughts.
"Tenzo, inform Kakashi to return to the village as soon as possible."
"Yes, sir."
"The rest of you are dismissed."
Dismissed? No mission? The assembled Anbu operatives were bewildered. Had the Hokage summoned them just for a headcount? They exchanged confused glances but obeyed the order, filing out of the Hokage Tower.
"Yūgao, stay behind." Hiruzen stopped Yūgao Uzuki as she was about to leave. Once everyone else was gone, he placed Iruka's recently submitted student roster in front of her.
"Assess his character. If he's suitable, recruit him into the Anbu once he becomes a genin."
"Yes, sir." Yūgao glanced curiously at the photo and name on the roster. Hmm? Wasn't this the boy she'd rescued from Root operatives? So his name was Uchiha Ying.
"I hadn't realized how dire Konoha's lack of new talent had become…" After Yūgao left, Hiruzen sank back into his chair, exhaustion etched on his face.
"Among the younger generation, only Hyūga Neji, Uchiha Sasuke, Aburame Shino, and Uchiha Ying have the potential for Anbu." And due to various factors like clan and jutsu limitations, Neji and Sasuke were out of the question. Shino would require discussions with his father and clan, leaving only the orphaned Uchiha Ying, whom Iruka described as well-behaved and obedient, as someone he could directly place into the Anbu.
"It's a shame he hasn't awakened his Sharingan." Rubbing his forehead, Hiruzen sighed again. After a long moment, he finally made up his mind.
"It's time to contact Uchiha Itachi. If he still cares about Konoha…" Only when faced with a shortage of capable shinobi did Hiruzen remember the value of White Fang and Itachi.
"And Danzō… have him investigate Orochimaru." If the notebook was accurate, Orochimaru was likely already on his way to assassinate the Fourth Kazekage.