First Signs

The day after the Nine-Tails ran wild, at the Hokage building.

Both sides of the long table in the conference room were filled. The Third, Hiruzen Sarutobi, sat at the head, smoke curling from his pipe and blurring half his face. Danzo sat across from him, a bandage covering his right eye. His exposed left eye was half-lidded, giving no hint of what he was thinking. The two advisers, Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura, sat on either side, their expressions solemn like a pair of carved stone statues.

Jiraiya leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed, his expression less than pleasant. Tsunade sat beside him, her hands folded on the table and her gaze resting on the wood grain. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking.

"How are Kushina and Minato doing?"

When the Third spoke, everyone turned to Tsunade.

"Kushina was just mentally exhausted. She's out of danger now. Minato is out of danger too. He's still unconscious, but he should wake up soon."

"A blessing in disguise."

"Jiraiya, tell us exactly what happened."

The Third's voice was quiet.

Jiraiya sat up straight and recounted everything that had happened that night, from beginning to end: Kushina had run out of the barrier, the seal had loosened, and the Nine-Tails had run wild. Minato had used Sealing Jutsu to help Kushina suppress the Nine-Tails. A medical-nin named Gekkō Byakuya had been the first to arrive and had helped stabilize Minato's injuries.

He kept his tone as steady as he could, but his voice still dropped when he mentioned that Minato's abdomen had been pierced.

By the time he finished, Utatane Koharu's brow was furrowed deeply enough to crush a fly.

"Outrageous." Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was sharp. "The Jinchūriki knocked out the Anbu and left the barrier without permission, causing the Nine-Tails to run wild. If he had charged into the village, how many casualties would there have been?"

"Jinchūriki are people too." Jiraiya's voice hardened. "Kushina is still young. How could she be expected to endure being confined to such a cramped place and watched every moment?"

"She is a Jinchūriki," Danzo said evenly, as though commenting on the weather. "A Jinchūriki's foremost duty is to keep the Tailed Beast stable. Failing to do so is a dereliction of duty."

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You can hand her over to Root." Danzo looked at the Third. "Root has well-equipped facilities and more professional personnel. There will be no more incidents of her leaving without permission."

"Isn't she watched enough already?" Jiraiya's voice turned cold. "You want to lock her up somewhere she'll never see the light of day?"

"It's protection."

"That's just another word for it."

"Enough."

The Third cut them off, tapping his pipe lightly against the table. "I'll make my own arrangements for Kushina."

He glanced around at those present, his gaze lingering on Danzo for a moment before moving away.

"Expand the barrier to give Kushina more room to move around. Reduce the number of people watching her, but increase the frequency of the Sealing Squad's patrols."

"That's indulgence." Mitokado Homura shook his head.

"It's trust," the Third corrected him. "Excessive surveillance will have the opposite effect. Kushina agreed to become a Jinchūriki and has rendered a service to Konoha. We can't be too harsh on someone who has served Konoha."

"So there will be no punishment this time?" Utatane Koharu asked.

"Half the funding for expanding the barrier will come from Mito Uzumaki's estate."

No one spoke again. Mito Uzumaki's estate was what the First Hokage's wife, the previous Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, had left behind.

Using her money to make up for the mistake of one of her clanspeople was a reasonable enough way to deal with it.

Danzo rose and walked toward the door.

"Danzo," the Third called after him.

Danzo stopped without turning around.

"The meeting isn't over."

"I've said what I came to say." Danzo pulled the door open and walked out.

In the corridor, Danzo walked at an unhurried pace.

He reached the end of the corridor, pushed open an inconspicuous door, and went inside. Behind it was a staircase leading down, dimly lit and filled with damp, musty air.

Root headquarters.

Aburame Ryoma knelt before the desk, his expression hidden behind his mask.

"Lord Danzo."

Danzo did not sit down. He stood behind the desk with his back to Aburame Ryoma.

"How are Orochimaru's Wood Release experiments going?"

"Other than Jia, there are still no other successful cases."

"Is that all you have to report?"

Danzo's voice remained even, but Aburame Ryoma could hear the displeasure in it.

"Word came from them today. They asked for information on Gekkō Byakuya."

"Gekkō Byakuya?"

Danzo turned around, raising an eyebrow. "Because of this incident?"

"That would seem to be the case."

"It seems Gekkō Byakuya's appearance wasn't just a coincidence. What did he see?"

"I don't know."

"...Gekkō Byakuya."

He had thought Gekkō Byakuya was merely a useful pawn, but he had not expected him to surprise him again and again.

"Keep watching Gekkō Byakuya."

"Yes."

Danzo said nothing more. He turned around and looked at the map of Konoha on the wall, his left eye narrowing slightly.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had occupied the Hokage's seat for too long.

Only the Third and Jiraiya remained in the conference room.

Tsunade had already left, as had the two advisers. Jiraiya leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling with no intention of leaving.

"Something else?" the Third asked.

"Danzo won't let this go."

"He's been my comrade-in-arms for decades." The Third's voice grew quieter. "I've been watching him for longer than you've been alive."

"But he knows you just as well."

The Third was a little displeased, but he knew his disciple's nature well enough to know he wasn't trying to make things difficult for him.

"I've asked Orochimaru to keep an eye on him."

"Orochimaru?"

Jiraiya wanted to say more, but when he saw the Third's hair, much of which had turned white without his noticing when, he swallowed his words.

Never mind. Although Orochimaru had become somewhat unfamiliar since the last war ended, he was still Orochimaru.

He was the one who would carry on their teacher's legacy and become the Fourth Hokage.

There shouldn't be any problem.

"Is there anything else?"

The Third looked at his disciple, who was still there and showed no sign of leaving, and put down his pipe.

"Shouldn't we give that kid Gekkō Byakuya some kind of reward?"

The Third glanced at him. "What are you getting at?"

"He rushed in when the Nine-Tails ran wild and saved Minato and Kushina. With that kind of courage and ability, it would be a waste not to give him an important role."

"I'll consider it."

"Then I'm off... Take better care of yourself, old man."

"If you spent more time in Konoha instead of searching the world for some Child of Prophecy, I wouldn't have so much to worry about."

Jiraiya said nothing more. He pulled open the door and left.

The Third sat in the empty conference room, smoke blurring his face.

Kushina's recovery after the Nine-Tails ran wild meant more than just one person surviving. It meant that, perhaps, the Nine-Tails could be more than a burden to Konoha.

If one day Konoha could truly master the Nine-Tails' power...

Lady Mito Uzumaki had been able to suppress the Nine-Tails for decades through her love for the First and her powerful sealing abilities.

Kushina Uzumaki could, of course, do the same.

Minato was outstanding enough to be worthy of that love.

What heartened him was Gekkō Byakuya.

The Third recalled what Tsunade had said that night: "Byakuya's chakra is special. It can soothe the soul."

What if that special quality also worked on Jinchūriki?

Minato, Byakuya.

These two might be the keys to Konoha's future.