Painting a Rosy Picture

Kakashi jerked his head up.

Uchiha En's gaze turned cold.

"Danzo spent over a decade plotting the extermination of the Uchiha Clan."

"Starting on the Night of the Nine-Tails, he forged evidence to make everyone believe the Uchiha Clan had unleashed the Nine-Tails."

"He used that as an excuse to drive the Uchiha Clan out of central Konoha and exile them to the edge of the village."

"At the same time, he had the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, brainwash two Uchiha prodigies: Shisui Uchiha and Uchiha Itachi."

"He turned them into his pawns."

"When Danzo learned that Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyō ability was Kotoamatsukami, which could change a person's will, he grew afraid."

"He feared Shisui would use it to thwart his plan to exterminate the clan."

"So he struck first and stole one of Shisui Uchiha's Mangekyō Sharingan."

"As for Uchiha Itachi..."

"He was brainwashed by both the Third Hokage and Danzo."

"Sacrifice the clan for the village. After decades of that indoctrination, Uchiha Itachi carried out his brutal slaughter of the Uchiha Clan."

Kakashi's voice was hoarse.

"Then why... did the Masked Man appear at the Uchiha Clan Compound in the end?"

Uchiha En gave a cold laugh.

"Because they never expected the Masked Man to turn on them."

"The Masked Man didn't come just to wipe out the Uchiha Clan."

"While he was at it, he wiped out more than half of the Shimura Clan and the Sarutobi Clan. His goal was simple: weaken Konoha."

The wind died.

A deathly silence settled over the courtyard.

Kakashi sat motionless on the stone bench.

His right hand covered his tightly shut left eye.

The Sharingan Obito had given him.

A long time passed.

He said nothing.

Uchiha En stayed seated across from him, waiting for him to take it all in.

After a long while, Kakashi finally spoke, his voice so hoarse it was barely audible.

"Why... are you telling me all this?"

Uchiha En looked at him with apparent sincerity.

"Because I need help."

"I need someone to stand with me and overthrow the Konoha High Command, rotten to its core."

"These cancers have to be removed."

"Everyone who wants to change things must stand together."

Kakashi fell silent.

Only after a long time did he raise his head and look at Uchiha En.

"What do you need me to do?"

Uchiha En's heart leaped. Good thing I told you every conspiracy theory about the Konoha High Command I'd seen in my previous life.

Finally, the part that matters.

But he showed none of it. He merely looked at Kakashi calmly.

"Leave the Anbu."

"Join the Konoha Military Police Force."

Kakashi frowned.

"If you stay in the Anbu, you won't change a thing."

Uchiha En's voice was earnest.

"You'll only stand by and watch the high command keep committing atrocities."

"You'll watch the people you want to protect die, one after another."

"Only by leaving the Anbu can you truly break free of their control."

Kakashi remained silent.

Uchiha En kept selling him on the idea.

"The Konoha Military Police Force may be weak right now, but it has an advantage no other department has."

"It's a lawful organization that can act independently of the Anbu."

"And the Konoha Military Police Force is about to be reformed."

"I'll delegate authority."

"You wouldn't be joining as an ordinary member."

Kakashi raised his head and looked at him.

"You'll be my deputy."

Uchiha En's voice was firm.

"I'll be chief of the Konoha Military Police Force, and you'll be deputy chief."

Kakashi froze for a moment.

Then his frown deepened.

"The Konoha Military Police Force... belongs to the Uchiha Clan."

"I'm not an Uchiha..."

"Who says only Uchiha can serve in the Konoha Military Police Force?"

Uchiha En cut him off, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"The first reform will be recruiting members from the civilian population."

"You may not be an Uchiha, Kakashi, but you're an Elite Jōnin of Konoha and a student of the Fourth Hokage."

"You have more than enough standing."

"And..."

Uchiha En paused, giving him a meaningful look.

"If you join the Konoha Military Police Force, people will see that the Uchiha aren't trying to divide the village. We're bringing together everyone willing to stand with us."

Kakashi fell silent.

He lowered his head, staring at the mottled moonlight on the stone table.

A long time passed.

When he spoke, his voice was slightly hoarse.

"Fine."

"I'll leave the Anbu and join the Konoha Military Police Force."

A faint smile slowly spread across Uchiha En's face.

Got him.

Kakashi stood.

"But..."

He turned to Uchiha En.

"If these truths you've told me... are just a way to use me..."

"I won't let you get away with it."

Uchiha En smiled.

"Don't worry."

"Once you investigate for yourself, you'll know every word I said was true."

Kakashi said nothing more.

He turned, put on his Anbu mask, and vanished into the night.

Meanwhile, the lights burned bright in the Hokage Office.

Hiruzen Sarutobi sat behind his desk, the ember in his pipe glowing and fading.

Mitokado Homura sat on the sofa with his hands braced on his knees. Utatane Koharu sat beside him, her arms folded across her chest.

And there was someone else who should not have been there.

Shimura Danzō.

He stood before the desk, leaning on his cane, his face dark.

The four of them had gathered together, the atmosphere so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep draw on his pipe and slowly exhaled.

Smoke spread through the air.

"What happened in the Forest of Death today..."

"You've all heard?"

Utatane Koharu nodded, her expression grim.

"That Uchiha brat... he actually manifested Susanoo."

"He's only just awakened his Mangekyō Sharingan, yet he can already wield that legendary power."

Mitokado Homura's voice was grave too.

"It seems we all underestimated that brat."

Hiruzen Sarutobi remained silent.

Shimura Danzō stood to the side, his face livid, his right hand gripping his cane so tightly it shook.

"My twelve Root elites..."

"All dead."

His voice was hoarse with suppressed rage.

"That brat... I'll kill him."

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked up at him.

"You still want to go after him?"

Displeasure edged his voice.

"If you hadn't sent men to surround and kill him, would any of this have happened today?"

"Now we've lost twelve Elite Jōnin, and the whole village knows that Uchiha brat can use Susanoo."

"And he forced me to allocate a hundred million ryō to the Konoha Military Police Force. You've made a laughingstock of the entire Konoha High Command!"

Danzo whipped his head around and glared at Hiruzen Sarutobi.

"Hiruzen!"

He was almost roaring.

"Do you think I did it for myself?!"

"That brat manifested Susanoo at twelve years old!"

"How powerful will he be in a few more years?!"

"When that happens, do you think either of us will survive?!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent.

Of course he knew Danzo was right. But knowing that changed nothing; right now, he had no way to deal with that brat.

Utatane Koharu looked at the two men and spoke.

"That's enough. Both of you."

"This isn't the time to argue."

"Uchiha En is no longer someone we can move against lightly."

Mitokado Homura nodded as well.

"Exactly. Now that he can use Susanoo, there are few people left in Konoha who can overpower him head-on."

"We can't make another move without being absolutely certain it will work."

Hiruzen Sarutobi was silent for a moment.

Then he spoke.

"Jiraiya... how long until he arrives?"

Utatane Koharu shook her head.

"We've sent word, but he's traveling. There's no telling when he'll receive it."

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded and asked no more.

Silence settled over the office again.

Danzo stood off to the side, staring darkly out the window. Then something occurred to him, and he gave a cold smile.

"Actually, the fact that that wicked little brat Uchiha En can use Susanoo isn't entirely a bad thing!"