Konoha, Hokage Office.
Morning sunlight slanted through the windowpanes, laying parallel bands of light across the wooden floor. Dust drifted slowly at the edges of the beams. A Scroll lay mostly unfurled on the desk, its ink dry and its slightly curled edge held down by a paperweight.
Tsunade sat behind the desk, her gaze passing slowly over the faces of her three Hokage Assistants.
"Orochimaru escaped despite Uchiha Fugaku's close watch. What does everyone make of it?"
Jiraiya immediately grinned. The smile spread from his mouth to his eyes, his delight at the news undisguised.
"Good thing he escaped! Otherwise, Uchiha Yongye might've cut him down too."
"That brat's a born killer!"
"We need to spread the word so everyone knows the Uchiha aren't all that impressive! They can't even keep watch over one prisoner!"
Shikaku Nara shook his head at once.
"Don't publicize it!"
"I don't think Orochimaru is the point here. Uchiha Fugaku is. I even suspect this is a trap laid specifically for him."
Jiraiya turned toward him, raising an eyebrow in obvious confusion.
"That kid wants to seize power? But he's already the director of the Konoha Military Police Force. He's so young—surely he can't become the Uchiha Clan Head?"
"What would he gain from targeting Uchiha Fugaku?"
Inoichi Yamanaka explained, "When his family was destroyed, Uchiha Fugaku did nothing. Yongye has hated him ever since. This time, Uchiha Fugaku may well follow in Shimura Danzō's footsteps."
Jiraiya's mouth twisted. He looked even more puzzled.
"Come on. A prisoner escaped. At worst, he'd be charged with negligence."
Shikaku Nara gave Jiraiya a helpless look, with just a hint of superiority in his eyes.
"Uchiha Fugaku awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan. He may be no weaker than Orochimaru. A charge of negligence might not explain it."
"Others