"I'm answering your and the Hokage's question. Don't kill the messenger, please.
"
Fugaku grunted, irritated but not murderously offended. "… You say the civilians all know about this?"
"I don't know about all, but a lot of us, yeah. Were we really not supposed to?"
Did he really just ask that? "Mister Masanari… if such an organisation existed, and if I, the Hokage, was unaware of it or did actually tolerate its existence, why would you possibly assume it wasn't supposed to be a real secret?"
"Well… because it's treated like one of those polite fictions only you lot are allowed to be coy about? In my experience, people generally treat it like the Jinchuriki Taboo but… well, there was never an actual decree about it. Which makes sense if it's rogue or a secret among black ops secrets, not mentioning it is the done thing, obviously.
But this 'let's abduct people and hope they don't notice' approach has an expiration date, and it must have passed ten or twenty years ago at this point. It's the fatal weakness of any clandestine faction with high turnover, everyone knows that.
"
Everyone knows that, repeated over and over in Hiruzen's mind. Everyone knows that, everyone knows that, everyone knows-
"If the nin-that-must-not-be-named only recruited from Anbu it wouldn't be so obvious, but they don't. So we try to keep mum about it up until we're overwhelmed by panic or grief.
Or, well, booze. Then we commiserate.
"
"And yet," Fugaku said silkily. "Despite it being such a sprawling crisis as you claim, not one complaint has passed my desk.
"
Or mine, but then again how much reach does Danzo have if-
"Because we're not allowed to complain?" Hanzo's tone, damn him, was as unhappy as it was resigned. "We all knew what we were signing our kids up for when we moved here.
Or we thought we did. It's not like we have input on whatever 'strategic benefit of one genin' means, or get to see how that compares to our other contributions to the village.
We tell ourselves the village just claimed its due earlier than we expected and try to move on with our lives, praying we'll hear from our children again someday. Those who can't cope with that leave.
Or kill themselves. "
And that, Hiruzen thought bleakly, was the most damning thing Hanzo had said since he first met the man. Has the spirit of the Will of Fire truly been perverted to this degree?
"How did this not filter up through the ninja grapevine?" The man asked when neither of them could find anything to say, sounding every bit as baffled as Hiruzen felt. "Our outdoor venues aren't exactly segregated.
Then again, it took me five years, and in the end I only got my say because Naruto happened to… well, whatever's been going on with my damn wall. "
"This is all I wanted to know," Fugaku suddenly declared, pushing away from the wall and making for the door. "I'll be back to discuss plans at your pleasure, Lord Third.
We'll explore options on our end until then. " Hiruzen's heart leapt, was the man actually agreeing to-? "I think I'll look into this matter as well, and try to find out how many of those families who left actually got to where they're going.
Personal interest, you understand. "
Hiruzen's heart promptly sank down again. You just had to end on a sour note, didn't you? Damn that man.
The door opened and closed, leaving the Hokage and Hanzo alone with only the Anbu and Danzo's hidden presence for company.
"So," Hanzo said. "Am I being executed?"
"Mister Masanari. "
"Yes, sir?"
"You are dismissed. " The man was too surprised to move.
"Rest assured, there are no outstanding orders for your elimination. " Surveillance was a different matter, but Hiruzen really just wanted to have someone else doing that for a change.
Say for the next year or three. "We have looked at your findings very closely and will take what measures are necessary.
You will be called at a later point to discuss compensation, but for now please go with my appreciation for your diligence. And for your patience.
I know this has been stressful for you, especially so soon after a hospital stay. "
"This has been a breeze actually. " Could the man stop being a contrarian for one min- "I was ready for several years of scrutiny and weekly interrogation when I started this, assuming I didn't get lobotomised or tossed into a black hole somewhere by the nin-that-must-not-be-named.
" Again with the - what kind of village did this man thing he was running here? "Instead, I got to prepare my thesis in peace and got to defend it in a setting where I could actually delude myself into thinking my bigger stature compared to all of you actually made a difference to my survival prospects! Thanks for that. By your leave?"
If only you knew how deeply your self-awareness cut. "Go.
"
Finally, Masanari Hanzo left him in peace.
The wall slid open. "Hiruzen-"
"Not now Danzo. "
"This situation cannot be left to-"
"Danzo," said the Third Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. "I never pardon the same sin twice.
You know that, don't you?"
"… Yet your advance pardon allowed this man to commit the same sin over and over in the course of mere hours. "
"Are you here to request a few for Root's deviances? Because I must say I am quite keen to learn all about them now. "
The silence almost broke under its own weight as their wills and chakra scraped against each other.
Finally, Danzo inclined his head – barely. "I suppose it is called common sense for a reason.
" The man withdrew. From the room and, soon, from the tower entire.
You'll never stop twisting the spirit of my law, will you?
Despite himself, Hiruzen had Crow bring him the thesis. Looked at it for a while.
At the 'Recommendations. ' Minimize the use of mind control.
Move the Uchiha to the inner village for more consistent contact with the general populace. Recruit Hyuuga shinobi for more operational flexibility.
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