There was a night in July that brought with it a great tragedy... On this night the Village lost most of Kohona's Police Force, the Uchiha Clan itself, and the respected Council member Shimura Danzo.

It was a night that the Uchiha Clan was attacked by an unknown man and the traitor Uchiha Itachi. Shimura Danzo who had been alerted to an intruder within the village had decided to inspect the situation himself bringing with him a member of Kohona's medical staff in case there were injuries. He had arrived with the Medic only to find the Uchiha Compound destroyed and littered with bodies. Shimura Danzo heroicly tried to bring the villains to justice for their heinous crimes, however, he fell in battle...

The Medic who had arrived at the scene with the Elder had sustained numerous injuries in the enuring battle, acting as a decoy for one Uchiha Itachi as Danzo faced the intruder head on. When ANBU Black Ops arrived on the scene to take over the battle, Shimura Danzo had already been brought down with fatal wounds. From the report, it was revealed that his right side had been completely ripped open and his head shredded along with it. The Medic had been quick to move to the Elder's side as the ANBU team took over, regrettably though, they had been unable to save the Elder's life and had succumbed to his injuries.

Shimura Danzo lost his life in the defence of his Village, and one of it's founding Clan's the Uchiha. It was later decided to have been an act of good fate that the Uchiha had been welcomed back into the Village before the attack. If the Uchiha Clan had all remained in the new Compound when the attack happened, then the entire Clan would most likely have been completely wiped out.

This situation brought several things to change within the village. Due to Danzo's brave actions, someone who had always been at odds with the Uchiha Clan, he was honoured as a hero declared to have died for the people of the Village. The Uchiha Clan who had been treated with suspicion, due in part to Danzo himself, were now regarded warmly as their greatest critic gave his very life to protect them. So obviously the Uchiha had proven themselves as loyal members of Kohona if Danzo was willing to die for them. They were also treated with Sympathy for they had lost so many of their loved ones in a single night.

For a Clan that had been outcast from the village, they were suddenly the focus of the Village's care and concern. Ninja that had distrusted them were now happy to assist them and participate in missions. While the Police Force was lacking the Ninja forces were quick to help, filling in and helping out with their duties wherever they could. The villagers were quick to offer the Clan any assistance they could, giving discounted prices and even welcoming the Uchiha Clan into their homes with meals, or to help them relax by offering to watch the younger children.

The Uchiha Clan was finally shown the favour and love that they had always deserved, finally being treated as one of the founding Clans they had always been. All it had taken was their biggest opponent sacrificing his life to protect them...and the suspicion was removed... The Clan that was still treated with fear even after the death of Uchiha Madara, was finally welcomed into the village with warm hearts.

The dream of Senju Tobirama, to complete the dream of Senju Hashirama and even Uchiha Madara, was finally realized...

It was funny...how simply changing the result of a battle could change history itself. After all, History is told by the victors...and the Medic that survived the fight was sure to use that to their advantage.

"I hate you." The phrase was swift and stern, although lacking any emotion coming from the monotone voice speaking it. This, in turn, brought to attention just how serious the person was in their declaration. After all, true hatred lay in indifference.

Sarutobi Hiruzen almost flinched at those very words coming from the face so similar to his beloved sensei, in a tone that would have sounded exactly like the previous Hokage before him. "Ah, I take it you are not pleased Moriko?" He questioned in a curious tone, hiding back the need to apologize.

"I don't think anyone is pleased with this...at least anyone who actually knows what stunt you pulled." Moriko scolded her eyes narrowing.

Kakashi withheld an amused snort as he made sure to shove his face deeper into the book he held. Moriko was an interesting person, and she made no attempt at hiding how much she hated authority and thought adults were morons. Something she had muttered repeatedly since they arrived at Danzo's underground base.

Tenzo shifted uneasily as his eyes moved between the group. He truly was not comfortable with Moriko's disrespect towards the Hokage, but he didn't think he had a right to say anything as the Sandaime himself didn't seem to mind. That and he wasn't sure how he felt about being back beneath Kohona, back in Danzo's base where he was almost killed...

It was still something he couldn't comprehend, that Shimura Danzo was indeed dead. There had only been two men Tenzo would admit to fearing in his life, Danzo being one and Orochimaru the other. To think that the man that had trained him, controlled him, and even sealed into forceful obedience was gone... It was almost freeing if the fear of Danzo's army wasn't making him so anxious.

However, it was quite...too quiet. Shouldn't there be noise? Shouldn't Danzo's army be active? They stood in the centre of his base and yet...

"Why are the Ne forces not acting?" He questioned quietly, almost jumping when three sets of eyes looked in his direction.

"Ah, fear not," Hiruzen stated as he reached up placing his Kiseru to his mouth for a moment of silence. "No one of Ne is currently able to leave the Underground at the moment. The Root compound has now become their prison until this mess can be figured out." He explained with a sigh as he released the smoke from his lungs and to the air around him.

"Trapped?" Tenzo asked in confusion. Kakashi also looking up from his book, his frown hidden beneath his mask.

Moriko was the one to move at that, a scowl of annoyance on her face as she crouched down placing her hand on the ground. There was a pulse of chakra that suddenly revealed just what the Hokage was speaking about. Glowing golden in colour and with a chain like a pattern entwined were seals. They spread along the compound ground disappearing deep within where the light did not touch. They circled and climbed coving walls, buildings, and even the very ceiling was covered giving an appearance of a cage.

"One good thing that came from being what I am..." Moriko said with an expression of distaste, causing Tenzo to shift uncomfortably. "Since my DNA registers Senju Tobirama as my biological father, I was able to unseal certain areas in the old Senju compound and the Hokage Tower. One of these areas held the seals Uzumaki Mito brought with her when she became Senju Hashirama's wife." Moriko explained glancing in Tenzo's direction.

Tenzo nodded slowly. Danzo had always tried to have him unseal the locked areas of the Senju Compound, however, while he had Hashirama's DNA in him it hadn't changed his blood nor did it make him a direct descendant, more like a distant relative. He already had the blood of both his parents coursing through his veins before he was chosen after all. From what Tenzo knew, Moriko had been injected with the Nidaime's before she even grew from a fetus. That would probably be why the seals would recognize her as a direct family member.

"I won't lie and say I'm skilled at Seals. I know the basic knowledge that most Medic's are taught for treatment purposes. If Mito-Sama hadn't been so precise and exact in her seal work and application I doubt this would have been able to work without Jiraiya-Sama here... An Uzumaki would have been able to use it easily." Moriko muttered with a slight frown as her eyes traced over the seal work. "As it is I needed help from the Barrier team to even be able to place the seal and figure out how to extend it, let alone figure out how it worked. They did the work, I only provided the chakra. This is the only time having insane chakra levels comes in handy I suppose." She finished with a shrug.

Hiruzen nodded as she finished speaking. "The seal is a containing type, similar to the Five-Seal Barrier. While it does take a large amount of Chakra to keep active, it doesn't have specific requirements to be activated such as the Four Red Yang Formation does. As it was a creation of Lady Mito it is a very strong seal, able the contain the members of Ne and stop them from using chakra. I must say it was an ingenious creation, once activated it uses the chakra of those within to help strengthen it and keep it active." Hiruzen explained as he eyes drifted over the familiar swirling patterns of chains. It had been a long time since he had a seen a seal created by the wife of the Shoudai.

Moriko nodded, removing her hand and allowing the sealing to fade away from view. "I'm pretty much here as a warden for the seal while everything is figured out. Since chakra cannot be used within the seal, the one Danzo placed on his...army cannot be activated. That also means that a method to remove them has to be figured out..." She said glancing towards Tenzo. "And then those that held it will need to be evaluated to see if they are...safe to remain in Kohona or not..."

"Safe?" Tenzo asked curiously.

Kakashi nods snapping his book closed. "She means if they are Loyal to Kohona and not Danzo's manipulations. If they prove to be too far beyond our reach, they will most likely be eliminated..." Kakashi spoke calmly, although an expression of dislike crossed his face as speaking of killing fellow members of Kohona. It wasn't something he agreed with, it wasn't something he wanted to do at all...

Hiruzen nodded as Tenzo froze at the thought of all of Ne possibly being killed. "Moriko will be keeping an eye on the seal, since the Barrier Team has returned to their posts, and she shall be the Medic to deal with any medical needs we might come across and help with their evaluation. However, I also need those that have seen and dealt with Danzo's methods to help as well." He explained taking another deep breath of smoke as he looked towards the two males.

Tenzo blinked slowly as he understood what he was asking. "You want Kakashi and I to help?" He questioned, gaining a nod from the Hokage. Tenzo looked over locking eyes with Kakashi as he thought over it all. He was uncomfortable with it, to be honest. Since being removed from Danzo's care he had tried to ignore and forget what went on in the Ne.

"Just who will know of this, Hokage-Sama?" Kakashi questioned after a moment of thought.

Hiruzen released a deep breath of smoke as a stern expression crossed his face. "Thanks to Moriko's...testimony on Danzo's behalf the village sees him as the Hero he always wanted to be. It has also helped improve relations in the Village with the Uchiha Clan. As such, the public is not to know of his actions under any circumstances. Those that have worked with or been aware of Ne will, of course, know such as yourselves. Other than that only the T&I Headquarters will be informed of the situation. They shall be helping in the evaluations to make sure there are no hidden motives or secrets hidden. Inochi shall be heading that himself, meaning it will be a slow process. I don't need the fear and horror that will come from Danzo's actions being spread. I am still cleaning up the mess Orochimaru left behind."

Tenzo nodded slowly. "I...see..." He muttered.

Kakashi glanced at the other from the corner of his eye and gave a sigh, "This really is all a mess... Danzo might have been a problem, but his death seems to have created a much bigger one..." He said with a bored tone to his voice.

Hiruzen gave his own sigh in return. "Yes, and I have no one else but myself to blame...if only I had been able to shoulder the burden of the Darkness that exists within the Shinobi Nations... If only I could have balanced it and continued the goals of strengthening and building the village as the Nidaime had..." Hiruzen spoke with a wistful tone that ended in a mournful tone. "There is nothing to be done for it now... I'm far too old to change things more then I have."

Moriko glanced at the three men from the corner of her eyes with a scowl crossing her face. "So you intend for the new generation to have to deal with this...to fix the problems that you caused..." She scolded, gaining a tired expression from the Hokage causing her to scoff and look away. "Of course...Our goals are to protect and help the new Generation to grow...only to lead them like lambs to the slaughter..."

"Moriko," Hiruzen spoke only to be silenced as the girl crossed her arms turning away from the three.

"This is why I'm not one of your soldiers...one of your weapons...I refuse to just leave them blind to stumble along and hope they will succeed where we have failed...it's nonsense..." She grits out, her hands tightening on her arms. "It's unforgivable..."

Kakashi remained silent as he watched the scene play out, closing his eyes with a deep sigh he opened them towards the sky. When he returned home it would be to a broken little boy that was still healing from the betrayal of the very village that should have protected him. To think that one day Naruto and his generation would be responsible for the future of the village... That they would have the burden of carrying the consequences of the past... The hatred that the Shinobi Nations had created, through bloodshed, deception, and betrayal...would one day take their failings on as their own...

It really was a saddening thought, wasn't it?

Mikoto was silent as she held trembling hands in her lap. She had returned to the Clan's Compound looking at the destruction around her. The needless death of those with more pride then intelligence, those that held the past and its grudges more tightly than the future or peace... She had wondered the streets and buildings like one of the ghosts that no doubt haunted it.

Eventually, her feet brought her to the house that had come to be after the Kyuubi attack. Her hand dragging along the painted walls and running over brief items and nicknacks she came across. That horrible vase Fugaku's mother had forced them to keep. The books that were always in quick reach for those who entered, the tea set she had for guests...

Wondering through the house she had ended up here, in the kitchen at the table her family so rarely ate together at. If she closed her eyes she could see them, feel them... She could feel the tears burning in her eyes as her hands tightened. Sasuke would be talking animatedly about what he learned today, Fugaku would be distant but observant, Itachi...Itachi would be praising and encouraging toward her youngest, while she would simply smile and laugh-happy they were together...

"Oh, Itachi..." Her hand jerked up to cover her mouth as if speaking here would awaken something. Her mind flickered back to cold eyes and a cruel expression...to tears falling as Fugaku accepted his fate. Her son, her precious little child... The child she had coddled and loved, the soft-hearted boy who never really hardened to the Clan's ways.

No, her Itachi had merely learned to distance himself, to think of everything as a lie...to become a lie... He acknowledged what was happening knew it was real, but he would never accept it as truth... Locking everything away and burring it so far down that he couldn't feel any of it, only watch it like a bystander...distant but there. An observer and nothing more.

There was an ache where Fugaku had been. A cold chill where she could feel her husband at her side, or the memory of it at least. She mourned for him, for the husband she had loved and who had won her over for marriage... She mourned for what had been, who he had been once upon a time...a time that felt almost like a dream now. All the more she felt a burning ember of hatred within her. Her husband, her beloved Fugaku...where had he gone?

Where had the man that had held Itachi whenever he could sneak him away from her hold? The one that cooed at Sasuke and informed Itachi how important being an elder sibling was? The one that would spend more time standing over their children at night as they slept, because he feared they would be stolen if he let his guard down? Where was her husband that had loved the village and been loyal, the one that would have killed himself before possibly hurting another person of Kohona? Why had he changed, why he had he left her?

Her body shuddered as the cold surrounded her, the image in her mind vanishing away. She opened her eyes slowly to stare at the empty table, the empty cushions that were waiting for those that would never return. Fugaku, her beloved was gone and had been for some time, the anger would remain but there was nothing she could cling to involving him.

Itachi, her sweet darling little boy... He was now a murderer, a Kin slayer and traitor, he would never be able to return to her. Wrapped so deeply within his lies and loyalty to those he loved, he would never return...never look at them as he truly was again.

Sasuke, her poor dear Sasuke who was so confused and filled with pain psychological and physical... Just as broken as she was, but more so... Her innocent little boy hadn't been ready... And if her husband had truly forced the Clan to become the enemies of Kohona as he had planned... A part of her was almost thankful for Itachi's actions, as selfish and horrible as the thought was.

Her Sasuke wouldn't have been able to handle being the enemy of their village, being hated and distrusted by everyone around him... It would have broken her little boy... To be the bad guy, to be the enemy...he would have faded away until there was only an empty shell left, angry and bitter...

Taking a deep shuddering breath she closed her eyes once more before she finally pushed herself away from the table.

The past was nothing more than just that now, the past...a memory that could no longer be touched...but fondly looked back on. Her Sasuke, he was the future. He and his friends would begin their own journey's soon enough and would be the ones to face the world. She would do her best to make sure they weren't alone...that they were prepared. Because one day she would be left behind, as her child began his legacy and lived his own life... She could only hope to help him along his way, to make sure he was strong enough to endure everything he might do or find.

When Mikoto left the Uchiha Compound, she knew she would never return there. It would be best if the village tore down that bloodstained memory...