Summary: A hypothetical scenario in which Naruto argues with Danzo about the importance of using the correct means to achieve the right ends.

Note: This was partially inspired by a semi-recent episode (I don't exactly remember which one) in which Danzo was using his implanted Sharingan to "persuade" the Lord of the Land of Iron to choose him as the supreme military commander... or something (I have a short attention span, okay? shut up). Anyhow, his defense was that he was trying to ensure the best ends, never mind his shady means of doing it, and I wondered how Naruto would have thought of that. Not too enthusiastic, I think.

Warning: Some language.

Parings: None

Characters: Danzo, Naruto

I own nothing of Naruto, including but not limited to the characters of the Narutoverse.

"So long as the end is met, the means aren't important."

"Forget it! You can't claim to be doing good when you're sneaking around and doing evil!" shouts Naruto loudly, holding his ground against Danzo's steady stare. The old man clutches his cane, digging the end into the rocky soil. The wind hisses through the surrounding trees, and shadows slither over the floor of the forest.

Danzo has seen a lot in his life, and the way he sees it, his actions, noble and ignoble, have been necessary to support the Leaf Village in all its glory, and to secure himself a place of power. Humans are sheep by nature; the vast majority of them wouldn't amount to anything without a firm leader to guide them, a strong power to protect them from their own stupidity. What does it matter the method he chooses to go about snagging power, so long as he takes control in the end? Danzo is aware that he is power-hungry, but he doesn't see it as a bad thing. Ambition to succeed, after all, is what lets a leader rise above others. The people of the Leaf Village - heck, the whole world - should be thanking him on their knees for having the willingness to carry the mantle in such trying times. Without him, the Leaf would have crumbled years ago. Without him, the ninja world would crumble by the Akatsuki's hands.

"Sacrifices are necessary to achieve the right ends."

"You can't sacrifice good when it's what you want to achieve!"

Certainly, there are those like this yellow-haired brat, sitting up on their high moral horses, that look down upon his methods. But they either know nothing of what it takes to keep a ninja society together, or are shameless hypocrites that want to have their cake and eat it too.

"You are young and ignorant, jinchuuriki."

It is precisely because Danzo is ready and willing to give up bleach-white integrity in exchange for power, that makes him the perfect man to rule the world.

"My name isn't Jinchuuriki, it's Naruto! And I may be young, but I sure as hell aren't ignorant! I know that bending people's will and stealing from behind their backs is evil!"

Danzo is ruthless, cold, and cunning. Only children and fools blinded by their petty little lives can wholeheartedly believe that the world is divided into good and evil, that it is wrong and perverse to let these two extremes mix. The truth of the matter, Danzo knows, is that good and evil tend to intermingle no matter what anyone does. It is never as easy as deeming an action as wrong or right, and so long as what's relatively right wins out, so long as he is the one in charge at the end of the day, and not some idealistic little idiot, Danzo believes that dabbling in morally questionable actions is not so wrong.

"Naruto," he says, trying for a sterner tone, "There is no such thing as pure good or pure evil in this world..."

"Oh yeah? Look at the Akatsuki! Those bastards thought that they could just do whatever they wanted with jinchuuriki, and as far as I'm concerned, you're from the same lot as them!"

The old man allows himself to show a grim smile.

"We're all from the same lot as them, Naruto. Think about your dream job, the Hokage. The Hokage assigns deadly missions to his ninja every day. He assigns them to go burglarize castles, capsize governments, and assasinate figureheads, all for the sake of cash."

Naruto's mouth flaps open and closed like a fish pulled from the sea, his eyes narrow with seething anger as he desperately searches for a counter argument that Danzo knows does not exist.

Because what Danzo said was all true. The only difference between the Akatsuki and the Hidden Villages are that the Akatsuki don't pay off a part of their pay to a legal authority, and for this primary reason, they are bestowed with the title of "missing ninja". Granted, most missing ninja are off their rockers, and are generally threats to stable society. Thus the need for Danzo to take charge of the international shinobi military, and thus the need for Danzo to use underhand moves to acquire the power necessary to defend his Village. This power, given to anyone else, would mean the end of them all. This power, in Danzo's hands, would be able to put the Leaf Village at the top of the messy dog pile known as the ninja world.

Danzo adds, consolingly, "Naruto, the ninja world is a harsh one. All we can do is to make sure that we're stronger than anyone else, or we can never have prosperity or peace."

Naruto's eyes flash blue. "You know what, old fart? Pein thought that he could achieve peace by letting everyone know the meaning of pain and fear. You know what I told him?"

Danzo is silent. He grips his walking stick again, digging it into the rocky soil as a leafy tree branch casts shadows across his bandaged face.

"I told him that a peace like that is no peace at all." Naruto stands tall and serious, hair lit up in dappled patches of sun.

"It's the means that make the end."