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  Kensei's Home.

  Kensei let out a long sigh and after thinking about what Hiruzen said, made a decision. "So what's the pn?"

  "I've already tasked some of my best agents to iigate Root and Danzo's allies within the vilge. I need you to iigate his ties to the Royal court. During these st few decades Danzo has cultivated a few assets he Daimyo. I need you to find their identities, their strengths and weaknesses. See if they are truly loyal to Danzo or if they be turned."

  "What about Jiraiya? He has aensive spy work. Why don't you ask him for help with this?"

  "He has a lot on his pte at the moment. The ails attad now the Uchiha massacre has signifitly reduced our strength. Jiraiya is currently w on minimizing information leaks and spreading false intelligence. With everything that's happened, we o show strength… I 't ask him to take on anymore at the moment. That's why I need your help."

  Kensei pondered on what the Hokage just said. There were a lot of things that could g with aion like this. "Hiruzen, we're about to du iigation on the members associated with the Fire Daimyo. If he gets wind of it before we plete the iigation, if anything goes wrong, then it will impact the vilge as a whole. You realize that don't you?"

  Hiruzen nodded. "I'm well aware of the risks, Kensei. Don't fet, I led this vilge for decades. I know just how much our retionship with the Fire Daimyo means to the vilge. But I've decided to go forward with this iigation heless. I'm here asking for your help to minimize the risks… You have some businesses in the capital. So there wouldn't be much suspi if you moved to the capital uhe guise of running your business in a more hands on capacity."

  Kensei crossed his arms as he thought about the proposal. "I don't want to leave Daichi alone here."

  "I'll make sure Daichi is safe."

  Kensei looked at Hiruzen and he had a downcast expression. "I trusted you once. And I paid the price. I 't take that ce again."

  Hiruzen looked down as he heard those words. "I'm truly sorry about your son… I 't ge the past Kensei… No matter how much I want to."

  Both of them sat in silend pted what to say . "I'm going to get us something to drink." Keood up ao the kit to get a bottle of sake and two cups. He returned shortly after and poured two cups. Both of them took a cup and drank the alcohol in it in silence.

  After a mi was the Hokage that broke the ice.

  "How is young Daichi?"

  "Eid training as usual. He's been going at it for months without stopping. But unlike most he actually enjoys pushing himself beyond his limits like this."

  "He's the best in his css and the teachers in the academy even know that he's strohan most of the senior students. They just don't know how much."

  Kensei smiled and nodded with that assessment.

  "How far has he progressed with the ge in chakra nature training?" Hiruzen drank another cup and asked.

  "He pleted the first two steps of both Earth and Fire chakra". Kensei smirked as he answered that question.

  "What?"

  The Hokage was shocked. The first step alone would usually take 3 to 7 months to learn. For talented gehat time would be reduced to 1 to 3 months. And it was merely the first step. To learn the sed step would take much more time. And the fact that Daichi mao learwo steps of 2 chakra natures in a single year astounded him.

  "Are you sure Kensei?"

  "Of course I'm sure. He showed me after he pleted his training. He was able to master the first step of his Earth nature in just 3 weeks."

  Hiruzen's eyes widened as heard that. Kensei looked at the dumbfounded face of the Hokage and chuckled.

  "Such speed…"

  "Yes. It's incredible. He makes you look like an ordinary chump Hiruzen." Kensei chucked at that.

  Hiruzen turned serious and looked at Kensei. "Danzo must not learrue extent of Daichi's talents. And we absolutely 't let Daichi be dragged into the Foundation. If Daichi bees part of the Root then it won't be long before Danzo makes a move on the position of Hokage. If someone as talented as Daichi es under his and then he will bee bold enough to challenge me or whoever es after me."

  Kensei nodded. "Yes. On that we agree."

  "For the moment we rest easy. Danzo won't make any moves on the surfad recruiting someone like Daichi will draw attention to him. So for the moment he'll only be . And he's also in the middle of creating a new base and moving his assets. So he'll be focused on that for now." The Hokage said after thinking about the current situation of root.

  "Danzo is not oo be sloppy with his movements or information. Who exactly did you send to infiltrate Root? He or she must be good if yetting such precise details."

  "One of my Anbu. Code named Bear. You know him. You even trained him for a brief period of time."

  Kensei's eyes slightly widened as realized who Hiruzen was talking about. "Ahh… So it's him… If it's that brat then you won't have much to worry."

  "If I'm going to help you with this, then I wo things iurn." Kensei knew Hiruzen would only e to him for help if he didn't have many optio.

  The kage sighed hearing that. "I had a feeling you didn't agree just because of the goodness of your heart… What is it?"

  "I want Isen out of Hōzuki Castle."

  The Hokage was shocked at what Kensei was asking. "That's impossible."

  "No it's not. The prisoners in that tai facility be released if the vilge sends an official request." Kehen took another mouthful from his sake cup.

  "You fet. Danzo has spies in that facility as well. He was the one who put Isen there and if I get Isen out, Danzo will know and he will send a kill squad to finish him off… And besides, what good will it do to have Isen out? He doesn't have his memories. He won't be of any help."

  Kensei sighed as he remembered what happeo his friend and once fellow Anbu member. "One of the few times Danzo showed mercy. Isen was loyal to the vilge just as much as you. He khat. But he also knew Isen uncovered several of his corrupt deeds. Isen had knowledge on Danzo's illegal assets."

  "What?"

  "Yes. But he was too angry at that time t that information to you because of what happened during his mission. And then he fell into Danzo's trap… For his lifelong loyalty to the vilge, instead of killing him, Danzo sealed his memories and with the charges against Isen he was able to imprison him in that castle. While you just sat there uo help him."

  Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at that accusation. "Do you think it was easy for me to just let that happen and do nothing about it? Isen attacked Danzo and the Daimyo's minister in public. It was a trap for Isen but like a blind fool he walked right into it. The Daimyo got involved. If Isen wasn't pu could have caused fri between the vilge and the capital."

  Kensei sighed as he heard the justification. The Hokage tinued.

  "Besides, who do you think it was that vinced Danzo to spare his life instead of ht killing him. Who do you think vinced him that Isen would be far less of a threat if he didn't have his memories and was imprisoned in a prison away from the vilge."

  Kensei was shocked as he looked at his kage. "You…?"

  "Yes. Don't think I didn't help. I made sure Isen would live to see another day."

  "Fat load of good that did. He's alive but everything that made him… him, is gone." Kensei looked dooured another cup for him.

  "I wouldn't be so sure of that."

  Kensei looked up at Hiruzen and saw the kage with a small smirk.

  "I'm the one who gave Danzo the memory seal formu. I told him it erma. Once used oarget, it would erase all the memories forever. And he checked it to make sure before using it ohe thing is… I lied when I said it would permaly erase the memories."

  Kensei leaned forward and looked at Hiruzen. "You mean…"

  "The memories are still there inside his head. Just locked away from everyone. A subtle but plex sealing jutsu courtesy of Lady Mito. The seal is essentially a lock. Ah the key would be able to undo that seal at any time. I figured it would be best to keep that information to myself."

  Kensei shot up from his seat as he heard those words. "You bastard. You mean I could have saved him and got his memories back all this time… Why didn't you tell me?"

  "Because I knew you would react like this and if you had tried to save him, Danzo would have interfered and killed Isen. And with the eyes of the Daimyo on the whole situation I couldn't do anything to jeopardize the stability of the vilge at the time."

  Kensei let out a breath and sat down. After several seds spoke. "We have to save him."

  "I agree. But we o do it without raising any suspis. If we want to save Isen a him out of there, then first he has to die."

  Kensei narrowed his eyes. He figured out the meaning of those words in seds. "Fake his death."

  Hiruzen nodded. "I have an idea but I need some time to create a crete pn."

  "Ok… Ok… Whatever you need. I'll help you with this. For Isen." Kensei spoke with a smile. He was excited at the prospect of resg his old friend.

  "For Isen." Hiruzen raised his sake cup and Kensei joined in toasting for their friend's freedom.

  "You mentiowo things. What's the sed?" Hiruzen asked as he took another swig of the alcohol.

  "I'm thinking about having someo the hospital teach Daichi some mediinjutsu." Kensei replied. "I mao peak the kid's i in the field. I told him I would start him on that this year."

  Hiruzen had a frown on his face when he heard this. 'Kabuto is w at the hospital. If he learns about Daichi then Orochimaru will also learn about the child. And that's just as bad.'

  Notig Hiruzen's frown Kensei had an uneasy feeling. "What's wrong?"

  "You 't take Daichi to the hospital for training."

  "Why not?"

  The Hokage sighed. "The spy I mentiohat has ties to Orochimaru… He works at the hospital. If Orochimaru gets information on Daichi, that would bring trouble for the boy."

  Kensei gru that. "Daichi has a lot of potential. Learning mediinjutsu would be him greatly. And he would only need a fra of the time to leareiques needed."

  "Yes. I'm sure he's capable. But do you really want to take that risk?"

  Kensei's silence was his reply to the question.

  Hiruzen spoke after a short while. "I'll e up with something. Give me a couple weeks."

  Kensei nodded.

  "I was hoping to meet young Daichi but it seems he's busy with his training. Maybe aime…" Hiruzen had his eyes gng at the door.

  "He might not be back for a while."

  Hiruzen nodded. "Then it's time for me to leave. I'll e bace everything is pnned out."

  Kensei nodded and both of them stood from their chair. Hiruzen reapplied his transformation jutsu and walked out of the house. Before long, he left the pce.

  Author’s Note:

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