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Silence. Danzo stared at Hiruzen, who glared back. They continued to stare at each other, neither one of them backing down as they looked each other in the eyes. Danzo gripped his cane, squeezing on the handle as he silently grits his teeth.

"May I ask why?" Danzo managed to say, trying to hide his silent, seething anger.

"The final wish that the Fourth Hokage made before he sacrificed himself for our village was for Naruto to one day be seen as a hero," Hiruzen replied, inspecting Danzo's every movement. He couldn't find one that mattered, yet again, he was suspicious of every movement he made. "I intend for this wish to be fulfilled. He will be a hero, but not because he is Minato's son, but because he holds a burden no person should hold."

"I... see." Danzo looked over at his newborn grandson once more. "There is a flaw to this logic. Lady Kushina had her status kept a secret. Why is this different? Why parade him around? Like a trophy? Make him an easy target."

Hiruzen nodded along. He thought he heard concern in Danzo's voice but he ignored it, only accepting not only the logic but the facts. It was true. Kushina being the Kyūbi Jinchuriki was kept a secret because it was crucial for the protection of the village and the containment of the Kyūbi' power. Revealing her status as the Jinchuriki could have made her a target for enemies seeking to exploit the Kyūbi's power. Why shouldn't the same logic apply to Naruto?

"I... I..." Hiruzen couldn't speak. He shook his head, agreeing with Danzo. But he soon growled, trying to figure out what motive his old friend was trying to hide. "Never mind that. Naruto Uzumaki is to be the hero of the village as Minato's last wish. I will announce it... soon."

"You sentimental old fool." Danzo stood up, sneering at the Third Hokage and turning away.

"Do you have something to say, Danzo?" Hiruzen asked, getting ready for a fight, standing up straight. He released some Killing Intent, yet Danzo held his ground. But Naruto, the infant child he was, cried. He was wailing as Hiruzen released his Killing Intent.

"I'm using my head. Yet, you are the Hokage. And I must follow his every word as law." Danzo turned around, giving him a mock bow before he left. When the old War Hawk was gone, Hiruzen sat down, taking in a deep breath as he reached for Naruto and pulled him in close. He held the basket in his hands, bouncing it as he soothed the child. "Shhh, shhh, it's alright, Naruto. Grandpa Sarutobi is here."

Meanwhile, Danzo walked through the halls of the Hokage Tower, his mind consumed by conflicting thoughts. The conversation with Hiruzen had left a bitter taste in his mouth. He walked down the steps to the lobby, quietly thinking to himself.

'Such foolishness! When we're at our weakest, he wants to parade him like a hero. Bah! Naruto will be the largest target across the elemental nations! Even more so than Sarutobi!' Danzo thought. But as he stepped into the lobby, he stopped. What was he thinking? No, it's not about Naruto's safety, it's about the safety of the village! Naruto's protection was... only an added benefit. Right?

He didn't have a whole lot of time to think about it before he was met with a person he wasn't quite fond of. A tall and well-built man with waist-length, spiky white hair and red lines under his eyes. The man had a long gait in his step, strolling passed him without so much as a look.

"Danzo."

"Jiriya." This was the closest they would ever get to greeting each other. Yet, Jiriya didn't stay for long, walking up the stairs as Danzo watched. When the Sage was out of view, Danzo continued his walk, going out of the lobby as the receptionist said farewell, to which Danzo gave a farewell of his own, surprising the both of them.

At the Kyūbi Monument, Later That Day:

A young ANBU stood in front of the monument all by himself. He stared at it with a blank expression. He had but a single eye, the other covered with his headband and the lower face covered by a mask. He has spiky silver hair oriented to his left side.

"Sensei..." He muttered as he looked towards the sunset. The rain had finally stopped for the first time in days but the clouds still hung around. He sighed, continuing to stand there and stare. But that was stopped when he heard the sound of footsteps. Shifting his body, he turned to see Danzo approaching him.

They both remained silent. Danzo walked up to him, standing at his side, looking at the monument with him. Minutes passed before the young man bowed, speaking in a more formal tone.

"Forgive me for not bowing earlier, Lord Danzo." He said as the old man raised a hand.

"You are... in mourning... I understand." Danzo replied, lowering his hand as Kakashi went from bowing to standing up straight. "You're Kakashi Hatake, correct?"

"Yes, Lord Danzo."

"Hmm... figured, Lord Fourth did have a certain way of writing about you in his reports." Kakashi raised a brow. Minato Sensei had a certain way of writing about him in his reports. Sure, his teacher adored him, but he was sure that he professionally wrote about him.

"In what manner?"

"In some of your earlier missions, right after you graduated," Danzo said as he pulled out some papers and handed them to the young ANBU.

Kakashi was suspicious, slowly reaching out and taking the papers. The stack was pretty large, almost a quarter-of-an-inch worth of papers. But the moment he saw the first paper, his eye widened.

"T-This was our first mission together."

"Yes.. a runaway cat, correct?"

"Yeah, Obito's face got messed up badly. Minato-Sensei and Lady Kushina had to take him to the hospital!" Kakashi smiled under his mask. But that happiness spoon vanished, replaced with sadness as he started to cry. His tears fell onto the papers with each turn.

As Kakashi was crying, Danzo turned around, trying his best not to insult the young man. He thought that this was a weakness. He thought that crying over such things was a waste of time. But then he thought about it. He acted the same way when Tobirama-Sensei sacrificed himself and gave Hiruzen the title of Hokage. He remembered the good times and missed them... dearly? No... well... maybe. He smiled, remembering the missions his team would go on with Team Tobirama, especially their first few missions.

"T-Thank you, Lord Danzo." Kakashi's sudden thanks caused Danzo to turn around to see him bowing, tears still flowing from his eyes.

"Whatever for?" Danzo questioned, wondering why he would be thankful for that matter.

"F-For helping me remember the good times again... even if it doesn't mean much now."

The old man bit his tongue, thinking of what to say next. He honestly didn't think he'd get this far, especially considering his approach. It was a new approach. Trying 'sympathy' and 'empathy'. Something that Hiruzen always spouted about... and something that Hashirama always preached.

"Kakashi... how would you like to work for me?"

"E-Excuse me?" Kakashi stood back up, wiping away his tears.

"Work for me, Kakashi. Such a talented young man like yourself will only grow stagnant."

"B-But I can't! I... I'm still working on a job for Minato-Sensei."

"And as you know, Lord Fourth has passed. You were at the funeral... and now Lord Third has retaken his position as Hokage." Danzo was trying to maneuver his words. Trying his best to navigate the situation without sounding forceful. "I have my suspicions that he's up to something. As you know, he forbade you youngsters from helping in the Kyūbi Attack."

"L-Lord Danzo, forgive me, but that sounds almost blasphemous!" Kakashi interrupted him. The young ANBU expected to be chewed out, but Danzo only nodded his head.

"It does... I know... you may have to ask him yourself about that. You are ANBU and you will soon be working under him. You may question him and get a half-baked answer... or you can work under me. Uncover the truth... and maybe I'll even give you a special mission that may pique your interest."

"What mission might that be?" Kakashi asked as Danzo walked away.

"The protection of the new Kyūbi Jinchūriki of course. I'm sure you've already heard both that and the secret."

"W-What secret?"

"I thought the old monkey already told you... that newborn is Minato's son." Danzo finished, vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

Kakashi stood there, stunned by this new revelation. The papers in his hand suddenly felt heavier, and the weight of the information settled in his mind. Minato's son, Naruto, was now the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi, and the village intended to keep it a secret. The conflicting emotions within Kakashi churned as he pondered the implications of Danzo's words.

Danzo's figure disappeared from view, leaving Kakashi alone with his thoughts. He couldn't deny the allure of uncovering the truth behind Hiruzen's decisions. However, a part of him hesitated. Working for Danzo meant stepping into the shadows, where the lines between right and wrong blurred.

"I'll find the truth, Sensei, and I won't let your sacrifice be in vain." As the sun dipped below the horizon, Kakashi made a decision. A decision he felt content with. Clutching the papers tightly, he steeled himself for the challenges ahead.