Chương 124: Danzo's Trap.

Danzo looked at the report on his desk with a smirk.

"It is just like you predicted Shikaku… Kakashi really did organise a protest to take place this weekend when the Daimyo arrives. Will he make a move during that time? Will the Uchiha make a move during that time as well?"

"Yes Hokage-sama… it seems to be the most likely case… after all, the Uchiha can simply cause a little chaos during the protest and disguise the siege on the Hokage tower as a mishap."

"Hmmm… I see… that is more or less what I deduced… What do you propose I do?"

"There are two angles to this Hokage-sama… one is Kakashi and the other is Fugaku. To counter each of their advances, you just need to grab a hold of their weaknesses. Haruto is Kakashi's weakness and while the Uchiha are distracted by the protest, you can grab Itachi Uchiha."

"Haruto and Itachi Uchiha… won't Fugaku and Kakashi already protect them as they leave to do their jobs?" Danzo asked while posing a counter argument. Shikaku nodded, "While that is true Hokage-sama, Haruto has the cursed tongue eradication seal so all it'll take is an order from you and Itachi can be manipulated into coming to this place on his own."

"How?" Danzo asked, slightly surprised.

"Itachi's personality is complex, he puts the village above everything else, if you show him that Fugaku is willing to harm the village for his own interests in becoming the Hokage, Itachi is bound to side with you Hokage-sama." Danzo grunted before mulling the words as he thought through things carefully.

"Alright, you may leave now. I'll handle the arrangements."

"As you wish, Hokage-sama." Shikaku said softly with a bow and then left the Hokage office but as he left no one spotted the hidden smirk on his face. Soon, only about an hour later, Fugaku showed up at the Hokage office, and along with him was none other than the young Itachi Uchiha. Fugaku looked at Danzo with clear disappointment. This was the role Shikaku had given him to play and he was going to play it with full attention.

But it wasn't like this role was any difficult to play since Fugaku genuinely was disappointed with Danzo, to the extent that he had proposed to Shikaku that he would start a rebellion against him. After all, on the day of Danzo's ascension, the Uchiha had already caught ROOT agents trying to infiltrate the Uchiha clan compound and feed a Jubakuchu to his knocked out son Sasuke. It was Itachi who had noticed and killed the ROOT agents in a quick short fight. Itachi on the other hand looked at Danzo with respect.

Of course, this was just fake respect, after all, the second Danzo had lifted his hand against his little brother, he'd turned Itachi into his mortal enemy. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. But Itachi was already a prolific actor even at the age of eleven.

Danzo looked at Itachi only for a moment, evaluating to see if the boy was anything like what Shikaku had portrayed him as before nodding confidently in his mind that Itachi indeed looked like an impressionable child. Danzo didn't have to read Itachi's file to remember that he'd graduated in just six months when Hiruzen was still the Hokage and then became a chunin at ten by participating in the chunin exams all alone.

It had shaken him then, but now it only felt like a treasure bonus, after all he coveted Itachi and the little boy was soon going to dance straight into his palm.

"What do you think of the protest being organised, Fugaku?" Danzo started straight away. Fugaku's frown deepened before he looked at Itachi and asked Danzo politely, "Is it alright if Itachi leaves… I don't think this is a conversation he needs to hear about?" Danzo shook his head, "Itachi is a chunin and a crucial member of the village. I'm sure he is more than qualified to hear about some common facts. What do you think, Itachi?" Itachi's eyes glimmered and he nodded, "I'm happy to be of help Hokage-sama…

if that is what you wish of me." Danzo nodded in Itachi's direction and looked at Fugaku as if trying to show him that this was how things were meant to be and that Itachi had every right to be here. Fugaku pretended not to like it one bit and scoffed before speaking harshly, "I'm not part of organising the protests. But the police force is going to take full responsibility if something happens. I'm going to be deploying my best shinobi on the job.

And I'm also going to be deploying all the two hundred chunin police officers that I've got so that nothing untoward happens." Danzo frowned.

"With so many officers gathered at once what's stopping you from abusing the innocent villagers!?" Danzo sharply laid a trap. Fugaku instantly spotted the trap but walked into it anyway since that was what Shikaku had advised him to do.

"No Hokage-sama, how could I abuse the innocent villagers!?"

"So you think they're innocent after all…" Danzo said with displeasure.

"Villagers who are planning openly to overthrow the village and get rid of me are innocent?"

"That is not what I meant Hokage-sama I-""If that is not what you meant? What is it that you meant? Do you want to get rid of me too!? Are you threatening me right now? To get the Hokage seat for yourself you want to side with the villagers and take part in a rebellion!?"

"But that is not true!" Fugaku argued back. But Danzo had prepared something better, "Do you want me to investigate the clan compounds and drag out all those Uchiha that support a rebellion!?" Fugaku frowned he had no answer to that question. He looked at Itachi and found the young boy giving him a slightly fearful look as if he was worried about what Danzo had just said. In the end Fugaku simply sighed and pretended to control himself, "What can I do to show you that my arrangements are sincere Hokage-sama?

I shall proceed according to your orders." Danzo laughed in his mind heartily.

'That's what I thought!' Fugaku however was expecting Danzo to simply ask him to put off half or even more of his men on the day of the rebellion and replace them with ROOT shinobi, or at least that was what Shikaku had told him to expect. Instead Danzo made an outrageous demand!

"Let your son come into the ANBU and let some of the ANBU shinobi manage the affairs of the Police Headquarters for a while. Once he does that I will be satisfied with your arrangements on the day." Fugaku froze, shocked!

'What!?'

'Both the demands are not what Shikaku-sama told me about…'

'Was it just to keep my reaction genuine… or is this unplanned?' Danzo looked at Fugaku's shocked face with some satisfaction before asking Fugaku once again, "So? What will it be?" Fugaku looked at Itachi and saw the young boy nod at him softly, a signal that he knew this was coming.

'Sigh… Shikaku-san is being too unconventional…' Fugaku kept his troubled expression for nearly half a minute as if he were contemplating in silence and spoke to Danzo with a frown, "It will be a little bit troublesome to include the ANBU shinobi in the police department without the dissent of the Hawk faction of the clan Hokage-sama." Danzo frowned, 'Hmm… indeed, sometimes a cornered rat is more dangerous than a cat… for now I will take his son…

and then on the day of the rebellion when he steps out of the line I'll use his son to take his clan.'

"Alright." Danzo nodded.

"Leave Itachi with me for now, he'll start work this weekend."

".... alright Hokage-sama." Fugaku bowed and stood up before placing his hand on Itachi's shoulder for a second and then leaving.