The Second's Second Chance

Dealing with Root

Kakashi slipped into the Hokage office through the window, only to be stopped short by the sight of more than a dozen Senju Tobirama working on a mountain of paperwork. It took a second for his brain to register that he was looking at shadow clones and then he wondered why the Sandaime didn't use the technique for completing his paperwork.

"Ah, Hound." One of the Niidaime, probably the original, said. "Are you prepared for a mission?."

Kakashi knelt in front of the Niidaime that addressed him. "At your command Hokage-sama."

"At ease. Are you familiar with the organisation called Root?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I was a member of Root for some time." He admitted.

"That would make things easier for you." The Niidaime said. "I'm disbanding Root right this moment. Your mission is to take as many teams of ANBU as you need,  for a raid at the Root headquarters, take every member into custody and escort them to Interrogation.

Kakashi processed that for a minute.

"Not Torture and Interrogation?" He asked finally.

"It was renamed today." The Hokage replied. "Do you have any questions?"

"The Root operatives have a seal on their tongue that prevents them speaking about the organisation. T and I, sorry, Interrogation wouldn't be able to get anything out of them."

"I'm aware of the seal. They have the schematic to remove them." Was the reply. " If there isn't anything else, I'll expect your report in three days."

Kakashi quietly slipped away at the dismissal, his mind already devising a strategy to complete the mission with minimum bloodshed.

At the end, none of his plans were required, as he Root operatives surrendered peacefully to the ANBU, as with Danzo out of the village, the Hokage was their commanding officer. Simply telling them that Hokage-sama had ordered their presence at Interrogation, had them complying.

Three days later, Kakashi was standing in front of the Hokage, delievering his mission report.

"The raid was successful with no casualties. We were able to detain 43 operatives and 20 trainees who are between 5 to 9 years of age. All of them surrendered without any resistance. Two teams of 3 and 4 members each are currently on a mission of unknown whereabouts. I've assigned Owl to search their headquarters for any information on the said missions."

"How did the interrogations go?" The Niidaime asked, appearing unconcerned about the missing operatives.

"The seals on their tongues were easily removed with the help of the schematic you provided. They still refused to answer questions about Root and Danzo. They claim to be loyal to Konoha and to the Hokage, but their loyalty to Danzo supercedes everything."

"I see." The Hokage said, still looking untroubled. "See to their relocations, then. Offer them a place in the archive or the ANBU, depending on their choice. As for the children, if they have any clan or gaurdians, return them to their homes. The rest of them would be made wards of the ANBU."

"The ANBU, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi couldn't help but question. "ANBU are supposed to be completely loyal to the Hokage above all else. They will be compromised the second Danzo returns."

"That wouldn't be an issue." The Hokage waived off his concerns.

"Begging your pardon, Hokage-sama, but I think it would. Danzo might have been your student five decades ago, but he wouldn't have the same loyalties to you now. He even tried to assassinate Sandaime-sama." Kakashi blurted out.

The Niidaime raised an eyebrow at his outburst. "Through you, if I'm informed correctly?"

Kakashi had the decency to blush at that. Though, it hardly mattered because of his two sets of masks.

"I'm aware of the fact that Danzo isn't the same person I knew as my student. I'm not concerned about what would happen when he returns is because of the fact that he is very unlikely to return from the suicide mission I've sent him on." The Hokage continued.

Kakashi stared at the Hokage in shock at that revelation.

"And if he does return?" He managed to counter.

"Then I'll deal with it."

Well, that was that, then. Kakashi nodded and left to start on the troublesome work of relocating the former Root operatives. He had a feeling that most of them would end up in ANBU.