Strongest Shinobi

While Izana was hurrying back towards Konoha, Jiraiya had been busy stalling the elders but mostly Danzo from acting against the Uchiha. The Uchiha had become more mellowed out through Fugaku's actions, but a lot of the Uchiha elders hadn't seen eye to eye with Fugaku's way of acting. They had taken action behind the scenes to go through with the coup without the oppositions knowledge. Jiraiya had come to know of this, but so had Danzo.

***

The Konoha council, Danzo, Hiruzen, Homura and Koharu were debating wether to take action or not. Hiruzen still tried to dissuade the Uchiha by talking it through with them, but the other council members didn't agree. With none of them having gotten through with the others, Danzo left the room in great dissatisfaction.

"Send word to Itachi. There is no other choice left. Otherwise Konoha will be ruined."

A root Anbu that had hidden nearby nodded and disapeared.

Suppresing a snarl, Danzo pressed against his missing eye. A hateful look appeared on his face as the fresh wound began to bleed again.

"Hateful Uchiha brat." Danzo scorned as he absentmindedly rubbed his arm, of which blood was seeping through the bandages as well.

"You just wait. When the Uchiha are gone you won't be able to get away from me!"

Stomping away in anger, Danzo left towards his hideout.

***

In the Uchiha manor Fugaku could feel something was going on. The manor was emptier than usual, with only children, women and elderly remaining. Most of the grown up men were gone.

Mikoto had sensed it as well as a hint of worry appeared on her face.

"Stay with Sasuke. I will find out what is happening. If something goes wrong, hide with the others in the evacuation bas.e.m.e.nt."

Mikoto nodded as Fugaku left the house in a hurry. Hurrying towards the academy, Mikoto saw many other Uchiha parents looking in worry for their child. They were part of the faction that had spoken against the coup from happening. Mikoto had already noticed the absence of Uchiha from the opposite faction.

Seeing Sasuke, Mikoto hurriedly dragged him with her as she was intent on getting to the shelter as soon as she could. She had a feeling something awful was going to happen.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Sasuke said, gripping Mikoto's sleeve tightly.

"Nothing, Sasuke. We are just going to play a game with your father."

Mikoto said as she looked down at Sasuke. Sasuke smiled widened as he really wanted to spend more time with his father.

"Really? What are we playing?"

Mikoto smiled at seeing Sasuke so happy as she kept her worry and fears hidden behind her smile.

"We are going to play hide and seek. Sasuke will stay with mommy until your father finds us."

"Okay!"

Without further explanation, Mikoto dragged Sasuke with her to the hidden shelter. Fugaku had become more worried as the days passed and he had especially built it if something bad was about to happen. Glad he husband was looking so far ahead, Mikoto entered through the hidden compartement and closed it behind her.

The shelter had been hidden beneath a giant boulder in the garder, which would open and close through the application of certain chakra signatures. These were from Sasuke, Izana, Fugaku, Itachi and herself.

The other Uchiha families from their faction had taken to Fugaku's caution as well, building many hidden shelters for their families.

By the end of the day, the Uchiha manor had become more deserted than ever before. Only the a.d.u.l.t men had stayed behind while their families had hidden away. Even a lot of the elderly had refused to hide as they would fight if something was happening to their clan. They had seen how the Senju clan had slowly withered away under the might of other villages. They wouldn't even be surprised if Konoha had a hand in this as well.

They wouldn't stand down and let that happen to their clan as well. So by the end of the day, only the children and some of the parents had gone and hidden away as the able a.d.u.l.ts prepared for the worst.

***

When night fell, shadows had begun to move. The buildings surrounding the Uchiha manor were strangely quiet. The families living there having moved out or gone away on a mission. More than a few streets were empty.

From atop of a nearby building, Jiraiya already saw that everything was going downhill.

"Is he there yet?"

Jiraiya said with a bit of inpacience, which was unlike him.

"Calm down Jiraiya-chan. The Ma will be arriving there soon. We just need to stop the hostile ones from acting until she and Izana are back. You should do what you do best."

"I guess that is all we can do. Still, I've got a bad feeling about this."

Fukasaku felt the dreadful mood as well, something was definitely wrong.

Looking down, Jiraiya could see the Uchiha from the coup faction moving out, a determined look in their eyes. They all seemed excited but clamed down quickly as they moved back towards their homes. From a nearby Uchiha he could hear their conversation.

"I can't wait to get started. If only we could begin now."

"Hush, the elder will have your head if this gets out."

"I know, I only wish we could move on a bit faster. The unfair treatment is killing me and my family."

The voices soon became faint as they entered another building.

"They are planning to move, Jiraiya-chan. Hiruzen's words are falling on deaf ears."

Jiraiya nodded as he looked at more than half of the Uchiha clan smiling in glee at what had been spoken about in their hidden clan meeting.

When he was about to speak again, Jiraiya could see two shadows moving about. One was wearing a mask while the other kept himself hidden in the shadows, his face unrecognizable. What was shown were a part of the clothes he was wearing. Anbu clothes.

"We need to call back up from the Hokage. I can sense even more presences coming closer." Fukasaku said, looking around at the said places.

Nodding, Jiraiya made a few handsigns and a clone appeared behind him. The clone nodded as he hurried towards his sensei's home.

"If only Shima-sama can be on time." Jiraiya murmured as he could see multiple shadows beginning to trail after the leaving Uchiha.

***

Izana was dashing throught the forest at a high pace, jumping from one branch to another. The lightning coursing through his limbs left scorching footprints behind with every step he took.. His tailed beast cloak was shimmering brightly in crimson red, a long red tail trailing behind him.

Noticing something further up ahead, Izana frowned. He didn't want to be held back for too long as every second counted, but something made him slow his pace. It was the sense of familiarity. Stopping in front of the small figure with fuzzy purple hair, Izana looked in surprise as he looked at the small figure of Shima.

"Shima-sama! What are you doing here?" Izana said, the urgency in his voice a bit faded but not gone.

"I'm here for you, Izana-chan. Now hurry up. We don't have all day."

Izana nodded as he crouched a bit. Shima jumped on his shoulder as she filled a piece of paper with a Uzumaki seal on it with a huge amount of chakra. Recognising it as something Kushina had left behind for him, Izana knew Jiraya had planned this all out. It quickly burned away into nothing as Izana waited for something to happen.

Feeling a strange sensation creeping up his back, Izana had a faint premonition. Making sure he was as ready as he could be, the feeling suddenly intensifies.

[Its ready. Now let's get this thing started.]

Nodding at Ryuujin's words, Izana disapeared in a loud of smoke, a piece of wood left behind in its place.