Ch 9 - Verdict
Hitomi stood patiently outside the Council room and waited to be called in. It had been a full day since they had returned to Suna. It also meant that it had been four days since the Chunin Exams.
Goza, the Council member, had arrived to retrieve the Kazekage's body with two medical shinobis and two ANBU shinobis. They had quickly taken over the scene and Goza was insistent that Hitomi and her group leave it with them.
The gossip in Suna blew freely with the wind and since Hitomi's return, word had spread about the Kazekage's death along with news regarding the Konoha invasion. More shinobis returned on stretchers than on foot. An alarming number of them had cloths draped over their faces and were carried to the morgue. The whole village was beside itself with the current state of things.
Hitomi didn't know if her father had returned back to the village yet. Given the situation, she wouldn't be surprised if he was pulled into meetings left and right for both the Council and the Hatsu tribe and did not have time to come home. However, she knew for sure he had returned when she was summoned to appear before the Council.
A ticking clock echoed through the bare clay walls and Hitomi tilted her head towards Tamotsu, who stood by her side with his back leaned against the wall and his arms folded in front of him.
"What time is it?" Hitomi asked quietly.
Tamotsu raised an eyebrow and then stood up straighter so he could see the clock that was nailed right above her head. "12:15...Don't worry. We'll make it in time."
"I hope so," she said before the door across from them opened. She recognized the chakra nature of the man, who was coming to collect them. He was the right hand man of Tojuro, one of the higher ranking Council members.
"Hitomi-san. They're ready for you," the jonin said.
Hitomi drew in a deep breath and placed her hand on Tamotsu's arm. He guided her through the doorway while she scanned the room. It was a full house with only one vacant seat around the Council table. It was the spot reserved for the Kazekage. It was the seat with its back facing three large statues of the previous Kazekages, symbolizing that the one who sat there carried the ambitions and dreams of his predecessors.
We'll need to start making one for the Fourth, Tamotsu thought grimly as he looked at the living bodies around the room.
11 council members sat at the table, consisting of six tribal heads, including Hitomi's father, and five well-respected shinobis. Each of their attendants stood along the back of the room, most of them vying for a spot at the table one day. Then, his eyes moved to the side of the room and they widened when they spotted Kankuro, Temari, and Baki, who had his right arm in a sling.
"Please stand here," the jonin who escorted them in stated and he pointed at a spot directly in front of the second Kazekage's statue.
Tamotsu guided Hitomi to the space and he was suddenly very much aware that all eyes were on them. The spot was right at the front of the room and all occupants would be able to get an unobstructed view of them.
Tojuro, the oldest presiding member of the Council and head of the ANBU, leaned forward in his seat. He sat directly facing the Kazekage's seat, which meant he faced Hitomi and Tamotsu as well. Hitomi's father sat directly at his right.
Tojuro rested his elbows on the table and he folded his hands together. "Hitomi-chan," he said. His voice was disarmingly gentle for the given situation, "Do you know why we called you in?"
Tamotsu could feel the subtle pressure on his arm from Hitomi's fingers. He resisted the urge to chuckle. Tojuro was either being delicate because he saw her as a child or because she was blind. Either way, Hitomi didn't care much for it.
She smiled politely back. "I'd rather not assume. Why don't you tell me, Tojuro-san?" she asked.
Tamotsu couldn't hold back anymore and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips while the men shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
"Oy!" Kankuro shouted impatiently from the back of the room, "You're the one who knew my dad wasn't at the Chunin Exams. Why didn't you say anything to us? Why didn't you-"
"Kankuro," Temari whispered, "Stop it. We were all under orders and keep your voice down. This is a sacred place and we aren't here to-"
"Damn it. Our dad is dead, Temari," Kankuro snapped, "And all these people can talk about is who should take his place and move on. They don't even seem sad that he's gone!"
"I am very sad for your loss, Kankuro-san and Temari-san, but there is a time to mourn and grieve," Hitomi said softly, "Now is not the time."
"Don't tell me that I can't grieve for my father," Kankuro shouted, "Who the hell do you think you are?"
"I am a concerned citizen of Suna," Hitomi answered, "And our village had just failed an attack on our own ally, our forces have been cut by at least 20%, and we have just lost our leader. Our future is at risk and that takes precedent. The past can wait."
The Council members murmured to each other while Tojuro raised an eyebrow and nodded at Katsuo. "I see that your daughter takes after you in more than just looks, Katsuo-sama," he said with approval and then he looked around the table.
"It is clear from Goza-san and Baki's reports that Orochimaru and the Sound is behind the murder of the Kazekage. It is also becoming apparent that they had taken advantage of our strained relationship with the Land of Fire," he said, "We can deal with that later. Hitomi-chan is right. What's important is that we figure out what we should do now before the situation worsens and that we should look towards stabilizing our future."
He stated the last part while looking in the direction of Kankuro and Temari. Then he took a deep breath and returned his attention on the girl he had just called in, "Hitomi-chan, we were told by Baki that you were able to sense Orochimaru at the Chunin Exams, is that true?"
Hitomi nodded.
"We were also told that you were able to stop Gaara from attacking two shinobis right before his match..."
Hitomi could hear everyone shift closer in their seats towards her and the whole room fell intensely silent. She nodded again.
"How?"
Hitomi tilted her head in confusion and looked towards Baki.
"I thought it best if they heard it from you," he said.
"Ah," Hitomi replied in understanding, "I turned his sand to glass."
The room changed instantly into a shouting match from various Council members. The voices were a mix of surprise, confusion, and anger. The only voices Hitomi didn't hear were the ones belonging to Tojuro and her own father, despite having a lot of the shouts directed at the latter.
"Oy! Katsuo-sama, why didn't you tell us your daughter was a candidate?! What else have you hidden up your sleeve?"
"This can't be true. I'm sure this is a mistake. She couldn't have used the First's kekkei tota. She's not even a shinobi!"
"Unless, Katsuo-sama, you trained her in secret. What exactly are you trying to pull here?"
Hitomi took four steps forward and knelt down to the ground. She raised her hands up in the air and felt her kimono sleeve fall down to her elbows. Then she clasped her fingers together right in front of her hands.
"Inu," she said softly and wove the sign of the dog. Three men fell silent around the table.
"Oy, Hito," Tamotsu warned under his breath, "Conserve your chakra. You'll need it to-"
"Ushi," she continued and changed her hands to the sign of the ox. Two other men stopped mid-sentence.
"I," she continued, the sign of the boar. The room was now very quiet with all the attention redirected around her.
"U. Tatsu," she finished with the last signs of the hare and the dragon, "Hiden Jutsu. Glass Release: Preservation."
Instantly, an hourglass encased around her with her kneeling on the bottom half of the glass container. There was no sand anywhere. The only contents was Hitomi herself.
Tamotsu sighed and walked towards the glass. It was just as tall as he was and he rapped the top of it with the knuckles of his index finger. The solid sound that rang out from it showed just how thick and sturdy the glass was.
"Alright. Ya made your point, Hito," he cautioned lowly so only she could hear him. Both of them aware of just how much chakra she was draining with each second spent sustaining the glass frame, "Now get outta there."
"H-H-How dare you use ninjutsu here in this room!" one of the Councilmen yelled indignantly, "This is a sacred place where any type of jutsu or attack is strictly forbidden."
"Given that she did it merely as a demonstration," one of the newest Council members, Yura, pointed out, "And the fact that she did a jutsu that is the village symbol is based off of, I see it as a fitting tribute than an attack. Don't you think?"
"Release," Hitomi said and the hourglass vanished from sight. She stood back up and she nodded her head towards her father. "Apologies for not telling you sooner, Father. I knew you would not have been pleased had you have known that I wanted to be a shinobi."
"A Glass Release user," Tojuro said and his eyes moved to the statue of the First Kazekage, "And able to replicate a jutsu from the First himself...That's very impressive...but how?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Katsuo said, finally breaking his silence and looked over at Tamotsu, "She entered the First's tomb."
"In the Demon Desert?!" The Council members whispered in horror, "Her?! But she's just a child!"
"So I take it you had no idea about this?" Tojuro asked quietly and Katsuo frowned, creating more harsh lines around his face.
"It seems my daughter is not only proficient in ninjutsu but also in discretion as well," he said.
"A good shinobi succeeds in his missions. A true shinobi does it in the shadows," Hitomi replied, "At least that's what great great grandfather wrote."
Even the jonins that stood along the walls gaped at her and they began to whisper amongst themselves. "So she has been in there."
"That little girl?! How?!"
"Oy, Temari," Kankuro hissed at his older sister, "What's the deal with the First's tomb?"
"Stop playing with puppets and pick up a book once in awhile," Temari huffed and rolled her eyes, "The First and his family were buried in a family tomb outside of the village. It is said that the First built the tomb himself and wanted to create a place where he could store his most valuable treasures and pass down his most powerful jutsus to his descendants. Only members of his bloodline had access to the tomb but then shortly before the Second Kazekage's death, the area was infested with monstrous scorpions and insects. Not even the members of his own bloodline could get in. We now know that area as the Demon Desert."
"Ah," Baki added, "Many have died trying to enter the tomb in hopes to gain the treasures the First had stored in it. It also didn't help that the First sealed it with his own kekkei tota, thinking his descendants would be able to unseal it. Thus, the Second Kazekage had no choice but to create the giant fence and guarding posts around the Demon Desert to keep people out. It made the location and the contents of the tomb become a mystery."
His eyes then narrowed at the girl inside the hourglass. "But it seems it's a mystery no longer."
"How long have you been training?" Kankuro asked.
"That's not important," she replied, "What is important is that I am not a recognized shinobi but I would very much like to be."
"It seems we are in agreement on the issue at hand," Tojuro said and he looked around at his peers, "As we all have just witnessed, Hitomi-san has the ability passed down to her by the First."
He then leaned back in his chair. "But at the same time, the fact remains that Hitomi-san is blind," he stated bluntly.
"Oy! But she can sense-" Tamotsu started to say but Tojuro held up a hand for silence.
"We have been informed of her sensing ability," he said, "But the basic requirements of a shinobi is to be physically sound. On one hand, we can't argue that her level of sensing is excellent, having discovered Orochimaru's presence by herself. On the other, she is not capable of doing solo missions and is at risk, if left alone. It creates an added burden on future team missions."
"I can protect her. I can-" Tamotsu argued but now it was Katsuo's turn to hold up a hand.
"That may be true but I know my daughter better than you think. Hitomi, you wouldn't want to be known as a shinobi who has to have a bodyguard at all times, do you?"
"Ah," Hitomi agreed, "And I can promise the Council that my lack of sight will not be a burden on anyone in any type of mission that I am assigned to."
"Don't make promises you can't keep," another Council member said, "You don't even know what sort of missions are out there."
"True," Hitomi replied calmly, "But isn't it the Kazekage and the Council's job to find the appropriate mission for me?"
Tamotsu smirked at the incredulous looks on their wrinkled faces. She's got them there.
"I will relinquish my shinobi title if a mission fails because of me," Hitomi said, "You are welcome to rescind the title but all I ask is that you give it to me first. Give me a chance."
"Failing a mission is one thing," a Council member grumbled, "But if you were to die in the process, that means the First's bloodline would end too."
"But since she does have the First's kekkei tota that means she's not just a candidate. She is the Guardian!" another man argued.
"Just because she stopped Gaara once, doesn't mean she could stop Shukaku. I doubt she has full control of her powers," someone else shot back, "You can't call her the Guardian yet!"
"Guardian?" Kankuro asked and this time even Temari looked over at Baki for answers.
"It was the First who was able to subdue Shukaku during the initial attacks he unleashed on our village. The First became known as the Guardian of the Sand," Baki explained, "Later in his life, it also was clear that no one in his family had inherited his unique power. Thus, the Second Kazekage began to research creating a jinchuriki and sealing Shukaku into a person."
Baki frowned. "Still, the Council did not give up hope and they've been eyeing the descendants of the First, in hopes that one day one of them would awaken that kekkei tota and take up the title of the Guardian once more."
"Without the Kazekage here," Tojuro said in a raised voice, to get everyone's attention, "We, as the Council, would have to decide for ourselves in regards to Hitomi-san's status. I call for a vote."
"I ask that Katsuo-sama not be allowed to vote," a Council member with three purple streaks down his cheeks requested. Hitomi recognized his voice and chakra nature as Ikanago, the head of the Aizumi tribe.
Katsuo raised an eyebrow. "Are you afraid that my role as Hitomi's father would affect my vote in some way?"
Ikanago nodded. "You will probably vote for her not to be a shinobi, in order to protect the bloodline and your own standing amongst the Hatsu tribe and on this Council."
Katsuo glared at the Council member. "Are you saying that I am only sitting here because of the existence of my own daughter?"
"Can you honestly say that you're not here in some way because of her? After all, the only reason why you are even a member of the Hatsu tribe is because of who you married."
Tojuro clapped his hands together. "Alright, alright. There's no reason for this to get personal," he said, "I leave the choice up to Katsuo-sama, whether he votes or not."
Katsuo looked over at Tojuro. He knew Tojuro was only doing so to give him a polite way out of the voting process. If he chose to vote, he would be basically making a stance to the Council that he valued his own opinion more than the opinions of his peers. "I will not vote."
"Very well," Tojuro said, "Now, all in favor of recognizing Hitomi-san as a genin, please raise your hand."
His own hand went up as well as four others. Tojuro frowned. "Oh my...Does this mean...the rest of you are opposed to the idea?"
The other five members nodded their head.
"Well, it seems we're at a tie," Katsuo said with a raised eyebrow, "Should I be the tie-breaker then?"
"Apologies on the interruption...but if you don't mind, Father," Hitomi said, "I have a suggestion."
"Oh?" Both Katsuo and Tojuro asked.
"Allow me to take the graduation exam," she said, "Test me as you would any shinobi hopeful. Wouldn't that settle the doubts of my capabilities?"
The Council members that voted in Hitomi's favor smiled a little at the girl's request while the ones, who did not, gave her a wary look.
"That does seem like a logical compromise," Tojuro said, "Shall we put that to the vote instead then?"
The Council members looked at one another and then nodded in agreement.
"Alright," Tojuro said, "All in favor of allowing Hitomi-san to take the graduation exams?'
Seven hands rose and Tojuro gave a firm nod. "It seems we have our verdict. Hitomi-san, we will enroll you into the next round-"
"Apologies for interrupting again," Hitomi said patiently, "But I believe the graduation exams are today and they will start the round for non-academy students at 2pm. If I leave now, I can still make it."
There was a stunned silence as the adults took in what Hitomi just said. Tamotsu just smirked and then pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket. He unfolded it as best as he could and held it up for the whole room to see.
"Here's the paperwork. I already signed it as the shinobi responsible for her training. All that's left is the signature for the parental consent," he said with a grin.
All eyes moved to Katsuo, who was unable to contain his displeasure. His lips were pursed and there were deep frown lines all around his mouth. He watched stonily as Tamotsu sauntered over and placed the form in front of him.
He said nothing as Tojuro handed him a pen. He had to sign it whether he liked it or not. The Council had voted for it, after all. He signed his name quickly, not even bothering to look at the actual contents of the form. He couldn't even bring himself to look at the picture of her that was stapled to the top left corner, for identification purposes. It was all he could do to suppress his rage and fury. He did not like his hand being forced, especially by his own daughter.
"Thank you, Katsuo-senpai," Tamotsu said breezily and he folded the paper back into his pocket.
"Are you sure you don't want to wait until the next round? You don't need time to prepare?" Tojuro asked.
Hitomi shook her head. "A shinobi should always be ready to go on a mission at a moment's notice," she recited, "Isn't that one of the 25 basic principles of a Suna shinobi?"
Tojuro couldn't help but smile at the girl. "Very well. Ikanago, Goza, send one of your men to go to the Academy with Hitomi-san. They will witness the outcome of the exam and report back to us."
It was not lost on anyone that Tojuro had chosen two Council members who had voted differently as to keep it fair.
Hitomi bowed her head. "Thank you very much for this opportunity," she said.
