Happy Sunday Morning Everyone!
I decided to hold off on bringing back Hinata this chapter. I feel like the series of events I have in mind will play better this way. Though you guys don't know what I have planned so it probably won't matter to you anyway~ By the end of this story it'll play like one cohesive...story~ This story is going to be really long. We are 28 chapters in but this will probably be around...60 to 70 chapters before I cut it off and start writing the sequel. And yes, I know exactly how things end so much so that I know what my sequel is going to be like. I've had this story in my head for years to enjoy for myself I just never put it on paper. The sequel will be much shorter but, yea, that's a long ways away. I just have to figure out how to get there. The story is already a lot different from what I had in my head. The gender change definitely wasn't initially part of it. Either way, all roads will lead to one destination.
On another note, I've finally caught up with myself and these chapters. As in, I don't have any more chapters in reserve and I have been procrastinating on writing new chapters. Now I need to start writing new chapters instead of relying on chapters I've already written. Hopefully I'll be able to finish Wednesday's chapter by the time this comes out on Sunday.
Q: Is Hinata going to become a demon. I've seen it done in this other story titled Keibatsu and it worked really well. I could see her doing that what with her caring nature for everything and all. It would be hard for her to do, but she could do it.
A: Hinata will probably be one of the hardest to convert into a demon. I suspect that Sasuke will be the first to join because all he cares about is power at this point and he has no loyalty to the village, though I haven't actually wrote it so anything could change. Just knowing myself, that's probably where things will head. I'm going to get into it soon but you're right, as opposed to Sasuke, Hinata is extremely caring. Demons are necessarily enemies to humanity. If she becomes a demon she will be choosing a side, even against her own family. It's not a decision that can be taken lightly. She still loves her family after all. We'll see how the drama plays out but those are the factors she'll have to consider. Naruto or her family? Or maybe...there is another option. You'll just have to read to find out~
"Kyuubi Speech"
"Midnight Speech"
"Everyone else's speech"
Chapter 26
On with the story
"The financial district suffered the most damage. It will take quite a bit of time to rebuild." Came the voice of an elderly woman dressed in traditional robes.
"Our disaster relief fund is quite low, we need to pull from alternative sources." A different voice replied, this time an elderly man.
The Konoha Counsel sat at a large round table discussing the details of reconstruction. About two dozen elder members of various powerful political families combined with shinobi family leaders sat at the table. Sarutobi was positioned at the edge, overseeing the meeting.
A few days had passed since the attack and the village was still very much in disarray. School was canceled of course and the entire village was still in a state of Martial law.
"What of the demon child and The Kyuubi. Do we know their whereabouts? From my reports the demon disappeared in the middle of it's attack." Came the voice of an elder.
"Furthermore the Death Seal was ineffective against The Demon Child." Another person spoke up, drawing a series of concerned murmurs.
"The whereabouts of Naruto and Kyuubi are known." Sarutobi finally answered, shifting everyone's focus.
"Do we know their status?"
"They are both alive and free. We were unable to defeat Kyuubi during the attack. They ceased the attack of their own choosing." Sarutobi explained. Many scared faces were visible around the room.
"So what is our plan? We can't afford another attack. Do we have defensive measures in place? Why did they stop attacking in the first place?" A man questioned in alarm, this one wearing a shinobi headband.
He was the head of the Inuzaka clan.
"I'll be frank..." Hokage began, a sense of dread welling up in everyone in the room.
Whenever the hokage started sentences like that there was never any good news.
"...If they were to attack again we would have no way to stop them. We exhausted all known options during the encounter at Area 67. We are even weaker now." Sarutobi went on in a dull tone.
"Then why are we still alive?" Came the voice of a middle aged Aburame clan member this time.
Many nodded at that question, turning their head back to Sarutobi. He paused before answering. Even after having some time to think about how best to bring his plan up to the elder counsel he still didn't know how best to say his next sentence. As he opened his mouth the man was interrupted.
"Because I allow it." Spoke a foreign voice from the side.
A women entered into the room with gentle steps, walking into the light to reveal herself. The woman held a fair complexion, a luxurious red Victorian-style dress adorning her curvy figure. The dress cut off at the top to reveal her smooth, cream-colored shoulders. Her silky, scarlet hair was styled into a lavish design with two large Japanese-style hair pins holding a large portion of those strands in a bun. Protruding from the top of her head were two large, furry fox ears. Her lips were painted red, matching her dark red mascara.
The most notable feature of hers, other than her fox ears, were her eyes. Her eye were a dark violet, her pupils slitted like a fox. She stood in front of the counsel with her manicured nails, which were painted red, resting gently against her pelvis.
Her presence caused a few counsel members to stand up in alarm. In the corners of the room shinobi in Anbu masks were ready to attack.
"Who are you? How did you get in here!? This is a high counsel meeting!" One man shouted in a threatening tone.
In response to his words Sarutobi raised one hand. Everyone understood that signal, calming down and taking a seat back in their chairs. The woman held grew a pleased expression, reaching forward to the empty chair at the opposite end of the table from the hokage. She settled down calmly, crossing her legs and resting her hands gracefully atop her lap. Everyone else had a completely confused look upon their faces, wondering who the mysterious woman was.
"The guards?" Sarutobi questioned shortly.
The woman waived a single hand dismissively towards him.
"They're fine Darling. Just taking a little cat nap. You're always so serious." The woman responded back teasingly.
One elder Hyuuga narrowed his eyes, his Byakugan flared. She appeared to be rather normal, her chakra was nothing special.
"Hokage-Sama, if I may, who is this woman?" The Hyuuga asked.
Sarutobi stared in frustration at the woman. He wasn't ready. He hadn't prepared them.
"Yes, proper introductions. Come now Dear, don't be rude." The woman called out in an amused tone.
"You were supposed to stay in the lobby until we were ready." Sarutobi responded back to her while releasing a soft sigh. Her grin widened upon hearing his frustration.
"You'll have to forgive me Sarutobi-kun. It was rather loud. Watching your people scurrying about, I couldn't stand it a second longer. Besides, who could resist making a proper entrance."
One man stood up with an angry scowl across his face.
"You will address the Hokage with the respect he deserves!" The elder commanded before shifting his attention towards Sarutobi. "With respect Hokage-Sama, why are you entertaining this woman? We have serious matters to discuss."
Sarutobi nodded in understanding, looking across the way at the satisfied smirk plastered across the woman's face. She was enjoying this far too much.
"Secure the door." The Hokage ordered.
An Anbu immediately darted to the entrance of the room, casting a few sealing jutsu. The elder who was standing up slowly sat down. When Sarutobi gave that order the situation was always extremely serious.
"This conversation will not leave this room." Sarutobi stated authoritatively.
That order drew obedient nods, many casting an inquisitive glance towards the mystery woman. Sarutobi paused, gesturing a hand towards the redhead.
"This is Kyuubi, The Nine Tailed Fox."
The silence after that sentence was deafening. Slowly every head turned towards the woman who's expression was one of deep satisfaction. She'd remember this moment for ages, it was absolutely priceless.
"Hello Darlings."
A large cloud of smoke plumed across the large table, drawing most everyone's attention. Sarutobi had a completely calm and relaxed demeanor.
"I've invited her here today to discuss terms of peace." Sarutobi explained.
The Hyuuga elder spoke up through gritted teeth, the man physically seething with anger.
"Is this a sick joke!?"
Sarutobi glanced towards him with no hint of a smile or laughter on his face.
"Calm yourself Habito." The Hokage commended, causing the man to freeze, his expression conflicted. Kyuubi watched in mild amusement.
"Not that this isn't entertaining but I do have other things to attend to. Shall we get to it then?" Kyuubi asked casually while tilting her head to the side and staring at Sarutobi expectantly.
Sarutobi nodded before knocking his knuckles along the wood of the table. As he did an Anbu appeared at his side in a puff of smoke holding a small stack of papers. The Anbu shinobi walked around the table passing out a few pages to each counsel member. Everyone's confused faces were drawn to the papers that was being placed in front of them.
"Kyuubi-Sama and I have come to an understanding. She wishes to present conditions for her continued, peaceful stay in Konoha. Given that I think this is our best chance for survival I have invited her here to present those conditions in person, so you understand the gravity of the situation." Sarutobi explained.
There was still a lot of conflicted looks across that long table. It was especially alarming to hear the Hokage refer to Kyuubi as "Sama."
"Always so respectful with the "Sama" part. How many times must I ask you to call me "Chan?" Kyuubi drawled out.
Sarutobi stared blankly at her. The vixen inwardly sighed. She'd get right to it then.
"First it's imperative to understand the relationship between Naruto and I. I have taken him in as my own. He is my child. As her mother I'll be speaking for both of us today. This is crucial context you'll need to consider when discussing whether or not to accept the conditions we lay out today. Condition number one..." Kyuubi went on before multiple elders rose up from their seats at the same time.
They were glaring daggers at her the entire time and had heard enough.
"Why are we just sitting here!? Our enemy is here, right here. We should..." One Inuzuka elder began to bark out angrily before being silenced by a sudden explosion.
Kyuubi had lifted one hand of hers towards the table and lightly tapped at the wood with one knuckle. The force of that tap caused the entire table to explode into a million small wooden pieces. Everyone had to jump away from the table as wood chips shot in all directions. They all had their weapons, jutsu and bloodline bared as they stared at the scene before glancing towards Kyuubi, who still calmly maintained her seat. However the display before them was something straight out of hell.
Kyuubi's fancifully dressed form was covered in a dark red aura of chakra. Nine spectral, scarlet fox tails thrashed behind her. The most striking thing about her appearance was that right above her a large ghostly fox head appeared with it's teeth barred, dark blood red eyes glaring at everyone in the room. The size of that disembodied fox head was enormous, releasing a deafening, audible growl. It's killer intent radiated outward, causing everyone to freeze.
Despite the hellish display, the woman surrounded by that aura remained extremely calm and composed. She didn't even seem angry. She remained in her seat with a proper relaxed posture, a serene expression across her face.
"You were under the impression this was a negotiation? How mistaken you are. I'm a here to personally present to you the terms of your surrender. Interrupt me again and you'll be dead before the end of your first sentence. If you wish to speak while I am speaking you may raise your hand like good girls and boys and only speak when called upon." Kyuubi explained, her voice still soft yet commanding.
Her red aura and that spectral fox head disappeared, reseeding back into her body to leave only the woman remaining. The members of the counsel were shaken by that display, fear evident in their gazes. Sarutobi was the first to move, drawing everyone's attention.
During Kyuubi's show of strength Sarutobi remained seated, using a basic earth defense jutsu to protect himself. He now stood up to push his chair to the side, instead taking a position kneeling on the ground. Kyuubi watched him in mild interest before following his lead, rising from her chair and pushing it to the side, kneeling as well. As they did the other counsel members followed, walking back to their original positions and kneeling. Sarutobi snapped his fingers and that same Anbu member began passing out a second copy of those sheets of paper. While the shinobi did that Sarutobi raised his hand, staring blankly at Kyuubi. The gesture caused a few shocked expressions to display around the room.
"Speak freely Sarutobi-kun. You'll be exempt from that condition. You clearly have proper respect." Kyuubi called out, drawing a few silent glares from the rest of the counsel.
"Thank you Kyuubi-Sama. It is imperative to understand the position we are in. To answer your question..." Sarutobi continued while looking over to the man who had interrupted Kyuubi in the first place.
"...The reason we are hearing these conditions is because if we don't, Naruto and Kyuubi both leave the village. I cannot stress enough that would be, given all other options, the most disastrous. We must avoid this." The Hokage stressed.
As he finished an elderly woman raised her hand.
"You may talk among each other freely. You only need to raise your hand when I'm speaking." Kyuubi elaborated, drawing an affirmative, respectful nod from the woman who belonged to the Nara clan. A clan known for their intelligence and rationality.
"Why are we having this discussion? It would seem that it is Kyuubi's intent to destroy us." She questioned towards the Hokage before turning her attention to Kyuubi. "Why haven't you destroyed us already? What do you want? You are bringing these conditions to us as if you leaving would be to our detriment. Why?" She continued.
Kyuubi grew a dull expression along her face as she looked from the elder Nara then to Sarutobi.
"You were right, I should have waited for you to prepare them before making my grand entrance. So many questions. I have a proposal. Have one of your diligence servants fetch me some tea. I'll give you some time to get everyone all caught up. How does 15 minutes sound?" Kyuubi proposed.
Sarutobi gave a nod while snapping his fingers. As he did an Anbu dashed in front of the door to release the seals. Kyuubi rose to her feet and turned her back to the room, exiting in that tantalizing fashion in which she always moved. The only thing missing were her tails which were absent in her human form. The door shut behind her, the last thing everyone seeing was a shinobi handing her a cup of tea.
As soon as the door closed all heads snapped back to Sarutobi.
"What the hell is this!?" The Hyuuga elder snapped. Sarutobi huffed a plume of smoke from his nose.
"Our best hope of survival." The Hokage stated frankly.
"So we are basically a conquered people?" Another elder questioned.
"In short, yes."
"Is there nothing that can be done!?"
"As I stated before, currently we have no way to defend ourselves from her power. That may change with time but that answer may never come. This an an enemy we cannot defeat with force." The Hokage explained.
"So we're doomed." The Aburami elder stated cryptically.
A noticeable characteristic of their clan was the emotionless way in which they spoke.
"If we do not negotiation, yes, she will destroy us all. Plain and simple. And there is nothing we can do to stop her."
A long silence fell over the room. The Nara clan elder was the first to break the silence.
"Clearly there is hope or else we would not be here. What does she want? She can't be defeated with force but are you implying an alternative means?" The woman questioned. Sarutobi nodded his head.
"In a way yes. The reason we are still here is because of Naruto. As Kyuubi said, she has adopted Naruto and is now the boy's mother."
"Let's call it for what it is. The demon is manipulating the child. We can't even be sure that Naruto is even in control of his own actions. We won't insult the idea of motherhood by calling that thing a mother." The Hyuuga elder snapped, interrupting Sarutobi.
What followed was rather shocking to everyone. Sarutobi was glaring daggers at the man. A display most no one had seen before. The Hyuuga instantly quieted, bowing his head in shame. But Sarutobi still didn't speak. Not immediately. He let the silence linger, casting his heated gaze out on every single member of the counsel.
"I need each and every one of you to listen. We can no longer afford this level of ignorance and childishness, is that understood!?" The Hokage's voice boomed, echoing off the walls.
Each member bowed, placing their foreheads along the ground in respect.
"Yes Hokage-Sama." They chanted simultaneously.
"Kyuubi is Naruto's mother. Until further evidence is presented, that is the fact that must be accepted in order to fully understand the situation." Sarutobi stated in a calmer voice.
His words drew a nod from each member, some more begrudging than others but they nodded all the same.
"This fact is where our survival lies. If we take this at face value then everything else falls into place. Kyuubi hates us, hates humanity. That's very clear. Naruto does not. Naruto is a child with significant emotional trauma. That trauma stems from the way this village has treated him. Hate, scorn, shunning him despite the fact that Naruto is the only thing standing in the way of Kyuubi destroying us all. Do you understand? Naruto is the reason we remain." The Hokage pressed.
He could see it on a lot of their faces. This was a hard pill to swallow. Even many of them only thought of Naruto as the demon child.
"With respect Hokage-Sama, are we to forget about that dozens of shinobi and innocent civilians that were slain by the demon child? Many slain by his hands directly." The Hyuuga elder spoke up, this time in a much more respect manner.
"No, we need to understand it. Understanding Naruto's mind is the key to our survival. All of you have been briefed on the incident during the past anniversary. You know that Naruto was attacked by many villagers and a demon came to her defense."
Everyone nodded.
"The demon that attacked, who was eventually defeated, captured, and interrogated, was Naruto's lover. Another demon, related to Kyuubi."
This explanation drew a series of wide eyed expressions.
"So the villagers attacked Naruto and his lover came to his defense, we captured and tortured his spouse, making Naruto eventually come to the rescue." The Nara elder spoke up, connecting the dots. Sarutobi nodded in confirmation.
"From what we know of Naruto's strength, he could have saved his spouse at any time. He didn't because of the consequences, because He didn't want to shed blood. We are dealing with a child of enormous power who's emotion state will determine our future. Kyuubi has not destroyed us because Naruto still has attachments to the village. To be specific, from our reports these individuals are Iruka Umino, Kurenai Yuhi, Sasuke Uchiha, and Hinata Hyuuga. To a lesser extent I myself can be added to that list." The Hokage rattled on while reading from a stack of paper.
The elders all now focused on the papers in their hands.
"This is significant because these individuals tie Naruto to his humanity. Naruto is half demon because Kyuubi has adopted him. If the day ever comes where Naruto no longer cares for humanity, they will wipe us out. Our best chance at survival is keeping them inside this village to grow their bonds with the humans of this village. If Naruto and Kyuubi leave, their resentment towards humanity will likely grow. They'll return one day to destroy us and we won't be able to stop them. Our only hope is to convince Naruto that humanity is worth keeping around." Sarutobi finished his explanation by exhaling heavily.
"So our survival falls upon the whim of a child, based on how much he likes us?" The Hyuuga elder spoke up in disbelief.
"Yes."
This realization caused an enormous amount of dread to built within the room.
"How did it come to this?" The Nara elder spoke up in despair.
"We failed him." Sarutobi stated bluntly, drawing everyone's attention.
"Naruto should have been seen as a hero. He is Minato's child. The village was saved because Naruto's chakra was strong enough to contain Kyuubi. Minato gave his life and essentially cursed his own child in order to save us all. Naruto carried a huge burden on his shoulders and we, as a collective, treated him like a monster instead of the hero that he was. Because we refuse to be better." Sarutobi whispered solemnly. He then turned a harsh gaze out on the room.
"Many of you understood this yet still allowed your families to treat Naruto as a monster. His name should be celebrated. But somehow it's scorned. We brought this upon ourselves. We treated him like a monster and now he is becoming one."
"Just becoming?" The Aburame clan elder questioned.
Sarutobi narrowed his gaze.
"Yes, becoming. All those who died at his hands did so in defense of people who had put his loved one through great pain. He is no more a monster than anyone in this room. And if you can't accept that then you minds well say goodbye to your families tonight. We can no longer treat him as a monster. If we do, if we don't change, that is what he'll become. Then he won't just kill those who directly harm him and those he cares about. He'll behave like a TRUE monster and kill us all indiscriminately. Do you understand!?" The Hokage shouted now.
The old man's teeth were gritted in anger as he looked upon the elders with disappointment and shame. These were his people and they were so blind. This is how Kyuubi viewed them. How could he prove her wrong, prove that humanity could be better if he wasn't even fully convinced of it himself? If this is how even the best of them acted.
It took everyone a while to process the information. Sarutobi let them mull over everything as he looked at the clock. Only a few minutes left before Kyuubi would return.
"Are there any lingering questions or concerns before we bring her back in?" Sarutobi called out.
He was met with a series of distress faces as everyone began to come to grips with the reality of the situation. They wanted him to say anything, do anything to make things better. This was one of the many situations in his long career as a Hokage where he didn't have the answers. Sarutobi glanced around before nodding his head towards the Anbu nearest the door who released the seals. The Anbu opened the door.
"Kyuubi-Sama, they are ready."
As he spoke the ancient demoness entered holding a cup of tea and a tiny plate where the cup could sit. She reached over with one hand to lightly caress the Anbu's mask as she passed him.
"Aren't you just a doll." The woman cooed before turning her attention to the room and noting the somber tone.
"Come now, it's far too late to start feeling sorry for yourselves. Face the consequences of your actions with some dignity." Kyuubi taunted which drew a few resentful glares.
"Better. Though you'll want to learn to check that attitude if you want to survive to see another anniversary." The woman stated matter of factly while kneeling down and taking a sip of her tea.
Many of the elders tore their gaze away from her, looking down with strained contemplation.
"We are prepared to hear your conditions Kyuubi-Sama." Sarutobi announced.
Kyuubi smiled warmly towards him.
"Most of my conditions are already laid out in the documents you've received. The easiest being my son's living arrangements. His apartment was destroyed during the rescue so he'll need another. A very specific one. No longer will I tolerate having him living like a vagrant." Kyuubi explained as everyone looked down at their documents.
Many faces showed their shock as they saw the house that Kyuubi was requesting.
"This is an Uchiha Estate right next door to Sasuke Uchiha. We cannot defile their memory by allowing a demon to live there." One elder spoke up, drawing Kyuubi's intense gaze.
The elder immediately bowed her head.
"Careful." Kyuubi warned.
Sarutobi cleared his throat, making sure that Kyuubi had finished talking. She looked towards him expectantly.
"Given the sensitive nature of this location is there any other dwelling that would suit Naruto's needs? Technically this isn't even ours to give away. Sasuke Uchiha owns all of these dwellings as the last remaining Uchiha." Sarutobi explained respectfully.
Kyuubi was rather pleased by Sarutobi's calm demeanor. It was a refreshing contrast to the others.
"Believe me, he's fine with it. Don't worry your adorable little head. That's not even the most important condition." The woman drawled out while waving a dainty hand dismissively.
The elders looked towards Sarutobi with pleading expressions.
"If we argue each condition that is brought up we will be here all day. Let's focus on hearing every condition first." The Hokage instructed.
This drew begrudging nods from the counsel.
"The next condition is going to be the most difficult but like I mentioned, the most important. I will no longer tolerate the hate, scorn and general disrespect the villagers and even some shinobi constantly show towards my child. After one month, those that continue to treat my child disrespectfully by glaring, assaulting, or verbally abusing him will have their lives forfeit."
This condition elicited a series of audible gasps around the room. Kyuubi promptly ignored them, having predicted their response.
"I realize..." She began before the Hyuuga elder spoke up in outrage.
"That is absolutely re...AHHHH!" Was as far as he got before being interrupted by his own agonizing screams.
The shinobi's entire body was engulfed in a dark blue flame which blazed like an inferno. Kyuubi hadn't moved from her position, the woman picking up her cup of tea and sipping at it casually as he burned alive.
The others in their room looked on in horror, all too afraid to move. Those near him had to guard themselves from the heat of the flames. Sarutobi looked on helplessly, casting his gaze from the man to Kyuubi, then back to the man. He was about to speak up but before he could the Hyuuga collapsed into a pile of cinders.
When his screams stopped Kyuubi placed her tea cup back on the small plate, the small clacking noise of glass being placed against glass drawing everyone's terror-striken gaze.
"I realize that this request my be difficult if not impossible for you to comply with..." The woman continued exactly where she left off as if she hadn't just burned a man alive.
"She didn't even move. So this is the power of a demon." The Nara elder thought to herself, reflecting the thoughts of most everyone else in the room.
"...however I will not accept that as an excuse. My son will no longer be a victim of your ignorance and malice. You will be judged as a collective. And if it seems like your people cannot change, we'll leave, or destroy the village. Which ever is more convenient at the time. It could be the 1st one who sends that glare that sets me off, or the 5th, or the 100th. Every citizen you don't control puts you at risk of total annihilation." Kyuubi warned.
When she finished, the Nara clan elder raised her hand. A pleased smile grew along Kyuubi's painted lips, giving the woman an affirmative nod.
"How can you expect us to control every single citizen in the village? Even you must realize that is unrealistic. People do things that we can't control. There is crime, theft, murder, rape. We can maybe catch and punish the perpetrators after the fact but preventing 100% of hate, rational or not, towards Naruto, is absolutely impossible. This is not a reasonable condition."
The rest of the counsel looked to Kyuubi with cautious gazes, everyone on edge, wondering how the woman would react.
"I agree." She responded to the surprise of everyone.
"This is indeed not a reasonable request to make of humans. Which is why every breath you draw is an insult. This is a problem of your own making. Why is it that every citizen above a certain age knows that Naruto is the demon-carrier? Why is it that they look upon my child with contempt? Surely not everyone was there that day to witness the moment when The Fourth sealed me away? You let the news get out about the demon child and failed to celebrate Naruto as the hero that he is. Because of your stupidity and negligence your idiotic villagers and even some of your shinobi viewed him as an incarnation of me. You've brought this on yourself." Kyuubi ranted with pure disgust in her tone.
Hearing her speak in such a scornful manner shook the resolve of many in the room. Kyuubi took another sip of her tea.
"Figure it out." She stated compassionlessly.
The sense of dread that grew within the room was palpable.
"Surely you have a suggestion. I can't imagine you thought up this condition without thinking of at least one scenario where this would be possible." Sarutobi spoke out.
Kyuubi canted her head to the side while watching him, the woman smirking.
"I suppose I'll give a suggestion. Use the most recent events to your advantage. Spin a tale, tell a story. The Kyuubi escaped after being locked away all this time. The child of the Fourth Hokage was it's jailer. The demon escaped after Naruto was beaten into an inch of his life by villagers who will be receiving a life sentence at best, a death sentence at worse. Because of Naruto's heroism and connection to the demon as it's jailer, Naruto was able to overcome Kyuubi, causing it to disappear during the attack, saving the village." Kyuubi went on.
The Kyuubi is still at large, and Naruto is the only thing that stands between the village and total annihilation, as long as he is healthy he can repel it. In recognition of this bravery and exceptional achievement Naruto is awarded some type of medal and is now granted residency at an Uchiha estate that will replace his previously destroyed apartment."
She finished before shrugging her shoulders.
"Or something like that. The details you can change as you wish. The point is that the villager's hate didn't just fall from the sky. They hate my baby for a reason. Because they were told that he was the demon carrier. If you change the narrative you can reverse much of this hate. If you are successful enough those that still show hate would be extremely minimal and would give you at least a small chance of survival." The woman went on.
Sarutobi nodded his head as the room was filled with silence.
"Of course if you take that route every single shinobi will have to play the part. But you're used to doing that aren't you Sarutobi-kun?" Kyuubi questioned in a cryptic tone while staring at the old man.
The Hokage was silent. There was so many secrets that he kept, that every shinobi under his command kept. What was another one?
"Besides it's not like it's all fabrication. Naruto is the reason your village still exists. So take that how you will. Anyway, you all have much to discuss. There is only one more condition that I'll bring up today, the rest you can review in the documents provided." The woman explained while rising from her kneeling position.
Everyone looked to her expectantly. She answered their curious glances with a wide, devilish grin.
Thanks for reading~ Please Review.
Another really long chapter. I swear I'm going to get back to making the chapters only 3000 words instead of like 5k like that last few chapters. I put the 3000 word limit on myself just to try to reduce my writing pressure on myself. But sometimes I get carried away~ Anyway, see you Wednesday!
P.S. I can't exactly explain why but this is one of my favorite chapters. I've read it a lot. Probably because it has a different tone. More of a political tone. Also Kyuubi finally gets to show her strength and become more of an active part of the story. She's making moves. Kyuubi is honestly probably my favorite character in the story personally~
Who is your favorite and why?