Chapter Six: Newfound Respect
Never in her life did Rin despise the hospital "policies" or so they called it more than in that moment. It was no wonder that Tsunade didn't have any interest in staying in the hospital and had chosen to be a field medic for most of her shinobi career. At least there wasn't anyone like Gari breathing down her back for violating medical procedures out on the battlefield.
Izumi had been the one to inform Rin about her presence being required before the council later that afternoon. That certainly hadn't been news that Rin had fathomed waking up to, but that was expected. She had put it off long enough, well "long enough" by Gari's standards. He certainly was itching to see her downfall and well, Rin wasn't all that concerned.
Perhaps she was getting ahead of herself, but if Rin could train herself to use medical ninjutsu after becoming Isobu's host, then this was practically nothing.
When it was exactly three o'clock in the afternoon, Rin strolled into the council room, where all of the clan heads and other prominent members of Konoha were sitting, with Minato sensei at the head of the table. His Hokage hat was placed on the table in front of him.
Upon seeing her arrival, Minato called the session into effect, starting with the rise of all of the members seated around the table. While each person present repeated an oath, promising that they would remain unbiased, Rin took the time to figure out who was present.
Hyuuga. Uchiha. Yamanaka. Aburame. Inuzuka. Nara. Sarutobi. Akimichi. Danzo, head of the Root division. The Anbu commander, still donning his Wolf mask. The two elders of Konoha. And there were three more people that Rin didn't recognize.
And Kakashi?
Kakashi was nonchalantly reciting the oath, as if he had done it numerous times and been there all along. However, judging from the brief curious stares that some of the other clan gave Kakashi, Rin wagered that it was the first time that he was here.
She didn't have time to contemplate on the matter any further as Minato ordered the council to be seated. Rin remained standing as Minato motioned to Wolf, who stood up, opening a scroll.
Then one by one, Wolf began to read off the list of charges placed against her, stumbling slightly over the pronunciation of some complex medical terms. While the general council had a vague idea of what Rin was charged for, she understood the underlyings words behind Gari's accusations.
"Perhaps it would do us well if Nohara san could explain to us in common terms," Shikaku Nara suggested. Even with high IQ scores, the wording and medical terminology had stumped him and he was sure it stumped everyone else in the room as well. Plus, it would give the girl a chance to explain herself.
"Who is to say that her interpretation won't be biased?" Hiashi Hyuuga interjected, folding his arms across his chest as he leaned back into his seat.
Ignoring the Hyuuga's jab, Rin wasted no time explaining to the council what Gari charged her for. "I'm charged with multiple violations of the hospital's policies and medical procedures. First, I disobeyed an order from my direct superior in my act to save Shisui san's life. Second, I used an unorthodox method in the process of restarting his heart, by sending lightning nature chakra through his system which may or may not have unknown repercussions. Third, the risky procedure was done without the consent of a family member which is a violation of Standard 24. On top of that, as Shisui san belongs to a prominent clan, especially of the Uchiha, it is custom that he is only to be treated by clan doctors.
"The same goes when I treated Itachi san as I inadvertently stumbled upon clan secrets in the process of treatment. Fourth, I ignored orders from my direct superior a second time. In both instances, any use of medical equipment or supplies would be considered theft since it wasn't authorized, so I stole one bag of Type A blood, an antibiotic shot, two IV bags, two hospital beds, two heart monitors, among others. That's all."
The Hyuuga was wisely silent.
"And what do you have to say in your defense?" Shikaku prompted.
Rin shrugged. "They're alive."
"Is that all?"
"What else?" Rin responded. "I saved the lives of two shinobis that would have otherwise be lying in the morgue room right now. Sure, those whose break the rules are scum, but those who let their comrades die are worse than scum."
Though hardly noticeable, Minato and Kakashi beamed with pride upon hearing those words come out of her mouth.
"That's a foolish ideology," Danzo cut in.
"Is that so?" Rin murmured. "Perhaps that way of thinking is the reason why you are isolated to the dark depths of the Foundation. Your men owe no loyalty to you, which is why you have to place a seal on their tongue to prevent them from betraying you, isn't that correct?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Danzo vehemently denied. "And we're here to talk about your case, not to falsely accuse your superiors of wrongdoing."
"In that case, please raise your hand if you have an opinion to express or any questions to ask," Minato said, calling the council back into order, mentally promising himself that he would look into Danzo's activities.
"Did you think about the repercussions if you failed to keep them alive? Potentially, the political chaos that would ensue if you caused the death of the clan heir?" Choza Akimichi.
"I am a field medic; I don't think, I just do. Either they have a hundred percent chance of dying if I do nothing or there is a possibility that they can live if I try. Clan politics be damned." Minato shot her a reprimanding look for her language, but Rin shrugged it off. Everything about this trial was just a waste of time and the level of stupidity of Gari's accusations combined with the questions that she was receiving was mind boggling. If clan politics and diplomacy contained this level of stupidity, then Rin was glad that she wasn't apart of a clan or born into a noble family.
"And your credentials?" Wolf.
"During the Third Great Shinobi War, I was placed on Team Minato to serve solely as the team's medic. In the last seven months of the war, I was stationed at Kyoshi Pass as part of their medical team."
And the questions went on and on. It was like the council wanted Rin to relay every detail of her past, as if they didn't have access to her files beforehand. When the Hyuuga inquired about the details of the eye transplant that Rin had performed on Kakashi, Rin snapped.
"This is stupid and completely irrelevant to the matter at hand," Rin snapped at the council. "The facts of the case are that I broke the rules and the Uchihas are still alive. Now do whatever you want because frankly I don't give a damn anymore." With that, Rin stormed out of the council room, slamming the door behind her.
Minato sensei were surely admonish her later for her actions, but at least she was free. The hospital and her house were the first two places that they would look if they wanted to find her, so Rin opted to head to the memorial stone instead. She needed Obito's comfort and strength at the moment and she wanted to hide from reality, just for a little while.
Back in the council room, all of the occupants of the room fell silent at Rin's outburst. The few that knew her, although vaguely, had been under the impression that Rin was a calm, level headed girl, so her display of anger had taken them aback.
"Her insubordination is getting out of control," Danzo commented through gritted teeth. "Perhaps, you were a failure as a sensei, Minato."
A warning look from Hiruzen kept Minato's mouth shut as he had been about to defend his only female student. Yet as Hokage, Minato needed to remain strictly objective during council meetings.
"If I may interject," Fugaku began, "It is true that the Uchihas prefer to have clan medics heal our own members. In the process of healing two of our members, I am sure that Nohara san had stumbled clan secrets. However, her actions have saved two highly esteemed members of the Uchiha clan. Not only will my son and Shisui be forever indebted to her, the entire Uchiha clan will extend our gratitude towards her."
Shikaku's eyes widened slightly upon hearing Fugaku's spiel. All of what Fugaku had said was true, but there was an underlying threat beneath his words. If you mess with her, you'll have to get through the Uchihas first.
Shikaku fought a grin. To have one of the most powerful clans backing her was no easy feat.
"To suspend her duties as a medic would be unwise," Hiashi added, seemingly not wanting to be one upped by their rival clan. "Nohara san has healed many members of the Hyuuga clan and I believe that the same could be said for most clans of Konoha."
The majority clan heads could be seen nodding their heads in agreement.
"The poison she developed has been critical to the Aburame's success in winning key battles during the war."
"Is that the case or are you just saying that?" Koharu questioned.
"The clan does not like to advertise the fact but credit is given where credit is due," Shibi replied.
"Like mother, like daughter," Homura commented. "Her disobedience is oddly reminiscent of her own mother's, isn't it? Next thing you know, Nohara san will abandon Konoha for another land."
"That's enough Homura," Hiruzen cut in. "The girl is not the same person as her mother." Within all of the members in the council room, only four of them knew all of the details concerning Yua Nohara. The clan heads briefly knew of the woman, but as she was ten years their senior, they weren't privy to many details. All they knew was that she was one of the best kunoichis in her generation, then people simply stopped mentioning her name.
"I believe that we should end the discussion here and just vote," Minato interjected in an attempt to diffuse the tension in the room. Admittedly, he was curious about Rin's mother, but that was something he could ask the Sandaime about, after the council meeting ended.
"All those who believe that Rin should be stripped of her status as a medic, please raise your hand." Three hands went up in the air, belonging to Danzo and the two Konoha elders.
"And those who believe she should retain her current position?" All those who represented the council as clan head as well as the Anbu commander raised their hands. Minato fought back a smile; it seemed that Rin had much more support than she had originally intended.
"Meeting adjourned." Danzo looked like he wanted to protest, but one look from Hiruzen was enough to keep him quiet. Along with the rest of the occupants of the room, he shuffled out of the room, until all that was left was Kakashi, Wolf, and Minato. Kakashi mumbled something about finding Rin to inform her of the good news before disappearing into a puff of smoke.
After checking to see if there was still anyone in the vicinity, Minato motioned for Wolf to speak.
"If I may humbly suggest, she would be a good fit to serve as part of the Anbu's medical division. Her medical feats are not to be disregarded."
Minato nodded. "I'll consider it." That was Wolf's cue to poof out of existence. In truth, Minato felt bad for taking Rin off of the active mission roster and keeping her in the village. However, he was hesitant in sending her off on missions, especially since the Mist nins were still trying to retrieve the sanbi. Being in the Anbu would retain her anonymity, but for how long until the Mist nins found out?
"You know you've been staring at the memorial stone for almost three hours now, don't you?" a voice commented lightly behind her.
Rin didn't have to turn around to know who it was. "And you know it's impolite to interrupt someone who is paying her respects, don't you? Besides, you weren't discharged from the hospital."
"A little genjutsu and the nurses will never know I was gone," he responded. Rin stood up, wiping away the dirt that clung to her pants before turning around to face the Uchiha.
"But your clan members?" Rin prodded.
"The good thing about landing in the hospital at the same time as the clan heir is that everyone is almost always more concerned about the wellbeing of the clan heir compared to just a member of the branch family." His tone was lighthearted, almost playful, but Rin could detect some hints of bitterness.
The same bitterness that Obito held towards his clan for writing him off as a black sheep as he failed to unlock the Sharingan as early as some of the other Uchiha kids.
"And that doesn't bother you?"
Shisui shrugged. "At least I don't have to play nice with Uchiha elders that only care about me for my reputation."
"You're surprisingly optimistic for an Uchiha."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Shisui asked, face scrunched up in a manner that suggested he was offended. The playful smile on his face gave away his true feelings. "I don't have it the worst. So what if I'm ignored because I am born into the branch family? So what if the Uchihas grudgingly accept me because I am the clan heir's best friend and have been making a reputation for myself? Fugaku's second son hasn't even been born yet and the Uchiha elders are already holding him to the same standards as Itachi. Others are scorned for not being up to par with Uchiha levels. Others are scorned for having one parent who isn't an Uchiha. Others are scorned for being a non Uchiha who possesses a Sharingan."
"How much does your clan hate Kakashi?" Rin asked, simply out of curiosity. She never really thought of the political repercussions of implanting a kekkei genkai into Kakashi; she only wanted to fulfill Obito's last request.
"Very. Lots of demands for Fugaku san to take back the Sharingan, but Fugaku san didn't. After all, war had just ended and he didn't want to start a civil war within the village."
"So perhaps they will in the future?"
"Not if they want to cross the clan heir," Shisui responded. "And trust me, Uchiha elders know better than to cross Itachi. Towards the people he doesn't like, his presence is very scary."
"I'll take your word for it. Now, did you come to visit the memorial stone or something else?"
"I was looking for you, actually," Shisui admitted. "I heard that you saved my life, so thank you."
"I was just doing my job, so don't worry about it."
"Nope, none of that. I've made it my mission to repay you somehow, someway and knowing Itachi, he will do the same. So shoot, what do you want?"
Rin blinked, wondering if it was a dream. "I don't want anything and I really don't need you to repay me back for anything. If anything, I repaid you for saving my life a while back."
"Like I said, none of that. Your humbleness is unbecoming."
"Fine, I'll think about it," Rin conceded.
"Good." Shisui nodded. "In the meantime, Mikoto san invited you over for dinner. Tomorrow at 6 o'clock. Don't be late."
Before Rin could open her mouth to decline the invitation, Shisui gave a small wave, grin stretched across his face before he poofed out of existence. Rin sighed, a shadow clone. Trust him to be part of the group of stubborn shinobis who exerted themselves too much during their recovery.
Rin didn't hate the Uchiha clan, per say, but she did hate all of the stares that she got when she entered the Uchiha compound. She hated the uncomfortable feeling that she got, almost like the people around her were itching to attack her at a moment's notice. She hated the disgusted and scorned looks that were casted her way, like she wasn't worthy of being here.
Well, she didn't want to be here in the first place, but it would be rude to stand up the matriarch of the Uchiha clan. And well, Rin figured that Mikoto Uchiha's wrath was much scarier than the rest of the clansmen.
Rin arrived at the main house ten minutes early, knocking on the door, before stepping back to what she deemed to be a respectable distance. Moments later, Itachi appeared at the door, gesturing for her to come inside. Her medical instincts kicked in; her eyes immediately drawn to the bandages around Itachi's left arm.
"Don't worry, I've been changing the bandages regularly as instructed," Itachi said, noticing that she had been staring quite intently at his injured arm. Rin's face flushed at his comment, ducking her head out of embarrassment. With her head hung low, Rin quietly followed Itachi to the dining area.
"Have a seat," Itachi said, gesturing to the nearest seat. "Tea?"
"I'll pass, thank you." A glass of water appeared before her.
"The others will be here shortly," Itachi informed her. "Did you have any trouble in finding your way here?" Rin knew that Itachi was asking out of politeness, but did Itachi actually want a real answer or for her to lie out of courtesy?
"It was alright."
"I understand that my clansmen can be quite...overbearing to non Uchihas." That was certainly one way to put it. Itachi certainly had a way with his words that Shisui didn't seem to have. Rin didn't expect anything less from the to be clan head.
"I suppose."
"Oi," a familiar voice cut in as Rin was privileged with seeing the clan heir getting smacked in the head by his older cousin. "That's the most boring conversation I've ever heard. The least you can do is not bore your savior to death."
Itachi's lips curled up into a smile. "My apologies, Nohara san."
"Just Rin is fine."
"How are you going to entertain Sasuke if you're this boring?" Shisui complained, flopping down into the seat next to Itachi.
"Sasuke?" Rin questioned.
"My otouto. We recently found out his gender."
"Oh, congratulations!" Rin said just as Mikoto entered the room. Mikoto smiled, her free hand rubbing her baby bump.
"Maybe I'll actually be able to coddle Sasuke for a bit longer than I did with Itachi. Why did you have to grow up so fast?" Mikoto admonished her son and Rin bit back a laugher as she saw Itachi shrug in response.
"That's what happens when he's too smart for his own good," Shisui contributed, nudging Itachi good naturedly in the shoulder. "Isn't that right, genius?"
"As if you aren't one yourself," Itachi retorted, earning a sharp bark of laughter from Shisui.
"Our other guests have arrived," Shisui announced, pushing his chair backwards. "I'll go get them."
Itachi took the dish from his mother's hand, gently guiding her into the seat he just vacated. Mikoto was mumbling something about being pregnant and not disabled, but thanked Itachi for his gesture all the same. Itachi promptly disappeared into the kitchen to retrieve the other dishes while Shisui appeared in the dining room, with the others in tow.
Kakashi. Izumi. And Fugaku. The playful atmosphere immediately disappeared the moment that Fugaku appeared in the room. Completely oblivious of his effect, Fugaku silently took his seat at the head of the table, with Mikoto moving to take the seat beside him. Izumi was placed in the seat next to Mikoto, then it was Kakashi at the end of the table, right across from Rin. Shisui took the one next to Rin, leaving the other seat closest to Fugaku for Itachi.
Ah, so they were seated based on hierarchy, Rin concluded. The clan head at the head of the table, followed by the main family, then other Uchihas, and then non Uchihas. Or perhaps it was a strategic move to place non Uchihas the furthest from the clan head, so that they would have to cross more distance to attack said man.
Itachi returned with the last two dishes in hand, placing them on the table before moving to take his seat next to his father.
"Itadakimasu."
Throughout dinner, it was a quiet affair save for Mikoto, who gently prodded both Kakashi and Rin with questions. The two of them answered politely, keeping in mind that Fugaku was present. After Mikoto was satisfied with grilling Kakashi and Rin, she turned to Izumi to inquire what she had been up to.
"I've been learning medical ninjutsu. Rin has taught me a lot and I think it'll be useful in the upcoming chunin exams."
"Chunin exams?" Shisui questioned. "Is it already time?"
"Yes. Rin's going to take the jonin exams too."
"Yes," Rin confirmed upon the curious glance that Kakashi shot her way. "I'm not sure if I'm ready, but I'll never unless I try. Plus, it'll be a good experience."
"When is it?" Shisui asked.
"Three months from now."
Shisui grinned. "Great! Just enough time for me to help you train."
Rin's eyes widened a fraction of an inch. "Are you sure? I mean I know you are extremely busy with Anbu missions to have much free time. I don't want to monopolize your free time."
"Do I need to remind you who was the one who saved my life so I can still have free time?" Shisui responded. "It's no bother anyways. Kakashi says you are intelligent, so teaching you will just be like teaching Itachi. Easy."
Rin chuckled nervously. "I don't think I am at that level."
"Nonsense. Meet me at the training grounds tomorrow morning."
For the first time during dinner, Fugaku spoke up. "Perhaps it is time that you take the jonin exams as well, Itachi."
Itachi taking the jonin exams? Wasn't he only twelve? Sure, Kakashi had been promoted when he was twelve, but that had been during war time.
"Whether or not I obtain the rank will have no bearing on my current status in the village," Itachi responded calmly. "My duty in the Anbu takes precedence." It was Itachi's polite way of saying that getting jonin rank was virtually useless, since he was already in the Anbu.
"But do not forget your duty to the clan."
Rin could see why Itachi turned out the way he did; his father was intense. Even if his words hadn't been directed at her, she could feel the weight and intensity behind it.
"We'll see," was Itachi's only response and that was it for the topic of jonin exams.
The rest of dinner was a long, uncomfortable affair. Mikoto tried - she really did, to diffuse the tension, but upon receiving short, clipped responses from everyone at the table, Mikoto gave up. At the end of dinner, Fugaku was the first to leave, giving no explanation for his departure. Itachi offered to wash the dishes, much to Mikoto's protests, and Izumi quickly offered. Shisui gave a mock salute to Kakashi and Itachi before revealing that he was needed at the Hokage's office then quickly left.
When Mikoto asked Kakashi and Rin to stay behind for tea, both of them declined as politely as they could, eager to escape the suffocating atmosphere. Disappointment was evident on Mikoto's face and the two of them felt guilty, but their guilt wasn't enough to keep them there. With a quick goodbye, the two of them left the main family's house and hurried through the Uchiha district.
It wasn't until the two of them made it out of the Uchiha territory did they finally relax.
"And I thought Kushina was suffocating," Kakashi muttered, casting one more glance at the gates to the Uchiha district. "Maybe I can understand why all the Uchihas I know are slightly insane."
"That's not true," Rin protested. "Obito wasn't insane."
"Any person who decides it's a good idea to charge into battle with only one kunai is insane," Kakashi responded dryly. Rin laughed as her mind conjured up the memory in her head. It had been the first mission outside of the village, an escort mission, and Obito being Obito had been running late so all he could grab was a single kunai before meeting them at Konoha's gates.
None of them had noticed his lack of weapons pouch until they were ambushed by a group of bandits. Of course, Minato sensei could have easily taken them out, but he had stepped back to give his genin, or chunin in Kakashi's case, a chance to experience the real world. Obito had been the first to charge in, with only one kunai in hand. After the bandits managed to knock it out of Obito's hands, Obito made a scramble to retrieve, which hadn't gone unnoticed by the rest of the team.
The mission had ended successfully, but it was an incident that Kakashi often brought up to annoy Obito to the point where Obito was always well stocked on his weaponry everywhere he went.
"How are you coping?"
"Still have nightmares, but I'm getting there," Kakashi admitted, tipping his head upwards so he could gaze at the starry sky. "And you?"
"A lot of guilt," Rin confessed. "I've been training more so no one else has to die in the process of trying to save me."
An unreadable expression was present on Kakashi's face, but the pain and regret in Kakashi's lone eye spoke volumes.
"I'm sorry," Kakashi whispered.
"For what?"
"For abandoning you on that mission. If it wasn't for Obito, you would be dead."
"I think...it would have been for the best."
"No, your life is important too," Kakashi countered. It was strange to hear Kakashi say something to comfort her, but it certainly touched her heart.
"Thank you."
A/N: Hi again. :)
This chapter is simply to bash Danzo and the Elders because I never liked them in canon. Sorry for the sort of filler chapter, but it was necessary to transition to the jonin exams and plant the beginnings of some subplots which will come up later in the story.
Thank you to the Guest reviewer!
The semester officially starts tomorrow for me (sigh), so I'm going to start updating once a week on Fridays to keep things routine because we all know I am super forgetful when things get busy. If I don't update, feel free to shoot me a message lol. The good news is that I did finish writing a good chunk of the story during break so I should be able to update consistently until I get around to finishing the rest of the story.
If you want to take a guess, the next chapter is titled A New Weapon. Super lame, but I was never good at naming things lol (I mean look at the title of the story haha).
Anyways, thank you for reading! Feel free to let me know what you think and until next time!
-MM