What was going to be heir no more... still like it but it feels better for a separate story down the line... maybe a one shot. too clean cut... still fun.

."War is coming."

A cold shiver washed through the council room at Jiraiya's statement. They all looked desperate, praying that it was false.

Hiashi stood, focusing his innately cold stare on the Sanin. " Are you sure? And if so, why?"

Jiraiya nodded slowly. "Tension have been rising for years, the invasion and death of The Third made it worse. We only dealt with it through completing a massive mission count. When the Uchiha left, it made us look weak but still we had Our reputation to back us." He sighed, rubbing his face as exhaustion washed over him. "Naruto died, the world fell the Kyuubi leave him. Losing our Jinchuurki and everyone capable of sealing one... it gave our enemies the push they need. We have seven, eight months until they start up the war. Right now they are enacting war training."

Shikkaku stood this time, drawing the room's attention. "If what you report is true, we must do the same... though to be honest, my son and most of his generation lacks the strength to deal with loss or the enotional strain of war. How much we can really do... is unclear."

"Agreed, but we must prepare silently. War training will be starting in the academy. The current rookie will be trained by retired Ninja, as is normal protocal."Tsunade commanded the room. " Jonin senseis will be focused on missions full time, getting allies and gaining funding needed for war. Shikkaku, make a plan for which allies are needed for this to succeed."

Shikkaku bowed low. " I will have a preliminary done by tonight... but in order to do that... whom is running the war?"

Everyone turned back to Jiraiya. " Rock, Frost, Sound are the big three but honestly from what I've gathered many villages will gather to fight us."

"With our losses, we are the runt... " Tsume held her head. "The strong survive by eating the weak and right now, we are weaker then ever."

Through the silence, Koharu's cold voice drew them all. "Yes, you are right. Many unfortunate setbacks have destroyed our power. However, these could have been endured or avoided had our leadership not been so faulty."

Killing intent exploded from Tsunade, Jiraiya shivered from the memories it unleashed? "Care to say that again?"

Koharu sneered lightly. "Yes, yes I would. Faulty leadership has done more damage to our village then any other factor. Your and Hiruzen's. The Daiymo agrees with this, and had agreed to enact new laws to ensure it doesn't happen again." With a snap of her fingers, four ninja dropped down, placing scrolls in front of everyone. The bloodseal of the Daiymo, created by the Second Hokage to ensure perfect orders, lay bare for all to see.

The blood drained from Jiraiya's face. "What... what lies did you tell him, that'd he do this?"

Angry looks, from all of the jonin leaders, turned to him. Ibiki, actually stood in anger.

"The Elders have served decades longer then you've been alive. They have given their whole lives to our village. At no point have they served us wrong. They have no reason to lie." He turned from Jiraiya, nodding at the elders. "That being said, honorable elders, can you explain what the changes are and why they have come to be."

Homura nodded, rising from his seat, standing next to Koharu in a show of solidarity.

"I will start with the whys, they will make the changes make more sense. To start, we presented the list of shinobi graduates since the Kyuubi attack. In that time we have hemmoraged ninja, a steady five percent decline that, when mixed with the poor training and increasing death rate, has ensured that our total number has dropped by almost twenty percent. The documentation proving this is within your seal."

Everyone cringed, especially Renji Poino the Academy Headmaster. The data was hard, cold and brutal. Not even Jiraiya would or could refute it.

" The poor recruits are another point. Sixty six percent fail, and the remaining thirty three are almost exclusively of the clans. The teams that pass always have a clan child. Even these children barely pass, with the average age of graduation being twelve where it was once ten years old. They rely soley on clan skills, rarely having other skills that woupd push them into other divisions such as TI, the Medical Corps, Barrier division etc.

Whats worse is their behavior. Disgraceful, abrasive and obnoxious. Countless customers have complained about the behavior of our ninja, young and old. Laziness is another issue.

This generation of heirs are perfect examples of this. "All of the clan heads recoiled, as did their senseis. " Hiashi, your daughter is meek and timid, your poor parenting has stripped her of a backbone. That leads into it's own issue, which we will bring up later."

Hiashi, proud and cold, nodded slowly. Humility and acceptance in his eyes. It was clear, to all, that he knew what was coming.

"Tsume, your son's scores were pathetic. He is obnoxious and abrasive, with a limited skill set and no sense of strategy. His anger has cost him greatly."

The Inuzuka head sighed. "I know. Believe me, I've tried..."

Koharu nodded, taking over for Homara. "We are aware, it takes a village to raise a child. For ninjas this goes double. We all failed. This is pointing out where we faltered, so we can better our village piece by piece. We are no exception and have tajen measures to ensure this doesn't happen again." She cleared her throat for a moment. " Now where were we... ah, Shibi. Your son is anti social, we believe his role would be best placed into the interrogation division or as. A hunter ninja. He is perhaps the only one of his class ready to be a shinobi. Only Hiruzen's refusal to push our young ninja into darker fields has hampered him."

The Aburame head nodded. "I will speak with him on the subject."

"I know you will. Choza, your son is next... and honestly tied for the worst of all of his class. "Choza actually flinched, turning away like an embarrassed child. "He eats more then trains, had poor academic grades, shows no capacity for independent thought or combat. He is cowardly and only fought in the Chunin exams when bribed. It is our belief that he be retired." Choza actually gaped, too shocked to reply.

"Shikaku, your son is tied as well. Intelligent though he is, the boy is disgracefully lazy. He sabatoged his own grades, has never bothered to better himself and actually feigned sleep during the invasion. He will retire or be given harsh disciplined training. No other routes are available."

Neither elder bothered to wait for a response. The disgust was clearly too much.

"Inoichi, your daughter had fantastic academic scores. She was kunoichi of the year. A joke given her abusive nature, laziness, poor skills, and obsession with dieting. We believe she has no place in TI, nepotism will have no part in her career.

Then there is team Seven."

Koharu shivered, disgusted as she glared at a now angry Kakashi.

"Sakura was a perfect blank slate. You could have made her anything. She was lazy and obsessed with the Uchiha. She still is the latter, ontop if being abrasive, abusive and temperamental. Only her time with Tsunade has revealed her true potential.

The Uchiha was entitled, angry and unstable and you gave him an assassination tool. You dedicated all of your training on him. You never bothered to assess or aid his mental state.

Then there is Naruto ... our biggest failure. The sum of our flaws."

Tsunade and Jiraya both stepped forward, with Tsunade speaking first. "He is the most hard-working, dedicated shinobi in our village! A hero!"

Homara raised his brow. "How? Naruto refuses to master the basics on any level,failed three times and wkn by stealing the Forbidden scroll. If it wasn't for nepotism, he would have been rightfully imprisoned. If he wasn't the son of the Fourth and Favorite of the Third, he would have never become a ninja.

A fact he proven over and over. Every mission he had had was only successful through the kyuubi. All of them would have failed without it. He takes the hits, heals and wins by attrition. All of his jutsus work by overpowering the jutsu more then actual skill.

His behavior is atrocious. Whiny, lazy, lax, abrasive, entitled. He makes no efforts, just says he believes it and expects results. He should never have been a ninja and you know it."

Tsunade shivered, then sighed. "I know. I realized that after he died."

Jiraiya wanted to protest... he couldn't. It was clear to him that Naruto dying broke something in Tsunade. Something he was afraid of touching, for fear he'd make it worse.

Koharu saw this too. She turned to the senseis. "A lazy chimney and a porn reading ever late brooder. Do we have to say more?"

Silence ruled. Thier point made.

Then Shikkaku stood. "What changes have been made?" His voice was soft, hurt.

"Checks and Balances. The hokage is on the top still. Then the two reagents, that is us. The council is next. Only our responsibility has changed. We now control the Academy and post training, for all divisions. Every branch may overturn a decision with the majority vote of another branch. We monitor Tsunade, you the council monitor both groups. No group is more powerful. Balance is equal."