Hey yall it's been awhile! Anyways, I am slowly moving over to ao3, but I will still post on here. Just updates will be slower here compared to ao3. Anyways, leave reviews as always folks!
Chapter 9
The sun slowly rises in the dusk sky as a red haired Uzumaki and a young teenage female Uchiha darken the doorstep of the Yamanaka clan compound. Reizen sweeps his long hair back into a messy top knot to keep his bangs out of his eyes and glances down to his companion, one Itachi Uchiha, as they wait for a guard to answer the door. A young male about Itachi's height swings the compound's door open, his eyes drooping from his long shift.
"Can I help you? He asks, his voice tired and drowsy. Reizen gives him a weary smile.
"We would like to speak to Inoichi, it is somewhat urgent I'm afraid." The guard looks at the two of them, before he sighs wearily.
"Follow me, he should be up by now making breakfast I believe." The pair nod to the guard as he opens the door further, allowing the two inside. Thunder slowly rumbles in the sky, the small pitter patter of rain on the cobblestone being the only sound in the compound as the guard leads them to Inoichi's door. The guard knocks, muffled footsteps padding their way to the door. The door opens to reveal Inoichi, coffee mug in hand and a dark robe around his body.
"Ah, Genri-San. I see you have brought me some surprise guests this morning. Itachi-Chan, it's good to see you as always. But you are..." Reizen steps forward, stretching his hand out. Inoichi grabs the hand gently and shakes it.
"Uzumaki Reizen, though you can just call me Reizen if you wish." Inoichi nods, motioning the two inside and dismissing the guard. The door closes as both Reizen and Itachi step inside, the rain pelting outside the door quietly. The trio make their way to the oak table in the kitchen, sitting down in the comfy chairs.
"Pardon our intrusion this early in the morning, Inoichi-Sama." Reizen bows from his seat, Inoichi already waving him off.
"It is too early for formalities, not that I am much for them anyways at normal hours. Now, what can I do for the two of you?" Reizen glances at Itachi, who dips her chin minutely at him. Reizen sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose in obvious hesitation before relenting. He motions for her to go ahead.
"What I am about to tell you is something Hiruzen has no knowledge of. At least, not right now anyways. He will be informed later, but for the moment we don't want him in the loop." she begins. Inoichi merely nods, already having been familiar with keeping things from the Hokage. As the old head therapist, patient confidentiality is something he is intimately familiar with.
"Well, if you have come to me I presume it has something to do with the mind somehow. Otherwise, you probably would have gone to Shikaku." Reizen merely shrugs, his face losing some stress lines as he gets more comfortable.
Inoichi was extremely intelligent, even back in my time. It's no surprise he has somewhat guessed as to why we are here already.
"First, allow me to pose a question. How familiar are you with Danzō's dealings?" Reizen's question drops the temperature in the room quickly. Inoichi's eyes widen, before realization sets in. His expression darkens, a frown starting to settle.
"I see now why you have yet to involve Hiruzen. To answer your question, I am well aware of what Danzō has done. I assume you are referring to Root?" Reizen and Itachi both nod.
"Reizen fought several shinobi with blank face masks and silencing seals on the back of their tongues. One of the nin whom he fought is an Uchiha… Shisui's younger sister." she explains. Inoichi simply stares at the pair across from him as he takes a small sip of coffee.
"We have her restrained and unconscious currently in the Uchiha compound. We were hoping to ask for your assistance in making sure none of her memories are damaged and to keep her brain healthy during the unsealing." Inoichi nods, about to speak before his wife enters the room.
"Honey, who is it?"
Inoichi's wife, Asago, walks down the stairs in a light purple robe. Her eyes are half-lidded with sleep as she almost stumbles down the stairs.
"It's Uchiha Itachi and her friend, Uzumaki Reizen." Her eyes go wide at Reizen's name, or rather clan name.
"Uzumaki? By any chance are you-" Reizen is already shaking his head in exasperation.
"Related to Kushina? No, not directly anyways. She was my niece, though I am trying to help any other Uzumaki's that I find. It's a pleasure to meet you, however." She nods, scuttling into the living room to give the group their privacy.
With his wife out of earshot, Inoichi turned back to his guests. "As I was about to say, I don't mind helping out. When are you thinking of doing this?"
"We were hoping you wouldn't mind coming over this evening after dinner?" Itachi's answer gains a nod from Inoichi as he moves to stand. Reizen and Itachi both stand as well.
"Then I shall see you later this evening." Reizen and Itachi nod, heading for the door and opening it. Reizen makes his way out, but Itachi lingers for a moment longer.
"Thank you, Inoichi-Sama." Her words are whispers on the breeze, just loud enough for Inoichi to barely make them out.
The warmth from the rays of the sun beats down on the pair as they slowly walk down the market street. Many civilians and Shinobi alike mill about, getting some early shopping done before the afternoon crowds swarm the market. Reizen and Itachi walk in silence comfortably, enjoying a moment of peace.
Finally coming up on the Uzumaki compound, Reizen nods to Itachi politely. Before he can say goodbye, he runs into a young Deidara.
"Hey, you're that red-haired guy who's supposed to be the main ambassador between Iwa and Konoha! Where have you been?! It's just been me and Itachi at the meetings lately! No offense, Itachi-Chan." Itachi waves her hand politely, a fond smile on her face as she gazes at the young teen.
"I'm sorry for not being there as of late, as I have had other matters to attend to. If you wish, we could talk some more in my compound over breakfast?" With that, Reizen proceeds to step inside the compound. Glancing behind him, he sees the bubbly Deidara taking everything in, with a stoic Itachi beside her. He smiles to himself, content to see the innocent side of someone so young.
Walking inside the house, Reizein is immediately tackled to the ground by three fluffs of red hair. Chuckling quietly, he rubs all their heads in fondness.
"I take it you three are hungry?" Getting three choruses of agreement, he gently pushes himself up, the three kids clinging to him as he does so. Ignoring the blatant chuckle from Deidara and pointed stare from Itachi, he proceeds to wade to the kitchen. Untangling himself from the mess of small limbs and red hair, Reizen starts the stove as the rest of the group moves to the large table.
"For what it's worth, I am sincerely apologetic for my absences. Would you mind filling me in? Also, how do you like your eggs?"
Deidara smiles, waving his apology off nonchalantly. "Oh don't worry about it. I get it, being one of the more important ninja's of this village must mean you are like, super duper busy with stuff. Also, scrambled but leave the shells in please." Reizen stares at Deidara in bewilderment for a few seconds, before shrugging and getting to work.
After all, Sasuke ate his eggs raw and Sakura always needed hers in the shape of a sakura flower with honey and pepper on it. Shivering, Reizen clears his head as he listens to Deidara recall the negotiations up to now.
"...So basically Iwa is aiming to be allies, right? I mean, yeah I know I shouldn't be outright telling you that, but come on. Someone has to start off with the intent to be allies and I doubt you lot would do it, so why not? We also want to trade our mountain spices at a lower price in exchange for lower priced chakra wood from you all. This is all we have gotten through in our last couple meetings, as the prices took a really long time to decipher and match. I never realized Iwa's currency was so different from Konoha." Reizen nods as Deidara continues her bubbly explanation.
"Oh, and then Jiji sent me a message saying that I need to keep my attitude and sass in line. Like, psh as if I have any attitude! I can be totally professional when I need to be! Just ask Itachi-San, she can totally tell you how professional I have been!" Reizen turns his head, placing her plate of eggs in front of her as he glances briefly over to Itachi, who dips her head in agreement to her companion's words.
"Well, it certainly sounds as if you two have the negotiations going smoothly. Hm, Deidara-San what would you say-" Deidara springs up from her chair in irritation.
"It's just Deidara. Got it. A." Reizen gulps as it seems like her blue eyes seemingly catch on fire. He nods, and she sits back down.
"Ahem. Anyways, Deidara, what would you say to a team switching between our two villages?"
Crickets could be heard behind the quiet munch of bacon and eggs from the three kids as Deidara stares at Reizen blankly. Even Itachi, behind her stoic demeanor, still seems somewhat puzzled. Reizen looks around the table, confused with a raised eyebrow.
"Pwhat, ish not like ish a bwad idea." Reizen almost chokes on his bacon, as Deidara processes the idea.
"I… I'm not sure? In theory yes, it's been proven to help strengthen alliances. But this is Iwa and Konoha we are talking about..." Reizen points a fork at her, swallowing his food in the process.
"Aren't you the one who was saying one of us has to take the initiative? Well, consider this Konoha taking the initiative. Say we swapped one Genin team for a duration of…. Four months. Four months should be an adequate time for a group to get accustomed to each village, then we can switch again. After five rotations we could negotiate once again how many teams to switch." Deidara takes a sip of her water, thinking on his words.
"You know what? Fine. If you all are serious enough about peace, who am I to stop you? The day where our world is peaceful and there is no more war is the day my dream comes true. Let's do it." A determined grin fills Deidara's face, full of hope and strength it reminds Reizen of his younger self.
Where did Deidara go wrong…. Not this time. This time, we will fix it all. Right, Kurama?
I hate to admit it kit but… she does look like a younger you. I agree, we need to fix everything.
Deidara extends her hand over the table, which Reizen readily shakes.
"Great, that was actually one of the large points we were having an issue finalizing." Reizen nods, about to open his mouth when suddenly, there is a knock at the door.
"Excuse me." The table's occupants nod, as he gets up from the table and makes his way to the door. Upon opening, a slender anbu is lingering on the porch.
"Hokage-Sama has requested your presence in the council room immediately." Reizen nods, face grim and brow furrowed as he closes the door. Walking back into the house, he makes his way to his bedroom to grab some scrolls and ink, stopping by the kitchen to inform his guests.
"My apologies, but I have been summoned by Hiruzen for some reason. Itachi-San, Deidara we shall talk at a later date. Please make yourselves at home." With that, Reizen strides out the door, sweeping away his hair from his eyes.
With a gentle knock and a nod to the secretary on duty, Reizen enters the council room with little expectation. Upon entering, his eyes widen slightly as he takes in all the clan heads present. Swiftly, he makes his way to the only chair left available, in between Tsume and Shikaku.
Hiruzen nods gratefully to Reizen, before speaking.
"Now I am sure almost none of you have any inclination as to why you are here." With many agreeing nods and curious glances to Hiruzen, who leans back in his chair with a solemn air about him.
"I am afraid I have some potentially troubling news. We were just informed moments ago that Suna has been directly attacked by an unknown entity. They have sent a messenger asking for assistance." The air thickens in the room as everyone takes in the news.
Suna was never attacked this early in the last timeline.
No, they were not. Which is very disturbing, as there aren't many forces currently around that could attack a major village, even one as pitiful as Suna is at this point.
Shikaku leans forward, hands clasped and expression grim.
"Is Rasa still alive?"
"Our last report stated that all of the council and it's members, including Rasa, are safe and healthy. If not a little beat up but they will live to bicker amongst politics another day." Shikaku nods, with the tension in the room lessening slightly.
"What is the extent of the damage? It is logical for us to calculate what has been lost before proceeding with any plan." The near silent words of Shibi gains an approving eye from Reizen, with a similar glint in Shikaku's eye as well.
"The report said they lost a quarter of their shinobi, mainly Genin and Chunin. What really hurt them was the loss of the warehouses with their food and water." Deafening silence fills the room, practically caving the walls in.
With so much lost food and water…. They won't last a week during the summer. Shit.
Reizen speaks, which gains many surprising looks from the room. "Were the attackers identified at all?"
Hiruzen shakes his head. "Nothing, not even a single piece of clothing was seen by any witnesses."
Again, silence permeates the air, practically creating a small void in the middle of the room. Reizen interlocks his fingers as he rests his chin on them, eyes darting about the room. He catches Hiruzen's eye, the unspoken question there. He simply closes his eyes and gives one single shake of the head. A sigh from Hiruzen's direction barely slips through the eerie silence.
"We should take this opportunity to invade them. After all, the peace treaty you signed Hiruzen was made with the third Kazekage, not the fourth. There's no reason to uphold it. We can swoop in and take what we need. We can't give this opportunity up." The venomous words of Danzō rupture the silent void in the room, practically sucking in any emotion but a raw cold that has replaced everything. Tsume stands abruptly from her chair, sending it clattering to the floor.
"They are our allies you bastard! You would willingly strike a crippled village that wouldn't be able to muster any kind of defense? You piece of shit. You shouldn't even be in this meeting, let alone be speaking here." Danzō's one eye narrows in irritation.
"You would do well to-" he's interrupted as Reizen stands, placing a gentle hand on Tsume's shoulder.
"Elder Danzō. According to the clan and village establishment charter, what exactly is the power ranking in a village?" Danzō turns his head to Reizen, shock all but visible in his eye, hidden behind his stoic visage. Danzō remains silent though, until a pointed cough from Hiruzen has him responding.
"The Hokage, the founding clans, the six noble clans, then the rest of the clans. After that, it's the civilian representative." Reizen nods, a certain gleam in his eye Shikaku see's right away.
"Right right. So, if that is the power ranking for the village, would you mind telling me where exactly the elder council fits in there?" Silence, this time one full of approval and gratitude from the rest of the clan heads.
"As I thought so. If you wouldn't mind, until the advisory council is called upon, please allow the clan heads to deliberate our current situation." With that, he guides Tsume back into her now upright seat. Then, having sat back down, he nods to Hiruzen.
"Moving past the suggestion made by the advisory council, I would like to propose a suggestion. Send a team of Jonin, one with at least one clan head present, to go to Suna and assess the damage for our own eyes and report back. From there, the next plan of action should be decided." The gratitude seeping from Hiruzen is so obvious that the rest of the clan heads seemingly chuckle.
"A wise proposition from the young clan head," Hiashi Hyuuga agrees from across the table. "One I support. Clan head Uzumaki, who would you suggest goes with the team?"
Reizen nods to Hiashi, who remains with the cool image the entire Hyuuga house portrays.
"As I am young, I shall explain my thought process first instead of just saying who I think it should be. I ruled out yourself, Hiashi-Dono due to the factor of there being many in this world who seek your Dojutsu. If the enemy decides to strike while our team is there, minimizing our loss is crucial." Hiashi nods, a somewhat appreciative gleam in his eyes.
"Moving on, we can't send myself. As much as I believe I would do well, having little political background and being a relatively new clan head, I fear I would have trouble with their council and maneuvering about. We also can't send Shikaku-Dono or Inoichi-Dono, both who hold extremely vital positions to our village. Same reason for Hiruzen, we can't send our Hokage." A round of nods from the room, and even a murmured 'thanks' from Inoichi.
"That leaves Shibi-Dono, Choza-Dono or Tsume-Dono as our only options. Personally, I believe all three would be valuable in the team, so it would be more of a matter of who we want for the rest of the team." Stunned silence is Reizen's answer, before Shikaku speaks up.
"Now that we have narrowed down the clan head list, perhaps we look at the list for the team we want. We should send at least six Jonin with the clan head, so seven in total. Are there any suggestions?" Though Shikaku makes the question to the group, Reizen can feel his eyes bore into him.
I know it's only because I caught his interest. I'm a puzzle he has to solve. "Hokage-Sama, who would you recommend on this mission?" Hiruzen takes a puff from his pipe, before exhaling and setting it back down slowly.
"...I believe there are very few we can send who I can put my full faith in to come out of any situation there and not be fazed. With how precarious the situation at Suna might be, I believe our first choice, as I am sure many would guess, should be Kakashi-Kun." Many nods of agreement from the clan heads, yet Inoichi speaks up.
"Hokage-Sama, I am sure you read my last psychological evaluation report of Hatake. He, in my honest opinion, needs to do a solid month of therapy before he can go out in the field. That man has possibly the worst case of PTSD I have ever seen, the simple fact that he is walking around is a miracle in itself. He-" Hiruzen puts a hand up, stalling Inoichi in his tracks.
"Bottom line is Inoichi, we need him because of his experience. Kakashi-Kun holds the second highest mission record in the village, second only to Tobirama-Sama himself. His skill will be invaluable, and for all his unwillingness to partake in politics, his mind is certainly one of the best. Therefore, I believe he is a sure choice for this mission." Inoichi fumes for a minute, but relents nonetheless.
"But what of the academy students that are graduating tomorrow and are supposed to meet their Sensei's? If I recall, Kakashi has a team this year, which would mean they have to wait for him to get back." The voice of Homura speaks from the back, turning the heads of the council to glare at him. He shrinks into his seat, having been cowed into submission.
"That will more than likely be the case for a few students this year. That is a problem for another time, no? Let us continue." Fugaku's rough voice fills the room, returning everyone's attention to the matter at hand. Reizen stands up.
"I would suggest sending Gai-San, simply because he gets along well with just about everyone." Reizen says. "Next I would like to suggest one more person, Uchiha Shisui."
Silence fills the room, with the stares of all the clan heads swerving to Reizen.
"...You would willingly suggest an Uchiha for a mission, Uzumaki-San?" Reizen nods to Fugaku.
"If I may be frank, this tension that has seemingly sprung up out of nowhere between your clan and the village is utter blasphemy and should be disregarded. The Uchiha are one of the founding clans of Konoha, and the only founding clan that still has significant numbers and influence in the village. If the right man for the job is an Uchiha, that shouldn't be a reason to not nominate them. I believe Shisui Uchiha would do well on this mission, with his calm mind and caring personality, I believe he would be a great addition." Stunned silence again follows Reizen's proclamation, as well as the silent fuming of a dark councilman.
"I agree with both suggestions. I would also like to suggest we have a Hyuuga, Inuzuka and Aburame go, as they could help with any rescue operations. Do any of the clan heads have someone in mind they would send?" Shikaku's voice of reason once again brings the discussion to a new level. Tsume stands from her seat.
"I'll be the clan head to go, since it's been awhile since I got out of the village. Hiashi and Shibi, you two got anybody in mind?" Shibi stands as Tsume sits back down.
"I believe my younger brother, Seiji would do well and is willing to go on this mission. Hiashi-Dono?" Hiashi stands as Shibi sits down.
"I am sure I could find a suitable candidate from the branch clan to fill the position." Hiashi sits down after his comment, maintaining a straight face.
"That gives us six candidates including Tsume, so we need one more suggestion for this mission. Does anybody have one in mind?" Silence fills the room at Hiruzen's question. All eyes dart around the room, waiting for someone to give and volunteer a friend or ally to a potentially suicidal mission. Shikaku stands after a moment, his face clouded as he drums his fingers on the table.
"If I may, I would like to recommend Asuma."
Nobody but Shikaku would be brave enough to recommend sending Hiruzen's son out. It's a good move though.
Not to mention I doubt Suna knows of the tension between son and father. It is a great ploy both politically and strategically. With a nod, Reizen turns his thoughts back to focusing on the room.
"... Very well. Kakashi, Gai, Asuma, Tsume, Shisui, Seiji and one to be picked by Hiashi shall depart on this mission. This council is adjourned for the time. Reizen, if you will?" The rest of the clan heads nod as Reizen gets up, following Hiruzen back into his private office. Once out of view, Hiruzen's shoulders drop in resignation and fatigue.
"I am too old for this. Minato was supposed to be here, holding this hat atop his head. Not me." Reizen simply nods, keeping quiet.
"I take it this never happened in your time?" Reizen moves to the small, velvet seat sitting in the corner. Sitting down, he lets his head tilt back in resignation. He stays silent for a moment as Hiruzen moves to sit behind his desk, lighting his pipe.
"... No, nothing like this ever happened. Not this early anyways, and not on this scale either. Quite frankly, I don't have any idea of who would hold the power to even attempt this. Akatsuki shouldn't be anywhere near this level as of yet, and Orochimaru certainly doesn't have a deep enough base set up." Shadows dance around the room,with no light but the one lit candle sitting on Hiruzen's desk. It's flame dances like a Suna belly dancer in it's candle holder.
"Then we shall hold to the age-old shinobi saying. Before battle, tighten your armor and strengthen your resolve." Reizen nods, as the smoke from Hiruzen's pipe fills the void in the room, dark clouds hang heavy overhead.