Most shinobi considered the council of elders to be a nuisance. The civilian council was barely tolerated at best. And the higher level shinobi that had the misfortune to have to regularly engage with them had long since learned to ignore them.
Clan elders were a similar matter. If there was one thing that Fugaku and Hiashi could agree on, it was the irritation that feeling bound by the will of another left them. Though clan elders were more respected, their wills often conflicted with what their Head willed.
As it did now. In this instance, however, Fugaku could understand their fury. The Uchiha Elders wished for what was best for the Uchiha. As a shinobi of Konoha however, Fugaku served the best interests of Konoha. Before this, he had always been able to maintain a balance, but this decision would show which side demanded his greater loyalty: his clan or his village.
It was a decision the Sandaime had rested solely upon his shoulders, which he was both glad for and irritated with. If he proceeded with the Nara's plan, Konoha would further cement its alliance with Uzushio, and both would gain a valuable soldier in the coming war. If he refused, they would lose a potential powerhouse but the Sharingan would remain in the Uchiha clan.
The biggest factor, however, was the most unexpected, but the one that had started the entire debacle.
Uzumaki Kushina had been injured in battle.
It hadn't been a slight injury, but something that had nearly killed her. If not for timely medical aid, she would already be dead. Even now, her condition was uncertain. The gravity of the situation had forced the head of every clan, and other high ranked shinobi to gather in the Hokage's office.
And then Nara brought up that damn suggestion. But he saw the logic in it. By having an Uchiha marry an Uzumaki, not only would the child have the Uchiha's Sharingan but the Uzumaki's uniquely vast chakra reserves. If Kushina died, then that child would take up the role of Konoha's Jinchurikki.
With tensions rising between the Five Great Shinobi Villages and war imminent on the horizon having such a powerful shinobi would certainly be to their advantage. And with that, he made up his mind.
"Fuuka-san, Haruto-san, Daichi-san, I've made my decision," he faced them calmly, interrupting their ranting. "I will agree to their idea. Konoha-" he got no further before they stopped him.
"You can't seriously be thinking of letting them do this, Fugaku," Daichi hissed. "Letting anyone outside of the clan possess the Sharingan would be a mistake."
"That's right," Fuuka nodded. "That Hatake boy has already been allowed to retain possession of Obito's eye. Are you really going to allow another such case, Fugaku?"
Daichi nodded at her, "Fuuka's correct. If we allow just anyone to have the Sharingan. Soon enough there will be no Uchiha, only Sharingan users spread across the Hidden Villages. We can't allow outsiders to possess our most valuable inheritance,"
Having said their piece, the two turned toward the final member of their trio. Out of the three of them, Haruto's opinion held the most sway over Fugaku.
"Do not forget your pride as an Uchiha, Fugaku," Haruto finally spoke. Fugaku's heart clenched.
Uchiha Haruto had been a young man during the Second Shinobi War. He had been awarded for his bravery, which had come at the cost of losing an eye. That sacrifice had won him respect from Konoha's highest circles, which was why Fugaku was more willing to listen to him. Haruto had been someone who had lost much during the war, and his perspective was something he valued.
"But do not forget your pride as a shinobi of Konoha either," his words caused resounding gasps from the other two. They went to argue with him, but he held up a hand and moved forward so he was eye to eye with his clan head.
"You are worried about the current situation between the Hidden Villages," he stroked his chin. "Indeed, with the recent news of Iwa's infiltration of Kusagakure, and with the subsequent clash between Konoha and Iwa, it wouldn't be wrong to state that tensions have been rising."
"But that is hardly a reason to panic and make a decision so quickly," Fuuka protested. "There are always minor skirmishes despite the armistices."
Daichi was quick to back her up, "Yes, Iwa wanted to lower our supply chains. We have multiple going from that area"
Haruto sighed, "That's all the more reason to worry. We have some of the most important supply lines there. Not to mention that the team of shinobi we sent was heavily outnumbered and injured. That isn't the type of attack that's barely put together. They must have been planning this for a while."
"Regardless of their intent, we suffered heavy casualties during that skirmish. We almost lost Kushina as well," Fugaku put in his two cents.
"The Jinchurikki's condition is now stable," Daichi threw him an irritated look. "Be rational Fugaku. You can't allow your relationship with the girl to cloud your thinking." Uchiha Daichi was the most troublesome amongst the elders, solely because he was a capable fighter, but without the perception of a leader. Something that had caused Fugaku no end of headaches when the man had been appointed an elder. Thankfully, the other two were quicker to catch on to his meaning.
Fuuka frowned, "No, that's not the point. If we had lost her, then who would have taken the mantle of the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki?" She glanced between the two, "That's your point isn't it?"
Haruto tilted his head at her in agreement, "Yes. We currently don't have anyone in the village who could be the Jinchurriki. The safest bet would be another Uzumaki, but it's rare to find an individual who possesses the unique chakra that can contain the Kyuubi so well. And with the other Hidden Villages using the Bijuu as well, having someone who can use the Sharingan would be beneficial, especially if they had the Uzumaki clan's enormous reserves."
"If we had lost Kushina, not only would we have lost a powerful kunoichi, but also one of the most powerful weapons Konoha has, its Jinchurikki. With the state we're in from the last war, something we're still recovering from, we can't afford that.
Fugaku nodded, "Overlooking Iwa's intent with the operation, the shinobi we sent were unable to suppress them. By all accounts, their number and skill were greater than our own. Having someone who could turn the tide of a battle would be vital"
"You say that as though you expect another war to break out," Daichi narrowed his eyes.
Haruto sighed, "We must not discount the possibility. Tensions have been rising between Konoha and Iwa ever since last winter's battle. And as of right now, Konoha is not in any condition to fight another war." It was not so much that they were unaware that Iwa's actions may not have been intentionally trying to spark a war so much as they could not afford to treat it as anything but a threat.
With the destruction the Second Shinobi War had left behind, Konoha's military power was already severely weakened. If they lost their Jinchurikki in addition to that, it would leave a fatal weakness for the other Hidden Villages to exploit.
"Fugaku," Haruto looked him in the eye. "As a village, gaining such a powerful shinobi would be to our benefit. However, there will be clan members who will not agree to the Sharingan passing outside of the clan. You must make sure that it does not."
Dark eyes widened in realization, "I understand," he promised.
"Excellent," Haruto turned to the other two. "Regardless of your personal opinions, we must be united when facing the clan. When they question us we must not give differing opinions."
Daichi and Fuuka exchanged a look before Fuuka finally responded, "We will do so as long as the Sharingan remains in Uchiha hands." She knit her eyebrows, "However, announcing this too soon could lead to an attempt to stop this plan in its earliest stages. Be careful how you approach this, Fugaku."
Haruto nodded, "This plan, while it has the extraordinary potential, is at it's weakest stages these next few years. I hope you find a strategy to ensure it comes to completion." He moved to leave and gestured for his fellow elders to follow him.
And with that their meeting concluded, leaving the Uchiha Head by himself. Fugaku sighed and massaged his temples. Now there was only the task of informing his clan and choosing a member of the clan to send to Uzushio.
llllllllllIIIIIIIIIIIlllllllllll
A day later, Fugaku sat in the same seat he had been sitting in two days prior when the Hokage's council had gathered in an emergency meeting following Kushina's injury. The council consisted of the Shinobi Commander, the ANBU Representative, and the Heads of the various clans. There were also a few odd, high ranked shinobi, such as Namikaze Minato and his master Jiraiya. The Civilian Council, however, was noticeably absent, something he was sure that everyone in the room appreciated.
He was aware of the eyes that kept glancing in his direction but made no hint of awareness of it. He did, however, acknowledge Hiashi's nod with one of his own.
Hiruzen blew out a puff of smoke from his pipe, "Let's start the meeting since everyone has arrived." He nodded to Shikaku, who stood up and began his speech.
"We've investigated Iwa's attack on Kusagakure. The main purpose was to disrupt the supply chains, which our shinobi have managed to protect. Some were destroyed, however, the merchants say that we should recover within a few months. Nothing vital was in the supply chains that were lost so the effect during those months will be negligible and primarily concentrated in civilian consumer demand."
"Was there an underlying motive to the attack?" Hiashi questioned. "Did they have any alternative goals and simply used the supply lines as a diversion tactic?"
"What about the location itself? Those supply chains were on the border of Konoha. Were they intending to renew aggression between the Hidden Villages and spark another shinobi war?" The Akimichi clan head pressed.
That question drew whispers between shinobi. Many of which discussed how Konoha was not ready for war. Nor did it have the military power to defend itself. Most of the Clan Heads had only recently come into their positions. Fugaku himself had only become head this past year, and while Hiashi had held the position longer, they had nowhere near the experience their fathers had had. Other clans had similar problems.
Their generation was skilled, but did not have the experience of the battlefield. The period of peace after the Second Shinobi War had allowed them to rebuild, but the shinobi were not war-hardened. Konoha had not yet managed to climb back to the power it had had before the war with Kumo.
Danzo stopped the whispers with a cough and directed the Shinobi Commander to finish. Nara nodded at both Clan Heads in acknowledgment, "I thought they might have used it as a diversion tactic as well and sent out several search teams. They've reported that nothing is amiss. In fact, the only area that the Iwa nin targeted was the supply chains in Kusagakure."
"The supply chains usually have armed escorts and are close enough that reinforcements can be sent over quickly. Rather than attack there to disrupt our supplies, it would have been more efficient to attack closer to the manufacturing plants or the transportation routes before they're close to Konoha. It would have been much harder for us to reach them and defend as well," Jiraiya noted, expanding on Choza's view. "On the other hand, if Iwa attacked with the intention of starting a war then attacking near Konoha's boundaries would certainly spark tensions,"
"But on the opposite side, all five of the major shinobi villages suffered a severe decline in power following the Second Shinobi War as fatalities increased," Hiashi noted.
Fuguaku's eyes narrowed, "Their power should have weakened but the surviving shinobi claimed that they were outmatched in power as well as in number,"
"So the question is how Iwa managed to recover in so short a time frame and whether the other villages have done the same," Minato surmised. The three exchanged a look. It had been a while since they been a team but it seemed they still worked well together. In battle if not anywhere else.
Hiruzen nodded, "I've also come to the same conclusion. Earlier this morning, four teams of ANBU were dispatched on reconnaissance missions to find out exactly that. If they have managed to recover then we must not allow ourselves to lag behind,"
Aburame Shibi frowned, "With the state of our current economy, however, we don't have the resources to direct to the military. And because of the severe losses from the previous war, there's been a drop in the number of births as well. We will experience a steady decline in Academy students for the next few years,"
"On the ninja side that's true, however, given the size of the larger clans, and the youth of the members, now fully grown, those numbers will equalize within the next ten years. As for the present, the number of children from civilian parents is increasing, which will also increase the present enrollment rates," Yamanaka countered.
"So the academy graduation rates should remain the same. But even so, with the state of our economy and the shinobi forces still recovering from the last war, we can't afford to get involved in another war, " Hatake Sakumo concluded. He looked over to Shikaku, "What have your men found about Iwa's intention during the attack? Were they intending to start a war?"
"We're still looking into that. The Tsuchikage's intentions are not clear. However, given the recent rise in tensions, it wouldn't be unreasonable to prepare for war," Shikaku's eyes moved to Fugaku.
His own eyes narrowed. Regardless of his own agreement to the Nara's plan, he wouldn't be lured into anything.
"What changes do you plan to make to the shinobi forces?" Minato interrupted, allowing Fugaku to stall for a moment longer. He knew that Nara wouldn't let him go without a definite answer, but the question was too substantial for the council to ignore.
"The plans have been split into two primary units, defensive and offensive," Shikaku's attention turned towards the blonde. "On the defensive side will be the Uchiha and regular patrol teams. The regular patrol teams will increase the radius of the patrols by another three kilometers. We will also increase the number of teams patrolling at any one time from five to seven. The four groups will patrol the three major sections of the village.
"The first group's span will comprise primarily of the Hokage Tower and the nearest buildings, in addition to the presence of preexisting ANBU squadrons. The next group will focus on a wider range, mainly the shinobi sections, including the Academy and the Police Department. Next, there will be two groups concurrently patrolling the outermost areas, where the civilians reside.
"Outside attacks, especially major ones will most likely be from this area, which requires a heavier defense. Patrolling times will also be shorter, but with more time slots for every active ninja. Each shift will be three hours long and any shinobi on active duty in the village will be assigned to two time slots.
Groups will consist of four shinobi of varying rank, though at least Chunin level. Groups will be patrolling in opposite directions and will meet by the hour, and report any disturbances. Any group that does not report within half an hour of their scheduled meeting time, or does not return on time will be assumed compromised."
Fugaku nodded, "And for the Police Department?"
Shikaku gestured to him, "The Uchiha will be working alongside the patrols. Patrols will overlook the village from the sky while the Uchiha will be visible on the ground. Your primary duty is to reassure any civilians of their safety and ensure everything runs smoothly. Your patrols times will be lengthened, and groups will be increased in size and number by a scale of 2."
"And if the village is attacked?"
"Forces will divide in two. Chunin will assist in civilian evacuation and to the Evacuation Center if necessary. All shinobi with a higher rank will assist in the defense of Konoha. If any team is assumed compromised, the Uchiha will be the ones that will investigate first.
"The Hyuga will alternate with the Uchiha on patrols. During the day the Uchiha will patrol and at night the Hyuuga. There will be one member of said clan on each patrol group during these times."
"These will be the primary defensive strategies. They will be altered by circumstance at any time," the heads nodded along in agreement. Danzo hummed thoughtfully. No doubt he would have Root members patrol as well.
"And for offensive strategies?" this time it was Sakumo who brought it up. The others were still discussing the defensive strategies.
"Our most powerful force is our shinobi. Efforts will be made both for Academy students and genin, and for high ranking shinobi. First, we will be introducing more rigorous content into the Academy to lower the learning curve, even slightly for the students once they become genin. We will also increase the amount of time they spend on practical training but maintain the amount of time spent on lessons by increasing the length of the school day.
"Genin students will be introduced more quickly to C-rank missions, and increase the breadth and span of their missions. D-ranks will primarily be restricted to the first four months after the Academy, wherein the Jonin-sensei will teach them anything he or she deems necessary for their future missions during daily training.
"High ranking ninjas will naturally be taking more missions, but will also be required to check into the Hospital after each mission to confirm their health and uncover any unknown pathogens or poisons."
Shikaku paused for a moment then continued, "Information will also be classified under offensive maneuvers. Jiraiya-san will continue with his spies, but will also begin to look more closely into the Shinobi forces of the other Hidden Villages and any signs of sudden developments in strength as well as any weaknesses we can exploit,"
"That doesn't sound too different from what's already in place, though" Minato noted.
"You're right. Currently, we're in a wait-and-see mode. If Iwa doesn't intend to start a war, then having too many offensive maneuvers could spark a war from our end instead. For now, the best option is to tighten our security and to strengthen our weakest links," Shikaku's explanation seemed to appease most of the Council.
"We've done as much as we can for the village at the moment, but what's the condition of the shinobi who were sent to fight the Iwa nin?" Inoichi redirected. The sudden shift in conversation drew the attention of the room, who knew his true question.
What's the condition of the Jinchurikki?
Minato stepped forward this time, "We lost two shinobi in the skirmish. One died on the field and the other in the hospital. The other two are stable, though with severe injuries. The doctors say both should make a full recovery," No one mentioned the obvious catch in his breath as he said the last part.
Though considering that most of them had attended the Academy beside the two, perhaps it was more out of consideration for him rather than politeness.
In other words, they wouldn't lose one of the village's most powerful weapons.
"Speaking of which, Fugaku, have you made up your mind about the Uzumaki dispute?" He knew that Shikaku wouldn't let that go. And it seemed he had found the perfect opportunity.
"I've considered what you said yesterday, and I have made up my mind," Fugaku answered. "Given the current situation, most likely war will break out, if not within the next few years, then within the next ten. The existence of a shinobi with the chakra of the Uzumaki clan and the Uchiha's Sharingan would definitely give Konoha the advantage. If the other four villages have indeed increased in strength, then the union of the Uzumaki and Uchiha clans would be all the more imperative.
Dark eyes scanned the room before finally settling on the Hokage, "Given this, I will agree to the idea, on one condition."
"Which is?" Hiruzen asked, holding up a hand when Danzo tried to interrupt.
"The child will be a member of the Uchiha clan. Naturally, I will not prevent them from aiding the Uzumaki clan, however, they must be raised by the Uchiha after their sixth birthday,"
"I see. If the Uzumaki agree then we will proceed with your wishes." Hiruzen set down his pipe and intertwined his hands. For all that the man might hate having to pull a child from their family and force them to accept another, he could not allow himself to make a decision that would help one but harm so many others. And he had no pull in this particular field. The Uchiha had the right to train their protege without observing eyes just as the Uzumaki could refuse to allow it. "Have you selected who to send to the Uzumaki clan?"
"Yes. The Uzumaki clan will select someone who will be able to pass on the Adamantine Sealing Chains, a legacy of the head family. They will most likely select Uzumaki Kaori. Because of that, I have decided to send someone of equal standing, my brother, Uchiha Satoshi."
Around him, several Heads of various clans nodded. Doing so made sense. Uzumaki Kaori was the granddaughter of the clan head, and giving her just any member would be looking down on the clan. Satoshi was the best option.
Having completed his agenda and gaining Fugaku's agreement, the Sandaime quickly adjourned the meeting. Fugaku did not miss how Minato had been the first to leave when the meeting was finally over. Kushina's condition was no longer life-threatening, but it was hardly stable.
Now the only thing to do was to wait. If Iwa wanted a war, they would get a war.
AN: So obviously I changed a couple of things from canon, but I thought this would be an interesting take on the Third Shinobi War and beyond. We never really see much of the cause so much as the effects on Team Minato and the plot.
AN2: Looking at this, the clan heads actually seem pretty manageable and not as headache-inducing as they are said to be in the first part of the story, but that comes later. People are rational, and do what seems to be the best option to them at the time. Whether or not it actually is the real question. But while they are Uchiha, they are also Konoha ninja, and they might disagree inside the village, but when the village is threatened, they unite to defeat any threats. Also, this is before Danzo tries to hide Fugaku's achievements in the war and the Uchiha are kinda segregated so there aren't any real problems aside from not wanting to give up their Kekkei Genkai just like how the Hyuga would react in this situation.
AN3: I changed a bit on the timelines. This around six years before the Third Shinobi War kicks off. I said that the Fugaku, Minato, and them all didn't really have that much experience because they were still in a state of peace so they didn't have the experience they would have later. However, they are all still high ranking jonin.
AN4: For anyone wondering why Danzo is being so cooperative, well obviously he doesn't trust the Uchiha, but he likes the idea of how powerful such a shinobi would be and he wants to have that kind of power under him. As for why he seems so much more… less Danzo-level mass murdering and all that style crazy, I'm taking into account how the other shinobi would have viewed him. Sure they're kind of wary of his reasoning, but they all know he's a loyal shinobi to the Leaf and they aren't really aware of how messed up he actually is.
So, what do you guys think?