A/N: Quick update because I'd already written this out ;)
Kakashi gloved hands close tightly around the edges of his chair. The tension in the room rackets up so high that Shibi's kikaichuu are faintly vibrating in his clothes. Fugaku looks ready to use his Sharingan to record the impending fallout, and Hiashi's usually blank eyes are bright with interest. It is, however, Chouza who replies Kamu cautiously. "The Hatakes are a founding clan, Inuzuka-san. These rights are not so easily abrogated."
"Hatake Sakumo was a traitor," Kamu declares, every enunciated syllable making Sakumo cringe. "A clan with such fickle loyalties to Konoha should not have a say in its decisions." The old clan head's greying mane of hair falls into his grimacing face as he leans forward to fix a menacing stare on Kakashi. "A clan head speaks on behalf of his clan. For one to purposely turn his back on Konoha during a mission is tantamount to treason by the entire clan. The previous iteration of the Council voted on a resolution to remove the Hatake seat from the Council of Clans. The only reason why it was not formally passed was because of the chaos following that man's suicide. But the resolution was valid! The Hatake seat no longer exists!"
Sakumo's stomach sinks. He won't lie; Kamu is technically correct. The loss of the Hatake seat was one of the factors that had weighed upon him the day he made that fateful decision. The previous generation of clan heads had been far more aligned with Danzou and his hawkish stance than the clan heads seated with Kakashi today. Even if the village could not forgive him, he had hoped that they would not make Kakashi suffer for his choices.
"Then why was the resolution not formalised so many years after my father's death?" Kakashi replies quietly, his trembling hands balled into fists beneath the table. His single grey eye is hard. "He has already given his life in atonement for the wrongs you deemed him to have committed. Execution is far in excess of the maximum penalty for failing a mission."
"Not for treason," Kamu retorts firmly. "Not for turning his back on Konoha."
"He had no treasonous intent," Kakashi says, his voice equally tightly controlled. "He did it to save his comrades."
If Sakumo had any doubts as to whether Kakashi understands his reasons for abandoning the mission as he did, they are all laid to rest now. In the ensuing silence in the room, a telltale ache begins to grow in the older Hatake's eyes. He lowers his head, taking a moment to compose himself and Rin's hand curls warmly around his. Grateful, he squeezes her hand back.
Despite Danzou having deliberately thrown Kakashi into deep waters in an attempt to discredit him in the eyes of the other clan heads, Kakashi is showing great maturity in the face of such a distressing topic. The other clan heads will not miss it.
"If that resolution was based on the false accusation that my father was a traitor," Kakashi declares, his back straight and his expression fierce, "then it should not have been passed."
The room is immediately at odds. On one side there are the younger clan heads who had stepped up after Sakumo's passing: the Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Uchiha and Aburame clans. On the other side, however, are the older clan heads who were the very ones who passed that resolution to remove the Hatake seat: the Shimura, Inuzuka, and Hyuuga clans.
The other clans are absent. The Senju clan had been governed by Tsunade's father before he passed, but Tsunade never claimed the seat. The Uzumaki seat is only an honorary position, left unfilled after Kushina's passing, and the Sarutobi clan abstains from voting due to Hiruzen's position as Hokage.
Danzou finally speaks up, seizing the opportunity to play the voice of reason. "If you remember, Inuzuka-san, we were pressed by war during that time." Kamu looks to Danzou suspiciously as the latter steeples his fingers. "Hard decisions had to be made rapidly and without hesitation. We were concerned that the Hatake clan had been... compromised. But now circumstances are very much different, yes? Young Hatake-san here has shown himself to be an exceptional shinobi."
Sinking into his chair, Kamu glowers at Danzou's betrayal. "Shimura-san, such resolutions cannot be simply altered by change in circumstance."
"Then we should carry out another vote," Danzou declares without so much as a blink. "Since so many clans have passed on the mantle to the younger generation, it is only right to let the current Council have a say."
Kamu is red in the face, but Chouza takes control of the meeting once more. "Good call, Shimura-san. Such an onerous resolution should not be passed lightly. In fact, the laws require no less than unanimity for a clan's seat to be removed. Shall we vote now?" When no-one protests, Chouza starts the process. "Those voting in favour of the removal of the Hatake seat, please raise your hands."
Only Kamu raises his hand. The man scoffs angrily and glares at Danzou, and then Hiashi, both who ignore him.
"Those voting against the removal of the Hatake seat, please raise your hands."
"Danzou, Chouza, Shikaku, Inoichi, Shibi, Hiashi, and Fugaku," Sakumo counts. He is grateful but not surprised that no-one has abstained from voting. When Danzou suggested the vote, it was already clear that it would be impossible to achieve the unanimous vote required to remove the Hatake seat. Rather than to offend Kakashi, who is backed by Shimura and clearly has the sympathy of the Ino-Shika-Chou trio, the rest of the clan heads threw in their lot with the majority.
"Thank you," Chouza says, smiling slightly. "Hatake-san, welcome to the Council."
Kakashi inclines his head in thanks. "Thank you all for your support." Now that the adrenaline rush from protecting his father's honour is fading, Kakashi sinks into his chair and pulls his mask up higher over his nose. When Danzou nods at him, Kakashi even manages a small eye-smile back. The brief exchange gives Sakumo a small pinch of annoyance. Danzou had played his hand well— throwing Kakashi into the deep end before swooping in as his most powerful ally.
"Let's move onto our agenda for the day, then. Nara-san?"
"Ah, yes."
As Shikaku stands to take the podium, Sakumo wonders at how much the Council has changed. The last time he had shown his face at the Council, the clan heads had been a group of war-worn, wary old men. They jumped at the spectres of conflict and watched each other from the corners of their eyes. It had been in that climate of unease that the previous Council had seen the opportunity to cast the Hatakes from their circle.
The younger generation seems more open, less strident, and more willing to reason. Perhaps it is because of the camaraderie formed during the Third War, Kakashi's ambiguous reputation, or even the Fourth's lingering influence that they are not rejecting Kakashi outright, but regardless, Sakumo is glad.
However, Kakashi is in a no less awkward or dangerous position. As the ninth clan head in attendance, he is the one whom one side or the other will blame for tie-breaking controversial resolutions.
"Open your eyes wide, Kakashi. Don't let this pack of wolves eat you."
As the meeting progresses, Kakashi sinks further and further into his chair, his presence often fading from the collective consciousness of the room as Danzou clashes with the Ino-Shika-Chou on seemingly every other issue.
The more they lock horns, the more impressed Sakumo is by the new Ino-Shika-Chou. The older generation had been very much aligned with Danzou, along with the Uchiha and the Hyuuga, leaving the Hatakes and Aburames in the minority camp. Only Sarutobi's pacifist leanings had managed to provide some kind of balance. But it is clear that the new generation is nothing like the old. The same Will of Fire may have been passed down through the generations, but its flaring light shines in a different direction.
"Strength does not depend solely on our military might," Shikaku says, his demeanour every bit the Jounin Commander he is to about to become. "Our civilian population has been halved since the beginning of the Third War. The civilians who had flocked to us during the Founding have realised by now that staying in a shinobi village doesn't mean safety, but quite the opposite. While they may have acquiescenced to being treated as as second-class citizens in the past in return for protection, we cannot continue to do so while expecting them to show the same kind of loyalty as the shinobi population."
"We are a shinobi village!" Danzou retorts with a severe frown. "A shinobi village that loses its military supremacy will be a weak target for the other villages. Do you think Iwa will respect the armistice if they realise that we're spending money and time pandering to the civilians instead of raising the next Yellow Flash?" Kakashi twitches at the mention of his sensei and Rin pats his hair in a small gesture of comfort. "We should first rebuild our strength."
"Our forces are overworked, however" Shibi speaks up unexpectedly, his dark glasses flashing as he turns to Danzou. "Why? They've been picking up work left by the shortfall of civilians. It is not sustainable."
"Everyone, a moment please," Chouza says, raising his hands for attention before Danzou can retort. "Thank you. Perhaps we can address a less contentious, but no less pressing, issue first. A lot of civilians have been approaching us about the Konoha Orphanage. They feel unfairly treated because the orphanage is officially only open to children with at least one shinobi parent.
"There are two issues at hand. Firstly, whether civilian orphans should be accepted, and secondly, how much the budget for the orphanage should be increased if civilian orphans are accepted. Please keep in mind that the two are inextricably linked. If everyone can take a moment to consider the brief regarding the orphanage, we will take a vote regarding the first issue in ten minutes."
There's a shuffling of papers as everyone tries to find the correct handout. Noticing Kakashi's glances about, Shikaku slides his own handout towards Kakashi with a brief smile. "Here."
Kakashi nods. "Thank you."
Shikaku had highlighted several statistics in with a red market, including one which indicated a severe shortfall in funds. Kakashi's brow pinches as he reads rapidly, keeping his head down so he can avoid any signal that Danzou might try to give him.
Remembering how packed the orphanage was the last time Kakashi had visited Naruto, Sakumo can understand the opposing side's concerns. Resources are always limited. There would be less for shinobi children if they allow civilian children to be accepted in the orphanage. What is usually done is to send them off to other villages, where they would work in return for shelter and food.
But to Sakumo, they are all Konoha's children, civilian or otherwise. Civilians may not have died in the course of protecting the village, but they have contributed to Konoha all the same. Ensuring that their children too are well taken care of is an extension of the Shodaime's vision to see the next generation happy.
The young Hatake is sweating now that he has realised the catch-22 he is in. The wise thing to do would be to abstain from taking any sides, especially when the lines are drawn as clearly as they are, but that would affect his ability to sway Danzou regarding ROOT matters. Yet, if he supports Danzou... It would be just as dangerous to make enemies of the Ino-Shika-Chou alliance, and the Aburames besides.
Sakumo watches with no small amount of trepidation as the vote is taken; and breathes a sigh of relief when the results become clear. Those who have chosen to maintain the status quo are the Shimura, Hyuuga, and Uchiha clans, while those who have chosen to extend the orphanage to civilians are the Yamanaka, Nara, Akimichi, Aburame, Inuzuka, and Hatake clans.
Danzou won't be happy, but at least it wasn't a stalemate that was broken by Kakashi. Rather, it is Inuzuka Kamu's shift from his usual voting patterns that stands out.
"Oh?" Rin laughs as Danzou's and Kamu's narrowed eyes meet briefly, yet intensely, across the table. "Did Inuzuka-san just betray Danzou?"
Sakumo chuckles, scratching his chin. "It seems so. Once he has a bone to pick, he doesn't let go. Hopefully, he'll distract Danzou from Kakashi for a while." For that, perhaps Sakumo can forgive Kamu for putting Kakashi on the spot earlier.
Shaking her head, Rin purses her lips. "Such drama."
Chouza clears his throat. "And now regarding the orphanage's funds..."
A/N: More Ino-Shika-Chou to come! :) We don't see nearly enough of the older generation in canon.