The Council
Naruto entered the council chamber right behind the Hokage. For whatever reason, he was being forced to attend the council meeting despite holding no seat yet and not having any influence on decisions. Naruto casually glances around the room. The Shinobi seat holders were on one side and the civilian side on the other. Even if Naruto couldn't recognize the clan heads, he could definitely tell simply by who was quieter. Despite Naruto's casual demeanor, he was alert. He knew his Jiji was about to cause storm.
"Naruto kun, please sit next to Shikaku" Jiji tells him. Naruto looks to the Nara clan Head who was also Jounin Commander. He held a serious expression; his posture, for once, not slouched. Naruto met the mans gaze who's expression soften somewhat before nodding.
"Sure" Naruto waves and follows the man to his seat. Shikaku grabbed another chair for him from the aisle before sitting it next to him. Naruto now sat between the Nara clan head and the Yamanaka clan head.
"Why have we been summoned, Hiruzen?" Homura Mitokado, one of the Elders asks once the room quieted as the Hokage took his place in front. Koharu Utatane, the last Elder besides Danzo, eyes his old friend and team mate, something serious was happening.
"I have a matter to discuss with all of you. Afterwards, only the Shinobi council, and then to my Elders." The Third Hokage briefs, folding his arms across his chest. Danzo eyes his rival, his stance was not the laxed Hokage in time of peace, no, before them stood the aged Professor, who was still quite capable of being the Hokage.
"Why is there a Chunin here?" a civilian councilman asks, his voice held a tone of importance despite the lack of power he truly possessed.
"Because I have invited him here" Hiruzen retorts immediately. The Hokage's quick retort that held little patience seemed to settle the mood for the meeting.
"The first order of business is this. I am the Hokage. I am charged with the flourishment of our village as well as the protection of it. I am the commander of our shinobi forces…and I am being hindered in my capabilities to do my duties by paper work" Hiruzen states. Many cracked and startle to chuckle, feeling amused. However, after a minute of the old Hokage simply staring, they stopped.
"Have you really called us all here to complain about paperwork, Hiruzen?" Danzo asks, a little condescendingly. The Third Hokage's eyes snapped to his rival- NO- former rival.
"How am I to oversee this village as Hokage when I act more like it's records' keeper and secretary?" Hiruzen snapped back.
"As Hokage, you are in charge of laws-" Homura started but was cut off by the Hokage.
"Do not belittle me with what my job duties are, Homura, I know them quite well." Hiruzen voices coldly. The council was silent after this, waiting for the Hokage to continue.
"From this day on, the paperwork will be delegated appropriately." Hiruzen informs.
"And how will this paperwork be assigned?" Koharu asks.
"I have received a suggestion that I believe I will follow. It is one that our own Jounin Commander has approved of." Hiruzen comments. Everyone turns to the Nara who was famous for his intelligence and strategy tactics before accepting the suggestion might be valid.
"A memo will be sent out shortly after this meeting to those who will be effected. For you to get the idea, one of the clauses shall be for the Academy to handle reports and assessments themselves as well as forming a board that shall hold members of our prominent clan members to ensure that productivity of our teaching methods and courses." Hiruzen offers. Hesitantly, many council members nodded their heads, actually liking the idea.
"Civilians from this point on shall hold no power in this council except for in the cases of representation of civilians and anything that would affect civilians such as taxes, laws, and the likes." Hiruzen announces suddenly. Almost instantly there was an uproar, but only form half the room. Naruto, watching the civilians foam at the mouth, wondered just how much power they had held before.
"You can't do that!"
"Civilians boost the economy, without us, this village would be in debt!"
"Don't forget that we contribute to the shinobi forces!"
Many remarks were made and many of the shinobi were shifting in their seats, ready to intervene at a moment's notice. When the civilians kept going, Hiruzen unleashed a small amount of K.I to silence them. It worked. A few of the civilians looked to Danzo, looking for him to voice his objection on their behalf. However, none came. Danzo remained silent, watching the Hokage. He didn't truly object anyway.
"Now, since this is final, if the Civilian side of this council would leave" Hiruzen states. Most begrudgingly got out of their seats and left, a few brave enough to threw a heated remark about the Hokage. About four of them refused to move, staring at each other before steeling themselves against the Hokage.
"We have a say in this council, Lord Third" one of them says first.
"Yeah, we do, you can't just order something to be done and then it is"
"We vote for this reason alone"
"So we don't live under a tyrant!" the last one finishes.
Many glanced between the civilians and the Hokage.
"While I am no tyrant, you are under my rule. This is not a discussion. I only tolerated this council trying to weasel power from out beneath me as a means to keep the peace. At the time, it was more vital then to reign as I had during the war. ANBU!" The Hokage calls. Four ANBU appeared beside each of the civilians.
"Leave peacefully or leave by force, the option is yours" Hiruzen comments. The Civilians were only so brave for they looked in fear of the ANBU and rose to their feet to leave.
When only the shinobi council remained, Hiruzen sighs.
"This village has gone lax in it's peace" Hiruzen starts off to his shinobi. Danzo sat up straighter. He was interested in this line of topic. After all, he had always said that the shinobi of this village were weak. Only his ROOT had any sort of reliance.
"Within this coming month, I want two members from each major clan to volunteer at the academy or offer to teach the academy students. It has been pointed out that clan children have it better off than those without clans because they are offered the guidance and teachings of veteran shinobi. I believe all our students should be taught these in's and out's." Hiruzen informs. The Clan Heads of each clan only offered a steady nod. All orders from the Hokage would be obeyed. Nara for his part had seen the logic of it, and so had several others; the rest had either followed their decision or simply decided not to object.
"Naruto" Hiruzen calls him. After a minutes of the boy not moving, Shikaku sighs. The boy looks like a deer caught in his clans jutsu.
"Move it" Shikaku voice softly, shoving the kids shoulder as gently as he could while thrusting him forward. Naruto stumbled before glaring at the man and making his way up by the Hokage.
"Uh, yeah?" Naruto asks. Hiruzen smirks lightly, amused by Naruto reaction of being thrust in the spot.
"If you'll explain about that" Hiruzen states, not asks. Naruto gaped at the old goat.
"B-But that's-" Naruto was cut off when the Hokage rolled his eyes and spun him around and made him face the council.
"You're an evil old goat!" Naruto mutters under his breath.
Despite the dramatics, there was a reason why Hiruzen wanted Naruto to address the council about Itachi; it was so he and a few others could take care of Danzo when it came time.
o.o
Naruto changed from the disgruntled Chunin to a more serious expression. The shinobi council watched, almost not taking it serious, as the blond glanced at the Hokage before sighing.
"In three days time, Uchiha Itachi will be taken off the missing nin list." Naruto starts off with. Despite the eruption the civilians had given earlier, the shinobi only threw a mild protest. Tsume Inuzuka was more concerned about taking back a traitor while several minor clans voiced about it several other things that Naruto admittedly didn't listen to. The Elders were also voicing their objection, after all, it was the three of them who approved that mission that led to Itachi taking the blame for his entire family's murder, and they had done it without the Hokage's approval.
"May we ask as to why?" Chouja asks after staring at his two not shocked team mates. Naruto glances at the Hokage who nods.
"Before the Uchiha Clan Massacre, Shinsui and Itachi Uchiha came before the Hokage and exposed a planned coup." Naruto explains.
"WHAT?!"
"They were planning a coup?!"
"The Uchiha planned to betray us?"
"SILENCE!" Shikaku yells, fed up when the same thing kept being yelled over and over again for ten minutes.
"In the end," Naruto skips giving away too much information, something that several who did know, approved of, "Itachi was ordered to kill those who was responsible for the coup and those who planned to take part." Naruto says. Danzo sat forward, he didn't like where this was going. Danzo glanced at the exit before noticing they were blocked, and by some of the strongest ANBU Hiruzen had. Danzo narrowed his eyes. Hiruzen met his gaze with a neutral expression. Danzo gripped his cane tightly.
"However, as Itachi Uchiha made his way through his mission, he was being tailed by several white mask 'ANBU'. These supposed ANBU went behind Itachi and killed every Uchiha he left behind." Naruto never did get to finish, he was surprised he got so far. Danzo erupted from his seat with speed that most didn't think he still possessed. Several ROOT came out from the shadows they had hid in, surrounding Danzo.
"You should give up, Danzo" Hiruzen warns.
"You and your shinobi are to weak to do what's needed for this villae, Hiruzen! Bringing Itachi back to this village will only cause more problems" Danzo voices even as the Clan Heads circled him. Naruto sighs.
"The decision is made. Give up Danzo, this is your last chance" Hiruzen tried to warn once more for his old team mate and rival.
"And what do you plan to charge me with, Hiruzen, disobeying an order?" Danzo asks, almost patronized.
"Treason" Hiruzen answers sternly. After this unrelenting statement by the Hokage, every shinobi loyal to the Hokage began to battle the ROOT at Danzo's disposal while Danzo paired off against the Hokage himself. The two other elders batted off ROOT but stayed off to the side, careful not to get between the Hokage and Danzo.
Naruto schooled his expression and ducked the kunai that was trying to stab him. Without hesitation, he flicked his own kunai in a reverse grip and thrusted back and stabbed his assailant in the throat. The ROOT were disposed off easily. Despite Danzo's 'superior' training, there were simply to many shinobi than ROOT.
Naruto followed his 'grandfather's' battle outside with the clan heads while the other shinobi councilmen went to go fetch reinforcements. None of them dared step in. After all, this was a battle between rivals…and a Hokage verses a very powerful traitor.
… … …
Naruto sat on the Hokage's couch. It was early morning. The Third sat behind his desk, enjoying a cup of tea. His wounds were wrapped expertly, the few he had anyway. Naruto had forgotten just how powerful the old man behind the desk was. Naruto eyes his Jiji with a new sense of respect. He always knew the old man was strong, but witnessing it first hand…
"I must apologize, Naruto, I never meant for it to escalate as it had" Hiruzen comments. Naruto raises an eyebrow.
"You may not have wanted it to, but you prepared for it to. That's why you dealt with the civilians first and dismissed them. It's also why I was there. With most of the shinobi trying to figure out why you had me speak before them, you took away the attention off you and those moving into position to take out Danzo, who acted before you wanted." Naruto summarizes. Hiruzen nods.
"I had wanted to deal with him while it was just the Elders and myself." Hiruzen admits.
"But who knows how that would have played out. Whose side would the Elders have taken if you were outnumbered by them? Perhaps, it was best that it played out the way it did" Naruto voices. Hiruzen didn't want to think of all his old team mates as traitors, but he would be keeping an extra eye on them, especially as how Danzo managed to escape.
Naruto stretched before standing. He pulled out a scroll that Iruka Sensei had given him as he entered the tower with the Hokage. Everything had been to chaotic since the Council meeting that he had only briefly looked at. Approaching the Hokage's desk, he sat the scroll before the old man and smirked. Hiruzen raised an eyebrow.
"What's this?"
"I, Naruto Uzamaki, request a C- Rank village from the Land of Konoha. I request a diplomatic team of genin and one Jounin to escort me to my homeland, with the intension of testing their teamwork, in the name of my village, Whirlpool" Naruto bows deeply. Hiruzen stands, part in shock, and returns the bow.
"I will honor the memory of our alliance and treaty. You shall have you diplomatic mission. As Hokage of this Village Hidden in the Leaves, in the name of diplomacy, I hereby grant you team seven, under the supervision of Kakashi Hatake, with no cost to either party, agreed?" Hiruzen was using his 'kage' voice. Naruto bows again with a smile.
"Agreed" Naruto agree's, right as there was a knock at the door. Glancing at the clock, both noticed that it was 0400. Hiruzen gaped in shock as Naruto opened the door to show team seven, including Kakashi.
"Good morning," Naruto smirks, "I hope you're all ready?"
Team seven nods they're heads.
"Kakashi Hatake, as a Jounin of this village, and commanding officer to team seven, do you accept this mission as follows; that you and you team will escort our dual diplomat to his home village, and partake in whatever training he agrees to give, in the name of this village?" Hiruzen asks. Kakashi snapped to attention.
"Hai!" Kakashi confirms. Team Seven seemed confused about all the strictness, after all they'd never seen their sensei act like this before.
"Alright, now that the dramatics are over with, let's get going" Naruto says cheerfully. Both Kakashi and Hiruzen shook their heads.
"Be careful, Naruto, especially after yesterday" Hiruzen warns. Naruto waves his hand at the old mans concerns, but his gaze let Hiruzen know that he would be.
Kakashi ruffles Naruto's hair as they leave the Hokage's office. Naruto pouts at the silver haired jounin before the door shut on the Hokage's sight. Hiruzen lit his pipe and walked to his window that over looked his village. The tides were changing, he could feel it.