*Chapter 22*: Interlude: Mirror to the Soul
Interlude: Mirror to the Soul
"I am not angered that he has done so well in the Chunin Exam thus far. What I am angered by is the fact that he was permitted to participate in them at all," said Nara Shizuki.
"He is nothing like the others," complained Elder Linali. "He is strong; true. All the more so for the team on which he has been placed. His teammates challenge him physically and mentally, while granting him companionship; a companionship that has been sorely lacking in his life here in Konoha previously. He cannot experience bonds of loyalty without that companionship."
"His family, while they still lived, were also granted the companionship of others in this village. And with the sole — albeit quite significant — exception of one whose willingness to defend the village was paramount, his family still had no real loyalty to the village," retorted a woman from the far side of the room, a civilian elder from the Bishimon mercantile clan, Nikita.
"We all know how that ended, Councilor Nikita," Danzou interjected. "And we also know how he himself is different. As much from environment as from... other factors."
"He is too strong," announced an older man not far from Danzou's seat, a member of the Hyuuga clan by the name of Shinzashi. "Even my eyes can see that he knows his own strength too well already, especially since he has been teamed together with the Jinchuuriki and can still hold his own. He isn't trustworthy; any more than his brother was."
"This is NOT the time for reviving the Hyuuga-Uchiha vendetta," Linali snapped waspishly. "Your clan's pettiness at being in the shadow of the Uchiha's dojutsu is in part responsible for the loss of one of Konoha's most valued bloodlines. And Naruto's expression of both Byakugan and Sharingan is proof that your two respective clan's powers CAN coexist- not only in the same village, but even in the same body."
"That bastardized thing is the host of a monster and the descendant of traitors. His expression of the Byakugan makes it a certainty that he is related, at least remotely, to the Lost Ones of the Hyuuga clan. As such, by our contract with Konoha as one of the pre-eminent clans, he should have been killed the moment he showed the Byakugan," Shinzashi countered vehemently.
"Your entire trouble with the Lost Ones stemmed from the fact that a group of the Branch family decided to separate themselves from the Hyuuga clan rather than live as slaves," came the soft sounds of the voice of Koemi Temetatsu. His skin was wrinkled and almost gray, but his stature was that of a man whose years had not dimmed the power of his body.
His features were leathery and tough rather than wilted and vulnerable, the way a man of ninety five years usually was. While soft, his voice carried no warble of age, and his reputation was as weighty as the hammer he habitually carried on his belt. "Your poor handling of their shaping is responsible for their broken edges; the crafting of any weapon requires a delicate touch, the more so when the materials are not as suited to the role you intend for them. But for all your clan's vaunted control and precision, your handling of men is as crude and ham-handed as ever."
"Oh shit. Someone woke the dragon," murmured a young man to Linali's right, her aide and, it was often rumored, her latest lover. Linali, for all her advanced years, was reputed to be a... vigorous woman, and quite as skilled as sixty years of practice at the feminine arts could make a former kunoichi. And supporting evidence showed that he never seemed to be far from her side, nor was his eye drawn to those of younger years and smoother features.
On the other hand, he may have been gay or merely completely asexual.
Linali's features did not move but a twinkle in her eyes denoted amusement at his commentary. "Much as I would enjoy you indulging your vaunted acerbic wit, Elder Koemi, I must respectfully request of Elder Hyuuga that we not rehash old and musty complaints that no longer have bearing on our current situation. Regardless of the past questionable loyalties of the Uchiha clan, the current situation is the professional progress of a powerful and valuable member of our village being called into question. Despite the misgivings of certain members of this Council, there has been no real evidence — even circumstantial evidence — to implicate the disloyalty of Uchiha Sasuke. If anything, he seems to be acquiring through osmosis the almost fanatical desire to protect the village expressed by his more disreputable yet undeniably powerful teammate, Uzumaki Naruto." Linali looked around the room, gauging the reactions of each of the voting members. Odds were almost certain that this entire idiotic matter would be settled if she called for a vote now. "I see no point in prolonging
this discussion; nothing new has been added and no concrete evidence has been presented. I call for a vote for settlement. All in favor of halting Uchiha's progression and status as a Shinobi of Konoha...?"
Three hands were raised: Shinzashi, Shizuki, and Nikita. Their customary supporters looked uncomfortable but resolute.
"All opposed?"
The majority of the room raised hands, including a few of those who were Shi-Shi-Ni supporters, oddly enough. Regarding most matters where they did not agree, their supporters would simply abstain most of the time.
"Despite the overwhelming power of three advocates in favor, I see little need to actually tally those opposed. I somehow think they are more than adequate to the task of countermanding the vote," Linali said dryly, eliciting a wave of chuckles from around the room.
Shinzashi stood angrily. "I invoke the Privilege of Hyuuga against Uchiha Sasuke."
The chuckles from around the room ceased. There was a deathly silence in the council chamber as each of those present digested the words. Nobody had anything they could say. The Hyuuga clan, as the 'first among equals', had the right, no more than once per year, and no more than once in a lifetime for any single member of the Clan, to demand the death of a member of Konoha should they deem the member to be a threat to the village. Being that their eyes could see what no one else's could, they were at times deemed to supersede the legal system, to execute the spirit of the law rather than merely the letter. The Privilege hadn't been invoked in more than two decades, but it had hung there, in the back of everyone's minds, a sort of elephant in the corner nobody wished to speak of in the hopes that it would eventually go away. It figured that the elephant would begin trumpeting at the golden opportunity for the Hyuuga clan to eliminate their longtime rivals once and for all.
Temetatsu chose this moment to intervene as he stood up and hefted the twenty-five pound sledge on his belt like it was a pencil. "A tantrum, Hyuuga?" he said quietly, corded muscle flexing in his massive arms as his blond hair cascaded down over his shoulders. "Perhaps before this matter is resolved, we should see which would prevail; your Jyuuken or my lightning jutsu. After all, I am as justified in my distaste of you as you are in your dislike of Uchiha Sasuke. In fact, in light of your behavior, both in the past and today, I'd say I have a much firmer foundation for my opinion of you. How about it?" he prompted, his hammer held lightly between the ball of his thumb and the palm of his hand, fingers not yet curled about the handle. "Care to find out in the old ways which of us is right?"
"I do not fear you, old bastard!" snarled Shinzashi, his milky eyes still locked on the old weapon-smith's form. "You are not your father and never will you be!"
Something heavy displaced air rapidly next to Shinzashi's ear, and he staggered as the heavy sound of crushed masonry cracked loudly through the room. Lightning snapped past his face almost immediately afterwards, dazzling and deafening him temporarily. He staggered again as the wake of air went the other direction.
As he blinked the after image from his sight, Shinzashi looked on befuddled as his sight resolved into the image of Temetatsu standing, the hammer head crackling with residual electricity as it magnetically attached itself to the iron gray palm of the old smith's outstretched hand. The other members of the Council trembled somewhat as they looked at the shattered hole in the wall where the smith's hammer had struck almost too quickly to be seen.
Temetatsu hooked his hammer into his belt calmly. "To the members of this Council, I apologize for my rudeness. I hereby fine the Koemi clan for reparations to the wall of the council chamber as well as punitive damages in the sum of two hundred-fifty thousand ryo. Those reparations shall personally come from the purse of their Clan head, Temetatsu Koemi.
All in favor?"
A wave of hands rose around the room, the reflexive response of a call to vote bypassing lesser impulses like intimidation and fear.
"All opposed."
No hands were raised.
"Motion carried." Temetatsu sighed, sitting down. "Shinzashi-sama, I apologize. Your words caught me by surprise and I acted in haste and indignation… an indignation that I have no right to feel. But I caution you to keep in mind the terms of the Privilege of the Hyuuga: that sentence must be carried out by a member of the main family of the Hyuuga Clan; and, should the exercise of the Privilege fail, no further motion may be taken in regards to this action. What say you?"
"It shall be executed according to the traditions," Shinzashi said with dignity. "I have already selected an appropriate member in my mind for the task, due to his familiarity with Uchiha Sasuke: my grand-nephew, Neji." End Interlude
-AN: Next chapter is almost complete. I have yet to type it out. None the less, this little revelation shows a bit of the promised politicking. An omake and then sign-off.
Omake:
"I invoke the Right of Hyuuga against Uchiha Sasuke."
The words caused a stir of discomfort amongst those listening. "Which Rite was that?"
Shinzashi frowned. "It wasn't a Rite; it was a Right." "Why is it a Right?" asked Linali curiously.
"It is a Right because it is our Due," replied Shinzashi.
"Where is it written?" demanded Linali. "A rule is not a law unless it is written; and thus cannot grant you a right."
"You don't write down a Right. That would instead make it a Rite," protested Shinzashi.
"Are you sure you have the right Right?" asked Temetatsu.
"What does the Right do?" asked Danzou.
"Due?" asked another council member who had just woken up.
"Not due; do. Pay attention," his neighbor scolded.
"I despise the notion of a Right. Wwrite the right down and make it a rite; else there's no way to see through your due of what the right Rite will do," said Linali finally.
"Ugh," groaned Shinzashi, face-palming. "I retract the request and ask the meeting be adjourned. My head hurts." End Omake. Ja mata.
-AXENOME