TH: Time for some political butt kicking.
Thanks to MakalaMea for betaing!
Horizons
.III.
The first thing Naruto wanted to do when he returned to Konoha was to go to Ichiraku Ramen and eat himself into a food-coma.
It was the first thing he wanted to do, but unfortunately it was not the first thing he did.
As a member of Team Seven, the team that had been sent out to carry the offer of the Godaime Hokage's positon to Senju Tsunade, and thus as one of the people who had been at the heart of Genshi and who was something of a mascot for the group, Naruto had political expectations. So, the first thing Naruto did upon returning to Konoha was sit in on the Council that had been swiftly assembled—Tsunade had determined that it was best they installed her as the Hokage right away so that nobody could challenge her authority when she exerted it in the war tribunal she was going to call immediately upon gaining the hat.
It was a boring and annoying job for Naruto. Basically all he did was stand behind Tsunade's chair at the great round-table—on her left hand, since Sakura stood at her right—and watch. And try to look solemn and respectable—a high order for someone who became twitchy when he couldn't move. But Naruto wasn't as much of an idiot as he acted; he knew this Council was going to be important, and the war tribunal afterwards even more so. So he bit the inside of his cheek and did his best Sasuke impression.
The Council was comprised of Village Elders, all of whom had been given their positions by Danzo, and the Heads of all the major clans. Sasuke himself stood at his mother's right. She was the Clan Head, and Sasuke was the Clan Heir, Itachi having abdicated the position due to some clan politics that had resulted from the clan's failed coup attempt years ago. The Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Aburame, and Inuzuka Clan Heads were also in attendance, some with their designated Heirs beside them as well.
Naruto could see that there was one chair open. It was obvious from one look around the room who was missing. Hinata. The soft-spoken Hyuuga Heiress whose father had made the decision to side with Danzo. He, and a large portion of his Clan, had died for it in the Battle of Chi no Mori.
It was like the Uchiha Clan all over again; the keepers of the Sharingan had once been a proud clan, infamous in the ninja world for their prowess. They had been one of the founding clans of Konoha, and had remained a very influential part of the Village for generations. But they had become greedy for more power, resentful of the bonds of loyalty that they claimed held them back. And now what had once been a Clan of fifty-nine numbered eight.
The Hyuuga Clan, which had been the second-most powerful clan in Konoha after the Uchiha, had stepped into the vacuum the Uchiha had left after the failed coup attempt. They had reigned supreme over Konoha's ninja clans by virtue of their numbers and their doujutsu, the Byakugan. But then, apparently, they had also been gripped by greed. They had sided with Danzo for the promise of even more power.
And now what had once been a Clan of seventy-three numbered twenty-one.
Naruto wondered if maybe there was a curse of ninja clans that as soon as they got powerful and big enough, they all went crazy. What he'd witnessed so far in his life seemed to corroborate the theory.
The Council was sitting in terse silence, and the three desk-ninja Tsunade had kidnapped to act as recorders were squirming uneasily in their seats in the corner, fiddling with the paper and pens they'd been given for their job. Naruto almost grinned, remembering their wide, confused and frightened looks as Tsunade had herded them into the council chamber. They'd looked like they were about to be court-martialed.
The door to the chamber opened, and Naruto's attention sharpened on the three figures that appeared in its frame. Hyuuga Hinata, Hyuuga Neji, and the eldest of the surviving Hyuuga, a Main Branch member who had fought with the Sandaime in the First Shinobi War.
Hinata's eyes had a slight redness to them that hinted at recent tears, but her face was composed and her chin level. She, flanked by the two other Hyuuga, walked with great aplomb to the Hyuuga chair at the council table, and sat.
As if on cue, everyone present looked to Tsunade, who stood.
"Greetings from Senju Tsunade, granddaughter of Senju Hashirama, Shodai Hokage, grandniece of Senju Tobirama, Nidaime Hokage, and elected candidate for the Godaime Hokage position," she said. The three recorders' pens scratched quickly at paper, writing down everything that was said and done.
"The Uchiha Clan acknowledges the identity of Senju Tsunade," said Sasuke's mother over the soft sound of writing.
"The Hyuuga Clan acknowledges the identity of Senju Tsunade," said Hinata.
"The Nara Clan acknowledges the identity of Senju Tsunade," Nara Shikaku said, and then Yamanaka Inoichi and Akimichi Chouza echoed it. The Inuzuka Clan acknowledged Tsunade then, followed by the rest of the Clans at the table.
Tsunade turned to the half of the table at which the Elders sat, and gestured. "Do the Elders hear and accept the Clans' acknowledgements?"
Some of the Elders looked sour about it, but since they had no real reason to deny that she was Senju Tsunade, the Elders' speaker said: "The Elders hear and accept. You are acknowledged as Senju Tsunade."
Tsunade smiled sharply. "Thank you. I put forward to the Council the deception of Shimura Danzo, illegitimate Godaime Hokage, and my own legal claim at this time to the Hokage's seat."
Danzo's bought Elders all gave an outcry of protestation, but Nara Shikaku slammed his fist down on the table, cutting them off abruptly. He said, in a loud, definitive growl: "The Council will proceed in the customary order!"
The Elders subsided, but not without grumblings. Tsunade waited until there was silence, and then she held out her hand, apparently to empty air.
There was a flicker, and then one of the four ANBU who stood, hidden, around the room appeared beside her. Naruto recognized the Crow mask. Uchiha Itachi. All four of the ANBU had been Genshi, and were trustworthy, but Naruto felt reassured by the presence of Itachi.
The Uchiha held a stack of papers, which he placed in Tsunade's waiting hand before bowing and vanishing back to his guard position. Tsunade dropped the stack on the table with a hefty thump. "These are reports and documents that I… requisitioned from Danzo's desk in Root Headquarters. They are my evidence that Danzo interfered with the selection process of the Godaime Hokage. He claimed that I had refused the seat, but this was false. He claimed that the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki Uzumaki Naruto went mad and killed his Team before being killed himself. This was also false. What is true is that he ordered the Root complement that accompanied Team Seven five years ago to deliver the Council's summons to me to kill the members of Team Seven, seek my out, and assassinate me as well.
"For exact evidence, here is the Root mission roster, and here is a testimonial from one of the Root members who had been assigned to that mission. Does this evidence persuade the Council?"
As before, all the Clans responded affirmative. But when they turned to the Elders…then the argument started.
Naruto watched with grim satisfaction as Tsunade systematically tore down Danzo's defense for his claim on the Hokage's hat, and then as she tore down each of Danzo's Elders when they tried to defend his, and their, actions. It was kind of enjoyable to watch, since Danzo's Elders had been chosen for their support of Danzo rather than their political, diplomatic, or rhetoric skills. Tsunade and Genshi had had five years to prepare themselves for reclaiming the Village.
Eventually, the Elders were cornered into accepting Tsunade as the new Hokage, though she did end up with the title of Rokudaime since Danzo had, despite his illegitimacy, been the Godaime.
After that, Tsunade put forward a vote of no confidence in the Elders, which was carried by the Clan Heads. The current Elders were stripped of office, and five new candidates were named, brought in, and sworn in. If all of Konoha hadn't been anticipating such an event, it probably would have been a paradigm shift to shake the earth. As it was, nobody was surprised that the last dregs of Danzo's supporters were being ousted from their positions of power.
It was all well and good that they were cinching in their victory, Naruto thought, but all of that politicking was starting to make him sleepy. And they were only just finishing the Council!
In fact, Tsunade was just about to close the Council session when Hinata placed a hand palm down on the table deliberately, leaning forward ever so slightly to indicate her desire to speak.
"The Hokage recognizes the Hyuuga Clan Head," Tsunade said formally. Hinata inclined her head toward her.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama. Honored Council-members, I have my own matter to set before you." Hinata's voice was steady and the stutter that had plagued her for most of her childhood had been smoothed out. Naruto was glad to see that the Council listened to her with the respect befitting her position. She continued: "As you all well know, much of the Hyuuga Clan chose to side with the pretender-Hokage Danzo. Many of those Hyuuga were killed during the Battle of Chi no Mori, including my father, the former Clan Head. My… my sister also sided with Danzo, and is imprisoned along with the other Danzo-supporters. I am the last of the Hyuuga Head Family, and thus have inherited the position of Clan Head. But I am not fit for, nor do I desire, the position. The Hyuuga Clan is like unto a new Clan, having lost more than half our number and being shaken by betrayals. So with this new Hyuuga Clan, let there also rise a new leadership. I abdicate my position as Hyuuga Clan Head in favor of my cousin, Hyuuga Neji."
Naruto only just managed to keep his jaw from dropping—this wasn't expected at all! And it seemed like Naruto wasn't the only one surprised, some of the other Council members were looking a little shocked. There was a squeak from one of the desk ninja in the corner. Tsunade, however, was merely nodding, as if she'd seen it coming.
"The Hokage acknowledges the transferal of the title of Hyuuga Clan Head from Hyuuga Hinata to Hyuuga Neji."
It took a little longer for the other Clans to voice their own acknowledgements, but they all did. Hinata nodded to each solemnly. "In relation to this transferal, I also wish the Council to witness the removal of the Caged Bird Seal from Hyuuga Neji."
This pronouncement made even more of a stir than her abdication. Not only was it unheard of for a Caged Bird Seal to be removed—there was even speculation as to whether such a feat was even possible—but for Hinata to remove the Seal in front of non-Hyuuga was very surprising. Allowing all the ninja Clan Heads to see the removal process was as good as teaching them the process itself—once they saw it, they would know how, and could do it at will.
Hinata calmly added: "It will be my last action as Hyuuga Clan Head to remove the Caged Bird Seal from all remaining, Konoha-loyal, Branch Family members. It is my hope that the surviving Hyuuga live in peace and equality, no matter which family they were born to."
"In recognition of the trust my cousin has placed in me," Neji said, speaking for the first time in the council room, "As the Clan Head, I will hold to her vision."
"The survivors of the Hyuuga Clan are in agreement with the wishes of Hinata-sama and Neji-sama," said the old Hyuuga who had accompanied them in, his voice an old man's crackle, but thick with authority.
Tsuande nodded regally at them, and voiced her presence as a witness. The rest of the Council followed suit, and the other Clan Heads watched solemnly, but with interest, as Hinata performed the removal, which was more complicated than any of them could have guessed. In the end, though, Neji was standing proudly with an unblemished forehead, Hinata had a slight tremble of exertion to her hands, and the Hyuuga Clan was reborn.
Compared to that, Naruto reflected, the war tribunal was nothing.