5 - The Hokage and the Council
Debriefings, a necessary evil in any military it granted greater detail on what occurs during a mission, valuable intelligence for the next mission. Gave valuable data on on the performance of the individual who performed said mission, as well as provided insight on any possible future enemies and enemy movements. It was also boring as hell, tedious, boring, repetitive, boring, drawn out, and did I mention boring. Naruto thought with trying to keep the boredom off his face as Team Kakashi relayed every tidbit of information from meeting Kabuto on the Tenchi Bridge, to extracting Karin from Orochimaru's prison, to killing the Immortals of the Akatsuki and rescuing two fellow jinchuuriki as well as bringing the seven-tail jinchuuriki Fu to the Hidden Leaf and had been granted amnesty and asylum into the Uzumaki clan by the Uzumaki clan head encase the Leaf village council objected. Which judging by the ranging facial expressions was a very good call by Naruto. Tsunade sighed pressing her fingers against the bridge of her nose trying to keep a smile from her face at the last part.
She knew by granting Naruto clan status he could begin reestablishing the Uzumaki clan, as such was given free rein on how to do it. What she got wasn't what she expected so far, she suspected his power ring as he called it had given information the likes she wish she could only know even as the Hokage, information no doubt dating back fifteen centuries. One was the Uzumaki Doctrine which he apparently used on Orochimaru to get information about Karin and managed to convince her to come with him. Another was information on his parents, taijutsu styles, ninjutsu, genjutsu, and kenjutsu. He was literally a treasure trove of secrets and information, all because his little ring had been hovering above their planet since the time of the Sage of the Six Paths, watching and waiting for the right person to take its power. She had to admit it chose well, though she missed her Naruto a bit the ring had changed him only to a degree but not much that was a completely different person. She then glanced at her youngest apprentice, what she saw their was what really surprised her but in a good way, she had an inkling that Sakura was developing feelings for their favorite blonde goof, but what she saw when Sakura would look at Naruto was nothing short of strange. When they left for this mission Sakura had a small spark of affection for her blonde teammate that many would miss if one didn't look for it. Tsunade however had seen it, but when they returned and Sakura was practically broadcasting that she was Naruto's only, it was a bit unnerving. Stayed like this until Sakura explained about her ring of power, the Star Sapphire ring, the ring that embodied love in its most purest form, that it clicked for the female kage. The ring had cleansed the rosette of every single shred of doubt and confusion until there was only that spark which was quickly ignited and gave rise to the person who stood next to her favorite blonde. "I'll upgrade this mission to a double S-ranked since you killed the two Akatsuki members I'll also inform their villages and have them fork over the bounties," she took a deep breath. "As for Fu, there will be a council meeting tomorrow afternoon to discuss her arrangements." She looked over at the teal green haired, pink eyed girl who was looking around the office eyes wide with wonder. The blonde hokage smiled sadly at the girl, while she had been trained as shinobi Fu was taught little else and judging by the reports she got from the pervert the girl had been isolated in a small shack not far from the main entrance to the Hidden Waterfall village pretty much was trained as a human guard dog. She clenched her hand at that thought, her grandmother would have been appalled, Kushina would have taken the girl in a second. Tsunade smirked slightly Naruto did what his mother would have approved of, Kushina you would be so proud of him, I know I am.
"Joy got to listen to a bunch of aging crows whine about my decisions," Naruto groaned feeling Sakura put her hand on his shoulder. He nodded to her with a smile before turning back to his granny. "Alright but I'm not budging on this if the Hidden Waterfall has a problem with it they can take it up with me."
Tsunade nodded and smiled, "Don't worry about that most of the Hidden Waterfall council have no idea what she looks like and I sent word to Shibuki, he declared her dead."
"Then why the meeting?" Naruto asked.
The blonde hokage sighed taking a sip of her sake, "They want to offer her up to Sasuke as a bargaining chip to bring him home."
Naruto's killing intent rose and his hands clenched into a fists, "After all this time he defects to the Hidden Sound, causes five of our own shinobi to get injured some nearly fatal," he then smirked darkly. "Well I hope they'll like this bit of information, I don't know if this is classified or not but thanks to my ring I was able to let Sasuke know about what really happened on the night of Uchiha Massacre. As well as the cause, can't imagine he's too happy with the council right now, but we'll see."
Tsunade's face paled, now she knew for certain the ring was a treasure trove of information, that piece was for Hokage eyes only, no one except the ones involved were privy to that. "Naruto that's a triple s-class secret you could be tried for treason for that."
Naruto glared coldly not at his granny but at the picture of the third Hokage. "Don't lecture me about treason, that old fart lied to my face about who my parents were, about their sacrifice, same could be said for that prick Fugaku may his soul burn in hell, I could have been living with my godmother now if it wasn't for him. Itachi didn't kill his mother, Fugaku killed her after he got Itachi to stand down. There are only two good Uchiha left in this world, a dead one and Itachi the rest I'll send to hell personally."
"But Naruto aside from Itachi and Sasuke, there are no more Uchiha?" Tsunade explained.
Naruto turned noting he saw Jiraiya's shadow just outside the window, he looked at the hokage before bringing his ring up and a construct appeared in the middle of the room, everyone watched as a life size image of a man wearing a spiraled man float lazily. "All you want to know how the fox was brought out of my mother on the night of my birth, this is the man that caused it. He killed the third's wife and the ANBU that were guarding them, he threaten my life to get my father to back off so he could extract the fox from my mother," Naruto growled the last bit out tears beginning to form in his eyes. "My father was able to get me away from the battle but it was long enough for this monster to get what he wanted using his sharingan, my father returned and drove him off, but the damage was done, the only thing my father could do was reseal the fox, he used his and my mother's chakra to seal the fox inside me. They gave up their lives for me," he glared at the elders, "now all I want is justice on the one that caused their deaths."
"Don't you mean revenge?" Homura stated coolly.
"No, I won't kill him that's for this village to decide as much as he deserves it," Naruto looked up a small dark smile, "If he resists then I'm well within my rights to kill him."
Tsunade sighed heavily looking at her clan mate in loose terms, "until tomorrow your dismissed Naruto." With that Naruto, Fu, Sakura, and Karin left the room, few seconds later the two elders followed. "None of us knew about what happened that night, I read the reports backwards and forwards when I took the hokage hat trying to figure it out, a rogue Uchiha, but who all the Uchiha were defending the village, the only one not present had been declared dead by Minato himself ten years prior."
"An impure world resurrection jutsu gone wrong maybe, you forget Rin also wasn't there that night and she's been MIA since that month before the nine-tails incident," Jiraiya stated. "She had access to the forbidden scroll being Minato's secretary at the time."
"But what went wrong and where is she now?" Tsunade asked rubbing her temples before sighing, "better question is does Naruto's ring already have those answers?"
"If he does he's keeping it to himself," Jiraiya popped his neck getting a haunted look, "I wish I had been there that night."
"Why?" Tsunade asked.
"Mitoko was the last of my students Tsunade, if sensei would have told me about that blasted coup I could have seen to it Sasuke and Mitoko been put in a safe house," Jiraiya stated gripping the window edge. "I lose the first during the war, I lost my second defending the village, and I lost my last to a greedy power hungry coward that's a wonderful epitaph to write on my gravestone don't you think," he said sadly. He tense when he felt two arms slide around his waist, he stomped down his raging super-pervert to enjoy one of very few rare moments he's ever had with his lifetime crush. "Thanks Tsunade."
"Even a pervert like you can reach his breaking point," the blonde haired hokage stated a small smile gracing her features.
Jiraiya didn't say anything for a moment, "I know," he waited until Tsunade let her embrace lessen before doing the same dropping his arms to the side for a moment, then clearing his throat. "I have a lead on the whereabouts of the Akatsuki leader, going to follow it up. Heard he was some sort of a god among men."
"Wait a few days before you do, I want you to take Naruto and Sakura with you," Tsunade stated going back to her desk. She saw her longtime former teammate about to object, "I realize that it'll put Naruto in possible danger but if half of this debriefing is true about how quickly he took out Hidan, then I'm a believer and if he comes back with the leader of the Akatsuki in chains," her face breaks into a dark smirk, "Then I can give him his dream a good five years earlier than planned."
Jiraiya pursed his lips reading the debriefing report, "Sakura has a ring too?"
"Yes different than Naruto's powered by love ironically instead of will," Tsunade stated seeing Jiraiya's questioning look, "not sure but her ring removed all her doubts and focuses on one person, Naruto."
"So she's basically she only has eyes for Naruto," Jiraiya stated and getting a nod from his teammate which brought to his face a really perverted grin, which prompted Tsunade to give him a swift right cross to the jaw.
"Pervert," she grumbled sitting back down, "the reason I'm asking you to stay is because the civilian council in there of so infinite wisdom are trying to make another power play for control over Naruto's life, again. While at the same time trying to hatch a scheme to get their; oh so precious Uchiha back," she stated sarcasm dripping heavily.
"Will there be cake?" Jiraiya asked his eyes dancing in amusement.
XXX
The council room while in session was a big semi-circular room with it slowly rising at a 45 degree angle at the top of said angle sat the Hokage, then the head of the Civilian council on the right and the Head of the Shinobi clan council on the left, the civilian council was made up of the top runners in business, trade, and economy but also some self-made people at any rate all but two of this council hated Naruto with a passion mostly because of the Kyuubi sealed in his gut the other reason was before he got a monthly stipend from the third he would steal from their shops so he could eat or get clothing on his back after the Orphanage matrons kicked him out. The shinobi council on the other were members of the Aburame, Akimichi, Hyuga, Inuzuka, Nara, Uchiha, Senju, and Yamanaka clans these clans at one time were Naruto's strongest supporters a few despised him namely the Uchiha clan, which now was gone. All in all it was this council that made the day to day decisions in Naruto's life currently, and it was like a breath of fresh air, not mention it didn't hurt that Naruto had friends from each existing clan.
But at this point most of the Shinobi council aside from the Hyuga, Inuzuka, and one of Ino-Shika-Cho trio were out on missions, hence why the council had been called into order. The civilian council was taking full advantage over the fact the Shinobi council was only partially here to make a play in controlling Naruto's life. Tsunade sat down in her chair with Jiraiya flanking her. The gathered council member all took their seats while Naruto and Fu were standing in the crescent opening one looking around in awe while the other was glaring openly at the civilian side of the council, smiling periodically at Hiashi, Tsume, Shikaku. He quietly waited as Tsunade briefed everyone on the comings and goings since the last council meeting. Then proceeded to go through the mission debriefing she gave Team Kakashi, when that was finished Naruto wasn't surprised that they shifted their attention to the wide eyed teal haired girl standing behind him who had to that point been ignoring the proceedings taking in everything in sight. Naruto found it very endearing, for a girl two years older than he, she had an innocence about her mostly because she had been isolated by her former home and only trained in shinobi skills to be a glorified watch dog. As such she had no social restraint, which in the last twenty-four hours showed, she also had no modesty as she dressed and undressed in front him that morning and asked him why his face was beat red, this prompted Sakura's jealously to flare which led to him nearly getting skewered by one of her crystal construct daggers that she tried aiming at Fu. Needless to say Naruto spent most of the morning calming Sakura down; then after calming her down asking her to help Fu out with things she didn't understand. It was only the reassurance that she was only one for him that Sakura even did what he asked.
"Naruto Uzumaki," Saito Yusei who ironically was Kabuto's uncle had landed the Head of the civilian council a few days ago after Danzo was mysteriously dead. At any rate the man was as pompous as his nephew but not as slick or intelligent and certainly more greedy. "We of the civilian council are ordering you to turn over the seven-tailed demon to us to use as bartering chip to bring back Sasuke, she'd make him a fine wife, something to help him restore his clan."
"Like I'd help that ass restore a clan of murders, traitors, and hypocrites," Naruto stated calmly. "And before you go on some long winded speech about how you demand this and that from me save it. Lady Tsunade granted me before I left on my last mission full clan rights, I'm currently now the head of the newly restored Uzumaki clan within these borders, the Fire Lord himself has given her his blessing on this."
"Lady Tsunade you dare to go to the Fire Lord himself without approval the council," another civilian non-descript council member shouted his face turning purple.
"She doesn't need approval from you, this governing body is not in charge of final decisions made. This council was made back when only shinobi existed in this village, you civilians came later, this is military stronghold run by the military, and the Hokage is the supreme commander therefore what she says GOES!" Naruto shouted the last word. "As for Fu she is a member of the Uzumaki clan and as head I decide whether or not a she becomes a baby making machine or not. So the answer is Fu can marry and fall in love with whomever she chooses."
A fat council member shot up from her chair slamming her fist, "How dare you, both you things should be grateful we let you even live here if the shinobi council hadn't constantly stonewalled us you would have been executed three minutes after you were brought to the tower, the only one who even agreed to it from those ingrates was Fugaku."
Naruto's eyes flashed, "You mean the one who planned a coup de tat, who murdered his wife, my godmother in cold blood the night of the Massacre," his eyes flashed red for a second before they turned neon green raising his arm up a bright green construct grabbed the woman by the throat and lifted her out of her seat.
"Naruto!" Tsunade shouted.
"You threaten me I can live with it, I've dealt with it for sixteen years now, bad mouth me, spit on me, I've gotten over it bought the t-shirt and moved one. But any of you so called civilians ever try to ruin the lives of my friends, my family, or fork them over so you can make nice with that traitor so help me I'll kill you all, that is my promise of a lifetime, and you all know I never go back on my word," with that he dropped the fat cow turned and ushered Fu out of the room who was glaring at the civilian council. She did smile and wave at the shinobi council before the door closed behind the two jinchuuriki.
The fat woman was rubbing her neck shakily, "What was that green thing 'it' was using?"
"That young man came into a power a year and a half ago, that not only granted him enough strength to defeat two of the Akatsuki's strongest but gave him fifteen hundred years' worth of information, including all of this village's deepest darkest secrets," Jiraiya stated looking a bit smug at the fat woman.
"Then it's a very high security risk and must be silence," Saito stated pompously. "I want the ANBU to execute him immediately."
"Is the real reason you want him killed is because he knows more than Jiraiya does, or the fact Naruto and Sakura killed your nephew," Shikaku asked looking at the silver haired man.
"Kabuto made his bed," Saito stated coldly. "If anything I'm grateful that stain on our clan has been snuffed out, but it still doesn't excuse the fact that boy has secrets way above his security clearance."
Jiraiya chuckled, "Well to put your mind at ease he probably has information on all five great shinobi villages tucked away under that blonde hair, so he doesn't just have our dirty laundry he has the entire Elemental Nation's dirty laundry. Right now he's using what he knows to help us so don't push this or you could lose more than just two jinchuuriki, you could lose the heirs of the eight remaining shinobi clans, and one of the most prominent medic-nin since Tsunade herself."
Sakura's mother smiled secretively she had a feeling her daughter was falling for Naruto and when she returned home yesterday with Karin Uzumaki in toe, the glow surrounding her daughter was astounding. "I can vouch for that, my Sakura-chan practically wants to elope with as she puts it her Naruto-kun," she stated embellishing truth just a tad.
The other members of the civilian council were torn, Naruto had valuable information not just on their village which could be construed as a security risk, but information on the other villages which would be invaluable. As such because of their bungling it would take the boy at least a month solid to cool down enough to get said information. "Is there any way for us to salvage this debacle?" Saito asked.
"Jiraiya is chasing a lead down out of the village I've asked him to take Naruto and Sakura with him, maybe a month or so away will help, as long as you do not approach Fu or Karin Uzumaki in his absence," Tsunade replied the council members all nodded their heads in agreement.
Few minutes later only the shinobi council remained behind, "Well that was bracing," Hiashi stated earning a chuckle from Tsume.
"For a moment there I thought I saw Kushi dressing down that fat windbag, god if he was ten years older and wasn't head over heels for Mebuki's daughter I might of snagged him," Tsume smirked. "That is what an alpha male is all about." She then frowned watching Jiraiya writing something in his note pad hearing a distinctive perverted giggle. "Lady Tsunade please correct your pet."
"Gladly," Tsunade snarled hammering Jiraiya in the back of the head sending him crashing to the ground. "Pervert," she muttered turning back to her gathered shinobi. "I need this council to have your best watch over Fu and Karin while Naruto is away, I don't trust the civilians, Fu is pretty much a blank slate because of her upbringing and Karin doesn't trust the leaf even though Naruto explained to her that Orochimaru lied about how her aunt died she still blames us for it. She's already stated the only ones she'll trust are the ones Naruto will trust, so when Team Asuma, Team Gai, and Team Kurenai are not on missions I want them to watch over those two."
"Good plan not only will they be relatively safe but they'll have someone within their own age group to interact with," Shikaku states.
"If there is anyone who would bend over backwards to help Naruto it would be that group," Tsunade smiled softly.