I do not own Naruto.
Speaking/Thoughts
Zale sighed looking back at the Onbaa that walked away from the village. "That was weird." Zale said turning to the village.
"Get back here you little raccoon brat!" Kira yelled out chasing Shiki who held his wallet in her mouth. "Oh Zale you're back."
"Yeah I am; who's guarding Kurumi and Satsuki?"Zale asked ready to kill him if no one was.
"I think its Aria's turn. Last I heard they were at your apartment." Kira said, and Zale nodded dismissing him allowing him to chase after Shiki. "Get back here you sand brat!"
"I hope they're okay." Zale said leaping up on the roofs and running along the roof tops until he got to his apartment. Looking in through the window he was relieved to see them both inside sitting on the couch Aria standing by the door. "Hey girls I'm back."
"It's about time Zale, you're guards were getting creepy." Satsuki said, and Zale was slightly shocked when she addressed him by his real name. "Don't worry Zale, Kurumi told me everything."
"Yeah, I told her your real name, how you want to give peace, and how you recruited people to help you accomplish that dream." Kurumi said in a very strained tone that indicated how limited the information she had given Satsuki was. "She also knows that you might have to leave the village at a moment's notice because of how edgy the council is."
"Oh okay, I'm glad you're in on the secret." Zale said, and Satsuki nodded. "You're dismissed Aria I'll call you if I need you." Aria nodded before disappearing in a swirl of ice. "I should have told her not to do that."
"You know Zale you could have told me about it I mean you can trust me with anything." Satsuki said she was honestly a little disappointed that he had never told her a little hurt even.
"Sorry Satsuki, just a little cautious, with all the politics, and such you can't ever be too careful. Besides you never told me that you were a girl, so it's kind of fair you found out the way you did." Zale said sitting down in the kitchen to find a pile of mail. It was mostly bills with a few paychecks from missions with a sizeable chunk cut from them because of the council. "Hey Kurumi did anything else come?"
"Yeah there was something from the council that came this morning; it looked important, so I pinned it up on the fridge." Kurumi said pointing to it which was nearly buried under all the other pieces of paper, and plans that he hadn't bothered to throw away. "I hope it's not anything serious."
"Please their bark is worse than their bite, and with a current Hokage, a sage, and a former Hokage I don't believe they can do anything to me that I can't handle. Still having to send back all these forms they send me is a hassle. I think I actually feel bad for that old lady." Zale leaned back in the chair.
"Still Zale there are a lot of powerful influential people on the council, and there are a lot that want you gone. Even the elders have been pushing for your banishment or worse going through Danzo's special "Loyalty" course to make sure you use Manipulation for the "Good of the Village," and I think they're starting to convince people that it's the right thing to do." Satsuki said speaking from experience from the many council meetings she had sat in on.
"Don't worry about it Satsuki with all the things I've had to deal with because of the council I know a few legal strategies that'll keep me around for a little while." Zale said, but that was a lie. Any political experience he had was when he was alive in his past life, and was most likely out dated. He tore open the letter, and looked it over. "The council's called a meeting involving what to do."
"I should probably go to that too." Satsuki said standing up, and performing a henge into her male form cracking her joints. "I'll be there to support you, and vote against whatever terrible thing they want to do you, or Kurumi."
"Thanks it's nice to know that I'm going to have some friends in there to help." Zale said ruffling her hair, and she blushed lightly. "According to the letter they're going to be sending a ROOT soldier to pick us up." As if on cue there was a knock at the door, and he opened the door to see a soldier standing tall, and silent. "How can I help you?"
"The letter has arrived, and from what I have heard you have already read it." the Root man said with absolutely no embarrassment that he had been ease dropping on fourteen year olds. He suddenly noticed Satsuki, and he seemed to be disappointed. "I would advise the gutter trash to stay away from the prodigies Uzumaki."
"You'd be wise to follow your own advice." Zale said, and this earned no response from the ROOT. "Okay let's get going let me just lock up the house." Zale didn't get to do that instead suddenly being shunshined to the council room, and forced into a chair in the middle of the room Kurumi standing by the doors, and Satsuki in the Uchiha clan head seat.
"All to order, all to order." Danzo called, and the noises of the council room quieted all except for Tsunade grumbling about how the meeting had interrupted her drink. "This meeting has been called to discuss the fate of one Naruto Uzumaki."
"What is there to discuss Danzo, he's committed no felonies, or crimes, and has even been commended by the many people that have hired him for missions. He has not let the work load throw him off, and has not failed a single mission to date." Shikaku Nara said, and this was immediately agreed to by most of the other clan heads.
"Such things do not matter the boy's special status containing the demon makes him a very dangerous threat to the village, and its people." Danzo said in a calm tone others immediately agreeing to him. "It's in the village's best interest to have the boy taken to an area where his power can be trained, and contained if need be."
"Your human weapons idea is a great one on paper, but you seem to be forgetting how wrong such a treatment can be. When humans are exposed to the training that you have given your ROOT agents Danzo things don't always go the way you intend them to. How many people have died or killed themselves unable to deal with the mental trauma during your training Danzo?" Sarutobi asked his pipe letting off a puff of steam. "The simple fact of the matter is that Naruto has given us no reason for concern on this matter."
"No reason for concern?" Danzo asked with sarcasm dripping from his voice. "The boy before graduating caused chaos in the village, and countless amounts of it. If the reports need to be brought in then so be it, but do not turn a blind eye. In such a short amount of time he has gained a power that has only made him an even greater threat to the village then before."
"You forgot to mention that Naruto has never once used his ability to lay a hand on a Konoha citizen." Satsuki said, and this gained murmurs showing Danzo was losing the crowd. "Believe me when I say that he's had every right to as well."
"Look how he has gained the favor of the last loyal Uchiha; he has managed to trick the boy into standing for him." Homura said using the influence he had. "If the witness accounts we have are reliable you have said countless times that you were going to beat him down, and take the title of the best from him. Now he stands for you here; what could influence such a change."
"It's called the loyalty of being on a team; you remember what that was don't you Homura. I remember a time when you would have died to save Koharu, or I." Sarutobi said, and this immediately called glares upon the old man who scowled at his former team mate.
"Sentiments aside Sarutobi the reason we are still here is because we knew how to run a village, and having one boy, a few council members, a rundown old fool, and an inexperienced novice of a Hokage protect a serious threat isn't how to protect the village." Koharu said getting back on track knowing if things continued than they would lose the support they had. "Now does the boy have anything to say on the matter?"
"I've helped the village as best as I could, and you have chosen to punish me for such a thing. If you continue the way you are then you are not any better than the other villages you claim to be superior to." Zale said simply, but they didn't seem to pay attention.
"Naruto is an important bargaining chip with the other villages, and has been since the beginning of negotiations. You can't have hi without destroying what we've tried hard to establish." Tsunade said finally choosing to look up from the scrolls she had been reviewing.
"Has anything been set in stone?" Danzo asked, and Tsunade hesitantly shook her head. "Then there is no risk, and Naruto is not such a prime bargaining chip. Still if such a thing is so important to the village then I'll strike a deal. Put Naruto is my care for some time so that I may guide him in the right direction as how to protect the village, and if his dreams come true then someday lead it."
"By that logic sensei should be given Naruto as he has more experience, and more powerful than you are." Tsunade said, and this was considered by all.
"Sarutobi would be too lenient on the boy, and I would be fair, and firm. It is only logical for this to happen." Danzo said, and he seemed to gain favor with the civilians.
"Still Naruto is my ninja I have final say over him." Tsunade said feeling she had won. "I rule against this, and my decision on that is final."
"Tsunade although I am sure you do not know this in times of distress the council can overrule the Hokage's decision." Danzo said.
"We are not in a time of distress." Tsunade said feeling a sneaking suspicion of the old war hawk.
"Ah, but with the invasion of the Sand Village we are, and that means the final decision will come down to the council; all opposed?" Danzo looked around twelve votes. "All for the notion to place Naruto Uzumaki in my care please raise your hands?" Once again twelve hands rose, and that meant only one was left contemplating what to do. "Come now Aburame make your decision."
Everyone was on the edge of their seats. The Aburame clan head was the only one of them who truly came to the meetings without true set prejudice. He could go either way, and the look on his face was unreadable, but Danzo was still confident of the man making the "right" decision.
Meanwhile Satsuki was practically squirming in her seat, and sweat coming off her brow. She could see Zale tense up as if ready to make a run for it if need be, and it was highly likely that the other Manipulation users would be at the ready to help him escape.
'I can't let Zale's future be decided by some Aburame who doesn't know where his loyalties lie.' Satsuki thought, and she took in a deep breath before speaking. "According the bylaws of "Konoha's Laws" page one hundred thirteen, paragraph two, subsection A, an orphan cannot be adopted if he has been put into a clan."
Her legal knowledge stunned them all, and apparently they were somewhat pleased to know that she hadn't just been sitting there bored for the past five years. "Yes Sasuke, but at this point in time there is no way to integrate Naruto in a clan so quickly without too many political repercussions would be to marry him. Is there anyone here who would marry their daughter to the boy?" Danzo asked, and no one spoke up.
-Scene change-
Hinata suddenly looked up from the book she was reading, and felt that when her father came home she should be very, very angry at him. Like he had made it so she had missed an opportunity that she would never get again.
-Scene Change-
"I will!" Satsuki said, and they all turned to her shocked. "Kai!" She felt the henge drop, and for the first time in years she wasn't afraid to look at the council. "That's right I'm a girl, and as the clan head I execute my right to marry who I choose. I choose one Naruto Uzumaki by the regular terms, and agreements that succeed every basic marriage contract."
"You can't do that!" some of the civilians yelled, but by all rights of the law she could.
"Satsuki I can't let you do this." Zale said knowing how sacred marriage was.
"Don't worry Naruto this is the best for everyone. They can't banish you anymore, and things like trying to give you to that creep are out of the question." Satsuki said a small smile on her face.
"You realize that we need to check up on this marriage, see how legitimate this will be. It will mean sleeping in the same bed, living in the same house, and eventually producing an heir." Danzo said trying to scare the newly revealed girl out of it, but it seemed that Satsuki would not be deterred.
"I know what's going to happen, and I'm fully prepared to accept that." Satsuki said, and she nodded at Tsunade who she had made her lawyer for these matters as well as Sarutobi. Sarutobi reached into his robe, and pulled out a thick stack of papers one of which was a brittle old marriage contract that he handled delicately.
"I didn't ever expect to use it; I simply carry it as a precaution in case Konohamaru ever showed sudden interest." Sarutobi explained handing it to Satsuki who signed it without hesitation before handing it to Zale who hesitated.
"Come on Naruto I swear I'll be a good wife." Satsuki said, but that wasn't was Zale was concerned about he was afraid that he wasn't right for Satsuki that the person she loved wasn't the person that she wanted to marry; the person she was willing to do this for.
'Still I'm a tyrant, an evil person that'll do anything to get ahead, aren't I?' Zale thought to himself looking at the piece of paper, a pen Kurumi had handed him in hand. Kurumi suddenly placed a hand on his, and nodded as if to comfort him, and he steeled his resolve signing the paper. "Thank you Satsuki, I can never repay you for this."
"Don't worry Naruto we're married now you'll make it up to me eventually." Satsuki said with a smile, and a somewhat naughty look in her eyes.
The rest of the meeting was spent trying, and failing to argue the marriage, and confirming Satsuki was a she by Tsunade.
-Later-
Danzo looked into his palms ROOT soldiers around him an unreadable expression on his face. "Does this affect your plans Danzo-sama?" one of them asked him.
A smirk crossed Danzo's face, and an audible chuckle was heard. "No, no, if anything this seems to have put an accelerant on it. Now I have a new strategy to use against him." Danzo said a full blown smile on his face as he blew out a candle allowing the room to fall to shadows.
Come on people review, how do I have 12 followers and only 5 reviews?