Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
This chapter was edited by PraetorXyn
Chapter 06: Notification and Debate
It had taken me the entire night and half a dozen soldier pills interspersed with absorbing the life force of my kin, but I had managed to awaken the Mangekyou Sharingan in every female maiden of the clan, even though it had been touch-and-go for some of them. The young, underdeveloped bodies had borne considerable trouble standing up to the stresses the procedure put them through, despite the precautions I had taken.
The need to call forth their Susanoo so that I could use Naruto's eyes to advance their eyes to the eternal state had been especially taxing. Regardless, in the end, it had been worth it, because now there were 55 young female Uchiha maidens, every single one of them wielding the power of an Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. Even though they still had a long way to go, they were already a force to be reckoned with.
I had done everything in my power to ensure they were loyal, obedient, and above all, deeply in love with one Uzumaki Naruto. Every single one of them would happily die for him if the need would ever arise, or if he ordered them to — just as it should be.
I had also managed to make some sense of the two other seals I had taken from Kushina's room.
The life transfer seal Uzushio used on prisoners was straightforward. It had been designed with more than one guard having the control seal of several prisoners in mind. So, all I had to do was apply the prisoner seals to the girls while Naruto and I received a control seal. Thus, if required, we could kill each of them with a simple handseal and a bit of chakra, or they would die if anyone triggered one of the failsafes I added.
What I came to call the locator seal was a bit more tricky. It had been designed for a parent to find their wayward child. The scroll came with only two variants. One allowed more than one seal on children to be keyed to the parent seal, and another variant allowed to key one child seal to two-parent ones. Neither was what I was truly after. I wanted a seal that would allow us to locate each other. The basic concept and building blocks were there, but getting them to work the way I wanted had taken all the knowledge I had about seals, a lot of trial and error, and half the night of working in tandem with two Kage Bunshin to get it right.
Those two and the one safeguarding our eyes were the only ones I had dared to put on my Naruto. I would have loved nothing more than to add to my little Naruto's protection. However, applying seals on someone — especially someone who already had a seal deeply entwined with their chakra network, like all bijū containing seals were by their very nature — was a very delicate and extremely dangerous process. The things that could go wrong were just too numerous to count.
I also knew that the seals I put on him wouldn't be a lasting protection for his eyes, because once they were removed, the seal was gone, and his newly regenerated eye was without protection from that moment onward. Still, the seal's existence without knowledge of his healing factor should still be a viable deterrent, and even the most determined might not try again after it failed once — at least if they had to fight for it. I dismissed that thought before it could go anywhere, just in time for the massive double doors leading to the council chambers to come into view.
Dressed for the occasion, I walked right into the meeting past the chūnin guarding the door.
My battle attire consisted of a long-sleeved, form-fitting black qipao dress. The hem reaching past my knees was slit at the sides and tapered off so as not to hinder leg movement. Beneath it, I wore long-legged pants. Above it, I wore my customized flak jacket, jet-black without pockets and held in place by two shoulder straps.
The last time I had been in this room had been at my father's heels. It had been more about presenting myself to the other clans than for me to learn how to lead a clan. I had been told not to even think about speaking during the meeting, only to sit there and look pretty as it was expected of me.
Back then, no one had so much as paid me more attention than a curious glance, the contrast to today couldn't be more extreme. All eyes were on me — although not openly staring, which would have been unbecoming — while still managing to always keep me in their field of vision. Some even possessed the audacity to allow their hands to hover over their weapon pouches.
I only hoped the last half-hour spent before a mirror would stand up to scrutiny and conceal the rejuvenating side-effects the life transfer seal had imposed upon my body. Under normal circumstances, this would be a cause for celebration. The few marks I had accumulated over the years marring my body had disappeared without a trace. This would have been a welcome change to any woman self-conscious about her looks. It had been especially gratifying losing the scar from the first C-section I performed on myself, with my lackluster understanding of iryōjutsu at that time, as it had been a constant reminder of having carried Fugaku's children to term. In a shinobi village, time was one of the enemies we'd yet to find means to defeat. De-aging me to my very early twenties was not something that could easily be explained, nor did I have the slightest inclination to do so.
Fortunately, I had paid particularly close attention to the mandatoryANBU classes regarding disguises not requiring using chakra. It was overall a safer method than relying on a simple Henge, a jutsu known to fail the most superficial inspections. It also helped matters that it had been years since I had met any of them face to face, so it was more than likely that any discrepancy they might notice would be attributed to me aging gracefully.
Ignoring their evident enmity, I walked to the chair reserved for the Uchiha clan leader at one of the ends of the three-quarter-circle table and seated myself. No one dared to protest. My eyes lingered for a moment on the Uzumaki seat, next to the Senju seat right across from me at the other end of the table, which had been vacant far too long. Mito had been the last person to sit in it. According to the stories, she had never so much as spoken a single word — let alone voted in those sessions — remaining impartial, only silently observing. Kushina had never had any interest in governing, never even participating a single time. It had never seemed to occur to her that Hokage was — for the most part — an administrative position.
She wasn't the only one with a seat to never show her face. It was a behavior shared by many, such as the Hatake clan, for one.
People had been joking for years that they should stop sending him invitations, because even if he were to choose to attend, he would arrive only after the meeting was concluded — not that he was in a position to do so any longer.
I took a glance at the people present. The first thing I noticed was they hadn't changed much. Besides some deepening wrinkles, most looked precisely the same as when I had last seen them.
Tsume remained true to her animalistic nature. Her untamed spiky brown hair was as much an indication as her long nails and sharp teeth. She completed her looks with the Inuzka clan's traditional fang markings on her cheeks.
Inochi kept his ash blond hair so long that it reached his lower back. His green eyes and well-defined jawline made him appear like a discount Minato. It was no wonder prim and proper Akina had settled for him after Minato had rebuffed her advances. She probably had no idea how lucky she had been that it had not been Kushina to break her heart, which would have been just one thing among many she would have shattered for someone making moon eyes at him.
The less said about Akimichi Chōza, the better. The redhead had somehow managed to become even more plump, begging the question as to whether the samurai armor he squeezed himself into was a new one or if it had been reworked. I would fear for his wife if she did not fill out her clothes just as well as he did.
Out of the three that made up the original InoShikaSho, only Shikaku looked different. The two scars diagonally marring his face were a new addition. Knowing Yoshino, she would have given him hell for this brush with death. She had always been self-conscious about her husband's looks, always lamenting the fact that he had not been more handsome.
Long black hair and milky white eyes and an expressionless face that said "I am better than you," unmistakably belonged to Hyūga Hiashi, the last from our vaunted generation of clan heads. He was the other one besides Chōza who forewent wearing a slightly modified Konoha standard uniform along with the flak jacket. Instead, he wore loose-fitting long-sleeved robes beneath his brown haori.
There was a murmur going through those gathered in the room when the Hokage entered, flanked by two masked and cloaked ANBU members. Hidden beneath the small stature, the traditional white haori, a red hat and kimono, and an aged and wrinkled face was one of the most deadly individuals in the village.
He failed in hiding a minuscule break in his stride and a slight widening of his eyes when he noticed my presence. Trying his best to appear unbothered, he took his seat behind a small table that was prominently located in the empty space left by the missing part of the three-quarter-circle table the rest of us were sitting at. He sat still for a moment that seemed to stretch endlessly, going by the increased fidgeting as they waited for him to start the meeting.
"I greet all those gathered here. Let us start with discussing what I assume most of you are dying to know." It was a poor choice of words as far as I was concerned. On the other hand, as all eyes fell on me, the assembled clan leaders gave up all pretense of hiding their stares. "Mikoto-san, would you care to enlighten us as to what happened last night in the Uchiha Compound and where your clansmen disappeared off to? And while we are at it," his tone suddenly lost his grandfatherly gentleness leaving a dangerous edge. "I would like to know the whereabouts of one Uzumaki Naruto."
Despite his words framing it as a request, his tone left no doubt that it was anything but. It was an order, one that carried the very real threat of consequences for non-compliance. Left unspoken was that Naruto — the village's precious weapon — had better be unhurt.
It was hard not to outright laugh in his face at this fake concern about my Naruto and to tell him exactly what I thought of him and the ones responsible for his treatment.
I would have liked nothing more than to grab Naruto and the few survivors from my clan and leave this cesspit behind, to give my Naruto a chance at a life away from all this. Unfortunately, I was painfully aware of the sheer impossibility of such an endeavor succeeding.
While it would have been easy — using Kamui — to flee the village, the problems would have only started from there.
They would never allow the Uchiha clan to break their allegiance to Konoha, despite the Konoha charta explicitly allowing for it. With the secrets we harbored, the fear of our potential, that our bloodline could be added to strengthen another village, we were simply too much of a threat. Then there was also the hit in reputation to consider if two of the three founding clans were to wash their hands of Konoha.
Shimura Danzō especially would never stop haunting us for that perceived slight alone.
He was also present. A former acquaintance and friend of my late father. Although that might be a step too far since I doubted either one of them did friends. Despite his stoic face, the utter disdain in his eyes as he visually tried to dissect me was hard to miss.
Not that he was capable of anything more substantial than glaring with his body in this broken state. One-eyed, one-armed, and requiring a cane to walk, the old man with the x-shaped scar on his chin would have trouble surviving a single bout with anyone present. The danger lurks in the ANBU-faction called ROOT under his control and the free reign he was given to utilize them to the best of Konoha's interest.
There were numerous rumors back when I was in ANBU about what the people under his command got up to - some, I managed to confirm after the fact. He was not one to be trifled with.
Given the current strength of the clan, after I had separated the chaff from the seeds that might eventually grow into wheat, the outcome was never in question. I could not hope to protect them by myself, since it wouldn't be just Konoha that would come looking for us. The moment word spread, no village would leave a stone unturned to secure our services. Willing or unwilling wouldn't matter, and that was without taking Naruto's status as a jinchuriki into account.
He was still a malleable young boy. Even if they were to fail to put him into whatever mold they saw fit to put him into, he had other uses beyond that. Some enemies might be satisfied with denying Konoha a military asset, ensuring their jinchūriki would be unopposed in future confrontations with Konoha. Iwa would be more interested in ending the Namikaze line than anything else. Then there was Kumo. From Naruto's status as the jailer of a bijū alone, they would infer him being the carrier of at least one bloodline — one that was nearly extinct. They wouldn't hesitate a moment to put him into some kind of breeding program.
Should anyone ever learn about his Sharingan and the fact that he could create a near-endless supply of them, there was no doubt in my mind that wars would be fought over him.
This meant the only way forward was to accumulate power. To raise the Uchiha clan to what it should have always been, to deter anyone from sending a wrong look my Naruto's way. The problem was that building up that power was something that took time. Therefore it was in our best interest to stay under the protective umbrella of the village, for the time being.
Once we had replenished our strength, we would have options. By then, it would be for Naruto to determine what to do with it. For now, I had to play the part of the loyal Konoha shinobi, bidding our time.
"I don't," I curtly responded.
The Hokage was taken aback. "Excuse me," he said, trying to make sense of my words.
"The particulars of last night's events are of no concern to you," I clarified.
"Preposterous," Taketori Nezumi loudly proclaimed, "The Hokage gave you an order, and you would do well to comply with it." He was the only other person besides Hyūga Hiashi — not counting the retired shinobi who were in attendance — wearing a kimono instead of something more suited for combat.
"He did no such thing," I calmly responded to the little upstart who barely made tokubetsu jōnin andseemingly helped himself to a few of Hiashi's outfits. "Or are you saying he is a fool?"
He blustered, tumbling over his own words, and then — after he regained his composure — firmly declared, "I'm not," in the direction of the Hokage, "What are you talking about?" he then asked with renewed vitriol. Only to decide it did not really matter and instead demanded, "Stop deflecting and answer the question!"
Sighing with members of his clan's customary "troublesome," Nara Shikaku took over. "What she meant was that only a fool would give an order knowing it wouldn't be followed, and as we are all clan leaders with — according to the Konoha charter — full rights to rule our respective clans as we see fit. Therefore we are not required to justify our actions to the village or its governing body. Nor is the village allowed to interfere in clan matters in any way whatsoever. This means the Hokage may inquire about them, but she has every right to refuse to answer, and he most certainly can't force her to answer without violating the foundation this village was built upon, thereby setting a very dangerous precedent."
More than one of the other clan leaders nodded along with his explanation.
Following the prompt Hiashi gave him — one would only notice if you knew what you were looking for — he pressed further, "Surely that's not the case," Taketori Nezumi said, addressing the Hokage, who stayed silent. It was followed up by an angry, "We have a right to know!"
"Didn't you listen to a word Shikaku said?" Inochi interjected. "No, we don't!"
"However, what the Hokage can ask and force an answer on is in regards to Uzumaki Naruto," the Nara clan leader clarified.
"Are you sure about that?" I wondered aloud, and our eyes met.
It took him just a moment to connect the dots, and another "troublesome" escaped his lips.
To forestall any more of this waste of time, I withdrew a scroll from beneath my flak jacket and held it out for one of the two ANBU operatives who accompanied the Hokage into the room to take it. He scanned the scroll for a moment looking for any noticeable traps, and when he was satisfied handed it over to the Hokage.
He opened the scroll and scanned its contents. When he was done he retrieved his pipe, which he lit up with a flick of his finger, and then leaned back into his seat, mulling over the information. Meanwhile, the room was eagerly waiting for him to disclose what he had learned.
It was an intriguing way to remind the people assembled of his status as the Hokage, without outright proclaiming it, and it also allowed the flayed tempers of some to settle.
He kept to himself for three deep drags of his pipe before he shared the contents of the scroll with the others. "This document states that one Uchiha Mikoto is the godmother of one Uzumaki Naruto and in case of the demise of his parents shall be named his guardian with all rights and duties that entails."
"Impossible," sounded through the hall. "It has to be a forgery."
"I can assure you," the Hokage answered, "this is no forgery. I can confirm the seals of both of Naruto's parents are genuine, as are the seals of the witnesses." It was a good thing I had insisted on witnesses back when we had signed it, knowing all too well that with just the two affected parties signing a contract that some might contest it if it served their own interests.
Considering they were all politicians, most would contest it hoping to get a concession out of me.
"Who are those witnesses?" Hyūga Hiashi demanded to know. This time he actually voiced the question himself instead of using his patsy.
"Naruto's parents." It was curious the way he tried to avoid saying their names. "Uchiha Mikoto."
Taketori Nezumi scoffed at that and mumbled: "Of course she is."
"Jiraiya of the Sannin," was the next name the Hokage read out, which shut any protest he had on his tongue down hard. "Hatake Kakashi, and Senju Tsunade."
"It is true then?" Inochi asked for confirmation.
"Indeed, it is," the Hokage answered.
"That's it? No more information, no nothing? For all we know, she has killed the boy, or sold him to Kumo," Taketori Nezumi accused me.
"Surely you have evidence to substantiate your insinuations. If not, I would strongly recommend not wasting any more of this body's time with your…" I paused for effect, "delusions. Specifically, if you are insinuating treason, the offended party might… take offense."
"Are you threatening me?"
"You tell me," I said. I turned my head and looked directly at him for the first time since entering the room, seeking his eyes. "Do you feel threatened?" Within moments he looked away, not having the stomach to hold my gaze. I was not even trying. His entire attitude was simply empty blustering from a man who hadn't been old enough to have fought in the last war.
"Enough," the Hokage's voice boomed through the room. "You are Konoha shinobi. Act like it."
After the Hokage's words, a silence settled upon the room. Chastised like children, most of those present nervously fidgeted in their seats. Some even evaded looking him in the eyes. The only occasional sound was the Hokage drabbing from his pipe, deeply in thought.
"Why now? If you don't mind me asking," Inoichi broke the silence. "Why wait this long to claim Naruto?"
Contemplating whether I should answer, I admitted, "It was not by choice."
"What changed?" he followed up on his original question. That was not too shabby. People always said Shikaku was the brain of InoShikaCho and underestimated the other two, who were not stupid by any stretch of the imagination.
"I am in charge of the Uchiha now."
"Why?"
"There had been a minor difference of opinion on how the clan should be run. Since I happened to make the better arguments, determining the Uchiha clan's fate is now up to me. In my new capacity as head of the clan, I hereby officially notify the village of every change affecting it."
A nod from the Hokage signaled me the go-ahead.
I retrieved another scroll and handed it to one of the ANBU operatives. "Those are the completely filed fatality reports of 542 members of my clan; I ask you to remove them from the active service roster. As a result of the drop in my clan's numbers, I also inform you that the Uchiha clan is longer able to perform its duties policing the village. Because of this, effective immediately, I dissolve the Uchiha Police Force and return any privileges that were granted to the Uchiha clan for that purpose. For the immediate future, I recommend ANBU take our place, and for the village to consider options for a permanent replacement."
At my proclamation, there were many shocked expressions.
„542 dead…" Chōza Akimichi mumbled.
„That is unfortunate," was the extent of the Hokage's reaction.
"She killed them!" Taketori Nezumi cried out, jumping out of his seat. "That is no simple misunderstanding!" Seemingly surprised at the lack of people proclaiming their support for his condemnation, he looked around for someone he could sway. "She murdered her own clan, her family. We can't just ignore that!"
"That is exactly what we are going to do," the Hokage's stern voice said.
"But… " Taketori Nezumi started anew.
"No," the Hokage firmly ordered. "The Uchiha clan leader declared this as an internal clan matter. As Shikaku took it upon himself to remind us all, this means we will stay out of it. Or do you want me to look into practices of other clans which have resulted in fatalities over the years? Such as the Hyūga Caged Bird Seal, or the kikaichū infusion of the Aburame. Because that is what you are asking for by violating the Konoha charter and setting a precedent. There isn't a single clan within Konoha that hasn't had accidents that lost Konoha shinobi, not one. Admittedly, a fatality number this high a number is unprecedented. Nevertheless, it is within the bounds of what is permitted. Having said that, I trust there won't be a repeat."
"Unlikely," I responded.
"Good," the Hokage said, pleased. "If that is all…"
"It is not," I interjected. "Please excuse my interruption, Hokage-sama," I apologized, not only showing deference to the position he held but also maintaining the proper courtesies the Uchiha Mikoto known to them was well known for. They would ascribe my rather curt and direct way from earlier — littered with a short burst of hesitation and pauses — to a mask, I put on to make an impression. A too-sudden shift in behavior would be detrimental to my plans, so the occasional instance of me falling back to old patterns would help sell my transformation from housewife to stern clan leader, as would be the adherence to protocol.
"But the combination of the reduction in our numbers and the vastness of the Uchiha Compound makes it no longer a viable place for us to stay," I explained. "Because of this, I decided to relocate the remaining members of my clan to the Uzumaki Compound. Since this means there will be no one living in the Uchiha Compound for the foreseeable future, I hereby allow the replacement of what was known as the Uchiha Police Force unrestricted access to the premises and request for them to patrol it."
With some luck, the added incentive of unrestricted access to our clan compound might result in some clans vying to replace the Uchiha Police Force, hoping to find and claim some treasure that I might have left behind. Not that I had. I had made sure nothing of value was left. One of the advantages of being able to read someone's memories was that you got to see all their secrets, including hidden stashes. I considered the number of those lost to time negligible. For one, we shinobi knew about the risk of dying, so putting methods in place for pointing someone to your stash was simply common sense.
Those who had not were either too stupid — which meant whatever they had hidden probably wasn't worth looking for either — or too smart — or paranoid — to write the location down, in which case, I doubted a simple search would be enough to locate it.
Not that we Uchiha, in general, were prone to writing things down with our photographic memories. Besides, the information was the only thing I was concerned about, to begin with. Let them keep all the money and weapons they could find. I could not possibly care less.
Personally, I hoped the Hyūga would offer their services and allow themselves to be shackled down this way, but I doubted Hiashi would go for it. He wasn't nearly stupid enough, unlike Taketori Nezumi, and if Hiashi had anything to say about it, he would not allow that either.
Most would ascribe this decision to the difficulties of guarding the Uchiha Compound henceforth would prove, given our reduced numbers, taking my words at face value. It had definitely played a part in my consideration, but the main reason for this decision was that I wanted Naruto to grow up where his parents had lived, and in a way they would have wished for. The complex was filled with his family, all living under one roof and not spread among dozen of houses over a large area of space. A place of warmth, not cold.
"I see," the Hokage mused.
"Does this mean by claiming the guardianship of the child, she also gets control over the Uzumaki Clan assets?" Taketori Nezumi asked out of nowhere.
"It does," Shukaku said, "for better or worse."
"We can't allow that to happen!" Taketori Nezumi demanded.
Sighing, the Hokage answered. "What is it you suggest we do? Ignore the will of people this village holds in high esteem like no other and rob their child of his inheritance? How do you think that would go down with the shinobi population if we even entertained that notion? They would ask themselves what would stop us from doing the same to them when dying as war heroes and being the heir of a clan offered no protection." Shaking his head, he affirmed, "No, we will do no such thing. Not just because of the law — which is clear in this case — but because it is the right thing to do. Naruto's parents entrusted their most precious possession — their son — into the care of Mikoto-san. If they trusted her enough with that, who are we to argue with her about a few scrolls and some money?"
"Hokage-sama, if I may," Hyūga Hiashi spoke up for the first time during this meeting.
A nod signaled him to continue. "It is not just a few scrolls we are talking about in this case. Namikaze-sama was a sitting Hokage. The village secrets that could be found among his belongings cannot just be ignored."
It was interesting that he played that card. I wondered what he was after. I doubted it was some secret document as he claimed. A cursory glance revealed that more than one person was mulling over the implications of his words.
"A very good point," the Hokage conceded. "It certainly cannot be ruled out that such documents might exist among the assets. I do have to wonder though, to whom of us such a suspicion could not be applied. I, in my long years — on more than one occasion — have taken my work home. I'm sure most of you have done the same, which is the crux of the matter, is it not?" The Hokage let those words sink in until even the last understood the implied threat his words posed. "I hope with this we can finally lay this line of questioning to rest."
It was deeply satisfying seeing those clan leaders having a tough time circumventing the laws their forefathers devised with the explicit intention for them not to be circumvented at any cost.
After scanning the faces of the people present — convincing himself that his words didn't fall on deaf ears — his eyes landed on me again. He raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner.
"There is more," I declared. "The Uchiha clan no longer intends to send our children to attend the ninja academy. Recent events have shown that the combat strength of our members has greatly suffered at the hands of the instructors. In order to rectify that, from now on, they will receive their education from the clan until they are deemed sufficiently prepared to receive the provisional rank of genin, at which point we will send them to the academy to take part in the finals."
"No," the Hokage firmly disagreed. "While not outright stated in the Konoha charter that children have to attend the academy in order to become shinobi of the village — mostly to accommodate for exceptions — it is still expected of children living in the village to do so."
"In that case, consider this year's graduating classthe last one with an Uchiha graduate."
"You can't be serious," Inoichi interjected.
"I am," I affirmed. "This is my prerogative as a clan leader."
"What about the jinchūriki?" Taketori Nezumi asked.
"Naruto, his name is Naruto," I emphasized. "If I deemed the academy unsuitable for members of my clan, what gave you the impression I would consider it anything else for Naruto?"
"He has to…"
"Eventually, when the shinobi to civilian ratio drops below 50% among the adult population, it would mean the loss of the status as a shinobi clan, resulting in forfeiture of their lands, among other things," Shikaku informed.
I ignored their objections. As if I would care about such Hokage — realizing I wouldn't budge — said, "How about a compromise?"
I wasn't really interested in getting my clan members into the Konoha forces. On the one hand, it would mean they would be sent on a mission away from the clan: it would make them vulnerable. On the other hand, I couldn't give off the impression that I didn't care about the village. "I am listening."
"In exchange for Naruto attending the academy, I will allow you to train the rest of your children as you see fit, and as long as they pass the final exam, allow them to join the Konoha shinobi forces."
"In perpetuity, including any future Uzumaki children," I added. As much as I would have liked to remove Naruto from the academy too, I knew that would never happen. Believing otherwise would merely have been wishful thinking on my part. Worse, I had every reason to believe the Hokage would go to war over this, so I took what I could get. I would make sure Naruto wouldn't suffer in the academy, neither in his progress nor emotionally. Kage Bunshin and Satsuki would make sure of that. For once, her existence seemed to be a boon.
"In perpetuity," the Hokage agreed.
"I want that in writing." I had no interest in the village rescinding that offer the instant Naruto graduated. "I also want assurances that Naruto will be on the same genin team as my second daughter, and for either a jōnin of my choosing or myself to lead that team."
"That is highly irregular, and it goes against the stated purpose of genin teams: furthering inter-clan cooperation and team versatility. A purpose that could hardly be achieved if we allowed families to stay together. How else could they learn to accept their team and ultimately the whole village as their extended family?"
"Then it is a good thing I am not Naruto's parent," I interjected. "Additionally, it is only uncommon for a parent and child to be on the same team, and this has happened on numerous occasions in the past, as Aburame-san can attest to."
"Indeed," was his curt response.
"Those were special circumstances," Taketori Nezumi objected.
"Tss, special circumstances, don't make me laugh," Tsume scoffed. "I can't remember there was ever any issue whenever someone else wanted their pups on their teams. So why don't you man up and come out and say what you really mean, or shut the fuck up? I've got better things to do than listen to your rumblings and watching you embarrass yourself all day long. You don't like Mikoto-chan, we got it. But that is no basis to hassle her on. Every. Single. Issue. Frankly, I'm more than fed up with it, and I'm sure I'm not the only one." There were some hesitant nods at her words.
"Language," Koharu chided sternly while a small smile played on the Hokage's lips. "That is no behavior befit a woman of your standing, Tsume-san."
"I do not see a reason to deny Mikoto her request," the Hokage allowed. „Neither is she Naruto's parent, nor would it be the first time we allowed a mother and a daughter to be on the same team. And as long as the village is free to decide upon the last member of the team, it would still — albeit to a lesser degree — further inter-clan cooperation."
Knowing this would be the best deal I would get, I voiced an "Agreed," and before he could respond, I pushed on. "All remaining Uchiha clan members hereby request a leave of absence. Given the recent deaths, I think they badly needto stay with their familyto mourn and come to terms with what happened." I placed another scroll on the desk in front of me containing the paperwork to that effect.
Included was Izumi's withdrawal from ANBU. The risk of the village — especially Danzō — making one of my girls disappear was just too great. This was doubly true for Izumi, considering that most missions she would be sent on would be classified, and, therefore, no follow-up investigations I could easily gain access to despite my newfound status as a clan leader. Given that she was one of the few left with a modicum of talent, I couldn't afford to waste her in that manner.
The intel that she might gain by remaining part of ANBU didn't justify the risk. After what I had done, they would be very careful as to what intel she would get access to. In the end, it just meant I would have to rely on different methods to stay informed of what was going on in the shadows of the tree.
Additionally, this would mean no revenue from clan members taking missions for some time. Since I fully intended to rent out the Uchiha compound, the financial strain of removing the members of my clan from active duty would not be at the expense of the Uchiha Clan's savings. Not that it would matter, as while we were nowhere near as rich as the Uzumaki — given Mito's genius business sense — it would still easily last us for decades.
"I am also correcting a long existing oversight from the previous clan leader, who didn't see the necessity to safeguard our eyes. To that effect, seals designed by the late Uzumaki sealmistress serving that purpose were applied to all our members, henceforth making it impossible to steal our bloodline no matter the means. Hopefully, this measure will make us more eligible for missions outside the village." I unnecessarily added a reason for this change, in an attempt to make the gathered people believe that I considered this to be the reason for us being confined to the village. It was a layer diverting them from the true goal of disclosing this: giving the assembled people a motive to go after Kakashi. All that was left was giving them a short reminder that there existed one Sharingan outside the Uchiha purview. "Hokage-sama, since I see it as my responsibility to safeguard the Sharingan, could you please relay to Hatake-san that if he is willing, the seal can also be applied to his eye?"
"I will endeavor to inform him," the Hokage said.
While I said that, I paid close attention to the faces of everyone present. As expected, nobody's features gave anything away. Every single one of them was too well trained in schooling their features. It would have taken the Sharingan to perhaps make out something. Even though I was confident in my proficiency when it came to genjutsu and — therefore — my ability to successfully mask my use of the Sharingan, it was ultimately not a risk I was willing to take surrounded by all those highly skilled shinobi on the hunch that there was more to the rumors surrounding my clan.
This whole affair was already a balancing act, and all the goodwill of those in the know for taking care of my treacherous clan members might evaporate into nothing by such a blatant breach of etiquette. I was the last who would blame them. The Sharingan was a dangerous weapon that could do more damage than any kunai with just a single glance.
"Because of the less than stellar decision-making of my predecessors, there will also be a change in status: the Uchiha Clan has decided to become retainers of the Uzumaki Clan."
Several surprised outcries occurred at my proclamation.
Admittedly, it was a significant step, but one I deemed necessary, regardless. Relying on some potentially existing goodwill wouldn't be enough. I needed to officially reassert our allegiance to the village in such a way that it was clear not only to those in the know about the planned coup that I did so, but also without broadcasting to the rest of the world that it was ever in doubt.
This should dissuade everyone from the idea that the Uchiha clan would pursue anything similar under my leadership, because as a retainer to the Uzumaki, we simply wouldn't be in any position to do so unless ordered by Naruto. That was unlikely to happen since the Hokage got his way with Naruto having to attend the academy to get him fully indoctrinated. Not that I had any plans of letting that happen, but they didn't need to know that.
It should also help with clearing up our intentions regarding Naruto, by placing him in a position of dominion over the Uchiha. Nobody would be able to plausibly accuse us of anything but having Naruto's best interest at heart. Anything to the contrary would simply be considered a stretch of the imagination. It also added another layer of protection to my boy, besides his jinchūriki status, because without him, we, the Uchiha would regain our freedom.
"I don't understand. Why would you want to give up your clan's self-determination and become subordinate to someone else?" Tsume questioned.
"I was always close to the last Uzumaki scion within Konoha. Before her untimely death, we had planned to deepen that bond," I answered in part as a consideration for her earlier help.
Puzzled over my words, she reiterated her argument. "You've two daughters. There is nothing stopping you from implementing those plans."
I didn't correct her misconception and instead reinforced it. "The future of the Uchiha clan has always lied with Naruto. All I did with this step was make it official," I said, thus fueling the conclusion that Naruto was set to marry my heir, essentially giving him control of the clan either way. That no one questioned that by doing so I was robbing one of my daughters of her inheritance didn't seem to occur to anyone besides Tsume.
I noticed her demeanor slightly shifting to a somber undertone with a hint of sympathy in her eyes. If the rumors about her daughter were to be believed she was seen as unfit to succeed her, lacking the temperament necessary to establish her dominance over the rest of the pack.
The rest took it in stride, but what else was there to expect of a woman whose father chose her husband over her to succeed him? It wouldn't surprise me if some thought that because of that, something had to be wrong with me, assuming I was simply filling in for the clan leader position and that the bias of my upbringing was the reason I would imitate my father's actions while at the same time giving in to the romantically inclined mind of a woman and wanting to fulfill her dead friend's wishes.
The Hokage's widened for just a fraction of a second before he clamped down on his reaction and schooled his features again. Unsurprisingly, he was the sole person not only aware of my exploits in ANBU and that I wasn't the meek woman people got to know me as, but also that there were only females left in my clan. He undoubtedly suspected the true meaning of my words.
"I see," the Hokage managed to press out.
"Pesposterus," Taketori Nezumi shouted. "You can't be okay with one of the two founding clans becoming the retainer of the broken remnants of a clan that has long lost any significance in the world. And you all are allowing it," he addressed everyone around only to refocus on me as he spat, "You're not only shaming what your forefathers, your father created, but outright spitting on the village as an institution. How can you even entertain the notion of foisting one of your daughters — who by all reports are geniuses — onto the Dead Last of his whole year? If the jinchūriki wouldn't have been a village asset, he'd have been expelled by now. He doesn't deserve either of them."
"I have to wonder who you think would be more deserving to marry my daughters, Taketori-san?"
Wholly ignoring my words as if I had never voiced them, he continued. "Don't you see: she's just trying to create a voting bloc. If her goal — as she claims — was to get her and her friend's family closer together, she would dissolve the Uzumaki clan — a clan of one — and merely adopt him into her clan."
"Please, as if such a thing doesn't already exist," Tsume chimed in, her gaze directed to where the InoShikaCho trio sat, only to return to him to mockingly add. "You should know, I can't remember the last time you didn't vote the same as Hiashi."
"A lasting one," he added. Tsume just sneered at that.
"While I don't like where Taketori seems to be going with starting to question when a clan should no longer be recognized as a proper clan, he brings up an interesting point. The Uzumaki clan has at currently just one member. A male, which makes him eligible for the Clan Restoration Act."
"He's still a child for some years yet. It's far too early to discuss any of this. The sensible thing would be to let him enjoy his childhood. The reality of being a shinobi — being an adult — will crash down onto him early enough," Inoichi pointed out.
"Now is exactly the right time to discuss this matter," Shimura Danzō spoke for the first time. "Wasn't it his own godmother who hinted at his marriage when she said a deepening of the bond between his and her clan was intended?"
It hadn't been easy to keep my expression blank simply being in the same room as him. The Mokuton-user under his command he deliberately chose not to use was only partly responsible, and I couldn't care less about what I had learned from the memories of one of the Uchiha-Elders.
It had been Danzō who had instigated their little coup by promising his ROOT support. It had always struck me as odd that Fugaku and the Elders had believed they could somehow succeed. Less than 600 of us — which included the elderly and children — against a village with more than forty times that number in active duty shinobi. Anyone with a working brain should have realized it was a doomed undertaking right from the start. Not even Fugaku or the Elders were out of touch enough with reality to believe otherwise. If, however, others were supporting it, and if they managed a decisive decapitation strike with a successor that many clans might have supported at hand, it actually might have worked.
What those memories couldn't answer was the question if Danzō had always intended to double cross the Uchiha, or if it was Shisui and Izumi coming forward that forced his hand since he didn't want to end up right next to Fugaku on the chopping block. I wouldn't mind picking his brain to find out precisely what kind of traitor he was, specifically given some peculiar coincidences that pushed the Uchiha to consider this course of action, like the kyūbi attack followed by our ostracization and the passing of numerous laws that if not outright aimed at the Uchiha, disadvantaged us the most. Laws that he and his faction had introduced and pushed through. For a moment, I was tempted to drag that elder to T&I if it wouldn't have soiled the Uchiha's public reputation even more and could have other repercussions.
No, the far more important reason for my increasing irritation at hearing his emotionless voice drone on was that he dared to get involved in my Naruto's future. The urge to bury my hand deep within his intestines got harder to resist with every word from his mouth.
"Which should suffice to put your concerns to rest, old friend," the Hokage intervened.
"In fact, it does not," Danzō responded. "There was no mention of whom he is supposed to marry, when, or how many children we can expect. According to the CRA, three spouses are required with a minimum of two children each before he reaches his 20 birthday. And I think the continued existence of one of our premier clans is a reason for concern, for all of us."
"I don't remember you showing a similar concern when it came to the Hatake clan," Koharu Utatane the Hokage late female teammate said.
"The Hatake clan is no premier clan of Konoha," he argued.
"I don't think you will find many who would agree with that sentiment. Hatake Sakumo was…"
"One man, who just so happened to carry the clan's name. It was Sakumo who instilled respect into our enemies."
"You mean fear, right?" Inoichi joked. "Those are two different feelings that shouldn't be confused with each other."
Ignoring his objection with a straight face, Danzō continued to say, "Quite unlike what a premier clan name can do. The second Hokage implemented this rule for a reason."
"And I bet, knowing that it would one day affect his grand-niece, he would be the first wanting to abolish it," Tsume said. In response, Danzō glared at her. Unperturbed she continued, "A law that has never been used."
Sighing, the Hokage removed the pipe from his mouth. "I have no interest to rehash that old argument. So, for now, I say we follow Inoichi's suggestion and take up that topic at a later date. Since some tempers were roused, I think it would be best to adjourn this meeting and discuss the other non-pressing matters on another day to give each of you the chance to wind down. So, until we reconvene next week, dismissed."
I stood up, but not without giving Tsume a nod of appreciation before I left, mindful of the fact that the prior exchange had not been my win, but Danzō's. While I was sure Tsume's reaction was genuine, I had every reason to believe she was played. The Hokage's words clued me in: this obviously wasn't the first time they had debated this, meaning her arguments and the Hokage's views should be well known. The fading interest of the other clan leaders, when they had started, had been another clear indication of that.
Since a decision had been forestalled, not prevented, or cast in my Naruto's best interest, he had essentially tried to establish leverage by revealing that threat scenario. There was no doubt in my mind that he or one of his puppets would bring it up again in the future, and getting him to agree to sway the decision in my favor wouldn't be free. I had a feeling that I would not like what he would want in exchange.
But he had made a mistake today. He had overplayed his hand and forewarned me. There was no way I would allow this to go down the way he imagined. I knew enough of his secrets to give me a good idea of where to start to dig to get some leverage in the form of irrefutable proof of my own.
Authors Note: With Mikoto being Naruto's legal guardian, I added another reason why Danzō might have wanted the Uchiha massacre to happen. There are some theories that Danzō might originally have offered the Uchiha support in their coup attempt, with either him being named Hokage — a candidate the other clans might have accepted after everything was over and done with. Him planning to doublecross the Uchiha after they eliminated the Hokage or just for getting concessions (no oversight, children with the Sharingan…) when it came to his ROOT, him being content with his position at that time.
And only Itachi and Shisui coming forward dissuaded Danzō to commit, and made him back out, considering it a lost cause or the whole thing being his plan all along. There are quite a few ways to play around with the details to make every option a possibility.
It also would add an additional layer to the actions of Kagami (Mikoto's father) as to why he would mind-rape her. (that she wouldn't go blab about it)
The Taketori clan is a clan that makes its appearance in the anime, a filler episode if I remember right. In the anime, they have close ties to the Hyūga. For this story, I'll expand on that a bit and have the clan reside within the village, not outside. (They are essentially subservient to the Hyūga, relying a great deal on them economically etc., but despite the Taketori essentially being the retainers of the Hyūga, they don't carry that label and for all intents and purposes are independent (at least on paper) — which Mikoto by declaring her clan subservient to the Uzumaki set a precedent for)
Some of you might have noticed a discrepancy between the Uchiha fatalities from this and the last chapter. The additional 2 of this chapter are Shisui and Kagami: their deaths hadn't been reported, yet.