Chapter 8: The Calm
The Hokage Tower:
"I believe this has been a productive day." The Sandaime said, lighting his pipe. He breathed out a puff of smoke. "So, I shall call this meeting to an end for the day. We will resume tomorrow at the same time. Is there anything that anyone would like to add before we leave?" He looks around the table, seeing that no one was willing to speak. "In that case, this meeting is at an end. I wish all of you a good day and hope you have a good night's rest."
Itachi watched the council members stand up from their seats and began to file out of the room. His father was the last to leave. Before he did, he gave him an acknowledging nod.
When the door shut, Danzo spoke up. "I tell you, Hiruzen. They are up to something, this negotiation is a farce."
Itachi shook his head, leave it to the old Warhawk to see the dagger behind the smile. "I believe my father is genuine about this." He said, getting the bandaged man's attention.
"What makes you so certain about that?" Danzo questioned. "For all, you know this may be a deception to lull us into a false sense of security."
"Now, now, my old friend." The Sandaime spoke up. "No need to interrogate the young man. I believe he is right about his father. Fugaku-San wants a peace with Konoha. We should take him up on that offer, or would you rather that we be plunged into a civil war."
"Hiruzen," Danzo bulked. "Surely you can't believe that man. Not even two weeks ago, he was plotting our downfall. He may very well be still plotting against us."
"Danzo, the man has called off the coup. He even told us about it." Hiruzen said, taking another puff from his pipe. "If Fugaku-San was insincere about wanting peace, why would he tell us about the coup? Danzo, my friend, for once in your life, stop being so paranoid."
Danzo gritted his teeth. "Hiruzen, you're acting like a fool. It's obvious that he realized that the Uchiha clan lost the element of surprise. Somehow, he found out that we already knew about their planned coup and decided to postpone it, not call it off. Can't you see they are just biding their time? Waiting for us to let our guard down, so they many plunge the dagger into our backs." Danzo walked up to the Hokage. "If we don't strike now, we'll lose our only chance of ending their threat once and for all."
"Danzo, I refuse to betray our trust with the Uchiha clan just to satisfy your paranoia. It is already fragile enough as it is. I will not risk a civil war because you refuse to accept the truth. Am I understood?" The Hokage said, having a bit of force behind his voice.
"Hiruzen, if you're worried about the village's public image. You can let me handle it. I assure you no one will ever suspect the truth." Danzo offered.
Both Itachi and the Sandaime narrowed their eyes at the crippled man. They knew what he was talking about. Itachi reflexively went for his weapon, there was no way in hell he would let Danzo go through with his plan. Not if it meant that Sasuke could be caught in the middle of it. The Sandaime noticed the action and signaled for him to stand down. Itachi nodded and removed his hand, no need to give the warhawk more reason to distrust his clan.
"Danzo." The old Hokage said in an icy tone. "I'm afraid that I didn't make myself clear. We will go through with the negotiations. We will not take any action against the Uchiha clan publicly or otherwise. Am I understood?"
"But Hiruzen if we," Danzo argued back.
He was cut off. "I said do I make myself clear?" The old Hokage said, this time flaring his chakra.
Danzo gritted his teeth, looking ready to argue more. He bowed. "Yes, Hokage-Sama. I understand. We will not take action against the Uchiha clan. But I still object to this course of action."
The Hokage nodded. "Your objection is duly noted. Now leave, I wish to speak with Itachi-San in private."
The crippled man slowly nodded. "Understood. I shall leave you two be." He turned around and went for the door.
"Danzo, one more thing." The Sandaime said, stopping him. "You are one of my oldest friends. As such, I have cut you a lot of slack over the years. Once or twice, I turned a blind eye when I could have come down on you. So, I will tell you this now." Hiruzen gave the bandaged man a stern look. "If anything and I mean anything, happens with the Uchiha clan. I will have your head. Is that understood?"
Danzo remained silent for a moment. He nodded. "Yes, Hokage-Sama. You have my word. Nothing will happen with the Uchiha clan." He left the room.
"Are you certain that man won't try anything?" Itachi asked, gazing at the door. For a moment, he thought he felt the man's presence linger behind it, then it was gone.
"Danzo may be a stubborn mule at times, but even he knows when not to go against my orders." He heard the Hokage say from behind him.
He turned to face the old man. "Still, I feel there may come a day that we may have to do something about that man. He will not let this go so easily." Sometimes he wondered why the Sandaime hadn't done anything already. He knew they had been close friends at one point, but even the Sandaime had to see that Danzo was growing to be too much of a problem.
The old Hokage closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He exhaled, a bloom of smoke coming from his lips. "That is my problem to deal with." He said, dropping the subject. He smiled. "I must congratulate you, Itachi-San, for a job well done. It seems you were able to convince your father to see reason."
Itachi shook his head. "I'm afraid that I cannot take credit for this, Hokage-Sama."
The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Is that so?"
"Yes," Itachi confirmed. "I was just as surprised as everyone else." Shocked was more like it.
Flashback, two weeks ago, Uchiha Assembly Hall
"It looks like that everyone is here." Izumi commented.
Looking around, Itachi could see that Izumi's observation was correct. All the adult members of the clan and most of the older teenagers were gathered in the Assembly Hall. The Assembly Hall was the largest room in the compound, large enough to hold several hundreds of people. It was made to be an area where the whole clan could gather for announcements or celebrations. In emergencies, it could be used as a shelter.
"I believe your right." Itachi said distantly. "Which means father will be making his announcement soon."
"I wonder what he wants to say." Izumi asked, she looks at Itachi. "I don't suppose you have any idea."
Itachi shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. I'm not particularly privy to his thoughts." He admitted.
A slight frown formed on her lips. "That's sad, a father and son should be close."
Itachi agreed with her. He and his father should be closer than they were now. At one point, they were. There was a time when his father was warmer, kinder. He was a man that cared for his family. At that point, Itachi felt comfortable enough to go to him for anything, to talk to him about anything. There had been no secrets between them. He was still a strict man, but he was a loving father.
Then one day, he changed. Itachi didn't know when exactly it happened, though he guessed it was sometime after the Kyūbi attack. He had become colder and distant from his family. At first, Itachi had assumed it was just a phase his father was going through. A prolonged state of mourning for the lives lost that night; and now that he knew it, the loss of a friend. It hurt knowing his father had become uncaring for him and the rest of his family. Over time that pain became less impactful to him, it was still there, but it had become a dull ache.
It wasn't until two years ago that he saw a glimpse of the man his father used to be. Itachi wondered what was so special about the boy that his father supported the Hyūga clan when they made him a ward. He had expected at best for his father to ignore the matter and worst object out of spite. The latter was more likely given what Itachi knew now.
Now recently, he had seen more and more of his father's cold façade slip away to show who he was underneath. He assumed the stress of the last few months was getting to him, and the barriers he put up were crumbling under the weight. A part of him was relieved to know that the man he once knew as father was still in there somewhere, and there was a chance he could be brought back. Another part was concerned that it all would become too much for his father to handle and that he would break down one day.
"Well, whatever it is, we'll find out soon enough." Izumi said, breaking Itachi out of his thoughts. A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes. "You don't suppose they won't notice anyone sneaking out, will they?" She laid her head on his shoulder. "With everyone here, some couples might be able to have some time to themselves."
Itachi held back a blush. He knew what she was implying and wouldn't mind going through with her suggestion. They had little time for each other as it was, and having the chance to do so now was tempting. He shook his head. "If they did, they would miss what happens here. It might be important."
He saw his girlfriend pout, he found it cute. "And here I was hoping to have some alone time with you." She said.
Itachi smiled at her. "Perhaps if there is time after my father has made his announcement, we can spend some time together. Perhaps stop by a restaurant or by the shopping district."
Izumi beamed at him. "I'll hold you that." She said.
Silence rippled through the Assembly Hall. The two looked at where everyone was turning their attention to. "It seems my father is ready to make his announcement."
Last night, when his father had returned, he had expected to see the same conflicted and confused man he was when he left. Instead, he was calm, even smiling. Itachi had asked him if anything had happened while he was out.
All he said was that he had met a stranger and had found an answer. Itachi wondered who that stranger was and what kind of effect they had on him. He hoped that the encounter had been for the better.
Looking at him now, Itachi could still see that his father was calm. Next to him, looking like he was unhappy with the proceeding, was Yashiro. Itachi raised an eyebrow, whatever this gathering was about, it upset the man. For Itachi, that was a bit of good news.
"Somebody looks unhappy." A familiar voice said. Itachi turned his head to see that Shisui had walked up next to them.
"Who?" Izumi asked, looking over the gathered Uchiha.
"Up there, next to my father." Itachi answered, gesturing to the man next to his father. "Yashiro-San looks rather displeased to be here."
Izumi looks at where he was pointing, and a look of understanding comes over her face. "Oh, I see now. He does look like he rather be somewhere else right now. Wonder if it has anything to do with what Fugaku-Sama wants to say."
"I'd be willing to put my money on it." Shisui said, summing up Itachi's thoughts.
What was his father going to say that upset Yashiro so much, Itachi wondered? "We won't have to wait long to find out." Izumi commented
His father began to speak. "Esteemed members of our great clan, I have called this gathering to make an important announcement. Four months ago, we began to plan a coup against the ruling body of Konoha. We did this out of the belief that the village desired to destroy us and claim our power for themselves."
"So, this has something to do with the coup." Itachi thought to himself. Looking to Shisui, he saw that his closest friend had the same conclusion. Looking over the assembled body of Uchiha, he saw that several had shifted uncomfortably.
"I know a lot of you felt uncomfortable about it, and I shared in that sentiment. Generations ago, our ancestors worked with their greatest enemy to build this village. They worked with the people they had been raised to hate and trained to kill to create a place where children did not have to die young. Together with the Senju, they created Konoha, the first of the great Shinobi villages. When the time came, they sided with their longtime rival against Madara, the greatest of our clan, when he rebelled. Since then, members of the Uchiha clan have served this village with honor and distinction, becoming some of the greatest Shinobi in its history. Our ancestors have fought, bled, and died for this village. To plan a coup against this very village would be spitting upon all the hard work and sacrifices they made." Father allowed his words to sink in. Several murmurs of agreement crept up from the crowd.
"He's right. My grandfather lost a leg fighting for Konoha. If he were still alive and knew what we were planning now, he'd committed Seppuku."
"Our Ancestors must be rolling in their graves now."
"But the village is plotting against us."
Itachi's father gestured for the crowd to quiet down. After a few seconds of silence, he continued to talk. "Like you, I held these reservations. I did not wish for my ancestor's efforts to go to waste in a misguided attempt to correct a perceived injustice. But then doubts began to creep into my mind, and I allowed fear to take hold. I started to see plots happening in the shadows and saw malicious intent behind every action Konoha took. Slowly I became more and more convinced that a coup was the only way. Until finally, I put my support behind the coup, and we began our planning." Next to him, Itachi saw that Izumi was becoming more uncomfortable. Everyone in the assembly hall was becoming more uncomfortable as their clan head spoke. Itachi wrapped his arm around his girlfriend in a small attempt to comfort her.
She looks up at him, giving him a wary expression. "I don't want to kill anyone from Konoha." She whispered.
Itachi nodded. He knew that not all of his clansmen support the coup. Many, in fact, were uneasy with the idea of betraying the village. They only remained silent because their clan head had given his support for the coup.
"At first, I thought that would be the end of it. We would plan and go through with overthrowing the ruling body of Konoha and replacing it with one more amiable to our clan. But, I was wrong, soon after, doubts began to plague my mind. I wondered if our course of action was the right one. I wondered if we had misinterpreted Konoha's actions as malicious when it was nothing of the sort. But every time I had these doubts, something would come to my attention that would reaffirm my resolve, and I would push them to the back of my mind. But they did linger and grew with each passing day until they consumed my mind. Finally, last night I reached a breaking point, so I left the compound and tried to get as far away from all the influences pulling me apart. When I was alone, I began to think long and hard about everything that happened in the last few years. The situation with our clan, my relationship with my family, the friends I had grown distant from, and the future. I won't tell you everything that happened that night, but I did meet a stranger that night. He helped me sort through things, allowing me to come to a conclusion." By now, no one dared to speak for fear they would miss the man's following words. The head of the Uchiha clan gazed out at the assemble clansmen, and Itachi got the distinct feeling that the next moment would determine the future of the Uchiha.
Itachi clenched his hand into a fist. "Father, please, don't make a mistake that will doom us all. Don't force me to take action." He didn't want Sasuke to grow up alone, without a family.
"Which is why I will be making this announcement." His father said.
"Fugaku-Sama, please," Yashiro suddenly spoke up, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Yashiro, enough!" The clan head snapped at the man. "We have already settled this. Remain silent, or I will have you removed." Itachi would be more than happy to carry out that order.
Yashiro nodded and stepped away. Fugaku turned his attention back to the group. "I am calling off the coup. After the conclusion of this gathering, I will go to the Hokage and tell him of what we planned here and try to work out a peaceful settlement. It is time we talked things out instead of keeping to ourselves, which may have very well been the root of our problem."
Silence rained for the longest time as the man's announcement sunk in. Then all hell broke loose.
Present-day, Hokage Tower:
"It took some time for order to be restored." Itachi finished his story.
"I see." The Hokage said. "What was the general reaction of your clansmen? How did they take it?"
Itachi looked back at the memories bringing up the reactions of his clansmen. He was pleasantly surprised at what he saw. "Most actually took it well. They were relieved when my father announced an end to the coup and were in favor of talking things out." There was no describing how relieved Itachi was once the initial shock wore off. He knew there was good in his clan, that deep down, they were just as loyal as any other clan.
He never showed it, Itachi was proud of his clan. He was proud of the history and heritage the Uchiha had. Before this business with the coup, he would feel a swell of pride whenever someone spoke highly of the Uchiha clan and their accomplishments. He never let it go to his head, pride was one thing, arrogance was another. He hated to admit it, but he knew that more than a few of his clansmen got into trouble because of pride. But while the Uchiha could be prideful, they had never allowed it to override their better judgment as a whole. Until recently, he doubted there was a word that could describe the depth of his disappointment when he learned they were plotting a coup. What had his clansmen been thinking? What made them think it was a good idea and that it even had a remote chance of succeeding?
Pride and desperation, that what it was. Their pride kept them from admitting that they felt threatened when the rumors and distrust first emerge. His clan bottled up their feelings allowing them to fester and grow, believing that the situation would pass. When it didn't, they began to think of ways to resolve the matter themselves instead of the more sensible option of bringing their concerns to the Hokage to see if the issue could be resolved. With each failed attempt, they steadily became more desperate. Eventually, that desperation got to them, and they made a mistake that would have destroyed them if they had kept their course. It hurt knowing that his clansmen had been so blinded, and he had lost much of his faith in the clan.
But now, "I'm happy to say that my clansmen remain loyal to Konoha." He felt a bit of that faith had been restored. Whatever happened that night, he was glad his father had finally come to his senses and managed to convince his clan to change course. He still had questions, but for now, he was content to let things be. One day, he would be proud to be an Uchiha again.
The Hokage nodded, lighting another smoke from his pipe. "It does good for my soul to know that." He said in a tone of voice that gave away his years. "I do not want to imagine a world where we lost one of our strongest clans and a founding member of this village. This village has suffered enough loss in the last few years. Especially not now, not with the way things are going outside our walls." Itachi understood where the elderly man was coming from, tensions were growing with Kumo, and Iwa still felt the sting of defeat from the last war. The Hokage turned to face Itachi. "I presume that there still some members of the Uchiha that still support the coup."
Itachi sighed, he remembered how angry some of the other Uchiha looked when father made his announcement. The arguments that took place in the assembly hall had quickly became heated. "There are a few who still think that a coup is the best option for the clan. For what reasons, I cannot say, nor do I wish to understand. Thankfully they are a minority within the clan." A part of him hopes that minority what shrink over time and disappear, he knew better.
The Hokage examined him. "By the sounds of it, I presume they are a vocal group."
That was one way of putting it. "They have voiced their objections frequently." Numerous arguments had broken between those wanting peace and those wishing to continue with the coup, a few times, fights had to be broken up. "But that is a matter for our clan to resolve themselves." What troubled him the most was that Yashiro had remained unusually quiet for the past two weeks, knowing that man he should be fuming right now. "That man is plotting something, and I have to get to the bottom of it."
"Well, regardless of how it happened, I'm glad that your father has decided to talk things through." The Hokage said with a smile. "He was always a good man, and I'm happy to say that he still is. You should be proud of him."
"I am." Itachi responded.
The Hokage nodded. "Now then, is there anything else you would like to report?"
Itachi thought about it for a moment and shook his head. "Not that I can think of it. No."
The Hokage took a seat at the table. "Then I won't hold you anymore. I'm certain that you are eager to pick up your brother from the academy. Please give him my regards."
"Do you have any further orders for me?" Itachi asked.
The elderly Hokage shook his head. "No. Just continue with your observations of the Uchiha clan and report back anything noteworthy. Your dismissed."
Itachi bowed. "Yes, Hokage-Sama." He turned and left the room.
"Well, it's about time that you got out of there." Shisui said he was leaning on the wall opposite of the door. "I was wondering if I should go in or not."
Itachi smiled. "It's good to see you too." He said, starting to walk down the hall. Shisui joined him.
"So, it seems that these peace talks will actually go through." Shisui commented.
"I would hope so." Itachi answered.
"Still, I find it strange that your dad would suddenly change his mind like this." Shisui stretched his arms out and placed them behind his head. "I know he was on the fence about it, but it seemed like he would go through with the coup. To suddenly call it off like this seems a little odd, don't you think?"
Itachi nodded his agreement, it had been strange to hear his father call off the coup. Under normal circumstances, he would have been suspicious about his behavior. But something inside of him told Itachi that his father was genuine about his change of heart. "Though I do believe he is genuine about wanting peace with Konoha." Itachi said to his longtime friend.
Shisui let his hands down and looks at Itachi. "Are you sure that you had nothing to do with it? Of all the people that could convince him to take a more diplomatic approach, rather than turning against the village, it would be you."
Itachi shook his head. He was gratified that the people around him had so much faith in him, but he could take credit for this, not entirely anyway. "I will admit that I may have had a hand in it, but I do not believe that I was the one to change his mind." He explained.
"Really now?" Shisui said, sounding unconvinced. "So, do you have any idea what happened then? What could have changed his mind."
Itachi stopped and thought about his friend's question. "The night before my father made his announcement, he left the compound after a rather uncomfortable conversation between us."
"Uncomfortable conversation?" Shisui repeated.
"I'll explain later." Itachi dismissed the subject. "What matters is that when he returned, he told me that he had met a stranger. I believe it was they that change his mind."
"A stranger, uhh?" Shisui said. "I wonder who they were? I would like to meet them."
Itachi nodded. "I would like to meet them too. So, I can think them for what they did." After everything had settled down, he would have to see about asking his father who this stranger was.
"They must be quite the person if they could convince your father out of the coup." Shisui pursed his lips, a thought seemingly occurring to him. Then his eyes widen as something clicks in his mind. "Hold on. You said it was the night before he made his announcement, right?"
"Yes." Itachi answered, nodding his head.
"Are you sure?" Shisui pressed.
"I'm certain." Itachi said, giving his friend a strange look. Why was he questioning him like?
Shisui brought his hand to his chin. "That's interesting." He muttered
Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Something on your mind?" He asked.
Shisui hummed as he thought about something. "I might be grasping at straws here, but I may have an idea of who it was. Though it might sound ridiculous." Shisui explained.
Now Itachi was intrigued. "Go on. I would like to hear your thoughts on this."
Shisui nodded. "Though do keep in mind I'm basing this more on intuition than concrete fact." Shisui warned, he waited for Itachi to reply. When he got none, he continued. "Remember when we took your little brother to his first day of the Academy?" Itachi nodded, it had only been a few months ago. Incidentally, it had been around the same time when support for the coup went through. Hence, the memory was vivid in Itachi's mind. "Remember the two ladies we met when we got the entrance?"
Again Itachi nodded. They had met Kurenai and a young Hyūga woman. "Yes, and I remember that they were escorting the Hyūga heiress, Hinata Hyūga, and the Hyūga clan ward, Uzumaki Naruto. I believe the latter two have become close friends of my little brother."
Shisui nodded. "Yes, those are the ones. More specifically, I'm talking about the Hyūga woman."
"Ahh, yes. Sara-San, I believe."
"Yes, well anyway, after our first meeting, we met up a few more times. We've even become friends." A chuckle escapes Shisui's lips. "I wonder what Yashiro would make of it. He'd probably pop a blood vessel."
Now that would be a sight that Itachi would like to see. "Yes, I've seen you two together frequently. You seem close."
Shisui gave him a skeptical look. "Don't read too much into it. We're just friends."
"For now." Itachi said with a small smile.
Shisui rolled his eyes. "Getting back on track. I talked to her a couple of days ago. She had a funny anecdote to share with me."
"And what does it have to do with my father changing his mind?" Itachi asked.
"I was getting to that." Shisui responded. "Well, as it turns out, she's the caretaker of their clan ward."
"Uzumaki Naruto." Itachi stated.
"That's the guy. He's quite the handful. Gets into a lot of trouble, and she has to deal with the fallout." A smirk forms on his lips.
Itachi returned that smile. "I've seen him around Sasuke. He has a lot of energy for a boy of his age. I can imagine watching after him is not an easy job."
Shisui's smile grew. "He tends to put her at her wit's end. But despite that, I can tell she adores him. Hell, I remember this one time that some passing drunkers were bad-mouthing him. Sara-san looked about, ready to personally introduce them to the Shinigami." Itachi gave him a pointed look. "Right getting sidetracked again. She tells me that Naruto likes to sneak out of the compound at night."
"And one of his excursions so happened to be the same night that my father left." Itachi said, mentally connecting the dots.
"That is right." Shisui confirmed. "In fact, she said that she saw him talk to your father for a little bit."
"I see." Itachi said if what Shisui said was true, then they might have owed the boy a debt. "Why didn't you bring this up earlier?"
Shisui shrugged. "I didn't think it important until now."
"If what you say is true, then we owe him." Itachi said, resuming his walk. "I will have to see about talking to him. I'm curious to learn more about this boy."
"You should," Shisui said beside him. "He hangs around Sara a lot, so I've gotten to know him. He's a good kid, talented too. Get this he wants to be Hokage one day."
Itachi smiled to himself. An ambitious dream for sure, but somehow Itachi felt like it was a possibility. "If that boy could change the mind of my father, then perhaps he will make for a worthy successor to the Sandaime."
"When you put it like that, I wouldn't mind serving under him one day." Shisui said. "Though that day might not happen for several years, if at all."
They exited the Hokage tower. Itachi stopped. "I would not be so doubtful. After all," Itachi looked past the tower and at the four faces carved into the mountain. "It may very well be in his blood."
The Academy
"And then he opened the door. Boom!" Naruto shouted, flinging his arms into the air. "The prick got covered in bright orange paint. I heard that it took days for him to get rid of the stuff." He laughed out the rest of his story.
"Naruto, that was mean." Hinata scolded the blonde. Though it wasn't very convincing since she was trying and failing to hold back a smile.
"Well, it's what he gets for saying bad things about you." Naruto responded.
This time there was no hiding the smile as the lavendered-haired girl giggled. "Still, you should apologize to that store owner."
"Yea, yea." Naruto dismissed. "Sara-nee-Chan has already got on me about it. She made me apologize to the guy and even offered for me to clean up the mess in his store. He declined, of course."
"You're a troublesome blonde." Shikamaru lazily commented. "Didn't she take you to Ichiraku soon after? It doesn't sound like she was trying to punish you."
"That's because she knows good food when she sees it, unlike most people." Naruto said.
"Troublesome ramen addict." The Nara boy said with a yawn.
Hinata giggled again. "It seems to me that she has a soft spot for you, Naruto-Kun."
"Her have a soft spot for me?" The blonde said incredulously. "She scolds me for every time I pull off one of my brilliant pranks and works me like a slavedriver during training. That woman has no soft spot." Naruto crossed his arms in a huff.
"Maybe she does that because she cares." Hinata suggested.
"Why would that be caring for me?" Naruto asked.
"Because women are troublesome." Shikamaru supplied, getting a small chuckle from Hinata.
Naruto was chuckling too. "Maybe your right. Both of you." Naruto said, laying on his back. "As mean, she can be at times, Sara-Nee-Chan can be really nice too sometimes. Like that one time, she stood up to Mizuki-sensei for teaching me the wrong Taijutsu form. Boy, did she put him through the grinder?"
"I remember," Shikamaru said, with a slight smile on his lips. "He would turn pale every time we mentioned her name around him for several days. Still flinches sometimes." Shikamaru turned his head over. "Am I the only one that's noticed that our friend is unusually quiet, even for him?"
Both Naruto and Hinata turned their attention to where the Nara boy was looking at. Sasuke indeed had been quiet for a long time, almost since they got out of class. Naruto sat up and reached out his arm.
Sasuke jolted when he felt something touch his shoulder. "What?" He said, turning to see that Naruto had his hand on his shoulder. He and Hinata were giving him worried looks, and Shikamaru was lying on the ground lazily staring at him. "You need something?" He asked his friend.
"Well, you've been quiet this whole time," Hinata said. "Unusually so."
"Yea, even you're not this quiet. Usually, by now, you would have commented on my story. Maybe be even be smiling." Naruto explained.
"You were telling a story?" Sasuke had been lost in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed his friends talking. He looked out at the courtyard, seeing that most of the other kids had gone. He didn't notice the time passing either.
"Yea, I was. I was just telling Hinata-Chan and Shikamaru-San about how I prank this mean old store owner that bad-mouthed Hinata-Chan." Naruto explained. "Come to think of it, you haven't challenged me to a sparring match recently. Is something wrong?"
Sasuke hesitated for a moment, he wasn't sure how to explain it to his friends. "I'm not sure what you're talking about." Sasuke said to deflect the question.
"What he means is," Shikamaru sat up and stared at the Uchiha boy. "that you haven't been yourself of late. I would say since about two weeks ago." Both Naruto and Hinata nodded. "You've been unusually quiet, been distracted in class, and as Naruto said, haven't challenged him to a spar all this week, nor have you responded to his challenges. That tells us something is wrong. At the very least, something is occupying your mind."
Sasuke had no real response to that. It was as Shikamaru said he had been withdrawn from everything this week. He had a lot on his mind.
Naruto's worried expression grew. "Can't you tell us what's wrong? We are friends, aren't we?" Sasuke knew that Naruto likely had several of his eyes pointed at him, trying to read for any sign of what he was thinking. "Does it have to do with what people are saying about your clan?"
Sasuke was surprised at how perceptive his blinded-fold friend could be. For a loudmouth prankster, the boy could pick up on things the few others could. At this point, Sasuke felt there was no more point in hiding the truth. Sasuke nodded. "Yea." He said softly.
"So, it's true. They were planning a cup-da-tata." Naruto said, fumbling over the word.
"Coup d'état." Hinata corrected.
"Whatever it is called." Naruto replied.
Sasuke tucks his knees in and wraps his arms around them. "I can't believe that my father and the rest of my clan were on." Sasuke stopped as he tried to find a way to word the rest of his sentence. "On. On." He trailed off, finding that the words wouldn't come to him.
"On killing the Hokage, the rest of the Konoha Council, and anyone else who got in their way. Then take control of the village." Shikamaru finished for him.
"Yea, that." Sasuke responded quietly. "How could I have missed that?"
"Well, you are just a kid. We all are." Shikamaru answered, looking at everyone.
Sasuke didn't feel comforted by that. "But I live with them every day. I should have noticed." Sasuke tried to argue.
"And what good would that have done?" The Nara pointed out. "What could you have done to prevent them from turning against the village?"
Sasuke opened his mouth to speak. Then he shut when no response came out. As much he hated to admit it there was nothing he could have done. As Shikamaru said, he was just a kid.
"I thought so." Shikamaru said after a moment of silence.
"Hey, look at the bright side." Naruto said, looking between the two boys. "At least they've stopped now. I'm sure once they sort everything out with Jiji, everything will be fine."
Hinata nodded next to him. "My father has been talking a lot to yours, Sasuke-San. He tells me, he believes your father is truthful about wanting peace with the village."
"I guess your right." Sasuke wasn't so sure, he wasn't very close to his father, so he couldn't figure out what he was thinking. "It's just, how could he have been so stupid? How could my clan have been so dumb to think that they could take over the village?" Sasuke said, letting out his frustration.
"I don't think this out of stupidity." Shikamaru stated. "At least not completely. Tension has always been high between the village and the Uchiha."
"You mean since the Kyūbi attack?" Hinata asked.
Shikamaru shook his head. "No, the tensions were there even before the attack. Ever since Madara's rebellion, there has been a gulf between Konoha and the Uchiha. One that's been difficult to mend. While most of the villagers will sing the praises of the Uchiha clan, there's an underlined suspicion directed at them. Something like this was inevitable."
Sasuke felt his mood worsen. "If that's true, then there can never be peace." He said, feeling his voice quiver.
"Perhaps." Shikamaru said, looking up at the sky. "But my father tells me if peace is to ever be achieved, we need to give it a chance."
Sasuke frowned, he didn't want to talk about this anymore. He stood up and began to walk away. "I'm going for a walk." He said quickly, not wanting to give the others a chance to respond. He was only a few steps away when he felt someone grab his arm.
Sasuke looked back. "What are you?" He stopped when he made eye contact with a pair of floating eyes. Eyes that were filled with determination, and behind them, Naruto stood with an equally determined expression. Hinata was next to him, giving the Uchiha boy a worried look.
"Trying to help you." Naruto answered his unfinished question.
"Help me with what?" Sasuke asked with a bit more force than he intended.
"With whatever is really bothering you." Naruto answered.
"What are you talking about." Sasuke questioned.
Naruto remained quiet for a moment. "Shikamaru, could you?" Naruto began to ask while letting go of Sasuke's arm.
The Nara boy stood up. "Alright on it." He went back inside the academy building.
With the three alone together now, Naruto took a step closer to Sasuke. "Now, then are you going to tell us what's really bothering you?"
Sasuke remained silent for a moment as he tried to think of some way out of this. "I told you already. I should have known what my clan was planning and tried to stop it myself."
Naruto shook his head. "It's not just that, there is something else about it that is bothering you. Something you're not telling us." Naruto's expression softens. "We're friends, aren't we? You can tell us anything."
"I don't need your help." Sasuke lashed out. "And we're not friends." He turned around and tried to run away.
He came to face with a sad-looking Hinata. Surprised, Sasuke looks back to see that she had moved in front of him. He looked back, the shy girl was still giving him that worried look. "We are your friends, Sasuke." She said softly. "We want to help you. So please let us."
Sasuke stood there in silence, clenched and unclenched his fists. He felt his emotions were about to spill over, despite his best efforts to bottle them up. "Please just let me go." He said, trying to keep his voice even.
He felt a hand on his shoulder. He looks back to see Naruto giving him a reassuring smile. "Sasuke, we're here for you."
Sasuke looked down to hide the soft smile that had formed. He knew he was lucky to have met them, and he didn't want to burden them with his problems. "What if I hurt you?"
"What?" He heard Naruto ask.
He looked back up at Naruto. "What if I hurt you?" He repeated his question. "Both of you?" He turned his back around to face Hinata.
Naruto around Sasuke, standing beside the Hyūga girl. "What makes you think you'll hurt us?"
Sasuke remained quiet as he thought over the past week. The things he saw, what he heard. How everyone was keeping their distance from him. "Ever since my father came out about the coup, I've heard the villagers say a lot of bad things about my clan, about me. How." He felt his voice quiver and felt the area around his eyes become wet. "How we're all traitors and that we'll just turn against the village one day. How all of us are just power-hungry monsters. What if they're right? What if one day my clan turns against the village? What if I turned against you and end up hurting you?"
"Sasuke, that's never going to happen." Naruto said firmly. "I know you, you're a good guy."
"But what if that's not enough!' Sasuke almost shouted. "My clan had already planned to betray the village. What if they had gone through with it? They could have hurt so many people or worse. They could have hurt you." Sasuke whispered low enough so that only Naruto and Hinata could hear him. "Your right, you are my friends. It's only been a short time, but I already feel so close to you, closer than most of my family."
"Sasuke." He heard Hinata say in a soft tone.
"I don't know if you noticed or not, but I'm not all that close to most of my family." Sasuke admitted. "The ones that I do feel close to are my mother, my older brother, and Shisui."
"What about your dad?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke shook his head. "I'm not close to him. Never have been." As much it hurt him to say it, Sasuke knew it was the truth. For a long time, he had deceived himself into thinking that maybe one day his father would acknowledge him, that they could be father and son. But deep down, he always knew that would never happen. The distance between them had grown too far to ever be mended. Normally he would push the feeling aside and bury it deep inside his mind. But with the events of the past week. With him learning what his clan had planned to do and what he heard from the rest of the village, he couldn't do that anymore. The feelings he bottled up for so long were coming to the surface.
"He's always been distant to me, and now that I think about it, he's been that way with the rest of my family." Sasuke walked back to the Academy steps and sat down, wrapping his arms around his knees. "I've tried so hard to get his attention. To get his acknowledgment." Sasuke breathed in and breathed out. "But that could never happen. He never cared about me. If he did, he would have treated me more like a son. He would have paid more attention to me. But, most of all, he would have never supported the coup."
He felt Naruto's presence sitting down next to him. "Sasuke, I wouldn't be so sure about that." Sasuke turned his head to face Naruto. The blindfolded boy was giving him a comforting smile. "I think your father does care for you. He just has trouble expressing it."
Sasuke felt a spark of happiness at his friend's attempt to comfort him. "Even if your right, the damage has been done. I don't think there is anything he nor I can do to fix that."
He felt a hand be placed on his hand. He looked over to see that Hinata was sitting next to him and had reached out to him. "Naruto is right, you should give him a chance."
Sasuke had enough talking about his father. "Other than Itachi, Shisui, and my mother, you guys are the only ones I feel close to. You're more than my friends, you're my best friends. I couldn't bear the thought of losing you, much less hurting you." He didn't want to think about the possibility that he could end up hurting his two closest friends. He didn't think he was capable of it, but he was not so certain of what he was capable of doing with what was happening with his clan.
He felt another hand be laid on him. This time it was Naruto. "That is never going to happen." He said in a firm, confident voice, one that made Sasuke believe him. "You are never going to turn on this village. You are never going to hurt Hinata nor me or anyone else you care about."
"But what if?" Sasuke weakly argued.
He was interrupted when Naruto stood up and faced him. "Sasuke, we are friends." He said simply. "No matter how tough things get or what happens in the future. We'll be there for each other. Even if you do turn against us, we'll be there to turn you back. We'll help you no matter what happens. Even if you run far away from here, run to the ends of the earth, we'll be right behind you to bring you back. Even if we have to break every bone in your body, we'll drag you back to the village."
Hinata stood up next to him. "He'll break every bone in your body. I'll just be there to mend them." She said with a smile.
Naruto reached out to Sasuke, offering his hand. "So don't worry about what could happen, but it is happening now." He said. "And what is happening now is two friends trying to help another."
Sasuke smiled. "You guys." He said, wiping away some tears. 'I'm lucky to have you." He took Naruto's hand and was pulled to his feet.
"Your damn right, you are." Naruto said
Hinata shook her head. "Naruto," She scolds. "Language." She said with a giggle. Then she looks to Sasuke with a soft smile. "But he is right. We're here for you."
Sasuke felt his smile widen. These were his friends, and he knew no matter what, they would be there for him. Even if he turned against them, hurt them, and ran far away from the village. They would always be there to bring him back. His mother had been right, he had met some of the most amazing people in his life here at the academy. "I'll be there for you as well, both of you." He said. "If you have any problem, I'll help you. No matter what it is."
"That's what friends are for." Naruto said, taking each of their hands. "You, Hinata, and me, we're friends. We'll always be there for each other. Always." He grasps his hand around theirs.
"Always." Hinata said, grasping hers.
Sasuke smiled, thankful he made such good friends. "Always." Sasuke joined in, feeling their hands tighten around his. After a moment, they let go. "Thanks, guys." Sasuke said. "I guess I needed that."
"No problem Sasuke," Naruto said, grinning. "Feel free to talk to us about anything."
"We'll always be here for you." Hinata added in.
Sasuke nodded. "I'll take you up on that offer." He said.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." A familiar voice said.
The kids turned to face Itachi. The older Uchiha brother had a fond smile on his lips. "Itachi, when did you get here?" Sasuke asked.
"A few moments ago." Itachi answered. "Though it did look like you were in the middle of something. So, I decided to hang back and let you three talk. It would seem to have been the wise course of action."
"Yea, we had a lot to talk about." Sasuke said, dodging the question.
Itachi nodded. "Come, little brother, it is time we returned home." Itachi offered out his hand. Sasuke hesitated for a moment. He wanted to spend some more time with his friends today. "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to hang out with your friends tomorrow." Itachi said, catching onto his brother's thoughts.
Sasuke looked to his two friends, both of them nodded. "Go on." Naruto said. "We don't have classes tomorrow. So, we'll have all day to hang out together."
Seeing no other option, Sasuke took his brother's hand. "Alright."
Itachi smiled down at his brother. He then turns his head to face Naruto. "Naruto-San, you are a most interesting individual."
"Thank you, I guess?" Naruto said, sounding a bit sheepish at the statement.
Itachi shook his head. "I meant it as a compliment." He clarified. "If you would not mind, I would like to talk to you some time."
Naruto nodded. "Sure, anytime."
Itachi nodded. "Then we shall be on our way. Goodbye Naruto-San. Hinata-San, I wish you a good day."
The kids said their goodbyes before the Uchiha brothers left. "You have good friends, Sasuke." Itachi said once they were a good distance from the academy. "You've been more fortunate than I have."
Sasuke looked up at his older brother, surprised by the statement. "What do you mean?"
"I did not have any friends when I attended the academy." Itachi said with a wistful expression. "In fact, it was not until in the last few years did I find people whom I could call friends."
Sasuke was surprised, he had looked up to his brother all of his life. He would have thought that his brother would have been the most popular kid in the academy and would have a ton of friends. He never would have thought that his brother would have such a lonely life. He felt sad for Itachi. But at the same time, a small part of him felt elated at the thought he had some time over his brother, who for the most part, was better than him at everything else. "Wait, didn't you have teammates when you graduated?" Sasuke asked, remembering what his mother told him in a past conversation.
Sasuke saw a sad smile form on his brother's lips. "I did, and for a time, we were close."
"Were?" Sasuke repeated, getting an ominous feeling.
"They were killed during a mission, about a year after our team was formed." Itachi confirmed.
Sasuke felt a pang of guilt stab at him. "I'm sorry I brought it up. We can talk about something else if you like."
Itachi shook his head. "Its okay, you didn't know." He reassured his younger brother. "It was our first B-Rank mission. Our sensei was killed during that mission as well."
"I see." Sasuke feeling the discomfort of the subject. "Were they good people?" He asked.
Itachi nodded. "Yes, they were. At the time, they were my only friends. I have no doubt had they survived, we would have grown much closer. I think you would have liked them."
"I would have liked to meet them." Sasuke said. "Its too bad."
Itachi slowly nodded. "Sometimes, that is how life is. We must take the good with the bad and cherish those around us." Itachi stopped walking. He let go of Sasuke's hand and lowered himself to come face to face with his brother. "Sasuke," He said, putting his hand on Sasuke's head. "You have good friends. Cherish them, for someday they may be gone."
Sasuke nodded. "I will."
He saw his brother smile. "Oh, Sasuke. One more thing."
"What?"
Tap.
Itachi removed his finger from his brother's forehead. "Smile." He said.
Sasuke rubbed his forehead giving his older brother an irritated look. "What was that for?" He asked but could keep the smile from his face.
Itachi stood back up and took Sasuke's hand. "Come, let's go home.
It had been a short conversation, but Sasuke felt like he had learned a lot about his brother.
Uchiha Compound
"So, how did it go?" Mikoto asked, sitting a dinner plate down in front of Fugaku.
"Better than I expected," Fugaku answered. "A lot of the council members still distrust me. Some of them even think this is a ploy to lull them into a false sense of security."
"Let me guess, Danzo." Mikoto commented, taking her seat at the table.
"Danzo." Fugaku confirmed. "There are a few others like the Sandaime's former teammates, Tsume, and half of the civilian council."
Mikoto nodded. "That's to be expected. It has only been two weeks. There's still a lot of raw emotion going around."
"I know." Fugaku agreed with his wife. "I didn't expect them to get over it so quickly. I fully expect it'll be years before they can trust us again."
Mikoto nodded. "But they will trust us, and we took the first steps towards that."
Fugaku nodded. "It will take time," He, taking a quick bit from his food. "But we will endure. So how has the clan been taking this? How are they feeling?"
"I thought you of all people would know that." Mikoto said.
Fugaku sighed tiredly. "My dear, I've learned recently that there are a lot of things I don't know." He admitted. "I've not been as attentive as I should have been, and because of that, a lot has escaped my attention." Mikoto looked about, ready to defend him. He stopped her. "Don't try to defend me, Mikoto. We both know it's the truth."
He saw Mikoto give him a sympathetic expression. "I will admit that you have been distant for a while." She said carefully. "But you have been trying to do better lately. For that, I'm grateful." She stretched her arm out across the table. Fugaku did the same, and both grasped the other's hand. "You have become the man I fell in love with all of those years ago." They remained there, silently holding hands and enjoyed each other's presence. Then they let go. "Has for how the rest of the clan has been taking this. I won't lie, it's been hard on them."
"That much, I figured." Fugaku said. 'But I want to know is do most of them still support my decision?"
"Hard to say." Mikoto said, getting a frown from Fugaku. "Most of the village has not taken kindly to the fact that we plotted a coup against them. More than a few of our clansmen have lost friends over this, and we're facing a lot of discrimination." She explained. "Just the other day, me and Hitomi were out shopping together. We received a lot of looks, all of them directed at me."
Fugaku grimaced, he knew this would happen. But hearing it from his wife's mouth still made it hurt. "I'm sorry." He said.
Mikoto held her hand up, stopping her husband from saying any more. "Let me finish." She said. "One store even went as far as to have me thrown out. Calling me, and I quote, "A whore of a traitor."" For a very brief moment, Fugaku saw red. How dare they call his beloved Mikoto a whore. Fugaku seriously considered going straight to that same store and make it clear to them what it meant to offend the Uchiha clan. Fugaku calmed himself before he put more thought into it. He knew all that would accomplish was to throw more fuel on an already volatile situation. Once things calmed down enough, he would look into blacklisting them, assuming the Hyūga didn't do the same. He let Mikoto finish her story. "About a block down, we went into another more welcoming store. In there, we encountered a couple of customers who were talking about the coup."
Fugaku felt his frown grow as he guessed where this was going. "I imagine it wasn't a very pretty conversation."
To his surprise, he saw Mikoto smile. "You imagine wrong, my dear. They actually being civil about it." She said. "Granted, they had a lot of bad things to say about us. But it was nothing that couldn't be denied, like the fact that we shouldn't have resorted to treason to solve our problems." Again, Fugaku felt himself grimace. It was a strong word, but nothing else could describe their actions, treason. "But they also had plenty to say about what the village had done to earn such a reaction."
Fugaku's eyes widen slightly. "They think Konoha deserved that?" He asked, doing little to mask his surprise.
"Partially, anyways." Mikoto explained. "They felt that the village has made several mistakes when it comes to our clan. They felt that Konoha should have been more trusting of the Uchiha clan instead of isolating us."
"I see." He hadn't realized that people outside of the clan had felt the same way that the Uchiha did.
"It was an interesting conversation to listen in on." Mikoto continued. "It also wasn't the first time that I heard that conversation in the past two weeks. People are talking Fugaku, really talking. It's true that the atmosphere around the village is full of tension and emotion, but it is also full of conversation. I believe that is a good thing. I think that one of the biggest contributors that led to our current state was that both sides bottled up their feelings and thoughts. They never really talked about what was happening."
Fugaku was inclined to agree. Ever since the founding of Konoha, there had been a rift between the Uchiha clan and the rest of the village. Granted, some of that was unavoidable. But Fugaku felt that if both sides had talked things out, a lot of that could have been avoided. "I believe your right. We should have talked it out sooner." Which brought him to a question. Why had they not talked sooner? Why did both sides let things get so bad?
"There was a time when we did talk things out. A time when the gap between the clan and the village was closing." Mikoto said.
Fugaku knew what or who she was referring to. "Minato." He said, hardly above a whisper. Once again, Fugaku wondered what things would have been like if his old friend had survived that day. IF that day had never happened. He imagined that things would have been better, that village would have not been on the brink of civil war as it was two weeks ago and may still be. "How is it that we let everything fall apart after he died?" Fugaku asked without realizing it. When he did, he thought about it. Why had they let everything fall apart after Minato died? Was it because of some inability on their behalf? Or was it because it was easier to sit around rather than continue to work for a better future?
Mikoto looked down at her food, remaining silent. "I don't know." She said. "When he died, it was like this village lost a part of its soul. Minato was like shining light to us, and when that light went out, all we could see was the darkness."
That seemed like an apt description. "I have to wonder if we depended on one person so much that everything fell apart when they passed. Did we ever deserve the fruits of their labor?" Were they doomed to repeat their mistakes over and over again until there was nothing left?
"I wouldn't know. None of us can until we try." Mikoto said. "We are starting to see that light again. Perhaps we'll get it right this time."
Fugaku had an idea of what she was referring to. "His son."
Mikoto nodded. "He is so much like his father and his mother." She said. "Hitomi has told me that boy claims he will become Hokage of this village someday. She believes him, and I am inclined to do the same. He will be our second guiding light."
That was nothing Fugaku could dispute, but he could not help but feel pessimistic about the future. "Then what happens when he dies. Will we be able to cope without him? Or will we let everything fall apart for a second time?"
Mikoto looked back up at Fugaku with an expression of uncertainty. "I can't say. Perhaps they will, or they won't. But I pray that day won't come until that boy is of a ripe old age and that we ourselves will be long gone."
For some reason, Fugaku felt hopeful about that. "He is an Uzumaki, and they have been known to have long lifespans. It is possible that it will be up to an entirely new generation to carry on when he passes. One that may be free of our mistakes."
Mikoto smiled. "My thoughts exactly." She resumed eating her food. "Come now, dear. Whatever the future has in store, it won't be happening today." She said. "I want to talk about something else. Something that'll bring a smile to our faces."
Fugaku grinned. "Well, I did hear that Tsunade-Sama will be moving back into the village."
"Really?" Mikoto said. "I do remember hearing about something like that from Hitomi. Tell me more."
Before Fugaku could begin to talk, they both heard a knock at the door. Husband and wife looked at each other, silently asking the other the same question. "Who could that be?"
Fugaku stood up and walked to the door. He opened it and was greeted by a clansman. "Fugaku-Sama." The young man said, bowing.
"Yes, what is it?" Fugaku asked the younger man.
"Yashiro-San wishes to speak to you." The man responded. "He says it's urgent and is waiting for you in the forest west of the Konoha park."
Fugaku raised an eyebrow. What could Yoshiro want to talk about so urgently and in the forest no less? "I see."
"Fugaku?" He heard his wife say. "What is it?"
Fugaku looked back at his wife. "It seems that Yashiro-San wishes to speak with me in the forest west of Konoha Park."
Now it was Mikoto's turn to raise an eyebrow. "That's an unusual place to meet at." She commented.
Fugaku nodded at her and turned his attention back to the clansman. "Are you sure that is where Yashiro said to meet him?"
"Yes, Fugaku-Sama." The clansman said, nodding. "He was very adamant about that."
Fugaku rubbed his chin in thought. There was something off about this that was setting off several red flags in his head. Why did Yashiro want to meet in a secluded area of Konoha and not behind the walls of the Uchiha Compound? What was it that he so urgently wanted to talk to Fugaku about? Fugaku thought about staying in the compound and ignore the invitation. But he decided against it. If Yashiro did have something important to tell him, it would be wise to hear him out.
"Very well." Fugaku said after a moment of thought. "I'll meet with him shortly."
The clansman nodded. "Is there anything you would like me to do, Fugaku-Sama? Perhaps inform Yoshiro-San that you are coming?"
Fugaku shook his head. "No, that will be all." Then he got a good look at the young man. "Actually, there is something you can do."
"Yes, Fugaku-Sama?"
"Wait here a moment. I'll be right back." Fugaku said, walking away from the young man.
Passing his wife, she gave him a questioning look. "Is that something the matter?" She asked.
"It's nothing, Mikoto. I'm just," Fugaku pause as he tried to think of a way to word what he was going to say next. "taking some precautions.
Night had fallen when Fugaku arrived at where Yashiro said he would be. The man was standing in the middle of a small clearing. "You called for me?"
"Yes, I did." Yashiro said, turning around. He raised an eyebrow as his eyes narrowed at something attached to Fugaku's hip. "Might I ask why brought that along with you?" He asked, pointing at the Katana.
Fugaku patted the hilt of the weapon. "I felt like getting some practice with it after our talk here." He answered. "You find something wrong with that?"
"No," Yashiro said, shaking his head. "No, nothing wrong with that. A Shinobi should always strive to keep their skills up." Yashiro turned his back on Fugaku. "But that is not what I called you here for."
"Your messenger said you had something urgent to tell me." Fugaku responded.
"That I do." Yashiro said. "But first, I must ask you a question. Will you resume our plans to overthrow Konoha and take our rightful place as rulers of the village?"
Fugaku frowned, he had a suspicion that what Yoshiro wanted. "Yashiro, you fool. If we fight the village, we all lose. Why can't you see that?" "I'm afraid my answer is still, no." Fugaku answered the man. "The only way our clan will survive is by making peace with the village."
Yashiro remained silent for what felt like an eternity. "I, see then." He spoke. "Then I see no more use in continuing this charade." He snapped his fingers. More than a dozen figures emerged from the forest. "It is a good thing you brought that Katana of yours." Yashiro turned around as four of the figures flanked him. The rest surrounded Fugaku, all of them armed with swords. "It will make our deception all the more convincing." The man had a mad smile on his lips. "Fear, not Fugaku-Sama. I do this for the good of our clan."
The Uchiha betrayal begins. Originally I intended this chapter to be where it happened, but ended being the calm before the storm. Even after this is over the Uchiha are going to have a hard time but they will have chance. On the matter with Sasuke his faith in his father and in his clan has been shaken, if will be restored or not remains to be seen.
Also Danzo had nothing do with this. These are just crazy Uchiha doing their own thing, well mostly. There is someone pushing them this way, but its not him. Though Danzo will still be problem in the future, one the Hiruzen will wish he had dealt with a long time ago.
See you in the next Update.