Chapter Eight: You can't Save them from Themselves
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When Kakashi reported to Lord Third, he was only fifteen minutes late. For him that was pretty impressive, though he did try to be on time when it came to Hiruzen and Danzo for the most part. It was perhaps foolish, but in this small way of being the opposite of punctual, he could honor Obito's memory.
Genma was just leaving the Hokage office when Kakashi arrived. The dark haired man avoided Kakashi's eyes and stared at his feet the whole time. Was he ashamed about getting bested by the mysterious grocery-gifting kunoichi? Since Kakashi knew the skill of the woman, he didn't think Genma should be ashamed.
"Only fifteen minutes late?" Hiruzen asked, amusement lifting the corners of his mouth as he set about filling his pipe with tobacco. He gestured towards the door that Kakashi shut behind him. "Genma wants me to take his girlfriend out of Anbu. He wouldn't tell me why. Do you have any thoughts on the matter?"
Kakashi was grateful for his mask. He knew exactly why. Under Danzo's rule the Anbu often ignored many of the more civil rules that had been established. "There are many unsavory aspects to serving on Anbu," Kakashi admitted. He wasn't going to spell it out. If Foxy herself didn't request the transfer he wouldn't betray her. "Is that not the reason for my assignment?"
"I suppose it is." Hiruzen lit the pipe and took a long drag. "How's your hunt for a partner?"
"Successful," Kakashi said, amused by the hokage's surprise.
Lord Third set down his pipe and stared curiously at Kakashi. "That was unexpectedly fast. Who?"
"The woman that has been sneaking into Naruto's apartment," Kakashi answered.
"You found the fairy?"
He thought about Sakura's candy-pink hair — she did seem sort of fairy like from afar. But he'd seen her stripped down and bare. She was very human. And those eyes— liquid jade — they did seem somewhat enchanting to him. "She's a member of the Namikaze clan," Kakashi explained. Minato's parents had immigrated to Konoha months before he'd been born after the majority of their small clan had been lost to an epidemic. As a result, Minato had been born in Konoha. "Her family moved to the Land of Whirlpools."
"Talk about bad luck," Hiruzen murmured. "Did she know Minato?"
Kakashi had no qualms about lying for the greater good. He knew Lord Fourth better than most people, including Hiruzen. And while he barely knew Sakura, he did know her especially after earlier that morning. They weren't friends necessarily, but he did feel a little protective of her. And it would be a shame if some dark fate fell upon her. "Yes. She'd been serving in another capacity, gathering intel. She only recently learned about his death and his son."
"That would explain the timing and her concern," Hiruzen murmured.
"She's a skilled kunoichi — an ally of Shisui and I dare say myself. She's not from the Leaf, but if you give her the right documents, we could infiltrate the Root together," Kakashi reasoned.
"I'm surprised you thought of someone you trust so easily," Sarutobi admitted. "And an ally of Shisui at that— how fortuitous."
"I trust our objectives will coincide," Kakashi said. "Danzo will need to see me working with her under you for a while to make it believable."
"Whatever you need, Hatake. The resources of the Hokage's office are at your disposal." He rubbed his bearded jaw. "I could transfer you to my personal protection detail. Honestly, the greatest assassination threat I have isn't the Uchiha clan, but it's Danzo."
"Then why don't you work with Chief Fugaku? I remember seeing him in the war. He was a great asset to the Leaf. Surely, he can be reasoned with," Kakashi said.
"That's not your assignment, Hatake."
"Right, Shisui and Itachi are definitely better suited for that role." Kakashi felt the muscle in his cheek twitch in annoyance. "You don't really think The Wicked Eye of Konoha is going to listen to teenagers, do you?"
"Why exactly do you think she can be trusted?" Hiruzen asked, ignoring the barb. "Women are known to be deceitful and cunning." He grimaced. "My own wife can be quite manipulative."
"That's rather sexist of you to assume," Kakashi retorted. "It is her respect for Minato and concern for his son that is enough motivation to trust her. Her interests coincide."
"And her friendship with Shisui Uchiha? You don't feel that will be a conflict of interest?" Sarutobi pressed.
Kakashi shrugged. "The Uchiha are part of Konoha. She's very adamant about wanting to protect the Uchiha clan as well. We both know that Danzo is out for them. He and Fugaku can't stand each other."
Hiruzen took a long puff from his tobacco pipe. "Well, Fugaku isn't exactly my biggest fan either, but I think he can be reasoned with." He leaned back in his chair and stared out the window. "I'm glad to have solved the mystery of Naruto's visitor. You don't think she's trying to win his loyalty and abduct the boy, do you?"
"I don't think that's her intention." Kakashi couldn't exactly tell Hiruzen that Sakura had traveled back into the past to protect her friends. The very idea that someone would do that confounded him, not to mention the impossible physics. He was a little jealous — Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha had no idea how lucky they were.
Though, she had his mother's bangles. Did she travel back for him? She chose this time because she needed his help.
"Bring her with you tomorrow morning. I'd like to meet her." Sarutobi dismissed him.
"Yes, Sir," Kakashi said, dipping his head formally and then making his way out of the tower.
He scurried to the forests outlining the village and found a tall tree. Using his chakra-laced feet, he settled on an upper branch and pulled out one of his Icha Icha books. He stared at the page before him unseeing. His mind drifted back to his meeting with Sakura that morning. He'd been impressed with her battle skills. She reattached her freaking arm!
He'd broken a wrist before and had it reset by medics. In the past, there'd been some residual discomfort, but today it felt like his wrist was better than what it was before their spar. It had been a huge turn on when she stepped close to him with that jade green chakra of hers and mended his injury. There wasn't a scratch on her and she didn't even look winded.
The moment he saw his gray dog Shiba following her to the memorial, completely enamored by the woman he was supposed to be spying on— Kakashi had been intrigued. There really wasn't a need to have sex together — but he wanted her. While, it was true, Danzo would probably insist she do "special" training the same skill could be done with a genjutsu. But he'd wanted to have her in the field outside his ancestral lands. She was wearing his bracelets. It felt right.
Sakura's story sounded like a fantasy, but he couldn't come up with an explanation better than the one she'd given. Frankly, he didn't care. He had committed himself.
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The teashop where Itachi's former teammate Shinko worked wasn't very busy this time of day. He wouldn't exactly claim her as a friend, but they were acquaintances. One of his successes was knowing that she quit being a shinobi for civilian life. He wanted to do whatever it took to end the violent inherent lifestyle of the ninja. Since meeting Sakura and learning that he not only takes one life, but the lives of his entire clan, save his brother, was an unfathomable future to Itachi.
If he could avoid that fate, he would.
Shisui had used the crow summons that was watching over Sakura's apartment to deliver a message and request she meet him that afternoon. He wasn't certain whether she received the message and was considering if he should leave when the bell to the teashop's door chimed.
Itachi looked up and observed the bright yellow-blond hair on the woman that entered. It made the dark hair dye he'd brought superfluous. Had it been her idea to color her hair or the Copy Ninja?
Sakura smiled in greeting and then pulled out the chair opposite Itachi at his table. "This place is pretty neat," she said, glancing around, her bright green eyes soaking in the colorful decor. The walls were painted with murals of ocean waves, historic sea-fairing vessels, and fish.
Itachi raised his eyebrows slightly. "Yellow?" He was surprised by the choice. If the plan was to blend in- this wouldn't be helping. He set the small bag he brought on the table. "It looks like our minds were on the same track."
Sakura opened the bag and nodded at seeing the dark brown hair dye. "This would have probably been the smarter move."
"I am a genius," Itachi commented. "Perfect score on the written part of the Chunin exams and all."
Sakura arched her golden eyebrow at him. "So am I and ditto."
That took him aback. Before he could think of a reply, his former Genin teammate Shinko arrived at their table to take orders. "Oh! Hello! You've brought another friend to my shop, Itachi?"
"I'm Shinko," the woman said, dipping her head in greeting.
"Sakura Namikaze," Sakura greeted.
Itachi resisted the urge to cough at the name drop. It was a rather impressive name to drop—perhaps a little too impressive. What was she thinking? Is that why she chosen the golden yellow hair? Was she trying to draw attention to herself?
"Namika—-" Shinko glanced over at Itachi. Shinko wasn't originally from the Leaf, but even she had heard of Minato Namikaze. "What will you have, Sakura?"
"Just some chai, please," Sakura requested.
It had been a long time since Itachi had chai. "Make that two," Itachi added. "And a plate of shortbread cookies."
"Always the sweet tooth with you," Shinko said, looking down at Itachi with fondness softening her face. "I'll bring some fresh fruit too." Shinko retreated to the back of the shop to prepare their order.
"You two are friendly," Sakura said. "Do you come here often?" She gestured towards the murals. "These are lovely oceanic scenes, gives the place a majestic atmosphere."
"No I do not come often. Only a few times. Shinko and I were on a team together briefly. I've been on a few teams," Itachi admitted. His original Team Two had been subpar and one of the teammates had been killed by the strange man in the orange mask. The one that seemed to know Kakashi. "I don't really have friends — except Shisui and Izumi. I never really know what to say." He gestured towards the mural. "The original owners were immigrants from the land of Whirlpool."
"Ah." Sakura smiled at him, a far-away look in her jade eyes. "I know someone like that. One of my teammates only really talks during training or battle. Though, it seems if you're given enough questions — you have plenty to say. Just like him."
"Really?" Itachi felt a little better about that. "Wait — Sasuke?"
Sakura nodded. "He doesn't instigate conversation, but he has plenty to say — you just have to ask the right questions. Idle chitchat was never his thing and there's nothing wrong with that."
Itachi's lips thinned at the thought. Currently, Sasuke was a chatter box— at least at home. His little brother was incredibly inquisitive and constantly talking about anything and everything. He didn't want to be responsible for his beloved brother losing his very personality. For what? For Danzo? And on a personal note, Itachi had never been one to hold a conversation. Did that just mean no one asked him the right questions?
"Will you look into my eyes?" Itachi asked. Sakura nodded and he activated his Sharingan. Inside his Tsukiyomi they could converse without fear of being overheard. Shinko was unlikely to gossip, but it was best to be safe.
He re-created a scene within the forests of Konoha where he'd first tamed a murder of crows and created his substitution jutsu. In his Tsukiyomi the sun hung in the mid-afternoon sky. Sakura had pink hair inside his realm and she seemed fascinated by the crows roosting in the nearby trees.
"It will be difficult to cool the tempers of my clan. The resentment has been simmering for more than a decade." Itachi held out his arm and a pair of crow flew towards him and settled on his upper arm. "My father's subordinates have voiced their displeasure at my father not being consider as Hokage in spite of his stellar reputation in the Third War. They were especially incensed when after the Nine-Tails attack, all Uchiha were forced to leave the village proper and move to the outskirts. Personally, I am glad to have my clan clustered together in our ancestral lands near the Naka Shrine. Many of the adults didn't see it that way."
"The Uchiha are one of the four noble clans. The Hyugas have their own sector. It makes sense for the Uchiha to do the same," Sakura pointed out.
"It makes sense to me —it's ideal to focus on learning hidden techniques. And with so much of the village being destroyed in the attack, it was actually a blessing to have the area constructed as a priority," Itachi explained. "And it's on the edge of the village — the nearby forest is perfect for training." He smiled faintly. "Good for hunting wild boar too."
"Why crows?" Sakura asked. She held out an arm and Itachi allowed one of the crows to fly over and land on her. It angled its head to either side, looking at her inquisitively.
"They have good memories. And they are diurnal — if you hear them squawking at night, it's because there is danger." Itachi stared into the forest, the memory still sharp. "Uncle Taki will be speaking at tonight's meeting. He will try to make the point that our clan must work outside ourselves. The Village as a whole needs to work together. It was not an Uchiha medical expert that healed him."
Sakura was petting the crow, sliding her fingers down the feathers of its head and back. "Do you think they will listen to him? He's spent many years in a drunken stupor — people don't forget that easily. We will need to do more than try to reason to their mind. Their hearts and egos are interfering with rational thought."
Itachi sighed. That was also his fear. His uncle will not hold much sway — he never served as police and his time in the war wasn't anything spectacular. The miracle of his physical recover might not be enough.
"I have some ideas, but we'll need to run them by Shisui. He has a better understanding than either of us. The next three days are critical — in the original timeline that's when he dies. But right now, I want to talk about you." Sakura leaned against a nearby tree and the crow on her arm flew off. "You're the one who's future is most affected by stopping the massacre."
"What about me?" Itachi asked. He'd already been talking more than usual. He hoped his brother appreciated having a friend like this girl. "I would have had to leave the village after the act — what was my role? Spying?"
"You become a really shitty spy. You do have one true friend. I'm not sure how the two of you meet, but he is loyal to you, not the Akatsuki terrorist group. You're partners— he's a terrifying missing-Nin from Mist and looks like a cross between a human and a shark."
"Really? He sounds interesting," Itachi mused. He would certainly be more interesting than the members of his various genin teams. He focused on Sakura's mind and started to pick out memories of this friend of his.
"He's a very skilled fighter — could be you both respect each other. He followed your lead— I honestly don't think he cared about the Akatsuki's agenda. I think he was bored and everyone was afraid of him, but you weren't afraid."
Materializing in front of them was a gigantic beast of a man with a massive sword. By the sharp intake of breath from Sakura, it must have been pretty accurate. Itachi craned his neck back to look up at the massive figure.
"Why was I a shitty spy as you say?" Itachi asked. It seemed unreasonable that he would do poorly at any mission.
"You were not a good spy — if you'd shared the capabilities of the Akatsuki members several Leaf shinobi could have been smarter in their battle techniques and might not have died," Sakura explained. Images of an older Asuma and the Sannin Jiraiya formed vaguely. "And you were involved in recruiting most of the more terrifying members of the Akatsuki."
"Why do you think I didn't report such findings? That seems unlikely," Itachi protested.
"Maybe you reported them to Danzo and not the Hokage. Or maybe the Hokage didn't bother to tell anyone? That seems less likely," Sakura mused.
"Danzo." A sword materialized strapped to Itachi's back and he unsheathed the blade and started practice forms. That giant shark man began to swing at Itachi and he focused on evading his make-shift sparring parter. It was easier for him to talk when he was training. "So, in your timeline I killed my entire clan, save my brother, then join a terrorist group, make at least one friend and then make the terrorist organization stronger — does it cause the different villages to form an alliance due to the greater threat?"
"Yes, but there was another dimension I visited once — you and the Akatsuki were mercenaries that protected — you were pretty amazing in that version," Sakura admitted.
"I'll be honest, I don't feel like I belong in the village. My spirit is restless. I want to usher in an era of peace. When I was four, my father took me to a field of battle that was piled with countless dead and rotting shinobi from Konoha and Iwa— they were the same — twisted with the agony and despair of their last moments," Itachi explained. "If I must be the villain to make that happen, I will be."
His mind drifted to the man in the orange mask that had killed his foolish teammate Tenma after disabling the rest of the Daimyo's escort into a genjutsu. He could vanish within that one point of his eye. He'd read about different powers of the Sharingan and suspected that man whom knew Kakashi Hatake was the one behind the Nine-Tails attack. A rogue Uchiha perhaps? But who? Was he really a spy or was he seeking out that man?
"Something is wrong with you," Sakura stated, interrupting his thoughts. "You cough blood and you die at a young age. Barely in your twenties. Sasuke is targeted by Orochimaru and given the curse mark. You live long enough that you can eliminate the snake Sannin. I wonder if I can maybe help you to survive longer or figure out what exactly kills you."
"I don't have any symptoms at present," Itachi reasoned. He allowed the shark-swordsman to vanish.
Sakura tapped the seal on her forehead. "Your chakra control must be near perfect for you to be as effective as you were while suffering a terminal illness."
Itachi nodded. "My chakra control is very precise. I do not believe in wasting precious resources."
"If I can teach you Creation Rebirth— you could heal whatever the damage inflicted on your body," Sakura explained.
"I'd rather not have a purple diamond seal on my forehead," Itachi reasoned.
"You can chose anywhere on your body," Sakura explained.
"You would teach me your special technique?" Itachi was honestly taken aback. "Why? Especially if I'm a terrorist."
"Because, you are Sasuke's precious brother," Sakura said, smiling fondly. "And while we've only known each other for a few days, I like you, Itachi. I came to the past to change things and saving you seems to be integral. Too much responsibility has been placed on your young shoulders. You told Naruto you failed because you tried to do it all on your own."
"How old were you when you faced off against a goddess?" Itachi asked.
"Seventeen, but I had my team." She smiled at him sadly. "You shouldn't have to do everything alone."
"I don't know if you've noticed, Sakura, but it seems you've recruited me into your current team," Itachi pointed out. "Let us return to the teashop and enjoy the chai and cookies. We can talk more after the clan meeting."
The dream dissolved and they both settled back into their physical surroundings. Itachi picked up his cup and blew gently on the steaming liquid. He could have used chakra to cool the tea, but sometimes it was nice to let things take their own time. "How was the meeting with your other friend?"
Sakura's ears burned a suspicious shade of red. "He was agreeable."
Itachi arched an eyebrow. He might not have much experience with romance, but he could observe it in others. "Oh my. Shisui will be disappointed." He thought about teasing her further when he was suddenly distracted by a pretty dark haired teen walking outside.
Sakura followed his gaze. "Why don't you invite her to join us?"
"She's just a girl in my clan," Itachi murmured. It was an understatement. They'd befriended each other those few months he spent at the academy. Her mother was an Uchiha and after her father died in the Nine-tails attack, they'd moved to the village outskirts with the rest of the clan. He'd done his best to try and avoid her since he joined Anbu.
"What's her name?"
"Izumi," Itachi said with a sigh. It had become quite obvious that Izumi was feeling more than friendly towards him— she may have always felt strongly for him, but he couldn't ignore it now. He caught her watching him more often than not. Unfortunately, he didn't have time for such trivial things like a crush. He had a singular goal — make the world peaceful by making people too afraid to fight.
Sakura continued to stare out the window. "She looks like she's having trouble. Come on, let's see if she needs some help." She paid for their tea and left a generous tip before rushing outside.
Itachi reluctantly followed after his brother's troublemaking teammate.
"No, Sakura!"
Sakura ignored him and approached the girl with Itachi begrudgingly at her heels.
Izumi's dark eyes briefly landed on Sakura and then on him with such relief. "Itachi-kun! I'm so glad you're here! Whiskers is missing! I've been looking everywhere."
Itachi thought Izumi was speaking way too casually around him. It had been at least two years since they'd spoken with each other. He'd been busy with missions…
"Who is Whiskers?" Sakura asked.
"Whiskers was Izumi's father's cat," Itachi explained.
Understanding passed through Sakura's eyes and Itachi appreciated that she was quick to make the connections without him spelling it out. "What does she look like?"
Izumi dragged her gaze away from Itachi and focused on the older woman, just now seeming to realize that Itachi was again spending time with older peers. She gestured towards Sakura's hair. "Yellow like your hair, but with silver paws."
"I hear you're particularly adept at finding cats," Sakura teased.
Itachi narrowed his eyes. Did she know about his and Sasuke's cat hunts? "They are nimble and clever creatures."
Sakura held out her hand to Izumi. "I'm Sakura— a friend of Shisui's, she explained. Itachi was nice enough to meet me this morning."
Izumi visibly relaxed and shook Sakura's hand. "Izumi. Thank you, I really appreciate the help. I don't want Mom to find out Whiskers is missing. It's been very hard for her lately."
It was a simple mission and it was fun. It took them an hour to find the wayward cat. The conversation flowed easy enough — it was related to their hunt for Whiskers. Itachi had actually found the cat about five minutes into the search, but allowed himself to draw it out. It was nice spending time with Izumi. He forgot how pleasant it was to be around her.
Was he really destined to kill her in three weeks?
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"It's been so long since I've been to a clan meeting!" Shisui's father, Taki, practically bounced with each step they took through the district. It had been so long since he'd seen his father sober and had been invited.
"Remember what we talked about," Shisui reminded gently. "They will have questions about your sudden physical abilities. Having access to people in the Village outside of our clan is important. There are some skills the Uchiha simply aren't that good at."
"I still don't understand how your friend did this," Taki said. "I can barely remember her."
Shisui had tweaked his father's memory — no slug in his recollection. The hair was blond, as he'd seen when his crow saw her earlier that day. He'd been looking forward to seeing what she looked like with the change. The whole thing was pretty damn exciting. Shisui always liked intrigue. "She said the problem just needed to be evaluated from a set of fresh eyes— when the skills of our clan's medics couldn't offer the appropriate therapy, you should seek at least two other opinions — even if it's the same news, because then you'll know," Shisui explained. "And not all medics have the same abilities."
Taki tapped under his eye. "Just like not all Sharingans are alike."
"Exactly." Shisui pushed open the door to the sacred Naka Shrine. Fugaku was not only the clan leader, but he was Shisui's uncle. Clansmen used to go to Fugaku's house directly, but it was disruptive to his family, so now there were monthly meetings to discuss grievances, concerns, and goals.
Itachi looked tiny standing in the corner behind his father his dark eyes always scanning the crowds. With Itachi's vast intellect and superior skills, it was easy to forget the the was barely thirteen. His gaze landed on Shisui and Taki momentarily and he gave a slight nod.
As Shisui and his father approached the two chairs reserved for them at the front of the room, the silence that fell over the assembly in the shrine was deafening. Twenty sets of onyx eyes followed the father and son.
"It's nice to have you join us today," Fugaku said. He hit his gravel on the table in front of him and drew the meeting to order. "We have a special guest with us today— you all remember my brother-in-law, Taki. He and my nephew will be addressing the questions we all have about his miraculous recovery. But first, a reminder, this October will mark seven years since our clan was falsely accused of releasing the Tailed Beast that lead to the death of our beloved Fourth Hokage."
There were murmurs though the crowd about how Fugaku should have been the Fourth Hokage — nothing new.
"I know—I know." Fugaku hit his gravel on the table again. "While Minato Namikaze was perfectly adequate for the role, he was young and unfortunately, his life ended prematurely. If the Third and the council hadn't interfered during the attack our clan could have contained the Nine-tails — no one needed to die. Eighteen months is too brief a tenure as Hokage. We can all agree that he was a much better option than Orochimaru. I will not stand for anyone speaking poorly about Lord Fourth. We all can agree his loss was a terrible blow for the village."
There was a general grumble through the crowd. It seemed like every meeting had to settle the anger about Minato being chosen for Hokage, even though more than eight years had passed.
"It is the blame that was unfairly thrust upon our clan by the other villagers, while every ranked member of the clan risked our lives, fighting for the village that night. We did what we could to stop buildings from collapsing on civilians, dug through the rubble to find survivors." He turned towards Itachi and gestured for him to speak.
"I stopped a flying boulder from crushing my mother and baby brother," Itachi said quietly. "Others in the village lost relatives and stood by helpless as boulders crushed them. They lacked the skill and strength needed to protect."
Fugaku nodded and Itachi stepped back into the corner. "We police the streets, but are we thanked and revered? No— we are despised and disrespected." Fugaku twirled the gravel in his hand. "Shisui and Itachi have served well as spies within Anbu and later they will speak about their discoveries. For now, Taki, the floor is yours."
Shisui walked alongside his father as he moved to the front of the room, standing to the side of Fugaku— Lord Fugaku technically. The Uchiha were a noble clan. He could see the fine beads of sweat on his father's forehead. Taki might have been the son of the great Kagami Uchiha, hero of the Second War, but he'd spent the better part of the last decade staring down the end of a liquor bottle. Shisui laid his hand over his father's shoulder in a sign of support.
Taki cleared his throat. "I've dreamed about being able to stand and walk. I thought it was an impossible dream. I'd sought medical care from the best medics within our clan, but our clan has prowess in fighting, not healing. My son is friends with a medical ninja from an allied village of the Leaf — she healed me. I'd been passed out drunk, barely remember telling her hello when she greeted me. She asked how I was and I told her my life wasn't worth living as long as I couldn't feel my legs."
He paused and took a shuddering breath. "When I woke up from my drunken stupor, she'd taken the liberty to examine me and heal me right in my own living room. She asked my son how the hospital could have missed my condition — it wasn't hard to fix….It wasn't hard to fix."
"The standard of only seeing Uchiha medics that was enacted in the last fifteen years needs to be revisited," Shisui added. "We are shinobi of Konoha. Why do we deny ourselves basic services that we are entitled to?"
"You are naive, Shisui," Yashiro, a member of the Police Force, scolded. "This medic wouldn't have helped your father if she'd been of the Leaf and grown up with the prejudices passed down by the other clans." He tapped under his eye. "And then you have to worry about ulterior motives for the talented ones."
"Even if your father had gone to the hospital in the village proper, it is likely he would have been assigned lesser talented medics," Fugaku added. "Or as Yashiro pointed out, someone who wanted to study the Sharingan. We still do not know who set loose the Nine-Tails that night."
"Paranoia is never productive," Shisui argued. "Father could have demanded to see a specialist and you as our clan head could have pressed the point with the Hokage. It is no different than the rights the Hyugas demand of the Hokage," Shisui argued. "They too live secluded from the rest of the village — and are quite glad for it and they have dojutsu in their eyes too."
"Perhaps if there was a more reasonable Hokage or a more reasonable Council — they are all followers of Lord Second. Tobirama Senju was notorious in his dislike of the Uchiha. The village leaders were corrupted by that prejudice. We do not have equal representation. The whole Village must face an overhaul," Fugaku vowed. "We are the strongest clan in terms of physical and fighting prowess. We even generously allowed the son of Sakumo Hatake to keep the Sharingan — honoring our brother Obito's sacrifice. This village didn't respect all the great sacrifices the White Fang contributed to the Leaf for decades! He was driven to suicide by the ungrateful non-Uchiha shinobi majority."
"An unlawful grab for power is exactly what the other villagers fear. If you do this — you will justify all those prejudices," Shisui warned. "And you're wrong about Tobirama Senju. My grandfather was Lord Second's must trusted ally."
"Idealistic youth," Inabi snapped. He was another police officer under Fugaku. "Tell us, where is this friend of yours? This miracle medic? If you want to help this clan, maybe you should recruit her. Who is she? Where is she from? If you want additional medical talent in this clan we marry it into the clan. That is how the Uchiha solve that problem."
"Her name is Sakura Namikaze," Itachi interjected. "A distant relation to Lord Fourth."
"Well there you go, an outlier. The Namikaze are a small clan and they've always been known for being fair," Yashiro reasoned. "Konoha has only ever made changes when it was forced to do so." He stood from his chair. "Chief Fugaku, if we don't want to be treated as lesser, we must make them respect us! Fear us even!"
"That's the problem, they already fear us!" Shisui argued.
"Enough, Shisui. Your position on the matter has been made abundantly clear — repeatedly. You are in the minority, nephew. Let the others speak," Fugaku said, calmly.
Before long the assembly hall devolved into a bunch of middle-aged men lamenting how unfair their position was within the Village. They should be more respected and revered. Moving to the outskirts should have been their choice, not forced upon them.
Shisui exchanged a look with Itachi after he and his father had been seated. Shisui would have to try and use his power to force Fugaku to exercise patience. Otherwise, there would be no helping the Uchiha clan.
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