-Hiashi-

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Perhaps it is a testament to the sheer unchecked power and arrogance that warmonger Danzo managed to accumulate that they're still dealing with cleaning up this mess. If it had been one isolated incident, it would have been relatively easy to sweep under the rug and pay quiet reparations to whomever he wronged. But this was years (decades) in the making, and the wronged party was basically everyone, somehow, even if the Uchiha were the main targets. Apparently orphans, and even children from most clans, were kidnapped and taken into ROOT, leaving them with a surplus of brainwashed shinobi who really couldn't return to normal life or active service without extensive therapy.

This was the current point of debate in the absolute headache of a council meeting. While a small portion of ROOT was successfully put into a rehabilitative program, much of it was inevitably absorbed into that stupid cult. The council had been attempting (unsuccessfully) to pry those members away from the Kyuubi as soon as they realized what was happening. To be frank, Hiashi was rather sick of it. He may not be the Uchiha's biggest fans, but their clans were startlingly similar in quite a few ways. And old, powerful clan, with a well-known ocular dojutsu? More traditional than most clans, with a very haughty and exclusive outward appearance? If Danzo had managed to drive the Uchiha to absolute ruin, what reason does Hiashi have to think that his clan might not have been next?

So, for once, the Hyuuga and Uchiha were in agreement on something. The Uchiha deserved reparations and reforms in the system that helped Danzo ostracize them so thoroughly. But the rest of the council has been using the (worrying, but inevitable) problem of the growing cult as an excuse to avoid giving the Uchiha the reforms they deserve.

Of course, Fugaku wholeheartedly echoed these sentiments. He cut through the growing debate as soon as he could, to bring up his petition for relocating the police headquarters. Some immediately objected, because the headquarters being next to the prison means better security for criminals. A good point, but anyone with half a political brain could see the insult. They've practically exiled the Uchiha police to be next to the prison, of all things! And on the outskirts of the village! The Uchiha are notoriously an exclusive clan, and having their morning commute so far out of the way of everything else just means even less interaction with the rest of the village.

But the request is predictably put on hold for the council to "deliberate". Hiashi barely held back an incredulous snort. What a farce.

Hiashi took the time to speak with a few clan heads after the meeting. Most had been wronged by Danzo (mostly by kidnapping their clan children), and many were intelligent enough to realize that estranging the Uchiha and losing such a valuable asset would be just about one of the stupidest things they could do. Notably, Shikaku Nara is interested enough to actually back Hiashi in rounding up support. They figure that if they can gather enough influential voices (and honestly, Hiashi and Shikaku are more than influential enough to make a difference. Especially considering that Shikaku will undoubtedly bring Inoichi and Chouza onto their side), they can just bully the Hokage into actually doing something constructive at the council meeting next month.

Although, it seems fate (the concept, not the fox. Although she is getting uncomfortably nosy) has other plans. Less than a day passed, and the village has somehow become haunted. Things going missing, and turning up in the most random spots possible. One councilman lost his frying pan and found it in a weapons shop. More than a few people had to take down their underwear strung up in the market like festival flags. The Hokage Tower was sporting a new pastel color theme, and just about every restaurant in Konoha found their baking soda and baking powder mixed up.

But most disturbing of all, were the apparitions. Not everyone saw them. Notably, no Hyuuga had laid eyes on them; most likely the "ghosts" were avoiding them to avoid their Byakugan disproving the myth. But rumors were floating around constantly; wailing from alleys with no one in them, pale children with no pupils or irises stargazing from rooftops, random gusts of particularly chilled wind startling people at random intervals.

What was even more disturbing, was that Naruto seemed to be minding his own business for once. He seemed particularly absorbed in whatever fuuinjutsu scroll he had recently delved into, and hadn't so much as played a game of "tag" with the ANBU in three days!

This did nothing to comfort Hiashi. Anyone who's ever been inside Naruto's coffee shop knows that the boy can create solid clones with terrifying ease. For him, this would be child's play. But most council members, and the people they interact with, haven't been in Foxbux before. They seem to tune out just about everything they hear about the menace. Hiashi can't decide if that's stupid or brilliant.

And there was no way the kid didn't find this funny. His cult had begun preaching about "displeasing the divine", to the point where people were beginning to hire priests to come bless them and their businesses to keep the spirits away! Some people even began hiring Shisui, the priest of the cult himself, to plead with the gods on their behalf. Notably, Shisui was the only priest whose attempts at appeasing the apparitions was even a little effective. People quickly caught on, and soon Shisui was bringing in an absolutely disgusting amount of money for the Uchiha through his tax tributes to the clan. And with the surplus of money, the Uchiha bought a sizeable building close to the village center to serve as a hangout spot for off-duty police officers. Definitely not a new headquarters, because it would be illegal to build an official government building without government permission. An unofficial hangout for government workers, and just maybe a place away from the workplace to get their work done? Totally within their rights.

Well, at least they won't have to build a whole new headquarters once Hiashi and Shikaku "convince" the council to approve the change at the next meeting. Plus, it's not like the police will catch themselves.

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A/N - whatever sadist decided that exams should be the week we come back from Thanksgiving deserves to have a Naruto-ghost haunting them.

Also, this chapter takes slight inspiration from the Suna chapter in Come Out of the Ashes over on Archive of our Own. Pretty sure I've mentioned it, but it is genuinely one of the best stories I've ever read, fanfiction or not.

And I'm pretty sure I forgot to say this, but the whole idea of the Kyuubi cult came from a fic called Make Friends, Influence People by sparrowette on this site. Go read it if you wanna see more weird cult shenanigans!