Shikaku's POV (House of Councils - Hidden Leaf Village)
The Village Hidden in the Leaves was a longstanding and prideful home. Supported by the Fire Lord and protected by the Hokage and his forces. It had stood for a long time and was likely to continue doing so. Perhaps it was merely the way of the world such a place would experience the occasional tragedy. But shinobi thought differently. Even the relatively peaceful and agreeable Leaf shinobi were shinobi at the end of the day. Assassinations, theft, espionage, blackmail, etc. They dabbled in all manner of jobs. Naturally, such actions made many enemies. From there it was a matter of time. Those who brought suffering to others would surely experience dire consequences for their actions eventually. Even the Leaf could not escape such a fate. One would think that having enemies when you were the strongest force in the world is no big deal. But when you become so large it becomes easy to overlook the small details. When you ran a village on this side. Often the world became statistics, a way to make the chaos of the world more digestible.
The entirety of the Leaf Village Council was present from the meeting. This of course excluded the recently arrested Danzo and the absent Hokage. The council was the governing body of nearly the same power as the Hokage. They helped make decisions, keep the Hokage in check, and ensure both shinobi and civilians were treated fairly. They often met in the large circular-desk-filled room. It allowed Hiruzen to address them all in an organized and efficient manner. The desk seated various shinobi and surrounded a platform a young man stood on. He was preparing to discuss the casualties from the recent assault.
Perhaps Shikaku was merely already an old man. But he felt the pit of his stomach sink as someone read off the "statistics". The young man was merely an assistant of someone. Given the unfortunate task of breaking down the scale of damages. He almost looked like his son.
"Yubin Utura - Chunin: KIA. Roma Utura - Jounin: KIA. Sunama Tremal - Genin: KIA. Suuma Sunit - Chunin: KIA. Tsumik Kinza - Jounin: KIA. Guzuma Fulli - Anbu: MIA. Wazane Enith - Genin: MIA. Nekomaru - Konoha Police Sergeant: KIA. Four Jounin, ten Chunin, six Genin, and One Anbu were in critical condition. Forty more shinobi of various types were injured."
There was a low murmur as people discussed the rap sheet of shinobi casualties. Most knew of the fact it was merely two shinobi who had caused such damage. To say it was a blow to morale was laughable. Shinobi was a mix of grieving over loved ones, planning revenge, or shocked to see how many had fallen.
"C-civilian casualties are much worse." The young man continued his voice cracking as he must've read ahead. Emotions seemed to drip from the struggling man as he soldiered on. "Seventy-four dead civilians. Seventeen missing. Two hundred and twelve were injured, sixty-four of which are in critical condition. The property damage from the attack was roughly forty-three million ryo. This is predicted to hurt the economy for the next couple years or so." He finished with a bow as he ran off the stage. There was silence in the room as the people processed this. The experienced shinobi ignored the throwing up of the man charged with reading the report. Shikaku was no better but despite his racing mind, he walked to the center of the room to address the others.
Truthfully a dark part of his mind knew they were lucky for the small numbers. Jugo had been stopped relatively early in his rampage. And while Ashira had set off an explosion there had been a shocking lack of people in the area. At the very least comparable to what it could've been. Yet still, the numbers were shocking. Having that many injured shinobi weakened them considerably. Not to mention the pain it was sure to cause. Civilians were dealt the worst blow yet. Shinobi may die often in their line of work but their job was to protect civilians. They were often defenseless and killed heartlessly as they had been there.
"I won't waste any time here with pointless formalities. I consider them a drag when I'm in a good mood. After the events of last night, I'm in anything but a good mood. Here they would simply be a pain in my ass." Shikaku started with a frown on his face. He had accepted he was the Jounin Commander. It was a position with minimal responsibilities most of the time. But when things got serious like they had been recently. He found he suddenly carried an inevitable position. "As you all know, there was an assault on the Leaf carried out by two high-level shinobi. One seemed to have the goal to sow chaos while the other targeted one of our Jounin. A young mother named Kushina Uzumaki. One of the Kyuubi Jinchuriki. In the process, both seemed to intentionally cause as much damage as possible. Luckily various shinobi were mobilized. After considerable effort we were able to kill one. And drive off the other."
"Lucky?" A bald fat man said. "Lucky would be a bastard like these wouldn't get here in the first place!" The man was Hiro Buzan, Head of Finances of the Council. Known for his greedy and cowardly nature, countered by his incredible skills with money management.
"Such things cannot be controlled, unfortunately." Inochi, head of the Yamanaka, called with a frown. Openly showing his support already. "The attack was sudden and unpredictable."
"Unpredictable? We sent out all sorts of men for the exams. Of course one of our enemies saw this as an opportunity. It's only when the bird leaves their nest does the viper strike at the eggs." A young preppy woman spoke. She was Usami Yugano, head of Legality of the council. She was known for her beauty and sharp tongue. She had dark long curly hair with bangs that partially covered her eyes. Her look was a smile yet obviously was employed to hide her rage. She was known to work tirelessly for the benefit of the village inhabitants.
"Such a thing is expected from us. We hold a reputation to uphold after all. Sending a meager group to the Exams would risk the Genin and give our enemies the wrong idea." Hiashi countered snidely. "Besides we defeated the trash. Perhaps civilians should not offer opinions on shinobi matters."
"Such closed-off thinking is why the civilian side of this council is necessary." A jolly smiling man spoke while slurping from a mug. Porume Rumi, Head of Shinobi/Civilian Relations. The man was known for his never ending smile and patience.
"Not to mention the amount of work my men are going to have to do to fix things!" A brash and gruff voice called. A scarred, buff, buzz-cut man was Fubuki Fulura, Head of Construction. The man was a genius of construction and led his men passionately. Though was known for his nasty temper.
"Doubtless tonight was a difficult one. But surely we can all agree this is likely to happen to a militarized village like ours?" Choza Akamichi interrupted nervously.
"Perhaps, but I think the point they are raising is we failed to do our part. As the military, defense is our concern." Shibi informed calmly.
"That's exactly our point!" An older, portly, motherly-looking woman screamed. "Our children are not safe with you incompetent lot!" Qurani Ikad, Head of Education chimed in. Her love of children was unmatched. As well as her proclivity for shouting.
"We did the best we could." Tsume countered, looking bored. She was the fiery alpha of the Inuzuka. Known for defending the village and hunting down its foes. "We kicked ass, of course, we'll cover damages. But there nothing we can do about random attacks."
"Covering damages is good. But we need to consider some kind of response. I think we need to bunker down until Lord Third returns!" Jack Willows Head of Agriculture called. He was known for his green thumb and cowardice.
"Bunkering down isn't the best idea against shinobi." Shikaku warned. "We tend to make such strategies fail miserably. It's merely the nature of the job."
"Perhaps but I hesitate to trust your lot in this regard. We barely managed to defend the village. Is attacking a great idea?" Fubuki asked angrily.
"Offense, especially for our forces, is a much easier task. Not to mention doing so would surely throw off our enemy." Shibi chimed in.
"Now someone's talking in my language. Let's hunt down these little pussies!" Tsume called excitedly.
"WATCH YOUR MOUTH!" Qurani screamed angrily.
"Make me bitch!" Tsume countered with a shit-eating grin.
"Ladies. Please behave according to your status." Usami chided.
Shikaku sighed as the two sides started screaming at each other. Both sides came to the aid of their "allies." Leading to an even split between the civilians and the shinobi. The shinobi couldn't see it. But the cold way they had been trained to cultivate was upsetting the already stirred-up civilian council. Now the two had formed sides and no longer caring for a logical debate had decided on screaming at each other. He tried to gain their attention but failed. Right as he went to scream his eyes widened. The man rubbed his eyes to ensure he had seen correctly. The entire room grew silent as a man silently walked into the room and stood next to Shikaku at the center of the room.
"I see some things never change. You two sides have never truly seen eye to eye. Unable to understand the perspective of each other." Danzo Shimura stated as he faced the council. "To think Hiruzen would allow this today. Perhaps you can teach an old dog new tricks." He joked with a small smile.
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Dez / Shizune's POV (Leaf Hospital - Hidden Leaf Village)
He was an experienced man. Maybe not wise but he had experienced plenty. Originally he had been a gangster running a casino in a small village. He had nothing but a bad habit of smoking, unique ninjutsu he learned to use, and a drive to rise to the top. And rise he had, he killed, lied, and stole to reach the top. Soon his village and casino grew tremendously. It made sense since Dez was secretly engaging in criminal behavior on the side with the local mob. Dez knowing shinobi were commonly sent for thugs like him had even learned ninjutsu and a unique one useful for himself. For a while, he had felt unstoppable but oddly unalive even then.
One day a golden egg rolled into his turf. The Legendary Sucker Tsunade Senju. Known for her timeless beauty, furious strength, and gambling addiction. It was easy money. Truly for a while it had been. But Tsunade had always been a shrewd woman. And upon discovering they were a gang she owed money to she had crushed him. Knowing the local law would only applaud her for doing so. Dez had never seen anything like it. Armed men, samurai, missing ninja, even him and Nekomaru had not been enough to even slow her down. After witnessing her terrifying power Nekomaru and he had pledged loyalty to the woman on the spot. After all, in the mob the leader often decided by a hostile takeover. She rejected them and the mob at first but as they followed and served her she warmed up to them. Eventually tired of owing money she had asked Dez a question that led to the life he currently led. How to take over the mob. Using her it had been easy. And though Dez never had thought he would reach the top as a lackey it was good enough. Besides Dez had never been the leading type anyway.
Maybe he had taken his job too seriously. All he had seen was a man rampaging. He figured he and Nekomaru would take him out easily. They even launched an intelligent assault just as the Boss had taught them. Yet he had smashed them both. Nekomaru literally… Dez sobbed at this. Nekomaru had been a harsh man in the mob. A heart of gold broken by the criminal world he had originally gone around killing gang members until Dez had met him. Nekomaru had explained they had killed his family accidentally and now he would crush the local gangs with his superb biology. Dez saw the opportunity and picked him up for his gang. The two are both in gang culture and both do not support it fully. They had overcome the gang and even joined Tsunade's together. He had been something similar to his own brother. What was Dez to do now? He hoped the boss would return soon to help. To let him know what to do. Little did he know he was in a coma.
"Dez you with me?" Shizune asked the injured man as she checked up on him. The man clearly in his world did not answer and Shizune sighed. She moved on to some of her other patients. Anko Mitirashi and Mikoto Uchiha had been the first to encounter the Uzumaki man and had clashed hard with him. The two had been defeated with relative ease. She checked their vitals. Both suffered from several cracked ribs as well as a variety of bruises and cuts. Luckily the man had been distracted or he surely would've finished them off. She continued to her next patient in the next room. This one was critical due to her small frame and now unique circumstances. The rampaging man had killed her father on arrival, apparently accidentally crushing him as he leaped over the wall somehow. The mother witnessing her beloved's death and surely fiending for vengeance. She had tossed her daughter away, surely hoping to keep her safe. But the destructive battle had left her in the crossfire. A large piece from the building had struck her, shattering her ribs and spine. She would be lucky to wake up again, yet alone walk. Shizune held back tears as she treated the girl. Shizune knew the cost of a tragedy like this. This was likely not the first nor last heartbreaking thing she would see today. She supposed sometimes it was simply a lot to deal with.
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Yahiko's POV (???)
"Much has happened since we last moved." Yahiko said simply.
"Certainly has, there seems to be a lot of variables for us to consider." Nagito reasoned. "Where should we start?"
"Konan." Yahiko ordered simply.
"Kami." She acknowledged. "I had Sasori and Deidara look into the jinchuriki subtly as you asked. They discovered the identities of the One, Two, Three, Five, Eight, and Nine Tailed jinchuriki. We have the active location of One, Two, Five, Eight, and Nine. Most of which are in Hidden Villages and will be difficult to get. The Five Tails in particular is roaming solo and should be easy enough to capture. Leaving the identity of the Four, Six, and Seven-tailed jinchuriki. The last message received from the duo had them entering the Land of Iron to see if any jinchuriki were present. Of course they won't engage for now simply to scout."
"Hmm…" Yahiko pondered out loud. "Any news of the snake Nagito."
Nagito's Rinnegan seemed to shine at the mention. " Kami. Not too much, unfortunately. I had Kakazu and Hidan hit a few Sound locations but no luck. However, they did gain a curious piece of info. You remember the Uzumaki who made a move on me before? I believe he nearly harmed me before your arrival."
Yahiko smiled at this. "I can somewhat remember a somewhat powerful fighter, Ikam. I'm sure I showed that nonbeliever the light."
"You did indeed. He originally offered us Fuinjutsu service before attempting to take my life. You arrived after he had sprung a trap on me and defeated him with ease. He barely escaped. Well from our sources from Sasori's spy in his group, the man is aiding the Snake. Both of which are earning the ire of the Leaf." Nagito explained.
Yahiko stalked forward into the rain. Nagito and Konan followed behind him slightly behind. "The problem is that either Ikam or Orochimaru could be a threat to us. Together I would hesitate to send any team except for "that" one. The Leaf being involved complicates things even further. Even a God such as I can't afford the attention of all the villages. We will sit tight for now. Earn money and keep lowkey. Besides, we could use the funds and experience. The snake is likely to betray the Uzumaki at some point. And both aren't likely to escape the Leaf's ire forever. Surely the three will wreak havoc upon each other. We need money and influence. Let us focus on that for now. The time for our true goal will come. Once it does the fools would've destroyed or weakened each other. Making them non-factors against us." Nagito and Konan don't even think of questioning Yahiko. How could someone question someone like him? Both flinched as they realized the rain had stopped. Over the entire Rain Village, famous for its seemingly endless rain before Yahiko's rise. Stopped experiencing a downpour with a casual flex of chakra from the man who called himself God. Yahiko held a single hand to do so. With a twirl of his finger, the now unmoving rain all collects into a large orb. "After all, a God does not do his dirty work."As he said this he flicked his finger. The large orb of water flew away so fast it left the village view within seconds. Causing a loud boom of air as it did so.
Doubtless no one could stand before Yahiko as he was now. That thought spread through the heads of Nagito and Konan, the longtime best friend and lover of the man respectively. They would stand with him even now. After all, even a god needed his allies.
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Ikam's POV (Resting Point of Trial of Nio - Land of Iron)
A man as experienced as Ikam had experienced much of the world and the experiences life offers. He had lived as a shinobi, a samurai, now he lived as a Uzumaki. He had operated in the shadows for years. Lived under the name Ikam for years. Formed his group slowly and collectively finding scattered Uzumaki and selling them on his goals. It had been an unfortunate discovery that the Uzumaki had held what he sought. He spent years tracking them down and slaughtering them. Eventually, he learned what he needed was at the Leaf and likely under the guard of the remaining loyal Uzumaki. Such he found himself where he was now. Attending the Chunin Exams had been Ashira's idea. A good one to scout out Uzumaki. But it had yielded little fruit. None of the ones he saw were anything more than future victims. Barely worth the deal they had given the samurai. Helpful in one way or another due to his getting to observe potential future threats. As well as measuring the strength of the villages, he needed something else to make this worthwhile.
As such he was now on the move. Usually, he moved a bit more carefully, sending men out to do his task. But he wanted to be involved personally in this one. It was always more enjoyable to bask in despair personally. At least of the accursed clan. Besides he would get to see her a little closer for a moment or two. He slowly shifted through the samurai dressed as one of them. The trained men could not detect one who moved as they did after all. Suddenly he body flickered to the building above the observing Kage. He could feel their chakra react to his presence but it mattered little. He had moved for years despite them and would continue to do so. He unreeled a scroll as several shinobi and samurai spotted him and moved in. He ignored this as he unsealed the contents of the scroll. Thousands of papers flew from it quickly filling the clearing. It stunned the approaching shinobi and samurai who were surely expecting an attack. A burst from the roof of the structure they were in with a lightning-enhanced fist mere centimeters from Ikam's face.
"It is fortunate for me that I don't intend to fight today," Ikam said smugly, suddenly being covered in smoke as the scroll he emptied sucked him in. Allow him to evade the strike of the Raikage. He continued to fly upwards due to momentum before landing on the roof. The scroll fell towards the ground. A without missing a beat attempted to destroy the scroll with an incredibly quick punch. But the scroll poofed away before he could do so. Hiruzen and Mifune joined him on the roof, reaching out with their chakra to see if Ikam was still in the area. Jiraiya and Tsunade spread out to the edges of the clearing to establish a perimeter as samurai did the same.
"Damn coward. I was looking forward to smashing someone." A complained.
"I've seen him before. He has attacked my village several times." Hiruzen said with a frown.
"That is most troubling; he sought asylum here but mentioned nothing of being wanted. He offered some high-quality blades. I believe his name was Terun Maki?" Mifune mentioned in a concerned voice.
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"We know him as Ikam Uzumaki." Hiruzen replied.
"A criminal then? An even further shame I couldn't kill him. I'll have bounty posters out for him within the week. Ikam Uzumaki or Terun Maki will find no peace in the Land of Clouds." A said as he went to climb back down before several gasps and the sound of hurried footsteps filled the clearing. Stopping him as the three leaders observed the Genin.
There was a wide berth around Naruto Uzumaki. At his side stood only Ino, Gaara, and Samui. The others seeking distance or in the case of the Leaf Genin were frozen by shock. "What's their problem? Is it something to do with this paper he spread everywhere?" A asked ignorantly as he observed the happening. Mifune's face held a shocked expression as he read the note that had been spread. Hiruzen's expression was one of a man on the edge of rage. A reached down to the roof and grabbed one of the sheets of paper. He laughed as he read it. "I knew there was no way you lost the nine tails." He said with a smug smirk.
Samui read the note with shock on her face. As Ino stood to the left of Naruto with her guard up. Seemingly intending to shield him. Gaara shockingly did the same to his right. Neji after a moment of shock joined them. Lee was quickly next as well as Shikamaru and Choji. Shortly after Kiba, Yuno, Shino, Sakura, and Tenten (who dragged Sai), all shielded the shocked blonde from the gazes of distrust and shock of the other participants.
"Naruto…" Samui started with an angry grimace. "This is so uncool…"
Naruto flinched at this. He had been happy to make a new friend of the strange woman so quickly. It would hurt for her to hate him now…
"How could someone expose you like this?" Samui finished as she stood up, seemingly joining the group around the blonde fully. Naruto was shocked and could not contain the smile that crossed his face.
"You're such a drag Naruto." Shikamaru complained as he tapped his friend's shoulder. "That's one mystery solved. I promise I'll find out the rest. Even if it is a drag." Naruto looked around overjoyed to see his friends by his side. From his teammates Ino and Neji, to his guy friends Shikamaru, Choji, and Lee. Even his new friends stood with him.
"I knew you were interesting." Yuno said simply.
Two others joined the large group as well. Karui and Omoi.
"A jinchuriki huh?" Karui asked, annoyed. Dragging her more reluctant partner. "Our master is one too. No worries, we don't discriminate unlike some of these bastards."
"Oh god, this will start such a brawl. Which will lead to a battle, that will lead to a war, maybe even The Fourth Great Ninja Wa-'' He didn't get to finish on account of Karui flooring him. Behind the theatrics of the two Temari and Kankuro joined the group backing their brother in particular.
Naruto contained his emotions as he realized he didn't stand alone. Perhaps they all did it for different reasons but they stood with him. He felt the eyes of those who were less accepting. But in truth, it mattered little. Most people looked down on him anyway. So having this much support made things easy.
Sasuke merely smirked. Not moving over with the blonde and shaking his head as Hinata ran over eager to "help Neji". "So the loser is something special aye? Maybe he will be fun to crush." He commented as he observed the situation on the side.
Hiruzen, A, and Mifune observed from below as the drama happened.
"Well look at that shinobi uniting behind one." Mifune said with a small smile. "Never thought I'd see the day."
"Hmm, his friends make sense but my shinobi as well as the Sand?" A questioned looking genuinely confused.
"Perhaps the burden of jinchuriki simply bypasses such simple matters as different nations. People can always unite together as long as they try to understand one another." Hiruzen said, smiling widely.
"Damn tree huggers are always talking about peace, or friendship, or understanding. Pisses me off! DARUI! SETTLE THEM DOWN! I WANNA GET STARTED ALREADY!" A roared angrily.
"I suppose letting things go like they are would be dull. We got an Exam to do after all." Darui remarked as he walked to the front of the separated Genin. He slowly weaved through hand signs. "Luckily my technique is anything but dull. Storm Style: Laser Circus!" As he said this a ring of light surrounded his hands. It grew in intensity before several white beams fired off towards the crowd. The beams moved so fast that most couldn't even react as they raced around them and slammed into a hill in the distance. The lasers smashed into the hill before they exploded. The flashing explosion ended soon, showing the hill completely gone. Mere rubble and ash remaining. The flashing lights and powerful explosions cut through the tension building only moments ago. "I get it's interesting that, so and so is such and such, but let's be mature aye? You still wanna become Chunin right?" Darui questioned now that he held the attention. The group all seemed to relax. "It's fine anyway we intend to split up and reform into teams of four. Don't worry about being paired with a "scary jinchuriki" ; they aren't allowed to harm teammates." Darui explained using air quotes with the "scary jinchuriki" line. "Let's see, there seem to be thirty-two of you remaining. So there will be eight teams. Once again randomly selected." Darui explained as a samurai handed him a note. "So the teams will be."
Team 1
Ino Yamanaka of the Leaf, Omoi of the Cloud, Shino Aburame of the Leaf, and Temari of the Sand
Team 2
Gaara of the Sand, Naruto Uzumaki of the Leaf, Fuu of the Waterfall, and Samui of the cloud
Team 3
Kabuto Yakushi of the Leaf, Chojuro of the Mist, Benotti Itilo of the Waterfall, and Raan of the Cloud
Team 4
Raiga Kurosuki of the Mist, Mubi of the River, Karui of the Cloud, and Yuno Uchiha of the Leaf
Team 5
Shikamaru Nara of the Leaf, Sasuke Uchiha of the Leaf, Suigetsu Hozuki of the Mist, and Rock Lee of the Leaf
Team 6
Sen of the Sand, Kiba Inuzuka of the Leaf, Choji Akimichi of the Leaf, Ayuma Rotal of the Waterfall
Team 7
Sakura Haruno of the Leaf, Mangetsu Hozuki of the Mist, Kankuro of the Sand, and Hinata Hyuga of the Leaf
Team 8
Neji Hyuga of the Leaf, Tenten of the Leaf, Sai of the Leaf, and Kurotsuchi of the Stone
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Danzo's POV (House of Councils - Hidden Leaf Village)
There was an uproar once he walked in. Such a thing was expected of him walking in as a known criminal now. He even noticed several of the clan heads tense as they looked him down. To think he had fallen so low as to be unwelcomed in the council he had spent years working in. He supposed in some way he deserved such a wretched fate. But it mattered little, his home was in need.
Tsume and Choza both stood and stepped forward as if to apprehend the older man.
"This wasn't smart Danzo." Choza stated as he prepared to grab the man.
"I always wanted to take you down a peg or two." Tsume growled as she approached with a smile.
"Let's not be hasty now." Danzo chided as he walked confidently past both. The two shinobi were shocked by his casual demeanor and the instant of killing intent he exposed. "Our Hokage permissed my presence in this meeting after all."
"He did? Any proof of such a thing?" Hiashi asked with a frown. Danzo threw him a seal of the Hokage. A unique stamp unique to Hiruzen, it was kept only on his person. It allowed him to issue subtle orders without them being intercepted by those outside of the know. "I see." Hiashi said with a frown. "I suppose carry on then."
"It appears my timing is most excellent." Danzo stated. "It is a known fact we try not to hold the council without a Kage or elder present to ensure no standstills. As is known to often happen with the shinobi and civilian portions of the council. Once again it happens. It seems the argument in question is the response?"
"Indeed," Shikaku stated with a frown. He didn't like the man being here but there was little he could do about it. "The majority of the shinobi votes want to proceed offensively. The civilian group prefers extreme defensive measures." He explained.
"So it would seem my vote has quite the say in this particular matter." Danzo said as he stalked to his seat and gazed across the room to the various members. Silence followed as he waited. "Well, present your cases to me."
"I resent a man like him being the deciding factor." Shibi stated annoyed. "The man is a convicted criminal after all."
"Perhaps, but Danzo-sama is quite wise." Perume belted out as he laughed. "I think it would prove wise to hear his opinion."
"Hearing his opinion is one thing but surely we will not have his vote." Inochi said calmly.
"Who are we to ignore the orders of our Hokage?!" Fubuki yelled angrily.
"Not to mention doing so could be pursued as treason." Usami added sweetly.
"Everyone calm down. Your bellyaching is pointless anyway. I will be present for this meeting and my vote will count. Such was decreed by Hiruzen himself. It is only for meetings such as this one where he is unable to attend." 'Besides I'm shocked as well. I never thought he would be so flexible. It matters little, with his approval I'll do what's necessary to protect the Leaf.'
Roars started before Hiashi called out to the others. "Let's just move on. Without him, we'd be at a standstill anyway. Each group should elect one speaker to argue their case. At least this way we will come to some sort of decision. If you feel passionately for your side, show it by presenting your argument well." He lectured causing the others to settle down for the moment. Recognizing this was happening this way regardless of their wishes.
The shinobi and civilian groups each elected e member to discuss their side of the argument while Danzo seemed to scan the room. He could see the civilians seemed particularly upset. He scanned the document about the loss of life and damages from the latest assault. They were considerable, but truthfully not as bad as they seemed. But to the untrained masses they represented they must seem crushing. Combined with the recent attempt on the Hokage which led to losses and from their perspective the shinobi were failing to defend them. They likely would not let the matter settle easily and it was hard to blame them. They wanted to tighten up what seemed to be weaknesses in their system by shoring up their defense.
The shinobi like himself surely had a different position. Trained as they were they knew the most effective counter to a smaller force like this was an aggressive show of force. So they leaned towards attacking. Their logic was solid enough, he supposed. Most of the time he would've leaned towards such a tactic. And so far this event he felt the same. But perhaps there were factors he had yet to consider. He would see if they could offer him knowledge in the situation he could consider.
Hiashi Hyuga walked forward for the shinobi. A choice Danzo approved of, Shikaku may be the sharper mind but his social skills were slightly lacking. He would likely struggle to convince the group of civilians who were thinking irrationally. Hiashi was known for her wit and patience. Known to smooth over operations often with word alone. The Hyuga clan is the most legitimate clan of the Leaf to the civilians. Known to be "classier" than most shinobi. Gave him considerable pull even among civilians.
For the civilians stalked forward Usami. She was an obvious choice for the civilians. She was one of the few who matched a shinobi wit. As well as being well-versed in debating even in high-pressure situations. Things could very well get rather interesting.
"I'll start if you don't mind Usami." Hiashi stated as he prepared to begin.
"I do Hiashi-san," Usami replied sweetly. "I suspect Danzo may lean towards your argument. The two of you being shinobi and all likely landed on the same idea no? As such I would think it appropriate for me to start. "
"That very well may be the case but"
Hiashi started but was interrupted by Danzo. "She makes a fair point besides it being a small matter for someone to speak first. Usami continues." Danzo said decisively.
"Thank you Danzo-sama as I was going to say." Usami said with a glance towards the annoyed Hiashi. "The recent assault on the village represents an unprecedented failure of security. Furthermore, this is only shortly after a considerable attempt was made on not only your life but the life of the Hokage as well. So we civilians have significant reasons to doubt the ability of the shinobi to protect us. With that in mind of course the idea of you sending more men out seems foolish. If you struggle to protect us with your current numbers it seems absurd we would subtract them further. We instead suggest focusing on defense with only critical operations taking place. Once the Lord Third and his party return, we can think of striking against the criminals that ail us but for now, we must protect our own interest."
"You do realize that's what they intend for us to do right?" Hiashi asked with thinly veiled anger. "Shinobi are trained to infiltrate even the most secure of locations. They won't be stopped by this measure of yours."
"Nor would they be yours. Assuming we can somehow find them we have to muster the forces to crush them, arm those forces, and deploy them. I may not be a member of the military but surely you can see it would leave us wide open. The advantage of being a smaller force against a larger one is flexibility. Coverage is our best option. Ensure that you can do your job fully as well as ensure defense people like myself aren't caught in the line of fire. We're merely asking you all to provide the best protection you possibly can."
There was silence as Danzo collected his thoughts. The woman made for quite the politician. Not many would so openly oppose Hiashi Hyuga in dialogue and do so well. She made some great points and her logic seemed reasonable enough. She did seem a bit overly confident in hiding but in this case, she may very well be right. "I see, Hiashi if you will."
"Of course. Firstly it may seem we have failed defensively but in both instances, we reacted as well as any force could be expected to. In the case of the Hokage, he was surrounded by his guard as well as Danzo and his men. It may have barely been enough but in the world of shinobi things rarely ever do. Even the assault yesterday was answered by several nearby shinobi as well as us clan heads once the nature of the threat was discovered. Furthermore, we are now aware of the threat and likelihood of attack catching us off guard is unlikely."
"Unlikely?" Usami questioned.
"Nothing can truly be certain in the world of shinobi." Hiashi acknowledged. "But that is why we must move with a solution in mind. Not bunkering down and making ourselves easy targets. But to put the village on tight security and to strike out would be the wiser course. Let them strike while we're gone and we'll repel them again. While they wasted their time we'll find both Ikam and Orochimaru and crush them."
"You realize you have been hunting Ikam for months! Orochimaru for years, how can we trust this effort to weaken our home will even be effective!" Usami called getting angry.
"I will put the full weight of the Hyuga behind it. We will see these scum suffer." Hiashi answered grimly.
"Didn't you, personally, allow the subordinate of Ikam to escape earlier today?" Usami questioned. Hiashi growled at this, looking prepared to move forward.
"Now you threaten me?" Usami asked with mock fear. "You truly are incapable of protecting us."
The group of shinobi and civilians all roared at the climax of the argument. Hiruzen would've surely scrambled to get them composed. But Danzo had learned how to thrive in the chaos long ago. He listened to the arguments with ears trained hard throughout the years. Heard various points throughout the storm of voices. But none of them truly swayed his decision from the very beginning.
"My vote is decided." Danzo states simply. "I vote for the plan proposed by the civilian members of the council."
Further outrage rang out at this announcement. This time purely being shinobi. But before it could continue any further Shikaku interrupted the chaos by standing up and raising his hand. "I vote for it as well."
This shocked the room into silence. Shikaku was known far and wide for his intellect primarily in the shinobi world. So they knew how substantial it was for a man like him to switch sides. The outraged Choza and Inonchi both reluctantly sat down and became quiet. Hiashi shortly followed after though with a huff leading to the other heads doing the same. "With that in mind, our decision is decided. Remember upon the arrival of the Hokage another meeting will be had to discuss the plan going forward. Dismissed." Shikaku finished quickly. Normally a meeting would never end so suddenly but in this case neither side wished to stay much longer. Slowly the room of split factions filtered out the room. Leaving only Shikaku, Choza, Inochi, and Danzo in the room.
"Choza, Inochi, would the two of you mind establishing a perimeter?" Shikaku asked with a frown. The two men nodded quickly leaving the room. "So what's the plan Danzo? I can see Hiruzen releasing you. Even allowing your presence in the council meeting when he's absent. Despite your proclivity for violence, you're a wise man. Able to achieve his goals despite the odds. That's why I'm confused. Why would a Warhawk like yourself agree on a measured response like this?"
"Perhaps my time in incarceration changed me." Danzo replied easily. "An older man like myself struggles to survive in the harsh prison climate."
"Bullshit Danzo. You can talk circles around most, but you know you can't pull it with me." Shikaku called the bluff. There was silence for a second before Danzo offered a small laugh before replying.
"I find types like yourself refreshing. A shinobi who's personable yet professional. You would've gone far in my root."
"I gotta disagree. Life's a real pain, but love gets me through it." Shikaku replied easily. His thoughts drifted to his fiery wife and lazy son.
"A shame for a man as incredible as you to be ruled by emotion." Danzo said.
"Stop. Stalling. Get. To. It." Shikaku demanded, now angry.
"You already know the answer already, Nara." Danzo replied with a smile.
"Even now you have them aye? Hiruzen may very well execute you when he finds out." Shikaku mentioned.
"He won't, a tree is nothing without its roots. Besides, the civilians will not allow us to pursue them. But a force loyal to the Leaf but not tied to them? Well, such a force would be bound by no laws. My mistake was having the root be a part of the Leaf. The tree never sees its roots after all. So while we will be going by the civilian plans. The others will not be so limited" Danzo said as he was escorted back to his cell.
"You're a damn drag you know that right?" Shikaku said this with a frown. Said to the man as he was dragged away. He knew Hiruzen wouldn't like the Root being free but he couldn't fault him for using them in a beneficial way. Despite the questionable morality of it.
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Narrator
A group of thirty shinobi stood in the shadows of a forest. The leader of the thirty men stood in front of them as he read a letter delivered by a hawk. They had struggled a fair bit since leaving their home but they had done as asked. They had established a base in The Village Hidden in the Waves. Far enough from the sway of the Leaf for them to operate. Yet close enough for them to keep tabs.
When they arrived it was run by a cruel man named Gato. The man had hired an army of criminals with his fortune to rule the village as a lord. He had killed any he saw fit and even used some for human trafficking. The emotionless soldiers cared little for the villagers suffering. But they needed safe refuge. They had offered the villagers a simple solution. They would take care of Gato and his troop of thugs in exchange for sanctuary in their home, secrecy of their presence, and a small amount of Ryo from their overall gain. The villagers were desperate for aid and accepted. Leading the Remnants of the Root slaying Gato and his men with ease. The villagers were grateful for this and had with their council formed a proper cover story. They would run Gato's company as if the man was still alive. But would offer better care for the village. This had worked well providing the group funding, supplies, and shelter. Once they were fully established they started with the last quest Danzo offered.
They investigated the leads they had regarding Orochimaru and even discovered a base. When the hawk used by their master appeared a letter in talon. They checked it and discovered what the fate of their master was. As well as his orders. They were to assault as many Sound bases as possible. It was a simple request, and to be frank an unrealistic one. While they could likely destroy several bases. It would surely lead to a retaliatory assault from the Sanin. Which would surely lead to their demise. But the thought of disobeying never occurred to the loyal and broken men. They had accepted the mission instantly and acted it out.
The base they had discovered seemed to be a fairly vital one. People often come through but very few supplies do so. It became clear to the group this was either a command base or a communication center. Often used in wars to process communications and ensure orders are followed. In this case it worked for a fractured village structure that was the Village Hidden in the Sound. They likely figured no component force would target such a small seemingly innocent camp. Surely only small-time bandits and missing ninja. So they had a skeleton crew of shinobi. Merely ten men, nearly all of their chakra levels indicate they were Chunin-level fighters. It would likely be a slaughter. Since many of the Root were nearly Anbu level.
It was. First was the patrol establishing a perimeter around the camp. Merely two almost Jounin-level shinobi. Surely they would've caused some level of fuss regardless in combat. But instead, one was suddenly bisected by a razor wire trap set up between two trees he hopped through. With the other having merely been overwhelmed by a targeted kunai barrage by them. While the patrol was eliminated their own was established. Ensuring no one would escape nor would they be flanked. They examined the building before they decided to blow into it from the roof. With two members using wind style, they manage to silently cut through the roof. They smashed into a room full of letters and carrier birds. Two non shinobi scrambled to their feet in fear. But the men could not even offer shouts of fear as they were silently butchered by the white-masked men. The men crawled throughout the building killing anyone they came across. Man, woman, child, subject they all were slain coldly. The orders had been clear. They were sending a message. Showing the Sannin the Root intended to hold him accountable for his crimes. Once the inhabitants had been killed they ransacked the building for supplies and information. They gained little of note but had located two more locations for them to check.
It will be a bloody week.
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Darui's POV (Trial of Nio - Land of Iron)
It had taken only minutes after his display for the Genin to reorganize into groups. Even shorter for them to all stare at the man. A mix of desperation, determination, and anxiety was all they were. Things were finally looking anything but dull.
He could tell the shocked faces of the Genin that they were blown away by the task before them. To be honest it did seem like a giant pain in the ass. He remembered his test not being nearly so deadly at least location-wise. The second exam was being held at a mountain. There seemed to be a maze of paths surrounded by trees. It must reach at least seventy-five kilometers in the air. Covered in trees, spikes of rock, and snow.
"This will be the location of the second exam." Darui explained his voice managing to sound bored even as he spoke. "This exam, if you haven't heard before, is the "Trial of Nio". In this exam you and your team will be tasked with climbing to the top of the mountain."
"Sounds easy enough!" Kiba hollered excitedly. The last test had been a little out of his lane. But this had him written all over it!
"Glad you think so. Would hate for the test to be dull. Hmm," Darui faked like he was thinking. "Well luckily they thought of that. See every team will have a "lord", they are your leader. You will have to reach the top with them within two days. As well as get there with them "unharmed". Harmed in this case means physical contact. You can beat the tar out of each other if you wish but a mere touch will count as well."
"What's the threat then?" Tenten asked dubiously.
"That would be the third requirement for a pass. Scoring three points against the other team's lord. So to pass you have to find other teams. Just two more rules for this…" Darui trailed off as a samurai led an armored horse into the arena. "The Lord must be on horseback whenever traveling. As well as a suit of armor lord used to wear during travel in the Land of Iron. That being said intentional harm to the horse will cost the individual by failing as well as a fine from the Samurai. Any questions?" No hands shot up. "Alright, strategize for a few minutes. Samurai will come by and lead you to your starting place."
The Second Exam. The Trial of Nio had begun.