When Hiruzen arrived, he found all the important clan leaders there, and the village elders also sat there, with an empty seat at the top of the table.
Hiruzen took his seat, remembering when he was Hokage.
The meeting has begun.
"We managed to defeat the nine tails, but the sacrifice was much too great," Koharu stated.
"However, it's no time to lament, the Hokage's seat is now empty, we need to decide with all haste on a person who will fit," Homura added.
"Perhaps someone from the generation after Minato could take over,"
Shikaku suggested.
"We have nurtured fine jonin without a doubt, but unfortunately, none of them yet possess the experience to rule over an entire village."
As soon as Koharu said that, the entire room started murmuring, talking about Ryuu.
Homura looked at the other elders, seeing if they too were convinced that Ryuu should become the Hokage.
"Ryuu Uchiha is still recovering from the nine tails attack, we don't even know if he'll even wake up," Danzo stated, making the room fall to silence again.
"Ryuu won't die so easily, and if there's anyone who deserves the title of Hokage, it's him.
If he and Ichika didn't arrive when they did, we could've lost much more lives. Fortunately, we had all three Sannins in the village when this occurred."
Choza stated.
Meanwhile, at the hospital, Ichika stayed behind and stayed beside Ryuu as he recovered from his injuries.
Nobu appeared from Ryuu's body.
"Ichika, do you want to help Ryuu?"
Ichika nodded.
"I'd do anything to save him." Nobu nodded.
"Then do this. Sneak him out of the hospital and take him to his room at Sakumo's house.
Inside Ryuu's room, keep him on the ground and give me time." Ichika nodded.
"I can't sneak past my aunt, she'll catch me in a second, especially now that there's an emergency. What's the other option?"
"There is none."
Sigh.
Ichika sighed, thinking of a way to free Ryuu…
Meanwhile, at the meeting inside the Hokage's office.
Danzo had continued the matter for a new Hokage.
"I agree with Danzo, we have to reinstate a new Hokage for Konoha," Homura stated.
"It would be difficult for the village to search for a new Hokage.
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Ryuu Uchiha have all rejected the title, and there aren't many capable shinobi to become Hokage."
Koharu stated.
"I have a suggestion." They all looked at Sakumo, who spoke boldly.
"I think Fugaku Uchiha should be the new Hokage." They all widened their eyes.
Even Fugaku himself was shocked.
"Tch!" Danzo clicked.
"Think about it, Fugaku also built a reputation during the third shinobi war, he was nearly as impactful as Minato himself.
Fugaku also has a vast amount of experience in leading, he's led his clan, the Uchiha clan, and he's also led Konoha's police department for many years as one of if not the greatest captains."
Sakumo stated.
Everyone in the meeting was murmuring, one voice over another, bickering like kids, they were separated with some thinking he made a good point and the others thinking he was joking, especially after the night.
———————————————————
At the Hospital, Ichika hadn't found a way to sneak him out of there…
———————————————————
"I got it, I'll-"
"I'll do it." A familiar voice spoke.
Kakashi appeared behind her.
"Let me take Ryuu, and then you can heal him." Ichika nodded.
Kakashi entered lightning chakra mode and took Ryuu, vanishing.
After a few seconds, Kakashi reached there and took Ichika to Ryuu's room.
"Nobu, what now?" Ichika asked.
Nobu appeared from Ryuu's body once again.
"Stand back." Ichika nodded.
"After my father left, he knew Ryuu would do something this reckless, and so he left him a gift."
Nobu closed his eyes like he was concentrating.
A portal opened, showing a glimpse of Nobu's dimension that was made of red and black Phoenix Flame and from inside, a golden feather floated to the ground before the portal closed.
"Now what?"
"You will not like this part."
"Whatever it takes." Nobu nodded.
"Stab Ryuu directly in the chest as hard as you can." Ichika's eyes widened.
"Are you sure this won't kill him?"
Nobu nodded.
Ichika was hesitant.
"You'll forgive me for this." Ichika took the feather above her head and came down quickly, stabbing Ryuu in the chest.
Ichika quickly let go of the feather, as it was getting hot.
"Is that supposed to be happening?"
Nobu nodded.
The feather slowly sunk into Ryuu's chest, and Ryuu's wounds started healing quickly. His bones and flesh healed, his breathing became normal, and his chakra restored half of itself in a few seconds.
Ryuu quickly opened his eyes and was blinded by the lights, causing him to squirm, and block the light with his hand.
Ryuu groaned as he got up.
"Yawn…" Ryuu yawned and stretched.
"You're alive!" Ichika didn't waste time and hugged Ryuu tightly.
"Not for long if this continues."
Ryuu jokingly said.
"Ow!" Ryuu yelled as Ichika punched him.
"Don't put me through that ever again, you came here looking like a half-eaten corpse, you fool!" Ryuu smiled.
"A lot of your wounds have healed but not all of them, let me fix you up before you go.
Kakashi, get me a bucket of water."
Kakashi nodded.
"Ichika, you don't have to do this, I'll heal in a few hours, you know." Ichika shook her head.
Ryuu sighed, causing Ichika to glare at him.
"What was that?!" Ichika asked, clearly upset by his sigh.
Ryuu started sweating.
"Nothing, I'm just tired, that's all, I swear."
Ichika stubbornly nodded.
"It better be."
"Here." Kakashi brought the bucket of water.
Ichika unsealed a medkit and started patching Ryuu up.
"Ouch." Ryuu flinched from the pain.
"Hold still," Ichika said as she continued patching him up.
"Where's this one from?" Ichika asked, pointing at a wound on his chest, it was a scar stretching from one side of his chest to the other.
"That came from training too hard, I kept it there because it made me look tough, you know."
"You're a medical ninja too, let those wounds heal before going back into your job."
Ryuu nodded.
"Hey." Ryuu took her hand, and she looked back at him.
"Thanks for saving me…"
"Yeah, I better go tell my aunt you're ok." Ryuu nodded.
"Jeez, I thought the awkwardness would never end," Kakashi says as he enters the room.
"Good to see you well again, Ryuu." Kakashi held his hand out for a fist bump.
"You kidding me?" Ryuu jumped up and hugged Kakashi.
"Hey, stop that, I don't want to hurt you again!" Kakashi yelled as he desperately tried breaking free of Ryuu's grasp.
"Ryuu, let go!"
"Ah, come on Kakashi, we're brothers, you know," Ryuu said as he sat down.
"Seriously, get a grip already."
Kakashi added.
Ryuu chuckled at Kakashi's disturbed face.
"Kakashi... I failed them... all my efforts to get stronger... that was what led to this.
My hunger to get power..." Kakashi frowned.
Kakashi hadn't heard sound that depressed in ages.
"Tell me... how long has it been since the incident?"
Ryuu calmly asked as he searched for his clothes.
"It's been a few hours since the nine tails attacked the village, you haven't missed a lot since then.
Lord third was looking for you before he left for an important meeting with dad and other important figures in Konoha."
Ryuu's eyes widened.
Ryuu quickly unsealed a new pair of clothes, put them on, and headed to the Hokage's office.
"Get those documents!" Ryuu left.
"Right." Kakashi knew which ones he was talking about, so he started looking for them.
Meanwhile, at the Hokage's office…
"Silence!" The Third Hokage silenced them.
"Hiruzen, surely you cannot consider making him Hokage, we discovered that the nine tails was under a genjutsu. What other clan do you think could control a tailed beast? Furthermore, where was Ryuu Uchiha? Are we even sure he didn't-"
Fugaku clenched his fist.
"Are you implying that the Uchiha clan did this to its own village?
Even worse, that Ryuu did this?
Many of my clan members also died yesterday, and don't forget who saved the village beside lord 4th." Fugaku calmly replied.
"Danzo, you can't throw accusations against one-half of the two clans, which made the very village you swore to protect," Sakumo added.
"I'm not accusing anyone, I'm only being logical, it appears I'm the only one who is.
Anyway, onto the next problem."
Danzo stood up, he pulled a map of Konohagakure and placed it on the table.
"The attack by the nine tails caused devastating damage to the village.
So for reconstruction, we decided to revise several village boundaries.
We would like the Aburame clan to move you to this district, the clan previously requested to occupy the forest, so we took that into consideration.
The Nara clan wasn't damaged, so it'll stay the same."
Hiruzen frowned, remembering the brief discussion he had with Danzo, Koharu, and Homura.
Danzo spoke nearly the entire time and even interrupted the third when he was talking, all this happened before they met with the other clan leaders and before he left to see Ryuu…
"You are aware that only the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan can control Nine Tails."
"Are you saying it was an Uchiha who summoned Nine Tails?" Lord third asked.
"I am,"
Danzo asserted, and Hiruzen held his breath.
The two Councillors watched over the fierce back and forth with closed mouths.
"The treatment of the Uchiha's during the Great War, Fugaku refusing to comment when the Fourth was decided on.
Dissatisfaction with the village has been growing among the Uchiha clan in recent years." Danzo stated.
"I don't agree." Lord third replied.
"Members of the root have been looking carefully into the movement of the Uchihas. It is a fact that the Uchihas are dissatisfied."
"That's a long-standing-"
"That's not all."
The self-assured Danzo cut Hiruzen off.
"Those who lived through the Great War are beginning to despair that even a rare genius like 'Wicked Eye' Fugaku must resign himself to being the head of the Military Police Force.
It is only because Ryuu Uchiha has been appointed to being an Anbu that things are not worse.
That disappointment with the village will someday become a serious dissatisfaction, and lead to an attack on Konoha."
"Still, that said, don't you think you're being hasty in declaring the Nine Tails incident the fault of the Uchiha's, especially Ryuu?" Lord third asked.
"This is not the kind of thing you can simply leave be, just because you have no positive proof, Hiruzen.
Listen.
The only thing that can control Nine Tails is the Uchiha Sharingan.
That is a fact, and the only person powerful enough to extract a tailed beast and control it without being seen is Ryuu Uchiha. That is also a fact.
At any rate, we must gather the Uchiha clan together in one spot and push them to the edge of the village, and we should do it now, while we can do it in the name of town planning after the Nine Tails' attack."
Faced with the relentlessness of the man who embodied the darkness of the Anbu, the other three could only remain silent.
Lord Third's thoughts were interrupted by the creaking door opening.
A small smirk appeared on Fugaku and Sakumo's faces.
"Knowing you, you probably heard everything we talked about, right?" Sakumo asked.
"Yes, yes I have," Ryuu responded as he limped, using the Amenonuhoko to hold himself up.
"I'm glad you're alive, Ryuu," Shikaku said.
"Thanks."
Ryuu sat next to Fugaku and Sakumo.
Danzo frowned, knowing Ryuu's arrival will ruin his plans.
"It's a pleasure to see you awake and well, Ryuu." Lord third stated while he sat.
A small smile appeared on his face, he had to keep himself composed because of the importance of the meeting.
Koharu and Homura noticed this and scoffed.
"Danzo, I think you should sit down now. I'm going to tell you all that really happened.
What happened to Minato and what happened to Kushina."
"Tch!" Danzo clicked while a sour expression formed on his face.
Lord third waved his hand to signal him to sit down, and then Ryuu stood up.