After Cameia lifted up the paralyzed man, we returned to the bathroom, quickly getting Makoto, Karin, and Kurenai to follow us; I wasn't going to risk having those people come back and attempt to harm them, nor did I know if Kurenai could defend against what seemed like specialized Anbu members.
Once we had everyone together, we exited the compound and made our way to the Hokage Tower, making sure Makoto and Karin were in the center, while Cameia made it seem like she was 'supporting' our 'drunk friend'.
Reaching the tall tower, we watched as Kakashi walked out, only to frown slightly as he saw us.
"Kakashi. Inside, now."
Hearing my commanding tone, he raised a brow before flinching when I glared at him.
Nodding, he followed behind us, gesturing to the two Anbu at the door.
Watching them step aside, I nodded to them as well before climbing the tower, Kakashi thankfully staying silent as we went up.
He knocked on the Hokage's door again, and opened it a moment later.
Lord Third was currently lounging at his desk, his long pipe lit as he took a deep puff, Shikaku laying on the couch and sleeping soundly.
"Ah, Kokoro... what brings you-"
"Cameia."
Hearing me, Cameia tossed the man forwards, and we all watched as he lay in the center of the room.
Shikaku got up, staring around in mild confusion before glancing down at the paralyzed man.
"Respectfully Lord Third, I wasn't aware that we had an Anbu division dedicated to stalking our people."
He frowned at that, only to narrow his eyes as I lifted the mans head up, revealing the custom Anbu mask.
"Root..."
Shikaku sighed, slumping back down into his couch.
"I would like to utilize my right as a member of the Council to call a meeting."
Lord Third sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose before nodding.
"It is your right... Very well. Haos, Giria; go gather the members please. Lokshi, prepare the Meeting Chambers; sweep it and make sure there is not a single mote of dust where it shouldn't be. Clear?"
The three Anbu agents dropped to the ground, nodding to Lord Third before flickering away.
Standing up, Lord Third took another puff of his long pipe before extinguishing it, glancing over at Shikaku.
"I should have listened to you, Shikaku..."
The older Nara nodded, still staring intently at the man on the ground.
"I hate to say it... but I told you so."
Looking over at me, Lord Third asked "How did you..?" as he gestured at the man.
Sneering down at the unconscious Aburame, I said "Cameia noticed them watching us from afar, and she managed to capture him."
Cameia nodded, adding "They were almost as good as the ones that survey this tower..."
Lord Third just frowned, while Shikaku sighed.
"Very well... let's go to the Meeting Chambers... oh, and you can bring Makoto and young Karin there as well; we have a special place to keep them safe while the meeting is occurring.
Nodding, we followed behind the Hokage as he threw on his pristine white robes and exited the room.
Making our way back down to the base of the tower, we made our way into a large, circular room.
Sitting on the largest throne, Lord Third gestured towards the seat on his left, saying "I'm guessing you'll want to be the Mitarashi Representative, Kokoro?"
I nodded, sitting beside him while everyone else stood behind me.
Showing Kurenai the hidden room, Shikaku was about to close it when I said "Wait. Put him in there too; I don't want people to know what this is about."
The Hokage stared at me in surprise before chuckling, nodding to Shikaku.
Making sure the man was sufficiently bound and given a chakra sealing tag, I grabbed his mask and hid it on my lap.
Shikaku then took the seat on the Hokage's right, resting his chin in his hand as he waited for the others to show up.
It didn't take long for a few to show up; the first to enter was the Matriarch of the Inuzuka Clan, Tsume, and her daughter, Hana.
The fierce Matriarch grinned ferally at the Hokage, while her daughter Hana remained stoic.
""Lord Third""
The two women bowed, Tsume taking a seat while Hana stood beside her.
Tsume was a tall, muscular woman, her biceps showing through her tight red shirt, which matched her red facial tattoos.
Her hair was a large, bushy mane of brown hair, and the small scars that nicked her sharp features made her quite intimidating; I could see why her husband might have been scared away...
As for Hana, she was a gentler looking version of her mother, her face expressionless as she looked over at Anko, Cameia and I, her nose twitching slightly.
Next to enter was Hiashi Hyuga, his lips pulled into a permanent frown as he glanced around the room.
"Lord Third."
His voice was low and deep, and he kept his arms crossed across his chest as he took his seat, closing his white eyes.
Then the Patriarchs of the Akimichi and Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi and Inoichi Yamanaka.
The two men entered together, Inoichi shaking his head as Choza let out a booming laugh.
"Told you so, old friend!"
Choza was a large man; both height wise and body wise.
Like all Akimichi, he was a rotund man, however...
Even from here I could feel the raw power radiating from his every movement, and despite his smiling face and gentle features, I knew that he was one of the deadliest Jonin in this entire village; that Bo Staff on his back had claimed thousands of lives over the years.
Standing beside him was Inoichi, and equally as frightening as his Akimichi friend.
His long blonde hair was pulled into a loose bun, and he rolled his pale green eyes.
Inoichi was a master tactician only behind his other close friend Shikaku Nara, however he easily surpassed the Nara head in his analytical skill and application of his incredible smarts; he had made many advancements in the field of Genjutsu, and when paired with his unparalleled Mind Techniques known only to the select few of the Yamanaka clan...
I almost sent out a prayer for anyone who had information they were unwilling to give up; this man could easily worm his way through your brain and pull out what he needed...
After they took their seats, a few other Shinobi entered; a short older woman who headed the Izuno Clan, her wide smile almost making me think she was a kind old lady if it wasn't for the complete silence with which she walked.
Beside her was a tall, thin Patriarch of the Kurama Clan, his frail face marred with a little ink.
Looking around, he sighed as he saw the gathering, before sitting beside the Izuno Matriarch.
Tsume glanced around before asking "So, why the hell are we here?"
Sighing, the Hokage held up his hand, saying "We need everyone to be present, Tsume... patience."
She growled softly, leaning back into her chair and glancing over at me.
"You're new."
Smiling softly, I nodded to the Inuzuka Matriarch, ignoring the gazes of the others.
"A pleasure, Matriarch. I'm Anko Mitarashi's wife, and as such, I shall be representing her during Council Meetings."
Tilting her head, Tsume looked up towards Anko, before staring at Cameia.
"Who's that? Never seen her before, and she smells different."
Chuckling, I leaned forwards and said "She is our other wife; Cameia. She's... not from around here."
Raising a brow, Tsume just shrugged after a moment, before sighing.
"Why the hell are they all so-"
A large, round man ran into the room, his lack of chakra obvious.
"S-Sorry... I'm late... had a... thing to finish..."
Panting, he collapsed into a small chair on the opposite side of the table, where three other chairs remained empty.
Only one throne was empty as well, the symbol of the Shimura Clan embossed into its back.
We waited another few minutes, only to watch as three older civilians strode in, glaring over at the Hokage.
"Hiruzen; do you know what time it is? Why are you summoning us so late?"
I frowned slightly at the elder woman's tone of voice, watching as she sat down with a huff.
The three who entered were all older; two women and one man.
The woman who spoke had long, braided gray hair, her lavish robes draped over her thin body.
Beside her was the other woman, her plump body covered in a thick black coat as she yawned, looking uninterested in everything happening.
Finally, the man sneered as he looked us over, sitting down and looking down at all of us over his long, crooked nose.
Lord Third just smiled at them, raising his hands as he said "Now now... I wouldn't call a meeting if it wasn't necessary... now all that remains is-"
"Hiruzen."
Standing at the door with a cane was a tall, thin older man, the right side of his face bandaged.
His black, shaggy hair matched his robe, which concealed his right arm.
Stepping towards the Shimura Throne, he nodded at his old friend before taking a seat, briefly glancing over at Anko and I with a slight frown.
"Danzo."
The Hokage nodded at Danzo, before taking a deep breath.
"I was not the one to call this meeting; Kokoro Kanei, representing the Mitarashi Clan, is the one who did."
Everyone looked at me in surprise as I nodded to them.