Naruto looked at his clock. It was already morning. It felt like he had just been sleeping for just an hour. But he knew that he had slept more than that. That was a new experience for him. The sleep was not the most of pleasant. Perhaps it was the headache. Shaking his head, Naruto got out of his bed.
He was only wearing short dark blue pants and nothing on top. His well tone chest left naked. He walked towards his gunbai which was hanged on a wall inside the bedroom. He took it and place it on the ground before channeling chakra through it. Seal arrays stretched around the Gunbai. He bit his thump drawing some blood before swiping the blood across the belly of the gunbai.
Right there beside the wall, he went through two hand seals before placing both his hands on the ground. His chakra spread across the floor before a seal not so much different from the one that was on his gunbai.
Naruto picked up his gunbai. He channeled his chakra through the gunbai before he hit the seal on the floor with the base of the gunbai and then he was gone.
The hideout
Naruto walked out from his room towards the dark passages of his hideout. He left the gunbai in his room. He was still wearing nothing but short blank pants.
He walked for a few minutes before reaching a large room that could only be described as a lab. Zetsu was already inside the lab. He turned towards Naruto and spoke, ''I can't believe that you can still walk like that,'' he said.
''Just barely...'' Naruto said. ''Is it ready?''
''Yes, I should give you the rest of it later today,'' the plant like artificial human replied.
Naruto nodded and walked towards a pot holding steaming liquid. A small cup was just beside it. He took the cup and downed it inside the pot. He brought out the cup and looked at it.
''You should wait for it to cool down,'' Zetsu said.
''It does not matter if I drink it hot or cold,'' Naruto replied before drowning the liquid inside the cup. He emptied it with a few gulps. One could see that whatever it was that he was drinking was bitter by the look on his face.
Zetsu just nodded. Naruto was the one who compiled the herbs. He was just told to cook everything. So he knew no better than Naruto.
He waited for a minute and his Sharingan activated. He smiled at the change. His skin seemed to be regaining its normal color. Naruto then turned to Zetsu. ''You did not tell me how things went at your end last night,'' he said.
''I wanted to but you said cooking the herbs was important, so I left without telling you,'' Zetsu pointed out earning a silent nod from Naruto.
''It was important, you know that,'' Naruto said blankly.
''The village has yet to be rebuild. Guren is still working on hiring contractors. Some of the buildings you designed can't be build by just anyone. But I have already set her up with everything else she will need. So I believe that everything will begin in about a week.''
''Good,'' Naruto said. ''Make sure that it does not take more than that week to begin. I don't want anything going out of scheduled time. I want everything to go along with my timetable and accordingly.''
''Will do that,'' Zetsu responded.
''How are the people taking Orochimaru's death?''
''Most of them are celebrating while a few are angry and have sworn to kill that who killed their master. But Guren has everything under control.''
''Some wish to kill me?'' Naruto mused. ''If they try to disturb the rebuilding process call me. I will ''quite'' them, I can't have anything standing in the way of rebuilding Oto.''
''They are nuisances, are you sure you want to deal with them?'' Zetsu asked knowing that Naruto would not like having to handle the nuisance who can't push him. The shinobi's in Oto who swore revenge were weak and just bugs to Naruto.
''Deal with it, if you can,'' Naruto said walking away. ''Make sure Guren understands that I don't want anything halting anything once the rebuilding begins,'' he paused for a moment. ''I will watch what you have recorded in Uzu in a few days.''
''What will you be busy with in the next few days?''
''I have to deal with the council and whatever that Danzou has planned up for me. I also hear that Mei will be at Konoha to hold talks about an alliance,'' he paused for a moment. ''Keep me updated of the workings in Oto,'' having said that, his figure completely disappeared from Zetsu's view.
Konoha, Uchiha compound
Naruto hanged his gunbai on the wall again and walked towards his bed. He sat down and looked at his nightstand. His forehead protector was laying there; he had placed it there before sleeping.
Sighing, he got up, went to the bathroom and took a long cold shower. His hair was long so it took some time to dry it. Oddly enough, he did not mind doing it though. He did so without hurry.
Xxxxxx
Sasuke was already up; he was at the kitchen sipping tea with his book in hand. He was another Kakashi. At least he was not reading anything like what Kakashi read. But he too like his sensei was becoming obsessed with reading his book.
Sasuke looked at Naruto. He was wearing a long sleeved black shirt and black pants. At the back of his shirt there both Uchiha and Uzumaki symbols, not that Sasuke could see them. He also wore his gloves. The shirt was shaping his upper body, a testimony to his slightly masculine body.
''You are up late,'' Sasuke said his eyes going back to his book.
Naruto did not comment. Sasuke did not need to know that he had been up for some time. He had set up privacy seals in his room so Sasuke could not hear anything coming from it. He sat down and a thought came to him.
He had already collected the Shinigami mask and should fulfill his promise to the Kyuubi. But first, he had to deal with the council then he would meet with the Kyuubi.
With the new changes, things had to move up fast. But he would not hurry to do things not prepared. He just had to do things at a fast schedule. By the end of the day, he should have dealt with the council. With the council dealt with, he could move freely to do what was next without the foolish elders near him to question his actions.
''Where are you planning to base the Military Police Force?'' Naruto asked speaking for the first time since entering the kitchen.
Sasuke never took his eyes off his book. He had not thought of where he would base the Police Force. In the end, he just shrugged.
''You cannot head a force like The Police Force without proper headquarters. Where will you keep mission files, Military files, where will you make your meetings? Every military organization has its own headquarters.''
''Where did the old Police Force operate?''
''At the compound. They used the Naka shrine as their secret meeting place. Since the clan ran everything, they did not need to build headquarters. That's not to say that you won't run everything. But creating your own quarters will keep things organized and make the Police Force run effectively,'' he paused for a moment, ''It will also help you separate Military work with clan matters,'' Naruto explained everything to Sasuke.
''They can be build, just need the resources to build,'' Sasuke stated now looking straight at Naruto.
''You should start drawing up the plans,'' Naruto said standing up. Sasuke nodded. He would begin to draw up the plans for the Konoha Military Police Force. He was not good with planning things to that detail though. He would just have to do it with someone's help.
Naruto went to make himself some breakfast. After that, he went back to the kitchen table and sat down eating his breakfast in peaceful silence. He had a lot in his mind today. A few hours of meditating will surely solve his mounting thoughts.
A knock on the door and Sasuke was already on his way to see who it was. When he opened the door, he saw an Owl Masked ANBU standing in front of him.
''What is it?'' he asked calmly.
''You are wanted at the Council chambers along with Naruto, now,'' the ANBU said in his monotone and professional tone.
Sasuke nodded, ''I will go and call Naruto,'' he said to the ANBU and closed the door going back inside.
''We are wanted at the Council chambers,'' Sasuke said to his fellow Uchiha.
''They are getting impatient,'' Naruto said standing up. For them to have gathered at this time of the day only meant that they were becoming impatient. ''Well it does not matter anyway. This works out best for me,'' he said walking towards Sasuke.
''Let's go,'' he said.
''What about the ANBU standing at the door?'' Sasuke asked knowing that Naruto wanted to leave via shunshine. Both of them knew the location of the chambers so they could teleport themselves there. The ANBU that had been sent to fetch them was still standing at the door, he could sense them. Sasuke had a thought that Naruto was aware of that.
Naruto shrugged, ''he will follow as soon as we leave,'' he said and disappeared in a swirl of flames.
Sasuke sighed and also disappeared in a swirl of leaves. Just as Naruto had said, the ANBU quickly left following them.
Council chambers
Naruto and Sasuke walked into the chambers calmly. The rest of the council members were already seated. They seemed to be just waiting for the two Uchihas to arrive. Naruto remained calm even though each eye of the council member was towards them.
He walked towards an empty seat which he figured was the chair of the Uchiha clan head. Sasuke went to stand behind him. Both said not a word, they just looked at the council members.
''What is the meaning of this?'' elder Koharu questioned looking straight at the pair. ''Who told you to sit down?'' now that was addressed to Naruto who was the one to have taken a seat.
''I don't need to be told to sit down when I know where to seat,'' Naruto replied eyes narrowing at the elder. There was only one word for the expression on his face, unreadable.
''You were called to the meeting; you are not part of the council. Only members of the council can give that kind of an answer. Your lack of respect is reaching a new high 'boy'.''
The other members simply watched the play. To some it was fun. Remembering Naruto's last visit to the chambers, it was bound to be interesting. There was no need to intervene.
''You are the one who is being disrespectful,'' Naruto started calmly. His saying caused the others to look at him in surprise mixed with slight shock at his words. Even Sasuke was surprised by that. ''You questioning why I have sat down and saying that only council members can sit, you are basically saying that the Uchiha head clan no longer has a seat in the council,'' he paused for a moment just to let his words sink in. ''Is that what you are saying elder? Are you saying that one of the founding clans no longer has a seat in the council?''
Now there was a pause as Naruto's words sunk on everyone's head. What Naruto was saying was that he was the head of the Uchiha clan.
''What are you saying Naruto?''
''Do I have to simplify my words to you?'' Naruto questioned. What he was saying was pretty much clear to everyone who was in the room.
''Are you saying that you are the head of the Uchiha clan?'' Danzou asked, although he already knew the answer.
''Do you have to ask questions you already have answers to?'' Naruto asked flatly looking at Danzou.
The old war hawk wisely said nothing.
''We never gave our consent to this. You cannot be head clan unless we say so,'' elder Koharu said.
''Ho?'' Naruto's eyes held a glint of amusement for a second. ''Since when do ''advisors'' select clan heads? As far as I know you are an advisor, nothing less, nothing more.''
That was indeed true. Not even the Hokage had a say in that matter. Clans had their own ways of operating, whatever happened in clan compound was nobody's business, even the Hokage held no say in that regard. The Uchiha clan was a major clan and once held great power and greater influence before the Kyuubi attack. No one had a say in anything they did.
''Hokage-sama, are you going to allow this?''
Before Tsunade could speak, Naruto spoke again. ''It is not up to the Hokage to select clan heads. You should know that. Perhaps you have been given too much power you have come to believe that you can control everything.''
A brief silence
''Watch what you say boy,'' the word ''boy'' was emphasized.
''On the contrary, you are the one who should watch what you say advisor. As head clan, I will not allow my position to be questioned by an advisor who has stayed in power for too long,'' Naruto paused for a moment. ''I will not allow you to call me ''boy'' advisor. I am head of the Uchiha clan and you will adress me as such.''
'As much as I find this amusing,' Tsunade started in thought, ''...we have to get this meeting started,'' she said.
'I wish he was always in these kind of meetings to put those fools in their place,' Tsume thought with a small smile. The elders were used to get their way. Even when something was wrong, one was brave enough to defy them. Most people simply bowed their heads and allowed themselves to be bossed around.
Having Naruto to tell them the truth was a pleasant scene to watch. Naruto was not afraid of them and simply told them the truth without going out of the ''law''. He told them everything that most had been afraid to say. Not even the Sandaime was brave enough to tell them that they have gotten used to have too much power.
It amused her how Naruto was not afraid to simply call them ''advisor''. He had emphasized that word to remind them that they were mere advisors, not the ones in control of the village. Often they had been given too much power to the point that they thought they could run the village.
Even though sometimes Tsunade denied them whatever they wanted, she did not tell it like it was as Naruto did it. The blonde Hokage held more power in Konoha than Naruto did, but she failed to act where it mattered the most. She should be thankful that Naruto was present to do that for her.
Tsunade cleared her throat and looked at Naruto with a straight face, ''You may be correct that the Hokage does not have any authority over clan matters, but in this council I have authority. And I would appreciate it you would speak to me first before dropping a bombshell like this again,'' she said.
Naruto refrained from commenting. True, she had control over the council. But the Uchiha clan had been part of the council since its founding. She had no power to say otherwise. Also, before the massacre, the Uchiha clan still had their seat. After the massacre, nothing was done about the empty seat. They just continued on to live believing that no one would rise to take it.
''Koharu, Homura, Danzou, you three are the ones who pushed for these meeting to be held. You can get onto why you have called us all here at this time of the morning,'' this time Tsunade gave a slight glare at the elders for forcing her to wake up early. She hated morning meetings. Simply because they forced her to wake up at a time she refused to wake up at.
Danzou narrowed his eye at Naruto before speaking, ''First we want to discuss about Naruto's disappearance from the village,'' he said.
Tsunade decided not to say anything to allow Naruto to do the talking. He was the one who left the village and she had already spoken to him about it.
''What about it?'' Naruto questioned keeping his unreadable expression.
''What Danzou is trying to say is that we would like to know why you left alone without Jiraiya. We also question your method of leaving the village. We also like to know where you were during the past years,'' Homura listed as the council members listened.
''I left without him because I did not need him for my training. As your questioning of my method...well that's a question I cannot answer. As to where I was, I refuse to tell you,'' Naruto stated in a firm tone.
''This boy has no respect and clearly disregards of the way we do things,'' Homura said shaking his head. ''A child that does not listen to his elders does not deserve a seat in this council,'' he said. ''Last time we allowed you to leave without answers. This time we will get the answers, even if we have to get into your mind to do so,'' he stated calmly gazing at Naruto through his glasses.
Another glint of amusement passed through Naruto's face. Everyone saw it. Sasuke wondered how Naruto was going to get out of this one. So far, he was doing well and giving reasons that neither the elders nor clan heads could deny. Yes, Naruto was definitely more suited to deal with the council than him.
''That child who does not listen to his elders has more power than you advisor. Should I remind you that I am also head of the Uchiha clan, so if you continue to call me boy, you might have a displeased Uchiha clan,'' he paused for a moment. ''This matter also seems to bother you three advisors the most. I should have expected clan heads to be pressing the issue since they represent the shinobi council aside from their clans. But you are mere advisors and should keep advising the Hokage than questioning things that are not under your control,'' he said. He could see the glares and narrowed look he got from the elders. ''You make me wonder if you have other motives.''
''We are simply trying to get our shinobi under control as it seems you do whatever that you please,'' Koharu stated while Danzou simply decided to play it smart.
''Our shinobi? You speak as if you are the one who controls the shinobi in this village. Did you not read your employment contract when the Sandaime hired you?'' he paused for a moment. ''If you did, you would know by now that you have no shinobi under your control. Well except for one of you,'' that was Danzou. Everybody knew he had his Root ANBU under his control.
''Tsunade are you going to allow him to speak to us like this?'' Koharu questioned barely containing her anger.
Tsunade was wondering why Naruto was not simply telling them that he had already discussed the matter with her. It was unless he just wanted to screw with the elders. Well she could as well enjoy the show, they did wake her ungodly time.
Sasuke bent down and whispered to Naruto, ''you are enjoying this, aren't you?''
Naruto said nothing.
''This matter does concern us, especially if it has to do with village security,'' Danzou stated seeing that his fellow elders did not know how to respond.
''Are you suggesting that the Uchiha head clan is a threat to village security?''
''No, I am simply stating a fact,'' Danzou responded coolly.
''It seems to me you are saying that I am a threat to the village's security. I should be the one saying that to you Danzou, considering what you do underground.''
Danzou wisely chose to keep his mouth shut. If he asked something or what Naruto meant by that, the blond would have surely said something he liked to keep to himself.
''Are you going to answer the question or will we have to use force to get them?''
''You cannot get them even if you tried,'' Naruto said just to make it clear that they could not force anything out of him. ''Unfortunately you won't get to try since I have already handled the matter with the Hokage,'' he would have liked it if they tried to get into his head though. That was surely going to be amusing.
'He could have just said that from the beginning,' some council members thought.
''Is this true Tsunade?''
''Hokage-sama,'' Tsunade corrected with a glare. ''Yes, it is true. I have solved the matter with him. We talked about it yesterday along with Jiraiya.''
''Then do you mind sharing with us what you discussed.''
''Yes,'' that came as a surprise to everyone.
Shikaku was quick to get over his surprise. ''I believe if the Hokage has already discussed the matter, then we should not waste more time dwelling on it,'' he said earning nods from the other members.
Naruto 1, elders 0, Sasuke smiled.
''I agree with Shikaku,'' Hiashi stated.
Koharu scowled but said nothing.
''What is the other matter you called us for?'' Tsunade asked looking straight at the elders.
Danzou took his time before speaking, ''The Uchiha clan is nearly extinct. To make sure that we still have the Sharingan, we need to put these two under the CRA act so that they can breed more Sharingan wielders,'' he eyed the rest of the members to see their reaction. None seemed to object his saying. ''The Sharingan is a powerful tool. You all know that. We cannot afford to lose it,'' he finished his ''speech''.
''I have to agree with Danzou,'' Hiashi said. ''Recreating the Uchiha will also help cement Konoha's power as the strongest village within The Great Nations.''
Hiashi might have never liked the Uchiha, but he could not deny that they were powerful. He just hated that they insisted that their doujutsu was the strongest while it was clear that the all-seeing Byakugan was more powerful.
''Kumogakure has become strong ever since collecting two Bijuu's. We might have the Kyuubi, but soon they might try to challenge us. You all know that Kumo's Jinchuriki have control over their Bijuu's which makes them perfect weapons,'' Danzou added more weight to his earlier words. ''We don't know if our own Jinchuriki can control his Bijuu.''
Naruto and Sasuke just watched. Sasuke had no problems with getting himself married. He just hated the idea that they only wanted him to breed more weapons for them. He hated that kind of mentality. He was not some weapon for the village's use.
It sickened him how they could talk like that as if he was not there. They did not care if they could hear them or not. They were making it clear to them that they saw them as nothing but weapons.
Tsunade was interested in how Naruto would try to get out of this one. It was within the laws of Konoha for the elders to make such a request. It was also no secret that Sasuke desired to restore his clan, but Naruto? She could not tell. He did not seem to be the type to be interested in women or anything for that matter.
If it was her former teammate, he would have been dancing in joy at the idea. Being under the clan restoration act meant that he would have to marry a minimum of four women. Jiraiya would never miss a chance like that. He would certainly take up the offer at the chance to have his own harem.
She could picture him grinning like a mad man had he been the one in Naruto's position.
Looking at Naruto, she could see that his expression looked the same as he came, unreadable. She had stopped trying to figure out what was going on in his head some time ago. He was just impossible to read and always seemed calm over everything. He seemed to never lose his calm. She would have lost it if it was her the elders had basically called a weapon for the village.
Sasuke on the hand seemed to be barely containing himself. She could see the glare he was sending to the council members. His eyes were now like his fellow clansmen. Naruto always had his Sharingan activated. But Sasuke did not always have his activated. But since the council started talking about making him breed more weapons for them, he activated it.
She figured that he had done it unconsciously. His eyes were so much different from Naruto's despite being of the same in shape and appearance. Sasuke's eyes were glaring at the council members while the three tomoes spun furiously. But Naruto's was calm, they did not even seem to be looking at the clan members. He seemed to be looking past them. His eyes were controlled and held a background of power, great power.
''I think it will be best if we have them marry from our clans,'' Inoichi suggested.
''That sounds reasonable,'' the head clan of the Aburame stated. ''It is obvious that no one here clearly trusts Naruto-san. So if he were to marry from our clans, it would make healthy relationships between the Uchiha and other clans. This will also form attachments to the village. Before Sasuke also left to train with Kakashi, he was also one thought away from leaving the village for power. So if both of them marry from our clans, it would create attachments that cannot be easily broken.''
''...reducing the chance of betrayal.''
''Yes,'' Homura agreed. That was before he had realized that it was Naruto who had said the last part. The elder looked at Naruto carefully. He did not seem bothered by the fact that he was not trusted. 'No, he does not care if he was trusted or not'. He told himself.
Tsunade was surprised that Naruto could say that. She did not believe that he had said it just to add to the point that if he and Sasuke married from other clans it would have them more trusted. She also did not believe that he had said it to say, 'I understand what you are suggesting and I agree with it,' no that was no it, far from it.
If anything, he was just finishing what Shibi had not said in his statement. The words had nothing to do with how he was going to respond to the proposed CRA. It was like he wanted them to know that he understood the game of underneath the underneath and they could not fool him with it.
Naruto took the time to speak his thoughts. ''Since we are talking about the restoration of clans. It is my understanding that only clan members of a clan that is nearly extinct can be put under the act. If so, then should not the Hokage be put under the act?''
There was complete silence. Not even the elders were expecting that kind of question. Tsunade nearly had a heart attack upon hearing his words. She stared at him with unblinking eyes. She was the last of the Senju clan. If she were to die without a child then it would be the end of the Senju.
''You all know that she is the last of the Senju clan. The clan is nearly extinct. I know she is a woman and we cannot say that she should marry more than one husband. But she should not be single at this stage of her life. She should have been married a long time ago. Her children are the ones who will be placed under the CRA,'' Naruto added. ''The fact that you did not propose this when she returned to the village makes me wonder if you want the Senju clan to be extinct.''
He had not said that because he held love of the Senju clan, or anything. He knew that Tsunade would refuse something like that. Since her precious Dan died. She has not let a man near her. He had simply said it as any ''concerned'' clan head would.
The eyes of the council members turned towards the blonde Hokage. Tsunade stared back them, ''don't even think about it. It will not happen!'' he exclaimed firmly. ''And besides, I am no longer at an age where I can have children.''
''You may be at an advanced age, but that could only be a problem for a civilian. You are a shinobi and the greatest medical nin, you could fix up something,'' Naruto stated. Tsunade cursed Naruto and glared at him for shifting the focus towards her. She had an idea that he did not care about her clan. He was just enjoying himself. That was why he said it. He just wanted to see the council members dance around for his amusement.
'That brat, he is enjoying this,' she thought furiously. It was fun while he was doing it to the elders. They deserved it.
Looking at Naruto, you could disagree with Tsunade's thoughts. Naruto was calmly watching everyone with his unreadable expression. His eyes held no amusement. He did not seem to be enjoying himself.
Danzou had the same thought as Tsunade. Naruto was just screwing with them. He cursed the blond haired Uchiha. He was able to turn everything to his favor as well as for his amusement without using force, or the Sharingan. He simply sat down and spoke.
''That aside, regarding me, forget about the CRA,'' Naruto said making Tsunade sigh in relief that he was no longer continuing with his other subject.
''What?''
''You cannot force me into the act,'' Naruto stated simply. ''Under the same act, it says that you cannot choose who I marry. And it says that I must be 18 plus to be forced into the act. Under that age, I have to agree to do it. But in this case, I refuse.''
Danzou gritted his teeth silently. The blond was correct. They could not force him. But soon they would be able to do it. They just had be patient. ''You said ''with regards to me'', are you saying that you do not have the same thoughts as Sasuke?''
''Sasuke,'' Naruto said.
Sasuke nodded and opened his mouth. ''Yes, our thoughts differ on that. I am not saying that I will allow myself to be forced into the act. But I will probably marry before I reach 18...but let me make this clear,'' he paused intensifying his stare. ''You will not choose whom I marry. And you will not try to make my children weapons.''
''Sasuke you don't have to worry about that,'' Naruto said. ''They may be able to invoke their card about the CRA...but once your children are born they can't touch them since they will be protected under our clan. By the time your children reach our age they will probably be dead.''
The elders glared at Naruto for this. Was it a threat? They believed so. He could have just said it referring to their age. They had grown old and would not make much more years than they would like.
Tsunade sighed. That went better than expected. ''I believe that settles the matter,'' she said looking around the table to see if there was an objection. There was none. ''Good, let us move on to another matter then,'' she said looking at the elders.
Sasuke decided to call it a draw. Despite the fact that Naruto got what he wanted, he would still be forced into the act when he reached 18. For now, it was a victory for Naruto. However, it was not a loss for the elders either, hence the draw.
''I believe that we should put Naruto and Sasuke along with one of my Root in a same team to make our strongest team of shinobi that would rival the three Sannin's,'' Danzou suggested.
''Sharingan user's together eh? A team with only Naruto and Sasuke would become fearsome, probably even more than the Sannin's combined. That is taking into account what we have heard of Naruto's abilities so far,'' Shikaku said earning nods from the others.
''Were they not on the same team in their genin days?'' Tsume asked.
''They were,'' the Godaime replied. ''Though the team was always successful and was perhaps the best genin team we had, they never got along together. But I don't think that will be a problem anymore.''
''Then why don't you just reinstate the old team?''
''No,'' Danzou said putting his foot down. ''We need someone who can be able to compete with them. Not someone who will be burden to them. Despite the other former teammates growth, she is nowhere near their level. Putting her with them will only hold them back.''
Tsunade felt insulted now. Sakura was her student. She had the capacity to surpass her in a few years. For Danzou to cast her aside like that was insulting to her skills. ''And you have someone who can be compatible with them?'' she asked sarcastically not expecting Danzou to answer. However, the man answered her anyway.
''Yes,'' he replied calmly.
''That way you not only get to see what we can do, but you also get to keep an eye on us up close,'' that was no question it was a statement. Danzou did not need to affirm anything. Everybody knew it was the truth. ''No,'' Naruto said.
''That's not up to you but the Hokage,'' Naruto could see the small smirk on Koharu's face.
He chose to ignore her words and continued. ''But if you insist, I must warn you. I have become so used to working alone that someone working with me becomes in danger. I also become very excited in the face of a good fight that I can become reckless and start to throw jutsu's everywhere. Therefore, I might kill your agent accidentally while excited.''
Underneath the underneath, Naruto's words read like this, ''if you push it I will kill your agent and say it was an accident.'' Danzou understood that so did some of the clan heads who bothered to look underneath.
It was a threat, but the fact that Naruto did not use those exact words made it impossible for anyone to do anything. He could always deny it and say he never meant anything by his words. Even Tsunade understood that. She also knew very well that if Danzou pushed for it, his Root agent would be killed.
Naruto was bold to say something like that. Nobody would be brave enough to say something like that in front of the whole council. Tsunade suppressed a shiver at the thought of how things were going in Naruto's way. It was like he was just saying some magic words that played within their heads. She was no longer getting what she wanted. Even the elders were not having things go their way, but Naruto was.
The fact that he had stopped using logic and the law to defy the council, meant something different. He had used logic and the law to say no. But right now he had just used a threat. Even if they pushed for him to admit that he had threatened Danzou, he would never admit it. If he could, then he could be charged, since it was wrong threatening a council member.
She could see the answer he would give when asked if he was threatening Danzou, ''assume what you wish,'' and then he would shut his mouth and refuse to say anything further.
That changed things when she looked at him again. At first she thought he was just amusing himself. But now she thought otherwise. He had already insulted the elders. If anything, he just wanted to show the elders that there was nothing they could do to him. But he could get them, either with logic or threats.
And he was doing it all without lifting a finger or leaving something that could get him in trouble. Perhaps he might get in trouble with the elders since they obviously won't let this slide.
Yap...scratch that amusement part. He was simply showing his superiority to the elders.
''I don't trust Danzou's Root,'' Tsunade stated truthfully. Neither did the clan heads trust them. ''But I have a better suggestion. Naruto has proven himself to be capable to handling himself well. He is like Jiraiya in terms of power. However, if we want a team that will surpass the Sannin I suggest we put Kakashi in a team with Naruto and Sasuke.''
Three Sharingan users in the same team. That team would become famous than any other. They could become unstoppable. The team would just be what they need to put cement their status as the strongest.
''That sounds reasonable, I second that,'' Chouza said.
''Kakashi has worked with both of them. He has also trained Sasuke. Put into the team, he can work well together since he already knows them.''
''A strong team like that could prove useful and ensure that Konoha always succeeds when assigned dangerous missions.''
Even Koharu and Homura had to agree with that. Kakashi could be so much better suited for the proposed team than Danzou's Root agent. Of course, they were out of sink in thought with Danzou as he wanted to spy on Naruto closely. He did not care about anything else.
Tsunade nodded to the clan heads words. ''It will be, but I also think that this team should be reserved for dangerous missions-missions that our normal shinobi cannot complete.''
The other clan heads nodded. Danzou already knew he lost this one.
''They could be our elite team.''
''Good, since nobody has...'' she trailed off and looked at the two Uchiha. ''Do you have a problem with it?''
Naruto said nothing. ''No,'' Sasuke responded.
Tsunade smiled, ''since we all agree, I will do the paperwork for the team once this meeting is over,'' she said. ''Is there anything else?''
Koharu whispered something to Danzou, but the old war hawk shook his head silently. Naruto guessed it was about Karin. Surely someone like Danzou would be interested in getting his hands on her to see what was so special about her.
''Actually there is something else,'' Sasuke started getting eyes around the table to focus on him, except for Naruto's. ''I would like to have the Konoha Military Police Force reinstated...that is if it was disbanded after the massacre,'' he said.
''What?!'' elder Koharu questioned in a rather loud voice. ''That is unacceptable, we will not allow it!'' she stated firmly. She was not just about to give the brats more power than they already had. A seat in the council was all she could handle.
''The Military Police Force,'' one said. ''They used to be effective during those days. And they controlled the streets with force to ensure that everything worked smoothly.''
''Yes, they used to do their jobs well. That was before the Kyuubi attack, but after the Kyuubi attack the Uchiha clan lost trust in the village after they were suspected to have been the one's manipulating the Bijuu,'' Tsume stated that everyone else knew.
''But some hated them because they thought they were superior to everyone and their arrogance. They also did not allow none Uchiha's into the Military Force,'' Hiashi stated more like I used to hate them because they thought they were superior to my clan and refused to have my clan members into the Military Force. It did not matter if they were the ones that controlled the force. But to refuse his help had been unforgivable.
''It does not matter if they managed the streets of Konoha with much order or not. We will not allow the Military Force to be reinstated again,'' Homura stated firmly.
Danzou narrowed his eyes at the two Uchiha. He was wondering what they were playing at, what they had planned. He refused to believe that they would simply try to have the Military Force reinstated just for the good of Konoha.
'So this is something he wanted to talk about but said it had to wait for Naruto,' Tsunade thought. Now she knew that it was not Naruto's plan to begin with what Sasuke was proposing. He might have agreed to it, but he was not the mastermind behind the proposal.
''As the clan heads have said, the Military Force kept order in the village. Its usefulness is undeniable,'' Sasuke stated seeing that the elders were down with the idea.
''It does not matter what is said about the Military Force. Bottom line is that we will not allow it!''
''Why?'' surprisingly the question from a very calm looking Naruto.
''Last time this force was used as a power gain by the Uchiha. It resulted in more problems within the village. We will not make the same mistake twice.''
''Could you share how Uchiha used the force to gain power or about the problems that were caused by the Police Force,'' Naruto stated.
The others looked at the elders to hear their answer. Certainly, they were interested in their answer. They did not deny that the Police Force was useful in keeping order within the streets of Konoha and watching over the shinobi of the village.
The elders cursed but said nothing.
''To me the Police Force did nothing but strip the Uchiha clan of any real power within the village. You and I know very well that Tobirama had trust issues with the Uchiha. After Hashirama died, he created the Police force to keep the Uchiha in check and to strip them of any political power within the village despite the fact that they are one of the founding clans,'' Naruto explained the truth that the elders knew very well. ''You know this very well and yet you say that the clan used the Police Force to gain power. Is it that you just have something against us, advisors?''
''We have nothing against you ''boy'','' Koharu stated. ''But we refuse to give more power to a ''boy'' we do not even trust.''
''I do not trust you and always think that you are always plotting something against me, but despite that, I say nothing about the power you have. I can say that nobody in this room except you two, trusts Danzou. However, nobody says anything about his Root.''
The elders glared at Naruto.
''Each clan in Konoha contributes to the village with something or what they specialize in. We will contribute to the village by offering our power in maintaining peace within the village,'' Sasuke stated.
''Unlike Root which works underground doing who knows what, the Police Force works where everyone can see. Even the Hokage can see its operations. With Root, everyone is in the dark of what happens down there,'' Naruto spoke taking over from Sasuke.
''You have also made it clear that you don't trust us. By allowing us to run the Police Force we will get to show that we can be trustworthy by doing a fine job in keeping peace within the village,'' Sasuke paused for a moment. ''As Naruto said, the Police force was used to keep the Uchiha in check...while running the Police Force you can still see our movements within the village clearly than when we are within our compound,'' he concluded.
That was suitable or believable being said by Sasuke. For Naruto, no. Tsunade was sure that Naruto did not care if they trusted him or not. As long as nobody did anything to disturb him or get in his way he was fine with everything. Sasuke's reasons also seemed reasonable enough.
''Do you still object to the idea despite all that?'' Naruto questioned.
''Yes,'' Koharu said stubbornly.
''Well it does not matter what you think,'' Naruto stated shocking everyone. They really have to become used to responses like that.
''What are you saying?'' the elder asked with narrowed eyes.
''The council's job is to advise the Hokage in running the village. Not to make decision for the Hokage, correct?'' the clan heads nodded. ''But you have power when there is no Hokage, and in times of emergency you can overrule the Hokage subject to majority votes. The council can also overrule the Hokage if the majority do not agree with his/her decision. In this matter, The Police Force was made to exist by Tobirama as the Hokage, not his council.
''It is not for you to decide, but the Hokage as the leader of the Village and the one in charge of all Military forms in the village. So if the Hokage agrees with the proposal and my fellow clan heads agree with her, your thoughts matters not as they will overrule you with majority.''
That was spot on.
''You are forgetting that the Hokage has no control over the Military Police Force.''
''That is not entirely true,'' Naruto stated. ''The Police Force may be able to act on their own and judge shinobi they suspect of wrong doing, but the Hokage has control in all forms of Military force...except for Root which is not actually part of Konoha's military force,'' Naruto revealed. The Root that was part of Konoha's military force was disbanded by the Sandaime. So in Konoha's books, Root does not exist. The Root that exists now is Danzou's military force.
''That is given because they are the judicial organization of the village. So they act as law enforcers of the village. But the Hokage oversees everything. She may not control the force like ANBU, but she has certain rights within the organization,'' Naruto concluded.
''Tsunade tell me you are not going to agree with this.''
''I have to say that the Police Military Force is useful. And if it is to be reinstated, I support it,'' Danzou stated surprising everyone, even so the elders.
''What? Danzou you can't agree with this!''
Danzou remained quiet. His fellow councilors could be foolish sometimes.
''But if we are to reinstate the organization, we will have a problem since there are only two members of the Uchiha clan,'' Danzou said again.
'Oh so that is what he is after,' thought many who figured why Danzou would allow something like that to happen.
''Problem? You mean the issue of members for the organization?'' Sasuke asked. Danzou nodded. ''We were hoping that the Hokage could give us a few recruits,'' he said.
Before Tsunade could say anything, Naruto added to Sasuke's words. ''Have in mind that this time, we will accept shinobi from other members, more specifically shinobi from the Hyuuga clan. We will accept even genin's or chunins. You don't have to worry about losing your strong shinobi to the organization.''
''If you give us genin's and chunins, we will put them through training so they can meet the requirements for entering the Police Force,'' Sasuke said.
The two were just sweetening the proposal just to make it even more attractive. You could not possibly deny that they had thought this through.
Tsunade thought for a moment. If she allowed this to pass, she could be able to see their movements within the village. This will also reduce some work for her. So far, she had to deal with some things that if the Police had been alive, they would have dealt with it.
''So if we allow this, who will head the organization?''
''I will,'' Sasuke stated.
Tsunade nodded. Well that definitely confirmed it. It was Sasuke's plan to begin with. This made her decision a little bit easy than it would have been if it was by Naruto. With Sasuke, she trusted Jiraiya and Kakashi's judgment that he had changed for the good.
''Fine, I will draw up the paperwork and hand you files of shinobi you may want to recruit,'' Tsunade said seeing that the clan heads were in agreement.
Danzou smirked inwardly. Since he failed to get one of his to get teamed up with Naruto and Sasuke, he had thought of another plan to get his Root to monitor the two closely. Fortunately for him, the two brought the Police Force up. With this, he could easily sneak one or two of his Root into the police force.
This was even better that having one Root teamed up with them.
''Is there anything else you will need for the Police Force?''
''Yes, If it is acceptable, can you make mention of the police force to academy graduates. Should they be interested they can be given a chance to apply for recruitment. If we want them, we can take them and put them under a training program that Naruto and I will design,'' Sasuke said.
This will give anyone who wants to be at the police force a chance. The Uchiha knew how to sweeten up things. How could you refuse something that gave your shinobi plenty of opportunity to maintain peace and protect the village.
''That sounds good,'' Tsunade said.
''I have a question,'' Shikaku said. ''What kind of training will it be and how long will the training be?''
''I hope it is not like what Danzou does,'' Tsunade spoke with clear disdain.
''As Sasuke said, we will design the training program. You will see it once the program is completed. As for how long? It will depend on how fast a trainee learns. But the maximum time will be around two to three years for academy graduates,'' Naruto answered Shikaku's question.
''Is there anything else?''
''Yes,'' this time it was Naruto. ''There are two things actually. First, I want you to unfreeze the Uchiha and the Yondaime's accounts. The money will be useful in building Police Force HQ.''
''Why the Yondaime's?''
''It is mine, is it not?''
Tsunade sighed. She really did not understand Naruto at all. He refused to accept Minato as his father but claims what the man owned as his belonging. Perhaps he just wanted it now because he knew the money would be useful. If not, he could have claimed it long ago.
''Fine, but I cannot give you all the money at once. I will give you 25% of the Uchiha clan and 50% of the Yondaime's money. The rest will be paid back in monthly terms,'' Tsunade stated.
Naruto just nodded. He would take the Yondaime's money to Oto to help rebuilt. The 25% was enough to build Military Police Force quarters.
''What is the second thing?''
Naruto looked at the elders. ''Listen to me and listen very carefully because I will not repeat this; by the end of the day I want every scroll you have stole from the Uchiha burned.''
''What are you talking about Naruto? I ordered them to give Sasuke every scroll,'' Tsunade said with narrowed eyes. She would make them pay if they disobeyed her orders.
''And we returned every scroll.''
Naruto ignored that statement. ''They did, but made copies of certain scrolls that contained clan secrets. As every clan head would agree with me, we like clan secrets to be kept clan secrets.'' the clan heads nodded in agreement. They were called clan secrets for a reason.
''You fools you know something like that is punishable!'' Tsunade stated glaring at them.
''What prove does he have that we indeed made copies?'' Homura asked.
''Fine then, if you do not do as I say, the underground will crumble to dust after I set them ablaze with the black flames of Amaterasu,'' Naruto stated.
Now the elders knew that Naruto would not have made that claim if he was did not know that they had made copies. Considering his attitude, he would surely do as he said he would.
''Fine,'' Koharu said.
''By that you are admitting that you had made copies of Uchiha clan secrets,'' Tsunade said. The elders said nothing. ''This offence will not go unpunished.'' Tsunade turned to the rest of the council. ''Well I believe that is it...if there as nothing you are all dismissed except for you elders.''
Naruto was the first to stand up. ''If something like this happens again, I will either wipe out memories or terminate anyone found in position of Uchiha clan secrets ''illegally''. This so to preserve clan secrets, I do believe other clan heads will agree with me,'' he said and disappeared along with Sasuke.
After the clan heads had left, Tsunade turned to the elders, ''now, let us talk about your punishment...''
Uchiha compound
''That went better than I had anticipated,'' Sasuke stated as they entered their house.
''How did you expect it to go?'' Naruto asked walking towards the door. He opened the door and walked inside towards the kitchen.
''Well you made it so easy...we got what we wanted without giving away anything. You also managed to make enemies with the elders,'' Sasuke said.
''That just makes things interesting does not it?''
''Huh?''
''Today I showed the elders that I was superior to them and that I could challenge their arguments and stand victorious. I also insulted them,'' he paused and looked at Sasuke. ''But for what purpose?''
''You just wanted them to become your enemies?''
''They already hated me to begin with. I only gave them a push to make drastic decisions.''
''Why? I don't think someone like you would need to deal the elders in a more legal way,'' Sasuke stated knowing that if Naruto wanted to deal with the elders he would simply do it without a need for legal grounds to do it.
''Correct,'' he did not feel insulted by the words of Sasuke. That was who he was and he was proud of that. ''But this way is better. It will be interesting to watch their feeble minds try to figure out how to deal with me.''
''You know that they will fail. Is this for your amusement?''
''Perhaps, but I need something that will keep things interesting or I will become bored...''
Sasuke decided not to ask what the blond would do if he got bored. ''So what is this Root? I heard Kakashi and Jiraiya talking about it once. But never asked what it is.''
''Root is an elite organization of elite shinobi trained by Danzou. They operate underground and only take orders from him. He trained them that way. If there is an organization that dealt with dirty work, it is Root. The Sandaime disbanded it during his reign but Danzou did not,'' Naruto gave a short explanation. ''Danzou along with Homura and Koharu are people you cannot trust.''
''That is clear, by your obvious dislike of them,'' Sasuke stated.
''I will give you a more detailed file on Root; its founding and some of its operation for the Police Force. This will help you to deal with some of the matters within Konoha,'' Naruto said. ''You should go to Tsunade before end of day and take the paperwork she said she would draw. After that the Konoha Military Police Force should be back in business,'' Naruto stated standing up.
''Where are you going?''
''I am going to see Karin,'' Naruto responded. ''You go and see Shikamaru, he should be useful with the plans for the Police Force,'' he said and disappeared in a swirl of flames.
Sasuke sighed. Naruto always had the last word. The blond did not wait for him to give a reply. Well at least he was helpful with what he needed. Everything was on track now. He had no reasons to complain.
What he was left with was dealing with his traitorous brother.
Iwagakure
Ohnoki smiled silently as he looked at the recent report of his military force. One could never believe that the village had never actually recovered from its losses from The Third Shinobi World War. They had suffered too much loss that any other village. Most of it was thanks to that cursed Yondaime Hokage. But by the time he made them suffer, he had yet to become Hokage.
That son of a bitch became Hokage because of what he did to his forces. Ohnoki cursed the blasted blond haired Hokage.
Well it mattered not anyway. He was dead right now. And his village was almost at full power. His village had been avoiding conflicts with other villages while they rebuild and recovered from their losses. Things were now looking good.
But it was not only looking good for his village only, Kiri was also recovering from its recent civil war. Suna was also recovering from the major losses they suffered when they invaded Konoha with Sound. Kumo looked strong as ever. They had their two Jinchuriki's who had control over their Bijuu's.
His own Jinchuriki's were outside the village. Thinking of that, he really should have them return to the village. They were needed should something occur within the Elemental Nations. He could never deny that Jinchuriki's were villages secret weapons.
Ohnoki sighed, he knew that his Jinchuriki's were really stubborn and it would take much effort to get them to return to the village.
''Tsuchikage-sama,'' a monotone voice said sounding a bit tired.
Ohnoki looked up and saw the ANBU he had sent to investigate the Naruto matter, ''what did you find?''
''We found what seemed to be Orochimaru's hideout sir,'' the leader of the squad said.
''Did you find Orochimaru?''
''No, but we found one corpse and someone we believe to be Yakushi Kabuto. He was alive when we found him, barely though.''
''Where is he?'' Ohnoki asked looking forward to questioning Kabuto.
''We took him to the hospital. He won't be able to speak for a few days sir.''
Ohnoki nodded, ''what else did you find?''
''Nothing Tsuchikage-sama,'' the ANBU said. ''The hideout was empty, there were no scrolls or anything. Even the labs were empty.''
''Were you able to see if He was there?''
''Yes, he was indeed at the hideout. It also looks there was a fight.''
Ohnoki became silent for a moment. ''Go and inform squad Beta and Alpha of a mission...'' he then told them what their mission was.
''Hai,'' the ANBU's saluted and left the office.
While his village was recovering, Konoha was also becoming strong. That cursed village never tones down. They are always gathering more power. Whenever someone great from their village disappears another rises.
That Uchiha brat was after Orochimaru that was certain. Kabuto was Orochimaru's number two. He was always with Orochimaru, if the reports were true. That meant that Naruto was must have gotten to Orochimaru.
This explains why he was inside the Earth country. But that left a question. Why Orochimaru? It was done silently. Could it be that Orochimaru had something he wanted?
Regardless of what it was, he had to keep his eyes open. Kabuto would definitely give him some much needed Intel.
Konoha
Yugao walked silently with a broad smile on her face. Yes, life was good. She was quite happy. She did not know why, but she felt really happy. Her ANBU career was back on track, she was thinking of quitting though.
Working at ANBU never gave her much time to spend with her friends and enjoy her life a bit. She never felt the need to enjoy her life before, but now, she wanted to enjoy it as much as she could. She could retire from ANBU and just be a normal jounin of the village. She could spend much of her time doing what she wanted.
For as long as she could remember, she had been an ANBU operative. That was her life. She loved to do her job. Protecting the village from the shadows was the best she could do. She had been doing that for years now.
Perhaps now was the time for her to start living her life away from the dangerous life of ANBU.
''You seem happy,'' a voice spoke snapping Yugao out of her thoughts.
She looked up to see the red eyes of Kurenai. She then realized that she had reached her destination. She was to meet her friends for lunch.
''I know when a women smiles like that there is a hunky in her life,'' Anko commented with a wide grin.
Yugao sat down and looked at her two friends. They just stared at her until Anko decided to speak, ''so who is he?''
''What?''
''Duh! The guy who has you smiling like that,'' she said and turned to Kurenai. ''When was the last time you saw her smiling like that?''
''I don't really remember but it has been sometime,'' Kurenai responded with a thoughtful expression.
Before anyone could say anything, the waiter came and took their orders. Anko made sure to order a bottle of sake and dango. Kurenai and Yugao got themselves normal food.
Yugao looked at her friends for a moment. She never told them about her ''relationship'' with Naruto. In fact, she never got into detail about her interactions with him. She refrained from speaking too much about it with them. She wanted to keep her experiences with Naruto to herself at that time when she was explaining to them why she had been missing from the village.
Her friends often gave her glances. Anko made it worse by making sly comments just to get her to tell them what was making her happy. Well she succeeded in that.
''I am going out tonight,'' she said suddenly.
''I knew it!'' Anko yelled in victory with her fist raised.
''Like on a date?'' the genjutsu mistress asked with her eyes firmly on Yugao.
''I don't know...it might be...'' Yugao replied nervously under the gazes of her friends.
''Forget about that. Who is he?'' Anko asked wanting to know who the guy was. No man had ever seemed to get Yugao's interest before, so she was wondering who it was.
''Naruto.''
''You mean The Naruto?''
''Yes.''
A single word shut them up for a moment before, ''hahahahahahaha!'' Anko burst out laughing really hard. She stopped when she saw that Yugao was being serious.
''You are being serious, aren't you?'' she asked getting her laughter under control.
Yugao nodded. ''Is not he a bit younger than you?'' Kurenai asked.
''Screw age,'' Anko said. ''He is hot, that is all that matters. Even I would not mind riding him.''
Yugao and Kurenai simply stared at her, ''what?'' she said. ''Did you not see his picture in the latest Bingo book from the sound? I also saw him about an hour ago with a young red haired woman.''
'That had to be the girl I found at his apartment,' Yugao thought.
''Are you sure about this, Yugao?'' Kurenai asked. Her past encounter with Naruto was not so pleasant. If Yugao was intent on going out with him and they end up dating, things would really be uncomfortable. She just hoped that Naruto had forgotten about their last encounter. Yugao was her friend, they were definitely going to get to know him.
''That's not important,'' Anko exclaimed. ''How did it happen? I thought that the guy was gay.
''Naruto is not gay,'' Yugao defended her ''interest''. ''I thought that way at first. But after spending some time with him, I realized that was not it. If you ask him why he never shows interest in women, he will probably say, ''I have far more better things to do.''
The rest of the lunch went well. Anko was far more interested in learning more about Naruto. He might not be an ideal person to date, but Yugao wanted to give it a try. She did not care about their age difference. Age meant nothing in the shinobi world. It was just numbers nothing more and nothing less.
Still, she was curious about the red haired girl in Naruto's apartment. What was her relationship with him? She was dying to know the answer. She made it a point to ask him politely when she does see him tonight.