A strange new life [Naruto FanFic]

Way back then when the Hokage mentioned a meeting with the council, the first image that popped into my head was something like House of Lords meeting chambers: a tall, grandiose hall, full of seats where observers could watch and judge and participate.

It ended up being nothing like my expectations.

The meeting wasn’t in the tower, and from the looks of it, also not a public affair. I couldn’t bring the people whom I convinced to support me. It wasn’t that kind of meeting. Instead, I had to get from them letters of endorsement or confidence. It smelled of bull.

Ino wanted to join the meeting. “But what if they want to, I don’t know, keep you captive and you have to flee?” She held the hen of my shirt, tight in white-knuckled grip.

“That might happen,” I agreed. Before she could say anything else, I held out my hand. Out popped a beacon. I placed it on her hand, then I also gave her my prepared supplies. “If I do, I’ll come find you.”

I had packed all my tools, seals, and food for months.

“You promised,” Ino said, staring at the kunai.

“I won’t leave you behind,” I said.

I wasn’t prepared for violence, but to flee. If in the end I couldn’t be free of their influence, then I’d have no other choice than to leave home and strike out on my own. Karin was also aware of my plans, and if I left, she wanted to follow. No words convinced her to stay in Konoha, which ended with both her and Ino ‘training’ in field three.

Pretty sure if there were someone watching, the pretend training wouldn’t be hard to see through, but the gesture warmed my heart.

I wore my new shinobi gear and flak jacket for the occasion; it was official business, after all.

Shisui and Nara Shikaku led the way. Despite not being allowed into the meeting proper, Kiyo-Obacchan and another grandpa I didn’t know followed us into the residence, ignoring the stern shinobies guarding the place. We entered the building.

Before going toward the meeting place, Kiyo-Obacchan grabbed me in a tight hug, even tousled my hair.

“Show those ‘codgers’ who they’re messing with,” she said, voice full of mirth at the codger word. I might have let that one slip one or two times.

The two grandpas made themselves comfortable in the reception room, and after that, I followed Shisui and Shikaku through a reception hall and headed toward a small room tucked in the back. 

The room had bare wooden walls and a blue tatami floor. In the center stood a table with gold tones, surrounded by four couches: two single-seaters at either end, and two larger ones along the sides, each able to seat two people. The couches were upholstered in dark red leather, with armrests decorated in the same golden shade as the table.

The two codgers were already inside.

Shisui took a position at the head of the table. Nara Shikaku sat on the opposite end. I walked inside, closing the door behind me. I sat facing the councilmen. Papers and reports were placed on top of the table. I glared at the two. Koharu ignored me, Homura glared back.

We had barely exchanged glanced accusations when the sliding door opened.

Kakashi-sensei walked inside, gave me an eye crescent smile.

“You weren’t invited,” said Homura.

Kakashi-sensei waved, uncaring. “Don’t mind me, I’m just here to keep my cute chunin company.” He didn’t sit, instead he leaned against the wall, from where he could see the whole room.

I wanted to get up and hug the man. I mean, wow, that was so cool. He gave me another eye crescent smile, a nod. I nodded back.

“Thank you all for coming,” Shisui said, bringing us back to the moment. “We’re here to address a few concerns regarding Hinata.” There were nods all around. He turned to the councilmen. “Councilmen Homura and Koharu, supported by several families and clans, raised a list of concerns.

“Shikaku,” he said, turning to the jonin commander, “Can you list those concerns so we may address them?”

Shikaku took a paper from the pile and started reading—and reading, and reading.

Some of the things in the list didn’t even make sense. It was like they’ve been following me my whole life, taking notes and finding faults.

Leaking secrets, destabilizing allies, betraying my team, espionage. Accusation after accusation flew at me.

“When have I leaked village secrets?” I interrupted. That one didn’t make any sense.

Koharu had one paper in hand, maybe following along with the accusations? She was the one who answered.

“You’ve sold village secret knowledge for money.”

“I didn’t,” I said. “This is a baseless accusation.”

 Homura fixed his glasses in place. Started reading a list of ‘transactions’. It clicked then. They were talking about me selling storage seals to the merchants.

“The Third Hokage entrusted you with fuinjutsu knowledge, and you gave it to civilians, who in turn sold it to other villages.”

I scowled. “No one told me I couldn’t sell that.”

“Ignorance doesn’t absolve you of guilt.”

What the hell. I’ve been selling my seals for years. It was my go-to for a tiny bit of extra money while still at the academy. Baking ingredients were expensive, after all.

Each item was more ridiculous than the last until I had to interrupt again.

“I haven’t leaked any confidential information.”

Koharu sighed; she sounded exasperated. “The mission to find Orochimaru’s base was a classified one, and you’ve been telling everyone you meet about the details.”

I opened my mouth. Closed it shut with a snap. It hadn’t even occurred to me that I couldn't talk about it. I was so relieved because I was back and with friends that I forgot.

Shisui spoke on my behalf. “Those were extenuating circumstances,” he said, looking at me and Shikaku. The jonin commander took the hint.

“The mission left its classified status once we received the full report from Yamato and Hayase.”

Homura shrugged. “She didn’t know, thus she still acted with the intent to leak secrets.”

Kakashi chuckled. “Are we to act on what ifs now?”

The accusations went on until it started to veer into the absurd. I was being accused of inciting trouble with allied villages, by bringing Karin to Konoha, and ‘demanding’ she stay, instead of shipping her back to Grass.

“Saving an allied shinobi is now a crime?” I asked.

Homura answered me. “We would commend you, if that was what you had done.”

I rolled my eyes. “What did I do then?”

Koharu took a different set of papers, placed on the table. It passed around until it reached me. It was a series of reports. Sai’s reports about me. The paper didn’t look new, like it had been handled a lot of times already, even if that didn’t mean anything.

The report was a list of concerns. Sai was concerned about my motives for joining the mission, and my constant attempts to “be friendly” and make him lower his guard. He also reported about my reaction when we found the lab, and my insistence on destroying the evidence. His last report was that he was afraid I was suspecting him for some reason.

“This is bull,” I growled.

“Is it?” Homura said, fixing his glasses again.

“What? You think I attacked Sai? Why would I do that?”

“Why, indeed,” Koharu said. “You’ve escaped an ambush that almost killed one of our best jonins. You managed to ‘save’ an allied shinobi, only to bring her here instead of sending her to Grass. Your actions put Yamato in the crossfire of the whole Kirigakure civil conflict.”

Homura glanced my way. “You have nothing to say?”

I growled, not sure what to say. “I didn’t.”

Homura scoffed.

“There is no evidence she orchestrated her capture,” Shikaku said, looking again at the reports. “These reports from Sai, where did you get them from? They weren’t delivered to the Intelligence Department.”

Homura just shrugged. “He was afraid you’d disappear his reports, and send them to me instead.”

They weren’t even trying to be subtle about things. Fucking hell.

Shikaku stopped, picking up another piece of paper. I could see the disbelief in his face. “Instigating turmoil between two noble families, the Uchiha and Hyuga, by seducing the Uchiha’s heir to put them in direct opposition to the Hyuga clan.”

Shisui’s face was a blank mask. Kakashi-sensei, by the door, chuckled. “Don’t forget to send me an invite to the marriage, Hinata-chan.” 

The sarcasm in his voice was thick.

I blinked, then I laughed. I couldn’t stop it. This was just dumb.

The two councilmen didn’t seem bothered by my reaction.

Homura took out one more piece of paper. “We have evidence she knows secrets that can endanger the whole village, but has been keeping them to herself.”

That shut me up real quick. What were they on about? Had they somehow learned the things I told Ino?

Their evidence was reports from the intelligence department. A detailed recounting of the story I told them when I was five, all the holes in that story, as well as observational logs from ANBU squads, Ibiki, Inoichi, and Aobe with cold reading reports between body language and other evidence of lies and more.

I scowled. What the hell was this?

“Those are confidential reports, dismissed by the Third Hokage,” Shikaku said. His face was serious.

Koharu spoke next. “Lord Hiruzen was an excellent Hokage,” she said with a slight nod, “but he’d grown soft in his late years. He was the reason no action was taken when she was found, even despite all evidence.”

She turned to me. “If she’s not a clone, she’s partially responsible for his death.”

“What?” The question escaped me before I could stop.

“Orochimaru used the stolen Byakugan to bypass most of Lord Third’s defense and deal a killing blow,” Homura said.

“I’m guilty now of being kidnapped?” I growled out. Fuck these codgers.

Homura glanced my way. “It’s a clan’s responsibility to protect and make sure their bloodlimit is not used against the Land of Fire.”

And since I was clanless, then I was guilty of ‘not stopping’ Orochimaru from using the Byakugan to hurt the old man. Conveniently, since I wasn’t part of the Hyuga clan anymore, that didn’t apply to them.

Homura straightened. “She should be contained and interrogated. Like it should have been done seven years ago, when she was found.”

Shisui shook his head. “There’s no real evidence she’s a spy, or is acting against Konoha. Her actions in the past seven years have been exemplary, and in line with any other loyal shinobi from Leaf.”

Koharu shrugged. “It doesn’t matter,” she said, looking at everyone in the room. “Others agree with us. The Hyuga, the Akimichi, the Inuzuka, and many other families agree she shouldn’t be allowed to remain free.” 

She pushed over the table a list with many names and clans.

I took my list. 

“This isn’t a popularity contest,” I said, fed up with everything. “There are just as many who think you’re the ones out of line.” I looked at Shikaku and Shisui, who gave me nods. “Nara, Yamanaka, Hatake, Uchiha,” I counted off. “Even merchants agree you’re going too far.”

Koharu rolled her eyes. “The same merchants you sold our village secrets to?”

That sparked a different debate. The Hyuga supporting the decision wasn’t unexpected. I tried to kill the clan leader, and even had the eye. But Akimichi and Inuzuka? I liked Choji and Kiba, I thought they were friends.

I didn’t have time to dwell on that either. I felt a crowd approaching the residence, then walking inside. Many, many chakra signatures. All strong, jonin level or more. Almost a dozen jonin. My head snapped into that direction. I got up, looking at the door.

The discussion stopped.

Kakashi-sensei looked at the door, then at me. “What is it, Hinata-chan?”

My fingers flew, messages sent in a way the codgers wouldn’t be able to read. Shinobi, approaching, strong, many.

Kakashi-sensei took a step away from the door, watching it warily.

I wasn’t sure what to do. Should I flee? By the looks of things, Shisui and Shikaku didn’t agree with what they wanted, but what if they didn’t have the necessary pull to ignore all the other families? Which I thought was bullshit. Shisui was the Hokage, what the hell.

I took too much time to decide.

The door slid open, and in entered a veritable army of dangerous-looking shinobi escorting a single man. He had small, circular eyes with dark pupils, wearing what looked like a fan decorated with flame symbols as a headpiece. The man even had a fan in his hand, open in front of his face, covering his mouth.

Everyone got up and bowed. I did the same.

“Lord Daimyo,” Shisui said.

The man closed his fan, looked around the room. “What is this?”

It was Homura who answered. “There have been concerns about the security of our village, Lord Daimyo. We’re discussing how to solve it.”

I raised my head a little, watched the people around. I saw a blob of pink behind the whole army of shinobi, heard a familiar yowl of a tortured cat.

“Which concerns?” Daimyo asked dismissively.

Both councilmen exchanged glances. “There’s reason to believe she’s a spy trying to infiltrate our ranks,” he said, gesturing to me.

The Daimyo turned my way. “Girl,” he said.

I snapped up, saluted. “Yes, my Lord.”

“Are you a spy?”

“No,” I squeaked.

“Do you plan to betray the Land of Fire?”

“No,” I said, more firmly this time.

The Daimyo looked at one of the people in his entourage who gave him the smallest of nods.

“There, she’s innocent,” said the Daimyo. “Why are you wasting your time with this when there are bigger concerns? What about Iwagakure’s attack? And what are you doing about that city that was destroyed recently?”

I saw faces change. Shisui still looked calm, but there was a hint of amusement in his eyes. The councilmen looked like they had swallowed a lemon. Shikaku was still his serious self, organizing papers.

The meeting got hijacked by the Daimyo wanting to discuss war. I stood there frozen, watching the two codgers scramble to answer the questions and propose plans to deal with future events.

Kakashi’s gentle hands held my shoulders, led me outside, away from this whole other meeting. I was still a bit numb from all the whiplash.

Outside the room, chubby arms smushed me against pink bosom and a dishevelled cat.

“I told you hubby would take care of it,” Madam Shijimi said.

Sensei just chuckled again.

“Thank you,” I croacked out, still bewildered.

This counted as my win, right?

Oh, I knew it was far from over. Some of those accusations might as well stick, even if the troublesome ones might not. It was a battle won, not a war. To get those out of my hair, I’d need to deal with the root of the problem. Their rhetoric reminded me a lot of Danzo, which only confirmed for me that the two codgers were just figureheads.

But this, at least I hoped, gave me some time to breathe and plan, and hopefully, find Tsunade and get her to help me disable the ticking bomb.