[Chapter Size: 2100 Words.]
Third Person POV
Konoha, Year 42.
...
...
There was a moment of silence that filled the entire place after the Hokage's declaration.
"Is he really going to do it?" Nawaki looked oddly at hearing that, still standing in front of Minato.
"He said he was going to retire. That doesn't mean he'll do it now." Minato scoffed. The Hokage would probably use the excuse that the village is in crisis at the moment.
Not that it was wrong, since in emergency situations a leader was needed. And many countries had their own martial laws, the Hokage would use that excuse to stay in power until there was no longer any threat.
"Hokage... you didn't answer our question... We want to know if we're going to let the Uzumaki clan be destroyed like cowards or if we're going to fight for them!?" Minato spoke again at that moment, breaking the whispers about the Hokage's possible retirement.
In fact, he didn't care about it at all. The Hokage would make many mistakes in a third world war and would have no choice but to retire for good. Now that Danzō was being criminalized even after death, he had put a rope around his neck for all who had heard about it.
"Your retirement is irrelevant at this moment, we want to know what the village's position will be regarding the Uzumaki crisis without mentioning the possible crimes of Konoha against the clan." This time it was Lord Nara who spoke with a calm tone.
"I can't decide that!" the Hokage then said.
"You're the Hokage. Of course you can!" Tsunade shouted at him angrily.
"I can't put the village in a war now that it's hanging by a thread from happening." He spoke in a more tired tone.
"War is inevitable now..." someone shouted.
"But is that what you all want?" Hiruzen's eyes turned to the ninja who lowered his head, knowing he didn't want to continue what had ended in the Second World War almost two years ago.
Minato saw the hesitation in many of the ninjas around them. Not that it surprised him much — after all, he knew there was a chance that the village itself, or the vast majority of Konoha's shinobi, didn't want to help the Uzumaki. Preferring to sacrifice them for a fragile idea of peace rather than fighting for their comrades.
"This is my proposal. As I said, I made many mistakes and I can't simply erase them. I will step down the moment using my hat to hold the village together is no longer necessary. A new Hokage will take my place." He began in a calm tone, seeming to be trying hard to appear in control.
"But I believe that this shouldn't depend solely on a decision of mine or Minato and his allies... I believe everyone should be involved in this. So I will let all of us make a decision on this." He began.
"On one side, we have Minato and his allies with a noble proposal to help an ally, but at the same time that means war, returning us to the scenario of the Second World War. Even though we're doing something many would want, we must think that there are still consequences." He ended as everyone seemed thoughtful, exchanging a few words with one another.
Then the Hokage continued. "Or, we can follow the plan — as sad as it is — and still preserve peace among ourselves and the nations, although according to Minato, I doubt that will be easy with Suna when their Kazekage is dead..." He said in a sad tone.
'This guy really has the nerve in a situation he created himself... Now he's acting all regretful when his schemes and Danzō's are exposed?' Minato couldn't help but mock internally.
"Does he really have the nerve to act like that...?!" Kushina was the one who complained furiously beside Minato.
"Seems like it... But there's nothing we can do about it now." Minato said, staring intently at the Hokage.
"He's shifting the responsibility of the next decision to the village as a whole..." Lord Nara analyzed in a grim tone.
"Yeah, and there's nothing we can do about that." Minato said. He had already said everything he wanted to about the Uzumaki situation — there was no use repeating the speech. He just hoped the village would make the right, though hard and courageous decision. Not the easy and cowardly one.
Minato would be disappointed in Konoha...
He didn't have Naruto's gift of Talk No Jutsu, but he had certainly done everything he could to change the Uzumaki situation.
If he truly wanted to build a better world, they would have to go through war and destruction — even Naruto faced many trials and thousands of sacrifices along the way to achieve peace, after all the nations had to face a common enemy, which was Madara and his schemes with Black Zetsu, who were still out there somewhere.
It was hard to admit, but Sasuke had been right — the only way to unite the Five Nations under the same flag and have them coexist would be by facing a common enemy... Minato had considered using Madara for that at certain times. Even though many people would die along the way.
But now wasn't the time to think about that. He had to deal first with what would happen to the Uzumakis, and leave those thoughts about Madara's scheme for the future.
Minato looked once again, shifting his attention from the Hokage to the surrounding ninjas — they seemed to be furiously debating about what to do or support.
"Minato... You know there's not much else we can do but wait for the outcome, right?" Minato heard Lord Nara say, as he nodded, knowing it was now in the hands of the village.
"The Hokage was clever here... And I can't say what the result of this will be." Minato said, knowing the ninjas were debating what to do.
"Yeah... We'll have to wait and see what our ninjas decide to do..." Was all he said.
Tsunade looked at Minato at that moment, narrowing her eyes at the blond.
'What are you planning to do... boy.' She knew Minato wouldn't stay still even if the village ended up going against the Uzumaki.
She couldn't help but feel a little worried — especially with her daughter being involved with Minato and willing to follow him wherever he went.
"If that's what you want, Hokage..." Lord Nara turned his attention to the Hokage once again, raising his voice for everyone to hear. "I don't think we can decide anything tonight..." He said.
"Yes... that's why I want to propose two days for us to think about what to do. We'll gather here again on that day and decide once and for all what the village will do." He said, while everyone seemed to agree.
It seemed that things had finally come to an end, although it wasn't the outcome Minato wanted, he had managed to reveal many things to the village. Danzō was truly dead, and he wasn't being accused of murder when he began revealing the evidence of his crimes.
"First of all, there is more evidence and experiments that Danzō was conducting. I would like a neutral group, with no connection to the Hokage, to analyze all of Danzō's other crimes. Because they are more extensive than what we discussed today." Minato said. While he had more evidence against Danzō, he wouldn't keep it to himself. After all, he had no interest in any of his foolish and failed experiments — the Mokuton had proven to be a failure with Hashirama's cells.
"We want justice for the Sharingans that Danzō acquired!" Mazu exclaimed angrily. "I want to be among those people, and I won't take no for an answer!" he said definitively.
"We can arrange that, Lord Uchiha." Hiruzen spoke, though he didn't seem pleased about revisiting more evidence against Danzō that extended to himself, but he had to agree.
"I would like to leave all the evidence with ____ Nara. He is certainly the best for this and will act neutrally. Even though he supported the idea tonight of helping the Uzumakis, he will be a fair judge." Minato said.
"I can agree to act as a judge," Lord Nara spoke as Minato threw three scrolls toward him.
"These are everything I took from Danzō's base — schemes, research, and data," he said, while Nara nodded and stored the scrolls.
"We'll start this tomorrow, if that's okay with you, Hokage." Lord Nara turned to the Hokage.
"I think we could do that after the village's decision..." one of the elders behind Hiruzen spoke.
"Are you afraid Danzō's crimes will influence the village?" Minato asked in a dissatisfied tone. "I believe everyone should know who Danzō Shimura truly was, don't you think?" Minato asked, while everyone seemed to agree with his words — everyone except Danzō's own clan, who looked at Minato as if they wanted to kill him.
They were boiling with rage, but Minato merely mocked them.
"I suppose so." With all the glares of anger and disappointment directed at them, the Hokage just accepted the proposal.
"I believe with that, we can return to our homes. We'll discuss everything that happened starting tomorrow. The most important thing is for Konoha to remain safe." Hiruzen said in closing.
"Wait!!!" someone shouted from the crowd.
"Lord Hyuuga?" Hiruzen saw the clan's patriarch appearing in the building with other elders.
"We want something!" he said, pointing at Minato. "You have a member of the branch family with you who assaulted several members of our clan tonight! We want her punished, because this is unforgivable!" he shouted at Minato.
He was furious — after all, Hanabi had confronted the main family and beat them up. He knew this wouldn't be taken lightly within the clan, but Minato mocked him — Hanabi was under his protection, and she wouldn't be harmed.
"I don't care about your complaints. Hanabi is not your property." Minato mocked the clan leader.
The man clenched his teeth.
"You have no right to decide anything! You did something to her seal to attack us when it was activated... I swear we'll find a way around this!" the Hyuuga leader said, and Minato's gaze turned dark in the silence of everyone.
The Uzumaki clan discussion had already ended, but no one seemed willing to move as a new conflict between Minato and the Hyuuga clan seemed to be starting.
"Very well," Minato said, forming a hand seal. Someone appeared in front of him at that moment.
"Hm?!" Hanabi, caught by surprise, immediately looked at Minato, a bit confused while she was at a distance with the Senju clan she had been protecting.
"It's over. You can even release your summoning if you want. Either way, I want to make a few things clear to your clan tonight." Minato began, touching her shoulder.
Hanabi looked at the clan leader near the Hokage and narrowed her eyes. There was rage directed at her, but she merely narrowed her gaze, unfazed.
"Let me tell you a secret, Leader Hyuuga." At that moment, Minato couldn't care less about anyone in the village. He knew they could all cower and choose peace.
"The attacks you received when activating Hanabi's seal back then — that was me." he said, touching his girl's shoulder beside him.
"What?! What do you mean by that?" The Hyuugas were stunned.
"I placed a triggered Raijin seal in her forehead seal. Every time it was activated, it would send a signal to me. I'd teleport and act so fast none of you could even see me moving while I kicked and punched you." Minato said.
It took a few seconds for them to understand, while others stood there stunned. Be they enemies or allies.
"You did that?!" the leader growled, and in the next moment, brought his hands together trying to activate the seal on Hanabi's forehead.
He expected to see the girl in pain, but she stood there beside him, as if nothing had happened.
"You know, the Hyuuga clan had great potential, but your traditional laws — wanting one side of the family to serve the other, your inflexibility to try new things, new paths... They've placed you beneath other clans." Minato said with a hint of disappointment. He hated enslavement, and the Hyuuga clan was even worse for doing it to their own kind.
"What's going on? What did you do to her seal?" the leader exclaimed as Kushina raised an arm and removed Hanabi's forehead protector.
When revealed, everyone saw her skin was clean — there was no sign of the caged bird seal there.
After all, Minato, Kushina, and Tsuna, being masters of Fūinjutsu, had removed it almost a year ago.
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