We were back home... Haaah. Finally! Home sweet home. And Mom's cooking. Oh yes, that will be the crown jewel of this day, wolfing it down before sleeping in my own bed... Haaaah! I already knew it the moment we walked through the village's gate that it would be my favorite moment of the day. After weeks of traveling, spying, infiltrating behind enemy lines, and stealing fishing boats... Then fighting an invasion, nearly killing myself, I needed a moment of leisure. Just me, and peace. I think I have earned at least one day where nobody asked anything of me.
I closed my eyes, almost starting to smile while inhaling Konoha's familiar air, when I bumped into Minato, who stopped right before me. Huh? What now? When my eyes opened again, I realized what... because Fugaku stood several meters away from us. Oh fuck me... Really? I guess it's not about work, because he was dressed in dark Uchiha clothes rather than a Police uniform, his arms folded inside his sleeves with an unreadable expression, but clearly here for us. I mean... for me.
"You manifested him." Minato whispered, "I just know it."
"I didn't do anything!" I moaned again, pointing a finger at his nose. "You jinxed me."
"Khm," Fugaku's eyebrow rose, stepping closer to us, clearing his throat. "Am I interrupting something?"
"No, Chief," I answered with a shrug, while he gave a nod to Jiraiya, clearly conveying that I was going to be whisked away.
"We need to talk, Renjiro. Come with me."
"Chief," My shoulders dropped, trying without believing in succeeding, "I just arrived. I haven't even gone home, and my parents probably think I'm dead."
"They know you're alive; everyone does." He answered while Jiraiya-sensei just looked on, somehow satisfied by my defeated tone and expression.
"My mother has probably prepared food." I continued, but got cut off at once.
"She has, and the quicker you come with me, the quicker you can get back home to taste it."
"How do you know?" I asked, blinking my eyes in shock.
"I spoke with your father this morning."
"Tell Sensei the Chief kidnapped me," I said, pleading with Minato, making Jiraiya roll his eyes because he was standing right next to us.
"Just go already."
"If I don't return, tell my mother I died heroically!" I wailed as I was magnetically dragged after Fugaku, who was already leaving.
Of course, Fugaku said almost nothing during the walk; why would he? No wonder Sasuke was such a brocon, because if this is the love he got from daddy, then I am not envious of him at all. My mind, to battle the silence, was dwelling on what the Uchiha district looked like. I was also wondering if the Uzumaki's new quarters would be similar to how ours looked and felt after Kyūbi's attack. I guess it's still under construction... Ah. That explained why there was such heavy traffic on our way back.
What was also surprising was that several clan members stopped what they were doing when we passed and looked at me. Some even nodded at me... Huh... That's... new. A woman I had never seen before also whispered something to her husband before both gave me a small bow. No. No, no. Don't bring that Savior shit here too! So, just smiling like an idiot, I increased my pace until I was beside Fugaku, trying not to look at anyone specific.
"How much do they know?" I asked, whispering.
"Enough news had spread..."
"So, um, everything?"
"Obviously."
"Ugh..." I shrugged, wanting to really go home now.
"They also know," He added, "That the Uzumaki call you the Savior of the Whirlpool."
"Oh boy..." I groaned.
"Why the long face?" He asked suddenly, actually smiling, "Your performance reflects well on the clan, and what happened is not a negative."
Huh... So I'm not in trouble? I was amused, but it disappeared the moment I stepped through the entrance to his home, because there were too many sandals at the door. So... it's clan business. When we walked deeper inside, Mikoto met us in the hallway, smiling at me.
"Renjiro-kun."
"Mikoto-sama," I answered, bowing my head.
"Dear," She stepped aside, talking to her husband, "They're waiting."
When Fugaku opened the door with a nod of his head, I saw the same group as before. Hano sat with his arms folded, looking as tired as ever, while Kanna sat beside him in her Police uniform. Apparently, she was yanked out of active duty to come here, and her gaze immediately fixed on me. Reiho was there too, just as old as before. Maybe he died sitting in that spot... Ah, no, no, scratch that, he breathed. He is still amongst the living. As for the others, Shunpei sat closer to Fugaku's side of the room than last time, while Tetsuma, at the opposite end, wore a constant scowl. Probably the only unhappy one in the entire village.
I couldn't help it; I just smiled at him while I looked at his palm, noticing the scar, making me grin even more. That was such a clean fling, leaving the mark at the dead center of his hand. I'm a proper sniper!
"Don't." Fugaku didn't even look back at me while whispering.
"I didn't say anything," I muttered back, but he said nothing more.
Behind us, Mikoto slid the door shut and took her place, leaving me standing in the middle again. Was this another questioning committee? Oh boy, I have a strong sense of déjà vu.
"Renjiro Uchiha." Reiho was the first to speak, and I wasn't really in the mood for this charade.
"Reiho Uchiha." I nodded back.
"Welcome home." She said slowly. Oh... Well... Um... Thanks? "You did well."
"Thank you," I said it out loud this time around.
"Very well," Kanna added, and okay, this was super suspicious now. So, this is about... praising me? And that couldn't have waited for later?
"Renjiro," Fugaku said when he sat at the head of the gathering, but finally, someone decided to blow before I could receive another compliment.
"This is unacceptable!"
There we go! I just rolled my eyes while looking at the man, the myth, the legend, Tetsuma himself.
"Of course," I muttered, not even masking my voice.
"What?" His eyes narrowed at me.
"Nothing." I shrugged, not wanting to cause another fight.
"Then keep your mouth shut until spoken to."
"..." I looked at Fugaku, telling him that if he didn't shut him up, in the end, I would. Again.
He gave no reaction... We were doing this again...? Are you sure about that? I felt my temper rising already, especially when Tetsuma continued.
"We have all received reports of what happened in Uzushiogakure... And of your behavior before the Hokage. You invoked the Uchiha name without authorization!"
"I am an Uchiha." I shot back, still somewhat calmly.
"Do not play games!" His voice rose even more. "You stood before the Hokage and foreign clan leadership and implied that our clan suspects one of Konoha's highest-ranking officials of criminal conduct!"
"Doesn't it?"
Tetsuma's face tightened, especially after the silence... Was I supposed to pretend? I wasn't going to.
"You had no authority to speak for us." He said through gritted teeth. "You even told them the Uchiha cannot investigate Danzō Shimura!"
"Can we?" I asked back once again, without batting an eye.
"You—"
"Enough." Fugaku finally said it, and Tetsuma stopped ranting, a vein bulging on his neck, while Fugaku looked toward him. "Continue without shouting."
"Renjiro is a Chūnin." He said after a deep breath. Oh my, are we using ranks now? "He is barely old enough to sit in this room. He was permitted into these discussions because you believed hearing the younger generation might be useful." He was now looking back at Fugaku and saying things like that... Really? Oh boy, someone is losing his grip on the situation! Naturally, he wasn't done ranting yet. "And now he has taken that privilege and used it to speak for the entire Uchiha clan before the Hokage and the Uzumaki leadership. This cannot go unanswered! If every child with a Sharingan starts invoking our name whenever he has an opinion—"
"Child?" I asked, interrupting him, just as Fugaku's eyes snapped toward me, so I shut up for now.
"He should be removed from these meetings until he understands what authority means. At minimum!" Tetsuma added, still raising his voice at the end, pointing at me. "His access to restricted clan matters should also be reconsidered. And," Tetsuma added after a momentary pause, "he should formally apologize to the Hokage for dragging the clan into his personal suspicions."
Nope. Not happening. I opened my mouth, but Fugaku beat me to speaking.
"No."
"What?" Tetsuma blinked at the answer that was forceful and simple, making me smile.
"No," Fugaku repeated, and he didn't raise his voice, and he didn't even look angry. "Renjiro will not apologize."
"But..." Tetsuma stared at him. "Fugaku—"
"He will not be removed from these meetings either." He continued, looking at me instead of Tetsuma.
"He exceeded his authority!" Tetsuma yelled again, so Fugaku finally looked at him one more time, slowly blinking.
"Did he?"
"Yes!"
"What precisely did Renjiro do that harmed this clan?" Fugaku leaned slightly forward now, his question directed at Tetsuma.
"He—"
"Did his actions weaken our standing?"
"..." Tetsuma's mouth closed without having anything to say to that.
"Did he reveal a clan secret?"
"No, but—"
"Did he offer another clan authority over us?"
"No."
"Then what did he do?"
The exchange was quick and ruthless, so much so that Tetsuma's nostrils flared at the end, finding the last straw he could grab onto.
"He spoke without our permission, mentioning things that shouldn't be public!"
"..." Fugaku's expression became glacial after hearing that. "Weren't you pushing me to say the same things openly before Renjiro joined our circle?"
Oof. That's gotta hurt! Man, you suck at this game, Tetsuma. Heh! This was so fun, so I remained very, very quiet. Please, do continue! This was better than television.
"While we were here discussing whether the Police Force had enough political authority, Renjiro was uncovering a coordinated attack by three Great Villages." Fugaku continued, now scanning the others in the room, "And because of those actions, the Uzumaki clan survived, relocating into Konoha. Besides us, the Uzumaki are one of the oldest shinobi clans still alive in the world." Fugaku said in a firm tone as his gaze swept across everyone, stopping at each of them so they understood it. "They are related by blood and history to the Senju and have been allied with Konoha since its earliest days." It was then that his eyes landed on me. "And they now regard an Uchiha as one of the principal reasons their children are still alive."
"..."
"..."
This time, there was silence even from Tetsuma, right until he flinched when Fugaku looked at him again.
"You say he used our clan name?"
"Yes," he answered, but only after a momentary hesitation, not wanting to let go of it. Damn man, you are an idiot.
"Okay, I agree." Fugaku nodded to my and everyone's surprise, but the momentary happiness in Tetsuma's eyes was short-lived. "He improved it. He placed the Uchiha beside the Uzumaki at the moment that clan began its new life inside Konoha. How many years of negotiation would it have taken us to earn that kind of goodwill? How many gifts? How many political concessions? Not to mention the influence of the other clans inside the village."
Oh man, Tetsuma didn't have an answer to any of those questions, and I was finding it hard to hold back my laughter.
"And then there is Danzō." Fugaku continued, and his expression darkened a lot. "I do not trust Danzō Shimura; none of us does. It wasn't a lie that the Police Force has encountered his interference repeatedly." He continued, and only he and I knew the information had never really been given to me... But he wasn't asking how I knew and played it off as if he was the one who told me everything. "And Renjiro did something we have been unable to do, and he did it without presenting our clan as enemies of Konoha. Wasn't this what we all were arguing over before?"
"He asked the Hokage to investigate..." Tetsuma still tried to find issues, which in turn only resulted in Fugaku's eyes narrowing. "We all know it won't yield any results. And! He still had no authority to speak for us."
"..." The way Fugaku looked at him, blinking very slowly, made the hair stand up on my back. "Then I give it to him."
What? My head snapped toward him when I heard that, and I saw how Tetsuma froze. So did everyone else, and even Mikoto turned fully toward her husband, surprised. What will I get? Huh? But I couldn't ask because Fugaku was now looking directly at me.
"Renjiro."
"Uh..." Shit. Very intelligent response, Renji. Good job. "Yes, Chief?"
"From today onward, when matters concerning the Uzumaki clan, Danzō Shimura, or the security relationship between the clan and village leadership are to be discussed, you will sit with us, and it will be under your oversight. I will trust your decision in these matters."
"..." Tetsuma's face twisted like he just bit into a massive shitcake. "Fugaku, you can't be serious!"
"You will be silent." He snapped at Tetsuma so quickly and forcefully that the man shrunk down to the size of a toddler.
"Chief, I—" I began, but he raised a hand.
"I'm not finished. You have demonstrated an ability to see threats others can't or just disregard. When the time for action arrives, you have also shown enough capability that nobody in this room can reasonably dismiss you based on your official rank. And," Fugaku added at last, glancing at everyone else, "whether anyone here likes it or not, you now possess influence outside this clan."
"No!" Tetsuma stood suddenly. "This is madness! He is a child!"
"..." Fugaku looked up at him, and this time, his Sharingan was on. "Then show me an adult who accomplished more." In the end, Tetsuma did sit back down, breathing so heavily I thought he was having an asthma attack. I almost pitied him. Almost. "Do not mistake what I am saying." Fugaku continued, slowly dispelling his Sharingan. "Renjiro does not command this clan, and he does not speak with unlimited authority. If he damages the clan through his recklessness, I will discipline him personally, but when he speaks on matters I have placed within his responsibility, I will listen. You all will listen. You may disagree," Fugaku added directly at Tetsuma. "You may argue even, but none of you will dismiss him because of his age. Understood?"
"Yes..." They all gave their consent, one by one, giving me a chance to realize what just happened.
Well... Apparently... I got a promotion, because after the whole ordeal, I was sitting on the right side of Fugaku. Huh... Why do I feel like I will regret this newfound fame?