Mokuton Root Agent #14

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Mokuton Root Agent

Chapter 14

Clan Head Council Meeting Room

Fugaku “Wicked-Eye” Uchiha

With all the other council members shuffling out of the room with grave countenances, the only ones who stayed behind were Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi. The two individuals who didn’t seem the slightest bit shocked at the sudden revealing of his strength.

After all, while he was rumoured to be in the race for the Hokage seat, the public perception was that he was just the pinnacle of an Elite Jonin who could fend off weaker Kage level ninjas due to his matured Sharingan but not at the same level yet and over the years, he had done nothing to dissuade people of that notion.

He had done that on purpose, hoping to remove himself from the limelight ever since he had activated his Mangekyou and read the stone tablet in the Naka Shrine. Now, it seemed as if not everybody was fooled by his strategy.

“How long have you had it?”. Shikaku asked him.

He should have expected it. The Naras are known to keep the most extensive library in all of the five great nations. As the clan head, Shikaku must have had access to information about the advanced stages of his clan’s doujutsu.

Still, it didn’t mean that he was just going to roll over and give himself out. So, he opted to just give Shikaku a quizzical look.

He gave him the signature Nara eye-roll and signed something to Inoichi behind his back, prompting Inoichi to slap a seal on the wall beside them.

He didn’t need to activate his Sharingan to sense the field of silence that now surrounded the three of them.

“Now, do you have the Mangekyou Sharingan?” Shikaku asked with a raised eyebrow, his face looking bored but the way his shoulders tensed revealed his inner stress.

He thought of denying it, of misinforming the smartest tactical commander the village had access to but decided against it. Not only because it could put the village in grave danger if Shikaku didn’t have accurate information regarding everybody’s capabilities as a shinobi but also because he didn’t think there was any point to all of this. The moment Shikakau asked that question, he was sure that he knew the answer. He was just asking him as a courtesy to a fellow clan head.

So, he gave a stiff nod as the reply.

Both of them immediately imperceptibly sighed in relief and their shoulders automatically loosened themselves. “That’s good. It gives us extra time to sort things out before they can spiral too much out of control.” Shikaku said.

“Don’t worry. I’ve got confirmation from the team sent to inform Jiraiya about it and according to them, he was already on his way back. Somehow, the news reached him before we could inform him so I’ve diverted that same team to inform and if possible, escort Tsunade Senju back to the village.” he said as he gave them the rundown of the events happening.

Inoichi narrowed his eyes at me and spoke for the first time, “You intend to make her Hokage?”

“Yes.” It was not an impossible jump to make. In the first place, there were barely any candidates for the position anyway, and with her Senju heritage, the people’s worries will be eased after seeing another Senju in the Hokage seat. The name had that effect on people, the legends of her grandfather and uncle are still rooted in the heart of the people of Konoha and the Fire Country at large. Even the Daimyo would have no choice but to accept her nomination without any fuss.

“Very well. We’ll have some of the reserve shinobis from our clan aid the ANBU and the Uchiha Police Force in patrolling the village borders tonight. We need to make sure no incident occurs at this sensitive point in time.” Shikaku said and he found himself agreeing despite knowing that with him at the helm, and all of the Uchiha Police Force under him, any opponent under Kage level would be hard-pressed to even see the village walls before they found themselves under the mercy of the ANBU.

The ANBU. That was another headache for him. The clan elders had been clamoring for Itachi to be promoted as soon as possible and have him inducted into ANBU for their clan’s glory or something equally ridiculous. And after the headcount reduction the ANBU went through tonight, it was going to be hard to refuse but that decision was not his to make.

No, that would be the headache of whoever takes the hat of the Hokage. And he would be there to fight every step of the way if Tsunade decides to allow Itachi into the ANBU.

Honestly, the only reason he listened to half the stuff the elders said was because he was sure that there was no way the elders of all people would collude with outsiders to harm the Uchiha clan. No, the Uchiha clan pride ran deep in every member of the clan but it ran especially deep inside the clan elders. He didn’t think it was possible to take it out without killing the elders. Something that was looking more and more tempting every day as he was forced to listen to their drivel in the clan meetings before any meaningful work could be done.

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Uchiha Police Force Headquarters

–Inabi Uchiha–

He sat in his cabin, exhausted beyond belief after issuing all individual orders to all the members of the clan. The newer members were troublesome on their own as they had yet to learn that the rules written in the books and the rules to be followed out in the village were different. The reserve members were especially difficult to handle due to their damned clan pride. Honestly, he sometimes wondered how they, as a clan, survived all those years in the Warring Clans Era with the damned Uchiha pride. People must have been starved to death before the clan would have thought of taking help from the other clans, even from their so-called allies.

Shaking his head as he ate another one of the pills the Akimichi clan gave for free to the ones patrolling tonight, he was about to head out when he heard a swishing sound behind him. Startled at the fact that somebody managed to sneak up on him despite him extending his chakra sense range to the maximum he could without harming himself, he turned around only to feel a terrible ancient chakra for a split second before the silhouette of a Sharingan with an odd shape appeared in his vision and then all he could see was darkness. Unending, unrelenting darkness in all directions.

His silent scream for help went unanswered as he felt something stab into his torso, then his legs, and eventually, his head.

He had thought that the pain was over but then it began all over again. He found himself in the same darkness and then after a while, in the same situation.

“Please, what do you want?” After a dozen or so reversals, he had lost count and had screamed himself raw.

“Hmm, you lasted longer than I thought you would. But honestly, I have no more need of you anyway.” he heard someone chuckle and then the next thing he knew, he was hurtling a fireball in the direction of a house somewhere in the red-light area of the village. He remembered this place because this is usually where he came to drop off the Jinchuuriki brat after he was arrested due to his usual shenanigans.

His eyes widened in shock and horror as the seemingly simple fireball spell enlarged to quantities he had only seen in A-class jutsus and then any more coherent thought left his mind as he felt his mind surrender to the strain of the previous Genjutsu he was under.

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–Fugaku Uchiha–

He was already up and jumping out the window of his office at the Police HQ when he first heard the emergency alarm ring.

When he saw the fire that had started in the red light district of the village, he was relieved upon seeing that it was not an enemy attack but then he realised who lived there.

The Nine Tails Jinchuriki.

He didn’t think he had ever used the Shunshin at that speed before as he reached the site of the fire to have his fears come true. The building Naruto lived in was on fire and a group of ANBU were handcuffing an unconscious Inabi for some reason.

Before he could voice out his confusion though, somebody from the ANBU landed in front of him as he saw someone using Water Jutsus to put out the fire. “Don’t worry, Fugaku-san. The brat was not inside the building when Inabi-san there attacked the building. We are seeing signs of him being under intense Genjutsu and the symptoms suggest him being under prolonged Genjutsu applications.”

“Where is Naruto then?” he asked the ANBU.

“He was taken in by a shop owner where he frequents for food when the emergency curfew was declared.”

“Have a team of ANBU surrounding the place where he is staying. DO NOT contact him or the people housing them under any circumstances. Have someone from the Yamanaka Clan test for signs of tampering on Inabi’s mind.” he ordered the ANBU who nodded and dashed away to complete the task.

It was weird. A few days ago, the same ANBU would not have compiled to any order he would have given but now they were following his word like he was Hokage.

Maybe, the creed of the clan of Might making everything right could be true in some cases. It was tempting but it was not for him. He would much rather be at home with his wife and sons but the mistakes of this generation needed to be solved by the same generation lest the next generation get burdened to atone for their sins.

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Word Count - 1687

So, not much happened in this chapter except Fugaku giving confirmation regarding his MS to Shikaku who had already figured it out somehow anyway.

Then we get to see poor Inabi put under a Genjutsu by Obito and ordered him to attack Naruto as he was seeing his plan to have the village execute the Uchiha clan crumbling due to Hiruzen’s action of deposing Danzo.

In the next chapter, Monkey comes back.

Stay Tuned!