Third person pov
"Are you insane?!" Danzo slammed his hands down onto the table in an immature fit of rage. Minato's expression didn't change, his gaze relatively indifferent. To be honest, his thoughts were actually elsewhere at the moment.
He hoped Naruto was having a good day at school. He'd showered the boy in praises after his statement about how the Uchiha should certainly move back to the center of the village. Minato hadn't really doubted the plan before, of course, but now he was most definitely going to go full send with it. Because now it wasn't just his idea, it was Naruto's too.
"Not last time I checked, Danzo-sama." Minato responded in a level-headed and respectful manner. Shikaku cleared his throat whilst Hiashi Hyuga covered his amused snort with a polite cough. If Tsume Inuzuka had been able to make it to this meeting, she probably would've been absolutely losing it right now. The comedic relief is much missed. "Personally, I quite like the idea."
"I second that." Fugaku added in immediately, face schooled into the facade of calm. He'd been sweating from the moment he walked through the doors. If they didn't receive the support of the other clan heads and at least one of the elders then this plan of Minato's would go straight down the drain.
The blonde was acting like it wasn't a big deal, nonchalant in the way he presented it, as though he were just talking about the weather. Fugaku could see past that-- see the steely walls had put up to fight against the torrent he was receiving. He could only hope they'd hold.
"Well of course you do." Danzo spat. "Several ninja and civilians saw the Kyuubi's Sharingan eyes that night! We are right to be on edge. Moving them was what was best for the healing of the village. We do not want to undo that and cause unease!"
Minato took mental note of the disrespect. If he kept at it then Minato could definitely get him booted. He'd gotten cocky since the blonde's death. Hiruzen really was too soft for his own good.
What class would Naruto be in right now? Or was it lunch? He'd drawn him a picture the other evening. A picture of just him and Minato, with a guest appearance of Pakkun, because he's Naruto's 'best friend in the whole wide world'. It was hanging on the fridge until Minato got a frame for it.
Maybe a black wood grain? Or would a natural brown be better? Maybe getting one a little bigger would be good too. They could add an orange border. Naruto would like that, wouldn't he? Of course he would. He loved orange.
"Yeah," Minato hummed absentmindedly, squinting as he internally debated the pros and cons of a bigger frame. "It had Sharingan eyes. I don't know if you remember, but I was kind of there."
The ensuing silence was so still you could hear a pin drop. Minato looked up and out of his train of thought, arching a brow at the stunned faces looking back at him. Fugaku looked like he'd just had his death warrant signed, his face deathly pale. Minato flashed a smile that oozed reassurance, straightening a bit in his seat.
...Oak frame with an orange border around the photo. That was definitely his final choice. It would certainly look amazing, especially if he could get Naruto to decorate it... maybe a white one would be better then? So he could paint it easier? Kakashi did say his son was very artistic when it came to paint, didn't he?
The air in the room was stifling. Minato waited patiently for them to all process the words, eyeing the reactions to see where he'd need to do extra damage control. Barring Danzo, of course. He'd really need to launch a full investigation into this guy.
The further he researched the records from the years he missed, the shadier the man got. He'd never been a fan of Danzo, and he was even less so one now. He was definitely plotting behind the scenes. What exactly said plots entailed, Minato was not looking forward to finding out.
"So... So you're saying that the Uchiha Clan..." Choza trailed off, looking supremely confused. Minato cocked his head in a way that caused the Akimichi to fall silent, looking almost scared. Minato's smile had no warmth to it. Not because he was mad at them, but because this was a conversation that required an icy undertone if he wanted his point across.
"I never said that." Minato sighed. "I said it had Sharingan eyes. Not that the Uchiha clan was to blame."
"You're contradicting yourself." Danzo croaked out, looking like he wasn't sure how to feel. He clearly thought Minato was going to deny the Sharingan claim outright, but Minato had never been a liar. In fact, he prided himself on his brutal honesty.
Yeah, the Kyuubi had Sharingan eyes. No, the Uchiha clan hadn't been at fault. Again, he was there. He knows better than anyone what happened. He's probably the only one in the entire village with the whole story, actually. Assuming the man who'd attacked him wasn't hiding out around here somewhere. He had a feeling Naruto wouldn't be around if that were the case.
"I don't think so. It's pretty simple, actually." Minato smiled brightly, talking as though he were explaining things to a two-year-old. Danzo flushed at the tone, whether it was out of rage or embarrassment, Minato really didn't care. "Are you doubting me, Danzo-sama? If I'm recalling correctly, I'm the one who was there, not you. Everyone else present for Naruto's birth was tragically killed. I am the last first-hand witness. Six year gap or not, it all feels like it was just yesterday for me. I'd say my experiences and fresh memory trump any rumors you've heard, wouldn't you?"
Fugaku looked a little calmer, and so did the other clan heads. Minato watched Danzo go through the nine stages of grief and tried not to feel too amused. He wondered if he should get a copy of Naruto's drawing made. No, two copies. Three? The original would go in the frame for the living room, but Minato could have a copy for his room.
Kakashi would surely want a copy too, and then they needed a back up copy in case of emergency. Maybe they should make a fourth for Pakkun since he was also in the drawing? Yeah, that would be considerate. He was going to need more frames... they could all decorate one, actually. It could be a family event. That would be cute, right? Naruto would totally be into that.
"Lord Forth, perhaps it would help us understand your decision if you told us what happened that night." Koharu suggested mildly, looking a bit conflicted as she glanced at the Uchiha clan head from her seat left of Minato's. "If you're up to it, of course."
"I'll admit I've been pretty curious as well." Shikaku hummed in a laid-back tone.
"I as well." Hiashi spoke, giving a dip of his head. "We don't wish to assume the worst about the Uchiha-clan, but with such limited information its hard to look at anything but the witness evidence."
"What a wonderful idea." Minato's smile was damn near menacing. "I'll keep it rather simple. We were attacked by an Uchiha not affiliated with Konoha or the Uchiha clan as we know it today. He found out about the birth somehow and broke through the barrier. He threatened Naruto and caused me to separate from Kushina long enough for him to enter her subconscious and take control of the Nine Tailed Fox. This was with the intention to destroy Konoha. I think we can all recall a time in history in which this same thing happened, yes? I know of only one recorded man who knows how to take total control of a tailed beast."
It was an abridged version of events, but it was all they needed to know. They didn't need to know the way Kushina cried and the all-encompassing fear Minato had held for his son and wife. Didn't need a glimpse at the crushing grief he had been, and still was, experiencing.
They didn't need to know the way his heart stopped when he saw the exploding tags on his son's baby blanket, or the way his very soul shattered when he realized he was going to have to seal the demon in his own son. These were details they could live without. Would live without, for Minato refused to give them up.
The words poured out. He said them normally, without inflection or emotion in his tone. A sign of weakness would cause Danzo to pounce and rag on his judgement. He'd be told he was being blinded by his grief and by the old bonds of friendship he'd had with the Uchiha clan. Minato couldn't let the situation slip past him like that.
Minato wanted the village to be a safe place his son could thrive in. This was one of the many steps he'd need to take to restore Konoha back to what it was before. To get it out of this fractured state it had found itself in.
The people in the room all stared at Minato as though they couldn't quite believe what he'd said. Fugaku looked stunned and a little scared. He'd known it was not his clan who had sought to free the Nine Tails, and the clan elders had all discussed with one another just what that implied about what really happened that night.
But what Minato was insinuating... it was insane. Even he couldn't quite bring himself to believe it, no matter how hard he tried.
"Are you implying... that Madara Uchiha is somehow alive and tried to take the chance to come after Konoha again? After all this time?" Homura asked in an astonished tone, glasses slipping down the bridge of his nose slightly.
"That's exactly what I'm implying." Minato smiled, but it looked like a threat. "After all, Homura-sama, I haven't aged a day in the last six years. And for the record, I did fight and talk to this man. I feel my deductions are sound, and I have full faith in Uchiha clan's loyalties. They were and still are close friends to Kushina and I, and I don't believe they'd betray the home they love so easily."
Fugaku smiled a little, chest swelling with pride. There was something about having Minato's faith that made him feel secure, and the speculative, uncertain gazes he got from the elders were a nice contrast from the suspicious ones he'd grown so used to. His fellow clan heads also looked convinced, sending Fugaku reassuring looks.
Minato clapped his hands together like he was closing a book, beaming happily. "Onto brighter topics! Why don't we discuss the pros of locating them back to the rightful land that has belonged to them for generations? We're not colonizers, people! Besides, the crime rate has gone up a full twenty-percent over the past six years, and I'm not sure that's unrelated, ne?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Since when can you throw kunai so well anyway?" Sasuke scoffed, eyeing Naruto with disdain he didn't bother trying to hide. They were all outside practicing with senbon, kunai, and shuriken alike.
Sasuke was prestigious enough at it that he didn't need Iruka's help, and the teacher had always been avoidant of Naruto anyway, now more than ever. The Uchiha heir had somehow managed to gravitate towards the blonde Jinchuriki when he realized the blue-eyed boy was actually doing better than he was.
"My dad showed me how." Naruto grinned, feeling a little humbled by his admission. His dad was amazing, after all. It was still so absolutely remarkable to think that the Fourth Hokage was his father, and seemed to actually like spending time with him.
Hadn't he heard the rumors yet? About him being a monster? If not, Naruto hoped he never did. He loved Minato, and Kakashi, and all the ninken with his whole heart. He wasn't sure he'd survive if that was taken away from him.
"I thought you didn't have parents." Sasuke frowned, but it wasn't said in an overly-rude way. Naruto couldn't find it in himself to be offended. Everyone knew sad little Naruto Uzumaki was an orphan. If he himself could hardly believe he had a dad, there was no way he could expect other people to believe he had one too.
"Yeah, well, he does now you cheeky little brat." Pakkun grumbled from where he was curled up at the base of a bush nearby. He didn't bother raising his head off his pudgy little arms, cracking an eye open to give Sasuke an ill look. "Don't you have better things to do than run around insulting people? Kids these days. Take your attitude elsewhere, kid, or I'll tattle on you to the boss."
Sasuke flushed with embarrassment, immediately flashing back to Itachi's advice about how it was always good to be nice to everyone you came across, because you never knew what they were going through. His father had also been chiding him about his manners lately. He didn't like Naruto, but he'd been less of a loud idiot lately, it felt like.
Even if he were a complete moron, Sasuke had no real reason to be mean. Asking someone about their parents when their parents were supposedly dead was pretty insensitive of him. Unless Naruto's parents weren't dead, of course. It was heavily implied that his dad was around. And by implied he meant said outright. Like, right now.
"Ne, it's fine. Sasuke-teme is always like that." Naruto said it as though it were a fact. "But I do have a dad! He just got back, and I moved into his house with him and Kashi! And all the dogs!"
Sasuke's expression twisted at the nickname, but he'd been calling Naruto an idiot for as long as he could remember and decided it would be pretty childish to get mad about the favor being returned. It would be hy-po-critical. That's a word Shisui had taught him.
Naruto said his piece with many hand gestures that very much helped get the severity of the point across. Sasuke couldn't help but nod in response to convey his own understanding. This conversation wasn't as akin to pulling teeth as he thought it may be. Everyone else disliked Naruto. He was irritating and did a lot of stupid pranks, but Sasuke didn't see much wrong with him outside of that.
"But you're already six. Where was your dad before?" Sasuke frowned in thought and tried to find the reason himself to no avail. He couldn't possibly guess why his father would stay away so long.
Naruto's grin dimmed just a little only to come back full force after a mere moment. Sasuke gave him a somewhat distasteful glower. How could he stand to be so bright this early in the morning? Talk about irritating.
"He got really, really hurt! So I think it took him a long time to recover." Naruto said, sounding quite sure of himself. That reasoning made sense to Sasuke. "He said he was really sorry for making me wait that long, but I don't blame him. It's not his fault he was hurt."
"Yeah." Sasuke agreed readily, nodding. That sounded right. Naruto wasn't nearly as loud and annoying as he usually was today. "So... how do you aim that well anyway?"
Sasuke was man enough to admit that Naruto was definitely better at throwing kunai than he was. That was only because he'd had an adult to help him practice though! Itachi-nii had been too busy to help Sasuke practice lately, so he was rusty. Those were the only reasons. Honest. But if Naruto knew how and showed him... he could definitely impress his father and brother. It would be worth the embarrassment.
Naruto brightened a grin and didn't make fun of him for asking like Sasuke thought he might. Sasuke felt curiosity melt into him somewhat, his brow furrowing. This... yeah, this really didn't make sense.
Naruto was definitely louder than most, but he wasn't as dumb as Sasuke thought he was. He was nice, even. Like, nicer than most of the other kids in class. So why didn't people like him? Why were they so cruel? He'd seen some of the other civilians mistreat him and call him names, but Sasuke had never seen or heard of a clear reason why.
Sasuke clenched his blunted kunai, feeling determined. A good ninja always knew when to investigate, and this was one of those things. Sasuke would get to the bottom of this. Even if that did mean prolonged exposure to Naruto Uzumaki and his two finicky braincells, which was a lot bigger number than the zero he'd had before, by the way.
"-and then you just throw it!" Naruto flicked the kunai at the tree and it stuck straight in the middle. He turned to Sasuke with a beaming grin. "Now you gotta try!"
Sasuke made it into the ring closest to the center his first try, but Naruto didn't mind. And Sasuke found he strangely didn't mind either.