LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 22: Judgement
Early the next morning all four of them sat together, going a last time over the plan they made the previous night.
"Kaitou, send the messages to the others, I will then bring back Brother and Inosuke, so that Brother can call for a Council Meeting. When everyone is present, then we can start," Tobirama signaled Kaitou, to commence with the start signal.
Kaitou, upon hearing the go, quickly activated a few prepared seals, three to be exact, one for Shikakane, Chouichiro and Mito each. Those seals were on the Grandmaster level and were created by none other than Kaitou himself.
Those seals can send specific messages, that have to be written beforehand, directly into the minds of chosen individuals. The idea for this seal, came from the saying "Information is the currency of war". Many conflicts were lost due to a shortage of information, and because of this he made a seal, that can send information directly into the minds of others.
Another thing that he discovered is that, this seal can even be used in combats when used effectively. It can distract and confuse the enemy, even if they are just distracted for a single moment, Kaitou knew that that exact moment could decide about life and death.
The three prepared messages had specific codes on them to make them understand who was sending them, with orders they were then supposed to follow.
After he activated the seals, all three papers caught fire and were soon fully consumed and destroyed, indicating that the message was sent and and received.
Seeing this Tobirama brought the other two back to their places and then made his own preparations.
The three on the receiving end were obviously confused by the sudden information that appeared in their minds, it two of them quickly came up with the cause, the last one, Chouichiro, didn't think too much about it and after acknowledging the code, got to work.
Outside.
Even though, it was still quite early in the morning, one could see many Shinobi already going about their business and doing their assigned tasks.
Soon messengers were sent by Hashirama calling for another Meeting with the Clans.
Upon receiving these messages, all currently present Clan leaders made themselves on the way towards the Commanding Central.
It took a short while till every single one of them came, but in the end, everyone attended.
Once all the clan leaders had gathered in the Commanding Central, the air grew thick with curiosity and tension. It was rare for Hashirama to call for a sudden council meeting, especially without prior notice. The last-minute summons had raised many eyebrows, but given the Senju Clan Leaders reputation, no one dared to question him openly.
Inside the large council hall, the leaders of the camps most powerful clans took their seats. At the head of the room, Hashirama sat with Tobirama to his right and Inosuke to his left. Kaitou remained in the shadows, hidden by his illusions, silently observing as the final pieces of their plan fell into place.
Hashirama was the first to speak. "I thank you all for coming on such short notice," he began, his usual warm demeanor replaced by a rare solemnity. "What we discuss here today is of utmost importance to the stability of our village."
Many leaders exchanged glances. Something about his tone made them uneasy.
Tobirama took over. "As you all know, what we are trying to create here, a combined Ninja Village, has to be built on the principle of unity, a place where our clans could finally work together rather than against each other. However, it seems that not everyone shares that sentiment."
A ripple of murmurs spread across the room. Some leaders leaned forward, while others frowned, their expressions unreadable.
Hashirama exhaled deeply before continuing, "A conspiracy has come to light - one that threatens not just individual clans, but the very foundation of this project."
The silence that followed was deafening.
It was then that Kaitou deactivated his illusions.
In the blink of an eye, he was standing beside Tobirama, his piercing gaze scanning the room. But what truly stole the attention of everyone present was what appeared behind him - six bound and restrained shinobi, all from three different clans, held tightly by Hashirama's Wood Release.
Gasps and whispers filled the air.
Kaitou stepped forward. "These individuals were captured either while attempting to cover up their involvement in a treacherous plot, or by acting on it," he stated, his voice calm but filled with undeniable weight. "We have undeniable proof that they were conspiring to manipulate the political structure that we are trying to build."
At this, some clan leaders immediately turned to look at their restrained kin, especially at Shimura Toubei, their expressions shifting from confusion to disbelief.
Upon hearing this Sarutobi Sasuke slammed his fist onto the table. "These accusations are dangerous! Do you even understand what you're implying? If you're wrong—"
"I am not wrong."
Kaitou's voice cut through the noise like a blade.
He raised his hand, and a series of intricate sealing marks glowed in the air. With a flick of his wrist, a set of pre-prepared documents and scrolls materialized on the table before the council.
"These contain detailed confessions extracted using memory-based interrogation techniques, as well as hard evidence of secret communications between these traitors and their co-conspirators," Tobirama explained coldly.
The room fell into stunned silence as clan leaders reached forward hesitantly, reading the evidence with their own eyes. Expressions of anger, betrayal, and shock painted their faces.
Hashirama, despite his usual forgiving nature, looked upon the restrained traitors with eyes void of mercy. "Konoha is meant to be a home for all its people. For those who would betray that trust… there will be consequences."
"Seeing all this evidence, it is indeed hard to not to be convinced of their guilt, if I'm right those informations were extracted using the Yamanaka Clan technique, am I right?" Inuzuka Kaede decided to speak first.
Inosuke therefore nodded in agreement, making most attending Leaders understand the source of the information.
The Hyuga Head interjected then, "These informations can't come from my Clan member, therefore I want you to immediately set him free. I will interrogate him myself, if needed, right here in front of everybody."
Hashirama gave Tobirama a glance, silently seeking his opinion. Tobirama, ever the pragmatist, nodded. "Very well," he said, before gesturing to release the Wood Release restraints on the Hyuga traitor, but keeping a wary eye on him.
The Hyuga Clan Leader stepped forward, activating his Byakugan and his authority with the 'Caged Bird Seal', his sharp gaze piercing through his own kin. "You will answer me truthfully," he commanded. "If I suspect even a hint of deception, I will ensure you face the full consequences of your actions."
The restrained Hyuga, whose name was Hisao, lowered his gaze, sweat forming on his brow. He knew there was no escape. The weight of his clan's authority was too great, and the fear of what was to come made his resolve waver.
"I… I only did what I thought was right," Hisao muttered.
The Hyuga Head narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"We only wanted to be free from the seal!" Hisao finally cried out, his voice desperate. "To not be slaves of the Main Family! The Caged Bird Seal controls our lives, our very existence! We… we didn't want to betray Konoha, we only wanted to escape from this fate!"
A heavy silence fell upon the room.
The Hyuga Clan Leader's face darkened. His grip tightened, and his jaw clenched. Hisao's words had turned the interrogation into something far more personal. The issue of the Caged Bird Seal had always been an unspoken truth, a painful rift within the Hyuga Clan. And now, it was laid bare before all the gathered leaders of Konoha.
Tobirama, ever sharp, observed the Hyuga Leader carefully. The man was now in an impossible position. If he denied Hisao's words, he would only make himself look weak and oppressive. If he acknowledged them, it would call into question the entire structure of the Hyuga Clan.
But before the Hyuga Head could respond, a sudden surge of movement shattered the silence.
Sarutobi Sasuke, realizing that there was no way out with words, acted on instinct. In a single fluid motion, he leapt from his seat, attempting to break through the council chamber's walls with a burst of chakra-enhanced speed.
But he never made it far.
The moment he moved, a barrier of golden chains erupted from the side, blocking his path. Mito Uzumaki stepped forward, her expression cold and unreadable, as her adamantine chains constricted around him.
Simultaneously, a squad of Senju, Akimichi, and Nara shinobi sprang into action, led by Mito herself. The Nara clan members swiftly bound Sasuke's shadow, locking him in place, while Akimichi warriors stood in front of him, preventing any further attempts at escape.
Hashirama rose from his seat, his presence commanding. "Enough," he said, his voice booming. "You have proven your own guilt, Sasuke."
Bound and unable to move, Sasuke clenched his teeth in frustration. His mind raced, but there was no escape now.
Tobirama stepped forward, his gaze icy. "You attempted to flee, which is as good as a confession," he stated. "The question now is not whether you are guilty - but what your punishment shall be."
Mito tightened her chains, ensuring there was no chance of another escape attempt. The council chamber was now filled with a thick, suffocating tension as the fate of the traitors hung in the balance.
"Though, the one who will decide said punishment will not be one of us, but the target of their whole ploy," Hashirama decided, resulting in everybody looking in Kaitou's direction once more, "it is on you to decide what to do with them, Kaitou, I swear upon the Honor of the Senju Clan, that whatever you decide, will be done."
The heavy responsibility now fell on Kaitous shoulders, but different from the expectations of most Leaders present, he didn't falter, but remained firm and absolute.
"I decide that, the responsible Clans, namely the Shimura and Sarutobi, are hereby exempted from the Ninja Village project. And in case, that this is not possible have their right to seats in the council of clans, revoked," Kaitou said in an commanding tone, befitting his position, earning him acknowledging nods from both, Tobirama and Madara.
"As for the Hyuga… while it is their right to refuse, I'd would like to bring forth the proposal, to modify the current 'Caged Bird Seal' and to let only the original function of it remain, the destruction of the Byakugan in special cases," he continued to the dismay of Hyuga Hara.
"So be it, the mentioned judgement will be made, from this day forward, the Shimura and Sarutobi Clan are removed from the Ninja Village project," Hashirama while slightly reluctant, remained true to his words and confirmed and finalized the Judgement passed upon the two clans. "As for your second wish, it is indeed not our business to decide such a change, but I still hope that Lord Hyuga will think about your proposal."
These words brought forth different reactions from the people present, Madara and the Aburame head looked utterly indifferent, the Hyuga head along with Shikakane were looking thoughtful, already thinking about the future, the others remained calm without showing any signs of opposition.
As for Toubei and Sasuke, they looked completely stupefied and devastated into the round. They couldn't believe that their plan not only hadn't worked, but also resulted in such an outcome.
They regretted it deeply now, but there was not much they could do at this point. After realizing this, they accepted it and thought about their next moves.
The meeting soon ended, after the last details were discussed.
It was decided, that the two clans would leave the encampment in the next five days.
When the group dissolved, Kaitou who received another notification in the meeting, decided to hold on to it, and look at it after doing one more thing. He could already imagine what the notification was about after all.
With the decision made, he went towards his Aunt's house. It was time to speak about the elephant in the room.
Now that they had lost clans for the Village, should the Uzumaki Clan join in on the project?