Naruto: Reincarnated Senju Prodigy With Mokuton

"I will offer Fugaku a place on the council after Danzou is officially deposed," Hiruzen said, taking a drag from his pipe.

"All right, let's do it," I replied confidently.

I just wish that confidence had lasted longer...

The time between that conversation and Fugaku's arrival for his meeting with the Hokage felt like an eternity, and with every passing second, I grew more anxious.

Much of my anxiety was due to the heavy silence that lingered in the room after that.

Hiruzen was signing and stamping various papers, while Itachi and I didn't exchange a word, although every now and then we looked at each other, embarrassed by the situation we were in.

Luckily, someone knocked on the door, breaking the silence.

After Hiruzen allowed them to enter, Fugaku arrived and glared at me and Itachi.

"Good morning, Fugaku. Come, have a seat," Hiruzen said in his usual calm voice.

"May I know what this conversation is about, Mr. Hokage? And why are these two here?" Fugaku asked in a harsh tone.

I swallowed hard.

"We are here to try to resolve our differences peacefully, one last time."

"Peacefully? I think that went out the window a long time ago, Hiruzen, if that's how the village decided to treat us like criminals and isolate us." Fugaku replied, trying to remain calm, but his hatred was palpable.

"I understand how you feel, and I intended to handle this situation differently, but even though I am the village's highest authority, I still have to respect the rules. My vote alone doesn't mean much if the councilors don't agree." Hiruzen said.

"Hah... you called me here to explain yourself? I don't need that." Fugaku began to stand up.

"I came here to expose a betrayal." When Hiruzen said those words, Fugaku froze.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, staring at Itachi.

I was silent, practically watching the whole situation as if I were in a movie theater.

'Oops... maybe that wasn't the best choice of words, Hiruzen,' I thought, tense, also shifting my gaze between Itachi and Hiruzen, anxious to see how he would get out of that situation.

Hiruzen sighed, this time leaving his pipe on the table and removing his Hokage hat.

"What I mean is that Danzou was plotting a revolt behind the scenes. He planned to turn the village against the Uchihas to weaken our bond with you, and he almost succeeded... if it weren't for the intelligence of three members of your clan, including your son, and also Senju Riku." He pointed at me.

Fugaku stared at us both, curious and still trying to process everything.

I decided to intervene at that moment; perhaps it was time.

"Danzou considered you a threat, so he claimed that the Kyuubi attack had been part of your plans. With a possible uprising, he was waiting for the perfect chance to finish you off. Itachi and Shisui were trying to resolve this peacefully, and then Renji and I found out and decided to try to help."

"Yes, and we managed to expose him, father. Danzou is in custody, and we no longer need to follow the plan." Itachi continued.

Everyone in the room was silent for a while. Fugaku was pondering what we had said, mulling over the matter.

"I never trusted that man. But that doesn't erase the years we spent being watched daily by ANBU and treated like criminals," he said.

"And that's why we're here, Fugaku. I hope to resolve this with you and reintegrate the Uchihas into the village, just as Hashirama and Madara once wished." Hiruzen looked at me and Itachi when he said this, using a perfect comparison between past and present.

"So, I would like to offer you a position on my council, in Danzou's place. That way, you can help me bring change to the village," the Hokage concluded.

"I need to think about it, Hiruzen, and talk to my clan... but know that I will consider your words, and for now, I'll do everything I can to prevent a revolt from starting. Please excuse me; I have much to do." Fugaku said, and called Itachi to leave with him.

"I'll do my best to convince him, Riku. Thanks for your help," Itachi whispered, and left with his father.

I sank into the chair, finally giving in to the pressure that had filled the room in the last few minutes. Hiruzen saw the scene and came towards me.

"You did well, Riku. The talks with Fugaku will continue for some time, I'm sure.

But until then, don't worry about it. Just focus on your Chunin exam training. I have high expectations for you and your future." He smiled.

I nodded, a little proud after the Hokage's words, and left.

'This guy really knows how to talk. It's impressive,' I thought as I walked down the stairs.

*

The next day came quickly, and I woke up early to start training with Tetsu.

'I wonder what kind of training he has in mind?'

"Well, the best way to find out is to go."

I walked through the streets of Konoha, watching the ninjas as usual, and noticed a more significant presence of Uchihas around. Maybe change was already happening, and Fugaku and Hiruzen were moving toward peace.

The training ground was the same as the last time I trained with my sensei before all this happened, except that the logs and roots I had created were gone.

Tetsu hadn't arrived yet, so I had some time to think.

I decided to try to connect with nature by meditating once again. I created a small wooden seat to sit on, closed my eyes to focus on feeling the roots and plants, and then my breathing began to slow down and become more harmonious.

Every time I meditated, I felt like I could do anything. It was almost as if nature itself was guiding me — telling me how to act, or how to fight if necessary.

Then I started to remember Hashirama's words to me.

"Soon you may be able to use senjutsu."

'Heh, that's the next step,' I thought, smiling mischievously and breaking my own concentration in the process.

"I was about to tell you how important it is to meditate, and that you were doing well, but I think I'd rather not know what you were thinking, Riku..." Tetsu-sensei said, staring at me with his arms crossed and a look of disgust on his face.

"W-Wait, it's not what you think, sensei!" I opened my eyes, blushing a little at what Tetsu might have thought of me.

"I didn't think anything... Come on, it's time to start your training," he said.

I felt a little more excited, but still curious about what we were going to train.

"And what exactly are we going to do?"

He smiled, approaching me.

"You have an extremely strong ability in your hands, Riku, but how well do you actually know how to use it?"

I began to reflect, trying to understand what he meant by that.

"Hmm, I know how to use it well, I think," I said.

"Wrong!" He hit me on the side of my head with his sword.

My body felt the attack coming, but I couldn't dodge it in time.

"Ouch! Hey!" I was confused by the way he acted.

"Our first step will be to refine your body. You're finally going to learn how to fight for real, Riku."

His words fired me up more than I expected, and I completely ignored the sting from the sword hit. I focused only on what he had said.

It was time to show what I was capable of.

"So what are we waiting for?" I said with a smile on my face.

....

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