Fate Wheel | Naruto

𝟖𝟎| Happier

"I need you to be happy. I need one of us to be happy."
— Holly Black

───※ ·❆· ※───

THIRD PERSON

An unspoken tension plagued the room, embezzling the atmosphere with an undertone of silent clashes of animosity and a mutual urge to solidify the mist lurking in the air— such mist that felt thickened by the severity of the situation at hand. A situation so severe that even those involved were unable to comprehend or grasp onto the true nature of helplessness.

The meeting was urgent and sudden, apparent to the bestrew of flames that encased the northern aspects of their Village, primarily near the civilian district where- yet again- casualties and reparations proceeded to be the bane of all of Tsunade and her cohorts' problems. An intangible rope tightened around her neck as she forced herself to regain composure, she felt like a tamed dog, trained solely for the purpose of abiding by the wishes of another. What most failed to recognise was that despite the undeniable access to control she was given, there were others who decided how she would utilise that freedom.

Essentially, the towering, stalwart walls— designed to glamorise the idea of safety and security- were the feeble, wooden fences that confined the animals within. Konohans, reduced to mere cattle, sheered off their wool and resources, blindly obeying authority as they are led by top-dogs that sway them with a sickly sense of reassurance and indoctrinated jingoism.

Everything feels materialistic. The tension is made, not natural. Tsunade surveyed the Clan heads, her eyes lingering a split-second longer on the woman- donned in a fox mask at the far end- before she closed her eyes and sighed. It's shameful, watching history repeat itself all over again.

"It's advisable we turn to Suna for extra manpower while the rest of our Shinobi continue to gather resources for reparations. They are indebted to us after the Konoha Crush incident a few months ago, so this shouldn't be an hindrance. And our economy is already suffering from our blocked trade routes that have been hit by the storm." Shikaku suggested reasonably, disturbed by the lack of contribution.

Always the mediator. The Hokage mused, her hands clasped together showcasing her painted red-nails and her eyes painfully fixated forwards. That'll be the most sensible option to—

The rope tightened.

"I believe we should refrain from publicising the incident to any outward allies and resort to handling this on our own accords." Homura intervened, a calm and neutral look bestowing his aged and wisened features. "Reparations shouldn't be an issue so long our persecutors are willing to compensate for the damage they've caused."

Persecutors. Power-hungry. Arrogant. Egotistic. There were many words commonly used to the describe the Uchiha. Some justifiable and others exaggerated to stir conflict.

The tension in the room seemingly multiplied, but his words didn't seem to evoke a reaction out of the silent Uchiha who was unnaturally calm for someone who had been boldly associated with treacherous accusations. Fugaku Uchiha, a man who despite was known for his abrasive and surprising behaviour that contributed to the cloak of arrogance he had been forced to wear by societal labels, was also someone who knew when to choose his words carefully, who knew when to plan his attack and strike according to what he envisioned, who spoke with integrity and made decisions that wouldn't disadvantage him, who lied and manipulated his words in such a way that it was difficult to foretell his true intentions.