[ Konoha Jonin Council Chamber - Midnight ]
A plain, but large stone-carved room was filled with hushed conversations despite the tension that hung in the air. Every Jonin present continued to replay the events of the night prior, chastising themselves over their helplessness during an almost disastrous enemy attack. At the head of the meeting table at the center of the room sat the Fourth Hokage with the Third Hokage (now advisor) and the masked ANBU commander standing at his left and right, respectively.
As the last flickers entering the room found their place, Hiruzen cleared his throat, drawing all attention to the table. Every silent conversation died immediately, every Jonin's focus turned to the Hokage with rapt attention.
"We have three important agendas to discuss during this meeting, though I'm sure all of you are still anxious about last night's events. With that in mind, allow me to address your concerns directly: Shikaku, please read us the casualty and damage reports." Minato spoke at a measured pace, not letting any emotions show on his face but controlled calm.
"Understood, Fourth-sama! Casualties are reported to be three dead, including one Jonin and two Chunin, and 5 seriously injured, all Jonin. Structural damages were minimal as the infiltrator chose to use a stealthy approach; the only notable damage is to the Fourth's living room. The sealing barrier surrounding the village has been reviewed carefully by the sealing department, though they reported that the barrier did not detect any intrusion. We have already deployed three elite Reconnaissance and Hunting squads to track down the enemy, but chances of finding them are slim due to their spatial-jutsu capabilities, as reported by Lord Third. No other notable items of importance to report." Shikaku rattled off the report succinctly, without any trace of laziness in his voice.
"ANBU have been dispatched around the village in a sweep and have reported no signs of the intruder either. We did manage to rat out and eliminate spies from the other villages, however, meaning we don't have to worry about this news getting out in the short term. Monkey." A dry, emotionless voice spoke from behind the ANBU Commander's mask. At his command, an ANBU hiding in the shadows appeared with an intelligence scroll in their hands. After placing the scroll in Phoenix's hands, Monkey flickered back into the shadows.
Phoenix handed the report to Minato before addressing the room once more. "Intelligence reports confirm that there have been no movements from the other villages that would imply a connection to the attack. Whoever dared to attack the heart of Konoha is most likely a missing-nin." A weight of tension resettled on the shoulders of every jonin in the room.
"From direct testimonies given by Lord Third, Lord Fourth, and myself, we have confirmed that the enemy is a missing-nin from the Uchiha clan." As the last words left Phoenix's mouth, all eyes in the room instinctively turned to look towards the Uchiha clan head.
Despite becoming the target of numerous powerful stares, Fugaku did not appear to be caught off guard in any capacity. With a calm, measured tone he spoke. "The Uchiha will support any and all investigations into this matter ordered by the Hokage; the Police Force have already been compiling a list of every single Uchiha declared dead or AWOL for the convenience of any said investigation."
"Thank you, Fugaku-san." Minato brought everyone's attention back to him while showing gratitude to Fugaku's initiative, a subtle political maneuver to take some heat off of the Clan head. "I understand everyone's concerns, and I thank you for your dedication. Please rest assured that the worst has already passed us. I believe now is the time to bring up our next important agenda."
Hearing those words, Phoenix produced another scroll. This time, however, it seemed to be much larger than the last one. As he unfurled it across the table, a map of the known ninja world appeared before the room.
"While the other villages have been quiet for some time, allowing us to enjoy a moment of peace, we need to be vigilant and ensure the village funds are prepared for anything. Advisor Hiruzen, if you would be so kind." Minato smirked as he handed off the explanation duty to his predecessor.
Hiruzen huffed quietly, an amused look in his eyes. "Very well. Missions from the Land of Tea remain stable, consisting of mostly C- and B-rank missions. Trade within the region has increased by…"
The eyes of every jonin in the room remained focused and at attention as the village's income breakdown report continued on. For the Clan heads of Konoha, this is where their families thrived. The Nara's pharmaceutical businesses, the Yamanaka's merchant caravans (and information networks), the Akimichi's restaurant chains: put them together and you have roughly 20% of Konoha's entire in-house economy. Needless to say, Konoha cannot exist without the support of the major ninja clans.
The detailed report finally ended after nearly an hour and a half of Hiruzen's nigh-monotone rambling about finances. Not even a breath after he finished, Phoenix spoke.
"Let's now discuss the final matter of interest. As ANBU Commander, and with the support of Fourth-sama, I am aiming to recruit 12 new members into our forces."
Murmurs of shock and interest escaped the less-experienced Jonin. The clan heads, however, kept their opinions silent, only gazing subtly at their closest confidants as they communicated through their eyes.
"The recruitment period will last one month, starting tomorrow. All evaluations will be conducted and recorded by my second-in-command, Monkey. All Jonin present are encouraged to recommend one person each who they believe meet the criteria." More murmurs rang out inside the meeting hall in reaction to the announcement.
"Allow me to be forward regarding the recruitment criteria while we're all here. ANBU is looking for individuals with special talent, meaning strength is not the primary concern at this moment. Additionally, I plan to guide the 12 new recruits personally." Phoenix's last words were what REALLY got the room's attention.
Shikaku switched the typical lazy look in his eyes for a cunning gleam. As a close friend of the current Hokage, he was one of the few privy to Phoenix's real identity behind the mask, and from what he knew about the ANBU Commander, this kind of opportunity was one worth taking advantage of. For the other clan heads, similar thoughts ran through their heads, albeit at a slower pace.
"Monkey will be available after this meeting concludes to record any recommendations to the recruitment program. That is all for now." Stepping back, Phoenix once again fell silent beside the seated Minato.
"*ahem* That brings us to the end of this council meeting. You all are dismissed, except Phoenix and Lord Third." Minato rose from his chair with a confident smile as he concluded the meeting. His plans to redirect any anxiety from last night's intrusion were successful, all thanks to a certain ANBU Commander's recruitment notice.
None of the dismissed shinobi delayed their exits, clearly sensing the Hokage's desire to speak privately. After a cacophony of flickers, only the three leading figures of Konoha remained.
Sensing that there were no straddlers, Sumoku removed his mask with a sigh containing mixed emotions. "*phew* I can't believe I agreed to train a bunch of brats this soon. I mean, seriously, I'm not even married yet and I'm already taking care of kids." Sumoku looked around the room for a second before glancing sideways at Minato. "Do you mind if I call Dog in, now?"
Minato simply smiled and waved at the air. Immediately, an ANBU member wearing a Dog mask flickered in front of them.
"Mask off for a second, Kakashi. We need to ask you something important." Sumoku said calmly. A subtle tension traced his baritone voice.
Kakashi removed his ANBU mask, revealing his young face covered by a face mask and a tilted forehead protector. His eyes echoed his inner confusion at being summoned so suddenly.
"Relax, man, I'm not asking for your soul." Sumoku chuckled to himself while pulling out his cigarette tin casually. "Minato and I have been discussing this for a while, but I thought it'd be important to hear your input before making any decisions."
"You've been training relentlessly since the war ended, and I'm impressed with your progress, both as your brother and Commander. Though, there's something a bit concerning that I've noticed: your chakra reserves haven't increased a bit, even regressing slightly. You and I both know why that is." A look of pained nostalgia glazed over Sumoku's eyes before refocusing on his brother. "My point is, you're strong now, but there's still room to grow. So my question now is: what do you want to do now?"
"I… don't understand. What exactly are you asking, nii-san?" Kakashi was caught off guard by the question.
"What we're asking you, young Kakashi, is what you want to do. You have already reached the peak of Jonin strength and qualify for an Elite Jonin promotion. That means you have some freedom in requesting where you'd like to be assigned." Hiruzen helpfully spoke up while exhaling a smoky breath of whatever filled his pipe.
"Exactly as Lord Third said, Kakashi. You have the opportunity to request reassignment, should that be your desire. Truthfully, I would prefer to keep my precious brother close to me, but I want you to be able to make a decision for yourself." Sumoku continued, a special cigarette burning between his lips as he inhaled.
Kakashi was stunned for a moment, not knowing how to respond. Up to this point, his whole career had been spent following orders without question, completing the mission without fail. His brother had tried to help him through the difficult times, even going so far as to extensively study medicine, but none of it cracked the shell around Kakashi's heart.
After his failure to protect Obito and Rin, he had thrown himself into every dangerous mission he could get his hands on. It was only recently, a few days ago in fact, that he had begun to open up again. Sumoku suspected it had to do with his last visit to Rin and Obito's graves.
And now, two of the most important figures left in his life (sorry Hiruzen…) were looking at him with care and affection while asking him an important question. These were the people who supported him even when he furiously denied their help. They were trusting him to make his own decision without assignment. They cared about him.
Kakashi took a shaky breath as he focused on his brother. It was weird, this feeling. A warmth traveled through his chest. His brother cared about him, he always did, and somewhere deep down, Kakashi always knew. He was simply too blinded by grief and self-imposed responsibility to recognize it until now.
"Kakashi," Minato spoke up finally, smiling gently, "it's okay to be honest with us. I will always support you as your sensei."
Taking a few more deep breaths to calm himself, Kakashi eventually stabilized his emotions.
"Nii-san… Sensei… I think… I think I want to stay in ANBU right now. It's where I feel most comfortable, and I need a bit more time to think." He spoke hesitantly, as if testing the words as he bowed to them. "...thank you."
Sumoku smiled widely, proud and relieved at his brother's decision. A weight of worry seemed to fall off his shoulders knowing that Kakashi was getting better. Nearly a decade of brotherly love was finally showing some results!
"Perfect! Then that brings me to another thing I wanted to ask you. How would you like to be the temporary Deputy Commander of ANBU? I need someone to assist Monkey with the newbie recruitment process while I'm away." Sumoku patted Kakashi's shoulder with a smirk, earning an annoyed look from the young Jonin.
"*sigh* Fine. I'll help you out this time. And stop smoking that crap in here, you're gonna stink up the place." He chastised his brother with a tick mark on his forehead. Clearly, Kakashi was not the biggest fan of Sumoku's habit.
"Ha. Try telling that to Lord Third. You'll never guess what's in his pipe." A smug look crossed Sumoku's face while he pointed at Hiruzen's pipe.
"... You're kidding." Kakashi hesitantly turned towards the Third Hokage, who now sat casually in his chair. The slight red tint in his eyes told Kakashi the answer he didn't even want to know.
Hiruzen returned his gaze with a slight chuckle that differed from his usual wise tone. "Don't look at me like that, it helps relax these old bones after a long day of signing paperwork. You should take your brother's side-job seriously, it's quite the hit with our shinobi nowadays, after all."
Of course Kakashi knew about his brother's business on the side, he'd been ranting and raving about the effects of the odd herbal concoction he cultivated ever since he first made Chunin. He just didn't expect that Sumoku's odd obsession would later become a thriving business model that dominated the shinobi rehab market. As Kakashi thought about it a bit more… it started to make sense why the family bank account would occasionally grow to absurd sizes without his knowledge…
Choosing to ignore any further thought on the matter (mostly because he didn't want to encourage his brother's stinky side project), Kakashi returned the Dog mask to his face, reentering his role as an ANBU fluidly.
"I will return to headquarters to begin preparations for recruitment. Third-sama. Hokage-sama. Commander." After giving a nod of acknowledgement to each powerful figure in the room, Dog flickered out of the room.
"*tch* That brat sure doesn't appreciate Nature's abundance, huh Third-sama." Sumoku jokingly commented. "Anyways, I'll head out for my mission now. Make sure my little brother doesn't scare the hopefuls too badly, I'd at least like to have a full class when I arrive. Can't half-ass these things, after all."
"Keep me updated." Minato replied simply with an exasperated look on his face, already used to the ramblings of his best friend.
Sumoku flickered away finally, heading towards the Hatake estate to prepare for the journey ahead.
Once everything was packed and prepared, he changed his ANBU outfit out for the typical green Jonin vest. Satisfied with his appearance in the mirror, he then flickered away past the gates of Konoha.