Getting to follow him back to his home, he stayed silent all the while, and I wasn't in the mood either to strike up a conversation, not until he started it. My hands tucked into my pockets, I was doing my best to give off a relaxed posture and expression, but I was already trying to figure out what was oh-so-important? It couldn't have been the record time we finished with, because he was surprised by it. So, it had to be... maybe my paper? Did it reach him? Or was it about Sayuri? Because if it were the latter, I had some word to speak. Especially if we were going to be alone, where I don't need to follow protocol.
Well, I was kinda expecting something like this, I just didn't know when it would happen. Walking into his home, apparently, everyone was out as the room was empty when the door slid open. I tried to listen to footsteps somewhere else, maybe a humming wife, anything, but as far as I could tell, we were alone. Kicking off my boots, I walked over the tatami mats, watching him bring over a teapot, preparing to make some while I sat down at the low table, waiting.
"Renjiro," Fugaku said evenly after the tea was done and he poured it out, sitting down opposite me. The way he acted told me he wasn't about to lecture me, or he wouldn't have made the tea and poured it out to me... But he was going to say something I didn't like, and this was the first step in buttering me up.
"Yes, Fugaku-sama?" I asked, raising the cup to my lips and blowing on it, watching his expression through the steam as I tried to read him.
"I read your paper."
Ah... So this was about that? Okay, that's not bad; it was within my expectations, anyway.
"I assumed you would," I said, still watching him while taking a gulp.
"It was... Honest," he said, making me raise a brow, because it wasn't something I would say... but oh well. "And direct."
"And dangerous," I added, "I'm aware that the things I put down were unusual, and not something others would call honorable. But war is war, no? We may not use them, but it is worth considering them and expecting our enemies to try something similar. Better if we are prepared than to run into a trap and lose our people."
"Have you told that to anyone...? I mean, what you just said to me." Fugaku leaned back slightly, and I could tell he was surprised again.
"No," I shrugged, "Nobody came up asking it. And I'm not going to go around explaining it to others. It is not my job to think about these, but those who are in power."
"What if you are in power?"
"That's still far away," I chuckled, shaking my head, "I am not thinking about that yet."
"Tell me, Renjiro…" He continued, considering my words, and I could tell he didn't believe me there. If I wasn't thinking about it, why did I write them down? The issue is, I am not thinking about getting into power to dictate my wishes to the village or to the Uchiha, but to make sure history is changed. On an individual level, that is. "Be honest with me," He said seriously, "That paper of yours... was it written for the examiner? Or for the Hokage? Or for... us?"
"There was nobody I wanted to aim it at. I answered the questions," I said simply, "I didn't know who would have access to it, and I put down all the things that came to mind. As I said, Fugaku-sama, it's not my job to utilize it or decide to use it at all, because I'm just a Genin."
"That you are not," He said at once, shaking his head, "We both know that. Your ideas had already taken root, you know, not just in the Hokage's office, but also in those minds who had read it. It isn't just me, but others... Be it Uchihas or not, who had seen something in those concepts, Renjiro."
"Fugaku-sama..." I muttered, because I didn't like where this was going, "What exactly are you trying to get at?"
"That a question had arisen amongst us, Uchihas, and I am also curious about what your answer would be to it... Although I have an inkling of your answer already." He added, holding his chin for a moment, gazing directly into my eyes.
"And that question is?" I probed, making him stay silent for a moment before opening his mouth.
"What matters more? The Village… or the Clan?"
"..."
Well fuck. I... Did NOT expect that question. Should I be honest? Or... First, let's think! We aren't separated yet, we aren't in our little compound, tucked away, thanks to the damned Kyūbi attack. So... the coup-happy individuals should not be the majority yet. Yes? Which should mean I would be able to keep Fugaku from falling prey to that idea, no? Haah... Let's go for it!
"Village," I said in the end, making sure I was looking straight into his eyes, without breaking eye contact.
"No hesitation..." He muttered in a quiet answer.
"None." I reinforced my choice, still glaring at him.
"..." Fugaku tapped a finger lightly against the table, repeating the knocking sound over and over again before finally blinking, "You are choosing the village... over your own blood..."
"I do."
"Why?" He asked, and I couldn't tell what he was feeling or thinking as he kept himself perfectly unreadable. Trying to decide how to proceed, I raised my cup, taking a sip, moistening my lips, before answering him again.
"Because the village is what allows the clan to exist. At least, I see it that way," I said, and noticed Fugaku's finger had stopped tapping, while I just continued, "A clan alone can give us strength, yes, but honestly... In our current era? Could we even stand strong? Alone? That's foolish. Not to mention, we had all those warring periods just to unify and put a stop to the nonsense bloodletting! Why ruin it? Didn't our ancestors do all this to stop it, and we are going to flip the table on their ghosts? Really?"
"Why would we?" His eyes didn't waver when he asked, "You are speaking as if the Clan would want to secede from Konoha."
"..." Shit... Did I say too much? Errr... "I'm not blind," I stated, trying to sound confident, "Nor deaf, Fugaku-sama. I can see and hear things, and I know that there are voices inside the clan that don't like that we are not in a more... leading position. I didn't say we would want to separate, but... The other option is just as bad." To my surprise, Fugaku listened, without another interruption, his eyes narrowing a little, letting me say what I wanted. "What happens," I continued, "when clans start prioritizing themselves over the whole? We would go back to clashing and isolating ourselves, then fracture the entire system while vying for the top spot. While other nations, who are already hungry for a new war, still united, would pounce on us, and Konoha, as a whole, would be finished. Utter... nonsense."
His gaze sharpened slightly when I finished, and we sat there in silence, right until my cup had gone empty. Just then, Fugaku leaned forward, resting his elbows lightly on the table.
"Interesting... You say the village comes first… but your blood ties you elsewhere. You aren't Uchiha, after all. Do you believe that loyalty can be divided so cleanly? Between clan and village?"
"No." I said, shrugging, "I don't believe in it needing to be split at all. Loyalty to one should mean loyalty to both, in my view."
"Then let us test that." Fugaku said, leaning back a little, making me furrow my brows, "Your… friendship," he said, choosing the word carefully, "with that girl... Sayuri Yamanaka."
"..." Really now...? Are we going there?
"You are aware," Fugaku continued, noticing my eyes narrowing a little, "of the nature of both clans."
"No, I'm not. We are people, living in Konoha." I said defiantly.
"Please..." He shook his head, "We both know I meant theirs and our secrets. Do you believe," he asked, "that either clan would be comfortable… with that closeness? Which side would be the more paranoid? Ours, of what you share with them, or are they afraid of what Sayuri tells you?"
"Nonsense."
"Why?" Fugaku tilted his head slightly, but he didn't sound angry.
"What, why?" I snorted, "If we look at it from that old-fashioned angle, smelly from the rot of ancient people, then why continue it in the first place?" I knew I caught him off guard with my raised voice, but I was finding this irritable to no end. "This type of distrust isn't a foundation worth preserving. Burn it down then! Hmph!"
"That is an idealistic answer." He said, speaking to me like my parents used to when I was very little.
"And is that really a problem?" I leaned forward slightly now, "I know that it is idealistic, but I have seen it work. Right here, in Konoha! The sad thing is, only one clan was ballsy enough to go through it! All the others, including us, are too afraid... Weak." I smirked, letting my emotions flow freely, and I didn't even notice that my Sharingan had come on by itself. "If clans isolate their knowledge, their people, their trust, what happens? They began to stagnate, then slowly rot away. There is a limit to how many of your own cousins you can marry!"
"..." I saw his face stiffen, but I wasn't done.
"We are getting weaker and weaker in ways we don't see. And as I see it, we are starting to fear what we don't control because of it. The only clan that wasn't thinking like this, that wasn't afraid of embracing what they preached, was the Senju. Because I don't know you, Fugaku-sama," I pressed on, "But as far as I can see, I don't see a Senju-compound, a Senju-marked hoodie... Where are their flags? Facilities? Where are they? Because I only see the ones that bear the symbol of Konoha. Amongst all of us, the so-called big clans, they were the only ones who stayed true to the idea! Be it us, Yamanaka, Akamichi, Hyūga, all the others, are still too afraid to do what they did! Hmph."
"You speak," he said slowly, still not angry, simply looking at me, thinking my words through, "as if you know everything."
"I know what I feel and what I think is right."
"..."
"..."
"You mentioned the Senju," he started after a moment, seeing that I wasn't saying anything more. "That they integrated fully into the village, yes. Or... From another perspective, they disappeared." Fugaku offered a different viewpoint, but I wasn't having it.
"No," I said evenly. "They didn't disappear, they became Konoha, just like many other clans whose name we don't even know by now, who weren't afraid of giving that up and becoming what they were building! There is no Senju clan, only Leaf shinobi. Fugaku-sama... your headband also has a leaf on it, doesn't it?"
"And what happens," he asked quietly, "when our identity fades? If it disappears? Doesn't that scare you?"
"It doesn't. Why would it? My... Our strength doesn't vanish just because I'm called Renjiro Majima or whatever else instead of Uchiha. Pft. Please!"
"..." I could tell by looking at him that he wanted to say more, but in the end held back, swallowing his words back down. "Being so young helps for sure..." He muttered in the end, "Because adults like me and many others can't see it so simply anymore, Renjiro."
"Try it." I offered, leaning forward, "Without ever trying, who can say what the results would be?"
"That's not that easy!" He shook his head, but I wasn't letting it go.
"It is. If it isn't for you, then leave it to the kids." I added, pointing at myself. "You just said it yourself, that it helps."
"..."
"..."
"For now," He began, crossing his arms, "I will let you do what you want to do. But that alone means nothing, because nobody will help with the obstacles you are about to face. You'll see! And... Renjiro..."
"Yes?"
"After you become a Chūnin, it will be time to join our clan meetings."
"Huh?" I asked, feeling I misheard him, "Really?"
"Yes," He said, slowly standing up, "I want the others to also hear what you have to say... Maybe we all need a new look, through a younger pair of eyes."