Chapter Text
Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
— Article 10 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Rights
“That went surprisingly well,” Kurama murmurs as Nana walks away from Neji, and she can’t help but agree. There’s a grin on her face, and she feels almost... happy. Despite the odds, Nana knows she has managed to sow doubt into Neji’s mind. It’ll be slow going, but if she’s able to find him again, then she can continue their discussion, and maybe, just maybe, she can gain an ally. Out of everyone, Neji is the best person she could possibly have as an ally, his canon discontent and hostility making him a perfect option to convince to join her side. He’s stubborn though, and her mouth still stings from where he socked her in the face.
But even so, her smile doesn’t leave her face. It’s like a weight has been lifted off her chest, allowing her to breathe for the first time. She knows it’s ridiculous to feel this way, because who knows if Neji will really take her words to heart, or if he’ll just report her instead. And yet, a part of her is sure that he won’t go to a superior. That he’ll keep quiet, mull over her words until they burrow into his mind and stay there.
She should feel guilty for manipulating him, and she’s sure the shame and horror will settle into her later, but now is not the time for that. As Kurama has said, she cannot keep looking behind and doubting her actions. She’ll have to take actions that will disgust her, but they are a necessary evil.
Evil is evil, something hisses in her mind, furious and ashamed at what she’s letting herself be. She turns away from it. She knows, she knows, but if she wants to survive... then she’ll have to do this. Change requires sacrifices, she tells herself.
It doesn’t make the slimy feeling go away, and her smile dips into a frown, a quiet anger starting to swell in her heart.
She’s so tired of doubting herself, of constantly questioning every move she makes, of trying to find an ethical solution to an unethical world. She knows she has to question herself if she doesn’t want to become the very same person she has sworn to fight, but fuck, it makes everything so difficult.
She needs Neji on her side, no matter what. And if she has to use manipulation to do it, then... so be it. If she doesn’t, then isn’t she just dooming him to die a meaningless death, after all? There is no right answer. No matter what she does, she’ll stain her hands with blood. For who, however, is up to her to decide. Taking a shuddering breath, she forces her mind to calm down and become steady.
Nana has chosen her path, and she cannot let herself stray from it.
“Good, Nana. I know this is difficult for you, but it’s for the best,” Kurama whispers gently, words like a soothing balm against her own scathing thoughts.
Her feet take her back to her apartment without her noticing, and the moment she steps into her home, exhaustion crashes into her body. Today has been far more harrowing than she initially expected, and yet... she can’t bring herself to regret any of it. Her initial sympathy for Teru-sensei has disappeared in a flurry of fury at his contentment to pair her up with Uchiha Kamiko, a vicious, nasty girl who delights in showing off her superiority whenever she can.
She’s a child, a soft voice in her mind points out.
So am I, Nana hisses back, and for once, the voice doesn’t reply. Because that is the truth of the matter. She is both child and adult, both Nana and Elise, both nothing and everything. She can’t keep trying to hold herself up to a higher standard, while excusing the actions of those around her. It’s become clear that while her mind is that of an adult, it is still affected by the same childish urges as every other child.
It shouldn’t be as comforting as it is, but the acceptance of that thought gives her a hesitant moment of respite. She lets out a heavy sigh. She’ll let herself be lenient in some aspects, but in others... she can’t be a hypocrite. She refuses to be one, and with the direction she’s currently heading in, she fears she’ll topple into that rabbit hole soon enough.
“Go to sleep, Nana. You’re exhausted. These thoughts are best addressed with a rested mind,” Kurama tells her kindly, and it’s enough make her stumble into bed and collapse, tugging off her clothes and tossing them haphazardly to the floor. The moment she’s curled up in the sheets, her eyes drift close, the comfort of her bed quickly lulling her into sleep.
Her week continues in a similar manner, except she does not see Neji again. Her classmates have ceased to bother her, and instead ignore her very existence, just like their parents. Teru-sensei never picks her first for a fight again, and seems content to pretend she isn’t in his class. While it means she has more energy for Gai’s training, it also means she isn’t being taught anything properly in the Academy. Her teacher skips over her when correcting the other students’ forms, he does not show her how to throw a kunai properly, and her homework is graded with no feedback or comments, or sometimes not returned at all. She is a ghost, and perhaps she could deal with that, if it wasn’t directly affecting her own training and studies. Gai is able to rectify most of the damage, but he can’t always be there for her. Not only that, but he believes her poor form is due to inexperience, rather than from a lack of teaching.
Every time Nana tries to tell him, she remembers the fury of Mizuki and Teru after Anko had become involved, and she finds herself biting her tongue. Instead, she tries to salvage what she can, praying that it’s enough. The original Naruto was lazy and ignorant, but if he had to undergo something similar to this, then it explains some of his behaviour. At the very least she has Gai to help her.
Despite her best efforts, Gai is a source of comfort to her. He’s a soothing balm at the end of a trying day, a voice of encouragement when she’s otherwise met with silence. He gives her something to look forward to, and that’s dangerous. But she can’t help it, not when he’s so open and honest about everything. He has had to work so hard for everything in his life, never complaining, never giving up. Instead he tackles every obstacle with the same grin and hope in his eyes. A bitter, callous part of her hates him for that, hates how he can be so kind and good while committing the same atrocities the rest of them do. She hates him because she knows that when push comes to shove, he’ll pick Konoha over her.
It fucking burns to know that. To know that even as a child, as his ‘beloved student’, she’ll still be less important that the orders of the Hokage. And even if he questions it one day, it won’t be until he has Lee in his life. She’s so selfish for being this bitter over a child who has to fight just as hard, if not harder to become someone people respect. She has always liked Lee, liked his determination and how he actually embodied the message Kishimoto tried to give through Naruto himself. But her mind doesn’t shut up, nagging softly that she’ll never live up to Lee, that Gai will never choose her, that she is alone. It tells her that she’s already inferior to someone she’s never met, and it makes her want to weep.
And yet, she can’t stop herself from smiling at Gai’s jokes, from accepting his generous affection and constant praise, even as Kurama whispers warnings in her ears. She knows, she tells him, she knows that it’s bad. But she can’t duck away. Would it be so bad to accept it for just a little while?
Kurama just scoffs at her, and falls back asleep.
One week goes by, then another and another, and soon October bleeds into November, then December. She learns how to mould chakra properly after weeks of trying, and mostly failing, to do the stupid leaf exercise. Gai explains to her that she has more chakra that most people, and how chakra control is of vital essence, particularly if she wishes to be able to fight with it or strengthen parts of her body. It’s infuriating to try and cycle her chakra through her body, an uncomfortable hum that seems to buzz beneath her skin. But Kurama entices her with learning illusions, and so she pushes on. Nana’s control will never be fine enough to be a med-nin, but by mid-December, she can circulate her chakra properly, as well as stick a few leaves to her body as she does so.
At the end of December, another basket is placed by her door, and Nana feels herself freeze. She approaches it warily, heart pounding in her chest as she prods at it from a distance. Once again, it doesn’t explode on her. Please don’t be more weapons, she prays quietly to herself, carefully peering into it. Three scrolls look back at her, parchment pristine and smooth. She cracks one open, and a note flutters into her lap.
She would have wanted you to have these.
There is no signature. Her eyes dart to the names of the first scroll, and her breath catches.
Uzu and Taijutsu, Uzumaki Yoko
With trembling hands, she opens up the other scrolls. A sob catches in her throat.
Sealing: Of Beauty and Battle, Volume 1, Uzumaki Mito
Someone has given her the belongings of her mother. She doesn’t know Uzumaki Kushina. Not really. But she knows how much she had loved her child, how eager and excited she was to finally meet her son. Nana doesn’t love Kushina, but more the idea of her. A mother who would love her unconditionally, who would support her endeavours no matter what, who would cheer her on when no-one else would.
Oh dear God, Gai is her mother. The thought is enough to snap her out of her tears and make her snort, imagining the exuberant Gai in a frilly apron and high pitched voice. No, maybe Gai is her only real reference of what a ‘good’ parent should be, but that doesn’t mean he’s her mother. Nana glances down at the scrolls again.
One day, she’ll meet Kushina. She wonders how she’ll react to her and her choices. Will she accept them and be proud? Or will she renounce her and cast her away? Her stomach roils at the thought, but she can’t help but clutch the scrolls tighter. Maybe Kushina will be disappointed in her. But Nana can pretend for a bit that she wouldn’t. That teaching herself the content of the scrolls would make her proud.
At the very least, she can tell herself it’s to further her goals. But if she treats them as though they are made of glass, then that’s her own business. She doesn’t touch the scroll on sealing, not yet. It’s always been warned as a volatile art, and the last thing she wants to do is blow herself up. So instead she pieces it slowly, learning the kata in the taijutsu book first.
At the start of January however, Neji finally approaches her after Gai finishes up their training session. There’s a scowl on his face as he does so, but a small hint of determination in his blank eyes.
“How?” is the first thing he says to her, and she blinks at him slowly, waiting for him to continue. After a moment of hesitation, he elaborates.
“How do you propose changing the system? Remember, you said-,”
“I know what I said,” Nana interrupts, and she can’t stop the small smile on her lips. His scowl deepens, but he doesn’t try to scold her for talking over him. Instead, he looks at her, curiosity and hope and something desperate in his gaze. She swallows.
“It’ll take a long time,” she says, and he shrugs, brow furrowing.
“If it was easy, it would have happened sooner,” he argues back, and his arms cross impatiently. “Well?”
Nana pauses.
“It might be considered... treasonous.”
He doesn’t move. If anything, another spark of something is lit up in his face.
“Tell me.”
So she does.
She doesn’t tell him everything, of course. But she tells him of the injustice, of the way the system is designed to keep those seen as ‘lesser’ down at the bottom, and those gifted with the right blood at the top. She talks about abandoned orphanages, of children stolen away at night, and of the indifference they face every day. She tells him about the way children are trained and sent to fight pointless wars for leaders who sit back and watch. And he listens to every word, eyes growing wide and furious as she speaks.
She tells him about how the village passively accepts open slavery and torture of people they claim to protect. He breathes in sharply at that, and stands up, turning away from her without warning. His chest is heaving, fingers trembling as they grasp the bandages around his head.
“You want to change all of that?” He asks after a while, voice hoarse. He still does not look at her.
“Yes,” she admits, “but I can’t do it alone.”
Neji stays quiet for another minute or so, before whirling back to face her. His eyes are blazing with the fury of a child betrayed, of a person who has been pushed and pulled by people who claim to be better than him, of a human who has finally decided enough is enough.
“I don’t trust you. And a part of me doesn’t believe in your words,” he says tersely. “But I’ll help you.”
It sounds like a promise and a declaration, like a statement that he’ll make true no matter what.
It sounds like the bells of revolution, and Nana smiles, teeth bared to the world.
“That’s all I can ask for.”
“Danzo-sama. I overheard a conversation that could pose a threat to Konoha if left alone.”
Old, wrinkled hands pause in their writing, the ink pen slowly bleeding into the parchment.
“Report.”
“At 19:03, Uzumaki Nana and Hyuuga Neji held a conversation about the current state of Konoha, both expressing a desire to change the village to suit their own goals. Uzumaki Nana in particular was clear in her disdain for the current leadership and system. Hyuuga Neji appears mostly unconvinced, but was persuaded by the possibility of changing the Hyuuga clan,” the agent explains dutifully, voice neutral and blank. A perfect soldier. Just what Konoha needs.
Shimura Danzo does not reply immediately, instead carefully thinking over the information just given to him. Agent 395 is correct, this information could potentially cause even more turmoil in the village. The Konoha Liberation Group is proving to be a bigger pest than anticipated, and if they catch wind of two disgruntled shinobi children, then who knows what would happen. And yet, this could be advantageous to him.
A wry smile appears on his face.
The Hyuuga are arrogant bastards on the best of days, so assured of their own superiority that they forget their place. Perhaps, with a bit of guidance, this Hyuuga Neji can be a valuable asset in... changing the clan. Danzo himself would seal all of their eyes if possible, but if he can carefully manoeuvre the child to suit this aim, then it may prove fruitful. Uzumaki Nana is a more difficult subject. As jinchuuriki, she’s a vital asset to the village. Treasonous thoughts can be deadly, both to Konoha and herself. Finding another suitable candidate will require far too much time, and might not even work. So he’ll have to adapt instead. If he can present himself as a viable force for change, as someone different to Sarutobi and the rest, then perhaps she’ll fall in line.
If not... well, Aburame Hotaru might be useful after all.
“Keep watching them,” he finally orders, eyes turning back to his paper, a clear dismissal. Ignoring their salute and departure, he instead focuses on the plans beginning to unfold in his mind. He has his hands full with the Uchiha at the moment, but once they’ve been dealt with, he can place his full attention on this development.
“Uzumaki Nana,” he says softly, pen tapping gently against his desk.
Only time can tell if she’ll become an asset, or a threat.
With a snap of his fingers, he watches as another agent appears before him, fist over their heart as they await their order.
“Agent 628. Summon Aburame Hotaru to my office. Do not let anyone know where she is going. Make sure she knows the importance of keeping this secret.”
“Yes, Danzo-sama.” The agent disappears with his order, and Danzo leans back on his chair. The other villages smell blood in the water, and Konoha cannot afford to show weakness. Sarutobi’s actions during the Kumo Scandal had been bad enough, but the current tension inside the village itself only spells out disaster. The Uchiha, the KLG, Sarutobi himself, and now the Aburame and two children with thoughts of rebellion. Hiruzen has been weak for too long now, too unwilling to face the music and grasp the village with the iron fist it needs.
Konoha has become weak, too focused on maintaining the image as the ‘nice village’, while their enemies laugh and grow stronger. Their world has no place for ‘niceness’. Only survival and strength, two things Konoha is currently lacking. The Uchiha are growing bolder with each day, the KLG are starting to use tactics obtained from an unknown source, Sarutobi continues to bury his head in the sand, and the Aburame’s threat of leaving is not an empty one. Two children should not be this dangerous, but in the current climate, they are. If he cannot steer them towards protecting the village, then he will have to dispose of them quickly, no matter what Sarutobi says.
Danzo’s loyalty is not to the Hokage, and Sarutobi knows this. But that’s why he lets him continue his machinations, no matter how distasteful they are. Both of them know that Konoha comes before everything. And yet Sarutobi is a coward, unable to face the things that have to be done for the village. Danzo scoffs in derision. Let the old fool sit in the Hokage Tower and pretend he’s not responsible for the things Danzo does.
Danzo will do what he must to protect Konoha.
No matter the cost.
Yamamoto Ryuu is fucked. He knows this like he knows that the sky is blue, that his family depends on him, and that Konoha is a cesspit of corruption that has to be cleaned. He had known that joining the Konoha Liberation Group came with heavy risks, and he had accepted those risks without second thought. He would still accept them, even now. But that doesn’t stop the fear that blooms in his body. Dying is one thing, but torture... torture is a completely different class. Ryuu swallows nervously as the grizzled old shinobi in front of him continues to watch him and say nothing. They haven’t touched him yet, haven’t even asked him any questions, but he knows without a doubt that they’ll come soon enough.
The shinobi finally slams his hands down on the iron table, and Ryuu jumps at the sound, ears ringing.
“Conspiracy to instigate violence, conspiracy to commit treason, attempted arson, attempted assault, disturbance of the Hokage’s Peace, and many, many more. You’re a kid with quite a few crimes to your name, huh?”
Ryuu does not answer, and the shinobi snorts.
“The KLG is dangerous, kid. I’m sure they lured you in with false promises and words, but all they do is lie. And now you’re in this mess, facing execution. And for what? For a group of glorified civilians who don’t understand the slightest thing about shinobi? You’re a fucking fool for getting mixed up with them, Ryuuji,” he says derisively, and Ryuu wants to shout and protest, wants to spit in this man’s face and scream about the hypocrisy and indifference the shinobi show their precious villagers-
The seal on his tongue burns, and he stays quiet. The shinobi drums his fingers, eyes narrowed at his continued refusal to talk, before the man finally sighs.
“Look, all of this can easily be forgiven. We received reports that you’re the one coming up with... more violent tactics. Thing is, those tactics are remarkably similar to those in Kiri. So, Ryuuji, who’s been feeding you information?”
Ryuu doesn’t say anything.
He can’t.
Tobi had been clear in what the seal would do, and he can’t bring himself to regret it. When the masked man had first approached him, Ryuu had been sceptical and hostile to say the least. But the man had started to advise him on how to approach Konoha, explaining how violent protest was the only way to get the village to listen. And Ryuu had asked him more. If he could tell the KLG this, if they could get organised enough... then they could make a change. Real change.
And so a deal was struck.
In exchange for his silence, Ryuu would learn everything that Tobi knew about creating a proper resistance. He most likely had his own reasons for it, but the KLG had taught Ryuu to take every opportunity offered to him. So he did. And once he began advising, he shot through the ranks, soon finding himself actually getting paid. He could afford to get Kanna that new soap she had sighed about, was able to get Yuji a book on the history of Ame, could give the other orphans all the little things they want, but never have enough money to get.
Perhaps he sold his soul to the devil, but Ryuu can’t bring himself to regret it.
Not when it made Kanna smile for the first time in months, not when it made Kyoko laugh like they've never done before, not when he was able to make things easier for his family. It’s that thought that lets him square his shoulders and stare the shinobi head on.
Nana would have done the same. She would have been defiant until the bitter end, face twisted in a scowl. She’s so young, and yet... there was something old and wise about her. Talking to her had always been a curious endeavour, causing him to question everything and everyone, even when she probably hadn’t meant to. He misses her. She was too clever for her own good. So Konoha took her.
Just like they take everything.
But he refuses to let them take these secrets, to steal away their only chance at fighting back. He left Kanna a note with instructions to track down Nana and give it to her, should the worst happen. And staring into the cold eyes of the shinobi before him, Ryuu knows that it probably will.
The months pass by with a surprising amount of stability, a steady routine that keeps Nana focused. The Academy is as brutal as ever, but for once, she isn’t alone. Teaming up with Neji has lifted a weight on her shoulders, kindling a small hope that perhaps they can actually do this. She knows that she still doesn’t have Neji’s complete trust, but for now, they are allies. They both want similar things, and planning with two heads is easier than one. He still doesn’t know the full extent of her intentions, instead only believing that her sights are set on Konoha and Konoha alone. The time isn’t right yet. It would scare him away, and she’s grown... used to his presence.
Nana can almost pretend she has a friend.
Gai is an ever present fixture in her life, and she finds herself grateful for it. His training is as brutal as ever, but she finds herself slowly growing stronger, able to slip into katas with barely a second thought, running laps around the village where before she would have been gasping for air. She’s proud of how far she’s come, even if the progress is small. She’s steadily making her way through her mother’s scrolls as well, and Nana finds herself adapting to the Uzu kata with an ease that surprises her. Gai watches her curiously the first time she slips into an Uzu stance, but he only looks at her with a soft smile and doesn’t say anything.
She’s finally looked at the sealing scrolls, and they make her head spin. There are so many details, so many intricacies, and she can barely focus on them all. Instead she has to forge through it piece by piece, trying to hammer in concepts that make the barest amount of sense to her. This, she decides, would be a lot easier with a teacher. But this is a secret ace up her sleeve, and trying to get a teacher would alert the wrong people. So for now, she’ll have to struggle alone.
The Academy finishes in late June, and she finds herself passing into the next grade, despite her lack of education. She won’t be placed with her current peers however, and instead she finds her next instructor is one Umino Iruka. It makes her swallow in worry, before she steels herself.
Nana finds herself... not content, but at ease. The panic attacks have lessened, the bitterness has receded, and she finds herself more comfortable in her body and role. For once, things are going her way.
And then July hits.