The three men sat in complete silence. Uttering any more words would mean that the dance would begin. Hirotaka was excited to start, while Shikaku remained apprehensive about Hirotaka. Fugaku wanted to resolve this issue in a way that would not destabilize his newly acquired seat. He needed a satisfactory resolution for everyone involved.
Shikaku finally decided to go for it. "Lord Hokage, you adopting the Nine-Tails would cause a lot of friction with the other clans. They would see it as an aggressive power grab. Their trust in you would shake. Not to mention, some might see it as an insult given the rumors around the previous Nine-Tails attack."
Anger almost broke through Fugaku's stern face, but he controlled himself. "We did not have anything to do with that incident. I will share intel with you that will prove that."
Shikaku shrugged. "Some people won't care about the truth. They'll just fan the flames of whatever rumors serve them. To those people, facts are irrelevant because they only care about leverage. They would gladly trample you and that boy if it gave them even a shred of power or any form of influence."
Fugaku's eyes sharpened. He wanted to challenge that assertion and use a heavy hand if needed. However, given his future plans, he did not want to fracture the village. He knew the Uchiha would always defend their leader and the honor of the Hokage. Using force might cause the very friction he hoped to prevent by taking this chair.
Eventually, Fugaku sighed. "My wife will get very angry at me."
Shikaku sighed in return, understanding how troublesome wives could be. "I sympathize with you, Lord Hokage."
They both looked depressed before turning to Hirotaka. They expected him to share a remark about how his own wife made his life miserable. Instead, he raised his hand and spoke with a smile. "I love my wife. Every moment with her is a blessing."
Both Fugaku and Shikaku narrowed their eyes suspiciously. They wondered if this was the truth or if Hirotaka was simply too scared to speak against her even when she was not there.
Hirotaka saw the focus shifting toward him and decided to speak to divert their attention. "How about I adopt him? I am not the head of a clan. I can provide him with a great life, not to mention the best instructors and materials needed for his growth. My daughter would love a small brother, after all. She would make sure that he grew up to be just as smart and social as she is, with the same unending love for the village and its people."
Shikaku went on guard immediately. "You are still a Yamanaka," he spoke up. "He would be considered one of your own. The rest of the clans would see it as favoritism toward a Hokage's advisor. They would think the Hokage was still taking control of the Nine-Tails, just indirectly."
With a few words, Shikaku crushed Hirotaka's proposition. In doing so, he also sacrificed any chance for the Nara to take the Nine-Tails, a responsibility he did not truly want given how troublesome it would be. He did not feel he had lost anything at all.
Hirotaka, however, did not give up that easily. "I am more than capable of handling the pressure that would come. The other clans would be annoyed at the start, but soon enough I would be able to satisfy them with something in return if I cannot neutralize their anger."
Shikaku retorted with a sharp voice. "Are you planning on bribing every clan shinobi to turn a blind eye?"
Hirotaka did not respond, but the strained smile on his face said everything.
The tension started to rise between the two men before Fugaku finally intervened. His voice was heavy and absolute. "Then none of us shall adopt him. It would cause complications, and we do not need those now."
Hirotaka looked like he wanted to argue. However, Fugaku pinned him with a powerful look that made him decide to stop and keep his thoughts to himself.
Silence came across the room once more as everyone thought of ideas to resolve the issue. The Hokage seemed resolute on finding a way to fix this before the meeting ended.
Fugaku closed his eyes, entering an almost meditative state as he searched for the perfect solution. His mind drifted to an earlier memory of a fight he witnessed that showed the absolute strength and ingenuity of a brilliant young man. It was a display of dominance that would deter those with weak wills from ever challenging it. It was an ideal he shared with the young man who had displayed it.
A small smile appeared on Fugaku's face, something both Hirotaka and Shikaku noticed immediately. Shikaku asked, intrigued, "Did someone come to your mind, Lord Hokage?"
Fugaku opened his eyes, his sharp black pupils shining with a subtle light. "How about we place him under the Senju sponsorship?"
The idea caused Shikaku to narrow his eyes. His mind began running with this out-of-the-box thinking. He looked to the side, his thoughts moving at the speed of light. Hirotaka was shocked as well, and though he tried to hide it, he could not escape Fugaku's observant gaze.
Fugaku continued. "Given the current state of the Senju clan, none of the main clans would consider it a power grab. They are beyond saving. They have Takemura, who is an accomplished Jonin in his own right. Since he is retired, he will have the needed time to look after Naruto. After all, Naruto is an Uzumaki and is easily connected to the Senju. Their lines have tangled enough that the distinctions have nearly disappeared. It would be like returning him to a side of his original clan."
Shikaku's eyes widened with newfound respect for Fugaku. The man kept surprising him with wise decisions and ingenious ideas. "I agree that the other clans wouldn't object. The Senju aren't strong enough to influence village politics anymore, and I don't think they are even willing to. It would resolve the issue without any conflict between the big clans."
Hirotaka kept his eyes on Fugaku. He knew of Noa and his true strength through his daughter, and he saw the move for what it really was. Fugaku was linking Naruto to someone who would most likely grow to be one of the strongest shinobi the village had ever seen if nothing unexpected happened. By doing so, he was ensuring that no other clan would influence or control Naruto in the future.
Not to mention, given how close Sena is to Noa, Naruto would never be far from his influence. He could still ensure Naruto sees Sena as a big sister if she was around often enough.
Hirotaka sighed to himself, knowing how much this prospect would annoy Sumire. For the first time in a long time, she had been smiling at the thought of Noa and Sena's team separating. To her, it meant the end of Noa's negative influence over her future plans for Sena, not to mention the end of his bad influence on the girl's manners. Now, Sumire would be forced to agree to let Sena get even closer to Noa, something that was sure to put her in a bad mood for a very long time.
Hirotaka showed nothing on his face, but powerful shinobi like Shikaku and Fugaku saw the small telltales of him finding this troublesome.
In the end, Hirotaka said, "I don't disagree with this suggestion. It is the best we have had so far. However, we would need to increase the budget and security allocated to the Senju."
Shikaku nodded, pleased that he wouldn't need to battle Hirotaka for another round.
Fugaku responded, "It shouldn't be too problematic. It is only one person. As for security, the ANBU will handle that." Fugaku looked at his two advisors and seeing no further objections he spoke in a final tone. "It is decided then. Naruto will be placed under the care of Takemura Senju."
"Good thinking, Lord Hokage," Shikaku responded. Hirotaka nodded in agreement.
"Good," Fugaku said. "Let us discuss the next issue."
Shikaku straightened in his chair, hoping for something light to cleanse his palate. However, he was instead interrupted by Fugaku's powerful voice.
"For the last few days, Danzo was being interrogated. I am pleased to inform you that all important information has been extracted from him. After that was done, he was executed for his crimes against the village."
Shikaku's eyes widened and his mouth hung open. He shouted, unable to control himself, "What?"