Chapter 12.5- One Thousand Hands

“Application: Denied” The spokesperson for the Hyuga elders spoke and I could see Uncle Hiroshi face fault at the verdict. The Hyuga clan was strange, I thought to myself.

“The Byakugan displayed by Shorirama Senju is indeed the very pinnacle of our clan’s visual prowess and a testament to the comprehensive planning and centuries of careful breeding that led to his mother and our illustrious clan head here but it is not different enough to warrant an entirely different epithet. Especially when such an epithet is one like the name, ‘Kyoraku no Byaklugan’. I see nothing in his eyes that are not in my very own Or the ones that mine own ancestors have had for millennia. We urge our great clan head to cease this dangerous rhetoric as once. And if that will be all, then we must move on to other matters.” He said, giving me and Uraume a meaningful look.

I took that to mean that they wanted us to get out and leave them to their business but they couldn’t ask. I could see why. I was the Senju Clan Heir and with Granduncle busy with Hokage duties, I more often than not filled in the role of Clan Head when the Senju were concerned so I could not be dismissed out of hand.

I nodded to their request and gave a shallow bow as opposed to the deeper one Uraume exhibited before we left their hallowed meeting room.

“Your clan really does things differently” I commented to Uraume. It seemed so strange to me to watch a clan head be overruled by his own Clansmen. Such a thing was impossible with both the Senju and Uzumaki clans. Even as Clan heir, there were very few people who could countermand my orders, and most of that was on account of my age. By the time I became Jounin, even Tsunade would be unable to turn down a direct order from me. At least, courtesy said that she would be. I had the very strong feeling that she cared little for things like that.

“It does?” Uraume asked, surprised. Of course she was. How would she know how other clans handled things.

“Well, we don’t really have a council or anything like that in the Senju Clan. The Clan Head does have the smaller families pick leaders who report to him to keep thing running smoothly, but a council capable of overruling his decisions? That’s a touch liberal for us” I told her with a smile.

“Oh, I see then. I’m surprised none of your teachers have taught you this but I’ll pick up the slack. Our clan used to run like that. The words of the Clan Head were law up until three centuries ago. One Clan Head. His name has been scrubbed from the records for his deeds. All we know him by are his actions and the epithet, ‘The Scourge of the Hyuga’ “ She whispered the title almost as if saying it out loud can the risk of summoning the man who was most definitely long dead.

“What did he do?” I probed, infected by a rapturous curiosity.

“He killed. Killed so many people that books fail to say. Say how many he killed or how many he tried to kill. Kill them all he did. Did with his Gentle Fist. Fist to the neck, fist to the chest, fist to the head. He was insane. He made rule after rule and killed all who hesitated or otherwise disobeyed him. Eventually he’d killed so many that the clan was unsure who belonged where or how. By the time he died, there were so many dead that no one knew a thing to do. And even worse, or better, I guess. He’d killed all his own children before he died so there was no natural heir to take after him. And so when the question of leadership came, those who remained of the main branch decided it was best to establish a council who would rule in concert. The Clan Head would be chosen from the council and would serve as a sort of tie breaking vote if the council was torn on a matter. He would also serve as the face of the clan to outsiders. That is the role my Father presently serves, and the role I intend to serve after him” She said.

“So it passes down, then?” I asked her.

“No. Father did not become Clan Head until after Aunt Hinori married your own Father and joined our clan. With that fact to consider, the elders decided that he would be the best choice for the position. Grandfather had never been clan head, and his father before him either.” I nodded to her words.

“But you intend to inherit” I challenged, seeing something fishy about her reasoning.

“Well, I am your cousin. I doubt the Elders would be silly enough to overlook the Hokage’s cousin”

“Hokage?”

“Of course. Aren’t you Hokage-sama’s heir?” She seemed confused.

“Yes, to Headship over the Senju clan. Not the position of Hokage.”

“Are they not one and the same?”

To that, I could not think of a good enough reply. She was right to an extent. I could say whatever I wished about how the position of Hokage was separate from the Senju Clan, but the fact remained that there had been two hokages in the history of Konoha, and the both of them had been Heads over the Senju Clan at the same time. Sure, I knew that Hiruzen would take the position in time, but that was yet to happen. It was also possible that it wouldn’t happen. Tobirama had lived much longer than he had in canon. Who was to say that he’d end up leaving the village to Hiruzen by the time he croaked. I hesitated to say it, but I could indeed foresee a situation where Tobirama did pass down the hat to me. Especially if I became just as strong as I needed to be.

A/N; Last bit, eh? Next chapter, training, catching up and missions?