Dreams of the Past

Treason and Tragedy

A/N The end of this chapter begins the major ***content warning.*** see endnotes for detailed trigger warnings. Also, so many of you commented about the cousins scenting the pregnancy on whatever Sakura sent him. I'll be honest, I did not think of that and while it's cute af, it would not make sense here. Also, he isn't exactly sharing his Sakura nighty around lol I imagine he might pull it out at night when they're asleep? Idk lol If this was a different story, I would run with that idea.

Chapter 30

Treason and Tragedy

There were privacy seals set up around Sakumo's tent, and yet Kakashi still felt a lingering anxiety that it wasn't enough. What they were discussing was open treason. Uchiha Fugaku, who had arrived within the last hour, sat beside him, legs crossed and hands folded around one knee. He, Kakashi knew, held no love for Hiruzen or Danzō and had been easy to convince.

"I have had confirmation from Konoha. None of our confiscated prisoners are being held with the others. They seem to have disappeared. Ordinarily, I would be extremely skeptical of the Raikage and Tsuchikage's declarations of innocence, but now..." He shook his head. "Looking back over the last two years, there are a handful of times I recall foreign shinobi either committing suicide to avoid capture, or similarly disappearing. I hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now?"

Sakumo frowned down at his desk. "I can recall the same. Each time within our borders, attacking infrastructure or villages."

"So what now? The suspicions of a handful of shinobi won't be enough to overthrow the Hokage, and the endorsement of two enemy Kage will only confuse the truth."

Fugaku was right. But: "There may already be lingering doubt after what he tried to do to Sakumo. How much anger was there when he was to blame for this war? No one wanted to fight. Hiruzen has already admitted to attempting to frame him. Doubt may linger, resentment for the war itself definitely does."

Sakumo pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yes. But, they don't know what we do. The three of us won't be enough to spread that information, if we would even be believed. I am still potentially untrustworthy, he is an Uchiha, and you are from an enemy nation." He stared helplessly up at the ceiling. "When I first uncovered this information, I had not anticipated that it would take this turn. Are we really discussing a coup?"

Kakashi glanced at Mebae and Raiu, standing unobtrusively in the corner, staring at the ground. "Sakumo," his father tore his eyes away from the ceiling of the tent to look at him, the weight of their entire nation in his eyes. "We only have two choices. Forget we know anything, cease conversations with the Raikage and Tsuchikage and allow this war to play out as it will, or..." He waved a hand in a lazy gesture around the tent. "We continue down this path."

Beside him, Fugaku nodded, his voice resigned. "You're rotating home in two weeks, Karasu. I will send my summons to my council. Expect a visit. I will instruct them to listen to you and take what you have to say to the other major clans. Most of the heads remained in Konoha, but those that did not can be reached by their councils. It will be impossible to meet openly in the village, but perhaps by the time your weeks of leave are up, we will be able to gather at one of the fronts."

"Can they all be trusted?"

He pursed his lips. "War always devastates the clans more than anyone else. Most are still recovering from the last. You need look no further than your own for proof of this."

Kakashi held back an eye-roll. Drafted civilians were always slaughtered, and civilian-born shinobi died at even higher rates to those from clans. It was self important and prejudiced, but the sentiment was shared around the other clans.