A/N: Heh. Hope you like this one. Been awhile since I did a Naruto x One Piece xover. And I know I have a problem with plot bunnies, so don't bother me with that crap and lemme write whatever the hell I want. In addition, expect to see some familiar faces hahahahah.
Chapter one: Enter Naruto Uzumaki… a National treasure?
"Maaaaaan. This is kinda boring." Naruto muttered as he sat around on the ground, it was his turn to guard Tazuna while he worked on completing the bridge that would save Wave country. The Bridge builder rubbed the sweat from his brow and chuckled for second.
"Careful gaki. People who wish for something to happen often get way more than they bargained for. Say, you ever hear the legend of Wave's ghost Elephant?" the Bridge builder asked at the end while adjusting his hard hat. At his question, the blonde raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Just the name. Tsunami-san mentioned it once I think." The whiskered replied, from his current expression, it was obvious that he was interested in the tale. The Bridge Builder set aside his tools then sat across the blonde with a small grin.
"Well I'll tell you. This story goes back for some centuries. Every few decades or so, a gigantic Elephant covered by a thick fog appears out on the horizon towards the sea. Whenever the ghost Elephant appears, some villagers go out to sea on an adventure to see it up close. Most never made it back. Those that did claim that the beast was so enormous that it's very footsteps caused the ocean currents to drive them away. The last time the Ghost Elephant was spotted was when I was still in my diapers. Hahaha. It's actually become a bit of a dream of mine to see the Ghost Elephant myself, up close and personal." Tazuna spoke at the end with a sheepish grin while rubbing the back of his head.
"Heh. That's cool I hope you get to see it… LOOK THE GHOST ELEPHANT!" Naruto screamed out while pointing behind Tazuna towards the ocean. The Bridge Builder chuckled and believed that the Genin was trying to do the old 'Look behind you' trick. He was about to crack a joke at the boy for using such a lame trick… but then he noticed that Naruto's face was frozen in shock.
Turning around to follow his gaze… the Bridge builder suddenly felt like his heart had stopped beating. There it was, just as he described. Wave country's Ghost Elephant, it's visage somewhat visible in the thick fog… and it seemed to be walking this way. "No. Fucking. Way. DID I SUMMON IT BY TELLING THE STORY?" Tazuna screamed out in shock.
He then had the sudden urge to bounce around in joy, almost as though thirty years worth of his youth had been suddenly restored by the sight of the Ghost Elephant. This was the chance of a lifetime for him! Judging by the direction the Elephant was walking, it would become possible to see it up close!
"Once I finish building my bridge… I will die a happy and satisfied man." The Bridge builder spoke while crying tears of joy. He wiped the tears from his eyes and adjusted his glasses, his eyes widened since the fog was clearing away as the Elephant grew closer. The beast was so massive that if it stepped on Wave then it'd probably crush the entire island.
"My god. Look at that thing… it looks so… old. Is it alive? Some kind of zombie? How long has it been alive?" Naruto finely spoke while pointing out the Elephant's sunken eyes and its heavily wrinkled body. Looking up higher, he could see the faint outline of trees on its back.
"Not a bad day for walking." a deep voice rumbled inside of Naruto's head. The blonde felt like his voice box had stopped working for a few moments. Did this Elephant… just talk? Was he hearing it's voice? From the looks of it, Tazuna hadn't heard the voice so why was it only he heard the Elephant? The blonde's musing was interrupted when the rest of his team had appeared, all bearing wide eyed expressions at the sight before them.
"Wow. Just when you believe to have seen everything… something else surprises you." Kakashi commented in astonishment since he and the others managed to spot the giant Elephant from Tazuna's house with ease. Naturally they needed to come and make sure that everything was fine at the incomplete bridge and was pleased that it was so.
The waves crashed hard against the bridge under construction but it held fast since Tazuna built the bridge so that it could survive even the worst of storms. The Bridge builder then swallowed hard and muttered "I wonder… what's on the back of that giant Elephant?"
As soon as the question left his lips the sounds of a bell was heard, ringing loud and clear through the air. "Ehhhhhhh? There's people living up there?" Naruto cried out, his eyes threatening to pop out of his sockets from this discovery.
"Hn. Don't be an idiot. Anyone could have left a bell up there. It probably rang itself." Sasuke spoke with a scowl, although he was surprised by the presence of the giant Elephant, it held no means of gaining power for himself, so in the Avenger's mind it was irrelevant.
"I wouldn't be too sure Sasuke. You may either be right or wrong. It's not every day that someone discovers a new civilization. We should probably attempt to make contact or at the very least gather more information on what is on the back if this Elephant. Who knows what we might find?" Kakashi spoke with an eyesmile, and as if on cue, the bell rang once again, only this time it seemed to be ringing at a far more urgent pace.
"The hell? Is someone trying to call for help?" Naruto wondered out loud, he squinted his eyes for a brief moment and saw some figures descending down one of the Elephant's legs. He could barely make it out but it seemed like it was the forms of people running down.
"Oi! Who are you people? You need help or something?" the whiskered teen shouted, wondering if they had heard him.
After a few moments, a female voice replied back "Yes! We just detected the presence of an Uzumaki! Do you know where he or she is?" at this question the blonde wondered what the voice meant by that. 'An Uzumaki'? Did that mean his name had some other relevance to it? In the background Kakashi raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Did these strange people have a connection to THAT clan?
"My name is Uzumaki! Naruto Uzumaki!" the blonde blurted out of the blue making Kakashi slap a hand over his mouth.
"Quiet Naruto! We don't know these people. And we have no idea what they want." The Jonin spoke in a harsh manner, a bad feeling was starting to well up in his stomach. And he knew that things were about to go south really quickly.
There was silence for a few moments until a loud popping noise filled the air… looking up they saw that a female figure seemed to be…jumping in midair? Kakashi was suddenly met with a boot to his face and was sent flying back by the force of the kick. The attacker landed smoothly on the ground… revealing it to be a woman with the animal traits of a rabbit, including long ears, a puffy white tail and white fur covering her body.
She had a fierce look in her eyes as she spoke up "Konoha scum! I'll never forgive you for what you did! Where is Uzumaki-sama?" her voice carried a thick coating of venom as she mercilessly kicked Kakashi again when he tried to get up, resulting in one of his ribs cracking.
"M-my name is Naruto Uzumaki! I was the one that called out to you!" he yelled out, hoping it might placate the rabbit girl. Although… he couldn't help but wonder why she had this appearance, was it some kind of weird bloodline or Henge?
"Naruto Uzumaki? Understood! You have to come with me Naruto-sama!" she yelled and then scooped him up in her arms and leapt towards the Elephant's leg where her comrades were waiting with harnesses strapped to some kind of cable.
The Rabbit girl flipped in midair and slipped into her waiting harness in a smooth fashion, impressing the whiskered teen with her athletic abilities. "Uzumaki-sama has been secured! Rescue team waiting to be pulled up!" a Dog girl with a tan fur coat announced. Although Naruto wondered about the 'Rescue' part. Were they supposed to be saving him from something?
"Hang on tightly Naruto-sama! I won't let you fall. I know you have a lot of questions but please just cooperate with us! My name is Carrot, and my friend over there is Wanda." The Rabbit girl now identified as Carrot spoke, the dog girl nodded to confirm her identity as Wanda.
Before the Genin could say anything, he noticed that they were already ascending upwards. He supposed that he would just follow these girls lead for now. It wasn't like he had much choice at this point in time.
On the ground.
"EHHHHHHH? NARUTO HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED!" Sakura screamed in shock at the fact a weird bunny girl snatched up her teammate and began running about like a chicken with its head cut off. Kakashi groaned in pain, just as he was almost recovered from his fight with Zabuza, that girl delivered a pretty powerful kick to him. Twice in fact.
He slowly got up and brushed himself off. His visible eye narrowing "Well now… time for a rescue mission then. This mission just got a whole lot stranger. All right then, we're gonna be doing this Anbu style, we will sneak in behind enemy lines and extract Naruto before they realize what we have done. You're gonna have to put your training to its fullest since we are going to climb up." The masked Jonin announced.
"Oi. Shouldn't I go with you or something?" Asked Tazuna in a tone of urgency.
"Hn. This isn't going to be pleasure cruise old man. You'll just slow us down while we go save that idiot. I don't even see why he went with them or what their interest was with him." Sasuke spoke in a tone of annoyance with his hands stuffed into his pockets, although it could prove to be an interesting test of his strength if all the natives atop the Elephant were that strong.
"No. Tazuna-san isn't wrong. We can't leave him behind down here unprotected, allowing either Gato or Zabuza to kill him. It might complicate matters but at least we won't have to worry about him getting assassinated while we're gone. Now let's get going, oh, Tazuna-san? You have any rope handy?" the Jonin asked to which their client nodded.
Once an appropriate length of rope had been acquired, Kakashi tied it around each of their waists for a safety harness, and to permit Tazuna himself to scale the Giant Elephant's leg with them without the usage of chakra. With that done, they found that the Elephant's leg was now within jumping range, a good thing too since the water was too choppy and dangerous to use a simple boat in.
Thus began the long climb up towards the top. It was difficult to stick to, much less climb, up due to the fact they were climbing on the skin of a living creature… assuming that it was really alive. They climbed and climbed and climbed. Unable to stop or rest for fear of falling down or slipping off. It took some time, but they had gotten into a good rhythm which helped them go at a smooth and steady pace.
"How far do we have to climb?" Sakura yelled, sweat was pouring from her forehead as she climbed up, her feet hurting from the long climb.
"Hush Sakura. We don't know if the enemy is nearby and we mustn't do anything to alert them. From what I saw earlier, with those harnesses, it seems like they use some kind of pulley system to get on and off the Elephant. They might be hanging around in wait for us… no pun intended." Kakashi spoke in a tone that held equal amounts of seriousness and joking making the pinkette gulp and start frantically looking around for the enemy.
"Oi, Kakashi. I was meaning to ask you; what was your take on that bunny girl's appearance? It looked weird to me." Tazuna asked as he walked in rhythm with the Shinobi team, he was getting tired from this as well, but he was used to this kind of stuff due to handling heavy equipment and materials for building. Still didn't help the fact the infamous Ghost Elephant was so damn huge.
"Not sure exactly. Might be some manner of Bloodline. Her rabbit like appearance likely enhances her physical capabilities, judging from her tremendous leaping ability. But I guess we'll find out more soon enough. We're almost at the top." Kakashi replied as they continued climbing. By the time they finally reached the top, the sun was beginning to set, turning a pinkish orange as its last light glittered of the water below.
They rest for a few moments to catch their breath. Although Kakashi kept a sharp eye out in case a sentry was left behind. Not finding anything of suspicion he ordered for them to start moving out but Sakura raised up her hand and asked "Hold on a sec Sensei, how're we supposed to find Naruto? We don't know where he's been taken or how to find him here."
Nodding in agreement the Jonin went through some hand-signs and summoned a small dog. "Hey Kakashi. Ya need something?" the dog asked while scratching at his ear.
"Yes Pakkun, it would seem that one of my Genin has been kidnapped. You mind helping out a bit?" the silver haired Jonin asked with an eye smile.
"Sure. Got something with the kid's scent on it? And what the hell is wrong with the ground? It feels funny." Pakkun replied while kneading at the 'ground' with his paws since it felt strange to him. His summoner however inwardly sighed and crossed his arms. Kakashi had forgotten to acquire something of Naruto's for his hounds to sniff out. How were they supposed to find Naruto now?
"S-s-sensei?" Sakura whimpered out and pointed down to something lying on the 'ground'. It was a Konoha headband, Naruto's undoubtedly. Only it seemed like it had been badly damaged, it was scratched apart by blades and was bent in several placed and the fabric was also shredded apart. Kakashi remembered that the rabbit girl from earlier had identified him as a Konoha Shinobi right off the bat. Did these people have some kind of grudge against Konoha? What was their connection in the first place since they lived on the back of an elephant?
He shook his head and offered what was left of the headband to Pakkun who sniffed at it for a few moments before nodding and speaking "Got the Kid's scent now. We should probably hurry. From the looks of that headband, it doesn't bode well for him or us."
Sakura swallowed a lump in her throat while Kakashi, Sasuke and Tazuna narrowed their eyes slightly. Following the dog summons, they carefully and slowly entered into the jungles. Tree hopping was out of the question due to Tazuna being unable to keep up with such movements and because they were in hostile and unknown territory.
Sakura had the common sense in this event to keep silent, although she was a little bit jumpy since she would flinch at the slightest noise. Sasuke was on guard, his eyes scanning the bushes for any signs of the enemy while Kakashi tried to keep his senses aware of everything, even putting out what limited Chakra sensory abilities he had. Tazuna kept in the back with Sakura, occasionally checking behind them to ensure no one was sneaking up behind them.
Suddenly a voice called out from the trees "Intruders! Konoha heathens! This will be your only warning! Leave immediately and we will not pursue! Continue at your peril if you wish, for we will show no mercy to you! Anyone who bears the mark of the Evil village is our enemy! Now leave!" Kakashi looked around for the source of the voice, but couldn't find it. What was with these people? They considered Konoha to be Evil? What in the hell was going on?
"Give us back Naruto and we'll go! No need for things to get messy!" The masked Jonin yelled back, already deducing that the locals undoubtedly knew their position so it was now pointless to hide. It was their home turf after all, and even the Copy Nin was a bit out of his element at this time.
"NEVER! We'll never give him to the likes of you, Konoha Shinobi! We'll never forgive you for what you did!" a female voice yelled out this time.
"What we did? We never did anything to you!" Sasuke yelled this time, he was now just as confused as the others at this point. Nothing was making any sense and more questions seemed to be piling up and they weren't getting any answers.
"Not you personally, but your village committed a great sin that we shall never forgive! We shall hate you and your village of liars and traitors forever and ever! I curse you and your village! May you all die of the plague! May you never rest at night, may your food taste bland and not fill your belly, may you always be alone and cold in your bed, may you never know the touch of a Special one! May your women be infertile and your men impotent!" another female voice called out in complete rage, her voice filled with pure venom as she rained curses on them.
Growing annoyed at this exchange Sasuke started to go through hand-signs to unleash his Jutsu. Kakashi realized what the avenger was up to and yelled "SASUKE! DON'T DO IT!" but it was too late as the self proclaimed avenger unleased a torrent of flames at the trees to burn out the enemies hiding spots.
"You see? Konoha Ninjas are nothing but liars, cowards and bullies! Get them!" a male voice yelled out. A blur of motion came rushing forward, prompting the masked Jonin to bring up his Kunai to block an incoming strike from a blade. He felt a feeling of numbness in his hands prompting him to kick away his attacker and drop the kunai. His hands wouldn't stop shaking as he thought 'What was that? Some kind of electric current? I can barely move my hands right now!'
"Not bad! Seems you have a little skill there." Spoke a male voice belonging to a humanoid that resembled a jaguar, carrying a sword in his hands. It was then that several other humanoids resembling various weapons in their hands as they glared angrily at the Shinobi team and their client.
"You shouldn't underestimate us Minks. We are natural born warriors, even an infant knows how to defend itself here in our country. We warned you to leave and you ignored us! Expect no mercy now!" the Jaguar man roared angrily causing his comrades to nod and shout their agreement as well. Kakashi's visible eye narrowed as he considered what course of action he should take. If they all possessed that Electrical ability then be would be overpowered in seconds and using his Sharingan in this situation wouldn't help at all either.
The sound of 'ring ring ring' filled the tense atmosphere prompting the Jaguar humanoid to reach into his cloak and pull out what resembled a snail. "Pedro here. We found some vermin trying to intrude in Zou just as you predicted Wanda." The Jaguar now identified as Pedro spoke at the snail which confused the Shunobi and their client.
Suddenly a female voice came from the Snail as it replied back "Understood Pedro-san! If possible you must capture them so they might be judged for their crimes. Additionally Naruto-sama is prepped and ready! The feast will begin in about an hour. Do hurry if you don't want to miss it." When the snail stopped speaking, Kakashi deduced that the snail was used as some form of communication… and wait… what was that about a feast?
"Understood. Save some of that yummy soup for us. I'll report back when the enemy has been dealt with." Pedro spoke to the snail before placing it back into his cloak. The Shinobi team and their client all had looks of horror on their faces, all paling white as sheets. The words 'Prepped and ready', 'feast', and 'soup' kept ringing through their minds. THESE PEOPLE WERE CANNIBALS AND THEY WERE GOING TO COOK NARUTO INTO A SOUP!
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?" Sakura screeched in terror, quickly turning blue in the face.
"I could ask you the same thing! I'm gonna chop you up into bite sized pieces!" Pedro shouted while readying his blade and raising his hands to signal his comrades to attack as well. Unknown to him, he unwittingly caused his quarry to believe that he meant it literally and was going to eat them afterwards.
"CAPTAIN! RAIN-RUPTION INCOMING!" shouted one of the natives, warning his comrade of the coming danger. With a low growl, the Jaguar humanoid ordered his comrades to retreat, a devilish grin on their faces since they knew what was coming and their enemies did not.
"Huh? Why are they running?" Tazuna asked as he adjusted his glasses, knowing those, what did they call themselves? Minks had them dead to rights.
"Not sure. But I have a bad feeling." Kakashi muttered as he expected some kind of trap or ambush to occur again. Though he was grateful that feeling was returning to his hands.
"Wait… what's that?" asked Sakura while pointing up towards something. Following her gaze they saw something through the trees… it looked kind of like and Elephant's trunk…. It WAS an Elephant's trunk!
"Rain-ruption? Don't tell me…. GET TO HIGH GROUND!" Kakashi shouted as he grabbed Tazuna and leapt up into one of the trees followed by his Genin students. A rush of water came making them brace themselves against the tree. When it was over they all panted for breath. It was just one bundle of crazy after another today.
"Screw this! The Dobe is on his own! I'm getting out of this crazy place!" Sasuke yelled angrily, none of this was worth it! Between the psychotic animals, a civilization on the back of a giant Elephant, and now flash floods? He wasn't going to throw his life away for this! Not while he had something far more important to do like killing his elder brother.
"You're gonna leave Naruto behind to be eaten? That's awful! I can't believe you! I don't really like Naruto but he doesn't deserve to be made into soup!" Sakura shouted as she clocked the Uchiha on the head much to Kakashi's astonishment.
The masked Jonin then spoke in a tone of authority "We shouldn't waste time arguing. We are going to rescue Naruto. We need to hurry since he doesn't have much time left. Pakkun? Keep tracking him…. Pakkun?" he asked and looked around for the dog summons who was nowhere to be found.
"Looking for something?" asked the familiar voice of Pedro who was holding a bound and gagged Pakkun. "So this is how you planned on finding Uzumaki-sama eh? Not gonna happen. Guardians! Capture them!" at the Jaguar minks shout a small army of his comrades descended on their prey.
Kakashi lifted up his headband to reveal his Sharingan in order to go all-out against the Minks. But deep down, he couldn't help but wonder how Naruto was faring under the threat of these savage beasts.
With Naruto hours earlier.
"Carrot and Wanda right? Mind my asking why you have those Henge's on?" Naruto asked as they continued to ascend up towards the Elephant's back. Both the rabbit and dog woman chuckled in amusement at his question.
"Ah. You must mean that technique that disguises your appearance? We aren't doing that. This is our natural forms. We are a species called Minks that are humanoids who possess traits of animals you are undoubtedly familiar with Uzumaki-sama." Wanda answered with a smile.
"His full name is Naruto Uzumaki-sama, Wanda." Carrot spoke up in order to ensure that her friend doesn't simply refer to Naruto only by his surname. They wouldn't want to only view him as an Uzumaki after all.
"Ah. My apologies Naruto-sama. I never got your given name." the dog woman apologized with her ears drooping slightly.
"Don't worry about it. Anyways, you live on the back of an Elephant?" he asked since he was genuinely curious about that. An entire civilization on the back of an elephant was new to him and so far… they had been quite pleasant with him.
"That's right. We are entering the nation of us Minks, Zou, so named because of Zunisha, the Elephant who bears us on his back for nearly two thousand years." Carrot replied as she nuzzled her face against Naruto's.
He blushed from the contact, but he actually rather liked it. He cleared his throat to ask "Is the Elephant you call Zunisha aware of your presence? And two thousand years?! Is he a zombie?"
"He is, and from what we know he doesn't mind at all. No, he is not a zombie, he merely possesses long life. Although this also pertains to… our connection with you and your clan." Wanda answered making the whiskered teen Jaw drop. He was actually part of a clan? Before he could ask further, they had reached the top and were beginning to plant their feet on solid ground… so to speak.
The blonde found that the wires the Minks safety harnesses were attached to were connected to some kind of contraption that was carried on the back of a crocodile like creature that was unusually large. Standing next to it was a group of other Minks with a Jaguar standing at the front.
After slipping out of the Harnesses, the Crocodile with the pulley system was taken away into the jungles. "Naruto-sama, this is Pedro-san. The captain of the Guardians. He and the Guardians protect our city and keep out intruders. Pedro-san? I believe that some Konoha ninjas shall come to take Naruto-sama away." Wanda spoke in an introduction followed by a warning.
"Understood. We'll handle any intruders! I hope you enjoy your stay in Zou Uzumaki-sama." The captain spoke politely before he and the Guardians began to vanish into the trees to assume their posts. Naruto was a tad worried that his team might show up, but it would be a very long climb up and Sakura most definitely wouldn't be able to make it… right?
He mentally shrugged his shoulders since he was sure things would be fine…. Maybe. Wanda leaned over to her friend Carrot and whispered "Run on ahead and tell everyone the news. I shall bring Uzumaki-sama and bring him up to speed along the way. He'll need to know everything." The blonde rabbit girl nodded and began to jump at high speeds towards the city.
The blonde dog girl put her fingers to her lips and whistled, which summoned a Crocodile from the jungles. Noticing the saddle and reins on the Crocodile, it was very easy to assume that the Minks used them as mounts. The whiskered teen felt a hot tongue drag across his cheek making his face flush neon red.
"Oh? Did I make you uncomfortable? Sorry Naruto-sama, we minks often show affection through what we call 'minkship'. It usually involves licking, nibbling, cuddling and such things." She explained when she noticed his reaction. A look of realization crossed his face at her explanation, in a way it did make sense due to the Minks animalistic nature.
"Nah. It's fine. I was just surprised." He replied in a reassuring voice while rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"Ah I see. Come along Naruto-sama, we have a lot to talk about." She spoke and climbed on to the crocodiles saddle with Naruto following her lead. Once they were both set in the saddle Wanda snapped the reigns urging the Crocodile to begin walking.
"Yeah, I think you can start with my clan and your people's connection to it." The Jinchuuriki spoke in an anxious tone since he was finally going to get some answers.
"Indeed. Well, it goes back some hundreds of years ago. At one point in time, when Pirates were the dominant force on the earth on land and sea, my ancestors and my Namesake, engaged in a great war so very long ago and gathered many technologies from the enemy that we still make use of today. Once the war was over, the Mink tribe continued to live in peace on Zunisha's back. However, about two hundred years ago, Zunisha was reaching the end of his life which meant we would need to find a new home.
So we sent an expedition to find a new land we may build a home. Unknown to us, this was during a period in your history called the 'Bloody Clan Wars' where members of rival clans would constantly kill each other. Members of clans wouldn't give their surnames for fear that the other person might be an enemy. Because of our appearance, many Clans thought we were another rival clan and tried to attack us. Not seeking to engage in needless violence, the expedition retreated.
Later they discovered an island surrounded by whirlpools that would have been the perfect home for the Mink tribe… that is if it weren't already occupied. The members of the Uzumaki clan had already laid claim to the land and were building the foundations for their village instead of focusing on petty clan rivalries. The Uzumaki clan welcomed the expedition members quite warmly, giving them food and lodging without even asking for any form of payment.
Knowing that time was limited, the expedition members explained our dire situation to the kind Uzumaki's. Hearing their pleas for help the Uzumaki clan agreed that they would assist us the best they could. After going through some options, one Young Uzumaki girl called Honoka Uzumaki… made a bold and selfless sacrifice.
We told the Uzumaki's that we possessed a vault carrying 'Devil Fruits'. When devoured they can bestow all manner of powers upon whoever eats them, but at the expense of becoming unable to swim. There are three distinct types of Devil Fruits, but I shall explain more on that later. Honoka-sama ate… the Soru Soru no mi. Or the Soul Soul fruit.
Using its power, several brave volunteers allowed Honoka-sama to absorb their lifespans into herself and then pour the culmination of all those years of life into Zunisha to rejuvenate him. Hundreds if years worth of life was consumed since the Uzumaki's were blessed with longevity but even so… such a willing sacrifice allowed us to continue living in Zou. Since that time, we Minks have pledged our undying loyalty and friendship to the Uzumaki clan. We then began training birds to fetch newspapers to keep up with the happenings of the Elemental Nations and to exchange messages with the Uzumaki's over the years. We offered some of our technology to use, including our Den-Den mushi's but they refused them all in case someone may try to steal them.
Many years later… the unforgivable happened. Uzu, the home of our beloved friends… was destroyed in the fires of war by a coalition of villages. While we were furious with the Village's responsible… we were angrier still with a much more sinister enemy. Konoha, the Village of evil had betrayed its supposed longtime ally. The official story in the newspapers was that Konoha was unable to supply reinforcements to support Uzu. At the time… we didn't have much reason to disbelieve it… until we learned the real truth later.
Our leadership then sent an emergency expedition to Uzu to gather its treasures for safekeeping until the day an Uzumaki returned to us. It was then… the expedition found Konoha Shinobi… pillaging the village of Uzu, looting it, burning the bodies of the dead… drinking and laughing about the deaths of Uzu's demise. Furious, the expedition members flew into a rage and slaughtered the scum without mercy. We knew then… that Konoha was not to be trusted. It was a village of liars, cowards, and the very epitome of evil. And so we have hated it ever since.
Some Minks demanded we burn down Konoha for revenge. However, our leaders calmed the Minks stating that we should grieve for our lost friends. Not spill more blood out of raw emotion. Though if an Uzumaki ever came to us and demanded vengeance for Uzu's destruction then we would happily oblige. For six months the sounds of crying and despair filled Zou, even Zunisha grieved with us as he bellowed in agony at the loss of those who aided him so long ago. And we have continued to grieve for seven days on the month of Uzu's destruction every year since then.
We found you on the island of Wave because Uzumaki's possess a very unique Chakra signature that we have constantly searched for as Zunisha roamed about. And now our prayers have been answered with your arrival Naruto-sama." After her long explanation she began to cry tears of joy as she licked at his face again.
Naruto removed the headband from his head and looked down at it. A rush of emotions filling him, consisting of anger, betrayal, sadness and grief. He yelled angrily and threw his headband against a nearby tree causing it to hit with a loud 'clank' noise. The Guardians witnessed this and took the Headband, deciding to work out some of their aggression on it and leave it and the Jungle's edge as a warning.
Wanda noticed that her current charge was shaking and trembling, she turned in the saddle and pulled Naruto into her warm bosom, gently licking at him to soothe him. "It's okay Naruto-sama. You can cry or scream out all your emotions. Let it all out." she spoke to him with a kind smile. All at once the floodgates came bursting open as he cried into her.
The canine Mink held him as he cried, not even caring if their mount might veer off course. After some more minutes Naruto stopped crying and sniffled a bit, rubbing the leftover tears from his face with his sleeve. "Feel any better Naruto-sama?" she asked and licked at his salty tear stained cheeks.
"A bit. But it still hurts. My whole life has been a lie. The village I worked so hard to gain the respect and approval of… the one I wanted to be Hokage of… IT WAS ALL A LIE!" he screamed out in rage.
"Ah. I can't imagine how you feel Naruto-sama. I promise you, here in Zou, you will be loved and respected and you won't want for anything on our care. If there is anything we can do to ease your pain then all you need do is ask." She offered, knowing it wasn't an empty promise.
"Thanks Wanda-san. You helped answer a lot of questions… but there is still more I need to know. But I have an idea on where to find them." The whiskered teen spoke with a slight edge to his voice, the image of the Sandaime flowing into his mind.
The Canine Mink turned back around and saw that they were approaching the city. "I am afraid that will have to wait. We have arrived. Naruto-sama, welcome to Kurau city." Wanda spoke proudly. As they got closer the sounds of cheering filled their ears. Naruto's eyes widened at the sight of thousands of Minks had filled the streets and stood on the rooftops of buildings.
They cheered and shouted in joy at the sight of an Uzumaki. He could see all manner of animal species amongst them, dogs cats, horses, and more. It was like a scene out of an animated movie or maybe a children's book.
"WELCOME UZUMAKI-SAMA!"
"LONG LIVE OUR SACRED UZU!"
"OUR PRAYERS HAVE BEEN ANSWERED!"
Were the various shouts of the Minks. Naruto felt genuinely touched by the welcome he was receiving, these people were acting as though he were some kind of hero returning from a great war. He waved happily at the crowds which prompted them to cheer even louder for him. As their mount walked through the street and passed the Minks by, they gathered together and followed close behind Naruto.
Within the crowds a certain mother mouse wearing a crimson shawl was standing at the edge of the street, in her hands was a basket of groceries. Earlier in the day, everything was going like normal but then news suddenly came out of nowhere that an Uzumaki had been found and was coming to Zou. Shops closed up within minutes and every Mink in the country went on a mass exodus so they might see the Uzumaki for themselves.
"Stay close children." She ordered in an exasperated tone, ever since the news had spread her four children were chomping at the bit to get to see the Uzumaki. Her sons were trying to push their way past their fellow Minks in order to see but they kept within view so that was fine, plus it helped that their Elder sister was keeping them in line. Her hand was kept on her youngest child so that she wouldn't wander off.
The mother mouse looked and saw that Wanda was bringing a young Lesser Mink. He was just a boy but he was still an Uzumaki which was more than enough reason for such a celebration. She saw him smile and wave at the crowds, he looked genuinely happy at the boisterous welcome he was receiving making her smile just as well. She then felt her youngest daughter try to pull away for a moment prompting the mother to reaffirm her grip and gently scold her daughter to stay close.
Her younger son was knocked over and fell to the ground prompting her to, without thinking, release her youngest and help up her son. When he was back on his feet her hand immediately returned to her daughter's shoulder… except she felt nothing but empty space. "Cynthia? Cynthia? CYNTHIA?" she screamed out in terror at the thought of her daughter wandering the crowds alone.
She looked about frantically until she spotted her child crawling her way towards the street between the legs of her fellow Minks, discarding her basket of goods the mother mouse began to push her way through to get to her child. She tried to shove her way through the but the people were packed tightly and too distracted by the Uzumaki's presence to take notice of the child crawling beneath them.
"LET ME THROUGH!" The mother screamed as she pushed aside more of her fellow Minks, her eyes widening in terror as Cynthia began to wander into the street. With a burst of strength the mother leapt over some of the crowd then used some Minks' heads as stepping stones to cover the remaining distance. A loud roar occurred as the Crocodile came to a halt when Wanda yanked on the reigns due to a child having wandered in front of them, the mother came running and snatched up her child and promptly put herself between the croc mount and her child. Her eyes shut tight in fear.
She slowly opened them and noticed that the Croc had been brought to heel. Letting out a deep sigh she turned to her child unsure whether to feel angry at her for wandering off or feel relief that she wasn't hurt. She hugged her daughter tightly while panting desperately for breath since she felt like she had lost a few years of her lifespan from the scare.
Her rounded ears perked up when she heard the sound of feet land on the ground. Turning her head slightly… she saw that it was the Uzumaki who had descended from the mount. She swallowed a thick lump in her throat and quivered slightly, had she angered him? She looked around and noticed that the crowds had fallen silent, they were staring at the scene and were all wandering the same thing… how would the Uzumaki react to this?
He approached the two mice, his every footstep towards them felt like an eternity. The mother mouse tried apologizing and explain it was only an accident but only strangled gasps came out of her mouth. When the blonde haired Uzumaki finally reached them, he was now looking down at them with those sapphire blue eyes that seemed to pierce into her very soul.
"You two okay?" were the words that fell from his lips. Making every single Minks eyes widen in surprise. He wasn't angry that his big welcome was interrupted and was more concerned about the mother and child?
Not trusting her voice the Mouse Mink merely nodded since she and her daughter were unhurt. With a smile he extended his hand to her and spoke with a kind voice "That's good. What's your name ma'am?"
"B-B.. Bris… My name is Mrs. Brisby." She finally spoke as she accepted his hand, allowing him to help pull her up. Her eyes not leaving his for a moment.
"Nice name. Well, be more careful yeah? I hope to see you later Brisby-san." The whiskered teen replied and climbed back on the Croc mount, with that done Mrs. Brisby escorted her daughter back to her other children to save themselves from any further embarrassment. The crowds immediately cheered at the top of their lungs making Naruto himself sweat-drop at how easily impressed the Minks were.
Wanda smiled and snapped the reigns signaling their mount to continue since the way was now clear. They continued on down the street until they found themselves in front of a large mansion with a familiar mark that Naruto had seen on the Chunin and Jonin vests. "Welcome to the Uzumaki compound. We built it in homage to your clan so that we may one day house an Uzumaki such as yourself. Now I must introduce you to our Leaders." Wanda spoke and then gestured to a pair of large cages that were being wheeled towards them.
Naruto gulped wondering what manner of leaders that they would need to put into cages? Were they monsters? As they got closer Naruto noticed that in one cage was another Canine Mink who was wearing a pair of sunglasses while in the other was a large Feline Mink who somewhat resembled a Lion due to his large teeth and mane like hair.
"Welcome Uzumaki-sama! I am Duke Dogstorm. The Ruler of the Day. It is our honor to have you in Zou." The Canine Mink spoke in a respectful tone.
"And I am Master Cat Viper. The Ruler of the Night." The Lion Mink spoke in the same respectful manner.
"And my name is Naruto. I have to say, I have actually enjoyed my time here. Wanda-san has been pretty helpful and I wasn't expecting such a grand welcome either. But… why are you two in those cages?" the Whiskered teen asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Ah. Yes. Me and my… counterpart here operate on differing schedules. As our title suggest I work during the day while he works at night. Unfortunately due to past… confrontations we cannot stand each others presence. But due to your arrival we formed an agreement to lock ourselves in these cages for the safety of ourselves, our fellow Minks and most importantly you." Dogstorm answered while adjusting his sunglasses.
"Ah. But frankly… there's something I need to get off my chest." Cat Viper spoke in a somber tone, gaining the attention of everyone. Tears began to well up in the Lion Mink's eyes as he threw himself onto the floor of his cage while bowing to Naruto. He then continued to speak "The loss of your great clan is my greatest shame! I have wept alongside my fellow Minks every single year during the Month of Mourning! Ever since our Sacred Uzu's destruction there's been nothing but a void in my heart!"
Duke Dogstorm followed suit in bowing to Naruto as he leaked tears that stained his sunglasses "For once I whole heartedly agree with Master Cat Viper! If we could have, every single Mink would gladly trade their lives to bring back the Uzumaki clan. If only we had known of Uzu's plight then we would have thrown our lives away to protect it and died with pride and honor! But we have no honor! Our dearest friends and allies are all gone because of our carelessness! Naruto-sama, we will happily cut open our stomachs as repayment for this sin we bear!" at the end of his Speech both Rulers pulled out a tanto for themselves to commit Harakiri on command.
The Minks all watched as they waited for the Uzumaki's reaction. They all swallowed hard as the boy crossed his arms which made many parents shield the eyes of their children in case the gruesome scene took place. Finally Naruto managed to find the words he wanted to convey "I can't forgive you… because there is nothing to forgive in the first place."
"EHHHHHHHHHHHH?" The Minks all screamed in astonishment with their eyes threatening to pop out of their heads. Some of the Elder Minks' souls seemed to leak out of their bodies in an animated fashion while a few other fainted from shock.
"Wh… what?" was the only intelligent word that could escape the two Rulers mouths.
"You heard me. I already understand your loyalty and dedication. Even after all these years you still remember the Uzumaki's and keep their memories in your hearts, you still mourn for them to this day. And you always kept an eye out for others of my clan. I know for a fact that if you knew what was happening to Uzu you would have done your hardest to save it. So therefore, you don't have to worry about killing yourselves. You did nothing wrong!" Naruto explained with a broad smile on his face
Both Rulers eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as the visage of a certain Uzumaki woman appeared behind the boy. They both swallowed hard as they remembered their meeting with THAT woman.
Flashback: Twenty Years ago.
"Please Kushina-sama! Come with us to Zou!" Both Rulers shouted as they bowed to Kushina 'The Evil' Uzumaki. Since Uzu's destruction the Mink Tribe kept on searching for any traces of an Uzumaki that might have escaped. In recent weeks the name Kushina Uzumaki had repeatedly appeared in the newspapers which alerted them to her presence.
Both Rulers formed a temporary truce and led an Emergency rescue mission to retrieve Kushina herself. Now they were on a desolate battlefield with thousands of corpses, many of which piled onto each other making a crude throne for Kushina herself to sit on.
"Tempting offer. And I appreciate the profound loyalty of the Minks… but... I am not the Uzumaki the world is waiting for." She replied, while she was aware of the Minks existence even as a child, as was common knowledge amongst Uzumaki's, she had to refuse their offer of Sanctuary since she still had unfinished business in Konoha.
"What? What does that mean Kushina-sama?" asked Cat Viper in a tone of confusion.
"Mmm. The one Kaguya-sama is waiting for… at the very least it's not me. Someday soon, a special kind of person shall appear, carrying both Kaguya-sama's Will and the Will of the Uzumaki clan. Is has been passed down since ancient times, that in the future, someone shall appear carrying the history and never-ending Grudge on their shoulders. Then they shall throw the gauntlet and challenge the entire world to a fight.
The Hokage's of Konoha… they all know of what was to come. So they feared us. What we were capable of. What we could become. So they left us all for dead, they only 'saved' me because they needed me. Heheheh, as soon as 'that person' finds out about Konoha's dark past and the Cycle that has caused so much pain and misery then the entire world will be flipped upside down. That day WILL come sooner or later. Until then, I need to pave the way for them." She ranted and got up from her gory throne. Her body and clothes smeared in blood.
"Kushina-sama… do you know… what is going to happen?" Duke Dogstorm asked with a trembling voice.
"I have a good idea. After all, the Uzumaki's have a deep-set connection to THAT family from so long ago. Fufufu, we are 'God's Natural Enemy' after all. Anyway, take care of yourselves and don't stop searching for more of my clan." She spoke with a smirk then began to walk off with her katana in hand.
"Kushina-sama! If you hate Konoha so much, then give us the order and we will raze it to the ground!" shouted Cat Viper, very much eager to fight those who left Uzu to its end.
"Also tempting but… it's not yet the time, nor is it my decision to make." She replied before vanishing into the night.
Flashback end.
"This aura… it can… only belong to Kushina-sama!" whispered Dogstorm under his breath, feeling a deep sense of elation at such a revelation. The two got up from the floor of their cages
Cat Viper smiled then bellowed out "You have a heart of gold Uzumaki-sama! A grand feast is being prepared in your honor as we speak! We hope you continue to enjoy Zou and all it has to offer!" the Minks all nodded and cheered in the background after seeing Naruto's character for themselves. He was everything they could have expected of an Uzumaki and more.
"Come along Naruto-sama. Let's get you a bath and some new clothes." Wanda offered as she directed him towards the Uzumaki compound. He nodded and followed her inside since the prospect of a warm bath sounded nice. Upon entry he noticed that there were numerous artifacts kept preserved in glass cases, seemingly untouched by time itself.
He looked up at a picture on the wall and saw a large crowd gathered in it. Some of the individuals he recognized including, Wanda, Carrot, Pedro, and even both Cat Viper and Dogstorm were in it. "Wow. You look great in this picture Wanda-san.
The Dog Mink smiled at his statement and replied "Actually, that is my ancestor and namesake. The names of our Heroes and ancestors from the great war almost a thousand years ago, have been passed down over the generations."
Naruto was stunned by the freakish and virtually exact resemblance between the picture and what stood before him. Was this what was called reincarnation? He shrugged and followed her to the bathing area… where a familiar Mink was waiting.
"Eh? You again?" he asked when he spotted Mrs. Brisby preparing the bath.
"Yes. I actually work here as a caretaker for the compound. I am very sorry about earlier." The mother mouse replied in an apologetic tone of voice. Wanda merely smiled in the background and left to prepare the whiskered teen's new clothes.
She would also need to check in with Pedro as she pulled put her Den-den Mushi and dialed for the Guardians captain. After some moments he picked up and answered. "Pedro here. We found some vermin trying to intrude in Zou just as you predicted Wanda." She smiled and closed the bathing area doors thus cutting off the rest of their exchange from Naruto.
The Jinchuuriki gulped slightly feeling a little flushed and embarrassed that a woman would be watching him strip. "There's a changing room, in there if you like." She spoke feeling equally embarrassed since she felt a little out of her element. She had no idea how to act around someone who was still a child yet at the same time was supposed to be treated like royalty.
"Thanks. You don't have to be all stuffy and formal. Just be you." He spoke with a small smile and went towards the indicated changing room.
"Umm. What was life in Konoha like? I hear it is a truly horrible place but, No one here has ever actually been there." She asked out of curiosity and hoped to make some conversation.
"Lonely. Parents kept their children away from me to isolate me. Didn't have many friends there. But that's my point of view. I don't think Konoha is all bad, there's some good people there, and the weather is pleasant all year round. But… I think the root of Konoha's problems all lead back to the people in charge." He replied as he removed his jumpsuit and clothes then dumped them in a laundry basket. He wrapped a towel around his waist and exited the changing room.
She blushed at his frame that seemed more akin to that of a swimmer. She swallowed hard making a lump in her throat bob. He noticed the looks he was getting and asked in a teasing tone "See something you like?"
"Umm.. No? Yes? I uh…" she fumbled over her words and turned her back to him, unable to face him right now because of her embarrassment.
"Whoa, relax. It was just a joke. I didn't mean anything by it." He assured her as he lowered himself into the water.
The Mouse Mink sighed as she acquired a bin loaded with shampoos and body washes for the boy and spoke in a timid manner "I know. I am sorry. Would you… like me to wash your back Naruto-sama?"
"Sure, if you want. How many kids do you have?" he asked hoping that asking about her kids might make her warm up to him and bring her out of her shell.
She smiled slightly since she understood his intentions then answered as she dabbed a sponge into the water to get it wet "Four. You saw my youngest, Cynthia. The others are Timmy, Martin, and Theresa. They are all good kids… but they have been having a hard time lately."
"What do you mean by that?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, he then shivered slightly as she began to scrub his back. She was exceptionally gentle, like a dove. It actually felt rather nice since no one had ever done this for him before. Was he taking advantage of his position? Maybe a bit he couldn't help but admit. But she did ask in the first place and was doing it willingly so he didn't see ant real problem.
"My husband passed away three months ago from a tumor. Even with the advanced technologies we preserved and cultivated from so long ago… it was in too deep in his brain to operate. We… made sure he was comfortable in his last days. As you might have guessed, we can't bury our dead here in Zou since we live on Zunisha's back. So we either cremate our dead or send their bodies to the ocean.
My children have… taken it rather hard. Especially Martin. He has been… angry and frustrated lately with almost everything. I'm not sure what to do about it and…. I am so sorry. I spoke a little too much." She apologized since she rambled on and said more than what was necessary.
"I don't mind. From what I know, talking about your problems might help you feel better." He replied back with a sincere voice. She giggled for a moment and continued scrubbing at the Uzumaki. They enjoyed more pleasant conversation, learning that Mrs. Brisby liked to cook and was always curious about the various kinds of cuisine Humans had.
A knocking sound came and it was revealed to be both Wanda and Carrot. The latter yelling "Hey Naruto-sama! We brought your clothes for you! The Feast is almost ready and there's going to be a big gift giving ceremony!" the Rabbit mink shouted with a robe in her hands.
"Was just finishing up." Naruto replied then lifted himself out of the water… but he forgot about the towel that was still around his waist was now heavy with water which lead it to slipping off his form and exposing the lower half of his body. The three female Minks flushed neon red to the point their fur was glittering crimson. With a yelp of surprise Carrot threw the robe at Naruto and they dashed out the door before any further embarrassment could take place. Leaving the Jinchuuriki in an awkward silence at what just happened.
Later.
Naruto sat at a massive table, that had food spread out far as the eye could see. The tantalizing smell helping him forget the embarrassing experience from before. When be apologized to Carrot, Wanda and Mrs. Brisby, they simply waved him off knowing it was an honest mistake which was fine by him since it helped clear the air.
Sitting behind him were both Rulers of Zou, still sitting inside their respective cages to avoid killing each other. They kept their petty arguments to a minimum since they were in the Uzumaki's presence. Everyone was enjoying the food, most especially Naruto who was cutting into a thick slab of meat. "This is tasty! What kind of meat is this?"
"It's Crocodile Naruto-sama. We don't eat animals with fur. But anything without fur like hippos and crocs are fine. We also eat birds too since they have feathers." Duke Dogstorm briefly explained while chugging back some sake.
"Ah. I think now might be a good time for the gift ceremony!" Cat Viper announced causing his fellow Minks including his rival to shout their agreement. Although Naruto couldn't help but wonder what it was they were going to give him. The first object they brought out before him was a sword that resembled a black crucifix that held equal amounts of elegance and intimidation.
"Our first gift in your honor is Yoru. An ancient weapon from long ago, said to be the sharpest sword in the world and was wielded by the worlds most powerful swordsman before his death." Duke Dogstorm explained and smiled when the whiskered teen was staring intently at the blade. The Minks then took it away and then a woman with blonde hair, blue eyes, wearing a pink tracksuit approached. Why was a human amongst the Minks? Naruto wondered.
"Allow me to introduce myself Uzumaki-sama. I am Pacifista model number A18. Short for Android 18. You may simply refer to me as #18. I am a advanced model of the ancient Pacifista war machined built long ago. I have been recently activated and tasked with your safety and protection. And, if need be, I can eliminate any designated targets on your command. Would you like to test me out?" the Android asked with a small smile.
Her question made the blonde boy raise an eyebrow. If he tasked her with eliminating Gato… then it would immediately solve a lot of Tazuna's problems. "Actually… there's a certain man you could exterminate. Business tycoon type. Goes by the name of Gato. You'll find him on the island below, or at least find his whereabouts from his thugs." The Uzumaki spoke in a professional tone.
"Understood. I shall return with his remains… in twenty-four hours or less." #18 replied before taking off high into the sky, surprising Naruto that she could actually fly. Both Rulers of Zou coughed into their hands which resulted in the Minks bringing forth the next gift. It was a strange fruit that Naruto had never seen before. He remembered Wanda explaining earlier about something called 'Devil fruits' so he thought that this might be one.
"Over the centuries our ancestors worked tirelessly to collect Devil fruits throughout the world. It is with pride, we present to you the very Devil fruit that prolonged Zunisha's lifespan. The Soru Soru no mi. Of course if you do not want it, there are hundreds of other Fruits to choose from. Oh, and just to warn you ahead of time… Devil fruits are said to taste most terrible." Duke Dogstorm explained in his usual humble and respectful manner.
Naruto accepted the fruit and looked down at it. He then raised an eyebrow and asked out of curiosity "I truly appreciate these gifts. And to honor my ancestor Honoka-san I WILL eat this fruit. But I was just wondering… why can't I eat a second or third one?"
"A fair question. Why not eat more than one you ask? It is because if you consume a second Devil fruit, the eater will immediately perish. Long ago, a pirate named Blackbeard discovered a method of absorbing the powers of more than one Devil Fruit, but we haven't yet discovered the method. I suggest you be absolutely certain on which fruit you wish to gain the powers of." Cat Viper answered while smoking his ever present kiseru.
Without hesitation Naruto took a bite of the fruit and immediately turned green in the face as he forcefully swallowed down the piece of fruit in his mouth "TASTES LIKE SHIT!" He screamed in disgust which led to the Minks bursting out in laughter, fully expecting such a reaction.
Both Rulers of Night and Day called for silence to quiet down their fellow Minks. Once they fell silent the two looked to each other and gave a brief nod before announcing in unison "Finally, we hereby name you, Naruto Uzumaki-sama, Zou's Daimyo and shall proudly serve and protect you." When this announcement was made Naruto sat stunned into silence since he had been named a Daimyo. Words couldn't even describe how overwhelmed he was now feeling.
The crowds cheered and applauded their new Daimyo, with many Minks throwing their hats into the air in celebration. Their cheers were soon replaced by silence as four wooden crucifixes were wheeled in by the Guardians with Pedro at the lead.
Naruto's eyes widened when he saw that the ones tied to said crucifixes were his team and Tazuna. Kakashi looked like he had gone ten rounds with a certain man, who doesn't push himself up but pushes the world down… and inevitably lost. Sasuke looked bruised and battered but didn't seem nearly as bad off as the Jonin. Sakura only had a bruise on her head but seemed relatively unharmed while the Bridge builder only had some scuff marks but looked fine.
"Ummm. What's going on here? These guys try to rescue me or something from a nonexistent threat?" Naruto asked while scratching at his head. Surprised that they had all come, but he supposed it was for varying reasons.
"That seems to be the case. We brought them here for your judgement Naruto-sama. Seemed best since you know them better than we do." Pedro replied while crossing his arms, a small snarl escaping his lips when he turned towards the Konoha Shinobi.
"You can let Tazuna-san loose. The old guy there is just a Client from Wave country. He doesn't have anything to do with Konoha." Naruto commanded causing the Guardians to nod in understanding and help the Bridge builder down from his crucifix after cutting his bonds.
"Thanks kid. I take back everything I said when we first met. So umm, I'm guessing you're not being cooked into a soup huh?" Tazuna asked noticing that the whiskered teen was obviously alive and well and seemed to be having a great time.
"Wait what?" was the only intelligent thing that came to mind at the Bridge builder's statement about being cooked into soup.
"Never mind. You uh, might wanna cut down Sakura too. Sasuke wanted to leave you behind but she actually disagreed with him and hit him too." Tazuna spoke while wiping some dirt from his glasses.
"Ehhhhhh? Sakura actually hit Sasuke of all people? Damn it! I wish I could have gotten that on camera. HEY SAKURA! If you say Sasuke sucks and that you're sorry for all the times you hit me, I'll let you down from there!" Naruto yelled out towards the pinkette.
Sakura swallowed slightly as she glanced at the Uchiha. If she denounced Sasuke then she might lose her chances at being his girlfriend, but… when he tried to abandon Naruto that went against everything Kakashi had taught them about not abandoning teammates. Not to mention… she did already hit him so her chances were pretty much zero now. She might as well just do what Naruto said and be released from her current situation "Okay! You win! Sasuke is an asshole with the emotional range of a teaspoon! He is a horrible person! And I am very sorry for every single time I hit you! I was angry, frustrated qnd insecure so I took it all out on you! I am sorry!" she yelled out and panted for breath when she had finished.
"Seemed sincere enough. Let her down." Naruto spoke in a satisfied tone, smiling that Sakura had not only broken of her delusions but openly admitted Sasuke was an asshole. The blonde then glanced at his other teammate and his sensei. He would leave Sasuke up there, if only to torment the Uchiha for all the times he mocked him and beat him up in rigged class spars… attempting to abandon him during a 'rescue mission' was also a reason.
But Kakashi? He wasn't so sure. He then snapped his fingers and decided to give the masked Jonin a little test to see how honest he really was. "Hey. Kakashi! I can let you down too. But only if you answer one little question for me. And answer honestly now… did you know I was from a Clan?" he asked which drew murmurs from the Minks, wondering what their new Daimyo was up to.
"Naruto. I don't know what these people told you or what fantasies they filled your head with. You can't trust them one bit." The Jonin replied, he couldn't and wouldn't tell Naruto the truth. The Uzumaki's were a dead clan and nothing could bring them back. He still had nightmares about his late Sensei's wife… Kushina.
"That so? Now… I don't believe you. You didn't actually answer my question and attempted to shift the blame to the Minks who have been nothing but kind and hospitable to me since my arrival. Well… they just named me their Daimyo so I guess that means I need to take some responsibility. Oi! Everyone! Gather any rotten fruits and vegetables and start throwing them at these two! Once we're finished with them and had a good laugh we'll send them back to Konoha to deliver a message: Uzu is back!
And for you Tazuna, as Daimyo of Zou, I hereby claim Wave country as my turf and shall defend it like it was my own home. In fact, just before you got here I sent someone to deal with Gato." The blonde announced which made the crowds of Minks cheer and begin gathering any spoiled and rotten produce they could find to throw at the two Crucified Konoha Shinobi.
Tazuna nodded in thanks since the protection of a Daimyo and the completion of the bridge he was building would ensure that people like Gato never returned. "YOU'RE A DAIMYO NOW? WHAT THE HELL NARUTO?" Sakura screamed out in surprise, wondering what she had missed in the past few hours.
"Guess I have a lot of explaining to do. Ah well. That can wait for later. LET'S PARTY!" Naruto shouted at the end causing Tazuna and the Minks to cher and begin to yell out 'Kanpai!'. Unknown to Naruto he had started a chain of events that would lead the Elemental Nations into turmoil.
End Chapter one.
Bonus Scene: Zabuza is sick.
"Zabuza-sama. Now is the time to strike against Kakashi and his team so we may complete our mission." Haku spoke under her Anbu mask. Her Senbon in her hands as they made their way towards the bridge.
"Mmm. Should I appear dramatically out of the mist? Or use Silent killing to appear behind them and whisper intimidating words into their ears?" the Swordsman muttered to himself as he adjusted the bandages obscuring his face.
"Zabuza-sama? Are you… planning out your entrance?" the Ice user asked with a sweat-drop. She remembered that he mumbled to himself about tossing his sword into a tree and appearing on the handle with his back turned to the enemy. When had he started planning out dramatic entrances?
"Erm. Nothing. Never mind. I didn't say anything….. is that an Elephant?" the Swordsman asked at the end with his eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. Haku turned and her mask fell askew at the sight of the Gigantic Elephant walking around Wave in a circle. Almost as though it were trying to stick close by but couldn't stop walking.
"All of a sudden… I don't feel like myself. I think I need to lie back down for a little longer." The swordsman commented and promptly turned on his heel to head back to their hideout with Haku following suit. This was too weird even for them. Though for some reason… her thoughts were lingering on Naruto who she met in the woods.
End Bonus scene.
Next update: Mother Dearest.
A/N: WOW! This has to be one of my longest opening chapters yet! Feedback and suggestions are welcome. Constructive criticism is also welcome. Appreciate the support and reviews!