Beyond Hokage
Chapter 1: Ambitions Rise Again
There are legends told of how things came to be as they now are. One speaks of a child, born into tragedy. The day the child was born a demon attacked his home. The village had no hope of defeating this demon, so the village leader, the Kage of the child's home, took a drastic measure to defeat the demon. Using a jutsu that sacrificed his own life the Kage sealed the demon inside the child.
The village knew of what was in the child, and he was greatly hated for it. Despite the hatred the village had for the boy, he never gave up hope; he never gave in to the hatred. The boy became a ninja, against what many in the village wanted, and he only continued to prove the village wrong as he got stronger and better, soon becoming one of the best ninja in the village. As he got better, he changed the hearts of many in the village, those who once hated him for what was inside him, came to accept him for what he was, a great ninja.
And then the day came, an army of the dead, under the lead of a rouge god came to take the world as their own. Their first challenge was the village the demon boy was from. Ninja came from other villages to aid in the war, but it was all over in one day. The one boy who the village shunned from his birth, took the rouge god head on, and defeated him.
Beaten, the dead army was disbanded back to hell, and the god back to the others to receive his punishment, one he didn't receive, for he had told the other gods of the boy who defeated him. The gods decided to test the boy in various ways without his knowing. The boy passed all the tests better that the gods expected, he even challenged and defeated the demon sealed within him. As a reward, for what he accomplished the boy became a god himself, the fifth god.
So now the child that was once hated by his home village for what was sealed inside him is now the one that watches over the villages, and the world, as the most powerful human, a mighty immortal, a legendary god.
x-X-x
He climbed out of the pit, breathing heavily. He knew the restriction to taijutsu would make the fight harder, but he didn't expect it to be this drastic, though he'd never admit it out loud, he almost died. He also didn't expect the pit to affect his sword, but that was proven when the blades broke on each other.
"Congratulations, Sasuke… you killed him, you are now the last Uchiha, how does that feel?" Vox asked.
"It doesn't," Itachi said turning to look at Vox.
There was a long silence before one of the cloaked beings spoke, "What the hell do we do now? You got us hired, what's the job?" he asked.
"I believe I already explained that, at least, enough for you," Vox said staring into the eyes of the one who spoke, "Wrok will show you all to your rooms, it's late in the night and I'm sure you're tired from the awakening," Vox said waving an arm towards his left where Wrok stood. "Once that is done he will take Leader here to my office, where we can discuss things in greater detail, Orochimaru, if you would follow me there now, I'll show you my technique," Vox said his eyes scanning the room as he spoke.
It took a moment for anything to happen, and when it did it was Zool leaving the room. That seemed to work as a silent signal; after he was gone Wrok walked over to the door and waited until all Akatsuki was with him before leaving. Only Vox, Orochimaru, Vin and Tusk were left in the room.
"Vin, Tusk, clean up the mess down there. Take the shard of the blades to Itachi, he might have use for them, any other items of interest are to be brought to me," Vox said before turning and leaving, Orochimaru on his heels.
The two walked through dimly lit tunnels, passing the occasional wooden door. Finally, after descending several levels they finally reached a pair of wooden doors. Vox entered and Orochimaru followed, Vox closing and locking the door behind him. Orochimaru watched him lock the door with a smirk.
"Keeping these techniques a deep secret?" Orochimaru asked still smirking.
"Yes, only me and my Master know them. It is safe to show you this one, because you will never be able to use it, it takes someone to actually show you how," Vox said walking around Orochimaru to stand in the center of the room.
As Vox spoke Orochimaru looked around, an old wooden desk at the far wall, the bookcases nearly overflowing with texts lining both side walls. Only the wall with the door on it was bare and bookcase free. "I'm rather the quick learner, I could get it just from watching you do it once," Orochimaru said smirking, turning to face Vox, his back to the door.
"I'd be surprised if you did, and I know you're not as fast a learner as you boast," Vox said emotionlessly, his eyes locked on Orochimaru.
"Why do you say that? Why do you think my claims are unfounded?" Orochimaru asked, anger flowing into him.
"I'll tell you in a moment, but first I want to ask you a favor, when you leave, can you tell my bastard of a brother I said hello," Vox asked, the fingertips of his left hand were glowing blue.
"Where is he?" Orochimaru asked, his anger was still rising, but until he saw this technique, he would at least act civil.
"Hell," was all Vox said before whipping his left arm up, a blue pillar of light flying towards Orochimaru, he didn't even have time to scream.
A few moments later there was a knock on the door and Wrok entered with the Akatsuki leader behind him. When they entered they both noticed the large black burn mark on the bare stone wall to the right of the door. The mark was oblong and the center of it was hollow, unburned. The unburned part wasn't oblong in shape, but rather human, steam was still rising from it.
"Orochimaru?" Wrok asked pointing at the burn mark.
"Yes, adds quite the nice decoration to the room," Vox said walking around his desk to sit. "You may go Wrok," he said and Wrok left, when the door shut Vox turned his head to the Akatsuki leader, "Pein, please, sit, we have much to discuss," Vox said gesturing to one of the three chairs on the other side of his desk.
Pein didn't move, "you know my name," he said, his voice emotionless, his eyes burrowing into Vox.
"Yes, and a part of what you can do. I know it took all full members of my Alliance as well as a few dozen non members, most of which died, before you were immobilized enough for Roken to explode your heart. As for moves, anything you used against my Alliance, and a few other trick you have, nothing near all of it though. It's the same for your female friend, Konan, the green Zetsu too. I only know names and the smallest fraction of abilities, as for the other seven members, I know rather a lot about them, I think," Vox said leaning back.
"You weren't honest with us in the other room," Pein said walking closer to Vox, but still not taking a seat.
"No, I wasn't. I wouldn't call it a lie, but it was far from a half-truth even. I will disclose greater detail to you, making you the third to know the whole scope of things, the others being myself and Master Zool. But I will only tell you if I have you unrelinquished aid," Vox said leaning forward.
There were a few minutes of silence between the two, neither speaking nor moving, then, finally, Pein sat down in one of the chairs, "what is it we're doing?" he asked, Vox let out a quick laugh before leaning forward.
x-X-x
Naruto stood in a large open area, the floor black as night, the sky brightly lit. Across form him were three beings, two men and one woman, all three in standard ninja garb. The center man had a large sword on his shoulder, his hair was black, and eyes blue. The left hand man had a katana and green eyes, his head shaved. The woman had red hair and brown eyes, a kunai in each hand.
All on some silent signal they all charged forward, but stopped suddenly when a burst of bright blue light broke from the sky. All four stopped charging and watched as a single figure fell from the light.
Naruto sighed, "Sorry guys, we'll spar tomorrow, I guess I have work today," he said waving the three off. Each returned it before they vanished in bursts of blue smoke. Naruto walked towards the figure but stopped as soon as he saw who it was, "Sasuke?" he asked slowly.
Sasuke got to his feet, hiding the pain his rough landing delivered, and looked dead into Naruto's eyes, "I lost then," he said coldly.
"Yeah, you died, welcome to the afterlife," Naruto said hesitantly.
"Is this hell?" Sasuke asked.
"Huh, oh, no, hell is Shinigami's land, this is the realm of another god," Naruto said looking around slightly, "Who'd you loose to?" he asked looking back at Sasuke.
"Itachi. Someone brought him and the rest of Akatsuki back," Sasuke said walking away from Naruto.
Naruto held back his outburst, thinking it was Chaos' doing. He moved to walk beside Sasuke, "where do you want to go?" he asked when he reached his one time friend.
"Anywhere but here. Unless this place is big enough to avoid you," Sasuke said still walking.
Naruto stopped and grabbed Sasuke's arm, spinning him around so they were face to face, "What the hell's your problem? You were like a brother to me once, and I heard you admitted to me being your best friend. What the hell happened to you, you attacked Sakura, Ivike, all to get at me. Why?" Naruto demanded.
"You killed her, my last chance to revive my clan. It was all I cared about, and she was the only one left who would be willing to help," Sasuke said.
"Lerah? That was all because of Lerah?" Naruto demanded, his grip not loosening.
"In part, but only because she was part of my goal," Sasuke said.
Naruto was silent a moment before letting Sasuke go, "I could've sent you anywhere you know, anywhere but back to life. But if all that matter to you is you clan, I'll send you to see them," Naruto said dejectedly.
"How could you send me anywhere?" Sasuke asked.
"The god the rules here, he does anything I want," Naruto said looking around again.
"Pathetic, a god doing a dead person's will," Sasuke said just as emotionlessly as he had been since his arrival.
"I'd think him the most powerful, if for no other reason, because he was once human, and the other gods got together and chose him to be the fifth god," Naruto said looking back at Sasuke, a somber look on his face.
Sasuke just scoffed, "you said you'd take me to my clan," he said crossing his arms.
"Yeah, they're all there; they got their own little corner of the realm. Except for you, only three aren't there, Itachi, because you said he's alive again, your mother, and Obito, he was Kakashi's teammate," Naruto said.
"Why aren't mother or Obito there?" Sasuke asked with a raised eyebrow.
"They're not Uchiha enough I guess. I can let you seen them a few minutes, they're not anywhere near the others, so it'd be a last goodbye," Naruto said extending his right hand to Sasuke.
"No, if my clan shunned them, then I don't want to see them," Sasuke said and Naruto lowered his arm.
"Fine, go be with your perfect clan. Tell Shinigami hi for me," Naruto said before snapping his fingers and Sasuke vanished in a dark red smoke, his eyes widening just before he was gone.
Naruto sighed before falling to sit on the ground leaning back on his right arm. Countless thoughts were flowing through his head, the last resting with Itachi, and with an angered look on his face he vanished in a white smoke; Chaos was going to have a lot to answer for.
x-X-x
Sakura walked into her office, Tsunade and Jiraiya were waiting for her. Silence filled the room until Sakura was seated at her desk, at which point Tsunade spoke.
"I heard you slipped off the monument today," Tsunade said looking into Sakura's eyes, Sakura returned the gaze but said nothing, "I'm glad you were able to catch yourself on the wet rocks. But I think this is a sign that you should let it go, it's been four years-"
"What? So after four years I should forget about him? I should stop missing him, I should stop loving him?" Sakura demanded.
"No! I never said that, and I never will!" Tsunade shouted, almost rising from her seat, "you should never forget him, never stop missing him, never stop loving him. But you should stop ignoring you duties everyday for this silly fancy you have," Tsunade said, he tone changing to a motherly one.
"Ignoring my duties?" Sakura repeated, her temper rising.
"Yes, Jiraiya was here before sunset, we both were, and we had to wait while you sat on the rock," Tsunade said gesturing out the window behind Sakura.
There was silence for a long while, Jiraiya not wanting to say anything until the topic had been safely changed, Tsunade hell bent on getting a response form Sakura, and Sakura thinking of what that response would be.
Finally she spoke, "maybe you're right, either way, I'm going to stop going up there everyday," Sakura said calmly, Tsunade smiled weakly and let out a sigh of relief, "but not for the reason you said… well, not because you said them at least," Sakura said, her voice getting quieter.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tsunade asked leaning forward, a vain bulging on her forehead.
"I didn't catch myself, Naruto caught me. And he told me the same thing, to stop ignoring my village just to be with him… he said he was always watching me," Sakura said, her eyes on her desk, both hands on her necklace.
"That kid'll never stop amazing me," Jiraiya said grinning.
His words broke Sakura from her thoughts, "what's your report?" she asked, her official voice returning to her, "the messenger said something about Akatsuki, they can't be back, can they?" Sakura asked.
"They can, Naruto came back remember?" Jiraiya asked.
"Yes, but that was within a year, it's been almost ten since they died," Sakura said leaning forward.
"There were more than one jutsu to revive on that scroll, and we have confirmation that at one point the Alliance had the scroll," Tsunade said wit ha sigh.
"But they're all gone, even they're army, we took them out remember?" Sakura asked.
"Yes, but I believe we missed one, or more. I don't think the Akatsuki are back yet, the exact words I got were 'nine tenths of Akatsuki lies in master Vox's hands.' And I have no reason not to believe the words," Jiraiya said.
"Vox? But, Edge, Sin and Wiseman killed him, Naruto too," Sakura said.
"Here's the fun part. They didn't," Tsunade said somberly, "the one they killed was Mulow, and the one we thought was Mulow was some insane non member."
"What? You mean all this time, Vox was out there pulling the strings?" Sakura asked.
"It seems so. Link knew of the switch, but she thought Vox was in the main base, that's why she never said anything. She thought it was over too," Jiraiya said exasperated. "She could i-d him for us, but it'd be too dangerous."
"Yeah, she's not a ninja anymore… I wouldn't want to ask her something like that," Sakura said resting her chin on her folded hands. "Nine tenths… but we have records of eleven past members of Akatsuki," Sakura said looking at Jiraiya confused.
"Right, and we don't know which will be left off, what they plan to do once alive again, or if they know about Naruto," Jiraiya said.
"I'm sure they know about Naruto, they were all dead, he's a god," Tsunade said looking at Jiraiya.
"No, Naruto didn't remember the god he was with when he came back, only bits and pieces of the place and what he did," Sakura said, her eyes on her desk again, deep in thought.
"What do we do? I don't think we'll be able to stop Akatsuki coming back, we found out to late," Jiraiya said.
"Yes, it is to late for that… send messages to Shikamaru, Sage, and Strag, I want them to start working on ideas for how to handle an invasion or scout mission to get more information. Tell them as much as they need to know, but nothing more. I'll want to see them tomorrow to hear what they have by then," Sakura said still looking at her desk.
Jiraiya and Tsunade nodded in unison before both left the office to complete the task before them. Once they were gone Sakura leaned back in her chair, one hand found its way to her necklace again, 'I wonder if you know how hard Hokage is? Or if you ever cared. I guess it doesn't matter now, you're a god, you're far beyond Hokage, or any kage," Sakura thought before leaning forward and starting back on her paperwork.