Chapter 1: It's alive!
I probably shouldn't be doing this, but whatever. At least I'll have something to do when I have a writers' block for my other stories, and more development for my OCs, so yay. So, what you need to know:
There will be times my OCs will mention something that doesn't make much sense, like mentioning someone that never appeared in this story so far or never does appear. All the OCs are apart of a story that is outside these stories I type, which means they had things happen to them that may be mentioned, but is never seen in this specific story or any of my stories. That being said, about all my stories are all apart of this timeline I created. I am not saying you need to read the others to understand, I'm just saying that will be times when they talk about something that might not make a lot of sense. But don't worry, it will never impact the plot unless it's about someone coming, like a new OC. The most common example will be when an OC mentions someone. Now, most OCs tend to have their bacstories. This was his mom/sister and they are dead/missing, but in this case the OC's story never changes, no matter what story unless they are lying. The people they mention, barely, are most likely going to be canon characters from my other stories. You'll get "He acts like someone we knew" Or "He looks like so-and-so". Mind you, a canon character's names from a different story will never be fully said. You'll get the first letter or two at most, and if anything, you will mostly see the "You remind me of someone." FYI. When this happens, It will most likely be between two or more OCs. It's just something I wanted to do and enjoyed it so far.
As for the characters, Yagura, since it's gonna involve the tailed beasts and their vessels, is gonna have slight age change because I said so. As for Minato and Kushina, well, they can live. I'll talk about any major changes to characters a chapter or two before they are planed to show up, mainly if ages are messed with or the way they act, etc. It's, of course, not gonna follow the original story line, but there will be some elements from it for plot purposes.
Some adult material ranging from torture, gore to some erotica here and there either for character development or plot. OCxOC, some characterxOC, both malexmale, and malexfemale.
Enjoy.
Enocente.
Baking under the hot sun in the middle of the desert without water would be better than... what ever was happening at the moment. Well, no one can blame anyone. No. No one was responsible. It was just one of those times. Just like the good old days. Two people crammed into a metal container with no choice of their own, wanting nothing more than to rip each other's head off. Mobility was the only physical difference while everything else was the same. That and the Darkness. Always Darkness. Focusing in, a faint beep sounded every once in a while, a rumble of an engine, muffled by thick glass. The other person was silent, as if asleep. Perhaps he was in a similar state? It was unclear. Everything was. Static. A lot of static. It started almost like a light buzz. Then it grew louder, and louder, and louder. It would have been annoying, but as the noise got louder the more he became alert. The more the Darkness started to lift. It got to a point that he could almost see a faint light.
"...Gaia..." The voice faded as static got louder. It kept getting louder, yet whatever was trying to speak kept trying. "...ese..." Noticing a faint, star-like light in the distance, he hoped it was a sign of the Darkness dissipating.
A flash of light. He tried to focus on it. It moved and reached something. Another flash. Now there were two lights. They moved and each flashed again, creating more lights. The process repeated itself over and over again, until the lights joined together and burned his eyes when everything went white. Soon the light was replaced by colors and they mixed, only to get a bit darker and take shape. He turned his head to the side and quickly noticed that it was darker over there, but if he looked straight up, or what his body registered as up, he saw white. He turned his head to the other side and saw it was darker too, but something was right there as opposed to the other side where there was more room. But he could be wrong since his eyes don't want to be focused. He closed his eyes and opened after a minuet and the image cleared a bit. The static faded finally and the rumble of engines, a occasional beep, almost unnoticeable breathing, and his own groans. He felt a hand lightly slap him on the face and the image came into focus.
A boy stared at him, his pale eye showing no emotion. He wasn't strapped in the seat like he was, but was instead standing in between the two seats. "I don't mean to offend you, but that's just creepy. Just staring at me."
Villanueva tilted his head to the side, not understanding what he meant. "I thought you would have been awake by now."
Enocente made a face. "How long was I asleep?"
"1090 days, 6 hours, 52 minuets, and I've given up on seconds." He took a seat in the chair and pressed a few buttons, making a holographic screen pop up. "We should be there within the hour."
"Really? Counting the time? You could have gone to sleep."
Villanueva didn't look at him, busy loading up a map. "You know full well that time moves slower for me when I sleep; I can feel every second tick by." Granted, that wasn't a lie, but he could sleep like anyone else, he would just have nightmares about the past, which were horrible. He hummed as he loaded up some info on the location. "This place doesn't have that much tech. I would assume TVs to be the most high tech."
"Didn't they have a train or something?" Enocente asked, not liking the tone his friend got.
"I think so, but trains aren't all that complex in comparison. We will have to use an alternate way of communication if they don't have communicators." He pulled several more screens and started typing on a keyboard that popped up.
A loud beeping made him freeze. A screen popped up on the windshield, blocking the clouds that were shielding the earth below. A woman's face appeared, smiling. "Glad to see you two up and ready. I just got the report that you two arrived."
"Yes. We pulled up the maps and are currently figuring out how to communicate when we need to and are around the locals." Villanueva got a serious expression and a professional tone, despite looking like a ten year old. He was tall for his physical age.
Enocente didn't know way, but no matter how old Villanueva is, he's always 'Tall for his age.' The woman sighed. "You can just use your voice, Villanueva."
"Yes. But it's one way. I can form a connection where we can talk back and forth, but when I cut it he can't reestablish the connection." Villanueva glanced his way. That wasn't a lie, but they both knew Enocente hated that way of communication. Villanueva would whisper, to be honest, Enocente didn't know how he did it, and the words would enter his head. Well, not his head. It sounded as if it was coming from all directions, which is kinda the equivalent of having it in his head. So it bothered him.
"I see. I'm sure you two will-" A flicker in the image made Enocente tense while Villanueva calmly raised an eyebrow. "Damn! energy surges. They're messing with the pods' navigation systems. I'll see if I can land you all without killing you again." She typed on the console on her end while Villanueva checked the monitors, frowning at the readings.
"They're natural." He informed.
"Great. We're meeting some OP guy right out of the gate." The older man sighed.
The woman sighed and gave them a apologetic look. "I have to set you down at the nearest village. Sorry, it's the best I can do without risking the engines cutting off over a body of water or crashing you into the side of a mountain."
The younger of the two males responded quickly. "That is fine. You tried your best." A few maps and radar shut off, revealing several other pods that were flying near them. Clouds were the only other thing they could see. One of the pod's engines flared and it started to spin out of control, hitting another pod.
Villanueva calmly buckled himself in and watched as the connection with the woman started to flicker and die as another energy surge hit them, causing the power to shut off. "I would brace if I was you."
One of the pods bumped into another and was slowly getting in their way. The fire coming from its engines burned the windshield and set the front of their pod in fire. Villanueva didn't react. The pod moved out of the way while theirs turned, which was probably from the auto navigation trying to get them to their destination. Enocente glanced at Villanueva and saw him pumping electricity into the console on his side from his hand. It was enough to get the right systems running. After a moment the windshield cracked, making the older man cover his eyes. The console exploded, burning Villanueva's hand.
"I forgot how much I missed the pain of being physical." He stated flatly. He turned and formed a barrier in front of themselves as the pod started to spin, making the older sick. The windshield shattered and the flames would have torched them had the barrier not been there. "This is not going to be a smooth ride." Villanueva's comment was accompanied by the screech of the flames and wind as the entire pod was consumed by fire.
Outside the borders of Konoha.
A patrol stopped when a loud explosion sounded. They stopped and hid in the trees, expecting some sort of ambush or battle. They weren't the only patrol out there. "Look up!"
They turned to a older shinobi and followed his gaze upward and saw what appeared to be fire in the sky. The fire was illuminating the sky. It was unmistakable. There was fire in the sky, followed by booms. However, a light started to get brighter and before any could say a thing, a massive ball of flame broke through the clouds and went soaring over their heads, heading away from Konoha, which was good, but the ball of flame was still concerning. The shinobi watched in awe as it hit the ground, causing flames to shoot in all directions and shook the ground violently.
A Jonin started to shout orders. "Get back to the village and get everyone on alert! We'll go investigate!"
"Yes, sir!" Two shinobi took off while the rest went off to the fiery crater.
They were tense and on alert. It could be anything from a meteorite, some new Jutsu from attackers. They didn't know and were prepared to fight. None would admit, but they were hoping that it was a meteorite. As they jumped from tree to tree and ran at high speeds they got closer, almost feeling the heat from the distance that separated them from the crater. As they approached, they slowed and hid in the trees and observed the area. Some trees were on fire, but most were turned to ash, the blast having fried them intently. They were shocked to see blue fire coming from the center of the crater.
However, when the fire started to swirl and got sucked into a man's hand, they were beyond shocked at what they saw.
Villanueva.
"I told you that would work." Enocente stepped from the ruined pod, which was melting from the heat. He gently rubbed his hands, not too bothered by the burns he got. They were a bit irritating, but that would pass.
Villanueva stepped out too, glancing around. "No, you were saying that it would burn your hand. Which, by the way, is better than becoming charcoal from the flames. I think a few burns are nothing when compared to death. Thanks to my barrier we didn't get hurt from the impact."
"Says you! I went flying from my seat!"
"That's because you didn't buckle up."
Enocente sighed and the conversation ended. They looked around and made sure all the tech they- no, that's not a problem. All tech they had was in a bag, which was not in the barrier Villanueva made, which means that it and everything in it burned up. They only had what ever was in their pockets on on their backs. Not much, in retrospect. Their weapons wouldn't draw too much attention. Well, Villanueva might since he looked like a kid, minus the scars and eye. As they walked Enocente started to hum, earning a glance from the boy.
He got an idea to pass the time. Humming a tune, Enocente ignored the people watching them, knowing that if they posed a threat, Villanueva would act. "I'm not doing it." Villanueva was quick to catch on. Enocente started to mumble some of the words. "I'm not." His tone was firm, but the older knew better.
"If you said goodbye to me tonight, there would still be music left to ride~. What else could I do~? I'm so inspired by you~. That hasn't happen for the longest time~." The song wasn't the most appropriate, but he knew Villanueva liked it. Doubts on that was filling his head when there was a long pause. Enocente kept on humming.
"Once I thought my innocence was gone~. Now I know that happiness goes on~. That's where you found me when you put your arms around me~. Villanueva didn't look at the older man, but it was clear that he was smiling. "I haven't been that for the longest time~."
As they continued, the shinobi watching them were confused. And worried. As harmless they seemed, they were definitely a potential threat. Coming from the sky in a big ball of fire, emerging from some sort of container. It really shocked them even the more experienced Jonin among the group. They just gave off bad vibes, even the child in black. He seemed more threatening than the older man, at least in comparison on looks alone.
Villanueva stopped, as did Enocente. He slowly turned, feeling the slightest hint of killer intent. "I know you're there." He called loudly, not looking. "Come out."
The older man glanced around, trying to spot any sign of movement that wasn't caused by wind. "Should I attack?"
"No." Villanueva answered instantly. "We have no intention of fighting you or causing trouble!" He raised his voice, unsure if they hadn't heard him the first time. After a moment, a Chunin landed in front of them, body tense. "Finally. If you don't mind me and my grandfather here are kinda lost. Can you tell us where the nearest town is?"
Enocente made a face. I'm the grandfather. Again.
The man was slow to respond to the surprisingly commanding question. "I can't tell you that until you tell me what your intentions are."
He nodded. "That's understandable. There have been reports of a disease spreading around the Land of Fire in recent days. We came because it sounds similar to what happened to our home."
The Chunin knew of the disease. It drove people insane in minuets and after a few hours, they can be hardly considered human. They tear flesh off their relatives, eat their babies, and attack anything moving. "It happened where you were from?" They both nodded. "Do you have a cure?"
"There is none." Enocente said before Villanueva could speak. "But we have ways of containing them and killing them should they come here. That's why we and others have come to inform all villages, towns, etc."
"Why do such a thing? If you can fight them off, why bother helping others when you have no reason to?" The man looked at them suspiciously.
"Need there be a reason to help those in danger? Especially when we know what happens to those unprepared and have a way to prevent that from happening to others?" He spoke with a strange tone. One that held wisdom only heard either an old man or a retired shinobi. The words of helping others just to help had the naive purity of a child, while the words were laced with something the man couldn't place.
Like wisdom, it made the words that would seem naive seem like the only truth. It made him listen and take in the words more than any teaching he's had in life. He didn't notice the boy was speaking again. "W-what?" He asked dumbly.
"I said," Villanueva kept any annoyance out of his tone, "where is the nearest settlement? We would like to get to work."
Several shinobi came from the trees, only surprising the Chunin. "What are you really after?"
"I have not lied since I started talking to him. We only wish to help, but of course, if you feel it necessary, we will gladly be treated at prisoners if it means we can start our work." The calm smile startled them.
That kid's not normal. Most of the shinobi had the same thought. "We'll escort you to Konoha. There we'll talk to the Hokage."
After following the shinobi back to the village, both Enocente and Villanueva pondered on what the conditions should be. If it benefits both sides greatly, they can have unhindered work time and the ability to set up a temporary HQ. Nothing fancy, just a place to work. But as they reached the building the Hokage was said to be in, Enocente couldn't think of anything that would give them the access they needed, and not upset the locals. He hoped Villanueva had a plan. If he only knew what Villanueva was willing to do to achieve his goal, even after coming back to his senses after the Collapse.
Reaching the the tower the no doubt was the residence, or at least the location of the office, of the Hokage. Villanueva let off no worry or confidence. It was as if he was doing something apart of a daily routine that held little importance, or didn't require a serious determination. In short, he was bored. "Finally."
The shinobi opened the door and ushered them inside, once in there, the men shut the door and both Enocente and Villanueva looked at the man in front of them. The Hokage hard two guards standing behind him. He looked up at them, seemingly harmless. "You are the ones that came from the ball of fire, correct?" There was someone else that was hiding, the boy noticed.
"Yes. That would be correct." Villanueva moved forward, followed by Enocente.
"You may sit." He gestured to the chairs. Enocente sat down with a nod of thanks while Villanueva stared at the man.
He tilted his head. "I would like to get to the point and make a deal as quickly as possible."
Ignoring the fact that a child was trying to make a deal while using a tone that matched those with a lot of experience, Minato chose not to question it. "What sort of deal did you have in mind?" The Hokage asked.
"I assume you were informed of the general reason why we are here?" He nodded. "We want to set up a lab to work and also, if the ingredients aren't able to be gathered locally, we would like to have the imports of needed chemicals and herbs available. We will pay for the imports and the building, but we request our reasoning for coming a secret, register us as residents of Konoha, treat us and protect us as real residents, and give us all the privileges of average residents."
"Those are some bold requests. I can't allow that if there is no guarantee that you can do what you claim." He looked at them suspiciously. "Do you have proof that you can produce ways to protect us from those that were infected, and provide ways we can fight them with minimal risk to our people?"
This guy's smart. Enocente smiled softly. He acts as if he knows our methods could, and most likely did, get those that used it killed. He leaned back, wondering how Villanueva would proceed.
"We have none." Enocente and the two guards gasped and stared at Villanueva in shock. "We have no way of protecting your people from them other than telling your men where to attack to kill them. Our research only results in gases and liquid based weapons that can be deployed at a safe distance, but most have to be deployed manually, which is dangerous process since some of the compounds are lethal to most. In short, there is no way we can teach or make you anything that won't put your people at risk."
"One of our most potent weapons is a gas that cause all the cells in their bodies heat up so rapidly that they basically explode, but the gas can spread to other infected, which is guaranteed since these things hunt in packs, and the resulting explosion kills or seriously injures anyone nearby." He had no fear on his face, preferring to just stare right at the Hokage, who was startled by the honesty.
"Hokage, surely you aren't going to accept these terms?" The guard was glaring at Villanueva.
Is it 'shinobi' or 'ninja'? Nin? Enocente stared silently, wanting to ask, but decided to wait till the end. It could wait.
Villanueva stared at the Hokage silently, the tension rising.
McFeely.
The ninja in Suna were patrolling with more vigilance than they had in a while. The wife of the Kazekage was giving birth to their third child. The child was to be the village's secret weapon. Not that McFeely cared. Several men were posted outside the door unaware of what was going to happen. As the woman held the small baby, she smiled, even though a monster was sealed inside it. She didn't care about that. She may hate the Kazekage for doing such a thing, but she could hate the child she brought into the world. The baby, Gaara, was apart of her. She felt warm tears slide down her face.
"Gaara." She whispered softly. The two nurses watched in silence, knowing she would not last.
One of the nurses started to rummage through a bag loudly, causing the newborn to cry. The other turned towards the door. She couldn't gasp as McFeely stabbed her and carefully laid her against the wall, slightly hidden by the poorly lit room. Odd. Usually there would be more light, but the woman wasn't complaining. Silently, McFeely stepped forward, covering the last nurse's mouth, and slit her throat. Once again, she laid the nurse down silently, but was in full view of the mother.
The woman looked at her in shock. "W-who are you? How did you get in here?" She knew McFeely wasn't from Suna just by looking at her.
"Never mind that, just shut up."
After a few moments, the door burst open and Yashamaru and a few others came into the room, staring in shock at the dead men at their feet. "Help..." They looked at the woman that was on the ground, having tried to get to the door, wrapped in her blankets.
Yashamaru went to his sister's side quickly. "What happened?! Are you okay?!"
"She... she put something..." She patted a lump in the blanket.
Yashamaru tore the blanket away, causing the wire attached to the bomb to be pulled. Red numbers appeared on a small screen. Two seconds. None of them had time to react before the time ran out and the room they were in exploded, killing everyone on that floor. Every man, woman and child turned towards the explosion as flames roared as they filled the sky. As shinobi ran towards the explosion, McFeely slipped away during the confusion and left the village without being spotted. All that separated her and from slight redemption was a desert. The travel to Konoha should only take a few days if she hurried. With some food for herself and little food suitable for a baby, her determination was to be tested.
She will accomplish this task. She has to! Even if it was one good deed stacked against millions of sins.
Villanueva.
The Hokage watched the boy with shock as he kept a calm expression despite being unable to prove their methods even worked, while bluntly stating they would pose a risk to anyone that used them. He may have found the spread of the infection frightening, but the boy in front of him was even more scary. He knew Villanueva was aware of the suspicion and doubt he was raising with his brutal honesty, and it was painfully clear them why he was doing that when they looked into his eye. He wanted them to try something. His eye was filled with some sort of twisted glee and his overly friendly, obviously fake smile was unnerving. It was as if making a deal was a challenge, failure being death, and this boy loved challenges.
"Are you really using kids as ninja? How sad that the 'strongest village' has become so desperate." Villanueva shook his head while Enocente pointed at something.
Kakashi stepped out form his hiding spot and stared at Villanueva. "You knew he was there?" The Hokage was surprised.
Villanueva raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you?" He rolled his eye slightly and sighed. "I want this deal to be made, to have a chance of avoiding the spread of infection you need this deal, so why not take it? I already have a list of material we'll need. Oh, we'll need to know the common currency so that we can have out funds transferred so we can pay for what we don't have."
The tension was high for everyone but Villanueva. "Fine. You will be giving me monthly reports of any developments, good or bad. We'll get a list of available houses that have the necessary room for your lab, or we can find an empty plot of land for you to build from scratch."
"Lord Hokage! You can't be serious! Agreeing with that creep!" A guard said.
"That 'creep' is right here." Villanueva deadpanned.
The Hokage sighed. "I know I might regret it, but if he leaves and he's right, we'll all be dead." Everyone went silent at that. "Villanueva, we have a deal." He held out his hand.
He sighed. "Good. I didn't want to kill you. You seem nice." He snapped his fingers and two Nightwalkers dropped down from the ceiling, wielding a sickle and a sword. They were shockingly strong. Almost Kage level. "So, can I see that list?"
He's got guts to be shockingly honest about not being able to prove anything. Kakashi watched the other boy with interest. He's very smart. By being honest, he's proving that he can be trusted to tell the truth about this research, even if nothing good happened.
As the Hokage eyed them in surprise, Villanueva spoke. "I know, I know. I could just have these men protect me, but how would other villages see that as? Strong soldiers in massive numbers? They might think you're preparing for war, and planing to invade other villages. Something like that. And if that happened, then all the other villages would most likely band together and attack you."
Enocente looked up. "He's right. I should mention that those men only feel obligated and a need to only protect him unless he orders otherwise." He shrugged and sighed, sinking into his seat.
The Hokage smiled, causing Villanueva to tilt his head at him questionably. Kakashi knew why. Despite showing and stating he was capable of protecting himself with powerful soldiers, but preferring to keep that a secret so that he wouldn't attract unwanted attention to the village and its residence, he showed that he cared about the people's safety, despite not knowing any of them. Him being honest and caring for people he barely knew, he was getting on the Hokage's, who loves his village and its people, good side. Kakashi was still suspicious, as was everyone else. Nevertheless, a deal was struck and neither man or boy was the type to back out of one. Not two hours later, Villanueva was examining a plot of land and was drawing up a blueprint with Enocente's help. A few ANBU were watching, but Villanueva would glance their way, right at their face. It was unnerving, even for them. He would also draw strange symbols in the ground, whispering something and the markings would glow slightly, then fade as he frowned, as if that wasn't supposed to happen. Then again, it could be an act since he knows the ANBU are watching. It got weird when the two were arguing about something then started digging with tools that the ANBU didn't even know they had. They moved closer, still trying to stay hidden, and tried to see why they were digging.
"I hate digging." The older male complained.
The younger didn't look at him. "So you've been saying for twenty minuets now." He jammed the shovel into the ground and pulled up more soil, tossing it out of the hole.
Enocente frowned. "Couldn't we do this later?"
"And risk the house collapsing on us? Sure, why not." He kept digging. "Sure, I could find a way, but it's better to get this part done first and build over it." The older man grumbled, but kept working.
The Hokage arrived, singling for the ANBU to leave and approached the two as they were digging. He quickly noticed that they were digging deep while trying to keep it in a relative square. "Hokage's here." Enocente announced.
Villanueva glanced the man's way, his pale eye piercing. "Tell me your name."
"Huh?"
"We never learned your name, just a title. I'm never going to call you Hokage no matter how long I live here." Villanueva explained flatly. "Tell me your name."
"It's Minato." The man smiled, but Villanueva hummed and continued to work. It was then that Minato noticed Villanueva had removed his black silk coat and was working in his white, sleeveless tunic that had a golden markings around the hem, which reached just past his thighs.
Some drops of sweat and patches of dirt stuck to his tattooed flesh, something Minato was tempted to ask about, Villanueva worked in overall silence, barely making noise as he worked. Enocente was in a similar state, just more sweat. "Surely you have something better to do than watch us?" Villanueva paused.
"I finished with my work early." He got a look from the older male while the younger eyed the dirt. "Thought I'd come by and see how you were doing."
"Why not go home?" Villanueva asked, eye still glued to the soil.
Minato shrugged. "If the deal is going to work, then I'll need to see and treat you as one of my villagers, so it would help if we got to know each other." Enocente chuckled softly. "But now that you mention it, I should head home since I'm off early to be with my wife."
"Your work keeps you busy?"
He nodded. "But even if I wasn't done early I still would have left around now since she's pregnant." Villanueva tensed. "She should be due in a couple of weeks."
Enocente picked up some dirt and chucked it at Villanueva, nailing him in the face. "Hey, I'm not doing this by myself." Villanueva wiped some dirt off, hummed and got back to work. Glancing back, Enocente nodded at Minato. "Congratulations. Hope you position doesn't make your child arrogant, spoiled, and obnoxious."
Minato jumped, the small list surprising him. "I'm sure the baby will be fine."
"Good. Villanueva doesn't suffer arrogance, so he would beat the kid up if they crossed paths." Minato stared at said person in in shock. "And if he discovers you are the cause, he'll beat you up as well. Villanueva believes children should be raised to look at others as equals, no matter the status, age, gender, or race."
Minato's smile at Villanueva faltered when he noticed how tightly he was gripping the shovel. "Enocente. Need I... remind you of your... past mistakes?" His tone was low, and his sentences sounded as if words were being left out, almost as if Villanueva was new to the language.
The tension rose, but both males went back to work wordlessly. Feeling a bit out of place, Minato excused himself which went unnoticed, and went home, leaving the two to work til the sun rose the next morning. By then, the two had finished the basement and were busy making making the main building. Getting wood was no problem for them, but making sure no one saw how they got the wood, turned that wood into the wooden frame for the house, made the walls, floors, doors, and roof was. Villanueva only placed his hands hands on the ground, the ring with the green gem glowing, and several large trees came bursting from the ground, looming over them like pillars. Enocente drew his sword and cut the trees down with one swing, but wouldn't stop complaining.
"My sword was not made for this."
"Then why did you cut the trees down with it? I'm sure you could have found another way to cut them down." Villanueva examined the trees and checked the schematics again. "I'm sure there is a store that sells the necessary tools."
Enocente sighed, glaring at the boy. "You clearly don't want to go talk to the locals, and I don't know the currency or where to look." He said grumpily.
"Still, you could have just used an alternative way to cut them down without having to worry over your sword getting damaged, even though you and I both know it's nearly impossible to do so." Villanueva raised a hand and the tree was consumed in a bright light, and and after it faded, all that was left was decently sized lumbar. "See? Was that so hard?"
"You know I can't do that."
"That's because you are simpleminded."
Enocente grumbled, but helped get most of the wood cut down to proper angles, size etc. Villanueva set the wood into place on the second floor while Enocente worked on the first. Construction that could take months to complete, nearly done in over a day. Could have been faster, considering who was working on the house, but they didn't want to draw too much attention, not that a house being built at the rate they were going wouldn't draw enough attention. They were getting one last wall set on the first floor, deciding to leave the second floor relatively bare for the time being, when someone got too close for their liking. Pulling out a knife, Villanueva whirled around and threw the blade, missing the person as they jumped out of the way, landing clumsily. She shielded the bundle in her arms with her body. Villanueva frowned while Enocente was shocked.
"What are you doing here, wench?" Enocente glared at McFeely, his eyes filled with anger.
Villanueva shushed him and smiled towards McFeely. "What you have to do must be important if you would risk getting attacked by him." He moved closer and helped her up. "What's this?" His smile dropped when he saw the baby. "You have ten seconds."
"He's the Kazekage's child, from Suna. He put a sand demon inside him right after birth." Villanueva wasn't trying to rip her apart, so she continued. "Her mother was dying, but still wanted to see him after he got the demon planted, she said his name."
Enocente sighed. "What's the name?"
"Gaara." She looked down. "The seal is weak. I know I shouldn't have, but I know you would have done something terrible if you found out later." She cringed when her own words sunk in. "I know that after everything that happened with K-"
"Please, stop." Villanueva had a distant look. "Give him here." McFeely handed the baby over carefully. As Villanueva held him, the baby started to cry, making the male tense, a strange look in his eye observed the baby. "He's tiny."
"He was born early." McFeely looked away. "I can't stay, there are things I need to do back home."
Villanueva nodded. "Go. I'll deal with this. Go do what you need to." McFeely was surprised, but smiled in appreciation and quickly left. "Enocente, you'll explain to Minato. Make it believable."
"Why me?" Enocente jumped.
"First, you know nothing about babies. Second, you look harmless and look the most trustworthy out of the two of us." He gently rocked the newborn. "Third, it will be a good opportunity to leave a good impression. Have fun." The look on Enocente's face was priceless. He took off faster than McFeely. "Does he realize it's only seven?" He asked baby Gaara. In response, he got a soft cry. "Hungry?" A whine. "Hungry. Milk?" A soft whimper. "Milk." He wasn't even going to question that he's talking to a newborn.
Where to find milk. He walked off. planning on finishing the work after feeding little Gaara.
Minato.
Early was his least favorite time for a mountain of paperwork, but it needed to be done, so it would be better to finish it sooner rather than later. After getting something to eat. He greeted some early birds as he walked, unable to predict who he was going to run into. "Oh." A frown on Villanueva's face, he tried to avoid the man.
"Villanueva? I didn't expect to see you this early." He smiled at the boy, not yet noticing the moving bundle in his arms. "Came to introduce yourself to the locals?"
"No." Villanueva glance at a 'local' and saw the man pale slightly. "I needed to get baby formula. Anyone I ask tells me to leave, they take off, or stare."
Looking down at Villanueva's arms, Minato saw the face of a small, really small, baby. "Wha?" The boy made a face, not happy with the lame response. "Where did the baby come from?"
"I had Enocente come find you so he could explain."
"Well, you're here now, you could explain, if you want." The man offered a smile, but what he got in return was a blank stare.
Villanueva looked down at the baby. "Baby food first."
He jumped then smiled sheepishly and nodded. "Of course."
While Minato showed Villanueva a few stores along the way, the man tried to see if there was some topic that got the boy talking. They stopped at a shop owned by an elderly woman. It had clothes, toys, and other necessities for boys and girls, ages from the beginning months to ten years. Villanueva managed to spot the formula right away and retrieved it, but started to browse at some random things before he brought the formula to the counter. The woman was talking with Minato happily until Villanueva placed the formula on the counter. The woman jumped and stared into Villanueva's pale eye, disturbed at how piercing it was, how unnerving. After a moment, Villanueva started to get frustrated and glared at the woman. Minato looked between the two.
"Since I don't understand, would you mind telling me why everyone looks at me like that?" He kept his calm, although he was tempted to express his annoyance.
The woman paled slightly. "I-it's nothing."
"You're lying." The pale eye showed nothing and peered into the woman's soul.
Minato stepped between them. "Now I'm sure she and everyone else were wondering why a boy they've never seen before was wondering the streets." Villanueva looked unconvinced. "Just give them some time."
A sigh was the boy's response. Dropping a few gold coins on the counter, which seemed to have a higher value than most products in the shop based on the craftsmanship, grabbing the formula, Villanueva turned and left, the baby crying softly at the abrupt movement. He ignored all the people staring at him and went back to the house. Minato gave the woman one last glance before trying to go after the boy when a man came up to him.
"Hokage, who was that child?"
Minato looked around real quick, but saw no trace of the boy. "His name is Villanueva. Him and his grandfather are going to be living here from now on."
The man looked uneasy. "What happened to that boy? His eye is really pale, as if he's blind, but he sees well. Too well."
"'Too well?'"
He shifted from one foot to the other. "It's as if he's looking inside me. It's not natural."
"About as unnatural as a pregnant man." Enocente crossed his arms.
The two men jumped at the sudden appearance of the older man. "I-I didn't mean anything by that." The man stuttered.
"Huh? I'm not mad. I'm just saying that he is indeed different from you and I, but he's all about equality no matter who or what you are,' so just be careful not to talk to him any different than you would a neighbor, or look at him differently, avoid him and all that stuff." The older man looked more amused than anything.
Minato was perplexed as the other man left, excusing himself. The old man basically defended Villanueva but insulted him at the same time. "Do you mind if I ask you about Villanueva?"
"More questions? Great! I would be happy to assist you." He smile at the blond man, his tired eyes holding excitement.
"Is his eyesight bad?"
The old man hummed. "Naturally he can only see with sounds and vibrations, so yes, he is blind, but he found ways to be able to see like you and I, but don't ask, I don't know what he did." He looked around, noticing some people looking at them. "But his blindness is more useful. With his eye closed he uses sound to create a mental image of the area around himself. 360 degrees and the range is about ten feet in diameter. But with one eye open, he focuses his hearing and can 'see' a lot father in that one direction than with his eye closed. Again, don't bother asking, I don't know how he does this."
Minato absorbed this information and only could think of one more question: "Where did those scars come from?"
The old man gave him a grim look. "I do not know. No one does. But that's because anyone who might have known are all dead." He shook his head and walked away, mumbling, "He killed them soon after."
The man watched the older walk off, feeling his stomach churn slightly, the feeling of sympathy sprouting inside himself. The feeling would nag at him all the way to the Hokage Tower.
Villanueva.
Surprisingly enough, the little baby didn't cry when they got back. Villanueva found this odd, but decided to question it after feeding the newborn. The second floor was being finished, Villanueva deciding that it would be best to finish as soon as possible so he could begin working. However, someone was watching. Villanueva didn't mind. The only thing that would make him worry is if he told everyone and they panicked, or something like that. As long as his progress isn't hampered he won't mind letting some people know he is more than capable of handling things himself. But skills in combat might have to wait for a year or two. Those would definitely cause distrust among the locals.
Not that he cared. "You can come out. I know you've been watching."
Kakashi moved closer, mildly surprised he was noticed. "That ability is impressive."
"Not really. I'm merely splitting the wood'd atoms, creating a cut with a smooth surface at necessary angles." He twisted his hand and a window frame was set into place, metal screws and nails attaching it to the rest of the building. "It is a most basic of techniques."
The other boy stared at him, his own eye analyzing the ability. He watched in silence, not sure why he was so nonchalant about someone seeing a ability that could build a house. "Why not do it the normal way? You might draw unwanted attention to yourself."
"Does it matter what way I use to ensure that I have a roof over my head? That we all can live in peace?" He glanced at the boy with silver hair. "Had I decided there was no other way, I might have blackmailed or threatened your leader to let us stay here. But we made a deal that is mutually beneficial."
"And that is?"
Villanueva smiled slightly. "I get to preform my research in peace, and you all get ways to protect yourselves from the infected."
"Those things, what are they?"
The boy looked down at the baby in his arms, humming softly. "They are things that defy what many believe they know about reality. They evolve naturally, yet the original strain was manufactured."
"Manufactured? Someone created this?"
"Yes, but I do not know who. Listen, I believe your leader intends to tell his council about the deal and me, so if you wish to know more, get permission to be at the meeting. That being said, if anyone is there without permission, I will not tell them anything."
Kakashi took this in, considering what he said, but was distracted by the fussy baby. "Whose baby is that?"
"Hm? Oh, ours, for the time being." He answered, focusing on making sure everything was being put into place properly. "It's a friend's. She wanted to watch him since it's getting a bit dangerous back home."
"Hello again." Enocente smiled when the shinobi whirled around. "Another brat that kills? Joy."
Villanueva rolled his eye, glancing at the building. "It's done."
"Is it safe to live in?"
The boy sent a glare at the old man, frowning. "Why don't you go inside and see for yourself?"
"I would prefer not to be killed, if at all possible."
"Annoying bastard."
"Tiny devil."
"Senile fool."
"Infuriating mother hen."
"Embarrassing clown."
"Unnatural monstrosity."
Villanueva smirked. "I'm surprised. Who would guess you knew such big words?"
"Shut up."
In only a few hours, Villanueva and Enocente were called to the council meeting, and to be frank, Villanueva was getting tired of all the stares. Minato had explained everything to the council beforehand, so they knew what they were going to be deciding. Allow them to stay and conduct their research, or refuse them? Minato hoped nothing bad will happen, but there were a few people that thought they were plotting Konoha's downfall. When the two entered, the council members watched them, but were astonished to see the boy who had unnerved nearly every villager he met holding a baby.
"You don't mind giving normal citizenship to this little guy?" The boy asked Minato.
He nodded. "Even if we can't work anything out here, we will accept him." Villanueva stared silently, but then the smallest of smiles tugged at the boy's lips.
Villanueva looked around. "Your council is rather small."
"I don't think I need a big one."
Enocente shook his head. "It's good to have a big and diverse group offering their opinion."
"That really isn't important, though. Minato." Villanueva took a seat.
The Hokage nodded, turning his attention back to his council. "As you know, we are here to discuss the deal that was made yesterday. The deal has been made official, but we are going to discuss the matter of their citizenship."
Enocente grumbled. "I'm lost. The deal is made, so we can do our research and there isn't much that they can do about that, but we're discussing our citizenship? Wasn't that apart of the deal? We become listed as normal citizens and are to be treated as such."
Minato nodded. "I am aware that was apart of the deal, but the council is split on that matter. Some think you shouldn't be listed at all, that you should not be seen in public."
"So basically, we would be here, but working in some lab unable to leave?" Enocente stared at them.
"I did say we would allow them to treat them as prisoners if we could get to work."
The blond continued. "Others think your reason for being here should be announced and that you should be treated as if you came from a respected clan." The narrowed eye made Minato feel as if any progress with the boy went down the drain. "You would be seen as heroes, basically."
"What a pain in the neck." The older male sighed. "We didn't come to be heroes."
"Anything else?" Villanueva asked.
"Then there's the original citizenship that you proposed."
"So, be seen as normal people, be seen as heroes or uppity nobles, or not be seen at all?" Enocente listed, his dark brown eyes tired. "Decisions, decisions."
Villanueva glared at Enocente. "That can be resolved later, but since it seems that none of you have any real objection with the deal. Did everyone that is in here get permission, Minato?"
"Yes, I requested them all to be present." He nodded.
Villanueva glanced at Kakashi and a few others, but none were all that interesting. "Then I shall tell you of the most common strains."
"Strains? So there are more than one type?" The female council member asked.
"Of course. Colds, flu, viruses. Liquid, solid, gas. Natural, artificial. There are over three hundred strains, but there are only three that are commonly used." Villanueva said. "Here is what we know about all three. The strains are number 90, 378, and 87. You seem to have 90 and 87." He met their gazes with his own, silently wondering how they will react, and if at all, how he himself will respond.
"Strain 90 infects host with a parasitic organ being forcibly put inside the potential host. Once inside the organ spreads its own vessels into the host's veins, pumping the infection into the bloodstream, killing/taking over red and white blood cells. Once the infection reaches the heart, or the parasitic organ gets to the heart, there is no other option other than putting down the infected host. The killing points are the head and heart. Both points must be destroyed to kill it, otherwise it will continue to try to eat. Without the head, the body will send out its parasitic organ in search of a new host, and if the heart is destroyed, the brain can (much like humans) still function for a few minutes." Villanueva glanced at their pale faces, amused.
"The infected will attack anything that has a heartbeat in the attempt of obtaining food or infecting a new host. All attempts at taming these infected individuals have failed. As did attempts at curing them or creating a vaccine to protect against the infection. All the tests resulted in death. It would turn the infected test subject's blood into a highly corrosive mixture, melting the test subject from within. Other tests ended with similar results. There may not be any cure for a few generations. So far we only have weapons, which can either be lethal to us just by being exposed to it, or by being near the infected host when they are exposed. Some of the weapons cause the cells to heat up and explode, and since this is happening to just about all the cells at the same time, a medium sized explosion can and has harmed nearby people. There are side effects and backlashes to all these weapons that affect this particular strain. The other strains, although more deadly, have much safer counter measures."
Villanueva took a moment to let the information sink in, while taking a breather. "Strain 378 is dubbed the 'Ghoul' strain due to the ability of changing the host into an animal, but keeping most of its host's former ability, and keeps its intelligence of how to hunt using even psychological means, and has the ability to learn. These ones hunt in packs, like wolves and like wolves they know how to trap prey. They would chase their prey into two or more 'Ghouls' that were waiting and they take the prey down. They remove all the unnecessary parts their host had before infection. In humans, they shed any and all hair, lose most of the pigment in their skin, and bones shift, fuse, or are removed. Most of the host's blood will be assimilated or eaten to supply the necessary nutrients to grow and take over the body quickly. Once the entire body has been taken over, any leftover blood is either stored for later consumption or is excreted out any openings, such as the eyes, nose, mouth, rectum, and any open wounds." Someone audibly gagged.
"If any of those are blocked enough, we have seen enough, the infection will force the blood out through the pours. The 'Ghoul' strain also uses a parasitic organ to infect potential hosts, however, unlike the 90th strain, the organ cannot move on its own; it needs help from an animal or the infected host." The boy looked up again, seeing full grown men who have either killed or seen people killed pale at his words. There were few that seemed fine though.
"Strain 87 does nothing more than turn any living thing it takes over into a mindless animal. Unlike all other strains, those infected are not dangerous, as in, they do not attack those uninfected or simply alive; they are quite peaceful. However, the way the infection spreads is very concerning. Any bodily fluid, be it saliva, blood, sperm, or anything else can spread the infection." He kept his tone even as he continued. "There is no cure, mainly due to the fact that there is little to fear as long as one keeps their distance. If no living host is present to infect another, the infection must enter the bloodstream and like the other strains, reach the heart and infect the rest of the body with a needle filled with the infection."
He looked up and watched them all, unimpressed. "So, I told you everything we know. Now that's out of the way, shall we discuss our citizenship, or do you all want to take a break?"
Minato spoke up. "Let's decide the matter of your citizenship."
"Guess the questions about the strains are going to wait until later then?" Enocente asked.
"I believe that will be best. I think we all could agree with a change of topics until later."
Villanueva looked up from the sleeping infant. "I want to see who wanted what. Who were the ones that were going with our original proposal?" Only one raised their hand. "Hm. Only one... Not good."
The older male yawned. "So it's either higher status or all labs all the time." He glanced at Villanueva then looked at Minato for moment. "I think I'd prefer the higher status rather than becoming spooks."
"Who wanted the higher status?" One went up. "And the nonexistence?" One hand. "I see what you meant by split. So it seems I have to choose between the better of two negatives."
"Pick your poison." Enocente mused. "We could argue why we want to be nothing more than normal citizens."
"We don't have all the time in the world." Villanueva retorted. "We need to get to work as soon as possible."
Enocente chuckled dryly, grinning slightly. "Figured you'd say that."
Villanueva stared at everyone then close his eye, opting to think. Someone was about to speak, but was shushed by Enocente. Minuets went by and some began to wonder if the boy had fallen asleep, but again and again Enocente would shush them. It was getting to a pint where Minato was getting concerned. The boy's breaths got slower and slower, and less noticeable. If it wasn't for the movement under his eyelid here and there, and the occasional twitch, they would have thought he was dead. The baby in his arms was equally quite, but some noticed that there was something wrong with it.
"I've decided." Everyone jumped when the boy snapped his head up. "We do not wish to limited in where can go and if we can see if our work is producing any results. As such, we will not willingly put ourselves in a position where we can't see if we are helping you fight those things, or simply producing weapons to use on your fellow man."
Danzo stood, staring at Villanueva. "What are you trying to say?"
"Say what you want to say." Responded Villanueva.
"Are you suggesting we are planning to use you to make weapons?" He demanded, his anger rising.
"Wouldn't put it past you." Villanueva said honestly. "Our weapons, with slight adjustment, can be used against anything alive and as such, if we to work and live in labs as you suggested, you would have the ability to go through all our material and see what kills normal people."
"You will still be giving us reports. We will know what kills people."
"Not really." Enocente interrupted. "See, if our tests kill a normal person, we will say it failed, and if it failed to kill the infected we will say it failed; and if it was too dangerous to use at all, we will still say it failed." He noticed their expressions. "We are here to make ways to fight them and protect your people. The only time we will tell you how to make any of this yourself will be if it's safe to use."
"We don't like to take the chance that you will make weapons out of our labor."
Koharu was the one to break the silence. "I agree with them. We will not ask how you made it if it could harm normal people, and will only request that you inform us, in detail, about results that are only lethal to the infected or is safe to use."
Homura looked a bit startled. "You wish for them to have the higher status, or at least the normal citizenship they requested? Why?"
"It should be obvious. If we were to put them in a lab under guard they may grow suspicious and paranoid, believing that we are misleading them. They could believe that we are indeed making weapons out of their research and they could easily wipe us out. You should have realized this the moment they came in. They are prepared to kill every person in this room."
"If that is so, then why do you want to lay down to them?" Danzo said in disgust.
Koharu gave him a dirty look. "I'm not laying down to them. I'm merely doing my best to ensure they are allies. With them, we can beat those things and keep our village and its people safe." She looked at Villanueva and then bowed her head. "We know nothing of these things, but they do and I can see it in their eyes, they do not wish to see us killed by those things. They wish to help, who are we to refuse?"
Minato smiled, noticing the effect her words had on the boy. He was tensed and looked slightly shocked. "I agree. We need your help, and are willing to do out part to ensure our people are safe." Homura looked at the boy and the weary old man and nodded towards them. "I wish to have you all accepted into Konoha and have the status fitting for your role in our safety."
Villanueva was lost for words and Enocente looked relived, but probably because this meant they can leave soon. "Please, do not bow your heads. We both are doing our jobs: protecting those in need. And to be honest, we love our job." The two elders looked up and nodded. They looked at Villanueva.
"What say you, Villanueva? Will you accept the status we are offering?" She asked.
"I will not accept this!" Danzo snapped. "How do we know they are not just acting to get us to letting our guard down? They could be enemy spies!"
"Danzo." Minato spoke in a warning tone. "Both Koharu and Homura, two of the council, both believe they are doing this not because we are a powerful threat, but because we are people in need of help, and both have never let me down, including you, so I am incline to believe them."
Danzo gritted his teeth. "How will we ensure they are doing as they say?"
"They have already agreed to give us reports, and if something good happens I am sure they will inform me as soon as possible, right?" He got nods from the boy and older man. "They can be trusted, Danzo, give them a chance."
He nodded reluctantly. "Yes, Hokage."
With that the council was dismissed and everyone started to leave. Kakashi had a contemplative look, which perked Enocente's curiosity. Minato left, saying he was going to check on his wife. Villanueva seemed a bit out of it, but left without looking at anyone. Enocente lingered to chat a bit and soon left, deciding it high time to get their money transferred to the common currency, what ever the hell it was.
Minato.
As soon as he opened the door, Kushina was questioning him. Having told her the day before, she had wondered who would have a child work on such dangerous experiments and wondered how the council will react to the deal. Minato was unprepared for the flurry of questions and tried to coax his wife to calm down while he took a seat on the couch.
"Will they stay? Are they going to help?" She herself had heard of the attacks on travelers and random towns.
"Dear, relax." He placed his hand on her swollen stomach, which proved to be enough. "It's okay. They got what they wanted and are going to do their best."
She sighed. "That Danzo. To think he would want to put a child under guard, as if he's a prisoner." Kushina was furious when she was told that Danzo wanted to treat them as prisoners. Granted they were willing to do so, it still irked her.
"He didn't get what he wanted, but I'm not sure how Villanueva's going to feel about the status though."
The woman looked at her husband. "What kind of status did you give?"
Minato looked sheepish. "Well, they wanted normal status, as did I, but the council thought otherwise. So they will have the same status as a respected family head, well Enocente at first then Villanueva. "
She looked at the window then leaned on Minato. "He doesn't want that?"
"No, but he seemed bothered when Homura and Koharu bowed their heads to him in thanks. It was strange. It was as if he's not used to being thanked for helping." He wrapped his arm around Kushina's shoulder. "I talked with him about accepting the baby even if the deal was to break."
"A baby?"
"Yeah, apparently a friend want them to watch over it here since things were dangerous back where they were from." Minato informed. "When I said he could stay, deal or no deal, he smiled. It was small, but it was a smile. Then the higher status was mentioned and then he went back to the blank stares and flat tone. I want to see him comfortable enough to open up. It reminds me of Kakashi, the way he seems to put the goal before anything else."
Kushina smiled and grabbed his hand, placing it on her belly. "This child is going to be so happy." Minato smiled. "I see why everyone likes you. You care for everyone, even people that aren't from our village."
"He's a child, Kushina, younger than some in the Academy. I don't really want to see him under a lot of stress and pressure."
"You can worry about that tomorrow, so let's have some lunch, okay?"
Villanueva.
As nighttime approached, Enocente left to mingle with some of the locals, deciding to be the humble old man he looked like. Villanueva opted to stay at their home and watch over the baby. Personally, he was glad the baby didn't cry a lot. Only a few time did he wake and cry. He did notice that when he spoke to the infant he would calm down quickly. He ignored it, figuring he should be glad he was not high maintenance. Granted, a baby is high maintenance, but the point stands. He looked down at little Gaara, wondering why McFeely brought the baby to him. Why take him from his home? That made him wonder and regret not asking why the demon was placed inside him in the first place. Was it a desperate situation? Tradition? Or was it some sort of ticking time bomb? He didn't know and it bothered him. But looking down, the child's gaze looking back, Villanueva stopped worrying. If anything bad should came of him taking care of little Gaara, he will deal with it.
"Guess we're in this together." He said to the sleepy baby. He smiled down at him. "Gaara." The baby reached up and grabbed onto his hair. "Yeah, it's pretty long, huh? Do you even understand what hair is?" He watched in amusement as Gaara put some of the hair into his mouth. "Babies."
Days went by quickly as Villanueva worked with Minato to introduce himself to the other clans of Konoha. Then there was setting up more ideas for a compound, another thing Villanueva was against, but agreed to, and guards for the home, which was happening since he and Enocente were being made into a clan on equal standing as the Uchihas. Of course, Danzo was against it, but with the other council members not agreeing with him and Minato siding with them, he had no say in the matter. It was for the high status and for looks, but Minato wanted it to seem believable, and Villanueva was more than willing to come up with a convincing story. Of course, Villanueva wasn't feeling like acting the part, so they settled with them and some others, others being the people going to other villages for the same reason as Villanueva and Enocente, were never apart of any village or clan, which was true, and that they supplied help during war times, which wasn't true, and that since then they have been traveling around as nomads looking for work.
Which was true. Granted, he and Enocente only stayed in one place for nearly forty to sixty human years, which to them was barely any time at all, then moved on to another place looking for something to do. For work, so in a sense, it was true. The story claimed they became akin to mercenaries for hire, which was true, for Villanueva at least. He enjoyed doing even the simplest escort/guarding jobs, along with weapons, drug, people, exotic animal, whole and parts, and object smuggling. They proved entertaining. Someone, Villanueva couldn't remember who, suggested, due to the symbols Villanueva placed around his home, that they also acted as spiritual guides, something that made Villanueva uncomfortable.
For those that knew the truth, if felt a bit strange, but they got over it shockingly quick, by Villanueva's standards, but he wouldn't complain since he's getting what he wanted. So far, he's letting them do all the arrangements, only putting in his input when it was necessary. Minato had asked him how he felt, but Villanueva would only answer that they needed to start soon. It was always timing with the boy.
Sure enough, Villanueva, Enocente and little Gaara were introduced to the rest of Konoha as a new clan. They stood in the courtyard just in front of the house Villanueva and Enocente built. There were stone pathways that led to the house and a tool shed and around the fountain at the center. The rest was grass and flowers, one of the few things Villanueva insisted on. There was just one problem.
"Lord Hokage, what is their clan called?" A woman asked after Minato finished telling them the story they came up with. She was smiling kindly at the three.
Minato froze, just now realizing that he never thought of a name even when making the story. Had he realized during the story, he might have made one up last minuet, but he didn't. "Oh, um..."
"I will let you all know this was his idea to return to Konoha and become apart of it officially." Villanueva pointed at Enocente who jumped, having zoned out when Minato explained why they were never heard of before. "As such, with him going senile he didn't think this through."
"I'm not senile."
"Oh? Then why did our house burn down?"
"I forgot to turn the burner off." He got some looks. "What? It happens."
"So, since you got us into this mess, why don't you come up with name?"
"Excuse me." A man stepped forward. "Usually the name of the clan is the last name of the clan head, such as the Uchiha and Hyuga clans." He informed, hoping to help.
"And that's the problem." Villanueva sighed. "We don't have last names. We never knew our parents' last names, well, I didn't, but he did, I think. Then again, they were crazy and tried to kill him, so remembering their last names wasn't a priority."
"For someone who wants to keep everything in the past, you sure do like telling everyone else's business to everyone." Enocente complained.
"A clan without a name?" Someone said. Villanueva made a face and looked at Minato, which made him shift from one foot to another.
Villanueva looked at the courtyard they all were standing in and eyed the fountain. He walked towards it and pulled out a knife, gripping it in his left hand tightly. He slit his wrist and closed his eye. As the blood flowed, his breaths came out as smoke, as if the temperature got colder. He closed his fist and a light started to shine from it and he opened it, his blood turning into a shining white. The light got brighter, drawing everyone's attention. The light started to change shape and after a moment, he closed his hand on it and the light disappeared, leaving a staff with wrappings on it. He turned it around and unwrapped the cloth, revealing the silver metal and he held it out, the metal wings and spear tip started to glow. Minato stared as markings appeared on the cloth that were tied around the space between the base of the two wings and the base of the bladed tip. Villanueva opened his eye.
He twirled the staff and with a grunt he slammed the bottom of the staff into the fountain, making a hole in the center of the fountain. The markings turned green then the light shot down and into the hole. He pulled the staff out and the water drained into the hole rapidly. As he stepped back, the hole got larger and the fountain caved in. The soil that was exposed shifted, and something came out. Everyone stared in awe as the tree grew from the soil in under a minuet. The white tree stood above the two-story house and the white flowers that bloomed seemed to shine in the sunlight. Villanueva walked away, wrapping the staff back up and dispersing it. He stopped and looked at everyone from the doorstep of the house he built.
"It would seem the Silver Knights have returned." He chuckled dryly, ignoring some murmurs.
Enocente sighed. "That's that then. A clan of Silver Knights... way to be subtle V."
From then on, people would pass by the compound to look at the tree and the house that got some additions. The house had increased in size seemingly overnight. More rooms were added and the walls that outlined the main house had gotten taller and were thicker. Minato had asked and got a "just in case" answer from Villanueva. Then Enocente muttered about "Looking the part," so Minato let it go for the time being.
Some stories spread, but most were positive, but didn't sit well with Villanueva. Enocente didn't care though. A clan of Knights has joined Konoha, in hopes of ending a war they never knew was coming. Soldiers sent form the heavens to protect them. Old allies to the Leaf, and plenty of others still traveling, finding their way back. Minato tried to stop the spread, but Villanueva told him to let it go. The boy seemed convinced that they would spread rumors no matter what, and that they should be glad most are positive.
If they only knew that these Knights, as the full moon peers down upon them all, secretly pray for war.
And done. Over 12,000 words. Probably the longest chapter I've written so far. I would like to hear what you think, so leave a review, anything, even flames, as long as it's constructive. Feel free to PM me with questions.