AN: This is just something I've written because of a creative itch I had. Don't dig into it.
Feb 3rd: Punctuation edited. About damn time, am I right?
Time is a labyrinth.
Nothing is perfect, especially not infinity. Eventually, infinity curves back in on itself and creates a never ending loop of infinities. Hence when time 'began' - a word that holds little meaning when used in this context - it looped in on itself, spanning across non-real space infinitely. Time twisted and turned in and around itself forming shapes that can not be conceived by mortal minds.
Normal beings, at least the ones that can experience death, could not possibly hope to live long enough to see past events play out in the future or how future events directly caused those in the past. That luxury - or perhaps a curse depending on who one asks - belongs solely to the gods.
So to select a point to begin this story would be as pointless and trivial as pointing to the beginning of time itself. But, as we should at least start somewhere, as far as the characters within these following texts began as far as they knew or can tell began with a promise from a young boy to his most favourite person in the world.
"Obaasan, Obaasan!" Called a little boy as he tugged the hem of an old woman's sleeves
"Yes, Naruto-kun?" The woman chuckled
The boy pumped his fist out, declaring "I want to be the Hokage just like you!"
"My my, being a Hokage is a tough job" She played along "Why do you want to be Hokage Naruto-kun?"
"It's cool"
"Of course, it is" She ruffled the boys' blond hair "You would have to work very hard to be Hokage. You think you can do that?"
"You bet!" His eyes sparkled "I'm going to be the best Kunoichi the world has ever seen. I promise! Dattebayo!"
Encyclopedia of the ninja world
Entry 43
"Judging from the surviving records of the vast population from before the warring clan era, it is now known that the male gene once allowed the development of a chakra network.
It is considered a radical thought in the age of the kunoichi to imagine a world were male could use chakra in the same manner as their female counterparts. As it currently stands, the chakra network of males is severely underdeveloped, allowing only the minimal amount of chakra necessary to survive. In very rare cases males can sustain enough chakra to use very simple jutsus however, such skill has been deemed less than favorable. In the following chapters, I will discuss the possibility of 'chakra network degeneration' in greater detail using the male gene as the prime example.
As a side note, I personally find it unfortunate that, because of this, it has been increasingly hard to procure male genes for research. They all seem to mysteriously disappear."
Jun Gyoku (Professor of evolutionary biology, University of Hi no Kuni)
The wooden dynasty
Within the vast forests of Hi no Kuni Team Gai dashed through the tree line with a purpose in their steps. One of team Gai's members glanced with her pale eyes at the normally vibrant green trees turning orange from the backdrop of the setting sun. Veins bulged around her eyes when she went to check the direction they were heading.
She frowned "Gai-sensei. Didn't the Hokage say that the bandits set up camp somewhere around those mountain ranges?" She pointed to the mountain to their right. They had been running around the mountain range for the past hour without actually entering and the team was getting jumpy "We found the remains of a camp a while ago. We know they are in there. Why not finish this mission already?"
"Excellent my student!" Their eccentric teacher flashed a smile that sent shivers down two of team members "It is admirable that you are so dedicated to the mission Haruka! Your flames of youth shine brighter with each passing day" She covered her eyes as twin waterfalls fell from them "Lee! Take note! Dedication and hard work can overcome every obstacle even outside of training. When you apply your mind and heart to any task, your flames of youth soars high into the sky!"
"Hai Gai-Sensei!" echoed the clone of the older woman, writing down every word that left her sensei's mouth like it was the word of the Sage herself.
"What did I do to deserve this?" A bun-haired girl whispered to herself.
Such was the dynamic of Team Gai. A strictly assault specialized genin squad, they were given to someone who fought like a Bijuu during the last great Kunoichi war.
Maito Gai was a muscular woman, with a relatively thin figure that implies those muscles were used for speed as much as it was used for power. Armed with an overly bright grin and fire in her eyes, she looked like a Kunoichi unlike any other in this world. Those who knew her knows of how at the beginning of her career she shared this excitement with her classmates. As wars were waged, everyone began to realize the harshness of the world. Except for Gai. She stayed the same.
At least... that was what everyone thinks.
The first of her students, a literal clone of Gai, only smaller and younger. Her name was Rock Lee and she was not really a literal clone of Gai. But no matter what they say no one will believe otherwise. Oblivious to the thoughts of her peers, Rock Lee was smitten with the ideals of Maito Gai and aspired to become a genius of hard work. It was her hope that she might one day stand on equal footing with the resident genius, Haruka Hyuga.
Speaking of Haruka Hyuga, it was by some twist of fate that landed her into team Gai. At first glance, she was without a doubt a wielder of the prestigious Hyuga bloodline, the Byakugan. Not only does her eyes pierce through objects around her, and give her 360-degree vision, they were also capable of a blank stare that bore into the souls of lesser minds. Though this was nothing special among the Hyuga. As a member of the pale-eyed clan, her regal posture, and chilling presence were but the norm.
Then there was Tenten. Unlike the rest of her team, she was neither an insane spandex wearing powerhouse nor prodigal Hyuga. A daughter of a blacksmith, she was the normal one of the team and by extension, the voice of reason on the team. Unfortunately, this had made her a background character.
In every interaction, her team has, she . . . she was just there.
"Can we please get back on track" Tenten groaned. "Haruka has a point, though. Where are we heading if not to the mountains?"
"We are going to meet our client before we carry on, " Gai said. Haruka's eyes perked up in curiosity
"We are? We've never done this on any other mission. Why now?"
"Ah, very perceptive of you Haruka. Our client is nothing special, however, who she works for is" Gai, in a rare moment of seriousness, glanced over at the Hyuga with an odd twinkle in her eyes. "Our client works for the Wooden Dynasty corporation. The compound we are heading to is the main headquarters where she works. Hokage-sama wishes to impress the head of the company with the flames of youth Konoha has to offer!"
"The Wooden Dynasty!" Haruka gasped, drawing the attention of her teammates. The Hyuga resisted scoffing at her teammate's ignorance "I heard of the company from the main Hyuga branch. They say about three years ago a Uchiha came out of nowhere and took control of all of the land of fire's wood industry and united it under a single banner, swiftly crushing any competition. It virtually monopolized two-thirds of wood production worldwide and became the most powerful company overnight"
Tenten gasped. "A Uchiha?! I thought Itachi Uchiha was the last one"
"No. Itachi left her little sister alive during the massacre. Satsuki Uchiha is was put in an orphanage for a short while before she disappeared off the face of the planet. . . everyone thought Itachi came back to finish the job. But it turns out we were wrong. At least that is what I heard" Haruka frowned when she thought of the surviving Uchiha. Even a young branch member like herself had restless nights thinking about the situation. A surviving female Uchiha other than Itachi was unbelievably important for Konoha's survival.
That's what she told herself at least. Before the massacre, the Uchiha and the Hyuga clans were locked in a political feud that seemed never ending. After the slow death of the Senju clan during the second great Kunoichi war, the silent power vacuum they left was left unfilled. The two greatest clans of Konoha eventually saw the end of their feud in the form of the massacre but with the appearance of the wooden dynasty headed by a Uchiha was of much concern.
Even a lowly branch member like her wanted to know whether this Uchiha will continue with the never ending crusade.
"Yosh!" Lee exclaimed. "So we are going to bring Satsuki-chan back to Konoha! I understand. This could be a chance for me to test my skills with the talent of one of the founding clans of Konoha!"
Gai clenched her fist and slammed it into Lee's head. "You fool! You fail to consider whether or not she does choose to come back to Konoha. Listen closely Lee, for I will tell you of a tale of a daring rescue mission I lead during the final years of the third great Kunoichi war!"
Tenten was confused about what Gai said and slowed down next to Haruka who already knew what she was going to ask.
"I don't know all the details but I heard that multiple envoys to Uchiha-sama asking her to return to Konoha were all turned down. They say that she has no interest in being a Kunoichi and turns down anything not business related. Her company is completely self-sufficient, having its own personal samurai force. She is untouchable politically and physically as she has strong ties with the fire dynamo and legendary A-rank ex-kunoichi maids around her at all times . . . Not even Kumo is dumb enough to try and kidnap her"
Tenten didn't notice Haruka clenching her jaws at the mention of Kumo.
"So the whole purpose of the mission is to suck up to Uchiha-san then" Tenten mused before she visibly flinched "Wait a minute . . . We are basically dealing with royalty here!"
"And?"
"Why did the Hokage send us of all people!"
"Don't worry Tenten-chan!" Lee shouted from the front of the formation ."Our flames of youth will shine so bright Uchiha-san will have to come back with us!"
"You are right Lee!" Gai cheered. "Let your soul roar! Let the will of fire light the fire within her heart!"
"..."
"..."
"...Haruka?"
"Yes?"
"We're screwed aren't we."
"...It is our fate."
In an office not far from team Gai's current location, a woman was sitting in her office shifting through trade offerings with her butler standing right behind her. Suddenly the woman paused from her frustrating work placed her pen down. It did not go unnoticed by her butler of three years.
"What's wrong, Hime?" Her butler asked. "Is there something you want me to do?"
"There are Kunoichi heading this way. I can feel their chakra" She said flatly, cupping her hands together in thought. Silence. "Tsk. It was probably Chico, she wanted to hire Konoha to get rid of the bandits that stole my stuff. That woman..."
"Ma ma, take it easy on her Hime. Her heart was in the right place," He grinned, breaking the butler's code of professionalism. "It was bound to happen. Especially when Suiton is due to arrive in a week"
"You're too soft on her. This is insubordination, she should have followed my orders to the letter" The woman huffed and pouted "I thought you said you were checking all mail coming in and out of the compound. How did Chico get a message to Konoha then?"
"Hmm. . . It must've been her assistant. She went with the last shipment to the capital. Chico wouldn't trust anyone else to do so . . . Look on the bright side, at least with this, I know where to start with the security reforms you wanted. The last owner of the compound really neglected security" The man looked at the woman expectantly. "So what are you going to do about the bandits then, Hime? We were going to wait for Katon to get back on their tasks but now with the Konoha Kunoichi here..."
"Invite them in for dinner and offer a place to stay I suppose. It is getting late" There was a loud sigh. "I will keep them occupied for a time while you will deal with those bandits yourself"
"Me?" He gasped. "But Hime! Who will throw flower petals on the ground as you walk? Who will go massage your back as you work? Who will dress you tonight-"
"Shut up baka!" She blushed, jabbing her finger into his chest. "It was you who allowed this to happen so you will fix this mess"
He laughed a musical laugh as he walked out of the room. "Hai hai. Your wish is my command"
"Oh and Naruto!" The woman cooed.
Stopping in his tracks he turned to his master. "Yes, Satsuki-Hime?"
"Remember, I requested you personally prepare dinner for me tonight," The Uchiha flashed a sly smile. "I expect dinner after sun-down. Say . . . in about three hours?"
Naruto's eyebrow twitched but he kept on smiling. "Hai, Satsuki-Hime"
Very soon the dense tree tops thinned before they came to an end. Team Gai found themselves in a wood yard, a wooden factory resting in the distance. Besides it, a good distance away was a large stone mansion. Even from where they stood, Team Gai could smell the scent of sawdust and dry sap. Deciding to walk the rest of the way, they found mostly men working the fallen trees littered about before dragging the wood off to the compound. Haruka, in particular, noticed that the men were well-fed and happy.
It was common to have men do manual labor is most places. They were cheaper than a woman who could use chakra hence it was also not uncommon to see men in poorer working conditions. Such as the Hyuga clan who automatically brands any male born and their children as a branch member as an attempt to control the Byakugan. It pained her to admit that she was one such child of a branch member, the twin brother in fact of the clan head. It seems fate did not favor them even if they were so close to the clan head.
Haruka sighed to herself, knowing that she would probably have to take control of the situation with Satsuki Uchiha, being the most used to formal situations out of all her team.
As they came closer the size and scale of everything became magnified. Not only the amounts of wood being processed but the sheer size of the piles of wood was probably enough to build at least a dozen warships. Then there was the mansion which stood tall and majestic, observing the operation from a small hilltop. Now that they were closer, team Gai could see the pure marble stones and flawless tinted glass reflect an aura of wealth and a personality to flaunt it.
So far, everything seemed to suggest that Satsuki was not a normal Uchiha. Haruka was told that that, back in the good old days the Uchiha, though every powerful, weren't as rich as her clan was. Because of the Byakugan, the Hyuga made many friends in the political sphere through their work as bodyguards and sentries. The Sharingan, on the other hand, made the Uchiha better suited to investigation hence their position of military police. The Uchiha weren't all that bright when it came to politics she was told.
Satsuki, it seems, was very talented at diplomacy which seemed to worry the Hyuga clan. The Satsuki Uchiha possessed a wealth that made even Haruka's noble clan leaders green with envy. Haruka was young and inexperienced but she could imagine the horror of the clan leaders when they discovered that their long lost political rival showed up out of the blue with that amount of money. Just when they finished establishing their power base in Konoha too.
It made the Hyuga clan immensely frustrated.
And it made Haruka feel genuine ecstasy.
Waiting for them at the entrance to the estate was a young woman dressed strikingly in a kimono. It was easy to spot her as she was the only thing remotely clean in the wood yard. She was no doubt their client. Haruka felt Gai's hand on her shoulder. As usual, she would be the ambassador for their team. Turning on her Hyuga side, she pushed her way up to their client.
"Good evening" Haruka bowed, which was mimicked by her team. "We are team Gai. We are the Kunoichi sent from Konohagakure to deal with your problem"
"Good evening. My name is Chico Nakao" The woman bowed back politely. The very slight layer of sweet along her forehead did not go unnoticed by the Kunoichi nor the edge to her voice. Though she stilled smiled at them it was obvious she was quite annoyed. "Are you here to tell me that you've already killed them? You don't have to. I already paid your village"
"No not at all, Nakao-san" Gai smiled. It was part of their routine that Gai should speak. After all, the adult of the group needs to have somewhat of a presence. "We have traveled for the whole day to reach here. My team is tired and we were hoping for lodgings" It was a lie. An unyouthful one in her opinion, but she would not call herself a Kunoichi if she could not lie.
"I see" Whether Chico frowned at the glare coming from either the setting sun or Gai's teeth, no one knew. "I suppose there are some spare rooms available. If you don't mind sleeping among the workers..."
"We will accept whatever you offer us"
"I'm sure you will" Her eyes narrowed slightly "I am sure you remember what happened the last time your village sent kunoichi here. Satsuki-sama does not wish to talk anything but business. You will most likely not see her during your trip"
Haruka gulped "I assure you the thought never crossed our minds. We merely wish for lodgings"
Before the Chico could say anything a voice pierced through, making her visibly flinch.
"Chico-san"
"N-Naruto-kun!" Chico jumped back. "W-What are you doing here?"
"Hime is not pleased with you Chico. You undermined her orders, bringing the Kunoichi here" Chico looked like she about to buckle with shame and regret in a very unladylike way before Naruto laid his hand on her shoulder "Don't worry too much Chico. I'll talk to her tonight and see if I can get you off the hook"
"T-Thank you Naruto-kun" She blushed into hands like a child.
"Don't mention it. Your heart was in the right place" Naruto turned his gaze to the Kunoichi "You may continue with your work Chico. Hime has asked me to invite them into the mansion for dinner"
"Hai Naruto-kun. I understand, and again, thank you" She bowed deeply towards him and the Kunoichi before rushing off, failing miserably to hide her giggle.
During the small interaction, the younger members of team Gai were entranced with the strange and exotic look of the handsome blond. Even the normally stoic Hyuga failed to suppress their natural teenage female instincts when looking at the man named Naruto. He had blond hair which shone more brightly than any Yamanaka and had eyes which made their hearts explode with ecstasy. Not to mention those strange cheek marks of his made him look cute at a certain angle.
At the other end, Naruto looked amused at the girls who looked around his and Satsuki's age. He was used to the looks he would get. After years of serving and growing up with a girl, he learned to pick up on the small details. Too bad he still didn't know how to handle these types of situations, though. It came with being Naruto Uzumaki.
"Greetings Kunoichi-san. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, Satsuki Uchiha's personal servant" Naruto bowed, laughing silently to himself when he saw then jolt "My master would like to extend a formal invitation to dinner. She also offers you a room at her personal residence if you so wish"
"H-Hai" Haruka cleared her throat. "We are team Gai. I am Haruka Hyuga, this is Tenten, Lee and our sensei, Maito Gai. We gratefully accept your master's invitation"
"Wonderful. Please follow me" Naruto smiled, leading them to the mansion. There was no need to say much, which Haruka understood. Servants were often the first thing guests see. They were to be professional as to not give their master a bad reputation.
It was a short trip, over the hill and through the walls surrounding the large building. Now inside the property, team Gai was meet with a canvas flower beds and two small koi ponds connected by a flowing river. The serene gardens were a marvel of traditional and modern gardening ideas which reflected the bold new design choices of the mansion. Usually, buildings such as these were only found in Tsuchi no Kuni were marble were plentiful.
However, the most striking detail was not the design. It was the sight of at least a hundred maids doing a range of tasks ranging from tending to the flower beds to manning the walls and lookout towers. They were Kunoichi. All of them, graceful and delicate, did not look like any Kunoichi they've ever seen. But with the slight bulges under their sleeves and the very small sound of clinking metal, it was undeniable.
"Yes, the rumors are true. Save for myself, all staff here are either Kunoichi and Samurai" Naruto said, getting all their attention "My master is very cautious as you would expect. Not only do the hidden villages want her bloodline, but there are many who wish to destabilize the organization she has worked so hard to build"
"Has there ever been an attack?" Tenten asked.
"No" He shrugged "But you can never be too careful in this world."
"I recognize some of these women," Gai said, glancing to her side "I haven't seen them since the Kyuubi attack"
"So they're missing-nin?" Tenten asked
Gai shook her head "No. A lot of people retired after the attack. After fighting a war for their loved ones, losing them to the Kyuubi was worst thing that could have happened to them"
"Indeed. Hime has a policy on never hiring missing-nin. They are often too much trouble for their worth" Naruto smiled making eye contact with many of the maids who merely nodded in respect "So you know some of them huh Gai-san? Isn't that wonderful? Perhaps you will have a chance to catch up with them later tonight"
When they entered the mansion, Naruto grinned at the faces of the Kunoichi. The mansion is of Satsuki's design, and would feel happy knowing that others enjoyed it as much as she did. The walls and floors were themed with gold and deep red colours which glowed under the candle lights above.
In other noble houses, the artwork would be the centerpiece of any wall. However, the walls and halls of this mansion were filled to the brim with artifacts of old. Adorning the walls were framed crumbling maps and rusted tools and weapons. Being the expert in all things pointy, Tenten could see that even the seemingly plain swords were extremely different than the weapons. Different forging techniques, exciting metal compositions, and experimental grips. Through the small details, Tenten saw the history of war itself.
Haruka was more entranced by the most fragile artifacts which found its home in display cases lining the halls. In them laid the most fragile weapons, ceramics decorated with historical art and patterns, and even some strange tickets she knew nothing of. The collection of plates alone could rival the Hyuga clan's own art collecting in monetary value. Glancing through the tomes, she saw unknown languages were describing pictures with what looked to be the beginnings of chakra usage. The only language she recognized, but not read, was one which was used thousands of years ago, during the age of the sage of the six paths.
"I see you like our collection" Naruto smiled, brushing his fingers over the glass cases "Before Satsuki built this company, she and I traveled around the world. We raided tombs catacombs for simple daggers, we chased myths and legends not knowing what we would find. It was the time of our lives"
Tenten sighed longingly, "Ah, that sounds romantic."
"Romantic? Hahaha! Don't let Satsuki hear you say that."
"Why? Is she shy?"
"No. She's a major tsundere."
Seeing her students take their time processing the information Gai spoke up "You are close to Uchiha-sama then..."
"Hai hai." Naruto eyed her. He spoke with a deceptively aloof tone that hid a sharpness only Gai noticed. "It's not my place to tell you, though. She doesn't really like talking about her past. It brings back memories she would rather forget."
"I understand."
Seconds later they reached the office of the Uchiha. Knocking on the door in a rhythm, it unlocked and opened on its own.
"Fuinjutsu. For extra security" he said off handily to the Kunoichi "You may enter. Uchiha-sama is expecting you."
When team Gai entered to room Naruto shut the door tight and sighed looking out the window.
"The the things I do for women."
Inside the office, Team Gai stood still unsure what to do. Sitting in front of them was a dark-haired beauty that looked around the same age as the genin. She was aggressively attacking her paperwork and seemed to not notice, or care, that someone has entered the room. Thankfully before anyone could get too fidgety, her head raised from her work.
"Please, sit" She gestured to the couches in front of her. Team Gai wordlessly moved to the seating where Satsuki went to meet them.
Despite being only 16 years old and a head shorter than her butler, Satsuki had a noble and imposing aura of a diplomat around her. She was oddly pale for someone who supposedly went tomb raiding in her past time but it only added to her beauty when she let her long raven hair fall down to her shoulders. To the kunoichi who lived in conflict since they were young, it was surprising to feel that same caution they fell in battle when they stood near her.
So this, they realized, was what true nobility felt like.
Bowing before she sat Haruka was the one to speak "Thank you for having us here. I am Haruka Hyuga and these are my teammates and sensei"
They bowed one by one.
"I'm Tenten"
"Rock Lee! Konoha's green beast!"
"And I am Maito Gai! Konoha's green beast of prey!"
"I am Satsuki Uchiha. I welcome you to my estate." A curt bow was given in return before they all sat down "Do you want any refreshments? It's a long journey from here to Konoha"
"Yes please!" Lee's face crunched up in an attempt to be as polite as possible. However, she ended up looking a bit angry. With a small nod, Satsuki clapped her hands in an odd rhythm. Only Gai heard the silent movement of maids moving from behind the walls. The message was obvious. 'You are surrounded'. Only a second later a maid Shunshin in, dropping off biscuits and drinks before leaving the way she came.
"You have a very beautiful home, Uchiha-sama" When Satsuki turned to Tenten the girl buckled under her gaze "A-Ah your collection of weapons are very impressive. Even I can tell how hard it must have been to find them"
"Ah, a weapons enthusiast? Why yes, it was hard to track them down. But much like everything in this mansion, no expense has been spared" She mentally giggled watching the bun-haired girl squirm, trying to figure out something to say.
She was no doubt amused at the fresh genin's attempt to be polite. It was refreshing compared to her times dealing with hardened politicians. Looking at the girls around her age, she remembered what it was like when she first started out as a business woman. Though she couldn't fault them. They dealt with a different kind of 'cut-throat' and 'hardened veterans' than Kunoichi. Probably the only thing she and the Kunoichi truly shared was the fact that they both daily dealt with people who would rather see them dead.
Leaning back, Satsuki looked to the older woman "Now, I take it you are here to take care of our little problem" It was more of a statement rather than a question "That is the only reason I can think of as to why Konoha's Kunoichi are on my land, when I specifically stated to your Hokage not to send any Kunoichi"
"Forgive us if we have offended you, Uchiha-sama" Haruka was quick to apologize before Gai could say anything. Haruka was so used to the affairs of the Hyuga clan that she naturally developed an automatic reaction of a picture perfect politician.
However, one thing she has not learned yet was that picture perfect politicians were the worst kind of politician.
Looking over to the Hyuga, Satsuki's eyes twinkled in amusement "Very diplomatic of you Hyuga. I expect nothing else from Konoha's now strongest clan. I do hope taking my clan's place on Konoha's food chain has not gone to your head" The jab at the Hyuga clan was meant only to sting the girl, but Satsuki couldn't keep a small amount of genuine discontent in her words from escaping. Sitting back, she linked her fingers together and crossed her legs "Let's not beat around the bush, shall we? Your mission is over, you will return back to Konoha tomorrow, this problem is ours to solve. I will reimburse your village for your absence and nothing else. This is nonnegotiable"
"If I may Uchiha-sama" Tenten interjected "We came all this way from Konoha for a mission. It would be a waste to turn us back"
"I agree with Tenten!" Lee declared "It would be most unyouthful to allow any more trouble to effect you"
Gai nodded furiously "My students bring up youthful points Uchiha-sama. We will carry out our mission as planned"
The idea was that whether or not Satsuki paid for their work, it was important to showcase the will of fire Konoha prides themselves over. At the end of the day, Konoha was not a village of the land of fire, rather a glorified independently funded military base. A business. Its luxuries such as a business center, its high life expectancy and quality of life were all paid for by clients from across the globe. The will of fire was essentially their sales pitch, designed to draw in customers.
And because Satsuki alone had a sizeable portion of the world under her fingertips, she was the ultimate prize.
The petite Uchiha had other ideas, though.
"I'm sorry. I cannot allow you to do that" She sighed, shaking her head "I'm sure you've noticed, but I have an army of Kunoichi right here with me. If I want to I can kill all of the bandits myself by tomorrow. Do you know why I choose not to?"
"Information" Gai answered immediately, frowning all the while. Seeing her genin's confusion she elaborated "Bandits don't always kill people for money. Most of the time, they are working for big companies. It's an unyouthful tactic, using bandits to gather information and attack rivals"
"Youthful or not, it is a valid tactic Gai-san and I am not ashamed to admit it" The genin look horrified to which the Uchiha shrugged "There are bandits everywhere girls. Don't you find it strange that normal men with swords exist in a world of fire spitting Kunoichi? The only reason they continue to exist is because those higher in the food chain has a use for them. Take your Hokage for example. Hidden villages all need a source of income and eliminating bandits are a constant source of it. If she just kills all of them then that income will dry up"
"Then why did your manager want us to kill them?" Tenten demanded
She frowned "Because they stole something from me. For some reason, they stopped follow orders and turned on us"
"That is what bandits do Uchiha-sama, " Lee said. "They are an unyouthful bunch"
"No, that does not happen in the real world. Money speaks to them and they would not risk losing my favor. There are only two explanations to why they stole my stuff. One is that someone came to them with more money than me. That is highly unlikely. The second is that someone forced them into submission. Someone who they fear more than me. Someone powerful" She sighed once more "This has been happening all over the land of fire. Bandits are not listening to clients anymore, and this is worrying"
Haruka's eyes narrowed. The way Satsuki's tongue suddenly started to slip was troubling to her. "Why are you telling us this?"
Satsuki stared blankly for a second before replying "Honestly I hope this little piece of information would help you take them down in some way. Someone is gathering all the bandits humanly possible and it could turn into a big problem for the both of us. You still won't get my favor but if you do get rid of them then it would be a win-win . . . As long as you don't kill these specific bandits that is."
This was not what team Gai had in mind when they entered the office. But with the information that they were given they realized that this was probably the only way Konoha could get on the Uchiha's good side.
"Very well Uchiha-sama" Gai bowed "We will return to Konoha first thing tomorrow"
"Wonderful. I'm glad we got that sorted out" Satsuki put her hands together and smiled gracefully "Dinner starts in two hours. Why don't you all take a bath before then"
With her maids leading the Kunoichi to their rooms, Satsuki was left in peace. With nothing but the clock ticking in the background, Satsuki looked out the windows at the mountains.
"I wonder how Naruto-kun is doing?"
"What the hell are you doing Mizuki-teme?"
Said missing-nin scoffed at the man in front of her. The blond brat always had a talent for stealth. No matter how many of her men were on lookout he could always sneak in. At the back of her mind, she swore she knew the boy from somewhere. She could not say she was not expecting hi, though. With what she ordered her men to do she was expecting the Uchiha to send someone to 'take care' of her but with the appearance of the blond, Mizuki was all in all, happy.
"What do you mean, brat?" She grinned slyly "I haven't been doing anything"
"Tsk" Naruto's fist clenched making Mizuki's grin widen "You attacked our messengers. I know for a fact that you can't open the scrolls they carried and you've kept them here. If hand over those scrolls, Satsuki is willing to continue our previous arrangement"
Mizuki started to laugh manically "That little girl you serve thinks she's on top of the food chain. But there are more powerful women out there. You should have stayed missing because your master's time is up"
"...Has anyone ever told you that you look ugly laughing like that." Naruto harder glared at Mizuki. The two bandits behind Naruto drew their weapons with an audible sliding of blades and took a step forwards. Despite not having any weapons, Naruto stood strangely calm in a room filled with killing intent aimed at him "I shouldn't be surprised you betrayed us, though. I knew it was a bad idea hiring you. Never trust a traitor"
"You're not scared" Mizuki's gleeful insanity dropped slightly before picking right back up, "I think I might send your feisty little tongue back to you master. Kill him!"
The bandits cried their attacks when lunged at the blonde's back with their blades. Naruto made no effort to dodge the attack, only standing still without a care in the world. In an instant, Naruto let his eyes flash with bright excitement causing Mizuki to remember a certain boy from her own village. A boy she hated with a passion. Before they could even reach Naruto, the bandits dropped dead at his feet, leaving a grinning boy and a furiously mad woman alone.
"It's you" Mizuki was frothing at the mouth seeing it stand right before her. Even now the object of her madness taunted her even after leaving that village. Naruto opened his mouth but clamped it shut when he sidestepped a kunai aiming for his throat "You. .I remember you now! Kyubi! I'll kill you!"
Naruto chuckled "You finally went over the deep end, huh Mizuki-teme"
The mad woman charged forward with a kunai in hand. Without any form or skill, she stabbed at Naruto. The boy allowed himself to feel disappointed at the Kunoichi's tactic before he went in for the kill. Weaving himself under her extended arm spun around jabbed her shoulder blade, breaking bone, and tearing through muscles. Mizuki screamed and fell her knees clutching her shoulder. Even through the pain, she continued to glare up at Naruto.
"Wow, you really let yourself go" He gloated "Real kunoichi wouldn't lose because of a broken shoulder."
"Fuck you!" With her working arm, she stabbed at the blond once more.
Then crack. Without warning Mizuki's injured shoulder blade shattered and exploded like a fleshy red paper bomb. Before she could scream again, Naruto's knee slammed into her face, sending her flying out of the tent and into a tent full of crates. Walking calmly out of the main tent with his arms behind his head, Naruto was met with a stunned silence of the gathering bandits. Clutching her stump that used to be her arm, Mizuki stood up defiantly. The pain of losing her arm was muted compared to her overwhelming rage.
"I fucking knew you were a demon!" She spat "No man can use chakra like that!"
"Chakra?" He tilted his head innocently "I didn't use chakra"
Turning to her men she shouted "What are you fuckers doing! Kill him!"
Naruto grinned when they hesitated.
"Did you say he could use chakra?" One sweaty little man shivered
"She did call him a demon..."
"Is fighting a demon really a good idea?"
"Fuck it, I'm out guys. I'm done with this bandit shit"
"H-Hey! Wait up dude!"
Growling like a rabid dog, Mizuki pulled out a strange vial out of her pockets and swallowed it in one go. Naruto played with the thought of cracking a joke but in the end decided not to. Mizuki's muscles started to converse and grew massive. Growing double her size, Mizuki started to sprout fur and soon became a hulking mass of muscle and fur. Naruto had to admit that she looked kind of like a humanoid tiger.
Grinning with her new found power she pounced towards the traitorous bandits and tore through them like butter. In the middle of the carnage, Naruto yawned with boredom.
"So . . . Orochimaru then?"
"That's right" Mizuki appeared in a blink of an eye in front of Naruto. The monster that was Mizuki was so close, their noses were touching. The strength of Mizuki's breath was strong enough to blow Naruto's spiky locks of hair. Looking down at the boy the insanity in her eyes made her think that Naruto was cowering in fear. Far from it. Naruto was still bored shitless "Well Kyubi! How does it feel to meet your doom?!"
"Ne, ne that's cute" The shadows of his bands masked his eyes from Mizuki, "You think that little bottle can give you nature chakra. How about I show you how it's supposed to be done"
He opened eyes he smiled merrily. Looking down into his eyes, Mizuki suddenly felt very, very weak.
"Senjutsu."
With eyes, colored with the colors of heaven itself Naruto moved.
Haruka Hyuga's eyes were fixed solely on the ugly green seal tattooed into the skin of her forehead within the mirror. Scanning her naked body, it was the only scar on her otherwise fair skin. Other girls at the academy used to stare at her seal also. By now she was used to the seal. But the fact she usually covered it with her forehead protector told her that the sting of the curse seal was not only physical...
She should not be thinking like this. She was a Kunoichi now. Something as vein as beauty was not something she could afford.
Pulling up her towel from the floor she wrapped it around her frame. She had just had a private bath which was prepared for her by the maids at the mansion. She moaned when she remembered the relaxing water on her skin. For some reason, the water here was much more pleasing than the natural springs of Konoha. Probably because she didn't have to deal with her idiotic teammate and sensei.
As soon as she got dressed in a surprisingly well fitting kimono given to her by Satsuki, there was a knock on the door. Opening it she saw greeted by a stoic glasses-wearing girl.
"I will lead you to the dining room" Haruka blinked at the retreating backside of the made before she hurried to catch up with her.
The maids around here were awfully observant. When she was having a bath she was curious about the mansion and went to activate her Byakugan only for a kunai to mysteriously appear right between her legs. Aside from the invasion of privacy, they were flawless servants. Being looked after in such a...hawkish way gave her a glimpse into the lives of those she served. Being tended to her every need was something she needed time to get used to but she could see herself enjoying it greatly in the future.
"You look like you're enjoying yourself"
The pale eyed girl jumped a bit. Right beside her was Satsuki, her face was now cheerful and no longer cooled with an emotionless passion of a politician. Or at least as cheerful as a Uchiha can be.
"I'm sorry Uchiha-sama!" Haruka bowed on impulse. She heard Satsuki from above her giggle. The Hyuga let out a small 'eep' when Satsuki started to pat her on the head. Haruka jerked back blushing like mad. Satsuki just stood there gracefully, if such a thing was possible, with the smile never leaving her face.
"Please, don't apologize." Satsuki lightly grabbed Haruka's shoulders and straightened her up "I'm the one who is supposed to be saying sorry."
"You? Why?"
"Ehehehehe" Satsuki looked away from the pale eyed girl nervously "...I may have put a genjutsu on your team when we were talking before"
Haruka's eyes bulged "A genjutsu! When! How!"
"When you thought I was doing paperwork. It activated as soon as we met eye to eye" Satsuki brought up her left hand in a half tora hand sign "Of course, I didn't put one on you because of your Byakugan. But I noticed that you overthought things a tad too much. Just a glare or two and you crumbled Hyuga-san. It was a good try, though, good job. I'm sure with more experience, you will be a great negotiator for your clan."
Haruka took a slight step back in shock. Sure, her sensei was very stupid at times. Very, very stupid. But Gai was a jonnin who fought in a war. To put her under an illusion was no joke.
Just how powerful was Satsuki?
"You...You're not what I imagined you to be Uchiha-sama"
"Ara? And what did you think I was like?"
Haruka wanted to look down but held her head up high as a true Hyuga would "I met the head of the military police when my little cousin was nearly kidnapped by Kumo... She was... not very nice"
Satsuki still smiled but her enthusiasm was severely dampened "I...I see. Fugaku Uchiha. She was my mother... And I'm sure you know how that turned out"
Silence. Still quite scared of Satsuki, Haruka wished they never mentioned their families.
Sucking up her fear she said "H-How about we go to dinner?"
"Dinner!" The Uchiha gasped "Yes, let's go! My slave's cooking always cheers me up"
"Uzumaki? He's going to be cooking for us?" Haruka blushed a bit remembering the attractive blond. Satsuki noticed this but didn't say anything, only frowned slightly. Irritated she mumbled something about 'murdering a blond'.
Elsewhere, a blond effortlessly crushed a sneeze before he shuttered like a ghost brushed his cheek. Looking up to the sky, he sighed
"God damn tsundere. All tsun Tsun and no dere dere until the very end of the story...Unless it's a stupid harem show. Then all dem bitches be dere dere" He scratched his cheek "Also the sneezing thing is kinda getting old. It probably never happens. Then again, makes a good transition scene I guess"
They were seated at a modest table, Satsuki and team Gai. Here, Haruka felt most at home as they all sat on cushions rather than chairs with a table to match. This room was designed differently than the rest of the mansion. Much like the Hyuga clan, this side of the estate used paper sliding doors, soft wood floors and even had a Kotatsu. With everyone dressing in Kimonos the scene of everyone sitting on their knees, some less comfortable than others struck a chord in her heart.
"G-Gai-sensei" Besides her, Lee swayed side to side trying to get blood to her suffocating legs "This is the most difficult thing I have done in weeks...Is this some sort of training?"
Across the table, Gai grinned. "That pain means you're doing it right! You must learn to withstand all pain, Lee. It will temper your mind and soul so that your flames shall soar later!"
"But this is a pain I have never felt before. Aren't you in pain to Gai Sensei?"
"Lee, Gai!" Tenten whispered harshly "Be quiet! You're being rude"
Gai nodded, ignoring Tenten "Hai. I'm in extreme pain. I believe my legs need amputating soon"
At the head of the table, Satsuki took her time to watch the strange team in front of her. In some ways, it was refreshing seeing new exaggerated personalities and the obvious pain of the other two team members. It was also refreshing because...Well...They were way tamer compared to the people she knew.
"It's nearly time for dinner," Satsuki said, looking at the out of place grandfather clock in the room "He should be here at eight"
"Your butler's cutting it close Uchiha-sama" Haruka noted. The Uchiha shook her head with a knowing smile
"Naruto is never late. He'll be here in three...two...one..."
"Ladies?" Team Gai jumped from their seats. Standing on the other side of the table was the handsome blond they all met earlier today. With only a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek, Naruto made it just in time. Snapping his fingers, the doors behind him slid open and a handful of maids rolled in with freshly made food. "Dinner is served" Naruto picked up a tray of food given to him by one of the maids and went to Satsuki's side to give her the food. He and the maids didn't place it down yet, making some of the guests salivate at the smell.
"The food smells delicious!" Lee exclaimed "It smell like...It smells like...!"
At the same time, Naruto and the maids set the trays down in front of the expecting persons "We have fresh squid that was bathed in a special seaweed sauce, served with sides of sea urchin and shaved..."
"Naruto" Satsuki interrupted. "These women aren't nobles. They're soldiers. They don't need to know what you're serving"
"...Very well"
Naturally, Haruka was the first to recover. "H-hai, thank you Uzumaki-san. Your effort is appreciated."
"Your enjoyment is all I ask for" He bowed. Looking at Satsuki he smiled "And of course I made yours personally. As instructed."
"Wonderful, thank you my slave" She looked satisfied at Naruto's twitching eyebrow. Before Naruto could bow and walk away, Satsuki grabbed the edge of his sleeve, almost like a child "Where are you going? Aren't you going to stay with us? This is your food after all"
"...Understood"
This was new for Haruka. In traditional settings, not just in the Hyuga clan but virtually everywhere, servants never sit at the main table with the guests. It was only the fact that she was a servant herself, did she remained dignified when Naruto sat next to her. She cursed her body. It was much easier for Haruka to stay in control when she was younger. Now that she was sixteen, her hormones raged uncontrollably.
While Haruka was busy crushing the effects of her raging female hormones, Naruto was eyeing his master suspiciously. Both of them had a past with Konoha, and neither was at all good. Knowing the Uchiha, she wanted to flaunt Naruto as a trophy of some sort. After all, he was supposed to be Konoha's weapon.
Then there was a part of him that said that Satsuki was still conflicted about her feelings about Konoha and wanted him by her side. There was always that possibility.
Clapping their hands together there was a united 'itadakimasu' before they all started to dig in.
"This is the best food I've ever tasted!" Tenten shivered in euphoria "I wish I could cook like this"
"Hai! It is a dish with celebrating" Gai and Lee gave him a thumbs up
Satsuki nodded in agreement "I expect nothing less from my servant"
"Thank you for your kind words" Naruto inclined his head to them. Looking to his side he saw the Hyuga eating rather quietly "How about you? Do you like my cooking?"
"...It is acceptable"
"Coming from a Hyuga, I'll take that as a complement" Naruto chuckled, ignoring the conversation between Satsuki and the rest of the team "Your team is very...interesting Hyuga-san"
"Please, don't remind me" Haruka made a small sound that Naruto assumed was a groan. Pointing to the spandex wearing women the Hyuga said "I just want to pass the chunin exams so I can get away from those idiots"
"They don't look that bad" It was then Gai shattered the plate in half with a loud crack while trying to cut a slice of squid. The tearful sorry did not stop Naruto's frown and Satsuki's amusement from growing "...That was our good china..."
"Hmph. See, what did I tell you?" Haruka crossed her arms "They're useless. Lee is pointlessly fighting her fate of a failed Kunoichi, Gai is helping her unhealthy illusion and Tenten is your average run of the mill Kunoichi. She and Lee will never achieve anything higher than cannon fodder. It is their fate"
"...You don't have a high opinion of your teammates do you" Haruka was about to answer an affirmative but saw a strange twinkle in Naruto's eyes. His body may be young but his eyes carried a wisdom equal to the Sandaime Hokage "Have you heard of the story of the Sage of the six paths?"
"The god of chakra?"
"Close. The Sage was the one who defeated the god of chakra, the Juubi" By this time, everyone had stopped eating and was listening intently on Naruto. Any story about the Sage was hard to come by "You see, long ago when the Sage was traveling through the land she discovered something. She was weak. Every day she battled toe Juubi to a draw. Every single time. She was the only one born of the Juubi and the only one who had its chakra so there was no one that could help her. But then she found something. She found someone"
"The Sage found a man. He could not use chakra but he was a man of near infinite wisdom. With his knowledge, he helped create a ninja art that helped seal the Juubi into the moon and helped with the creation of the tail beasts" Naruto looked directly at Satsuki "The only other thing known about the man was that he eventually fathered the Senju and Uchiha clan. It was said that the Senju inherited the Sage's body, while the Uchiha inherited the man's mind"
"That's a nice story but what does that have to do with anything?" Haruka huffed "And why should I believe anything you say. This sounds like a made up fairytale"
"Ruins can tell a lot of stories Hyuga-san" Satsuki grinned like a Cheshire cat "And as it turns out, you are talking to the foremost expert on fairy tales"
Naruto smiled knowingly at Lee "The whole point of this story was that even an all powerful being that could go toe to toe with a god needed help from someone who was weak. Lee, even if you don't become the strongest there is, the Hokage will come to rely on you like she relies on all of her Kunoichi"
"Yosh!" Lee cried "You are right! I will become the best Kunoichi I can be even if I don't beat you Haruka!"
"HAHAHA!" Gai bellowed "Wise words Uzumaki-kun! Let us toast to this youthful occasion!"
The maids came and went with clear glasses of sake, giving one to each of the persons sitting at the table. Lifting their glasses, Satsuki cheered "To...uh...what are we toasting to again?"
"Friendship, my lady?"
"Ah, yes. Thank you, slave"
"Ack-!"
"To friendship!"
"Cheers!"
"...so what now?"
"I don't know. In the movies, usually someone gets drunk or the scene cuts out randomly."
"So which one is it?"
"Ah...Lee? Are you ok?"
Said Kunoichi was swerving left to right with a glazed look in her eyes. Naruto looked down at his cup. He swore that there was not much alcohol in it. When Tenten went to tap Lee on the shoulder, she was sent flying through the paper door on the other side of the room. While Naruto, Gai, and Haruka tried to restrain the berserk, shitfaced drunk girl, Satsuki sighed heavily as she beckoned one of her maids to get her the rest of the bottle of sake.
"...We didn't even get to the tomato salad."
Mom! Dad!
You weren't supposed to be here
Onee-sama...why?!
Hate me Satsuki
Only then you will be strong enough to kill me
I'll find you Onee-sama!
Satsuki shot out of her bed with her Sharingan flaring wildly. She was sweating like mad and her breathing labored. Feeling the cold steel of a kunai in her hand she looked and winced at her torn bed sheets. Putting the kunai back under her pillow Satsuki got up and walked over to the window. She opened the window and let the cold breeze dry her bare skin. Despite knowing what laid beneath its surface, the moon calmed her during nights like these.
Then there was a silent shift in the air. She didn't need to turn around to know that he stood there.
"You'd get a cold like that Hime"
"The Kunoichi are in their rooms?" She asked ignoring his comment. She was not the least bit bothered by Naruto eyes on her bare body. They both went on a number of adventures together and she trusted him with her life. Trusting him with her body was not out of the question in her mind. That being said, Naruto knew he would wish he was dead if he did anything with her trust. He dared not even think about it.
"They are. And they promised to repay any damages they have caused" Naruto looked to Satsuki's bed "You had that dream again?" He didn't need an answer "Then I don't think you would want to hear what was on those documents Mizuki stole..."
The Uchiha massaged her brow "No. I might as well hear it now"
"Hai, Hime. But first..." Satsuki wordlessly raised her arms and allowed her butler of three years to cover her body with a robe "As you know, our spy was coming back from his mission about the ragtag group of S-rank missing nins when he was killed by Mizuki" Naruto threw a set of three scrolls onto Satsuki's bed "Well they aren't disorganised anymore. They are called the Akatsuki, red dawn. Their goals are unknown, and all we got on them are a few of their members. They include Sasori of the red sand, Hoshigaki Kisame the so-called Biju without a tail, and lastly the betrayer, Itachi Uchiha"
"...Is this room protected from the Byakugan?" Satsuki's voice was cold. Cold as the day Naruto first met the girl, the girl that despite her best efforts still lingered in the deep recess of her mind. At Naruto's hesitant nod, Satsuki almost dove for the scroll marked Akatsuki.
"Hime..."
"Don't" She growled, her Sharingan scanning the scroll over and over memorizing every single detail. In one swift motion, she threw the scroll across the room and pinned it to the wall with her kunai. Holding her head tight and shook uncontrollably as she fought her instincts to curl up into the fetal position. In an eternal instant, she was involuntarily forced to relive her memories. Suddenly she was drawn in by Naruto's arms into a gentle hold. The sound of his beating heart helped ease her own. It was one of these times in her moment of weakness that she let herself enjoy Naruto's warm body.
"It's ok Hime" Naruto ran his practiced fingers through the Uchiha's smooth raven hair "Remember what Sensei said. Don't let your past control your future"
"I...I hate it being this weak" She buried her face into his chest "I hate it!"
"You are not weak and you know it. The way you use fire has never been seen since Madara Uchiha. In fact, Katon says she might choose you to take her place among the five"
"...Did she really say that?"
"Have I ever lied to you?" He chuckled "But don't let her find out that I told you that. She'd gut me if she knew"
"...Thank you Naruto" She looked up at him "You always know what to say to cheer me up"
"My pleasure Hime"
Satsuki looked to the two scrolls left on the bed and raised her brow "What are those other two scrolls for?"
"Something I picked up that I thought that you would like to know" He shrugged "One of them was the only scroll I could not open, even after spilling the teme's blood on it. We will have to wait till Suiton to get back to unlock it. The other...well as it turns out that Goto tried to hire them out to do some kind of takeover in the wave country"
"Goto? I thought I told that snake to stay out of my territory" She rolled her eyes "And before you ask, the wave would be the perfect place to expand her empire into mine. We will have to take care of it before she could take over the country"
Naruto groaned "I still don't know why you don't just take his company over. A shipping and wood monopoly would work together well"
"One thing at a time Naruto. I needed to make sure I have complete control of my company before I can expand. You know, to make sure there is no corruption" She grinned at him "This is why I'm the boss and you're not"
"You're right as always Hime" He laughed "So you going to send me to deal with it or..."
Satsuki yawned "Not now Naruto, I'm tired. Let's just call it a night"
"...Are you going to let go of me?"
"Nope"
"Thought so. Good night Hime"
"Good night my slave"
"...Go fuck yourself, Hime"
"Right back at ya, Dope."
On this particular night, the land was dark. The moon, light the sun had retreated to lands unknown leaving the minuscule spots of white to light the sky. It was on this night while everyone was sleeping, Tenten wondered through the vast halls of the Uchiha compound. Though she could feel what seemed like a thousand eyes piercing the back of her head, she felt strongly at home among the relics of old.
For whatever reason, she was not stopped by one of those omnipotent Kunoichi when she left her room to explore the Uchiha's collection. At least not after what happened during dinner.
It still amazed her when she thought of the work the small Uchiha and her butler must have put into looking for all these artifacts. She remembered when she was young before she was orphaned how her mother and father used to bring home strange souvenirs from their travels. What they did, she was too young to remember. But she did remember the joy of them returning home after a long trip, and how much they loved her.
Her being an orphan was nothing to be sad about. There were a lot of orphans after the Kyuubi's attack thirteen years ago so she was nothing special. What made her different was the fact that she remembered the love of her family. She remembered what it was like to be tucked into bed and how she would complain to her parents about wearing dresses. It hurt her more when she went to the orphanage and realized that by then she was too old to be wanted by parents who wanted to adopt.
Shaking away the tears, she went to focus on the rusted steel around her. Because of the darkness of the outside world, the candles struggled to fight back and only partially lit up the rooms. The darkness combined with Tenten's wandering mind made her hit her toe on one of the tables.
Before she could even yelp in pain, the sound of shattering clay filled her with dread.
"Oh shit!" She gasped. She knelt down and tried to find the broken vase she broke but immediately felt something defiantly not molded clay. "What the hell is this? It feels like some sort of device" Lifting it up to the flame, she saw it was a small metal box with a big red button. Along the side was a string of words that confused her. "...What the hell is a plot device?"
Against her intuition, Tenten cautiously to pressed the button. Then...
"...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She trembled to her knees. She twirled her head around with panic trembling through her body. Such panic was so overwhelming her bladder started to fai- "I AM NOT PEEING MYSELF" She blinked "What the fuck?! I can read this story?!...I'm a fucking fanfiction character! My life is a lie! All my life is a figment of some dude's imagination! I don't exist!"
Minutes of mind-blowing revelations later, Tenten's Hyuga teammate ran into the room to find her laying on the ground slamming her head into a wall repeating the words 'unfair' and 'fuck you, author'. The room was also trashed. There was also that.
"Get a hold of yourself Tenten" Haruka went to her teammate's side and stopped her from banging her head "Are you ok Tenten? What happened?"
"Haruka~" Tenten cried, hugging her teammate tightly "We're not fucking real Haruka! We have no free will!" She let go of the Hyuga and started to gesture wildly at everything "See what I'm doing right now? I'm not doing this! I have no control! It's the author's fault I tell you!" She grabbed Haruka by the collar and shoved her face right in front of hers "Do you know what it feels like to be aware you're in some shitty fan fiction and have no control over your actions what so ever!"
"What are you talking about Tenten?" Haruka sweat dropped. Tenten was acting weird and that was saying something considering the team they were on.
"I'm not weird!" Tenten cried like a little girl who had her candy stolen "Hey! Stop making me cry, author! I have my dignity"
"No, you don't"
Tenten stared at Haruka "Wait, what?"
Haruka raised her eyebrow "What do you mean what?"
Tenten looked to the sky, looked to Haruka. Haruka, sky, Haruka, sky...Haruka, sky. "Did you just...talk through Haruka?"
"I'm fucking god to you"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Tenten, you're acting weird"
"...Fuck you, author. I fucking hate you"
This was the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
"Go fuck yourself you shit fuc-"
"Silence!" Curtains curled back and a fucking choir appeared out of nowhere and a holy light shone down from the heavens, blinding Tenten. Out of the sidelines, a long ass stupid ass cane came and drew Haruka away from Tenten's grasp. "Behold!" A booming voice rocked the world with pure, unadulterated epicness "It is I, who has traveled through awesome comic books, a shitty Wolverine movie, and the best apology movie EVER! Deadpool!"
Tenten bowed because the author was totally not scared of Deadpool fucking over his story. Hanging above her was one sexy ass mother fucker in red, hanging by a thin wire coming off a hole in the roof. Then there was an eerily silence, broken by the creaking of the wire. An audience member coughed in the background.
"Wait, you know that you're in a fan fiction?" Tenten had sparkles in her eyes because who doesn't love that spandex ass.
"Yes and I have been called through space and time, ignoring the almighty copyright because fuck the establishment, from my castle of chimichangas, your paying for that by the way," I shiver "to teach you about your power" Deadpool pulled out a scroll of his ass and started to list off what was on the list "Hey thanks for stating the obvious douche bag. It's not like I was going to do something else with this list" He looked down at the hole in his ass "...Fair enough"
"Ok let's see what we have here...blah blah blah. Boring shit, a guide to the galaxy, Cable's dick picks...Here we are!" The outburst made his balance stumble and his wire snapped. Rocking his fist to the sky he screamed "Fuck you, Steve! I told you not to cheap out on the wire!"
"But Mr. Deadpool! You spend it all on chemical-" Steve's head exploded via bullet to the head
"Fucking Steve" Deadpool mumbled "Now where were we... Ah, the scroll! Side effects of the temporal self-awareness do-hickey whats-it-called, or 'plot device' if you will, includes mind explosion, complete badassery, plot armour to the max, deus ex machina to the max, give the same amount of shit towards swear words as you do the continuity of whatever shit you're in, and a sudden increase in the words shit, balls, fuck, ass, mother fucker, whore, dick..."
Two hours later
"..Rainbow kiss, mud-blood, and herpes. Did you get that?"
"No. The author did a time skip because he was too lazy to Google a bunch of swear words"
Deadpool shrugged "Oh yeah, you also have to put up with the shit the author decides to make happen. Because you know, he's god"
"...Fuck me"
"You're a little too young for me...but hey, if your sixteen then I'm sixteen!" He laughed "Well, the author doesn't want to get this fanfiction taken down with a rape scene so he's kicking me out. I'm out bitches!" One rocket powered jetpack later, Tenten was left alone.
Dropping to her knees she cried tears of sorrow.
"Fuck you, author!"
"Tenten!" Haruka covered her teammate's mouth. The Hyuga laughed nervously "Eheheheh. What she really meant to say was we're very sorry for last night!"
This was not the first time Satsuki had a team of Kunoichi kneeling at her feet nor it was the first time seeing them begging for mercy. However, it was the first time she has seen team Gai begging. It was rather disturbing, as much as it was amusing, to see the emotional extremes of the team. Though it was weird how the bun-haired girl was acting. She was much more polite last night. For now, she was too tired to care about their apology and just wanted them to leave.
It might sound kind of mean spirited but she had spent the last three years shut inside an office doing paperwork constantly...If she wanted to be alone she had to be alone damn it!"
That was the reason they were just outside the entrance of the estate. Naruto all but dragged her out of bed to get her here so she was still half asleep. Much like every morning Satsuki dumbly sat still as Naruto bathed her, brushed her hair and picked her clothes for her all the while trying to sneak a few more seconds of sleep. She wasn't always this lazy in the mornings, but having a butler was too much temptation to no use.
Naruto would always scold her for her laziness but her hatred of early morning rises would always win at the end of the day.
"It's fine" Her butler assured the Kunoichi "Remember, Hime is in charge of the largest wood corporation in the world. Fixing the dining room would not be expensive"
"Yes yes, " Satsuki smiled as she normally would. She would have said that they would always be welcome here at her estate like other hosts but then she would be lying "I wish you a safe tri-"
"RING THE ALARM! BANDITS ARE COMMING!"
"Oh for fuck sakes"
"Get a hold of yourself!" Naruto grabbed the running laborer by the collar and slapped him silly "Speak English man!"
"But I thought we were supposed to be speaking Japanese!" The laborer cried
"Well too bad! Most people on this website read English!"
"Get!-" Slap
"A-" Slap
"Grip!" Crack!
"Ah, Naruto-kun" A maid whispered into his ear, "I think he's unconscious."
"...Oops" The blond laughed sheepishly, dropping the man like a sack of stones. In the background Tenten's eyes were twitching so hard, she looked like she was having a seizure.
"You're just taunting me now Author" Tenten mumbled
"Just great" Satsuki rolled her eyes, sending a brief glare at Naruto which he caught. With her eyes, she asked 'I thought you killed them all', to which he mutely replied 'Must be scouts'.
Haruka saw an opportunity to finally get on the Uchiha's good side "We offer our services to defend your wood yard Uchiha-sama"
"No need" The Uchiha snapped back. She turned to one of her maids "You're a sensor right? Which yard are they attacking?"
"Hmm," The maid closed her eyes for a few seconds "I sense a lot of signatures around the hardwood yard. The ones heading for the samurai of Tetsu no Kuni"
"Hmm, fireproof wood. How thoughtful of them...for a bunch of idiots who thought picking on one of the richest women in the world was a good idea" Satsuki tightened the sash of her Kimono and fixed her hair up a bit "I will deal with the bandits myself"
Naruto grabbed the shoulders of the guests and shook his head as his master shunshined away leaving wisps of ember and ash "Don't take it too personally Kunoichi-san. This is her land and those bandits need to answer to her...Plus hiring Kunoichi is expensive. She can be really stingy with money sometimes"
"Aren't you worried about Uchiha-sama?" Haruka shook his hand off her shoulder. Naruto could see the veins around the young Hyuga's eyes bulge "There are a hundred bandits. She'd need our help"
"Haruka" Gai interjected, still looking in the direction of the wood yard. Being high on the hill they could see the bandits coming out of the tree line and the dust trail Satsuki was kicking up behind her as she ran "Look around you. If Uchiha-sama needs help, wouldn't she take her maids along with her?"
"She wouldn't take one of the girls" Naruto confirmed the older woman's reasoning "Because of pride mostly. But at least this way she can get out of the office"
"Aren't you worried?" Haruka repeated
He shrugged "Not really. She can handle herself...Ah, she's there. Be mindful of your eyes, Hyuga-san. It's about to get hot"
It was unfortunate that at that time Haruka had her Byakugan on overlooking the situation. She only had a brief moment to brace herself when she saw Satsuki make a series of hand seals and muttered out a Jutsu she only barely made out in time.
Katon: Great fire annihilation
The legendary fire Jutsu used by the rival of Hashirama Senju herself spewed from Satsuki's mouth like a torrent of liquid flame. It was not as huge as the one depicted in Madara's biography where whole armies fell before it but Satsuki's flame was enough to devour the bandit horde in one go. At the sign of Kunoichi bandits jumping around to surround her, the Uchiha spun on her heels as she danced through the wood yard, creating a vortex of red flame that melted the ground she treads. Even the water dragons summoned to fight the Uchiha fell under her awesome power.
As soon as it was over laborers came off the wood works to fight the fires and save the wood, all the while leaving the burning bodies to turn to ash. Only Haruka could see through the fires where the Uchiha stood and the raging flow of chakra that swelled her veins. It was her first time seeing the legendary deep red eyes of the Uchiha clan. It was exactly as the books say, the Sharingan struck heart-stopping fear into ally and foe alike.
It humbled Haruka, to see someone the same age as her be so powerful.
All at the same time team Gai turned to Naruto who laughed nervously
"What can I say. She is the granddaughter of Madara Uchiha after all"
Konohagakure was supposed to be the military base of the land of fire, and its Hokage, the general. The Hokage was supposed to be the strongest, wisest kunoichi in the world. To have the Hokage trapped in an office was madness to a lot of people in the beginning, hence, Konohagakure adopted a democratic government so that the Hokage has some breathing room to help the rest of the force. Unfortunately, it had the adverse effect as a flaw in the villages constitution made it so that the civilian half of the council had a say in everything economic...which happened to include the villages' main income, missions.
It was not to say the Hokage hated the idea of democracy. The idea was no doubt the future of the world. But no matter how she looked at it, now was not that time for such things.
Having fought in the last war only to be condemned to political maneuvering for the what looked like for the rest of the current Hokage's life caused only depression for her. Her depression wasn't helped by the news that the returning team Gai had with them. The council was particularly pushy with anything to do with the either of the surviving Uchiha. The Hokage had to nurse a headache when she remembered the day they all found out that the younger Uchiha's job.
Needless to say, all the Hokage wanted was to avoid a similar day like that from happening again.
The Hokage sighed a weary sigh before she swiveled around in the chair to face team Gai "So the mission was a failure then"
The green beast of Konoha nodded "Hai, Hokage-sama. It was all a case of miscommunication"
The Hokage had to admit, Gai did know when to be serious at times. Kami knows that if she acted the way she normally did today, there would be a bloodbath.
"It can't be helped. Luckily they already paid us for your troubles before you got here. Your cut has been sent to your bank accounts. You have been dismissed team Gai" Only two of the quirky genin bowed. The last one, the bun-haired one, had a glazed look on her face like she had smoked a whole field of weed. Regardless the genin all left without another word. The older woman though still stood there like any professional Kunoichi would, getting the curious attention of the Hokage "Gai? Why are you still here?"
"I am here to inform you of the information I have learned while staying with Uchiha-sama"
The Hokage raised her eyebrow "Ok then, shoot"
"Uchiha-sama is the granddaughter of Madara Uchiha" Talk about hitting the ground running
"What?!" The Hokage slammed her fists into her desk, shattering the old wood "We have her birth records! She can't be related to that Kunoichi!"
The old friend of Hashirama Senju was said to have despised the idea of having children. It was said that Madara's genes were the result of centuries of selective breeding within the Uchiha clan to make the perfect warrior. Whether it was true or not was not important, because at the end of the day Madara was the perfect killing machine. The legendary Uchiha had a fire affinity rivaling that of the Nidaime Hokage, sight sharper than any Hyuga and mind more cunning than the Naras.
Not only does her genes still exist in this world, but they are within the bodies of a missing-nin and a teenage billionaire.
'The civilian are going to have a field day if this gets out' The current Hokage mentally cried.
"Which why I brought this" Gai held up his palm where a single strand of hair lay "But I am convinced she is her granddaughter Hokage-sama. Her skill with fire Jutsu is too strong for her not to be"
"You should have told me sooner...you and your team is not to tell anyone of this, understand?" The Hokage took the stand immediately and sealed it into a scroll to prevent further contamination "This complicates things further. The council is already working day in, day out to build a relationship with her...now those insane bastards might try to do something more dangerous" She let her musing end and looked at Gai "Is there anything else Gai-san?"
Gai was about to shake her head before she hesitated "...There is one thing. There was this boy serving Uchiha-sama. He shared his family name with Kushina-sama"
"An Uzumaki" The Hokage perked up "Even though he is a boy, it is glad to know someone from our old ally survived. What is his name?"
"Naruto Uzumaki"
The Hokage choked on her spit "R-Really? That's...ah, that's a nice name"
"Are you okay Hokage-sama?"
"I'm alright. You are dismissed Gai-san. Enjoy your day off"
"...Hai"
As soon as Gai left, the Hokage slammed her head into the remains of the desk. Naruto Uzumaki was a name she didn't want to hear again. Not because she hated the boy, but she was ashamed. Naruto was an odd child from the beginning. He was one of the first babies born through the use of a new reproduction Jutsu that allowed two women to have babies. This Jutsu would mean that the chances of having a female baby would be a hundred percent. Out of all children born of this new Jutsu, only he was a boy. Not only that...he was the son of two of the strongest women of the recent generation.
Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.
...Her baby.
Minato did not mean to abandon him. She truly did. But with how busy she and Kushina were they hardly ever saw him. They left the Sandaime to take care of him until he was five, and by then they never really saw the boy. Then when the Kyuubi attacked the village, when the Sandaime sacrificed her life to seal it, what love she held for the boy shriveled up when she was forced to play political chess with him.
It was only until he disappeared that she and Kushina truly realized what they had done. They realized that if Naruto was different if he was born a girl instead, they would have paid more attention. They would have raised him as they always envisioned, building him up to be the best damn Kunoichi to grace this side of the planet...But no. He was guilty of not being what they wanted him to be. His sentence, a life without love...
Oh, how pathetic it all sounded.
The Hokage and her wife, reduced to self-pity.
Minato stared into the bright blue sky. It was the only thing that reminded her of her boy. It was the same colors as his eyes, the first thing she saw when he was first given to her.
"Naruto...I wonder how my baby boy is doing"
