The Story thus far:
Twelve years ago under the control of the infamous Uchiha Madara, the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked Konohagakure no Sato. But only to be stopped by Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage, who sacrificed his own life to seal the Kyuubi into his infant son Naruto. Afterword Sarutobi Hiruzen returned the infant to his dying mother Uzumaki Kushina. It was on her death bed that Kushina made a deal with the Kyuubi: in turn for raising and protecting her son, she would give up her body as a vessel for the Kyuubi's soul. Naturally the Kyuubi jumped at the chance and thus Kushina's body became a time share. Afterward the Kyuubi summoned her younger brothers and they made their appearance and intentions known the village at a council meeting. Eventually the years went by and their family grew through the adoption of Kaguya Kimimaro and a girl named Tayuya. For a time it was peaceful until Naruto's Genin Exam where the traitor Mizuki revealed that Naruto was the Kyuubi. After saving his sensei Iruka and kicking Mizuki's ass Naruto became a Genin. Then his mothers revealed the truth to Naruto about who and what he was, and then the Kyuubi and Kushina fused into one true being: Namikaze-Uzumaki Kyushina. A couple of days later Naruto was placed on Team 7 with the ever Emo Uchiha Sasuke and his pink haired fan girl Haruno Sakura under the tutelage of Hatake Kakashi. Kakashi then revealed to his students that they weren't Genin just yet and they had just one more test to undergo.
Naruto: Rise of the Kitsune Emperor
Chapter 1:
Team 7
It was a beautiful sunny day in Konohagakure no Sato. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping and everyone was off doing their own thing. In the center of Konoha lied the ninja bar The Fox's Den, owned by the most powerful and influential family in Konoha: The Namikaze-Uzumaki clan. The Namikaze-Uzumaki or Nami-Uzu for short was founded roughly thirteen years ago by the marriage of Namikaze Minato, Konoha's Yellow Flash, and Uzumaki Kushina, Princess of the Fallen Uzu no Kuni. In the basement of the Fox's Den was the office of arguably one of the most powerful ninja on the planet: Namikaze-Uzumaki Kyushina aka The Kyuubi no Kitsune.
Kyushina, who was in her standard scarlet red business suit, was sitting behind her desk going over some maps and documents when the door opened and in walked a woman who looked to be about 15 years or so older than Kyushina carrying a pot of tea and two cups. She was dressed in a silver and red kimono with a golden fox embroidered on it. Her long crimson locks were done up in a bun that had black chopsticks keeping it together. This was Namikaze-Uzumaki Ryoko, Kyushina's mother.
"I brought you some tea Kyushina-chan," Ryoko said. She then proceeded to pour them each a cup of tea.
"Thank you Okaa-san," Kyushina said.
Ryoko handed her daughter a cup and then poured herself a cup. As she drank her tea Ryoko noticed that the majority of the maps were focused on Uzu no Kuni and Hi no Kuni but there was also a map of Yuki no Kuni.
After she finished her cup Ryoko asked, "Might I enquire what all these maps are for?"
Kyushina smiled at her mother and said, "I was hoping you would," she then pulled out a remote from her blouse and clicked it and a screen descend from the roof behind Kyushina. She then positioned her chair so her mother could see it. She clicked a couple of more buttons and lights turned off and a projector on the other side of the room clicked on and a map of the Elemental Nations appeared on the screen.
But this map was different, instead of each country being marked by the symbol of their Hidden Village they were marked by the kanji of a different animal. Where the symbol of Konoha was there was the Kanji for Fox, Suna was replaced by the Kanji for Tanuki, Kumo was replaced by the Kanji for Bull and so on and so forth.
"Obviously the map before you shows what the world was like during the Age of Yokai, before we gave our territories and our land to the Daimyos after the Human Yokai war. Now the world looks like this," Kyushina said as she clicked the remote again and a new more modern map appeared on the screen. "Now we live in the Age of Humans but soon Okaa-san a new age will dawn and our Empire will be stronger than ever." She added.
"How so?" Ryoko asked.
"Simple; we expand our borders," Kyushina said with a smile. She then clicked the remote again and a new map was displayed on the screen. The new map wasn't at all different from the last one save for that Hi, Uzu and Yuki all had the same fox logo. "I plan to add both Uzu and Yuki to our Empire; well actually we already have Uzu so all we have to do is acquire Yuki."
"So are you going to send in Jaeger-kun and the shock troopers or do you have another way to "liberate" Yuki away from the Kazahana clan in mind?" Ryoko asked.
"My plan is to replace the current Kazahana with another Kazahana, more specifically the rightful heir to the throne," Kyushina said.
"And how are you going to do that? Koyuki isn't likely to try to reclaim the throne; she could care less about Yuki. And believe me I know, I'm writing the script for the new….ah…I see…you need my help," Ryoko said with a smile.
Kyushina nodded and smiled, "In a way, all you have to do is set the movie in Yuki no Kuni and then we let Naruto work his magic".
"How is Naruto-kun going to work his magic on Koyuki; and isn't he a little young to be able to work the magic?" Ryoko asked with an eyebrow raised.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Kyushina said.
"Speaking of Naruto-kun, I wonder how's he doing with the last part of his Genin Exam?" Ryoko asked.
"I'm sure he's doing fine," Kyushina said with a smile.
(*******************)
"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW," Naruto cried as he flew through the air after Kakashi had used the infamous Sennen Goroshi on him. Naruto crashed into the trees and hit ever branch on the way down to the ground.
Naruto managed to get up and said as he wiped the dust off his clothes. He then slumped down and leaned against the trees and muttered, "I…feel…so…violated."
"I would too if someone shoved their fingers in my ass," said a voice.
Naruto turned in the direction of the voice and his eyes nearly jumped out their sockets. There sitting in front of him was pet fox Inari. "Did…you…just…talk?" Naruto said as he pointed his finger at the fox.
Inari rolled his eyes and said, "I'm the only one here other than you aren't i?"
Naruto was shocked. Inari, his pet, his friend and his closest confident was speaking to him. "Where…when…how?" was all Naruto could say.
"First off we live in a family of foxes, second you can summon talking foxes. So it shouldn't be too hard to think that I might pick up your language. As for when, your Mom's been giving lessons over the years as well as pumping my body with chakra so I'm kind of like an Inuzuka's dog but more crafty and softer," Inari said.
"Softer?" Naruto asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Yes softer. Hinata-sama likes to brush me in her spare time and occasionally she gives me a nice warm bath. Haven't you noticed how shiny my coat has been recently?" Inari asked as he showed off his shiny coat that seemed to sparkle a bit.
"Now that you mention it, it does seem shinier. But that's beside the point, what should we do about this test? Kakashi-niisan skills far surpass mine, let alone Teme's and Sakura's. Even if the three of us did a joint…attack," Naruto stopped mid sentence. Slowly the gears in his mind began to turn as he went over all the time he spent with his "older brother" and one recurring theme or message besides Kakashi reading porn came to Naruto mind. It was Kakashi's golden rule; those who don't follow the rules are trash, but those who abandon their friends are lower than trash.
"Could this whole be about getting us to help one another out?" Naruto asked out loud.
"Bingo! Now you face the hard part, getting the other two to work with you," Inari said.
"If I can get Sasuke to work with me; Sakura will follow. I just hope Teme isn't as pig headed as I think he is," Naruto said. He then got up from his spot and sprinted back to the training field. When he reached the edge of the clearing he hid behind a tree and watched as Sasuke went one on one with Kakashi.
Everyone in their ninja class knew that Sasuke and Naruto were as different as night and day in just about every aspect of their being. Naruto's opinion of Sasuke was simple: he was a bastard but he did respect him. Sasuke didn't become Rookie of the Year for nothing; he had achieved a balance of brains and brawn rarely seen in kids their age. But Naruto knew that while he had some catching up to do in the intellect department, the sky was the limit for him physically. And no one, not even the great Uchiha Sasuke, could catch him.
While Naruto was pondering Kakashi had just buried Sasuke, save for his head, underground and then jumped off in the other direction. Naruto could only guess that he was going after Sakura. Naruto rushed out of his hiding spot and ran over to Sasuke.
"I would make a joke about how the mighty have fallen, but now isn't the time for that," Naruto said as he bent down and looked Sasuke in the eye. Sasuke just glared at him and Naruto continued, "You and I both know that he was holding back on us; and we both know that right now we couldn't beat him even if we gave it everything we had. But there is a way we can beat him and get those bells. This is going to seem crazy but we have to work together or we'll be sent back to the Academy. We both have goals in life and going back to the Academy well differently hinder them. So what do you say?"
Sasuke continued to glare at Naruto, but deep down he knew Naruto was speaking the truth. Sasuke sighed and said, "All right fine; get me out of here and I'll help you."
Naruto smirked and said, "Good. Now give me a second and I'll get you out of there." It took Naruto a couple of minutes but he managed to dig out Sasuke.
"Finally," Sasuke said as he dusted himself off. "Well Dobe it's obvious you have a plan; so what is it?" he asked.
"The idea behind this test is simple if you think about it. Why do they put Genin on three man squads?" Naruto asked.
"So they can learn…teamwork…," Sasuke said as the answer suddenly dawned on him.
"Exactly; I just figured it out myself after I got butt poked. The only way we have a chance of getting the bells is if we all work together. You, me and Sakura; like you said I have a plan but it requires all three of us. Are you in?" Naruto said. Sasuke, knowing that Naruto was right and having no other choice nodded. "Good, here's the plan." Naruto then whispered the plan in Sasuke's ear.
Sasuke gave him a look and said, "That's never going to work."
"You don't know Kakashi-niisan like I do, trust me it's his only weakness," Naruto said with a smirk.
"All right, we'll do it your way. But if this screws up I'm blaming you," Sasuke said.
"Naturally," Naruto said and then he whistled for Inari to come out of the bushes. Sasuke gave him a look and Naruto smirked and said, "He's our secret weapon." Naruto then bent down and whispered something in Inari's ear.
Inari's eyes widened and he began to chuckle and said, "And they call me a sly fox. I'll be right back." He then dashed off at a speed that Sasuke didn't think was possible for anything other than a ninja.
Sasuke then turned to Naruto and said, "Did he just talk?"
"Crazy I know, but we got things to do," Naruto said as he created two Kage Bunshins. Once created on them henged into Sasuke and the two clones went off to hide in the bushes. "Now let's go get Sakura," the original Naruto said. Sasuke nodded and the two jumped off into the trees in search of Sakura.
But little did they know that Kakashi was watching them from a distance and that the Kakashi that went after Sakura was a Kage Bunshin. From his hiding place Kakashi thought to himself, "Well at least they figured out the reason behind the test. Now I wonder what little scheme Naruto's hatched up now; I guess I just have to wait and see."
It took them a few minutes for them to find Sakura, but when they did they found her knocked out cold due to genjutsu. Both of them shook their heads at their teammate. Sasuke undid the genjutsu on her only for her to glomp him once she was conscious.
After managing to get Sakura off him, Sasuke said, "The Dobe and I figured out the purpose of this test. The whole thing is about us coming together and acting like a team. The Dobe's come up with a plan that he assures me is full proof." Sasuke then shot Naruto a look saying this is your one chance do screw it up.
"Ok this is the plan," Naruto said and he whispered it to Sakura.
Sakura then smacked him on the head and said, "That's the stupidest plan I've ever heard. I bet Sasuke-kun's got a plan a zillion times better than yours."
"Actually I don't have a plan; so were going with the Dobe's. Hell its crazy enough to work," Sasuke said with a shrug.
Naruto was rubbing his head and said, "Let's just get this over with." The other two nodded and team 7 bounded off to face Kakashi.
Kakashi was currently battling it out with "Naruto" and "Sasuke". "I'll give Naruto some credit, he must have studied Sasuke's fighting style very well, because his clone is almost perfectly mimicking Sasuke's moves even down to that Katon Jutsu," Kakashi thought to himself.
Then suddenly the real Sasuke and Naruto jumped out of the trees and each of them grabbed on to one of Kakashi's arms while the clones latched onto his legs, preventing him from moving. "Get the bells now Sakura!" the two cried out.
Sakura then jumped out of the bushed and dived for the bells only for Kakashi to poof into nothingness. But before Sakura could figure out what had happened she felt the cold steel of a kunai to her neck. She then glanced with her eyes to see Kakashi behind her with a kunai to her neck.
"Give up now or I kill Sakura," Kakashi said in a serious voice.
Naruto whistled sharply and out of the bushes came Inari with a basket in his mouth filled with an assortment of books. And not just any books, this was Kakashi's entire collection of Ich Icha Paradise!
"Let Sakura go or Sasuke here reduces Ero-Sannin's books to ashes." He then paused and said, "Or perhaps a trade? Sakura for your books," Naruto said.
Now Kakashi was starting to panic on the inside, and while he was occupied he didn't notice Sakura taking the bells from his belt. "Ok then I'll release Sakura when Inari brings me the basket." Naruto nodded and Inari walked over to Kakashi and dropped the basket in front of him. Kakashi quickly let go of Sakura and grabbed his basket and hugged it. His three students rolled their eyes.
"Well I'm glad the tests over with," Naruto said.
"And why is that Naruto?" Kakashi asked as he stopped caressing his basket of porn novels.
"Well Kakashi-niisan, while you were worrying about your stupid porn Sakura grabbed the bells," Naruto said with a smile. Sakura then showed Kakashi the bells and she gave a victory sign with her left hand.
Kakashi's eye widened and then he nodded and said, "Ok so Sakura got the bells meaning she passed and you and Sasuke fail."
"Wrong Kakashi-sensei; it was because of a team effort that I got the bells. Sasuke and Naruto distracted you while I snatched them away. And since Naruto said this whole test was about showing we could work as a team, I'd say we passed with flying colors," Sakura said.
"Well then I guess you guys are now officially Genin. Congratulations you guys I'm proud of you," Kakashi said as he gave his team one of his eye smiles as well as a thumbs up.
"Awesome! We pass and no one ends up getting tied to the log!" Naruto said with a smile.
"Well…that's not exactly true," Kakashi said. "Well who ever decided to use Inari as a part of your plan gets tied to the log because Inari isn't officially registered as a Ninja Tool. So who's idea was it?" He asked.
Bothe Sakura and Sasuke pointed at Naruto and said in unison, "It was his idea."
"Wait...nooo…" was all he could say before Kakashi tied him to a tree.
Sakura smiled as she sat down and was about to eat one of the lunches but Kakashi stopped her and said, "Both you and Sasuke were quick to sell your teammate down the river, meaning both of you will be tied to the logs as well." Sakura and Sasuke were speechless as Kakashi smiled and proceeded to time them to the logs next to Naruto.
Kakashi smiled as he watched the team began to bicker about their current plight while Inari was helping himself to the lunches. He was worried at first that they weren't going to pass but somehow Naruto managed to bring them together. He had had high hopes for these three.
"All three of you were tied to the posts? I don't think that's ever happened before," said a voice from behind the posts.
Kakashi looked up from his students and saw his ex-teammate Kurosaki Rin walk up towards them. Rin was dressed in brown slacks, blue ninja heels, a black blouse and she had a violet jacket wrapped around her waist.
"You're right ever since the Nidaime used the test on his Genin Team only one was ever tied to log," Kakashi said.
"Rin-neechan what's he talking about?" Naruto asked.
Rin chuckled and said, "Believe it or not but you three had just experienced a tradition that dates back to the Nidaime. When the Nidaime trained the Sandaime he used this test to gauge their teamwork. The Nidaime passed it to the Sandaime, the Sandaime passed it onto Jiraiya-sama, Jiraiya-sama passed it onto Minato-sensei, and Minato-sensei passed it onto Kakashi-kun and myself."
"Sakura, Sasuke; allow me to introduce my ex-teammate from my Genin days, Kurosaki Rin. She's works at the hospital most of the time but I convinced her to assist me in teaching you guys." Kakashi said.
"Sweet; so what do we do now Kakashi-niisan?" Naruto asked.
"Well tomorrow we meet at 7:00 in front of the Hokage Mansion for our first mission, but until then you have the day off to do whatever is you wish," Kakashi said. He then cut his Genin team loose and the three walked off back in the direction of the village.
Rin chuckled and looked at Kakashi and said, "We're really like that back then?"
Kakashi was silent and said, "Yeah…there were some differences but the similarities are there. I just hope they don't follow in our footsteps." He then looked over to the memorial stone with a melancholy look. "Obito would have been a better sensei," he said.
Rin frowned. Obito's death had stained them all. They each found their own way to cope and in time it had seemed that they had gotten over their teammate's death, but his death left scars that even time could not erase. She sighed and said, "Kakashi, I know for a fact that if he was here right now Obito would think you would be an excellent sensei. Besides you got me to help you."
Kakashi nodded and said, "I know." He then walked off to the stone to reflect over his fallen comrade.
Rin sighed and said, "I'm making broccoli beef tonight so don't be late for dinner." Kakashi didn't respond but Rin knew he had heard her. She then disappeared with a swirl of leaves.
After a stuffing lunch at Ichiraku's Naruto was wondering around aimlessly trying to figure what to do. His garden didn't need tending, fishing in the middle of the day wasn't fun because they didn't bite much and he didn't feel like training. But as he walking he felt as if someone was following him. He then glanced behind him and saw a cardboard box.
Naruto shrugged and sighed. "Come on out Konohamaru," he said. Then out from under the box appeared Sarutobi Konohamaru, son of Sarutobi Ryoji, nephew of Sarutobi Asuma and grandson of Sarutobi Hiruzen.
Konohamaru and Naruto went way back; they had first met when Konohamaru was three when Hiruzen took him in after Ryoji died on a mission. Konohamaru's mother, Mai, died when he was two due to a disease leaving the boy with only two family members: his uncle Asuma and his Grandpa. Since Asuma was not living in the village at the time of Ryoji's death, Hiruzen took the boy in. Though being Hokage took up most of his time, he still spent as much time as he could to be with Konohamaru. Konohamaru immediately latched on Naruto as an older brother and Naruto was happy to have a little brother because both Kimimaro and Tayuya treated him like a baby.
"Congratulations on passing your test Boss! Let's play Ninja!" Konohamaru said.
Naruto sighed and said, "Sorry Konohamaru not today, I'm really sore from my exercise with Kakashi-niisan." He then saw Konohamaru begin to pout. "How about the next free day I get I'll help you with your training? I better I can teach you more than Ebisu," Naruto said.
Konohamaru's eyes widened and he smiled and said, "Awesome Boss. See you later!" He then ran off to do who knows what.
Naruto smiled as he watched Konohamaru run off, he then decided to fix his sore muscles with a nice relaxing dip in one of Konoha's famous onsens. As he walked he passed his house and as he passed the Hyuga compound he noticed a pretty lady in a Jonin vest walk out of the Hyuga compound. Naruto shrugged and continued on his way to the onsen.
Said pretty lady was in fact none other than recently promoted Jonin and captain of Team 8, Yuhi Kurenai. She had just met with Hiashi about Hinata's training and needless to say she was surprised to see how quickly he wrote of his daughter in favor of her younger sister Hanabi.
The truth was, Kurenai wasn't that surprised. She barely knew Hinata, but she immediately knew that the girl was probably the sweetest and kindest girl she had ever met. She had worked with several Hyugas over the years and most of them were cold and detached, but Hinata was different. She was soft spoken, didn't look down on others, she stuttered a bit and had some confidence issues but she was sure she could iron them out in time.
As Kurenai was pondering over how un-Hyuga Hinata was, she found herself standing in front one of the place she thought she would never step foot in: The Fox's Den.
The Den, as most people called it, was compared to the other bars in Konoha the least crowded, because of the owners: The Nami-Uzu. Most people were scared of them, save for some of the older battle hardened veterans or those who didn't see Naruto as the Kyuubi.
Kurenai knew that her best friend Anko and her secret boy friend Asuma frequently visited the bar because of the alcohol they served. And while they both had tried to get her to go with them, she refused each time. The reason: she had a personal issue with Namikaze-Uzumaki Kyushina.
Long ago Uzumaki Kushina had been Kurenai's Jonin sensei. Kushina was her idol, and she wanted to be just like her. She embodied everything a strong Kunoichi should be: strong, independent, confident and so on. But Kushina had betrayed her by marrying Kurenai's crush: Namikaze Minato.
Kurenai opened the door to the bar and walked inside. Once she closed the door it took a couple of seconds for her eyes to adjust to the dimly lit bar. The bar was empty and she walked over to the bar and sat down on one of the stools.
The bartender a man about Asuma's height had sandy brown hair tied in a pony tail, and was dressed in a white shirt and black slacks. He walked up to her and said, "What can I get you Kurenai-san?"
Her eyes widened and said, "How do you my name?"
The bar tender chuckled and said, "Asuma and Anko talk about you a lot, and you match the description they gave me. Though I am surprised that you're here; they said you refused to come here."
Kurenai chuckled and said, "Well I here ani't I?"
The bartender chuckled and pulled out a glass and a bottle of Vodka. "Well then since this is your first time here, this one's on the house," he then poured her a shot. He then asked, "You don't strike me as someone who wants to get drunk at noon. So Kurenai-san what can I do for you?"
"I'm a here to see Kyushina," she said.
"Kyushina-dono is a very busy woman," he said.
"Don't worry Geki, I've been expecting her," said a voice from across the room. Kurenai turned and saw Kyushina sanding in the doorway leading down to her office with a small smirk on her face. Kyushina raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you coming or not Kurenai-chan?" She then turned around went down the stairs to her office.
Kurenai got up from her stool and said, "Thanks for the drink Geki-san." Geki nodded and Kurenai followed Kyushina down to the office. As she walked Kurenai took notice of the many fox statues and paintings around the bar and on the walls and on the sides of the stairs.
Kurenai walked into Kyushina's office and sat down in one of the chairs across from the Kyushina. "So you've been expecting me?" she asked.
Kyushina chuckled as she lit up another one of her Kusa cigars. After taking a drag and blowing out the smoke she said, "Straight to business eh? You haven't changed a bit Kurenai-chan." She waited for a response but didn't get one. "Well then down to business then, you're probably wondering why Hiashi told you to come to concerning Hinata-chan's training correct?" she asked. She saw Kurenai nod and so she said, "The answer is actually quite simple. You see a few years back Hiashi and I arranged a marriage between my Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan. It's a good match, they're actually quite cute together; especially since Hinata-chan has a crush on Naruto-kun but he's too dense to see it. He's much like his father; blind to the most obvious things in front of him."
"So what's this got to do with me?" Kurenai asked.
"Originally Kakashi was going to be her sensei but I persuaded Sarutobi to put her on your team," she said. She paused and said, "The reason is simple. You're the only one I trust to teach Hinata-chan to stand on her own two feet. If she was paired with Naruto he would become a crutch that she would relay too much on. I taught you everything I knew on how to be a successful and strong Kunoichi and until the time is ready for me to personally over see her training both Hiashi and I are entrusting her training to you. I know you'll make me proud."
Kurenai nodded and said, "All right then. I'll do my best to live up to your expectations." She then stood up from her chair and left the office.
As Kurenai left, Kyushina sighed and said, "She still hasn't let it go…"
"Let what go?" Ryoko asked as she entered the room.
"Back when I was Kushina, I took on a Genin team and Kurenai was my star pupil. She was an orphan and she looked up to me as a big sister figure. She thinks I betrayed her by settling down and having a family, especially with Minato. She had a school girl crush on him, and it seems that a part of her still resents me for it," She said.
"I see," Ryoko said. "Oh that reminds me…this just came in from Jaeger," She then pulled a video cassette out of her kimono and handed it to Kyushina.
She took the cassette and placed it into her personal VCR, she grabbed the clicker from her desk and turned on her and pressed play. Suddenly an image Jaeger appeared. It showed him in a laboratory with his Genin Team and some of research team.
"We've done a thorough investigation of the facility and the surrounding area and unfortunately we have zero evidence to determine if it was indeed Orochimaru or someone else. But whoever it was they were good…they hid their scent perfectly. The whole facility smells of fox, we factored in the possibility of an inside job but all the researchers are present and accounted for. I've interviewed each of them and none of them sold us out. Overall we have nothing to go on. Since my team worked hard and there was barely any complaining on Tayuya's part, I'm taking the next couple of days off for them to enjoy the lake and resorts. We'll be back soon. Jaeger out," the video cut out and then Kyushina turned off the TV.
"He's gotten so handsome over the years, he reminds me of his father," Ryoko said as she remembered her late husband/mate.
Kyushina nodded at her mother's statement, her mother always had a soft spot for her younger brother. Their father had died fighting the legendary Rikudō Sennin in the final battle of the Human Yokai war over 250 years ago. Jaeger had been conceived the night before the battle meaning he never got to meet their father. Since Kyushina had taken over the Empire after the war she and Kurama didn't have much time to spend on a little brother so for the most part Ryoko raised him.
"Unfortunately his choice in women needs some work," Kyushina said with a chuckle.
Ryoko raised an eyebrow and said, "If I remember correctly you arranged the marriage between Jaeger and Izayoi-chan. Or perhaps you're referring to Tsunade-chan."
"You know that Jaeger slept with Tsunade?" Kyushina asked.
"I've known for a few years. I actually met Tsunade-chan in one of our private owned restaurants. We chit chatted about this and that but mostly about her grandfather and granduncle, and her time with Sannin. It's sad to see such a nice girl like her roam around with nothing to live for. I personally think they would be good for each other. And to be honest there's something about her I can't quite put my finger on. But oh well. I'm heading back home." She said and then got up and left Kyushina back to her paperwork.
About forty-five minutes later there was a knock on her office door and she said, "Come in." The door opened up and in walked the Inuzuka Matriarch, Inuzuka Tsume. Kyushina smirked and said, "So Tsume-chan what can I do for you?"
Tsume smirked and said, "Actually I was hoping you could take care of something for me. Kuromaru and I were returning home from a mission earlier and we came across this…" she then took a scroll out of her vest and undid it. Then with a quick hand sign there was a poof and lying on Kyushina's desk was an injured and battered little fox. Though unlike the normal red foxes and grey foxes that were indigenes to Hi no Kuni, this fox was white with some dark blue streaks in it indicating it was an Arctic Fox, most likely from Yuki no Kuni.
Kyushina was shocked to see how beat up the fox was and said, "Thank you for bringing her to me, she needs treatment right away."
"I was going to let Hana treat her, but I figured since this would be right up your ally, I decided to bring her straight to you," Tsume said.
Kyushina nodded and said with a smirk, "I owe you one Tsume-chan…I'll see you tonight at the usual time." She then winked suggestively at Tsume.
"See you then," Tsume replied and then got up from her chair and left the office.
With her guest gone, Kyushina turned her attention back to the young fox. She then made a couple of quick hand signs and her hands glowed red, she placed them above the fox and slowly but surely the foxes injuries were healed.
Kyushina watched with a smile and the Fox's eyes slowly opened. She then said, Are you all aright young one?
The young fox sluggishly tried to figure out where she was. She then heard the human in front of her speak in the native tongue of the Foxes. But as her bearings slowly came to her she realized the "human" in front of her wasn't at all that human. Sure she smelled human but her scent was mixed in with that of a fox. Then her eyes opened as it dawned on her who this human was. She quickly lowered her head and said, Thank…you…my Empress for saving...me.
Kyushina smiled and patted the young fox on the head and scratched her behind her ears, in which the fox purred in response. What is your name? she asked.
My name is Yuki…Kyuubi-dono, the fox said.
Well then Yuki-chan, could you please tell me why an arctic fox like yourself is doing so far away from Yuki no Kuni?, Kyushina asked. Kyushina the listened to Yuki's story of how her family was killed by poachers and she was taken to be sold to some exotic pet owner in Suna. But in a bizarre turn of events, the poachers were killed by bandits and she escaped…barely.
Yuki eyes began to tear up as she remembered how her family had been killed, I…miss…them so much she cried.
Kyushina's picked up Yuki and then began to pet her in an effort to comfort the young fox. She was the Matriarch of the entire Fox populace, whether they are normal foxes, Nin foxes like Inari, or Kitsune yokai.
Yuki cried for a few minutes and Kyushina let her mourn before she said, Your parents are now with Inari-sama, Yuki-chan. They will always be watching them, so you must make them proud. Yuki nodded and the Kyushina added with a smile, Everything will be all right. Kyushina then began to ponder what to do with Yuki, then after a minute or so an idea came to her.
She put Yuki down on the desk and said, Yuki-chan, I need you to do a favor for me.
Anything….Kyuubi-dono, Yuki replied.
Kyushina smiled and picked up a picture frame off her desk and showed it too Yuki. It was of course a picture of Naruto and Hinata from when they were five. As you might or might not know, the boy in this picture is my son and heir Naruto. The girl next to him is his fiancée Hyuga Hinata. I need you to "look after" her for me. I want you to spend time with her and report to me on her well being every now and then.
Yuki knew what she was being asked to be this girl's pet so she reluctantly nodded and said, Of course.
Kyushina saw the look and reluctance in the young fox's eye. She then gave a comforting smile and said, Don't worry Hinata is a very kind and gentle person. She will take excellent care of you, and believe me she will treat you very well. She enjoys giving Naruto's pet fox Inari, a nice warm bath and a good brushing. Yuki nodded in response and then with a smile Kyushina said, Now that's all settled, let's go see Hinata-chan Kyushina then picked up Yuki and then left the Fox's Den in the direction of the Hyuuga Compound.
(****************)
Long ago, long before the Age of Yokai, during the Age of Myths, Lake Serizawa was supposedly home to a giant leviathan. Much later it was the base of operations of the former Head of Solider Enhancement of the Kitsune Army Dr. Oyama Kenji. But after a very unethical experiment his underground facility in Mt. Serizawa, which over looked Lake Serizawa, was shut down. Very soon afterword the Lake became a very popular tourist destination, due to the lake, and multiple hot springs. The city of Toho, was home to many luxury hotels, restaurants, clubs and casinos. The majority of them were owned by nobles/business men of the Kitsune Empire.
Team Jaeger had arrived several days earlier to investigate the theft at the research facility. After days of investigation they had found nothing to link Orochimaru to the theft. Jaeger decided to reward his team by giving them the day off. Ken and Kimimaro had spent the day at the beach just hanging out, while Tayuya on the other hand spent most of the day shopping much to the shock of the rest of her team. Jaeger, on the other hand spent most of the day wandering around aimlessly trying to pass the time.
The sun was setting and currently Jaeger was nursing a glass of whiskey on the veranda of the penthouse of Lord Anno, the owner of the resort his team was staying at and in Jaeger's opinion one of Kyushina's better vassals. Simply because unlike many of the other vassals around the Empire wasn't a complete tool.
Anno had invited him to a party earlier that day, and by nature of who he was he had to accept. So there he was dressed in his standard black suit and gray shirt enjoying the sunset. The majority of the party guests were inside enjoying some cocktails and conversation before dinner would be served. Jaeger wasn't a huge fan of idle chit chat that most of the nobles of the Empire indulged but he had to indulge in it a bit before he excused himself to get some air.
So for the last ten minutes or so he had been enjoying the sunset, sipping his drink and silently musing about the investigation. But his musings were cut short when the screen door to the veranda opened and closed and someone approached him from behind.
"I guess what everyone says is true, you're not the social type," said a strong feminine voice.
Jaeger who had been taking a sip on his drink, when he heard this began to choke a bit when he recognized said female voice. He slowly turned around and gazed at the woman who was standing across from him.
Dressed in a gray cocktail dress that must have been costumed tailored to account for her legendary bust, and with her hay colored sleeked back was the legendary Sannin Senju Tsunade. She had a little bit of a smirk as she asked, "Surprised to see me?"
Jaeger nodded and said, "Yeah kind of." He watched as Tsunade walked up and leaned against the verandas rail and gaze out upon the lake. "What's it been like five years or so?"he asked.
Tsunade chuckled and said, "Something like that."
Jaeger noticed that she was wearing the ring he had given her the last time they had meet. "So you're wearing the ring I see," he said as he a took a sip of his drink.
"Yep," she replied as he she looked at the ring that was on her left ring finger. "You know this ring saved me from quite a few debt collectors," she added. "But while it has saved me from a few hairy situations, it has also put me into some…let's say….awkward conversations."
"Let me guess, people are asking you when's the wedding?" he asked. Tsunade shot him one of those how do you know looks. He chuckled and then said, "A couple of months after our first "encounter" my sister and I began getting congratulations letters from Ane-chan's various vassals. We both figured that you must have started using the ring as a life line."
Tsunade nodded and said, "I see." She then paused for a few moments and asked, "So…what are we going to do?"
Jaeger set his drink on the rail and said, "The way I see it is, we have three options. Option 1 is we carry on saying were having a LONG engagement and we both do our separate things, option 2 is us actually getting married."
"And what about option three?" she asked.
Jaeger smiled and said with a chuckle, "Option three is that we put off the decision until the next time we meet."
Tsunade laughed for a minute or so before she said, "Well she doesn't say it, but Shizune does miss Konoha." She then looked off in the distance as bad memories came rushing forward.
"Listen Tsunade, when it comes to love…were both damaged goods. You'll always have Dan, and I'll always have Izayoi," he then paused and said, "But ever since I moved to Konoha and took in Kimimaro, I realized having a family is wonderful, even if half of them aren't actually blood related too you."
Tsunade kept off looking into the distance and asked, "So what would happen if we actually got married?"
"Well several things could happen actually. We could get married, I could turn you into a Kitsune, and we could have kits and live happily for a long time. Or we could get married and you could die in about 30 years or so," he said with a shrug.
But before Tsunade could give a response the glass slider opened up and out stepped Lady Anno who said, "Jaeger-sama, Tsunade-sama, dinner is about to be served."
Jaeger nodded and said, "Ah thank you Moka-san, we'll be right in." He then turned to Tsunade and said, "Let's finish the conversation after dinner." He then he stuck his arm and asked, "Shall we?"
Tsunade smiled and took his arm and said, "Yes lets." Then the two walked into the penthouse and headed off to the dining room.
(*************)
The other members of Team Jaeger were currently walking down the streets of Toho, enjoying the city atmosphere and nightlife.
"Well this has certainly been an interesting few days," Ken said as the trio walked along the boardwalk.
"More like a mother fucking waste of time," Tayuya grumbled.
"True….but at least we got today off." Ken said.
Tayuya shrugged and then looked over to Kimimaro who seemed to be in deep thought. "What's the hell up with you Boner? You've been more quiet than usual. " she asked.
Kimimaro glanced over at his teammates and said, "I was just going over our mission, seeing if there was something we missed."
Tayuya rolled her eyes and said, "How come I'm not surprised, you're fucking tool."
But before Kimimaro could say anything, the trio heard a voice say, "Kimimaro-kun!" The three turned around to see a woman who looked to be in late twenties who happened to be accompanied by a small pig wearing a necklace and a vest run up to them.
Kimimaro looked at her trying to figure out who the woman was before it dawned on him. "Shizune-san, it's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you too Kimimaro-kun," she said. "Who are your friends?" she asked.
"These are my teammates Tayuya and Ken," he said.
"Here on a mission I take it then," she said.
"Yeah, we helped Jaeger-sensei investigate a break in at…OWW!" Ken cried as Tayuya bopped him on the head.
"Our mission is a secret dipshit or did you forget shit for brains!" Tayuya said as he smacked Ken again.
"Oh so you were a part of the investigation at the research facility." Shizune asked.
"Yeah….wait a second, how the fuck would you know about that?" Tayuya asked.
"It's a long story really, but let's just say since Tsunade-sama met Jaeger-san, we've been mingling in some pretty exclusive social circles," Shizune said.
"Speaking of Tsunade-sama, where is she?" Kimimaro asked.
"She's at a dinner party at Anno-sama's penthouse," she said.
"Isn't that the same party that Jaeger-sensei was going too tonight?" Ken asked.
"Indeed it's the same party," Kimimaro said.
Shizune nodded and said, "That's good. Those two have a LOT to discus." She then looked at her watch and noticed it was getting late. "Well it was nice meeting you Tayuya-chan, Ken-kun. And it was good seeing you again Kimimaro-kun." She and her pet pig turned around and headed off.
"So how do you know her?" Ken asked.
"I met her when Otou-san brought me to Konoha. We met her on the way there. That's about it," he said.
"Oh well who cares. Let's go bother Jaeger-jisan," Tayuya said.
"Fo sho," Ken said. But after he said that both Kimimaro and Tayuya gave him a look. "What?"
"Never say that again," Both Kimimaro and Tayuya said in unison.
"Ok," Ken said.
"Now that's settled let's go bug Jaeger-jisan," Tayuya said with a smirk. The two boys nodded and they dashed off in the direction of the Hotel they were staying at.
While his team was looking for him, Jaeger and Tsunade after an exquisite dinner prepared by some of the finest chef's in the Hi no Kuni, had elected to leave the party a bit early and now were currently walking along the resort's private beach.
"So I take it you're here investigating the break in," Tsunade said as she took of her sandals and went to dab her feet in the water.
"Yeah; so I take it you've been in the area for a while if you know about that," He said.
"Yeah, Shizune and I have been guests of the Anno's for about a month now." She said. She then turned back and saw Jaeger looking off into the direction of Mt. Serizawa. "I'm surprised you came," she said.
Looking back from the mountain, he asked, "Why?"
"They say you and this place have a history," she said.
Jaeger snorted and bent down a picked a stone from the ground and then skimmed it across the surface of the lake. "This place, while most people come here to escape and enjoy themselves, but for me, this places brings back bad memories," he said. "A long time ago, after Akuma's betrayal I was pretty….well let's just say I didn't make many wise choices. One of the choices I made was to volunteer myself as a test subject for the late Dr. Oyama and his highly radical super solider program. Back then and for the most part today; all the former yokai empires have a set maximum of soldiers. Ane-chan came up with the idea of increasing the quality of our soldiers instead of the quantity, thus the Solider Enhancement division was created. Dr. Oyama promised me power to avenge Izayoi and to take my revenge. So I agreed and a week or so later I was lying in a tank filled with water in the middle of a giant room sized seal, while Oyama and his team pumped me full of chemicals. I can still remember what he said to me as his assistants began the jutsu, "Become the animal….embrace the other side"."
"So what happened next?" she asked.
"Pain, lots and lots of pain. As they pumped me full of chemicals they activated the seal which began the transformation but then something went terribly wrong…or terribly right. Half way through the procedure the drugs they pumped me full of kicked in and awaked my more…primal nature. In what I call a "Blood Fury" I slaughtered the entire research team. I then busted out of the lab and killed everyone in my path until I found Akuma. We fought and I was winning, but since I was little more than a mindless killing machine, Akuma tricked me and got away. But right afterward Ane-chan and Kurama showed up and sealed away the Blood Fury inside me and I reverted to normal. Afterward I was about as depressed as you can get. I had failed to avenge the woman I vowed to protect for eternity and in the process of getting revenge I became a monster and killed a bunch on innocent lives," he said.
"I'm sorry," was all that she could say.
Jaeger shook his head and said, "Don't worry, what's done is done. I might have failed once but I vowed to never let I happen again. Besides I have a nephew, a Genin team and more importantly a son to protect. So I have to move on." He paused for a moment and smiled, "And if we're going to get married I think it's only fair if you some of my more dark and "personal" secrets."
Tsunade smiled like a sly fox and walked up to Jaeger rather suggestively and asked, "Would you like to know any "personal" secrets about me?"
Jaeger smiled and asked, "Well I've been dying to ask you this: are you wearing any underwear underneath that dress?"
Tsunade smirked and leaned in and whispered in Jaeger's ear, "No."
Jaeger then smiled as he wrapped his arms around her and said, "Just the answer I was hoping for." He then leaned in and pressed his lips against hers in a soft kiss.
Tsunade responded by wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back. She opened her mouth slightly letting his tongue explore her mouth.
Jaeger's hand began wander to the back of her dress and began to undue her zipper but stopped when he heard someone cry out, "SENSEI'S GOING TO TAP THAT ASS FO SHO!"
"GOD FUCKING DAMN IT KEN! WHAT THE FUCK DID I SAY ABOUT SAYING FO SHO! YOU STUPID PIECE OF SHIT! GUESS WHAT DUMB SHIT, THEY KNOW WHERE HERE! GOD DAMN IT, YOUR AS ABOUT AS DESCREATE AS A MOTHER FUCKING BULL IN A MOTHER FUCKING CHINA STORE! " cried an angry female voice.
The two broke apart and Jaeger covered his face with his palm. He then grumbled, "Genin teams, the number one cock block." Turning to the bushes he said, "Common out guys."
Tsunade and Jaeger watched as Kimimaro, Tayuya and Ken popped out from behind a bush. Jaeger sighed and said, "Tsunade meet my Genin team. My son Kimimaro, my niece Tayuya and last but certainly not least Akagi Ken. Guys, this is the famous Senju Tsunade, Med Nin extraordinaire and member of the Sanin."
The trio waved and said their hellos and then Tsunade asked, "You wouldn't happen to be Akagi Jichiro's kid would you?"
"You know my Otou-san?" Ken asked.
"Kid I was your Dad's sempai when he decided to become a Med Nin," she said. "Though you sure as hell don't act like him."
Ken smiled and said, "I get that a lot actually."
Tsunade smirked and said, "I bet you do."
"Well it's getting late you guys, and we have a long trip ahead of us…so let's all head back to the resort and get some rest," Jaeger said.
"Fine," the trio of Genin said in unison and then five of them headed back to resort.
It didn't take too long for the five to get back to resort and take the elevator up to the floor where their rooms were on. Jaeger watched as his Genin went to their own rooms and he walked Tsunade to her room.
The two stopped outside the room and Jaeger said, "I apologize for the kids ruining everything."
Tsunade laughed and said, "It's no problem, it's probably for the best that they stopped us when they did."
"Yeah……" was all that he could say. Then after a minute or so of silence he said, "Come back to Konoha with us."
Tsunade raised her eyebrow and asked, "And why should I?"
"Because…uh….the village needs a ninja of your caliber and the hospital could use some actual leadership. Ken's Old Man tries his best but he needs help," he said.
Tsunade looked a bit disappointed and said, "Konoha's medical level has managed to survive without me for a while. I can imagine they can continue it without me." She then turned and opened the door and was about to walk in but Jaeger grabbed her arm.
Jaeger then spoke very softly and said, "I need you."
Tsunade smiled and kissed Jaeger on the lips and said, "I'll think about it." She then closed the door and went to bed. Jaeger than shook his head and smiled. He then headed to his own room and went to bed.
The next day came faster than expected and Jaeger and his team got up had some breakfast, thanked Lord and Lady Anno for their excellent hospitality, they hit the road back to Konoha. They had been traveling for about less than about ten minutes and Jaeger had a distant and melancholy humor about him.
"What's wrong sensei?" Ken asked.
"Nothing Ken," Jaeger said.
The four continued on their way and when the four reached the crossroads to Konoha, when they heard someone cry out, "What took you so long?"
Jaeger looked over to the tea house that was stationed at the crossroads and was stunned to see Tsunade and Shizune sitting at one of the outside benches, with their suit cases enjoying a cup of tea.
Tsunade stood up from the bench and grabbed her suitcase and said, "Shizune and I have been here for about an hour now."
Jaeger smiled and said, "Is that so; well than we better get going."
Tsunade nodded and said, "Yeah."
"Umm Tsunade-sama are we going to where I think we're going?" Shizune asked.
Tsunade smiled and said, "That's right Shizune; we're going home."
"Hey Tayuya do think we'll get a bonus for bringing back a way ward Sannin?" Ken asked.
"If we don't I'm going to give Kyushina-basan hell for the next few years," Tayuya said with a snort.
Kimimaro walked over to Tsunade and asked, "Forgive me if I'm bringing presumptuous Tsunade-sama, but are you and Otou-san going to get married?"
This comment caused Tayuya and Ken to what they were talking about and focus on Tsunade and Jaeger. But in truth everyone gazed at her waiting for her answer to his question.
Tsunade chucked and said, "That's right Kimimaro, I'm going to marry your Dad, so I'm going be your Okaa-san from here on out." She then bent down and gave him a hug, one that was returned by Kimimaro.
"Well Tayuya it looks like you've got a new aunt," Ken said.
"It seems so," Tayuya replied.
"Well then now that's settled let's head home," Jaeger said as he wrapped his arm around Tsunade's waist.
"Yeah, it's time to go home," Tsunade said as she wrapped her arms around Jaeger's waist and the two headed off in the direction of Konoha with Kimimaro, Shizune and Ken following them.
Tayuya shook her head and said, "Oh gag me that was just way too much mushy mushy shit." She then brought up the rear and the five humans, the pig and the Kitsune Yokai made their way back to the Konoha.
(*************)
The group arrived in Konoha a couple of days later, and Tsunade was welcomed back to the village that her Grandfather founded with open arms, after all she was the closest thing Konoha had to a Princess. The rest of the Namikaze-Uzumaki welcomed her with open arms as well. She had already met Ryoko and the two got along perfectly. Naruto also got a kick out of her, especially when she taught Naruto to play poker. Tsunade got a kick out of him, when she found out that Naruto was the luckiest card player she ever known. Immediately several get rich schemes came to mind, and she eagerly awaited the chance to take him to a casino. Though while she got along well with the majority of the Nami-Uzu clan, her relationship with Kyushina was a bit cold and rough side.
As the days went by after Tsunade's return, things returned back to normal for the most part. Tsunade spent most of her time at the hospital training the doctors in new techniques she had learned during her travels. Shizune assisted her for the most part, and also began teaching an Intro to Med Nin Jutsus at the Academy. Team Jaeger returned to their missions and training, Kurama continued his seeing patients and Ryoko continued to write her anthology on Konoha.
Naruto on the other hand began a strict schedule of Team training sessions as well as the bane of every Ninja's existence: D ranked missions. Naruto was tolerant of them for the first few weeks but eventually he voiced his opinion that they should start doing C ranked missions at every opportunity. But alas Kakashi never asked that should be assigned one, until now.
It was a sunny day and Team 7 had just returned Tora the cat to the Daimyo's wife. Not only did she nearly squash the cat to death, she pinched Naruto's cheek and said he had grown up so much since she had last seen him.
"Well Team 7, we have several missions available to you. You can deliver supplies to a village near here, you can help construct the new stadium that is being built or you can help take care of the deer belonging to the Nara clan. SO what will it be?" Sarutobi asked from behind his desk in the mission assignment room.
"Common Jii-san give us a C rank mission please," Naruto begged. "I'm tired of all these god forsaken D Ranked missions ." he added.
Sarutobi shook his head and sighed. He should have figured that Naruto would have begged him for a C ranked mission. "Naruto you know I can't give your team a C Ranked mission until your Sensei approves that your team is ready for one."
"Common Kakashi-niisan! We've gotten a whole lot better over the last few weeks! Our teamwork is good, and all of us have improved a lot! I promise if you do this for us, I'll make sure that Ero-Sannin will give you his next Icha Icha book before its released to the public." Naruto pleaded.
Sasuke and Sakura both shook their heads at Naruto's pleas and outburst. But deep down them both agreed that Naruto was right. It was high time that they were assigned a C ranked mission. Both of them wanted to see how stronger they had gotten over the weeks they had been training with Kakashi. Sasuke wanted to see how close he was to obtaining his Sharingan, and Sakura wanted to prove to Sasuke that she wasn't a burden.
Kakashi being the person he was, and he was never one to pass up the opportunity to get his hands on the newest releases of Jiraiya's gold mine of a book series. "Well Hokage-sama, I do agree that they have improved a lot. I do happen to think it's high time that these three were given a C ranked mission."
Sarutobi sighed again and said, "Fine then. It just so happens that we just received a new C ranked mission just before you got here." He then turned to the Chunin guards and said, "Bring in the client." The Chunin nodded and walked into an adjoining room, and a few seconds later the two escorted an old man with a sake bottle in right hand staggered into room. "Team 7; meet your client. This is Tazunna the bridge builder," Sarutobi said with a smile as he motioned to the old man who had just entered the room.
(*************)
Well folks here's the most anticipated sequel to my hit story Deal with the Devil. Now while I gave a short description of what had happened at the beginning of the chapter, for those of you who are like "What the fuck is going on? Why are Kimimaro and Tayuya on the good side and all that shit" I would go and read said prequel Deal with the Devi. It will answer all your questions.
Now to my fans, sorry about the wait for this story to get published. I had some massive writers block, I played too much Word of Warcraft (FOR THE HORDE BITCHES!) and had to do work for my classes. So don't be surprised if you don't get another chapter until like August or so.
Anyway, next chapter will entail the ENTIRE Wave arc, though it will be modified so it will go with the over story I have planned for this Narutoverse. So until next time, Ja Ne.
PS. Don't forget to review, they please me in a way now woman can lolz.