Chapter 2: Negotiation
Never before has Jiraiya felt so tense. After spending quite a while in the dungeons, watched over by other masked men similar to King Hassan and tall, armored women bearing purple skin and wielding deadly blades, the latter women forcefully dragged them to the throne room. Before they knew it, the convoy was dragged in front of the Emperor of Alvarez himself, Zeref Emiya: a stoic-faced young man with light skin, black hair, and black eyes. He wore a red coat over his sleeveless armor. Standing beside him was the warrior angel Avacyn.
At that point, they had no other choice but to kneel before him, albeit some of them reluctantly. Zeref's aura was enough to bathe them all with killing intent. Jiraiya was secretly wondering whether or not the Emperor was single, Sasuke was eyeing Avacyn lustfully, and began imagining how well the CRA would go if the angel was put in it, and Sakura was already imagining herself and her beloved Uchiha running Alvarez, not that it would even happen.
"Easterners..." Zeref started. "I am aware of the reason why you've come here, but first, would any of you like to say anything about what got you in the dungeons in the first place?"
"Um..." the Toad Sage started. "Yes, about the attempted assault char-"
"HE DESERVED IT!" Sakura quickly got up and screamed at the Emperor. "THAT PEASANT HAD NO RIGHT TO DISRESPECT ME AND MY VOICE!"
Instantly, Zeref shot up from his throne, the wave of killing intent intensifying so much even the typically stoic angel beside him was on edge.
"Try my patience, Sakura Haruno." the Emperor snarled with hate. "The envoy you are part of came here for some alliance between Alvarez and the Fire Country, not provoke a war. Would you like a demonstration of what a mere fraction of my army is capable of?"
"Sakura! Stand down NOW!" Jiraiya ordered. With a huff, Sakura went back to a knee as Jiraiya made his statement. "With regard to the incident, we sincerely apologize for that. It is not in my village's best intentions to provoke you, Your Majesty."
"Hmph. Perhaps I could let it go for now." Zeref went back to his throne. "So, about this treaty you have for us. Explain."
"Yes!" one of the officials got up and presented a scroll. "I think you'll find these offers quite lovely..."
"I doubt it." Jiraiya mumbled to himself, awaiting his possible demise.
Avacyn took the scroll and began to read it (I know it's Japanese, pretend everyone knows it).
"To the Emperor of Alvarez,
In exchange for an alliance with your great empire, we are wiling to offer you the following proposals:
Establishment of an embassy between our nations, Open trade to our merchants, Ability to contact Konoha shinobi from genin to jounin rank, Provision of C to A Rank Jutsus, Access to Konoha-exclusive bloodlines,
Complete access to the Empire's military, economic resources, and technological advancements, Oath to aid Fire Country and Konoha in any war, and, if possible...marriage to a citizen of Konoha or Fire Country to the Emperor."
Avacyn rolled up the scroll and turned to Zeref, who had an eyebrow raised. "Those are the terms written in this treaty, courtesy of the Fire Daimyo."
The official stood up, smiling. "Well, how do you like our terms, Your Majesty? Perhaps the look on your face shows that you're accepting?"
Zeref turned back to the envoy.
"Yes, I accept..." he started.
'I thought he was difficult to please?' Shikamaru thought. 'Unless...'
Then, the Emperor's eyes turned from a bored look to a sinister gaze.
"I accept that your treaty is a piece of shit." Zeref stood up once more, raging red aura enveloping his body. "Are you trying to say that I should liquidate all my resources to your country for your own interests?! And in exchange we get NOTHING?!"
"B-B-But, you get access to what we have: Jutsus, the finest shinobi, perhaps a woman with you on your bed-" Before the official can say anything, Zeref cut him off.
"A woman that will try to manipulate me so your country could do as you please with my Empire? Pathetic wretch, who in the hell do you think you are to offer me such ridiculous terms?"
"Your Imperial Majesty, just to get something out of the way,-" Jiraiya quickly stood up despite the Watchers' presence. "-I didn't write any of the terms there, let alone agree with any of them."
"Is that so, Jiraiya of the Sannin? Well then, it could be possible for me to form an alliance with your land, under the condition that you prove Konoha's worth as the 'strongest' hidden ninja village, or so you call yourselves. In fact, I hear you are hosting a fighting tournament to appease your already tense relations with the other nations."
"We have nothing to prove!" Sasuke stood up arrogantly. "You will accept this treaty and that is not negotiable!"
That's when the last Uchiha found himself face to face with the Emperor, whose gaze burned through his skull.
"In these lands are battle hardened warriors that have stared down the mightiest and most wicked of enemies, be they humans or supernatural." Zeref started. "Gilgamesh, Archimonde, Deathwing, the Akatsuki. Those are only a few of the enemies we have stared down and beaten. Do not provoke me to add your land on that list. Now,-"
Zeref turned his gaze to the entire convoy.
"-will you accept my suggestion or will you stick to these wretched terms and never live to see the sun again?"
"Y...Yes, we will accept your suggestion, Your Majesty." Jiraiya managed to speak after dealing with such great killing intent emanating from Zeref. 'This guy wiped out the Akatsuki?! Kami, I don't want to fight this guy.'
For the second time in a row, Zeref went back to his throne. "Good." he spoke. "I will be sending champions to the tournament on the day itself. If any of your shinobi win and prove your strength, I will consider the possibility of an alliance. Now, the Watchers will escort you lot to the first ship out of my Empire and back to your homes. And tell your Daimyo that the next time he presents me with treaties like this, tell him to think both ways."
On cue, Avacyn, showing signs of her old "Purifier" self, threw the scroll down at the official's feet. Before he could take a leak on his trousers, the official grabbed the scroll quickly as the envoy was escorted by the Watchers.
Later...
The Mercurius Gardens have always been full of life since the palace was created in the aftermath of the war. The rarest trees and flowers grew all over the place, which can be observed down the cobblestone path that snakes around the place.
Zeref was taking a walk down the path, as was Avacyn.
"So...any reason why you asked me about that specific name?" Avacyn asked the Emperor.
"I've told this to a lot of people, Avacyn." Zeref began. "But, never to you...I was once one of them: shinobi of Konoha, and my birth name is not Zeref Emiya, it's Naruto Uzumaki, the latter name I left behind when they cast me out for doing my job. And Hinata Hyuuga is the name of a girl I am very fond of. She was one of the few who spoke in my defense before my banishment."
"Why...didn't you say anything? You know you can trust me, right?"
"I'll just explain briefly." Zeref found a bench to sit on, Avacyn right beside him. He then continued.
"Like you after your 'Purifier' phase, I got scorn for something out of my control. In my case, inside me was the Nine Tailed Fox, a Tailed Beast that attacked Konoha because of the manipulations of a former student of my father's. With the truth hidden away, many thought I was the fox in human form, so the scorn began. In a way, Avacyn, your life was the antithesis of my ideal life back then. I wanted to be acknowledged as a hero, starting from the ground up despite my mistreatment. You had all of Innistrad's faith in your hands when Lord Sorin created you, then that spell came to be, ruining everything you've worked for."
Avacyn lowered her gaze. "So we're both scorned by the people of our old homes. The church that was made in my name now spits on it since the 'Purifier Incident', as everyone has put it."
"Your father knows you don't deserve such hate, Avacyn." Zeref told her, a hand finding her armored one. "You did your job well. If those people are too blind to see that you are not the perfect being then they're just as vile as majority of the Konoha envoy."
The angel turned to face her Emperor. "Through those hardships, here we are now."
Zeref's face warped into a smiling one. "I know."
He then captured her lips with his. The kiss between emperor and angel grew more heated and passionate.
Oh, how the Lord of Innistrad will try and kill Zeref for thinking he can date his daughter.
Konoha...
"So, how goes the mission, Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked from her desk.
"Not good." the Toad Sage explained. "The Emperor will only consider the alliance if we win the fighting tournament we're holding. Felt like more of a monarchy there with one guy holding power over a large country."
"What are our chances of winning, then?" the Slug Sage asked.
"Also not good. The Emperor, Zeref Emiya, was the one who wiped out the Akatsuki years ago. And so far, those who serve him aren't pushovers, especially those Hassan guys when we ended up in the dungeons."
"WHY?!" Tsunade roared.
Jiraiya sighed. "Long story short, Sakura tried to punch some armored guy when he remarked how loud she was, then when we got that audience with the Emperor, she and Sasuke really pushed his buttons."
"Those goddamn brats..." she muttered to herself. "-When will the Emperor's champions show up?"
"On the day of the tournament itself."
Meanwhile...
"What do you mean our terms were not accepted?!" the Fire Daimyo was having a meeting of his own with his officials and the civilian council in the meeting room.
"The winged woman with him read our terms and never accepted, simple as that. He wanted to see if we are worth allying with at the upcoming fighting tournament in Konoha." One of the officials explained.
"This is unacceptable!" Koharu shouted. "Does he not see the benefits the alliance?"
"He should've accepted the treaty and maybe married my daughter. Only fools would not want her in bed." Mebuki Haruno scoffed, immediately forgetting about Sakura being in the CRA.
"Isn't she part of the CRA?" a fat councilman wondered. "No matter, that foolish Emperor does not see the power of the Will of Fire. He should've relinquished his power to Sasuke if he's incapable of sharing what he has."
"If that is the case, then we must prepare." Danzo pointed out. "The tournament draws near and we must secure that alliance for Konoha. Make sure our competitors are trained properly and be prepared for anything the Empire's representatives may be able to do."
"Danzo makes a good point. "the Daimyo agreed. "Winning this tournament will be beneficial for all of us...here. The other daimyos and kages will see soon enough that we are not to be trifled with."
The civilian council agreed, quickly whipping up daydreams on what they can do with the Empire's resources, while Danzo has some plans of his own.
Mercurius, the next day...
Zeref found himself in the throne room first thing in the morning. While pondering on what to do with the Konoha tournament and the unsanctioned attacks of Admiral Proudmoore, the throne room doors opened to reveal a woman wearing black and purple robes and holding a magical staff. Much of her face was hidden by the hood of her robes.
"My lord, news from Lady Jaina Proudmoore from Theramore." she bowed her head slightly as Zeref turned his gaze to her.
"Speak, Medea." he replied.
"Admiral Daelin Proudmoore, again, has refused to stand down from his attacks on Durotar. Lady Jaina has already informed Warchief Thrall about it." Medea explained. "Shall we deploy forces to assist?"
"Tell Achilles and Atalanta to aid Thrall and that they have my permission to slay Admiral Proudmoore. Also go to Ryudo Temple and ask Sasaki if he wants to join up."
"It shall be done. Shall I also tell them to leave Jaina's forces alone and focus on the Admiral's?" Medea asked.
"Yes, do that. They'll be Jaina's only family left on Theramore when the dust settles. Oh, and Medea..."
"Yes, my lord?" the black cloaked witch asked.
"I need you to inform some specific people about something..."
One week later...
The day of the tournament has finally arrived. Several convoys from the other four ninja villages reached Konoha in preparation. The one from Suna consisted of Temari, Kankuro, and a chunin named Shira. Among the participants were was Chojuro of Kiri. Tsunade noticed that Kumo's own jinchuuriki and the Raikage's brother, Killer Bee, wasn't participating, and so was the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, Kurotsuchi.
"So far, the only ones left is the Empire." Shizune told Tsunade, whom she is standing with at the gates of the village.
"I wonder if they'll even show up." Tsunade wondered. "Maybe they've lost interest."
The civilian council picked that moment to show up.
"Where are the Empire's representatives?!" Mebuki Haruno demanded.
"They're probably arriving a little later." Shizune told them. "Besides, they're from a completely different continent."
"Pssh..." the same fat councilman scoffed. "Maybe they're too scared of losing! They should've just accepted that treaty if they wanted to save their skins!"
"What was that I heard?" a woman's voice, laced with venom, was heard and so were footsteps. Immediately, the civilian council shook with fear.
"Please keep your composure, Altera." that was a man's voice.
"How about you both be quiet?" another woman snapped.
An bestial grunt was also heard.
Tsunade and Shizune turned to the gates to see some new arrivals.
The first was a copper skinned young woman with veil-like white hair, which was covered by an actual white veil, and red eyes. She wore a rather provocative outfit and strapped on her back was a strange sword whose blade shone green, red, and blue.
The second figure looked like a typical shinobi: His outfit's sleek design, scarf, mask, shin guards, forearm guards, and boots said it all. Tsunade could've sworn she noticed the man's eyes were green with a little gold. Strapped to his back was a red-handled sword that looked almost too perfect for battle.
The third was a rather short blonde woman. She sported pointy ears, glowing green eyes, and red lips. She wore a red and gold armored corset complete with a hood, crimson spiked shoulder guards, and knee high red boots. Strapped to her belt were too identical daggers with green blades that looked like they've tasted so much blood.
The fourth and last was the most peculiar one of them all. He was an incredibly tall, muscular man with fair skin, ridiculously long white hair, blood red eyes, and actual red horns like a bull. He wore a long red loincloth with a set of iron armor that didn't bother covering his bulky body besides his midriff, iron rings on his beefy (no pun intended) arms. Sheathed on his back were two round edged axes.
"Oh boy..." Shizune looked like she wanted to faint out of fear.
"They look strong." Tsunade murmured to herself as the four approached her. "Welcome to Konoha. I'm Tsunade Senju, the Fifth and current Hokage. Are you four from Alvarez?"
"Yes." the ninja in black replied. "My name is Ryu Hayabusa, and these are Altera, one of the Five Tiger Generals,"
The white haired woman gave a curt nod.
"-Asterios, another of the Five Tiger Generals,"
The horned man also nodded.
"-and Valeera Sanguinar, our Empire's spymaster."
The blonde smirked.
"So this is Konoha?" the woman known as Altera scoffed. "This trip better be worth it."
Asterios sighed. Leave it to Altera to be the most warlike of the generals, always expecting a good fight everywhere she went even though it won't always come.
"Is she always like this?" Shizune asked them.
"Can't blame her. She's been a warrior all her life." Valeera explained.
The civilian council wanted to spit some verbal retaliation at Altera for underestimating them, but the mere presence of a beast of a man like Asterios was too much for them to handle.
"Anyway, the tournament is about to start. I take it all four of you will be representing Alvarez?" Tsunade asked.
"Oh, no. Not me." Valeera told the Hokage. "Ryu, Asterios, and Altera will participate. I'm just going to watch and report back to the Emperor."
"I see." Tsunade sighed. "The tournament will start soon. Please, head over to the arena so that we may start early."
Nodding, Valeera motioned for her companions to go to the arena.