Chapter 3
Karin Uzumaki was dumbfounded and speechless upon exiting the shuttle as Naruto called it, the ride was smooth and unless you looked out at a window you would hardly believe you were in the air. Top it off the trip was fast upon entering the shuttle, lifting off, and landing at their destination it took only 10 minutes. Their destination was a buzz of activity, people in armor, robes, armored robes, or dark grey uniforms scurried about with a frenzied purpose. It left her awed; her clan mate did what Orochimaru did only with respect rather than instilling fear. These people weren't loyal to her clan mate because they were afraid no these people followed him because they believed in him and his cause. They were treated with respect and got it returned in spades.
Commander Peirce approached her clan mate and saluted, she found this huge man, was he clan mate's go to guy in addressing troops, while Lieutenant Malavai was his right hand in addressing everything else. "My Lord, the temporary command bunker, is ready holographic projector is up and running, and our spies in every village have reported in. Lady Jaesa and Vette have also reported in, they were successful in contacting the intended targets and eagerly await your arrival tomorrow."
"What of Lord Imperious and Ashara?" Naruto asked as he, Sasuke, and Karin moved through the chaos toward this command bunker.
"Ashara made contact with the Land of Spring Feudal Lady as instructed and she dropped your lordship's name. Needless to say Lady Koyuki was ecstatic to hear from you and readily agree to re-sign her trade agreements with the Hidden Leaf, as well as sign one for the Sith Empire here on this planet. She said it was least she could do for her countries hero and her number one fan. Lord Imperious has made contact with the Feudal lord in Wave and the same thing occurred, Imperious also like to inform you that they named the bridge after you."
Naruto stopped turning to the huge man a smile lighting his face, "Really, wow, that's just awesome," he chuckled throwing his arms behind his head for a second. Sasuke grunted seeing a glimmer of the old hyperactive knucklehead he use to know and feeling a sliver of jealously at the fact the dobe had a bridge named after him. After a few minutes basking in that knowledge Naruto fell back into step toward the bunker. "Any information from the Hidden Sound bases?"
Pierce produced a datapad and handing it to his lord, "This is what's been complied so far, I expect more by this evening. Also emissaries have been sent to the Hidden Stone, Cloud, Waterfall, and Mist regarding the Jinchuuriki and the Akatsuki. The only Biju at point currently that is off the radar is the three tailed, the 4th Mizukage was killed three years ago and it's speculated the Biju will reform in a few months."
Naruto was scanning the datapad listening to Pierce's report, ever sense being introduced the two had hit it off, granted Pierce's loyalty was strained at first but that slowly dissolved. He tapped the datapad's translator making sure what he was reading wasn't a missed translation. "Is what I'm reading true about one Orochimaru's experiments?"
"Uh, yes my lord, everything is accurate right down to the DNA," Pierce stated wincing at his lord's narrowing eyes. "What are you thinking my lord?"
"I want Darth Imperious to accompany me tomorrow and have him bring Khem with him, when we confront that old bastard I want Khem to rip that arm off and feed it to the warhawk," Naruto growled eyes flashing red and yellow. After a few calming breaths he handed the datapad to Sasuke, "might want to read this and I think there was more to the Uchiha Massacre then was let on."
The Uchiha looked down at the digital display, what he saw made his blood boil and his Sharingan activate. "Danzo and Orochimaru surgically grafted using Hashirama's DNA Sharingan on Danzo's arm and left eye," growling in outrage and horror at what was done to his clan and to Lady Tsunade's grandfather.
"If I known then what I know now, Orochimaru would have suffered a lot more for his part," Naruto snarled looking at the listed names of the Sharingan wielders. One in particular made the blonde jinchuuriki rage. "He used my godmother's, your mother's eye, for that abomination," more rage bubbled up in the blonde sith so much so he spun around extending his hands and let loose a torrent of Sith Lightning into a tree shocking both Karin and Sasuke, causing them both to step away, Naruto's eyes turning yellow, after a minute the torrent dropped leaving the blonde sith gasping for air. "Sorry, went Dark Lord of the Sith for a moment."
"There's a difference?" Karin asked.
"Yeah, sith can be categorized in two ways, Orochimaru level bad and the way I am regularly. The Sith empire as a whole are filled with people that make Orochimaru look like a saint. While others are pretty much Shinobi like and there is no clear definition between the two accept abilities. Jedi are more the monks and samurai of the universe, they believe in peace and diplomacy, while Sith believe in war and absolute rule, peace through oppression," Naruto explained as they finally reached the bunker stepping through the doorway into a relatively decent size room with a huge spinning lit sphere at the center.
"Uh, you not going to follow that are you?" Karin asked timidly.
"No I'm not like that, I'd be hypocritical if I did so, I helped liberate Spring Country and Wave from oppression I'm not going to put them back in simply because I'm part of a group that does. I've earned more than my share of favors to get what I want and my goal in life is to be Hokage," Naruto stated.
"Then what's all this?" Sasuke asked gesturing to the bunker and outside.
"Sith Empire wants a listening post set up here, I stated as long as it doesn't interfere with day to day life for everyone living here I gladly set it up. I got the approval and came home; this place is the main base of operations until the listening post is finished. The listening post itself is being constructed in orbit," the blonde sith touch the glowing sphere which dissolved into several dagger like things floating with what appeared to be a circular object located in the middle of these daggers. "The post is also going to be a refueling station and transit hub; this will also kind of cause our planet to jump 500 years technology wise."
"If I wasn't seeing it I wouldn't believe it and think you really lost it Naruto," Sasuke whispered.
Snickering for a moment going back to the projector tapping a few buttons the projector changed to a huge man wearing cloak much like Naruto only his seemed cast an even bigger shadow over his face minus the metallic mask. "L-Lord Malgus, this is an unexpected surprise, do what do I owe the honor?" Naruto bowed to the shadowy figure Sasuke could practically feel the fear pouring off his blonde companion.
"How goes the construction?" Malgus asked his voice garbled from the speakers on his mask.
"Proceeding on schedule should be finished by the end of the week, my lord," Naruto stated keeping his voice level.
"Impressive Lord Wrath, I'll inform the Dark Council and the Emperor himself at how quickly you've established things on your home planet. I imagine both will be pleased," Malgus responded.
"You do me great honor my lord," Naruto watched as the screen flickered and returned to the floating sphere. "Nothing like having the Supreme Commander of the Sith army make personal calls."
"Not someone you want to piss off I take it?" Karin asked adjusting her glasses.
"Think of him as an evil version of my dad, and you kind of begin to understand how scary he is. Jedi have a fleet on sight decree on him for a reason, only one jedi fought him and came out of it alive and she was made the order's Grandmaster," Naruto rubbed his shoulder. "Another reason I wanted to come home, I was getting way to close to high tier people in the empire and the things I did becoming way to noticeable."
"Hn, Shikamaru got it right things are troublesome," Sasuke sighed.
XXX (Hidden Rain Village) XXX
Deep under the walls of the hidden village resided the Akatsuki, standing in a circle the nine members dressed in black cloaks decorated with red clouds stared at each other. "Itachi what have our spies reported, have they located the nine tails jinchuuriki yet?" asked a red haired man with purple rippled eyes.
"No, Naruto Uzumaki is still elusive, however our spies have discovered that Orochimaru and Kabuto along with the Hidden sound have been decimated," Itachi had taken particular care in this information considering his brother had been with Orochimaru at the time. "The spy couldn't get too close but from what he saw a massive force of men and women dressed in armor the likes none have seen attacked all the bases simultaneously as if they knew where the bases were and could coordinate over large distances. Not much else can be determined as the spy was almost discovered."
Pein frowned heavily wondering who this new group were, "Anything else?"
"Yes, their technology is by far more advance than the Land of Spring, flying vehicles without balloons, heavily armored ground vehicles, and strange tube like weapons carried by the troops. Also a group of the troops wear robes and appear only to carry these metal cylinders on their waist for what purpose I can scarcely guess at," Itachi finished his report.
"I find this troubling," Pein glanced at his constant companion. "is there anyway to be granted an audience with the leader of this group."
"Thinking about using this army to track down the jinchuuriki?" Kisame asked.
"No, however I would like to know their intentions, I want you and Itachi to locate their main base and possibly speak to their leader," Pein ordered.
Both Itachi and Kisame bowed before leaving the others also followed leaving only Pein and Konan alone. "It's deeply concerning about this new force, the spies only now finding out about this and only after Orochimaru was dead. It makes me wonder if this was intentional."
"It was intentional, made to be a warning and a challenge, very Uzumaki like," Nagato whispered aloud.
"I thought you and the jinchuuriki were the only ones left?" Konan asked.
"There is no telling how many are left," Nagato stood pursing his lips. "Originally the plan was to extract the Biju and discard the bodies, the way our benefactor had planned worries me even more."
"You think he'll go after your Rinnegan?" Konan asked looking nervous.
"Yes, he doesn't seem to have our best interests at heart, I've avoided staring at his eye after the last time and I notice my mind began to clear suggestion I once thought probable I now am appalled at. The original plan was sound, why change it. Extract the Biju and force the five shinobi to fight on equal footing, I would have restored the jinchuuriki to health using the Rinnegan and sent them home," Nagato frowned. "Get word to Master Jiraiya I think it's time to seek his council and to let him know we are a live."
Konan's eye twitched, "if he ogles me I reserve the right to castrate him."
XXX (Hokage Tower) XXX
Tsunade rubbed her temples after listening to what her surrogate son had gotten himself into the last three years made her worry even more for him. But she was also happy to know he had been showing remarkable leadership skills. She glanced at Shizune sitting back in her chair, "What do I do Shizune, I have to label him something?"
"Well considering he disappeared after the failed retrieval mission and you kept it quiet and vague to the council, you could simply state he went into hiding to keep the Akatsuki off his back while he trained to get stronger," Shizune stated.
"The problem is force that will accompany him, Shizune he's leading an army bigger than all five shinobi nations. If he had a mean bone in his body he could easily wipe this village off the map. The Shinobi and Civilian councils well the majority anyway wanted me to list him as rogue the moment we lost his trail," the busty hokage groaned. He was family in every since of the word, her cousin on her grandmother's side, he was her surrogate child, the one thing in her world that made things worth living and he had been missing for three years with no word anywhere to his location alive or dead. She feared the Akatsuki had gotten him only to find they were looking for him as well halting their own plans until he was found.
"I know Lady Tsunade, but are you going to do?" Shizune asked.
"First I'm going to get drunk, then when he shows up tomorrow I'm going to hug him, bash his head in, heal him, bash it again, heal him, then hug him some more," the blonde hokage grabbed her saki.
"I understand my lady," Shizune giggled slightly. "What about the councils?"
"I'll let the brat deal with them, something tells me he got a lot of dirt on them and I'd hate for him not to get that shovel out and bury them with it," Tsunade smirked.
Author's Note: No rants just thanking everybody for the praises and to restate that the first chapter is indeed a challenge fic. If you want to make your own version please feel free to PM me for it.