Hey readers! Here is the next chapter for Naruto, Nephew to Whirlpool's Red Demon!
I've added two paragraphs in the first chapter's author's notes, clarifying (at least I hope I did) the direction this story will be taking.
Disclaimer: see authors notes in chapter one for that.
Chapter 4: This wicked world of ours
Konoha, Uzumaki compound, late morning, three years and a little over two months after the Kyuubi's attack.
Akane was standing in the middle of the training field that was located behind her home. She was wearing her casual outfit, except the sleeves were tied back with a white band of cloth, and she was slightly out of breath and was sweating profusely, her right hand resting on the tip of Jan's hilt, the four and a half feet red blade being stuck tip first in the dirt.
Around her were Cao and his pandarean kin, all of them in training outfits similar to Akane own except they were light green in color, all breathing heavily and each in different stage of exhaustion; The master carpenter himself was sitting cross-legged on the ground, hunched forward, his right paw resting on his large, straight two handed and double hedged sword that was resting across his lap. His oldest younger brother, Zhao Weng*, seven feet tall, who had a long, thick and straight neck beard and kept his hair in a tight bun tied with a cloth on the back of his head, was likewise out of breath but like Akane was standing on his own two feet, and he had a firm grasp on a large Guandao with a bluish blade. Zhao Ying, the family's little sister who had an athletic built and waist length hair tied with a white ribbon at the tip, was leaning forward, hands on her knees while breathing heavily, her staff planted firmly in the ground. Meng and Mao were both lying their back against the ground, their respective weapons, axe and kanas, lying on the ground.
"Eh, and other training fight bites the dust," Jan said, "Like, literally; looks like we rearranged the landscape more than usual."
Indeed, the training field's ground was all torn up. There were numerous craters, holes and scars from weapons strikes all over.
"Yeah," Akane said, wiping off the sweat on her forehead, "Training's done for today, guys!" she said, picking up the earthen jar attached to her weapon's belt, uncorking it, and taking a large swig. The pandareans nodded, and started walking towards the mansion, Guan and Ying helping Meng and Mao up to their feet.
"Aren't you youngsters glad I am here," Ushio said with her rough voice, a lit smoking pipe in her mouth as she walked past the pandareans and towards Akane, "just think all the fun you'd had making all this level again by yourself."
"Once again, we're thankful, Ushio-san." Akane said, bowing.
"Humpf," Ushio said, letting a puff of smoke out, "It's the least I can do; after all I'm not paying for the logging nor the food, for me or Karin. Besides, it gives me a chance to use my skills once in a while. Still," Ushio took in all the destruction, "your blade was right, there's more than usual."
"I guess." Akane said, putting Jan back into his sheath. "Let's just say I was working out some frustrations. See you at dinner."
Leaving Ushio to work her magic with her Earth Release upon the training field, Akane followed the pandareans and walked up the short earthen ramp that climbed up to a path leading to the back of her home. On the way, a dozen pandarean cub, Cao's and Meng's offsprings and all of them wearing differently colored outfits, passed her by, each of them holding a hand made kite.
As soon as she walked up the stairs and stepped on the wraparound porch, her blonde ball of energy of a nephew slammed into her leg.
"Aka-nee-chan!" Little Naruto said, looking up at his haunt with a toothy grin. At three years and two months, Naruto reached past her mid-tight. Following him in a much more composed manner were Honoka, now 17, and Toshiro, who was limping after his little sister. The three of them were wearing traditional styled formal outfits, black with red trims, emblazoned with a red Uzumaki crest on the back and front.
Akane ruffled her nephew's hair, "Hey there, Naruto." she said, "I see you're all ready to go."
Naruto nodded, "Yes, ready to go and see Hina-chan!" He said enthusiastically.
Naruto was referring to Hanako's daughter. She and her mother had been the only non-Uzumaki to attend Naruto's birthday two months ago. Now that it was the girl's own birthday, it was only right that they reciprocate, and Akane didn't feel forced one bit: The Hyuuga clan in general might be a little stuck up, they had been the first clan to openly admit that Naruto and the Kyuubi were two different entities, and that the boy himself didn't pose a threat to the village. The fact that they had lost only a few of their members during the fox's attack helped.
"That's good!" Akane smiled, then she turned to the other two, "You three can go ahead, I'm just going to take a quick shower and change."
Twenty-five minutes later, Hyuuga compound
The members of the Hyuuga clan were gathered in their compound's main courtyard. While some in the village felt it wasn't proper for the Hyuugas, being one of Konoha's most preeminent clans, to not attend the treaty proceedings, the Hyuuga were currently celebrating, in their own down-to-earth way, a much more personal, and therefore infinitely more important, event: The third birthday of the grand-daughter of the current Hyuuga clan's Head, which marked the girl has the heiress-apparent of the clan. The girl's name was Hinata, and she was the daughter of Hanako and Hiashi, next in line of succession to head the Clan.
One of the branch member of the clan who had been on guard duty approached Hiashi and his father, and whispered something to them. Hiashi, after looking at his father who simply shrugged, nodded. The branch member then walked away, only to return moments later, followed by the small Uzumaki group, led by Akane, who was wearing an Haori and Hakama in similar colors as the others. She was holding a very large, beige cloth bag that was tied at the top with a large, purple ribbon. Honoka was holding Naruto's hand.
Once the Uzumakis stopped in front of the assembled Hyuuga, Akane set down the bag on the ground.
"We come to bring our congratulations and this gift to your daughter, Hiashi-san." Akane said.
Hiashi nodded, then looked at the package, "What's inside the bag?" He asked.
"It's a gift, Hiashi." Akane said, "The idea is that Hinata finds out what is inside after she opens it. What, worried I'd give her something weird."
The fact of the matter is, there was no way Hiashi could say 'no'. So he didn't, and instead activated his Bkakugan, veins appearing around his eyes, and looked at the bag.
"Okay, that it, I'm never giving you a gift." Akane thought.
Once he saw what was inside, Hiashi relaxed, and de-activated his Byakugan. "I accept the gift for my daughter." He said, "You can open it, Hinata."
Hinata stepped forward, her small hand pulling on the ribbon, unwrapping it easily. As if fell away, so did the bag, revealing a very large stuffed panda, more than twice as big as she was. Hinata touched the plushy's arm.
"So soft." She murmured.
"Indeed it is." Akane said, "Since you liked hanging around Liu when you came around our place, I thought about this. Had it custom made too, so it should last forever." She gave a thumbs up.
"Thank you." Hinata said, bowing slightly.
The Uzumakis stayed for a short while, after which they left the Hyuuga compound, Hinata and her mother seeing them off. As they walked away, having finished waving back, Naruto looked up at Akane.
"Granny Ushio said there would be a big festival tonight." He piped up, "Are we going?"
Akane looked down at her nephew, "Unfortunately, no. I'm tired form my training earlier, and we have some things to do tonight. There some other stuff, too."
"Buuuuuu." Naruto whined.
"Now, now, don't make that face." Akane said, stopping walking and crouching down. "Tell you what, I promise you we'll go to the next one for sure."
"You promise?"
Akane nodded, "Yes. And you know I never go back on a promise; That's my ninja way. But in exchange, you must promise me to stay in the house tonight."
"Hmmmm, okay!" Naruto said, then he raised up a fisted hand, with only his little finger sticking out. "Pinky swear!" He said.
Akane smiled, "Sure" She said, hooking Naruto's little finger with her own. After she counted down from four, they sang the pinky swear song. Then, Akane noticed Shinn walking up to them.
"Yo." The pony tailed man said.
Akane rose up, "Hey," She said, "Are they almost here?"
"Yup." Shinn nodded, "A little over fifteen minutes away."
"Well then," She said to Toshiro, Honoka and Naruto, "I'm going to go check out the procession for a little while. Say, why don't you guys head over to Ichiraku's for some ramen?"
While Naruto raised his hand in the air with a "Yay!", Toshiro sweat dropped, "You're not planning on stirring up a hornet nest, are you?"
"Me? " Akane said, raising her visible eyebrow, "Of course not!" She waved off, "After all, I'm a member of this village's honorable elder's council… even if the rest of the council recommended, not unwisely, that I should abstain from being present at the treaty signing. That, and I purged most of my pissed-offness with the training just earlier. I just want to get a good view of Kumo's head smuck's mug. Maybe raise his blood pressure a little, too, while I'm at it."
Twenty minutes later, along the path leading from Konoha's gates.
The head ninja of Kumogakure, along with a few escorts, had entered the village two minutes earlier, and they were now making their way towards the Hokage Tower along the village's main street, the sides of which were packed full with cheering ninja and civilian alike.
The Head Ninja, the top of his head bandaged and his headband covering his right eye, waved at the greeting crowd, a pleased smirk on his face. For a second, however, he felt something that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand out: Not exactly killing intent, more like… well, the only way he could describe it was like being under the gaze of a predator who's debating whether he should eat you now or later.
The man glanced slightly with his exposed eye in the direction this feeling was coming form. There, in the back! The red haired woman next to the shifty eyed guy and who was smiling like a damn tiger!
"Akaoni!" He thought.
He blinked only once, but that was enough for both the woman and the man, and the feeling, to disappeared. All of it happened in the time it took to lift one foot, bring it forward, and down again.
"Tsk." He thought. "Guess the reports were true, that looked like the woman who killed the Third. Going to have to watch my back tonight."
Moments later, some distance away, on the roof of Shinn's Ink and Paper Emporium,
"So," Akane said, "What do you think?"
Shinn, who had sat down on a patio chair with his hand behind his head, looked up for a moment before answering, "Weeeeeell, he certainly looks and feel like a confident, self-serving guy who'd do anything for promotion. Then again, any decently informed ninja could tell you the same." He shrugged, "It's not like I've had months to prepare files and research this guy. What I can say with relative certainty is that you're most likely right and he would wait until the treaty has been signed to do anything. Probably tonight when most of the village is asleep and there the risk of unexpected witnesses is reduced as much as possible."
Akane nodded, "You going to go back at the compound tonight?"
"Me? Hell no!" He shook his head repeatedly, "I'm bunkering down in the shop's basement until all possible danger has passed!"
"Why did I even ask?" Akane sighed. "See you around, then, got a general lockdown 'party' to attend to."
The next day, around noon, Konoha council chambers.
As it turned out, Kumo's head ninja did have an ulterior motive to be in Konoha, but it had nothing to do with Naruto: his target had been Hinata and her Byakugan, of all things.
The nightly kidnap attempt had been foiled, and Hinata rescued, by Hiashi, who had struck the would be kidnaper dead, not knowing his identity. Two days ago it would not have mattered, but now things were different; Kumo was threatening to not only break up the treaty, but to go as far as to immediately declare war on Konoha if justice was not dealt as per the treaty agreement. That meant that the killer, in this case Hiashi, had to lose his own life, never mind the fact he was saving his daughter when he committed the act.
No one was duped for a second, they all knew that restitution was secondary for Kumo, and that what they really wanted was the Byakugan, for Hiashi's bloodline was not sealed with the caged bird seal of the Hyuuga branch family, and could possibly still be extracted after his death.
What pissed off Akane as she sat amongst the other elders was that the majority of the people in the room seriously considered offering Hiashi up to maintain peace was a good deal. Including, it seemed, the Third. They just had a vote, and it had been in majority for Hiahsi's death in exchange for continued peace. Akane had been one of three who had voted against.
"I know you want to protect the village, old man, but holy hell, you've grown soft!" She sheeted inwardly.
The Third stood up, "So it comes to this." He said, "I will go to the Hyuuga clan's compound myself, and inform them of the council's decision."
Before leaving earlier, Hiashi had said he would comply with the will of the village, whatever it may be. Now, just like that, is looked like one of he two greatest clans of Konoha would lose it's heir, a woman would loose her husband, and a just tuned three year old girl would lose her father.
"God damn I hate politics." Akane muttered. She looked over the room to one of the councilors that had voted no: Bloody mother-fucking Danzo! She didn't really appreciate the warhawk, but it looked like they were of like mind on this one; better to fight than bend over to god damned Kumo!
As it would turn out, Hiashi would not lose his life, even thought he was indeed ready to do so. His brother, Hizashi, took his place. Since he was a branch family member, his Byakugan had been sealed upon his death. Kumo never said anything openly about it, of course, having officially recognized that Konoha had offered suitable compensation, but you could tell by the way the relation stayed tense that they hadn't liked to be made fools of.
The Hyuuga clan still had their heir, Hanako her husband, and Hinata her father. Instead, Hiashi lost his brother, Hizashi's wife lost her husband, and his son, Neji, lost his father. It was a bittersweet trade for everyone involved. Almost everyone in the village believed that Hizashi had been coerced in taking his brother's place. That belief would create an enduring rift between the Hyuuga's main family and branch family, one that would take years to heal.
End of chapter 4
*An internet cookie to whoever gives me the correct answer on who this guy is based on.
So, another chapter done. Hope you liked it, readers! If you did, do not forget to leave a review!
Until next time, ciao!
-Stan.