After the Fourth Shinobi War, all of the ninja villages had to deal with great losses. The number of deaths was disastruous. The economy went down instantly and each of the villages struggled to get back on their feet, some slower, other ones faster. And, of course, as it was expected, Konohagakure stood out between the five. Within six months from the war, the country was on its way to stability, with promising prospects for the bigger. Despite working together now, in peace, the differences that had always been there were still present.

Watching from a distance, in their slow pace to survival, the four countries' old resentments grew back in easily, fed by jealousy and greed. And they accumulated in time, coating alliances, and peace thoughts, and honour. And they mixed and rot.

Two years after the war, Konoha was blossoming, while most of the others were simply fine. Just good. Simply mediocre.

Rumors got to Konoha that there had been an unannounced meeting between the Tsuchikage and the Raikage. And, in the third year after the war, the two found some excuses to delay signing the renewal of their alliances.

Something was coming their way, Tsunade realized. And she was getting old and tired, too exhausted to be able to face it on her own. And, in the meantime, the one person she truly trusted to pass that job to was still missing. No sign from him in the past year.

She sighed and opened another drink. If only she could have a break...


Naruto knew he must keep really still while he waited. The newcomer seemed to have nothing of threat, by the chakra aura. But it startled him that the person was clearly coming that direction. He'd been there long enough to know that people avoided that route. Civilians even thought the place was cursed. Also - and he was sure it hadn't been just an impresion - it looked like the one coming had sensed his presence, too. From far away. But was not impressed at all by it. It made him curious. He took it as a challenge. So he did not move. Let his chakra and position be clear as day. And waited.

The newcomer appeared in the sight, covered in a long cloak, approaching him with slow movements, stopping at a convenient distance. The chakra was very familiar, but Naruto could not place it.


"Quite hot outside to get covered up like that," Naruto came in sight, jumping down from the tree he'd been watching that long. He was taller now, over 1,70 meters, and his hair was probably longer, because it was mostly caught at the back of his head. His jaw was more proeminent. His face had totally lost its roundness. He was visibly wider in shoulders, but the change was not exxagerate. His voice had something rough in it. But most of his face features were easily recognizable.

"You can never be too cautious," a voice replied, but he did not recognize it.

"I figured you have a good sensoring, too. So I want to know, do you recognize my chakra? I do recognize yours, but I can't remember who it belonged to," he said. "...same with your voice."

"You are Uzumaki Naruto. I can tell you I fought in the last war, so that's probably why you find my chakra familiar."

"You did not stop here for conversation, right?" he asked it frankly.

"I stopped here because it is my destination," she was just as sincere.

"These are ruins," he commented.

"These are ruins of the best sealers there ever were."

"So you are just confessing it straight that you are after the seals," his eyebrow raised questionably.

"You seem to make it clear that, unlike me, you didn't just get here. I don't want to fight you, so I might a well be honest. Actually, I'm not looking for fight at all."

"Then what are the seals you're looking for meant to do? Make rows of flying pigeons?"

"Something like that," she smiled under the cloak. "I'm looking after a seal the Uzumaki made hundreds of years ago. And I know they're all kept somewhere here - a place none managed to find yet. A place only an Uzumaki can trace and open."

"And how were you planning to 'trace and open' it?"

"With your help. Hiro said you might be still here."

"Hiro... sent you here?"

"Indeed."

"...and he said I will help you."

"No. He just said 'you might still be here'. I thought that maybe you'd help an old friend."

"It seems that, when I'm needed, I have a lot of friends. Which of my 'old friends' are you?"

"One you surely don't expect to see."

"I'm ready to pose surprised."


"There are some talks 'round here," the older of the men said, twirling the bottle in front of him, in a straight circle. His attention seemed to be caught completely by that activity, acting as if whatever he was saying was not much of a big deal, but the ones around him held their breath at each of his words. "They say that this one powerful clan is going under," he went on. The pub was empty except for him, other three around the table and the owner, eavesdropping from the bar, while pretending to clean some ashtrays.

"What kind of rumour is that, Nobu? Their forces are actually growing - these Hyuuga seem to love having lots of babies."

"A construction's bottom rarely gets destroyed. But its top does. And when it does, we call the whole building 'destroyed'," the one called Nobu replied wisely. Though there was nothing wise in his being. He was a skinny, small person, with nothing remarkable in body, except for the playful, twinkling eyes, the kind of eyes that express energy and security. The people like this one's eyes are shifty, their mouth moves energetically. They seem witty when it's in their interest to be so. We can say they are those which are very successful as politicians.

"What are you saying, Nobu?"one of the other three said, a very massive man, but rather submissive, in perfect contrast with Nobu.

"The Main Family of theirs is weakling badly, they say. The old man is soon to pass out and his successor is not right in the head any longer, they say," Nobu explained, taking out a pack of cigarettes. "Older child dead, younger child... just a child," he said slowly, lighting a cigarette. "Do you see where this is going?" He let out a white circle of smoke, which flew and enlarged until it dissipated.

"Why do we care?" another of the three argued, actually just getting angry of how the skinny men could get others' attention hitched so easily.

"We don't really. It's none of our business. We're not powerful enough to care. But I bet stronger people care. I bet they're thinking of how such a mass strength as the Branch Family are now in weak hands. Hands so weak it could be easily snitched away," Nobu smirked. More circles of smoke flew and faded out.

"Well, weak or not, that Branch Family is at the hands of the big guys, through a powerful seal of some sort," the angry man felt the need to contradict Nobu further.

"So it is, I think. But I just wonder... Does the Main Family have any precaution in case, you know... there goes the whole Main Family one day. Under whole control remains the Branch Family?" Nobu mused. "I bet they don't even cross their mind," Nobu threw his head back, laughing, truly amused by what seemed to be a moment's revelation. A vicious laugh, with no consideration for anything. "I bet they don't believe that is possible, with the Branch Family backing them and all... Ah," he puffed once more, "I am really curious what would happen with all that power - they're basically an army."

"Wouldn't the fall of the Hyuuga mean the fall of the Leaf, though," the one who did not spoke until then pointed out.

"We're just Chunnin in this place," Nobu raised his shoulders carelessly. "We're not powerful enough to care about this, either..."


A/N: I have this thing where I plan the story beforehand and I end up more eager to write the ending than to write the present chapter. The good part is the last chapters are written, so I'll surely do end this story.