Last Time:
"And don't think for a second that I'm employing your services because I need help," Urashiki countered, and he saw the way Menma's jaw tightened. "I thought employing you for this would make things end quickly so that I could go home and drink more liquor and fuck more women, but I guess I put too much faith in you. I'll give you another chance because I've seen your work, but if you fail again, then I promise you I'll drop your body off to your brother so that he can give you a proper burial. Do I make myself clear?"
Menma sucked his teeth.
"Don't fuck up again," Urashiki spat before another portal opened behind him. "So long, Menma." Urashiki jumped back through the portal, and it disappeared as soon as he was through.
Menma felt his ears get hot while his heart began pounding violently against his chest. He let out a roar of frustration and punched through a nearby tree trunk. He stood by as the tree fell and smacked against the ground.
Cradle: Chapter 10 –
It was early in the morning, well before daybreak, when Momoshiki and Kinshiki were called into Kaguya's chambers. When they arrived, they found her standing on the balcony just off the side of her bedroom where she stood at the railing with a glass of wine in hand. She didn't say anything when they first approached. She simply took a sip of her wine before gently placing the glass on top of the stone railing.
She let out a heavy sigh and waved her hand, dismissing the servant who stood by holding a bucket of ice that cradled the bottle of wine that Kaguya had been nursing. He bowed slightly towards her before respectfully bowing towards Momoshiki and KInshiki and making his exit.
"It seems Kurama is awake," Kaguya finally said. "Have we identified where he's been all this time?"
"Yes, ma'am," Momoshiki answered. "I hate to be the one to inform you of this, Lady Kaguya, but it appears that Kurama resides within a pair of brothers from the Uzumaki Clan."
"The Uzumaki Clan?" Kaguya repeated as she glanced over her shoulder. "That's not possible. Urashiki should've killed them all fifteen years ago. There shouldn't be an Uzumaki left."
"It appears to be that Urashiki missed these two," Momoshiki said. "Uzumaki Naruto and Uzumaki Menma, they're twins and – "
"Uzumaki Kushina's sons." Kaguya sucked her teeth. "That woman was hellbent on racking on my nerves so long as she was breathing, so I thought I had handled that when I had her clan exterminated. Even beyond the grave, that woman is a nuisance."
Momoshiki waited as Kaguya took another sip of her wine before turning to face them, "There's another issue."
"And what would that be aside from the fact that we have two Royal Blooded Uzumaki wandering around out there with my son's heart burrowed into their bellies?" Kaguya questioned.
Momoshiki pursed his lips together before finally letting out a heavy sigh, "It appears that Uzumaki Naruto is traveling alongside Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata, and Haruno Sakura. We spoke with Toneri briefly, and he remembers seeing Naruto with them, and says that his soldiers reported being attacked by a large fox while trying to pursue the Anomaly when they first took her from The Abyss."
"If it's not one thing, it's something else," Kaguya scoffed. She finished what was left of her wine before tossing the glass over the balcony. "And where is Urashiki now?"
"We're not sure," Momoshiki answered.
Kaguya rolled her eyes, "Of course you aren't. I'm sure Urashiki will rear his ugly head when he gets ready to. In the meantime, use Naruto and Menma's carelessness as an opportunity and track down and identify the other bastards who hold pieces of my son. And once they're identified, I want their heads and the pieces of my son back here as soon as you're able, do I make myself clear?"
"Of course, Queen Mother," Kinshiki answered. "We'll do our best to not disappoint you."
"See that you don't," Kaguya encouraged. "I'm not in a forgiving mood these days, and the amount of failures I'll tolerate with this is very few. Don't disappoint me, Momoshiki. Kinshiki."
"We wouldn't dream of it, Lady Kaguya," Momoshiki answered.
"You're dismissed." Kaguya waved her hand and watched as Momoshiki and Kinshiki bowed slightly before exiting her chambers. She let out a heavy sigh and leans against the railing before looking up at the sky. There were few stars left, but from what she could see, there were nine still lingering overhead, "Hagoromo, you'll be home soon."
"Still longing for that son of yours? I wish I could say it's heartbreaking when in reality, it's just pathetic."
Kaguya brought her gaze down from the stars and looked towards the double doors that led back into her bedroom. Just inside, lingering by her bar was Urashiki, and she watched as he shifted through the priceless bottles that occupied her bar before settling on one and yanking the cork out with his teeth. "I doubt that drink has been earned, Urashiki."
"It hasn't," Urashiki answered, and he drank anyway.
"Where is she?" Kaguya questioned.
Urashiki continued to drink until nearly half the bottle had been downed. When he finally pulled the bottle from his lips, he let out a satisfied noise and wiped any excess liquor from his lips before sauntering over to Kaguya's bed and plopping down on the edge of it, "They reached the mainland. The individual I employed to assist with their captured failed miserably, so things have become a bit more…complicated."
"Complicated is an understatement," Kaguya sneered as she walked off the balcony and back into her room. She made her way over to Urashiki and snatched the bottle from his hands, "Do you have any idea how serious this situation has become?"
"Lose the attitude, Kaguya," Urashiki suggested as he met Kaguya's glare with an unamused expression of his own. "Like I've told you time and time again, you should've killed the cunt when Toneri found her in the first place. Had you done your duty, upheld your responsibilities to this family like you swore to do, then we could all be resting easy right now."
"Why are you here?" Kaguya questioned.
Urashiki sighed, "I came for a drink. I'm going to need it seeing as my job has reached a level of complication I was hoping to avoid."
"And the individual you employed, who are they?" Kaguya made her way to her bar and resealed the bottle she'd taken from Urashiki.
"You're better off not knowing," Urashiki replied.
Kaguya lingered at the bar for a moment before glancing over towards Urashiki, "Urashiki."
"Yes?"
"You killed all of the Uzumaki like I asked, didn't you?" Kaguya questioned.
Urashiki eyed Kaguya for a moment before standing up, "I killed every last one that I saw that night, just as you asked."
"And the ones you didn't see?" Kaguya turned to face him and saw the unamused expression had transitioned into one of annoyance.
"What are you asking me?" Urashiki's voice was harsh as he moved towards Kaguya and stopped just a few inches from her face.
"It seems like you missed two," Kaguya replied, and she noticed the way Urashiki's eyebrow twitched. "Uzumaki Menma and Uzumaki Naruto. Seems a series of fortunate events brought the two brothers back together and their fateful meeting awoke Kurama and triggered some sort of pulse that woke up the other Tailed Beasts as well."
"Is that right?" Urashiki feigned interest.
"Your priority is to kill the Haruno girl, but if you happen to run into either Uzumaki, extract Kurama and bring me their heads, is that clear?" Kaguya demanded.
"Crystal," Urashiki confirmed. "And what do you plan to do while the rest of us are running around cleaning up?"
"I'll be making a formal announcement in a few hours making the bounty on their heads public," Kaguya informed him. "With a bounty as large as this one on each of their heads, they'll be faced with a serious chokehold and things will be settled in no time at all."
"Very well." Urashiki stepped back from Kaguya. "It'll be a while before you see me next, Princess. Try not to miss me too much."
"I doubt I'll miss you at all," Kaguya replied.
Urashiki simply snickered before wandering out of the room. Kaguya let out a heavy sigh before making her way over to her bed. She buried her face in her hands and sat there for a long while. She wasn't sure how much time had passed until she heard a gentle knock at her door. When she lifted her head, she could see the sun was shining through her opening balcony windows, and she could suddenly hear the hustling and bustling of the palace from down below.
"Queen Mother?" Toneri cautiously opened the door and poked his head inside. "Queen Mother, it's almost time for your address. You asked me to come and help you get ready?"
"Yes. Yes, come in," Kaguya urged and looked over her shoulder. She watched as Toneri entered the room, formally dressed in his regalia with his hair tamed and slicked back. She admired him for a moment before standing from her bed, "I seem to have spaced out for a moment."
"Is everything all right?" Toneri questioned. "I know things are turning into more of a mess when it comes to the Anomaly. It's not taking a toll on you, is it?"
"No," Kaguya lied. "It's just a minor inconvenience that I wish would resolve itself, but sometimes things require a little more attention than others. But, all is well. There's no need to worry."
"If you say so, Queen Mother."
As Toneri had mentioned, he helped her get dressed into her formal robes and regalia before maids came into the room to do her hair and make-up. He patiently stood by and waited, and once she was done, he escorted her through the halls.
"Queen Mother," Toneri spoke up after the two had been walking alongside one another in silence for a short while, "I really am sorry about losing the Anomaly. I know you had told me to keep her there at the Abyss, but there was nothing I could do to prevent Uchiha and Hyuuga from taking her."
"What's done is done," Kaguya assured him. "There's no sense dwelling on the past. All that's left to do now is rectify the mistake and continue on with our lives. Understood?"
Toneri nodded, "Of course, Queen Mother."
"Toneri," Kaguya released her hold on Toneri's arm, "I'll be making the address on my own, so you can wait inside with the others."
"Queen Mother?" Toneri stopped in his tracks and watched as Kaguya made her way through the large set of double doors that led into the palace, and out onto the steps where dozens of cameras and thousands of spectators stood by in anticipation.
"Seems someone's fallen from grace," Naoto commented from where he stood leaning against the wall. "It's almost like you're like one of us normal Clansmen."
Outside, Kaguya stood silently as reporters and journalist flashed pictures of hers and hurled questions at her. After a few moments of this, she raised her hand, and silence fell. "Ladies and gentlemen," her voice was clear and reached all those in attendance, and thanks to the cameras, it reached millions of others across the continent, "I thank you for humoring me with this sudden address on this morning. I apologize for the urgency of it, but this matter could very well affect the well-being of this country.
"Less than seventy-two hours ago, Guardian Uchiha Sasuke and Guardian Hyuuga Hinata stole a highly dangerous individual from an illegal fighting arena located off the coast of Kiri Island," Kaguya announced, and there was a low murmur that came over the spectators. "This fighter, Haruno Sakura, has been deemed unstable and capable of producing Realm Tears at will, and this dangerous individual is working alongside these traitors who plan to do damage to our home."
"Are you saying that Guardian Uchiha and Guardian Hyuuga are terrorist?" one reporter called.
Kaguya pressed her lips before letting out a heavy sigh, "Yes. Guardian – no, I suppose I shouldn't call them that anymore, should I? Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata have failed to uphold the duties and responsibilities of a true Guardian, and these recent events further prove that they are unfit to continue to carry the title of Guardian. Therefore, I will be revoking their titles and deeming them Enemies of the Crown effective immediately."
"Looks like your fiancée is your fiancée no more," Naoto commented.
Toneri didn't say a word.
"Not only are Uchiha Sasuke and Hyuuga Hinata traveling alongside this dangerous individual Haruno Sakura, but they're also traveling alongside an enemy we thought had been dealt with almost twenty years ago," Kaguya continued. "They are also traveling with Uzumaki Naruto, the son of the infamous Rebellious Priestess Uzumaki Kushina. Together, I fear these four are planning a devastating assault on our home, and I ask that you all, citizens of this place we call home, help us, the Outsutsuki Clan, do our part to stop any serious damage from happening.
"I've approved the placing of a bounty on the four of them," Kaguya announced, and immediately four Wanted posters appeared above her head with their bounty along the bottom. The price on each of them was enough to silence the murmuring of those in attendance, and it took everything in Kaguya to keep from smiling, "I call upon every Hunter, Fighter, Warrior, Sorcerer, Sorceress, Necromancer, Occultist, any and all individuals capable of putting up a fight for the sake of this country. I call upon you to help us seek out and capture these individuals and bring them to justice."
"Queen Mother Kaguya, do you fear that they'll be after you?" a reporter asked.
"I have nothing to fear, for I will fight to protect this country just as tirelessly as the next individual," Kaguya answered. "My ancestors built this country into what it is today, and I refuse to watch it fall to a group of terrorist who believes that whatever damage they do can cripple what the Outsutsuki have fought so hard to build and protect for thousands of years."
"Do you know the last known locations of the four of them?" another reporter asked.
Kaguya nodded, "Yes. It appears that they managed to sneak onto a ferry that left from Kiri Island's docks just the other evening, but seems to have since fled from it before it reached the mainland."
"So they're on the mainland?"
"Yes," Kaguya confirmed. "It's safe to assume that they're near the dock where the ferry from Kiri island usually drops off its passengers. However, it's unclear on where they plan to go first, so I ask that everyone stay aware and keep an eye out for the four of them. If you do see them, I ask that you proceed with caution as the four of them are highly trained fighters. They're dangerous, and they will not hesitate to kill those who cross them.
"If you see them and are unable to approach, I ask that you inform those who can fight. As a bonus, anyone who can confirm the whereabouts of these individuals will receive a sizeable reward," Kaguya announced. "It is important to me that this all is resolved soon so that we may continue to rest easy. Now, once again, I apologize for the suddenness of this address, but I thank you for listening."
With that, Kaguya turned on her heel and headed back into the palace. Once the doors shut, her faux smile faded, "Naoto."
"Yes, Queen Mother?" Naoto stood upright.
"I want you to inform any and all Outsutsuki who are now out hunting for the four of them that anyone who brings me their heads within the next seven days will receive a fifty-percent bonus," Kaguya said.
Naoto blinked a few times before clearing his throat, "Y-Yes Queen Mother! Of course. I'll do that right away."
"Seven days?" Momoshiki commented. "You're being quite generous with the time, don't you think, Lady Kaguya?"
"I'm sure we'll have their heads in less time than that," Kaguya replied as she pulled her headdress off and tossed it to a nearby maid. "With a bounty as large as this one, everyone in their right mind will be out hunting them. They can't run forever, and they surely can't fight forever."
Meanwhile, at an inn located in a traveler's town along a major road, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Hinata sat in silence as Kaguya's address transitioned to a newscaster talking about how Sasuke and Hinata were the first Guardians in history to have their titles "ripped" away from them.
Their silence was interrupted when there was a gentle knock on their door.
"Housekeeping," a gentle voice called from the other side.
"Housekeeping my ass," Sasuke muttered as he stood up and removed his wrist band. He dropped it onto the ground and stomped on it until it was nothing more than crushed metal and plastic. "Hinata."
"Here." Hinata removed her wristband and handed it off to Sasuke. He quickly destroyed hers as well before motioning for Sakura to get up from the couch.
"What do we do now?" Sakura asked.
"Naruto." Sasuke nodded towards the door before grabbing ahold of his staff then handing Hinata hers.
Naruto crept towards the door and carefully pressed his ear against the door. He listened for a moment before his eyes widened, "Get back!"
Naruto ran towards where Hinata, Sasuke, and Sakura stood by waiting, and as he grabbed ahold of the coffee table and brought it up as a makeshift shied, a powerful explosion went off that sent the four of them crashing through their window and out onto the street.
Naruto groaned before throwing the coffee table off of him and looking at the gaping hole they just flew through. He saw a young woman standing by with a proud grin on her lips while the young man standing beside her wore a look of sheer determination.
"Tenten?" Hinata groaned as she sat up and recognized the young woman standing in the hole she created.
"Long time no see, Hinata. Sasuke," Tenten said in a cheery tone. "I really am sorry about this."
"You have to be fucking kidding me," Sasuke groaned. "You don't have to do this."
"A collective bounty of 2.3 billion says otherwise," Tenten argued. "Had it been less, Lee and I would've turned a blind eye to the situation, but I mean," Tenten shrugged, "how can we pass up that kind of money? It's nothing personal, we promise. Strictly business." Tenten removed the scroll off of her lower back and stood it up beside her, "We'll give you a headstart though? How is five seconds?"
"Go," Sasuke urged as they all scrambled to their feet. "Go!"
Without another word, the four of them were sprinting through the crowded street, shoving through and forcing their way to the town's edge.
"Five," Tenten called.
"Why are we running?" Sakura asked.
"Because she's a weapons expert and he's insane," Sasuke answered. "Less talking, more running.
"Four."
"Maybe we should try teleporting again?" Naruto suggested.
"Absolutely not!" Hinata argued.
"Three."
"They'll catch up with us otherwise!" Sakura argued.
"Two," Tenten sighed. She looked to her partner, Lee, who stood beside her, "One?"
"One."
To Be Continued…