My Path that Loops 11
I did promise to update more frequent so...
If you haven't read Chapter 10 yet, I highly suggest you go read it. While it is long, it contains necessary information to understand the main premise of this arc.
We're entering part 2 of My Path That Loops. The Journey. As you may have already noticed, I am changing a lot of things. I wanted to go the opposite of 'For Want of a Nail' trope. I, also, wanted a proactive civilian protagonist. It made my vision focused, tougher to pull off. I had to affect the shinobi dominated world, using civilian means or other tools.
On Shikako: Yes, that was Shikako Nara. If you remember in Dreaming of Sunshine, there was a scene, early on, where Shikako's mother said she had to go to civilian school. I took that to it's logical progression. However, This is not Shikako. I do not have permission to use the character, nor will I ask for it. I just wanted to pay homage to the story that inspired me to write this one.
On Toki's Influence and Status:Toki, in my view, is at the level of an adviser. He already sits in the adviser's meeting and is business partners with Danzo. He's buddies with Jiraiya and is in a beneficial, reciprocal relationship with Tsunade. He is the 'older brother' to Naruto and has the Hokage's ear on matters. The Uchiha clan are 'indebted' to him. On top of all that, he spent three dedicated years expanding his own network of spies, merchants, and underworld leaders. So, I definitely think it is reasonable to say that he can be very influential. However, this does not mean he'll get everything he wants, he's going to have to work for it.
On Toki's Relationships: Toki's relationships are made up of simple and complex. Friends with Jiraiya and Anko. Sees Naruto as a little brother. Kakashi and Itachi are mere acquaintances. However, Danzo and Toki are working together with knives to each other's throats. Tsunade and Toki both care for the same person, but for different reasons. There are others, but I want to leave them to you to figure out and pick away at.
On Part 2: I am writing a very changed Toki Nakamaru. He is not the same person who walked through Konoha gates. His motivations and goals are very different, and he has become hardened. As such, Naruto will be different. Sai, Sasuke, Shin, Anko, etc will all be different. So, I hope you can enjoy my changed world.
Age: Toki 23, Naruto 12. Anko 23, Sai 12, Shin 13,
Here we go!
There was an itch on my nose that I wanted to scratch really badly. Like, really badly. But, I was too preoccupied listening to a buffoon prattle on. Maybe, I should just scratch it and get it over with, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. I stifled a yawn and politely kept listening to the person in front of me.
"As I said before" My associate explained. "I have generated at least Ten thousand Ryo in profit in the last quarter. Your investment has not gone to waste."
I nodded along. He was right. When I checked the balances to the account for the last four months, indeed he had made profit with the money I had invested with him. I looked down at the notes that had been given to me. A check book with a list of all the transactions that were from Gato's shipping Company. To a normal eye, this was a proper, well kept book. But...
'Products from two months ago are missing.' I noted as I looked down the list. I had told Akio Misumi, the leader of a Yakuza on one of the islands between the land of Mist and Wave, to trade with Gato. It was out of his way, but I wanted to test Gato, see if he was truly doing his job. The trade had been made, but Gato didn't report anything. That meant two things, either Akio didn't send it or Gato kept it off the books.
I had spoken to Akio personally. We had actually hit it off surprisingly well, because his daughter was a fan of my books. I had simply gave the young girl the entire series, signed. Akio didn't seem like the man to go back on his business partners, especially one in his good graces, no matter how small that grace was.
So, that meant Gato was lying to me.
"Now, as for Wave's development. I have continued to ensure that Gato's Shipping company remains on top." Gato continued, sitting behind his desk. I looked up and saw that his Samurai guards, on either side of him, were both smiling wickedly. Gato's office wasn't that bad. A bookcase to the side, two doors, one on my left and one behind me. His desk was oak, probably new judging by the sheen. There was an obvious safe behind him, but I doubted that's where he kept the important things.
"Hmmm" I absentmindedly nodded, I looked back down to go over the sheet.
This posed a problem. Well, not really a problem but more like an inconvenience. I would have to redistribute manpower, but who to get it from? 'Man, this is just another headache.' I rested my head on my chin as I finished reading the paper. "Tell me, Gato-san. The development of Wave. How are you keeping it in check."
"How?" Gato asked, his grin was cruel. "My friends" He leaned back and waved to his guards. "have been doing their rounds. And, I even had a nice chat with those that got too feisty."
"You pay your friends well?" I asked. I wasn't really curious, I just wanted to buy time. 'Hmmm. If we get back in at least 3 hours. We can catch some sleep and make some food. I know Iruka's coming. Shizune said she would try to bring Tsunade. Guess, I'll make some Pizza. Tsunade seemed to like it too'
There was a small cough from behind me. I blinked. 'Oh yeah, problem at hand.' I drummed my fingers along the side of my chair in thanks to Sai.
Sai and Shin were wearing their work clothes. They were both issued standard forearm guards and shin guards from Anbu. But, they wore their own clothes underneath. Sai was wearing a white t-shirt with a black jacket and pants. He had several scrolls attached to his belt, and a paint brush set on the inside of his jacket. Shin wore brown cargo pants, holding multiple Seal tags for emergency, a dark green shirt, a black jacket and a steel mesh. He had two short swords hooked behind him, both of them attached to small chains. They both wore white bone Masks, similar to Anbu. But, instead of an Animal's face, the masks had Kanji. Sai's had 'Ink' and Shin's had 'Blade'.
"Gato-san" I interrupted the man's rambling on. He was talking about something about compensation and so on.
The man stopped as he clasped his hands. I looked at his posture, it said he knew something that I didn't. I needed to figure that out before I made my move. However, I didn't have the luxury of waiting around.
Naruto's graduation was more important than this idiot's life.
"You're out." I said quietly. This wasn't the first time in three years that I had to deal with someone. I had many misfires with setting up my 'agents'. I got better at making stable relationships with time, and Jiraiya's tutelage.
There was a look of surprise. And then the surprise turned into something sinister.
"I'd been expecting this." Gato smiled, chuckling slightly. "You seem a little bit naïve. A kid like you doesn't understand that you need to break a couple eggs to make an omelet."
I snorted. "I know how to cook Gato. And people's lives aren't eggs." I sighed. "I know that you're trying to stop the bridge production. I gave you strict orders and warnings about interfering with the development of Wave."
Gato growled. "If you let them build that Bridge, Gato's shipping company loses it's livelihood. You give them access to the main land, then they won't rely solely on-"
"Which is fine. Because Gato's industry was supposed to provide them with a service that went beyond transporting to the mainland. You weren't supposed to keep that Shipment from Nayama island to yourself." I huffed. It annoyed me when my plans were interrupted. I had made a very specific time table, and for one of my agents to screw it up... it made my stomach boil.
"How do you know about-" Gato questioned.
I rolled my eyes at him. "Who do you think sent the shipment in the first place? Akio came to you because I sent him." How dense was this guy? A deal was made that provided Wave with products that were beneficial for the people of Wave. Instead of selling it to the people, like any sane businessman would, he hoards it. If you provide the people with a product that is good, and trusted, they will choose to use you. Gato's shipping company was supposed to provide with access to the Land Hidden in the Mists.
"I-" Gato swallowed his words. "It doesn't matter. I don't need you. I still have Wave under my thumb. I still run this-"
"You honestly think I'll let you have Wave after this mess up?" I leaned back in my chair.
Something shined in his eyes. I realized for a moment the reason of why he was so confident. He had an ace in his sleeve, but I wondered if it would trump mine.
"Oh you will" Gato smirked as he reached under his desk.
Sai shifted to his left, but I waved my hand. Whatever he was doing, it wouldn't matter in the end.
"I thought you might try to kick me out.. So, I bought a little insurance." Gato his face the very definition of smug.
The door to my left opened and two Shinobi came in. They looked formidable. Sai and Shin both stiffened at the sight of them, but I ignored them for the time being. Gato was my main concern.
"So, you're going to kill me?" I asked. I had expected a refusal of my offer, not a straight out betrayal.
Gato smiled. "No, you're going to give me every cent you have, so you can live."
I blinked. 'Is he... serious.' It took me a moment to digest his words. I was actually kind of frozen, at his words. I looked into his eyes, he was dead serious. Something bubbled in my chest. I tried to push it down but I couldn't contain it. A grunt. A chuckle. I bent over laughing. It was too funny. It was too hilarious. This situation came from something out of those T.V shows I used to watch. Man, Oh man this was too good.
"Phew." I started to slow down my laughing, as I leaned back in my chair. Gato stood there, glaring at me. The two Samurai had drawn their swords. The two shinobi nor Sai and Shin had moved. They didn't need to 'get ready' to fight.
"Gato, Gato, Gato" I shook my head as I steadied my breath. "I would tell you I'm sorry, but I'm not." I finished and I finally scratched my nose. Ah, finally got that itch taken care off.
It happened in an instant. Blades were drawn, people flickered around me, faster than the normal eye could see. And in an instant, two bodies hit the floor.
"Wha-" Gato stuttered, standing his chair.
I stood up from my own seat and cracked my back. Man, that chair was really uncomfortable. What's my luck with bad chairs anyways. "Sorry for making you wait, Haku-chan, Zabuza-san." I nodded to my two agents. Haku and Zabuza both nodded to me, and stepped backwards, away from the guards they had killed. I turned back to Gato, whose face was paler than the white paint on the room, almost sickly. He was trembling slightly.
I simply smiled. "Gato-san. You may have met them already, but allow me to reintroduce them. They are Haku and Zabuza. They are my agents."
Gato fell back in his chair, his jaw slightly ajar. I saw his hands trembling. I turned back to Zabuza. "Have you taken care of the rest?" I asked. In Zabuza's report, he noted that there were several mercenary in Gato's hire.
Zabuza nodded. "I sent water clones to deal with them. There is also the issue of the civilians in the prison."
I nodded slowly. That I had to deal with. It was one of the tipping points for my decision. Zabuza had informed me that Gato had been taking people off the streets and was going to make examples of them.
"W-we can make a deal" Gato interrupted. Gone was the confidence and smugness, his voice only held a panic in it.
I shook my head once again. I had learned my lesson in giving seconds chances after the first agent. This little meeting had made a little nostalgic. "Gato, let me tell you a little story." I stuffed my hands in my pockets. "When I was living with the Monks in the Lightning Country, I was in charge of cleaning the monastery." I remembered the large halls and the large buildings. It took forever to clean. "I hated doing it. But, I had to do it. " I shrugged.
Gato swallowed, shifting in his seat. The four other shinobi were still as statues.
"It was my job. I needed to. But, one day." I sighed. "I decided to half ass it. Not, bother with cleaning the hall. I just cleaned it last week. I'm sure it's fine. I thought" I chuckled as I remembered my punishment. "Oh, when the monks found out. They wouldn't give me a meal until a finished cleaning the halls for weeks." It had taught be a very valuable lesson.
"When it's your job. You do it properly, Gato" I looked into the man's eyes. It was a pity. Not that it had to come to this. Not that Gato was going to die.
No, It was a pity because I had wasted my time.
"Kill him." I said as I turned to the door.
"No-" There was a squelch, a gurgle and a body slumped to the floor. I ignored it as Zabuza opened the door for me.
"Sai, Shin." I called behind me. "Collect his things. Find his actual safe and store it. When you're done start spreading clean up tags."
I didn't wait for an answer, instead I continued out of Gato's office. Zabuza walking slightly ahead of me and Haku walking behind me.
"Thank you for informing me of his transgressions."
Zabuza shrugged. "In my job description, boss." He paused. "What do you want me to do after? Sit around here?"
I shook my head. "No, we're moving to Mizu."
Zabuza smirked, I could see a quiver of excitement in him. "Finally." He must be excited. After working with me for two years, he was ready to move onto his actual goal.
I nodded. "Yes, It took a while. But. I'll have to set up a meeting with her."
"Right. I'll send a message right away." He continued to lead me through the complex. We walked only for a couple seconds, until we reached two large double doors. Two large men were on either side, but they were just corpses now. Chains were attached on the door's handles, keeping the Gato's prisoners in.
"Well, I sighed" As I rubbed the back of my head, "let's get this over with."
Zabuza nodded as he cut the chains and opened it.
I walked forward, to go inside. To my surprise, a fist greeted me.
"Urgh." My attacker grunted as he was stopped. His fist was now held behind his back by Haku. I couldn't help but feel amused at the man's attempt.
"Good try." I chuckled as I nodded to Haku. Haku instantly let go, and stepped backwards. It didn't matter if the man tried again, he couldn't match the speed of two Shinobi.
The man had short spiky black hair and black eyes. There was a small white rope tied around his head and a small x-shaped scar on his chin. His attire, while slightly bloody, was a white outline and a white pair of pants.
'A fisherman?' I reasoned. The man looked slightly beat up, but overall still healthy. He looked at me, dumbstruck.
"You're not Gato?" He asked out loud.
I raised an eye brow. "Do I look like a money grubbing weasel?"
The man looked shocked and speechless. I would have waited for a response, but, once again, I was on a time table.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Kaiza." He said. His voice held his uncertainty. I guess he was kind of stressed out, so it was understandable that he was wondering what the hell was going on.
"I was a benefactor of Gato. Gato is now out of the picture."
"Out of the picture?" Kaiza asked, it seemed he was unsure of what my analogy meant.
I was about to explain, but two people joined us.
"Boss." Shin called out. He held one of his short sword out, blood dripping from it. "We encountered some extra guards returning from the bar. We dealt with them accordingly."
Zabuza palmed his head. "I knew I was forgetting something!"
Haku bowed slightly to me. "Sorry, Boss-sama. We would've had gone to deal with them."
I waved my hand. "No harm, no foul." I turned back to Kaiza, who had, for some reason, gone pale.
"You ok? You aren't sick are you?" I asked.
Kaiza shook his head slowly. "N-no. I'm fine."
I shrugged and turned back to the large room. I saw multiple women and some men in here. All of them slightly beaten, other of them... There were tatters of clothes on the ground. I felt a flash of anger in my stomach as I looked over some of the women. "Ah my oh my." I walked forward. Some of the women shied away from me. They had tears in their eyes. "Now, that I see this, I wish you had taken your time on some of the guards."
Zabuza nodded slowly. "Hmm. I wish I had too."
I knelt down to one of the girls, who was now openly crying.
"P-please don't kill us. Please. We'll do any-"
I raised a hand. "Now now." I reached into my jacket and pulled out a small scroll. It was one of my traveling scrolls. I unraveled it and pushed chakra into it. Out came a stack of thick wool blankets. I took the top one and wrapped around the girl's shivering shoulders. The fear in her eyes was replaced with shock.
"Your safe now." I assured her. "You can go home now." I stood up and turned to all of them. "You all can go home now." I grabbed my scroll and put it back into my pack, leaving the stack of blankets for the rest of them. I turned back to the Kaiza, who stood there wide eyed.
'He'll have to do I guess.' I thought. The man had balls if anything, and I needed someone who was bold.
I walked towards Kaiza and sighed. "Where do you live?"
"What?" He asked, his voice hitched slightly.
"I need some food, where do you live?" I repeated my question.
"D-down at the docks. B-but-" He started.
I shook my head. "Let's go." I nodded to Sai and Shin. Sai placed a firm hand on Kaiza's back, pushing him froward. The man stiffly walked forward. I turned back to Zabuza. "See to it that they make it out. Find us afterward, we will discuss business later. " I paused. Reaching into my pocket, I grabbed a small piece of paper. I handed it to Zabuza. "This is a clean up seal. After you are sure that everyone is out, and at least a good fifty feet away from the complex. Activate this seal."
Zabuza nodded. "understood."
The clean up seal was mixture of explosives and transformation seals. Without going into much detail, it would make sure nothing was left of the building. It was never good to leave tracks.
I turned back to follow Kaiza to his house.
Kaiza's house was a small one. It was indeed by the docks, and was two stories. There as a wooden boat tied up to the edge of the dock, which confirmed my suspicion about fisherman. This might be a problem. If he didn't know numbers or business, I would need to invest in someone. I preferred to keep my contacts limited, less likely of a leak.
I was broken out of my thoughts as Kaiza called out.
"Kaiza!" Someone rushed out of the house that the man was leading us to. A young woman, probably in her mid thirties, rushed out and hugged the man. Kaiza hugged her back, burying his face into her shoulder.
"It's good to see you, Tsunami."
I blinked. That name... it sounded familiar. Why? I pushed the thoughts away as I saw two other people exit the house. An old man and a kid. The kid ran up and also hugged the man, while the old man smiled wide.
It was kind of sweet to see this touching family reunion. I let it play out.
"Kaiza, who are these-?" Tsunami started, as she finally noticed us.
Kaiza winced. "they umm..." Kaiza swallowed, there was a slight edge in his voice. "They are my saviors. They stopped Gato."
I bowed slightly the family. "it's a pleasure to meet you"
Tsunami bowed to me, she must have noticed Kaiza's discomfort. Her voice was shaky. "G-greetings, My name is Tsunami. This is my son, Inari. And this is my Father, Tazuna."
'Tazuna' Familiar again.
"I hate to ask this, but might we intrude. We would like a snack before we continue on our path." I asked politely.
Kaiza nodded slowly. He knew the subtext. "Of course."
We all entered the house quietly. Tsunami sent Inari upstairs, and took out some food. She warmed up some soup on the pot, while we all sat down. I motioned for Sai and Shin to take off their masks. They both did so and hooked it onto their belts.
We were all silent as Tsunami prepared some food. The house was nice, clean orderly. It had the feel of a home. Picture on the wall of the family, children toys strewn in some areas. But, I noticed some graphs on the side. Architecture. Complex graphs as well as a list of items. It looked like imports. Interesting.
Tsunami placed a couple of steaming bowls in front of us and Kaiza. I took a sniff and was quite pleased at the Aroma. For such basic ingredients, the cook sure knew how to make it work. I took a sip of the warm soup, there was a slight taste of fish. Not bad.
"This is quite good. Thank you." I nodded.
Tsunami bowed her head. "Thank you for your kind words."
I leaned back and sighed. 'Tazuna, Inari, Tsunami. It's on the tip of my tongue. Where the hell have I heard that from' "Anyways." I continued on. "Let's get down to the brass tacks. Gato is dead and so his mercenary crew."
Tsunami and Tazauna gaped at me, and Kaiza nodded slowly. All of them paled slightly. I sighed as I waited for the initial shock to pass.
"I was his investor. He broke my terms. Abused my investment. And was meddling with construction of the bridge."
"My bridge?" Tazuna repeated.
'his bridge' It echoed in my head. Bridge. I remember something about a bridge. About someone fighting on top of it. Why was I thinking of Haku and Zabuza? I shook my head and continued on the task at hand. Sai and Shin were both digging into their meals. I took out a napkin and passed it to Sai. He had some soup dripping off his chin. Jeez, I keep reminding him to have manners around other people.
I nodded slowly. "Yes. I wanted you to complete it. It would allow access to Konoha, which is better for both countries."
I took another sip. This soup was actually quite good, I'd have to ask for the recipe later. "Now, since Gato is dead." I sighed. Such a wasted investment. "I need someone else to take his place." I looked at Tsunami. She stiffened as I turned to her.
"You're Tazuna-san's daughter right?" I asked. The facial structure was similar.
Tsunami nodded slowly.
"Do you know the numbers and how to keep track of money and flow?" I asked.
She nodded slowly. She stuttered "I-" She swallowed. And, with more confidence, she said. "I manage my father's spending on the bridge. And I deal with contractors to get materials."
I smiled. 'That'll do'. I flicked my hand at Shin, who placed two scrolls onto the table. One of them labeled money, the other labeled files. I unsealed the files. A stack of files and books now filled the table.
"This." I waved my hand at the pile. "is yours now. You will need to manage Gato's shipping company."
I paused. 'Oh, right. Forgot about that.' "Well, now It'll probably called Tsunami's shipping company. I need you to create a route from here to Mizu. Have the Bridge take care of the trade routes between Konoha and Wave."
'That way, it won't look suspicious if Wave uses it's boats to suddenly trade to Mizu.'
"I-" Tsunami looked at the files wide eyed.
I ignored her shock and continued on. "You will not be without compensation." I grabbed the other scroll and unsealed it. Sai grabbed all of our bowls off the table, though Kaiza's fell to the ground in clatter, as the table was now stacked with Ryo in bills and coin.
"This is your salary for running my company." I explained. 'Wow, Gato had a lot more than I thought. How much has he been skimming from the top?' I winced internally. Gato really was a bad investment. Ugh, why can't I ever get lucky.
"Do you understand?" I asked her. Her eyes were wide open, mouth ajar. She wasn't shaking but she was definitely dazed. She looked up at me, speechless.
"We understand." Kaiza answered for all of them.
I held back a smile. It seems I had judged the man well. There was a clear look in his eyes. Not one of greed or excitement, just determination. It seemed he had set his mind to something. It reminded me of someone else.
'Bridge, Ah' It flooded back to me. A name just popped in my head as I thought about it. I turned to Tazuna, who was till gaping at the money. "Your bridge..."
Tazuna jolted, at being addressed. He turned to me. "Y-yes?"
I gave a small smile. "Do you mind if I give it a name?"
Tazuna nodded emphatically. "Sure, Sure, Any name. What would you like it to be called?"
"The Great Naruto Bridge, Please. I think That'll be a good name." It felt right. 'And it'll be a good graduation present'
Sai snickered next to me. But, Shin nudged him.
I stood up and nodded slightly. "I will contact you later." Sai and Shin both stood up with me. My newest additions to my network stood up and bowed to me. I nodded and started to leave.
"Ah, wait a moment." Tsunami called out.
I turned back. There was a slightly nervous expression on her face. She looked slightly downwards, unable to meet my eyes. "Um, if we could have your name?"
'Ah, never told them.' I shrugged. "Just call me, Boss." After being called that by my agents for so long now, it had become a habit to give that as my codename.
I turned away and walked out the door. Sai was still snickering behind me. I ignored it in favor of looking at the people waiting for us.
"Zabuza, Haku." I greeted.
Zabuza nodded. "Everyone is safely back. And..." Zabuza sighed as he thumbed behind him. "that was one hell of a clean up." I looked past the missing nin and looked at the plume of smoke in the distance.
I shrugged. You had to clean up somehow.
"I will need you to work with these guys" I thumbed behind me. "And make sure they understand their role. Then, I want you to take the first trade trip to Mizu and secure a trade route. Make sure Akio knows that he'll be doing more business with me. From there, find a way to meet to Mei or one of my agents."
"Understood." Zabuza said. "Should I contact you through the usual method?"
I nodded. I had given Zabuza a small seal that allowed him to send me reports. All of my trusted agents had one. I walked past him and towards a clearing, calling out behind me. "Take Care now, I'll see you in a couple weeks or so."
I didn't wait for a reply. Instead, I pushed chakra to the back of my neck and reverse summoned all three of us.
There was a pull on my shoulders, stomach and legs. I blinked rapidly, reorienting myself to the changed scenery. You'd think after all these trips, I'd have gotten use to travel. Bah, one of the faults of being a measly civilian.
"Go get some sleep guys" I told Sai and Shin. They both wordlessly agreed as they stumbled to their room, dumping their gear on the side. They'd clean off the blood after they had some rest.
I yawned as I looked at the clock. It as one o'clock in the morning. Good, I could get some sleep before getting ready for Naruto's graduation today.
I felt a hand against my shoulder, and a gentle shake. 'Oh dammit' I groaned as I tried to force my eyes open. They were heavy, and my body wasn't agreeing with me. I blinked slowly. Sai was shaking me slightly, slowly coaxing me awake.
'whoever' I thought 'is the reason why I can't get sleep right now... I'm gonna kill them.'
"Nii-san. A runner from Danzo is here."
'I'll murder Danzo one day' I squeezed my eyes shut. My body was being held together with spit, glue, and rubber bands.
"That wouldn't be wise nii-san." Sai sighed as he put his hand on his hips.
"Shit" I groaned as I sat up. "I said that aloud?"
Sai snickered as he nodded. I shook my head and stood up, stretching as I did so. A quick glance at the clock told me it was 7:00 AM. I had only gotten about four hours of sleep. Silently, I walked over to the living room and found Shin standing in front of a Root Anbu. He had no visible weapons and was standing in a military parade rest. Shin, however, was picking his nails with a kunai.
The Root Anbu wasn't familiar, but it was hard to tell any of them part in the first place.
"Hello?" I called out.
The Root Anbu bowed to me. "Greetings, Adviser Toki-sama. I have come with a message from Danzo." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter. He presented it with both hands out to me. Shin grabbed it from the messenger and sliced it open. He looked at the contents carefully and then passed it to me.
I grabbed the letter and and opened it fully. I scanned over it briefly. It was a lot of reports on withdrawals and deep cover agents in Kirikagure. He was transferring their oversight to me. 'More work' I grumbled in my head. Something about the report caught my eye. The placements of these agents. They weren't that high up, a couple merchants and two secretaries. No one of combat value. It seemed Danzo and I shared the same fear of Kirigakure.
Mist was too bloody to invest in a Shinobi agents. They would sooner die then get anywhere meaningful. 'However, it looks like he's fine with leaving Mist how it is.' These agents weren't of any extreme value and would not provide strategic strength. Placing secretaries and merchants were to keep track of mission and money flow. They were the early flags, the warning signs of movement. If the merchants reported huge imports, then they could report that Kiri was planning something. If a secretary 'accidentally' saw some important information, they could pass it along the grapevine to Konoha. They alone could not make changes to Kiri.
'Not that I blame Danzo, Kirigakure is very weak right now.' Out of all the Hidden villages, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Mizu was by far the weakest. Their 'Bloody Graduation' was a testament to their idiocy. Sure, experience in combat was fine, but the practice probably killed a lot of potential.
"Tell Danzo Thank you." I turned back to the Messenger. The anbu bowed to me. He left the room before using shunshin. I let out a long sigh as I looked back at the letter and then my clock. 'Can't go back to sleep now.' I groaned as I trudged to the kitchen.
My apartment had grown a bit messier and crowded over the years. More and more people left things around, on top of my many scrolls and files. Jiraiya dropped off things for Naruto, Sai and Shin. Anko would swing by with some equipment for them. Naruto would forget some of his gear and clothes. So on and so forth. I simply piled them neatly into packs, so my freeloaders could come and grab their stuff. I should really start charging for 'hospitality'.
"You guys go back to sleep." I yawned loudly as I started to grab bowls and ingredients from the cupboards.
Shin snorted in disbelief. "Really? What are you doing Nii-san?"
I grabbed the flour and started pouring. "Cake."
"Cake?" Sai asked in an excited voice.
"Cake." I confirmed with a sage like nod, one that would make Jiraiya proud.
I didn't have to look to know that Sai and Shin both had wide grins on their mouths. Both of them had a large sweet tooth. I continued to mix the ingredients and started to raid the fridge for ingredients. "Naruto should be at Academy right now." I thought out loud. I turned back to the two brats and sighed. Neither of them were going back to sleep either. "if you guys aren't going to sleep, could you run to Tsunade and Shizune. Remind them to come around 3."
"Hai, Hai" Sai rushed out the door to do my bidding. Shin ran after him with a smile. I chuckled as they left. I continued to work, getting the mix and frosting ready.
"Well, it seems the duo is out and about." A voice called in.
I nodded and continued to mix. "Don't know how they do it."
"Why were you out late last night?" My newest visitor asked.
'In a sense.' I shook my head. "Nah, I was just working on some seals and stuff. Sai and Shin were messing around." I turned back and smiled at Anko.
She blinked at me before shaking her head. "Sure, you baking?"
"yeah, Cake."
Anko's face brightened. "ooh, Yummy."
I laughed. "Well, don't come near now. We all remember the last time you tried baking. Naruto still never lets you near his kitchen."
"Hey!" Anko cried out indignantly. "that oven was old anyways. I didn't even know it could go at that temperature."
I laughed as I turned the oven on to preheat and poured the mix into a pan. I looked back at Anko, who had taken a seat at my table. She had changed a bit after her recover. Her hair had grown out a bit, and she braided it to her right side. She wore a red scarf, covering the scars from her seal, and jounin jacket. She now wore combat gloves, gifts from Naruto. There wasn't much sign of the damage the poison, but if you looked closely you could still see some veins bulging. Anko said it didn't hurt, but I knew she was lying sometimes. I asked Tsunade for help, but she said that there was nothing she could do, unless she could figure out a way to recreate new veins.
I opened the oven and slid the pan in. "So, what's with the early visit." With a simple kick up, I closed the oven door. Anko swung by often, like normal, and we always chatted. It usually was with someone else lounging around, because everyone seemed to use my apartment as a Hub. Even Tsunade would barge in to drink with Jiraiya, why they didn't do it at some bar was beyond me.
Anko rubbed her hands together and hesitated. A jolt ran through my skin as I saw that. Something was up. I walked over to table and sat down immediately. I looked at Anko and waited, waited for her to speak. I knew she would talk when she was ready.
"Toki." She started, slowly.
'What could be wrong?' I tried to think of the possible reasons. Big mission? Something gone wrong? Money troubles? Someone harassing her again? The remnants of the seal hurting? Was it the poison? Did I need to get Tsunade? I tried to look her over, trying to piece together what was wrong. Anko was never this reserved, at least if it wasn't serious.
She looked at me, there was a glimmer in her eyes.
It made me stop breathing for a moment.
"I-" She swallowed.
A pause. I waited, my breathe stuck in my chest. Still silence.
A sigh. "Never mind." She shook her head. "oh, Nai-chan is going to murder me."
"Kurenai?" I coughed What did she have to do with this?
"Nothing" Anko stood up and shook her head again. "Look, I'm going to head over to the Academy later. See you there?"
"Sure, See you there." I said, carefully. Anko turned to walk to the door, but I felt this itch in my throat. It didn't feel right to just leave it at that. "Hey Anko." Anko, who was at the door, turned around. I gave her a smile. "You can talk to me, anytime you know."
" I know" She gave me a wide grin, one that assured me.
'that's the Anko I know' I smiled back.
Anko walked out the door and shut it quietly behind her. I turned back to the kitchen and sighed. 'Time For clean up'.
The cake came out just fine. I was in the middle of decorating it, when my third intruder came in. I would say this was a record, but it wasn't even close to how many people barged into my house a day.
"Smells good." Jiraiya commented, dropping off his scroll and pack on the side of the couch. I noticed some sweat on his brow, he must have just come back after giving his report to Saratov. Jiraiya took off his heavy jacket and threw it on top of his stuff. I rolled my eyes as I reached into the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. I tossed it over to him, before going back to decorating.
"I finished up wave." I started to place chocolates onto the top, and carefully spelled out 'Congratulations'.
"Nice." Jiraiya said, taking a pause to drink. "did you find a suitable replacement."
"yeah. A family. They're actually the ones in charge of the bridge."
"Not bad." Jiraiya said. "how are the two demons though?"
"They're going to be on the first trip to Mizu. Try and get some ground there. I'll need to talk to Akio and see if he can provide me any info on our targets."
Jiraiya nodded slowly. "I've confirmed with my sources. There's a total of four powers."
The reason why Mizu was a riskier prospect was knowing who to back. Mizu was in the middle of a civil war, which made things complicated. Add to the fact that the Civil war was between four factions made it a hell hole to dive into.
I nodded slowly, putting the finishing touches onto the cake. I placed the cake in the fridge and washed my hands. "We'll discuss it later." I said quietly. "For now, let's go to the Academy."
The walk to the Academy was a short one. We didn't bother taking the back roads, like we usually did. The downside to the short trip was the staring. I found people to be too nosy for their own good, especially when you had a living legend next to you.
"So, Tsunade's coming" I said. "I already got some Sake for you guys. But try to go easy on it. I don't want to clear out all of the couches for you guys to sleep."
"Oh come on." Jiraiya chuckled. "It's so much fun. Maybe we can get Naruto to-"
"No," I rolled my eyes. "I told you once, I'll tell you again. No alcohol for him."
"Oh, you're no fun." Jiraiya said. His eyes perked up as he saw something in the distance. I followed his gaze and found Sai and Shin running towards us, across the rooftops. They landed neatly beside us.
"She said yes." Sai said. "She's also hopes you have sake again."
"I really hope you don't" Shin grumbled. "Last time I lost my bed."
I winced with a smile. We had given Tsunade and Jiraiya in a single bed, put Shizune on the other, Anko took mine. I wanted to sleep on my couch, but Sai, Shin and Naruto needed a spot to crash. So, I sat up all night writing my next novel. Never again. Though, it'll probably still happen. Shin actually lost his bed the next morning, when Tsunade found Jiraiya had taken the other side. Let's just say the bed flew a couple miles out the new hole in the wall.
We chatted along the way, some small talk. Jiraiya regaled us with tales of his spy missions. Sai and Shin always enjoyed his talks. Jiraiya always joked about bringing them along, but he and I both knew that would never happen. We had made a promise to each other when he had started working, never endanger the kids. We could blackmail, steal, kill, crush, and do whatever we needed to do. But, we would never send Sai and Shin into a situation we didn't know they could handle.
"Hey guys, just in time." Anko called out as she sat near a tree. She was swinging gently along a swing set, while parents milled around. I looked around and saw a lot of parents turn away quickly. I noticed their eyes, the familiar glare. I had to stop myself from telling Shin to note all of them down. I didn't need to make too many enemies.
"Hey. How long we got?" I drawled out.
"Not long." She said. "They're handing out headbands now. But, they're not letting the kids go until all of them got it." Anko grinned wide as she leaned forward. "Naruto kicked the living shit out of some civilian kid. He finally cut loose."
I raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Anko nodded. "Talked to Iruka about making Naruto go all out. If he keeps hiding all the time, he might develop some bad instincts."
I shrugged. Shinobi tactics and fights weren't my area of expertise. Jiraiya nodded slowly, agreeing with Anko.
"Nii-san, heads up." Sai pocked me in the back.
I turned slightly and saw the Uchiha head approaching. I bowed my head in greeting, as one should in public.
"Fugaku-sama. It is an honor to see you again." I greeted, like a civilian.
Jiraiya leaned against the tree, away from prying eyes. Anko rolled her eyes and grabbed Sai. She sat him down on the swing and started pushing slowly. Shin hovered close next to me.
Fugaku nodded, he was wearing his formal attire. I noted Mikoto and Itachi nearby. The gang's all here.
"I here Naruto-kun has passed with flying colors," He spoke softly "with abilities that drew the eyes of many."
"Naruto has always trained hard." I said. "It's good to see people finally recognizing his strength."
"Indeed." Fugaku agreed. He turned back to Itachi. "If only he graduated earlier, Maybe Itachi could have taught him."
"Greetings, Toki-sama." Itachi bowed slightly. "I hope you are doing well."
'Oh the dance' I groaned mentally. "It is good to see you as well. How is your team. I here they are now full fledged Chuunin. Quite impressive."
"Thank you for your praise." Itachi said. "I will pass it along to my students."
I smiled. Itachi, who had left Anbu, had immediately taken on a team. They took Konoha by storm. Each of them were developing into something strong and Itachi was their catalyst. There were whispers of Itachi passing his prodigious qualities onto his students. But, in all honesty, I could care less about it. It didn't really affect my decisions nor my situation, so I was just happy for the kid.
"I hope Sasuke and Naruto are on the same team." Fugaku politely continued. "They have shown a good bond."
"Of course, Fugaku-sama." I said. "I'm sure the Hokage will heed our recommendations."
There was a flicker behind Fugaku's eyes. He understood my message. We were about to continue, when there was a shout. We turned towards the academy and saw that the floodgates were open, kids streaming out.
I felt my eyes immediately latch onto Naruto, who was running through the crowd. Our eyes met and I saw a flash of joy in his eyes. My face hurt from my wide grin. A headband worn proudly on his head. He rushed towards us, pushing past other parents and kids.
"I did!" He said. "Everyone so surprised when I beat Tokuma." he puffed his chest up with pride. "Just because he's a Hyuuga doesn't mean he's unbeatable. He was really slow."
"Don't go bragging too much." Anko said, grasping rope of the swing. "you're still wet behind the ears when it comes to fighting compared to us."
"bah." Naruto grunted, rolling his eyes. "I'll catch up. Just you wait."
"Ah, Father, Nii-sama. Mother." Sasuke called out. "You're all here." Sasuke ran up to his parents with a smile, a headband also on his forehead.
"eh!" Naruto blinked and looked only a couple inches to our right. He looked surprised, noticing the Uchiha family for the first time. "Ah," Naruto bowed his head. "I am sorry for not greeting you, Uchiha-sama." His tone immediately switched to a more humble and respectful one.
I watched the Fugaku nodded back, his eyes holding a glimmer of amusement. Sasuke snorted at Naruto's change in tone and bumped him in the shoulder "You don't have to act again, Idiot."
Naruto glared at Sasuke. "There's a difference between Acting and showing respect, Teme."
I heard Jiraiya chuckle in the back. It was a pretty amusing scene. I turned towards the academy, to see Iruka walking outside. The instructors were going around and talking to some of the parents. Some of them talking to their comrades, others praising the kids and wishing them a good future. Iruka, finally, met my eyes and I thumbed backwards, in the direction of my apartment. He smiled and nodded.
I turned back to Fugaku and bowed. "Well, Fugaku-sama, I believe it is time to take our leave."
Fugaku nodded backwards. "I will see you later. If Sasuke and Naruto do end up on the same team, we should have dinner again."
"Of course" I smiled. 'it went sooo well, last time.'
We parted ways and made our way to the apartment. Naruto and Anko led the way, as they chattered about the test. Naruto would bounce around and wave his hand to enhance his story. Sai and Shin followed along, laughing at Naruto's antics. Jiraiya nudged me on the side.
"By the way, did you ever get that working?" he whispered
"yeah." I nodded. "It's complete. I see why you want it. I only glanced at your earlier stuff. If Mist is this complex, we're going to need a lot of strings."
Jiraiya chuckled. "Well. We'll talk about that all later. End of the week? After Naruto get's settled down with his team and all."
"yeah, Thanks Jiraiya." I watched as Naruto head-locked Sai. It seemed Sai made a passing comment on Naruto's intelligence.
I shook my head as we walked up the stairs.
"There you guys are. I was about to open the Sake bottle without you." Tsuande huffed, standing at the top of the stairs. Shizune was there and waved happily at us. Tsunade looked down at Naruto, with a soft smile. "Congrats brat."
Naruto nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Thanks baa-chan."
Tsunade huffed at the nickname, but didn't protest. Instead, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a necklace. It looked pretty expensive, and it was a gem too. She placed it around Naruto's neck and ruffled his head. "That's yours now."
Tsunade turned to me with a scowl. "Are you going to open this damn door or what?"
'It's not like you don't barge in any time you want.' I rolled my eyes and popped the door open. We all filed in and started taking out sake, food, and cake.
It was a long and fun night. That was until Tsunade and Jiraiya got too drunk. Thankfully, Iruka, who had dropped by, had already left. It probably wouldn't do good for anyone to see Tsunade and Jiraiya passed out drunk on the couch. And then, a couple people drag them into separate beds.
"Do you understand your position?" I asked the couple on my couch. They both nodded slowly. I had been working with them for the last four hours, solidifying everything.
"We understand,." He said, "boss..." He swallowed slowly, as his eyes continued to scan around. I didn't mind, most of the agents I contacted like this were scared. It wasn't all the time you get whisked away and land in an entirely different place.
"We will get to work right away." His wife said. "We're going through all the data right now. And," She paused. "The money we're using it to help the town. And build the bridge." there was a flicker of a frown on her face. She blinked rapidly. And her voice held a tiny quiver in it. She was nervous, uncertain, afraid of my reaction.
"what you do with that money." I shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me. As long as you follow the rules I have laid out for you. And, since you" I nodded towards the husband. "understand the consequences. I will let you go now. Please set up the meeting with Akio, as soon as possible." I reached onto my desk to grab a letter. It was addressed to Akio, with a simple seal on it. "Give this to him, and tell him to swipe just a drop of blood onto the letters. It will open for him."
"Blood? Is that why you had us give you sample of ours." the wife inferred.
'Her intuitions good' I smiled. "Yes. It's so that messages I want to send to specific people, only go to specific people. Now, the seals I had Zabuza attach onto you. That is your ticket. I can contact you at any point, and you will feel a small burning sensation. Nothing harmful, but to let you know I need to talk to you."
They both nodded. They had already felt the burn, when I first tested it.
"Good, I will send you back now. Please keep this and all of our meetings" I held a finger to my lips. "Quiet." I didn't wait for a reply as I sent chakra into the scroll before me, pressing down on the names 'Tsunami' and 'Kaiza' They were whisked away back to their town in Wave. Zabuza had set up one of my Field Seals there. I had given him a couple scrolls to use. It allowed me to transport myself and my guard around. Allowing me to contact agents in the field freely.
'Another two in the ledger' I thought as I looked at the fresh ink on the page. There was a name a few back, that was now crossed out. 'Gato'. Such a waste of resources.
I rolled up the scroll quietly and placed it against my shoulder. Pushing charka on my finger tips, I allowed the storage seal to suck it in. I sighed as I leaned back in my chair, staring at the table with three empty tea cups on it. Things would get complicated now. With Mizu open for business, it mean that I needed to set up a lot more meanings. But, I was running blind, even with Jiraiya's help and Danzo's agents. Jiraiya and Tsunade had left early in the morning, Anko a bit after that. Sai and Shin had gone to watch Naruto get his team.
I stayed behind to attend to some business. Rolling my neck, I turned back to my work desk. My eyes drifted over the picture of all of us. 'Remember what your doing this for' I told myself again. I had to keep focus.
"Toki-San!" Naruto barged through my door. Sai, shin and Sasuke in tow.
'Or not.' I sighed, turning to the new intruders. "Sup kid."
Naruto, bright as the sun, smiled. "My team is Me, Sasuke, and Sakura!" He pumped his fist in the air. "We're going to kick ass tomorrow"
"Language." I halfheartedly reprimanded him. 'Good. That's secured.' "What about the other teams?"
"It's Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzaku Kiba, and Abrume Shino on one team lead by Kurenai-san. ." Shin said "Nara Shikamaru, Yamanaka Ino, and Akimchi Chouji, lead by Sarutobi Asuma."
I nodded. 'Three for Three. And I know that Gai is training those three. That means that the main teams are still intact' I looked over at Sasuke, who seemed to be fidgeting slightly.
"You need to say something?" I asked him.
Sasuke jolted slightly at being addressed and nodded slowly. He took a deep breath, as if fortifying himself.
"The Uchiha clan" He said. "Would like to invite you to come to dinner tomorrow. After the test."
"ohh." I smiled. "So confident you're going to pass."
"I-" Sasuke flushed slightly. "I mean I'm confident, Toki-sama."
'Oh, dammit' I thought. That honorific was really getting on my nerves. I waved him away, as I shook my head. "Yes, I will be there. Now, I'm sure you guys want to go train. Where is the third member, you said Sakura right?"
Sasuke nodded. "yeah, She said she had to inform her parents."
"And you let her go alone?" I asked. "Seems a bit weird since you guys all came here."
"Well" Naruto said. "We wanted to tell you and all..."
"And you have. So... Go find your teammate." I raised an eyebrow. Naruto flushed slightly. Oh, he's so easy to tease. "Thanks. It was nice to know."
Naruto gave me a smile and grabbed Sasuke by the collar. "See you later then, Nii-san." He rushed out the door; Sasuke yelled profanities. I chuckled as I remembered getting pulled by the collar as well. As soon as they were a good enough distance, Shin closed the door and both of the remaining two sharpened.
I clasped my hands and sighed. "We're moving our focus to Mizu, Kirigakure. I need you both to brush up on your training. We're dealing with at least Anbu level Shinobi. And we'll be in hostile areas at all times."
"Understood" They said. Their faces were set, eyes clear. They understood what I was asking of them.
"Good, now scram" I said. They left out the door to go after Sasuke and Sai. Sometimes, I wondered if it would be better to let them become gennin. Sure, they were far beyond gennin level. Jiraiya had trained them up personally, and a lot harder than Naruto. But, they wouldn't have a team like Naruto. They wouldn't have that sensei to confide in, to look up to for advice. I was taking them away from all of that. And, it's not like I wanted to. I didn't want them in dangerous situations. I didn't want them to get hurt. But, I needed their power. I'd just have to make it worth it.
I looked by at my notes and sighed. 'Well time for...'
"Thank you for inviting us to your home." I recited the old greeting. I bowed slightly, with Naruto and the rest bowing as well. Fugaku and Mikoto greeted us with a smile.
"Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno are both here with their daughter." He said
'those names.' I entered the room after our hosts. 'They should familiar.' I remembered that Sakura Haruno was supposed to be in team 7. But, that's not where I remember Mebuki from. I racked my brain as we were lead down the hallway to the dining room. We had all dressed up for the occasion.
We entered the room and saw Itachi entertaining the Haruno's. Sakura was talking quietly to Sasuke at a smaller table nearby. It seemed that Fugaku had set up two tables, one for the 'adults' and one for the kids. There were five chairs at the smaller table, so that meant he expected Sai and Shin to come again.
I nudged Naruto towards his teammates and made my way towards the other table. As I did so, I caught onto Sakura's greeting.
"O-oh. N-naruto." She smiled. She seemed surprise. Strange.
Naruto seemed to ignore the awkwardness and acted like his usual self. I tore my attention away to focus on the other guests. One was a fair-skinned woman with shoulder-length, blonde hair with a single bang which falls down into her face. I noted the green eyes. The other man had blue eyes, and dull-pink hair.
"Greetings" I bowed my head. "My name is Nakamaru Toki."
"I am Haruno Kizashi." Kizashi bowed in return. "I am a Jounin of Konoha."
"Greetings, I am Haruno Mebuki." Mebuki bowed. "I am a retired Chuunin. I am now a merchant."
'There we go.' I remembered Mebuki from the trader's guild. She was a couple steps down from a guild leader. But, she still had some pull She was one of the traders who took care of my Suna problem. I smiled in kind. "I am a simple novelist."
I looked over to Itachi, who bowed slightly to me. All of this formality made me irritated sometimes, but I get why it was necessary. Didn't want to step on anyone's toes.
"Well, we're all here." Fugaku said. He sat down at the head of the table.
We all sat down with him, though Mikoto stood up to start putting food on all the tables. Sasuke, being the dutiful kid, helped his mother put food on the other table.
"Ah, the food looks delicious" I complimented. "you've out done yourself Mikoto-san."
She really did. There was a slew of dishes. From fish stew to grilled meat, Mikoto had really went all out.
Mikoto nodded in thanks, before taking her seat. Fugaku started taking his food, and then we all joined in. I only took a bit. I had to be careful here. While Fugaku may know about my status, to the rest of Konoha, it was classified business. I would have to act as a simple civilian, only invited here because I was the caretaker of Naruto.
"So," Kizashi said. "Fugaku-san. How goes the embassy? I here business is booming. And they might be setting one up for Suna."
'You'd be right' I thought. Though, it wasn't my business. I had dumped off that responsibility to Shikaku, even though the man complained to me.
"The embassy is going quite well." Fugaku said. "Our relations with Kumo seem to be strengthening. The joint missions are supposed to be starting in two months time."
'Hmm' I held my tongue. I wanted to ask who was coming. I actually didn't know who had been recommended. I had given the recommendations to Tobikuma-jii and told him to pass it along to Yugito.
"ohh Joint missions." Mebuki crowed. "We haven't done anything like that since the second war."
Fugaku nodded. "Yes, it was quite the motion forward."
They continued to discuss for a while. I simply sat there, eating quietly. No need to talk, if they wanted to talk about shinobi business, they could. I was a simple novelist, nothing special. Though, 'I really do need to figure out when to contact Mei' It was frustrating. I've been meaning to get around to it, but setting up a safe time and place was difficult. When I was reviewing the notes that Jiraiya had passed me in the morning, I had noticed something interesting. 'Decisions were being made without the Daimyo's approval. it seemed that the Water Daimyo actually had no infl-'
"Ah, we must be boring you, Toki-san." Kizashi turned back to me, a kind smile.
"No," I shook my head. "Not at all. It's interesting to hear the other side."
"You are a novelist, correct?" Mebuki asked.
I nodded. "Yes, I've written a couple novels. Most of them are decently successful. I actually made most of my money through my investment of Tourou."
Mebuki's eyes widened. "The Tourou" She repeated. "That company has grown immensely these past years."
"Yes, I have been lucky." I said. "I made a simple investment early on, and it has led me to good fortune."
"Ha!" Kizashi smiled. "right on you, boy."
Kizashi turned back to Fugaku to continue talking. I followed along politely. I noticed Itachi's confusion. I merely smiled at him. The Jounin shook his head and turned back to the conversation at hand.
Dinner went along nicely. Though at the end, it seemed that Fugaku wanted to bring in the kids. "Sasuke, tell us. You passed your test correct with flying colors."
Sasuke nodded, as he walked up to the table. "Yes father."
Itachi cut in. "I heard from Senpai that you solved the bell test early on. And were able to take the bells from him."
"Oh my, you're quite the genius." Kizashi said. "To be able to do that against, Kakashi."
Sasuke nodded in thanks. "It was with the help of my team, Sakura's support and Naruto's strategy."
Sasuke went into a small tale on how they got the bells, as he did so I looked at Naruto and his group. Naruto was talking quietly with Sai and Shin, though Sakura... 'She's seems quite reserved.' I ignored it. That was Naruto's problem. I couldn't micromanage Naruto's life; his problems, at least the small ones, were his to deal with.
"-Naruto then locked him down. And Sakura was able to grab the bells." Sasuke finished.
"Hmm" Itachi looked between Sasuke and Naruto. "well done Otouto."
Sasuke blushed, and shifted slightly. Something felt off though. I hadn't paid much attention to the story, but from what I heard, it didn't seem like Naruto did much. I knew Sai and Shin had watched the fight, I'd have to ask them later.
With a cursory glance at the clock, I noticed it was getting late. I turned back to Fugaku, who noticed my look.
"Time for you to go?"
"My apologies" I nodded. "I have some business to attend to. Naruto can leave whenever he likes, I hope you do not mind his intrusion."
Fugaku smiled. "Of course, I am sure Sasuke would enjoy his company."
Sasuke couldn't keep the joy off his face. I walked over to Naruto, who stacking the finished plates up. "Eh Nii-san, we're leaving?"
"Nah, just me. You guys" I looked over at Sai and Shin. "Can stay here for now. Don't stay too long though. Just be back before midnight. You probably have a long day tomorrow."
"Alright! Can Sai and Shin stay over at my place then?" Naruto pleaded. Sai brightened at that. I couldn't help but smile. I remembered, not so long ago, a boy who kept trying to control his emotions.
"Sure, kid." I shoved my hands in my pockets. "Night guys."
"Night!" They caroused back. I turned back to my hosts and bowed. "Thank you for having me."
"Toki-san." Fugaku stopped me. "come by the embassy later. We should discuss some things."
"Of course Fugaku-sama." I responded politely. I left quietly after that.
It was almost 10'oclock, when I found myself outside a closed warehouse. From the outside, it looked like a normal, run down warehouse that was probably used for storage. We had bought it a couple months ago. I placed my hand on the door, the seals on the inside reading my chakra. A small click notified me that it was open.
I opened the door silently and entered.
"You're late." A gruff voice reprimanded me.
I shrugged. "Had dinner with the Uchiha's and Haruno's."
"The old man made the team" Jiraiya murmured from his seat at the table. He shrugged. "Grab the scroll, let's go"
I nodded. I grabbed the scroll from the storage seal on my skin. I opened the scroll onto the table. I felt a buzz under my skin. The small pull on my back, the cold sweat on my brow. The small, erratic beats in my chest.
"Let's begin."
"yeah, So we've been doing stupid d-rank missions all the time." Naruto grumbled as we walked away from Ichiruka's. Teuchi had given us our usual lunch. Today was Naruto's day off, so we decided to hang about.
"Well." Anko said. "that's because you need to build up discipline. Doing what your told. Can't have soldiers running off like chicken's without heads."
I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Come on." I said. "Embassy is this way."
"Why do we have to go to the embassy, Nii-san." Naruto whined. "I mean it's my day off right!"
I chuckled. "I promised I would visit when the new Kumo nins come over. To help them adjust and teach them some mannerism. You can hang around, maybe they'll show you some cool moves."
Naruto brightened slightly at that. "ohh. That sounds cool. Maybe they'll know some cool Lightning moves. Or maybe, or maybe some cool wind moves. Jiraiya-sensei says my affinities wind, so maybe..." Naruto jumped up and down.
Anko shook her head and Naruto's antics. Sai laughed like usual, but Shin palmed his face, slightly embarrassed.
"Well we're here" I said, as we arrived at the now three story building. They had expanded a lot, and it was still busy and jammed pack. We walked inside and saw Fugaku talking to a Kumo nin. It was a female Jounin, judging by the vest. She had red, curly hair and looked to be in her late thirties. One I didn't recognize. I saw some teens and younger kids to the side. Must be the chuunin and gennin. Not a bad choice. Sending in the younger folk lessened the paranoia.
Fugaku noticed me and waved me over. I walked over and nodded to him. "Fugaku." I greeted.
"Toki-san." He nodded. "This is Jounin Mitsu."
I turned and nodded towards the female jounin. "Hello."
Mitsu bowed to me. "Toki-sama. I have heard much about you."
"You have?" That surprised me. I didn't know that people in Kumo, specifically the village, knew about me.
Mitsu smiled, and I didn't like it. She knew something. "Oh, yes. I heard a lot about you."
"ok..." I said carefully. I didn't know where this was going. Why did I feel like she was laughing at me?
"I am here just to supervise. As I am the oldest of the Jounins being sent here. The other three are a squad." She explained.
"Where are the rest?" Anko asked out loud.
"Well..." Mitsu started, she chuckled slightly.
I felt something crash into me, and arms wrap around my neck. My heart stopped for a moment when I smelt lavender. All of my plans. All of my designs. All of them would have to be readjusted. I needed to think. I needed to re-plan everything now that … The panic thoughts stopped running through my head when long hair brushed against my cheek. I mentally let myself relax. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around the person and smiled.
"Heya Baka."
I pressed my forehead into her hair. "Heya Neko."
We stayed like that for a moment, but I realized where I was very quickly. I placed my hands on her shoulders and pushed gently. I coughed twice. 'Ok, focus now. Refocus. Crap.' I winced. I looked towards Fugaku, who looked amused.
"sorry about that, Fugaku-san." I said. "This is Yugito Nii, She is a jounin of Kumo. And an old friend."
Yugito laughed. "Sorry, Uchiha-san. It's been awhile since I've seen Toki."
Mitsu shook her head. "Well, you can catch up. I'll get everyone settled in."
"Oh, but" Yugito started. Mitsu raised her hand to stop her.
"Go on, kid." Mitsu winked. "You've been talking about him all the way to Kumo."
Yugito flushed. I couldn't help but chuckle and nudge her with my shoulder. "Missed me that much?"
"Shut up." Yugito growled. "Just wanted to try all the food you been telling me about."
"Hah," I mocked sighed. "oh my poor wallet. Will never be enough to sate your appetite. I fear Konoha might run out of food before you-" I winced as I was jabbed in the stomach.
"don't call me fat." she mumbled.
I laughed. It was good to talk to her face to face. Our usual letters were nice, but this... this was good.
"Nii-san." A voice behind me.
I turned around. Naruto looked between us, there was a reserved look on his face. 'Oh' He must be a little bit scared meeting a new person. Well. That's not right, more like he wasn't used to me acting like this to a random stranger.
"Naruto, this is Yugito Nii, she's my old friend." I introduced him.
Yugito leaned over to my ear. "Hey you can let go of my hand now, baka."
I blinked and let go immediately. "Sorry" I whispered back. It was out of habit. Yugito had a habit of running off without notice. Usually to escape her guards, other times to lead me on an 'adventure'. So, I usually grabbed onto her to make sure she didn't run off, which would cause multiple headaches for me and the Anbu.
Yugito turned back to Naruto and smiled. "Naruto-kun." She knelt down and smiled. "I'm Yugito. Nice to meet you." She held out her hand, like I usually did. She had picked it up from me, when we were scouring the capital.
Something must have clicked behind Naruto's head, because he instantly smiled and took her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Come on, let's do this powwow at my apartment." I said. Looking around, there was not a lot of room here to actually talk. And there was some things that I wanted to talk in private.
"Actually I have to go." Anko cut in curtly.
I blinked and looked over. One look and I noticed Anko was a bit antsy.
"everything-"
"It's fine." Anko cut me off. I blinked and felt my gut wrench. Ok, things were not ok. But I knew better than to push it right now. I nodded and watched as Anko sauntered off. I shook my head and looked over to Yugito.
She gave me a wide smile, the usual sparkle in her eye. "So?"
"Ready for an adventure, princess?" I said.
Naruto shouted. "Eh, You're a princess."
Yugito and I laughed as we headed out. My life in Konoha just got... interesting.
Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review.
So, Yugito's in town. I wanted to bring her in during the second part of My Path that loops. Why? To add friction and a new element. There's only so much I can do with the current cast. None of them have access to Toki's 'secret life'. I don't mean Toki's business with Jiraiya, rather Toki's emotional state.
As someone pointed out, I carefully crafted Toki to be a very reserved and secretive person. Always trying to calculate who knows what and what should go unsaid. Anko, Naruto, and Jiraiya, can talk to him all they want but they'll never have that raw understanding like Yugito.
I referenced it before, but Toki got his visions, of his past life, intermittently. Constantly remembering things and going on long stretches of insanity. So, Yugito has seen Toki when he's completely and utterly vulnerable. Where he was not even sure of who he was, or what was real. So, I wanted to add an element of someone who could call bullshit on Toki. Someone he couldn't brush off or pretend everything was alright.
As for the Mizu arc, if you noticed I referenced four powers. :)! There's some special things with that. It's not going to be as simple as Mei vs Yagura. Oh, no no no. We're going super complex over there.
As for Naruto's bell test, I will reveal what happened there later. I will do it through some characters, but if you guys really want it, I will do an omake on what happened.
If you have any questions, concerns, or anything really, drop a review! Thanks!