Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Rurouni Kenshin. Now if I had the Infinity Gauntlet I just MIGHT have a chance of acquiring not only the rights, but also the universe! Screw the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, I will be the fifth rider the fucking end and creation of all! Muahahaha!
"Talk" Character talking.
'Think' Character thinking.
"Are you ready?"
"I am." Approaching the door to their apartment, Naruto met Haku in her usual outfit, the Mugenjin grasped in her hands. This wasn't easy for the both of them, the last time he set out for a mission outside the village, he wound up getting hurt quite badly. The Kyuubi still was healing the damage, leaving Haku in a constant state of worry.
"I know it's useless to tell you to be careful, but please come back unharmed." Haku said, offering his sword.
Taking Shishio's trusty blade, Naruto leaned in and kissed Haku on the lips. "I will do my best, it's only a diplomatic mission."
"Last time you went on a mission, you wound up getting hurt, liberating a country, and kissing a Daimyo on live tv."
Naruto saw the smile on her lips and knew that Haku was giving him a hard time. If she was really mad, he would know because the temperature would start dropping. "But that time I was actually after someone that's now a giant red X on my chart. Here, I don't have any enemies to go after. I'm just trying to do what should be a cakewalk of a mission."
"Bring me back a souvenir then."
"I will." Pecking her on the lips one more time, Naruto left their shared apartment.
The sun was already well past the Hokage Monument when he looked out of one of the many windows that faced it. Naruto had to admit that it was a beautiful sight, in an odd sense it felt like they were looking over the village.
So was he engrossed with the sight, Naruto wasn't really paying attention until he bumped into something. It wasn't a door, nor was it a wall, so it had to be a person. But there weren't that many people in the apartment though, so far it was just him and Haku, and then he remembered the Sarutobi family. The figure wasn't big enough to be Tsuno, it certainly wasn't the shapely form if the wife he hadn't seen yet, in fact it was short and...
"Hey watch where you're going you jerk!"
And annoying, it was Konohamaru. Naruto looked down at the pipsqueak sprawled on the ground. "Whoops, sorry kid."
"You better be!" Konohamaru yelled. Getting to his feet, he glared at the blonde. "Next time I won't be so lenient."
"Excuse me?" Naruto looked at his neighbor with an irritated look on his face. Where did this little punk get off threatening him of all people?
"You heard me you jerk!" The academy student said. Pointing his finger at the Genin in rank only, he spoke his mind. "You may be some hot shit guy right now for getting kissed on live television, but you're going to be overshadowed by someone better and more deserving!"
"All right, what the hell is your problem with me?" Naruto was honestly getting tired of this passive-aggressive bullshit coming from a kid several years his junior. "Ever since I showed up, you've had some sort of vendetta against me like I killed your dad and fucked your mom in front of you. Now out with it before I get angry."
"You think you can just walk into my village and suddenly become a big shot?" Like everyone, Konohamaru heard about Naruto showing up out of nowhere, being hired by his grandfather, and racking up achievements not seen since the previous generation. From killing Gato, Aoi Rokusho, Lightning Lion and Raijuta Isurugi while liberating Wave Country, to killing Renga, the leader of the Jinan, to most recently killing Doto Kazahana and liberating Snow Country. It honestly pissed him off.
"Believe it or not, I don't care." Those missions were a means to an end for Naruto, not only was the money making his wallet fat, but it also whittled down the list of people that killed the members of the Juppongatana, and people who just needed to die in plain general. It was a win-win situation for him.
"Well I do, my dad once commented that you have my grandfather's ear." Actually, it was more of him remarking that Naruto would become an invaluable shinobi before Konohamaru would even become a Genin, but he wasn't going to admit that. "You're putting poisonous thoughts into a great man. I don't want you anywhere near my family again!"
Konohamaru's ranting came to an abrupt end when he was hit by the end of Naruto's scabbard. He cried out from the sudden hit and was struck several more times before he could even register the first strike and fell into a pathetic heap in the hallway.
Gripping the scabbard to keep his right hand from shaking, Naruto watched the blood run off the end and onto the wooden floor. Konohamaru laid beaten and bloody from a few cuts on his head, and several welts and bruises. Compared to other people the kid got off lucky, especially when he spewed stuff that he didn't know about.
"Listen here you little shit." The blonde hissed at him, his good mood from a few minutes ago all but vanished. "You don't know anything about the position your grandfather holds. He has to make decisions that will affect thousands of lives. One wrong choice could potentially end hundreds of of them, and he constantly has a target on his back from enemies both foreign and domestic." Thrusting the butt of his scabbard into the academy students stomach, he pinned him against the wall. "I may just be a Genin in rank only, but I made a promise to protect and serve this village until the Sandaime Hokage either dies or retires. If you ever question my motives again, I will do more than just leave you with some bruises."
Pitifully coughing in order to get some air back in his lungs, Konohamaru glared at him with one good eye; due to the fact his left one was swollen shut, "You're not going to get away with this. My grandpa will throw your sorry ass in jail for assaulting me, and my dad will kick you and your slut out of our apartment complex!"
Konohamaru was struck harshly in the face and knocked unconscious from the end of the scabbard once again. Naruto honestly should have felt bad about beating up a little kid, but calling Haku such a foul word warranted no mercy.
"That was a little harsh kid." Tsuno's imposing figure caused the blonde to turn towards him, for a big guy he was extremely quiet when he wanted to be. His landlord walked towards him and didn't stop until he stood over his son. "I'm all for you giving him an attitude adjustment, but blooding him up is going to piss off my wife."
"He shouldn't have called Haku a slut." Naruto bluntly replied. "If I didn't give him a righteous beating, I know you or your wife would."
"Oh, trust me, Tomoko is going to tan his hide." Tsuno reached down and grabbed the back of his sons shirt. "You going off on a mission kid?"
"Yep, it shouldn't last too long. The next time I come back I'm hoping that brat of yours learns some manners."
"If anything he is going to want to fight you."
"If that's what he wants, fine. I'll take him on in front of you as a referee and kick his all as many times as needed until he stops acting like a self-centered brat who uses his grandfather's name to get what he wants." (1)
Slowly raising an eyebrow, Tsuno lightly 'hummed' in thought. Konohamaru kept boasting that he was the best in the academy, he claimed that no one could beat him, and most importantly he kept claiming that he was going to be the next Hokage. It didn't help that Ebisu was stoking his already inflated ego.
Of course Tsuno couldn't pass the blame on others. A good lot of this was his fault too, both him and his wife neglected their son in order to protect the village from the shadows by being his father's eyes and ears, and sometimes hands. By the time they realized how terrible their son had become the damage was already done, and they had no one to blame but themselves for it.
"Fine, but this will be the last time you deal with him. If you lay a hand on my boy again, you will come to realize how much you messed up when I'm taking my pound of flesh from you."
That was not a threat, but a promise. Now Naruto didn't know much about Tsuno Sarutobi, even less about his wife, but he knew that they were powerful in their own right, and would more than likely kick his ass. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
Nothing else needed to be said between the two shinobi. Naruto left on his own violation and exited the building, but he did not make his way to the team meeting point just yet.
Instead he made his way to Black Mask's disputed territory. After the fall of the Yakuza, and the Hishimanji Guren Gang, the only faction left was the Ronin and they were at a standstill with Black Mask and the amount of people he recruited into his gang. Problem was they weren't gone yet, and the crime lord must have been preparing something big or keeping a low profile after his last push.
Ironically enough the place where the Hishimanji Guren Gang met their end was being worked on. The temple that had been neglected for years was being restored to its former glory. By who, Naruto didn't know, it certainly wasn't Tazuna, his contract was almost up.
"To my surprise the village has been forking over the funds to make this place much nicer." A familiar voice caused the hairs on Naruto's neck to rise. Several deliberate heavy footsteps approached him from behind until the familiar figure of Black Mask was on his right hand side. "You've been busy kid."
"You haven't." Naruto bluntly said.
"That request of yours has not been easy to dig up." Black Mask growled in annoyance. "I've sent word to my organization and they have only come up with bits and pieces. I am not satisfied with these results and are having them dig deeper."
"And the Ronin?"
"I'm keeping them scared. I've been plucking off one or two of their guys every so often deep within their territory and disrupting their businesses. I'll make a move soon and be out of this crap hole of a village."
Naruto wanted to argue that his village wasn't a crap hole, but he would be lying. There were still people like Bekkou and Iwana who hated him for the Kyuubi sealed within him, not to mention some bad memories that still plagued his mind. However, recently, he found a lot of good things in the people he interacted with, so the village broke even. "Just make sure that I get that information I paid you for."
"Yea, yea, the Nara brat will learn what's going on with him. I'm still surprised you're willing to put so much resources into someone that isn't you." Black Mask said.
"You misunderstand my intentions." Naruto's sharp voice cracked like a whip. "Shikamaru is an unknown. Besides being smart, being able to manipulate his shadows into so-called "shadow blades" and without the use of hand seals is a danger for me."
"Heh, you're still cold-hearted as ever kid." Black Mask responded as a cruel chuckle. "Are you really going to take out that Nara kid if he becomes a threat to you and those fruitless ambitions of yours?"
Naruto only glared at his associate in response, the fool may have been pleased with his current position, but he was not. The blond did not risk his life over the course of six years for nothing. "Just get back to work, I would like to come back to a cleaner village."
Black Mask's red eyes shined with malicious intent. "Oh don't worry, it will be crystal clear."
No other words needed to be said between the two of them. Black Mask was a professional through and through, he would get what he needed done and be on his way. Naruto eventually made his way through the village until he reached the gate where his team was, the blonde honestly found himself surprised that he was the last one to arrive.
"You're late." Never did anyone expect to hear that come from Kakashi's mouth. Nor did he expect to see the Hakkō Chakura Tō sheathed on the back of his flak-vest.
"You're armed." Naruto said in return.
"After our last couple of missions Kakashi-sensei said we need to be more prepared. Sasuke-kun purchased some sealing scrolls to store some emergency...everything just in case we have to deal with another tyrant or dictator." Sakura filled in for their teacher. Naruto turned to see that even she had two kunai pouches on her thighs, and a remarkably large medical pouch resting on her lower back.
"I hope you have done the same." Sasuke said, with the usual scowl on his face as he patted the chokuto on the left side of his waist. It was one of many ninja tools he had on his person now.
"Why do you think I was late?" Naruto bluntly asked as he patted the pouch that held his own scrolls. He was damn near ready for anything for this mission, hopefully nothing would go sideways like last time.
"Lets go team, we won't complete the mission just standing here." Kakashi took the lead and bounded out of the gates, his Genin followed close behind seconds later. It had been a while since he even participated in a diplomatic mission, hopefully he wasn't too rusty.
(Konohagakure, Senju Compound – 11am)
The Senju compound was one of the oldest clan homes since Konoha's founding. It was located on the northern side of the village, and its buildings were said to have been created by Hashirama Senju himself using his kekkei genkai. Like the Uchiha compound it was remarkably large, able to hold over two-hundred people with room to spare.
Since the death of the Nidaime Hokage the compound had been isolated, a tall wall blocking it off from the village. The shinobi and civilian populace who could happily walk in to greet their old friends were blocked by a large gate, and its members rarely seen in the village itself.
On this day those gates came tumbling down. Literally. The thick wood cracked and and splintered on the hinges. The loud banging sound alerted the members of the clan, many who made their way to the entrance.
A single figure strolled into the compound with a determined look on his face. After walking over the downed gates and into the main grounds.
"Hold it, what are you doing here!?" One Senju clan member demanded.
The figure didn't answer.
"I said-" The Senju's voice died in his throat when the figure looked straight at him, and cowed in terror from the commanding presence.
The figure walked past the man he just terrorized, walking past several other people who demanded who he was. They were ignored, even as he entered the largest of buildings where blueprints claimed was some sort of training grounds. When he entered it, the place was devoid of anyone training, in fact it looked like no one had stepped foot inside it in decades.
This was unacceptable! The figure scowled and turned towards the gathering mass who were brave enough to follow after him. This would have to do, he had to do a lot of damage control. He turned towards everyone gathered, his voice powerful, and demanding attention. "My name is Yamato Senju, the great grandson of Hashirama Senju. And as of today I am your new clan head!"
-Flashback, one hour ago-
"Choza, what do you think this is about?" Inochi asked one of his oldest teammates.
"Honestly, I don't know." Choza replied. The large man looked around the council chambers and saw a lot of faces he had not seen in years.
The Hokage had called all clan heads to the village to meet at this point in time, and it was mandatory. Minus the Uchiha Clan with Sasuke off on a mission, every prominent clan within Fire Country was in the council room.
They saw an older man nearing his sixties that had light brown hair that fell over his ears and small black eyes. He wore a light purple kimono and was seated elegantly. He was Unkai Karama, the head of the Karama Clan.
Sitting next to Tsume was a man in a grey outfit. He had shoulder-length smooth black hair and almond-shaped grey-colored eyes along with a very thin mustache. He was Agari Kaisen, the head of the Kaisen Clan.
They then turned their attention towards a woman. She was relatively young, and would have been considered pretty if it wasn't for her having a resting bitch face. She had short brown hair that went to her neck, green eyes, she wore the standard uniform of Konohagakure, minus the fact her arms were bare to show a symbol of black futatsudomoe tattooed on her upper right arm with two lines going around it. She was Yumi Kohaku, head of the Kohaku Clan. (2)
There was another woman sitting next to Hiashi of all people. She was remarkably short, had fair skin, dark-green eyes, and long wavy blonde hair with widows peak, reaching her back. She wore a violet-colored kimono top with white trimmings tied by a black obi, black shorts with a shuriken holster underneath a slit black skirt with red trimmings, violet arm warmers and black shinobi boots. She was Hotaru Tsuchigumo, the head of the Tsuchigumo Clan.
Then there was Danzo Shimura, possibly the very last member of the Shimura Clan. He was a sight that soured the faces of many people within the room. The only reprieve was that there were no members of the Civilian Council, this was a shinobi matter after all.
But what surprised them was a face that a great lot of them figured died years ago. He was a tall man, wore a dark green kimono-like outfit with brown trim. His hair was a steel-grey color that went to his waist, and had black eyes. Everyone knew the man was well into his seventies, but he barely looked like he was fifty. He was Akisame Senju, the head of the reclusive Senju Clan. (3)
Hiruzen Sarutobi entered the council chambers flanked by his former teammates. Both Homura and Koharu looked remarkably baffled as the rest of them. Not since The Third Great Shinobi War had every clan head in Fire Country been called together, and everyone was curious as to why. Was there some sort of situation? Were they preparing for war? No one knew.
Once the Sandaime made his way to the podium, Homura to his left, Koharu to his right. The longest reigning Hokage to date forcefully cleared his throat before speaking to them. "Esteemed members of the shinobi council, I have called you here today for an important announcement." Taking a deep breath to steady his breathing, Hiruzen broke the news. "As of today, one of our founding clans is going to become active once more."
"Excuse me Hokage-sama, but what do you mean by that?" Tsume asked.
"I am also confused, do you mean the four clans that joined the village during the Shodaime's reign?" Shibi questioned his village leader. "I can assure you, my clan is still active."
"My clan might have stepped down from the council, but we are still serving the village." Unkai stood to his feet in outrage. "We're doing our best, and yet you expect more!?"
"With respect Hokage-sama, my clan has been patrolling the borders of Rain Country without fail. That was the deal we made with the Nidaime if you recall." Yumi said in a remarkably sharp voice.
Hiruzen raised his hand to calm them all down. He knew that there was going to be a lot of fuss, and a lot of pointless demands for answers. Now wasn't the time to listen to either of them, he had much work that needed to be done today. "Everyone, I ask that you calm yourselves and allow me to explain myself."
After the clamor died down, Hiruzen paused for several seconds to brace himself. "Since the founding of the village, both the Senju and Uchiha Clans have worked their way into the history books. The two strongest clans in the Warring States Period created the foundations of the shinobi world we have come to know today. And both those clans have been in decline until today."
That statement alone caused confused murmurs, especially from Akisame, and a suspicious look from Danzo himself. It was no secret that both mighty clans had been in decline, with the Uchiha Clan getting slaughtered when Sasuke was eight years old, and the Senju had not been able to produce any good shinobi since the death of the Nidaime Hokage.
"I discovered a young boy many years ago, he didn't look like much, but he had a special ability not seen since the Shodaime's time." Hiruzen said, pausing for several seconds to get his body under control, he felt himself needing to cough, but forced it down.
He was granted more time by the timely intervention of Homura, he looked at his old teammate, surprised. "What sort of ability are you talking about?"
Koharu chimed in almost immediately. "Why weren't we informed of this?"
"Because this was something I needed to keep close to my chest. This remarkable young man had such potential that I didn't want him corrupted by...undesirable people." He looked at Danzo directly, fully knowing exactly what he would have done if he gained control over this boy...again.
The doors to the council chamber opened to reveal a man with short brown hair and black, almond-shaped eyes. He wore the standard attire of a Konohagakure shinobi, with slightly modified flak jacket that held more scroll pouches on the front of it. Oddly enough he didn't have the Uzushiogakure crest on the shoulders of his sleeves, and the neck of his navy-blue shirt was form fitting and went up to his chin. He also had a happuri-style forehead protector that framed his face. But most alarming was the object resting on his left hip, a purple metallic hilt in the shape of a vajra; the Raijin no Ken.
Akisame's old eyes widened in alarm and he bolted to his feet. "Hokage-sama, what is the meaning of this. Why does this stranger hold the Raijin no Ken!" He loudly demanded.
"I have to agree with Senju-san." Danzo seconded. His mind was racing a thousand miles a second, no news reached him regarding where the Raijin no Ken was located after the artifact was recovered. His spies tried locating it, but they failed, and now this stranger had it. What was that old colleague of his playing at? And why did this young man look so familiar?
Hiruzen stopped them all before anything could get out of hand. "Everyone, allow me to introduce one of my best operatives, Yamato. Yamato Senju."
Silence deafened the council chambers at the bold declaration. Hiashi blinked his activated Byakugan eyes, Choza was openly gaping, Inochi honestly was wondering if there was a screw loose with their village leader, and many others had looks that ranged from confusion or speechless shock.
The first voice was from none other than Akisame, it was angry and forceful. "What sort of sham are you playing at!? I know every member of my clan by heart, and this charlatan isn't one."
"Forgive me, Akisame-sama but please allow me explain." Yamato stepped forward to explain himself. Before this entire meeting took place, both him and the Hokage spent days going over what to expect, and how he would handle himself. They could have told an elaborate lie, or they could have told the truth about how he came to be.
They settled on telling the truth. It would definitely cause a few concerns, even raise a few questions. But Yamato knew one thing. He was not going to back down, he was not going to be timid, he was going to show everyone that he was worthy of being Hashirama's successor and the new clan head.
"When I was six years old I was abducted by Orochimaru. I and fifty-nine other children became his test subjects as he injected the Shodaime Hokage's DNA in us in hopes for us to replicate his ability to use the Mokuton (Wood Style) Kekkei Genkai." He paused to reflect on one of the the darkest days of his life, his face casting a creepy "ghoul-eyes" expression that caused well over half the council to recoil at the sudden changes in his personality. "While contained in a test tube, I was fully conscious of my surroundings, watching in horror as the other children died from the experiment. I didn't want to die, not all by myself, I tapped into the power within me to escape where I was found not too long after."
Danzo's lone eye widened and he gripped his cane underneath his desk. He remembered Yamato now, or as he was called Kinoe when he was with Root until he became soft and questioned his orders. He nearly disposed of such a useless shinobi but was stopped by both Hiruzen and Kakashi. After Kinoe was taken, Danzo banished the boy from his thoughts, figuring he died on a mission, or from the results or Orochimaru's experiment taking a toll on his body. His agents sent him constant updates on the boy, or the lack of his body, forcing him to presume Kinoe died.
How wrong was he.
Yamato knew this, he looked at the old war hawk for a brief second before addressing the council and altering the truth. "Hokage-sama protected me, I trained myself how to use the Mokuton, and joined the Anbu to protect the village from the shadows until the time was right for me to reveal myself." He gave them all polite smile. "And that day is now."
"Then this is a joyful day!" Hotaru exclaimed with a happy smile. "Welcome home Senju-sama."
"I must say, this is a surprising turn of events." Agari remarked with a small grin on his face. "Hokage-sama, you old fox, and here I thought you couldn't surprise us anymore you go around and do this."
Tsume didn't even stop herself from laughing. To her this was far too hilarious. "A Senju that can use the Mokuton, I never thought I would see the day."
Even Unkai couldn't help but crack a small smile. "Perhaps it was worth coming to this meeting after all."
"Are all of you blind?" Akisame bellowed. Slamming his hands on his table, audible cracks appeared on the surface. "There is still no proof that he can actually use the Mokuton. I will not accept a fraud."
"I hate to burst your collective bubbles but unless there is proof that this..." Koharu looked at Yamato with a scrutinizing gaze. "Young man indeed can used the Mokuton, I will not accept this."
And that was what both Hiruzen and Yamato were waiting for. His hands flying through the required hand seals, Yamato focused his chakra into the wood surrounding Koharu. "Wood Style: Four Pillar Prison Jutsu!"
Within seconds after his jutsu was cast nothing happened. But then wood sprouted out of the area surrounding Koharu and she was encased in a wooden prison that barely left her any moving room. Both her and Homura openly gaped in surprise, along with a good chunk of the shinobi council.
Hiashi was the first to break the silence, and smugly turned towards Akisame who looked to be at a loss for words. "It seems your tenure as clan head is up."
The Senju clan head snapped out of his stupor and shook his head in denial. "Even though he can use the Mokuton, I will not accept him into our clan. He is not blood related in the slightest to us."
"I respectfully disagree, with Hashirama Senju's DNA within me, I am technically related to him." Yamato calmly said before he canceled his jutsu to free Koharu. "You could say that he is my great-great grandfather. And I do plan of taking over the role of clan head, you look like you can finally enjoy your retirement."
"Absolutely not! My heir has already been chosen! She may be young, but once she makes Chunin I fully plan on leaving her everything this clan stands for."
"So nothing?" Yamato dared to say. "If my history is correct, the Senju didn't specialize in one area, instead they mastered ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu to give them a wide variety of skills to combat their enemies. A thousand hands is what our clan stands for, but from what I've seen you have done nothing since Tobirama died. You allowed rot to decay a wonderful tree. I intend to make it grow once more, and when I meet this heiress of yours, I will determine if she is worthy of not."
"She has the Mokuton the same as you!" That declaration had the entire council rocketing back on their heels. Two people who could use the Mokuton kekkei genkai? What was going on with this crazy ass day?
Yamato narrowed his eyes at Akisame. There was someone else like him? Hiruzen looked over at him, his expression unreadable, but even he couldn't deny that he didn't know about this. Nor could Danzo believe his ears. Another person with the ability to use the Mokuton? How did he not know about this!?
"Who are you talking about?" Yamato demanded.
"I will not answer you, pretender!"
It was time to improvise, out of all the things they anticipated, the Senju Clan having someone with the Shodaime's kekkei genkai without anyone knowing about it. This was a situation that called for some Anbu diplomacy. Yamato threw back his right arm. "Wood Style!"
Thrusting it outwards, Yamato's fingers turned into wood, they flew at Akisame and bound him tighter than any restraining devise and pulled him towards him until they were face to face. That certainly got everyone watching riled up. "Stand down!" He ordered them.
"You cannot believe we're just going to stand here while you manhandle Akisame." Choza barked.
"This is bordering on treason." Tsume said.
"I ought to deal with you myself for such a transgression." Yumi growled.
The entire room was tense, everyone was poised to attack Yamato. Hiruzen himself feared that he needed to step in. However, there was no need, Hotaru, Shikaku, Shibi, Agari, Unkai and even Hiashi walked down the isles to stand beside Yamato.
"What is the meaning of this, Hiashi, Shikaku, how could you stand with this betrayal?" Homura demanded.
Shikaku sighed in irritation. "Everyone calm down, you're all being way too troublesome."
"What Shikaku is trying to say is that this is a clan-related issue. It is no different than an Inuzuka member vying for the Alpha position, or voting for someone to step down because the current leader is doing an inadequate job." Hiashi looked towards the bound Akisame. "And quite frankly I think the Senju Clan could use some new blood."
"My grandfather told me stories about how the first two Hokages were wonderful men with the Will of Fire blazing brightly. Akisame Senju hasn't shown any of their characteristics in the thirty minutes that I've known him." Hotaru left out the part of him being a giant jerk as well, there wasn't a need to sully her hands with name calling.
"Please, Akisame-san has always been like that. A prideful old goat that always managed to get under your skin." Unkai remarked, showing his old age for once.
"And from what I hear, the only reason he was made clan head was because Tsunade ran away." While Agari hated speaking ill of an old acquaintance of his, Tsunade unfortunately brought this upon herself by running away from her problems.
The remaining members of the shinobi council slowly, very slowly backed down from Yamato manhandling Akisame. There wasn't any dialogue between the two of them, just Yamato looking at the older man before he released him unceremoniously onto his ass. Ignoring the coughing man, the former Anbu operative made his way to exit the room.
"Yamato, where are you going?" Hiruzen said.
"To the Senju compound, I got a lot of work ahead of me."
"You can't do that! I'm the head of this clan!" Akisame hollered.
"Not anymore. From now on I am the head of the Senju Clan." Yamato said before walking out without another word.
"You can't do this!"
Shibi looked at the now former clan head with a raised eyebrow. "I think he just did."
(Konohagakure slums, Ronin Territory – Meanwhile)
"God fucking damn it, can you fools not deal with one fucking psycho in a trench coat!?" Roared Shogo Akuji. He was a young man dressed on the red and yellow leather jacket with the Ronin symbol on the back of it. Strapped to his back was a katana.
"Shogo-sama, I insist you calm down." Spoke Jyunichi, the muscle of the gang. He wore a sleeveless version of the uniform that showed off numerous tattoos on his arms, and a shaved head. Like many other members he had a katana strapped to his back.
"Fuck you Jyunichi, I cannot calm down. For almost two months we've had this son of a bitch tearing through our guys like swiss cheese. We've lost millions in production, the weapons, the drugs...it's all gone now!" Shogo slammed his hand on the table he was standing at within the warehouse, and flipped it in anger. He spilled the contents of some weapons, and food onto the ground. It honestly caused the twenty-five gang members that were with them to recoil.
Jyunichi, however, was stone faced. He had seen their general leader of the gang act far worse in the past. It was true, they had lost a lot in the past two months, but they could eventually rebuild. They needed to be smarter, they needed to be more careful.
That was all before several kunai impacted the ground around the twenty-five gang members with exploding tags attached to the hilts. A massive explosion rocked the entire foundation and painted the insides with gore and body parts. A dark figure then descended down on the two remaining people within the warehouse. Shogo was his first target, an easy kill.
Jyunichi intercepted two tanto blades with his katana. He looked at the infamous black clad figure in the same black mask that had been causing them an endless amount of trouble. The figure used his arm strength to flip off the blade and land on his feet ten feet away.
"Not bad, not bad at all." Black Mask commented with a skeletal grin on his face. "Jyunichi, your potential is wasted here."
"Trying to recruit me is pointless. My loyalty is the the Ronin, and the Ronin alone."
"Then you're going to have to die with them." Black Mask opened up his mouth, crackling blue electricity erupting from it. "Lightning Style: False Darkness!" Lightning in the shape of a spear erupted from his mouth, flying towards his foes like a laser beam.
Jyunichi didn't block the attack, nor did he go on the offensive. Instead he retreated and grabbed a prone Shogo, he barely escaped the powerful attack that pierced through the concrete like wet paper. Rolling on the ground he threw his boss away with such force that his body literally bent the metal walls. Immediately getting to his feet Jyunichi let out a roar of defiance and charged at Black Mask with surprising speed.
Black Mask intercepted the attack and changed his lightning chakra through the blades to try and electrocute Jyunichi. It was a old trick of his, electrocute his enemies, lock up their muscles, finish them off. Easy peasy lemon peasy. But Jyunichi let go of his sword before it could even reach his fingers. He attacked Black Mask without his weapon.
A powerful open palm strike knocked the tanto from Black Mask's right hand. A snap kick knocked the remaining tanto from the left, then a double palm strike struck the gang leader right in the chest and sent him flying backwards. The soles of his sandals skidded on the ground before coming to a stop. "Oh yea. Finally someone who can fight back, I was getting a little tired of butchering all your subordinates."
Jyunichi didn't answer, he rushed at his opponent. They met head on, the both of them lashed out with a savage right kick that sent painful shockwaves up their bones, Black Mask was struck across the face by a savage left hook that rattled his brains, but he returned the favor with a terrible blow to the solar plexus. A sharp jab would have caved in his nose if it weren't for the mask absorbing the brunt of the attack.
"Thunder Clap!" Black Mask charged his chakra into the palms of his hands and slapped them together. A thunderous boom blew back Jyunichi, destroying his eyes, and rupturing his eardrums, he watched as the gangster collapsed to his knees and held his bleeding ears in agony.
Black Mask then proceeded to pick up his tantos and twirl them in his gloved hands. He had to remark that Jyunichi put up a good fight, if the man was a shinobi he really should have stuck with it, the Hokage could have used a good man like him. Oh well, Jyunichi chose his path in life, and Black Mask chose his, now he would have to reap the consequences.
Sheathing his tantos, Black Mask smirked and began to run his hands through a pair of familiar hand seals. "Ninja Art: Lightning Ball!" He said creating spheres of electrical energy around Jyunichi. With a single wave of his hand he descended them upon his enemy and watched as they impacted him. His screams of agony was music to his ears, and he collapsed to the ground unmoving.
"And then there was one." He turned towards the cowering form of Shogo. A truly evil grin formed on his mask face as he marched towards the gang leader, slowly putting his hands through various hand seals. "Hold still kid, it won't hurt if you move."
"Gatotsu!" Saito's killing intent was the only warning that Black Mask had. He barely managed to pivot himself to the side as Saito's razor sharp blade cut through his side and obliterate the portion of his trench coat. He watched as Saito's form stood in front of the quivering Shogo.
Feeling blood freely falling from his fresh wound, Black Mask betrayed nothing as he looked at his latest opponent. "A police officer, you ruined my favorite coat..." He said through gritted teeth. "Here I thought you all were too busy catching purse thieves."
Saito didn't rise to the insult, instead he placed his katana horizontally holding it with his left arm bend backwards. His right arm stretched out, fingers spread, his wolf-like eyes glaring at his prey. "I've been on your trail for months. And like any wolf, I waited for my chance to strike."
"So you let me do all the dirty work, what sort of officer of the law are you?"
Turning his attention towards Jyunichi's deceased form and shrugged his shoulders. "The type that would have have his enemies thin the herd to make it easier for him to take out."
Black Mask's red eyes only gleamed with delight. "You're cold-hearted as well!" The crime lord laughed, it was far too amusing to meet another person just like him. He then felt the white-hot pain of his wound trailing up his right side, he may have been putting up a good front, but he was cut deep. "I would like to stay and fight, but you got me good. I'm going to bow out of this fight."
"I have orders to take you in, there is no way you're going to escape justice for the things you've done." Saito crouched lower, his muscles poised to strike. "You're coming with me."
"I don't think so. I'll leave you with a choice, you can come after me, or you can save that pathetic worm. Your choice." Black Mask raised his hands into the tiger seal. "Release!"
A series of explosions rang through the warehouse, the exploding tags the crime lord places on the corners and support beams of the warehouse were annihilated, causing the roof to collapse. Dust rose into the air, obscuring Saito's vision for several seconds, Black Mask was gone, disappeared for sight. It left a sour taste in Saito's mouth, but he forced it away. Instead he turned towards the terrified Shogo.
"Stay back! I won't go to prison, you won't take me-" Saito kicked the gang leader right in the teeth and smashed him against the metal wall. Blood and broken teeth fell from Shogo's busted mouth, the katana he tried to unsheathe was then pulled out of its scabbard and tossed away.
"I'm not going back alone, you're under arrest." Saito forcefully grabbed Shogo by his leather jacket, and dragged him out of crumbling warehouse. He did his job as a police officer in destroying the major gangs, sure Chief Uramura would probably chastise him for the destruction of property, but he would submit his report and let the higher ups deal with it.
After all, he still had two more people to confront. Black Mask was in his sights, the second was this mystery man who killed those Ronin.
"The work of a police officer is never done." Saito sighed and he dragged the protesting Shogo through the streets.
"You're so full of crap sensei." Naruto bluntly said.
"And what part of my story was crap, Naruto?" Kakashi coolly asked.
"Fifty wins for Gai, and Fifty-one wins for you. I find that a little suspicious."
During the entire day Team Seven traveled at a breakneck pace, stopping only for some short breaks and a filling lunch. An hour before night fell they stopped to set up camp and prepared their dinner over an open campfire. During this time Kakashi decided to create a team building exercise by having his Genin converse with each other by telling personal stories from their past. He started off first by telling them a story regarding one of the many challenges between him and Gai Maito. Of course he only told them the stories that ended up with him winning.
"I've seen Gai's physique through that spandex uniform of his. How could you beat him in rock climbing?" Sasuke demanded with a raised eyebrow.
"And an eating contest?" Sakura deadpanned. "I would expect that from Choji or Kiba, not from an adult."
"Sakura, Jonin aren't all gloom and doom. We have our ways of having fun and blowing off some steam, I just happened to get annoyed by Gai those days and beat him on those challenges." Kakashi lightly dismissed with a wave of his palm. "Now, how about you tell us something none of us knew about."
"Wait, why me?" Sakura squeaked.
"Because I said so." Kakashi pointedly said.
"Ohhh." Sakura let out a small whine that honestly caused Naruto to chuckle. She pondered for several seconds regarding what she wanted to tell, she didn't exactly have anything tragic to tell, and she didn't want to say anything embarrassing for fear that her team would look down on her. Sure she had some training accidents, but she wanted to put them in a good light.
Just then she figured out what to reveal. It might not have been the greatest story, but it was better than nothing. "Well, I guess I could tell you something about when I was training to be a medical shinobi."
"This ought to be good." Kakashi remarked.
"Um, on my first month of joining the program I studied hard to learn the human anatomy, where the major blood vessels were, the nerves, tendons and such. I exceeded in that, got the top marks of the class." Sakura couldn't help but brag from her accomplishments, with all her earlier insecurity issues when she was a kid, she couldn't help but feel proud of herself.
Naruto actually nodded his head at her, unlike him who would never be qualified as a medical shinobi due to the fact he could never heal such severe injuries, Sakura getting top marks was impressive. "Top marks huh? I can't help but be impressed."
"Really?" Sakura blinked her green eyes. During their mission in both Wave Country and Snow Country he showed a remarkable amount of medical knowledge. He healed a majority of Team Eight, and saved Kiba from dying from being stabbed in the liver. "But weren't you trained as a medical-nin?"
"Trained, but not certified."
"Then how exactly did you save Kiba?" Sasuke asked.
"I got a lot of chakra. I took care of the liver itself first, stopped the bleeding by pouring the healing charka into the wound itself and closed it. After that I stemmed the bleeding and stabilized him enough for professionals to do the rest."
"But didn't you also work on Kurenai-sensi's arm and Shino?" Sakura asked.
"Rebreaking bones is the best way to fix something that wasn't healed correctly. Shino only needed a blast of healing chakra and his insects would do the rest." Naruto shrugged in response, it was only the truth. "Don't expect me to be a miracle worker Sakura. Resetting bones, healing cuts and bruises are all I can do. You're the one who can save lives, not me. Now can we get on with this story of yours?"
Sakrua's cheeks flushed in mortification from getting off topic. Clearing her throat she quickly got back on track, even though she was dreading it. "Well after we got the basics down, we started to work on reviving a fish using the Mystical Palm Jutsu. Full of confidence and bluster I went first."
"And what happened after that?" Kakashi curiously asked.
Sakura's cheeks flushed scarlet, "I succeeded...but the fish became too lively. It actually flopped into into my face and went down the loose shirt I wore that day."
Kakashi snickered, and actually covered his masked face with his right hand. Sasuke's mouth twitched, he almost smiled. Naruto had no reservations, he laughed. The image of some large fish going down Sakura's shirt and smacking her in the face with its tail was a real rib buster.
"Now that is a good story. I have never heard of that happening." Naruto said after he calmed himself down.
"I have to agree, nothing like that ever happened in my entire career." Kakashi seconded before he turned to the ever stoic Sasuke. "Now how about you Mr. Sunshine?"
"Do I have to do this?" Sasuke demanded.
"Do you want me to make this mission a living hell for you?" Kakashi was never one to make idle threats, when they weren't doing missions, they were trailing. And Naruto knew that Kakashi could be a harsh task master.
Sasuke sucked on his teeth in irritation, he was not the sharing type. "Fine, you win. I can't believe I'm telling you people this." The Uchiha took a deep breath and steadied himself. "When I was a kid I got tricked into collecting cat paws."
"Cat paws?" Naruto asked.
"Wait a second." Sakura's green eyes widened in remembrance. "You took a few weeks off from the academy for personal reasons. You never said anything about it afterwards, even though you came back beat up and covered in scratches."
Now that had Kakashi's interest peeked. "Oh, tell us more."
Sasuke growled in response to that. "Listen to me carefully, this was something that my older brother tricked me into doing when I was a kid when we bought weapons for my clan. I collected paw prints from nimble house cats to the Nibi."
Naruto spat out the tea he had been drinking, not because of what Sasuke said...well not just that reason. The Kyuubi was screaming bloody murder. "He dares insinuate that he got a tailed-beast to actually give its paw print to him!?"
"That's extremely hard to believe. Sasuke-kun a biju wouldn't just let you do that." Sakura may have admired, and still had strong feelings for the last Uchiha, but even the former fangirl was having a hard time believing his wild claim.
"I didn't get it. It was one of my assigned paw prints my brother told me to get. Nekobaa, the old hag who got me started on the stupid thing went to Kumogakure herself, asked their jinchuriki for the paw print. Apparently she gave it with no fuss, the other two, the Dead Lion was one I got as a kid, and the Nekomata was the very last one I got when I was fourteen." Sasuke's voice didn't hitch, his onyx-black eyes didn't dilate, his pulse didn't race. He was being stone cold serious. (4)
Kakashi cleared his throat in response and gave his student one of his infamous eye-smiles. "I can't help but respect you for not only going out of your way to complete your collection, but to-"
"Whatever." Sasuke rudely cut his sensei off, if he heard anymore sappy stuff he was going to puke. Instead his eyes squarely turned on Naruto. "Now it's your turn, and it better be good."
Naruto only sighed in response. He actually had to sit back and think about what he wanted to say. The members of the Juppongatana were out of the question, some of his missions should never reach the light of day, and he was left with only a couple of options. He really didn't want to share them though, they were very personal.
Sakura slightly turned her head towards the blonde and spoke up. "Why don't you tell us how you met Zabuza?" When Naruto's head snapped towards her, she reeled back in surprise. "I just mean...you telling us they served you out of nowhere is very surprising."
Like fuck that was going to happen. Naruto was not going to share that sort of information with them, not yet at least. "I have a better idea. How about we not do that, instead I can tell you a few things when I was in Earth Country."
That caused Kakashi's lone eye to narrow. As a veteran from The Third Great Shinobi War, he had some issues regarding one their villages oldest enemies. "It better not be how you got that shirt we first met you in."
"I liked that shirt." Naruto protested. "Ugh, listen during my mercenary days I, and many others were hired for a suicide mission. What I did was not important, what came after was seeing the village in a different light, the reason I fucking hate Lightning Lion...and breaking the heart of someone I cared for."
(Konohagakure – Village gates, one day later)
"Another boring day." Kotetsu complained rather loudly.
"Do I really need to tell you why we're guarding the gates, again?" Izumo said in irritation.
"How was I supposed to know that would happen!?" Kotetsu protested.
Why was Izumo so upset with his fellow Chunin? It started a few weeks back during an escort mission for the Fire Daimyo and his wife to find a new cat at the loss of Tora. That ended in a total failure since the woman was beside herself with grief at the loss of her precious kitty cat. Kotetsu remarked that it was just a stupid cat.
That one remark sent a complaint wall the way up to the chain of high command and onto the Hokage's lap. And while the old Kage could understand their anguish regarding catching the descendant of that demon cat, he had to appease the Daimyo by punishing them, otherwise it would just put unneeded stress on his old body.
And that was why the eternal Chunin were standing watch at the gates until the next Chunin Exams.
"Haaa...we can never catch a break. Everyone in that village hated that damn cat." Kotetsu complained.
"Yes, but you don't say it out loud in front of the owner. Besides it's a right of passage for Genin teams to get turned into living scratching posts." Izumo wrung his hands together with a malicious grin on his face. "If we had to suffer, then so do they!"
Kotetsu sweat-dropped in response to that, and here he was called immature. Turning his attention back towards the path leading to the gates, his heart sank into his stomach. "Uh, dude...I think I'm having a stroke."
"What, what makes you say that?"
"Cause...I'm seeing Stone shinobi approaching our gate."
Turning his head towards the path, Izumo's mouth came unhinged. Stone shinobi were indeed approaching them, three of them to be exact.
The first one was a woman with shoulder-length brown hair with a single lock falling onto the right side of her face and steel-gray eyes with orange markings in the corners. She wore what appeared to be an altered, purple kimono dress with red trimmings. She also wore a yellow sash around her waist and thigh-length stockings that merged into her sandals.
The second was a very tall man, standing well over seven foot five in height. He was also heavily armored, wearing red armor that covered his arms, chest and legs with a furnace on the back that emitted steam. He had light brown eyes, was eyebrowless, and his armor extended all the way to the bottom half of his face, covering it up. Underneath the armor covering the bottom half of his face, he wore a white cloth which also covered both sides of his face and the top of his head. Aside from his red armor, he also wore a red kasa (conical straw hat) over the white cloth and it seemed to be composed of the same material of his armor and furnace. He wore his Iwagakure forehead protector on a black cloth, and over his armor, he wore a black gi, with the sleeves torn off and black gloves. He also wears what seems to be a bronze-colored ring around his neck which he wore over his red armor.
The last was a woman with short, black hair and black eyes which were accentuated by her eyelashes running upwards at the corners. She wore the standard attire of a stone shinobi consisting of a red uniform with her right sleeve missing and a lapel over her right leg, the brown Iwagakure flak jacket, fishnet tights and a skirt over them. She was also wearing regular shinobi sandals, her Stone headband on her forehead, and a pair of gloves.
The kunoichi in the regular uniform approached them, causing them to become alarmed. She stopped several feet away from them and pulled out a scroll from her hip pouch. "I am Kurotsuchi Kamizuru, I come here on a mission from the Sandaime Tsuchikage. I request to see your Hokage."
"Yea...you expect us to believe that? Who's to say there isn't an army hiding behind you." Kotetsu demanded.
"Then you would be dead, and you village would be in flames." The brown-haired kunoichi deadpanned. She then pointed at the only male in their group. "Listen, Han here is more dangerous than an entire army. All we want to see is your village leader, and get back home."
"Easy there Suzumebachi, there's no need to frighten them any further." Kurotsuchi said to her relative.
Both Kotetsu and Izumo slowly backed up when Han turned his gaze towards them, his eyes glaring daggers at the two of them. It was almost as if he was daring them to try and attack them.
No one could claim the two Chunin of being cowards, they had plenty of B and A-ranked missions under their belt, but Han scared the living hell out of them. "Kotetsu...I think I should go get the Hokage, and perhaps the Anbu."
"If they aren't already here, but having the Hokage as backup isn't a bad idea." Oh why did they have to send off their resident Jinchuriki? Izumo turned tail and ran towards the Hokage Tower, he really just hoped that the old man wasn't going to have a heart attack.
After Izumo left to bring some major backup, Kurotsuchi reached into the front pouch of her flak jacket and pulled out a photo reel that showed herself, and a spiky red-haired young man with a cross shaped scar on is right cheek while the left looked like it held whisker-shaped birthmarks wearing the Iwagakure uniform.
The both of them were close together in an affectionate manner. His arm was wrapped around her waist in the first photo. In the second one they looked at each other, a smile on their faces. In the third one on the reel they drew closer together. And on the final one they were embraced in a passionate liplock.
Kurotsuchi gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes in anger. "Ashido...Naruto...whatever the hell your name is. When I find you, you're going to wish you were never born."
Armageddon: Another chapter done, sure there wasn't a whole lot of action, but not everything needs to be like the Snow Arc.
Pvt. Liquor: That's a lot of bunk, everyone likes good old fashioned violence!
Lt. RasenganFin: Shut up Liquor, you're lucky you got sprung from prison.
Armageddon: You're all lucky I sprung your asses from prison. Do you know how many strings I gad to pull in friggn' Vegas?
Pvt. Fox: I dunno, how many?
Armageddon: It took necromancy and talking to the ghost of Bugsy Segal to find a shit ton of bail money. Now all of you get back to work you gaggle of jerks, those GI Joe guys have been hogging all our glory and the A Team stole all of California from us. Move out!
(1) Now before you all get mad at me for picking on Konohamaru, remember Konohamaru was a giant brat who enjoyed in his status as the Hokage's grandson, got in trouble a lot and was never punished for it in Part I. With Naruto never beating him, he just continued to get worse until you get what you see now.
(2) I am not going to lie, Yumi is an original character...ugh just typing that makes my skin crawl. In my defense the only thing really known about them was that they paroled the border of Fire Country and Rain Country, were massacred by Furido's 4-Man Team, turned into zombies to attack Konohagakure itself, and they were affiliated with said village and wore their uniform. And no I have not watched that arc at all.
(3) Yes, another original character. Again, I am not exactly happy about it, but there is no other known (or living) Senju members besides Tsunade. So I had to resort to this, hope you enjoy it.
(4) Now onto Sasuke and his Paw Encyclopaedia, obviously I had to change a few things...and the fact I never saw the episode either. Don't worry about it, go on with your day now, nothing to see here.