My Path that Loops 25

And We're back. Holy crap that was a long break and it was kind of refreshing. I decided to cut down on chapters as a lot has been wearing on me. Between my job, life, and trying to write an actual novel/game/something (Haven't decided) I've been trying too many things. I will continue to update My Path That Loops once a month going forward but expect a pause during Nanowrimo.

I may also branch out and start writing RWBY again. I love the world but there's so little to go on. Plus, the fandom is fairly small and young so it's hard to gauge what people like and dislike.

Anyways, this chapter is short because it basically sets the politicalland scape for things to come. It also sets up the changed relationships between specific characters and how things are going to play out.

Here we go!

Twenty minutes early. I had made good time and had plenty of things to set up. I could worry about those things later. I had gotten Asuka synched up with Shizune. Itachi and Shisui were let in on the news . I wouldn't be handing Shizune a mask. I don't think I'd ever hand her a mask. Her mold was already made. She was a Konoha Shinobi through and through. I couldn't break her down and make her one of my own. She deserved better than that.

One of my own. I leaned back in my cushy chair against the wall. Just outside the council doors. I was looking out to Konoha from the Konoha Hall, the main hub for officials and the like. I just wanted a couple minutes of quiet. People were ambling in to my left. Some I recognized, like Shikaku and Fugaku, and other's I barely even knew.

I didn't bother saying hi. I wasn't really supposed to know them. Just faint meetings here and there. The only person I could really talk to was Fugaku, but I had to be very "respectful." Funny how things would work now. Shizune would be on probation. I would test her. See how she fit in. I needed morally loose characters and smart ones too. My tactics were almost always for the long con. I had to teach Itachi that in Mizu. Shisui had caught on right away. Sai and Shin were used to my antics. Asuka had learned on the battlefield.

Shizune would be my new project.

Something to keep me busy. And if it didn't work out, I would slowly phase her out and leave her as an informant. Keep things nice and tidy.

I yawned as I stood up. It was almost time.

"Quite a good morning, eh Boy?" I looked over and saw Koharu smiling at me. Her smile was soft and maternally. But, I could see the demon in her eyes.

I smiled back. "Of course, Koharu-sama. I will be looking forward to your guidance. I would like to thank you for adding me to this prestigious council."

We shared a small chuckle.

She folded the flaps of her robes behind her and straightened her shoulders. She gracefully walked past me and I followed her in. No need for ceremony. The council room was less auspicious than I had imagined. It was more of large round oak desk. Koharu flicked her hand to the side where two empty chairs resided. I walked over and sat down quietly.

My eyes flicked through the council members. The Konoha council was an interesting one. They decided on non-essential and non-military matters. At first, the Konoha council was meant to be for the civilians. The Shinboi, during the First Hokage and the Second Hokage's time were full of war. People, shinobi didn't have the time to focus on trading routes and the price of goods. Foreign relationships were dealt by official ambassadors and the occasional assassins. But after the Third Hokage, or rather, through the third Hokage's will, the Konoha council started growing. More power started being allocated to the small council and away from Konoha controlled military. As such, clans wanted a piece of the pie and started muscling their way into the council. Eventually the whole thing became a mix of both shinobi and civilian parts. And here we were, deciding on many issues that were political, economic, and everything in between.

It wasn't all that bad tough, apparently the Adviser council still held most of the power. I had bee According to Koharu, there was actually a lot less squabbling in the Adviser council. We worked to get the job down. Since we moved with big pieces and manipulated things on a grand scale, we didn't sweat the little things. Our power plays usually coincided with each other and we didn't step on each other's toes that much. My position with Danzo was a friendly rivalry at best. Koharu said that was not the case of the Konoha council. The Konoha council was showier, flashier. People talked in a flowery language here. "A lot of acting and dick waving" Koharu described to me. I wasn't looking forward to it at all.

I met Shikaku's eyes and gave him a weary smile. He returned with a smirk and nudged his companions next to him. I recognize them as the clan head of Yamanaka and Akimchi. They nodded to more politely and I nodded back. Next to them were other clan members. Fugaku was sitting very far away from the Hyuuga and the other clan heads were sitting in between… wait a minute. I gave the room another sweep.

The Shinobi and Civilian section were divided. Interesting. I looked next to me and saw some traders in very fine clothes, no weapons on them. Their hands were not calloused at all. So this was on purpose? Was this a subconscious choice of sides. I looked at Koharu who smiled at me. It was. So Koharu wanted me to play the civilian part. Interesting. She must have a reason for it. I had my hooks in the merchant guild.

Someone walked up next to me and sat down. I blinked. Kizashi Haruno sat next to me with a smile on his face. "hello there Toki-san."

"Ah, Kizashi-san." I smiled and shook his hand. "Good to see you again."

Kizashi gave me a wild smile. "Good to see you as well, how are you?"

"Fine, fine. How goes the guild."

"Business is going. We made quite the profit for the last few months. The people you recommended us, before you left, had really been pulling in business."

I nodded and smiled. I had recommended him the eastern border of Konoha. They were ships leaving to Mizu during the civil war.

I was about to ask him how much, when Koharu cleared her throat. I stopped and straightened myself. Koharu stood up and smiled. "I would like to start the meeting, by first welcoming our two newest additions to the council. Kizashi Haruno and Toki Nakamaru. Welcome."

Kizashi and I both stood up and bowed.

"I am honored to be here," I said.

Kizashi mirrored my sentiments.

We both sat down and waited for Koharu to continue. I noted that the civilian side looked eager to get the show on the road. But select members of the Shinobi side were a bit bored. Though I didn't count Shikaku, he was always bored.

"As you know the Chuunin exams are coming up and we have already decided on arrangements for seating and the exam sites itself. We are now moving to the portions of the invitation."

I saw some of the shinobi perk up with interest. I tapped my fingers against the table. There was also a noticeable quietness from the Civilian side. A quick glance at Kizashi told me that he had noticed it too. So, this was where the Shinobi took over?

"Let's get the obvious out of the way," Koharu said. "Suna and Kumo are invited. Their letters of invitation are already packaged and sealed. We have also included the border villages Rain and Grass."

Grass. Jiraiya had been investigating them for some reason. I would have to ask him about it later. Did Koharu know that Jiraiya was investigating them? I mean, Jiraiya reported directly to Koharu. Wouldn't they share information? It was never brought up within the council meetings so maybe not?

Still, not inviting Grass would cause suspicion. I had already stretched ties thin by diverting economic traffic away from Grass. Jiraiya had requested some prodding, so I had decided to see how they would react to losing money. Surprisingly, they didn't' seem to mind and I received no complaints from any of my spies. I don't know if that was troubling or good.

"Now let's open it up to any suggestions." Koharu waved her hands at the council.

The Hyuuga immediately spoke up. "I believe the land of Hot springs would appreciate the invite." He continued. "While their shinobi prowess may not be up to par. Their economic benefits could boost our income during the Chuunin exams."

There was a murmur of agreement from the civilian side. I leaned back in my chair. That recommendation was an easy picking. I could see that a mile away. Which meant that the Hyuuga wanted to brown nose the Civilian onto his side, maybe a power play for later? I looked at Fugaku, who was looking quite unconcerned.

I continued to wait. The Shinobi side continued to throw out a couple names. Land of Star, Land of snow and a couple others. Some were shot down to distance. Others were shot down because they were simply too unknown. It wouldn't do for people to invite no name villages to one of the biggest events of the Elemental Nations. One's like the Sound village got through just as a coin flip.

I honestly recognized some of the names, but others I didn't.
Strange, though, no one thought of inviting Iwa or Mizu. Maybe they were just crossed out purely on the basis of previous chuunin exams? Or in Iwa's case, past wars?

The conversation winded down and slowed. Most people said their peace and were just murmuring agreement just to fill the quota. The Chuunin exams, especially the large ones, needed to have a number of examinees. Konoha certainly couldn't fill all of it.

They were still a couple short, though. I took a sip of my water. I debated what I should do. Jiraiya told me to let Koharu do all the work. I agreed I needed a break. Fugaku said that the Council would just be a cake walk. And, I really really needed a break.

But, that wasn't who I was.

I sighed. Here's to an un-peaceful life.

"How about Mizu?" I said.

The room stilled. All the eyes pointed at me. Koharu coughed but I saw the grin on her face. "Toki-san. That is a bold recommendation." Koharu continued. "While Mizu is one of the Great Villages. It has not participated in Exams for the past few years. Especially after the Bloody Mist Incidents."
I nodded and was about to continue.

"I think you should leave the recommendation to the more experienced members of the council, Toki-san." The Hyuuga, Hiashi interjected. His eyes bored into me. Maybe that glare was intended to intimidate me.

All it did was bore me.

"I think you should wait and let me finish." I sighed. I saw a vein pulse on the Hyuuga's neck.
The man started to stand. But, froze or rather was forced to stop. I looked over and saw Shikaku holding his hand in a rat seal. He muttered his usual phrase under his breath and slowly let go. "Let him speak."

I nodded my thanks and turned back to Koharu, who was patiently waiting. "Iwa's out due to political reasons. Mizu is out because of its own violation. If we publically send the invitation, we show that we do not fear Mizu."

Koharu nodded. "Of course, but how would we reduce the risk of another incident."

"Request one team." I shrugged. "Make it a last minute thing, so they don't have time to prepare and won't argue for more."

Koharu hummed and looked around the room. "A solid idea. Any objections."

Hiashi immediately spoke. "You are placing" He glared at me. "our genin at risk on a whim?"

Fugaku cleared his throat. "Are you that afraid your children will fail? The Uchiha has no reservation going against Mizu."

Hiashi scoffed and sat back down. Fugaku turned to Koharu. "I second the motion to allow Mizu into the exams. Konoha is strong. The Uchiha and the other fearless clans are here to represent Konoha."
I winced internally. Holy kami, Fugaku does not pull blows. I could almost see Hiashi's face change colors.

Koharu clapped her hands together. "And I think we will end on that note for a breather. I will make the final decisions on the clans and present them to the Hokage. Thank you all."

Everyone stood up and bowed and slowly exited the room. Kizashi clapped me on the shoulder and I smiled. I stood up and walked towards the other side. Hiashi brushed past me roughly. And by rough, it meant I almost toppled over. A firm hand grasped my shoulder. "Ah, thanks, Shikaku." I smiled.

The man sighed at me. "You're too troublesome for your own good."
I shrugged. "one of my charms, I'm sure." I leaned forward. "Well, Thanks for the help there."
Shikaku nodded. "That won't be the last retaliation. Keep your head down."
"Thanks, I'll keep it in mind."

Shikaku walked past me to go catch up with the other clan heads. Fugaku walked up in his place. "Toki-san."
"Fugaku-sama." I responded politely. "Thank you for the assistance. Quite the showing."
Fugaku smiled. "Quite the showing indeed." He repeated. "I must say you surprised me."

"You and me both," Koharu interjected. Koharu nodded to Fugaku. "If I may have a moment, Fugaku-sama."
"OF course, Koharu-sama." Fugaku nodded and walked away.

I turned to Koharu and smiled. "Sorry about that." I placed a fresh seal on the table, isolating the sound around us.

Koharu sighed and rubbed her temples. "You almost gave me a heart attack. Should have warned me."
I shrugged. "I didn't know what today's topic was."
"You could have asked." Koharu sighed. "if I knew you were going to make power plays in here. I would have just boosted your presence and assigned you an important task to shield you."
I laughed. "Well, It's more fun this way huh?"

Koharu gave me a soft glare. "Well, how are you going to contact Mizu?"
I shrugged. "Probably in person. To smooth things over. I don't want to meet at Mizu so I'll have to choose a neutral ground, go through my contacts"

Koharu nodded. "Well, you'll need a mission to that neutral ground…"

"Wave." I decided. "it's practically in between Konoha and Mizu. Good, a place as any.'

"You have any outposts there? Trade routes?"
I nodded. "I helped fund a bridge there."
Koharu nodded. "Well, it seems a routine inspection and shipment is necessary."
I followed along. "looks like I need to go ahead and head to Mizu then."
"I'll file a mission with the Hokage," Koharu said. "It'll have to go through the proper channels. Now that you're on the council we can't just hide you behind black lists anymore."

I shrugged. "Fine, I just hope the team I get isn't too annoying."

I carefully laid out the ingredients I needed for the dish. A couple onions, some spices, tofu, beef and a few other miscellaneous sauces. I would have to make a lot since we were inviting everyone. Even, Iruka was coming. I hadn't talked to him at all and he was still visiting Naruto from time to time. On the other hand, Naruto was actually inviting his team to the meeting. I expected Kakashi to be coming in late, so I'll just set aside some food for him. I looked over to my oven, where the warm glow told me the pizza was still cooking.

I was making two sets of pies. Wanted to make sure we had enough for everyone. I set the rice cooker on and proceeded to grab a large pot. Soup was one of the best ways to make a lot of food. I yawned as I watched the pot fill up with water. I had taken a trip to the Hokage's office and explained my plan. The Hokage was receptive to my suggestions. Though, I honestly felt he was just playing along. I knew his stance against Mizu. He knew that I knew. But, he let me go along and invite Mizu anyways. It was interesting to see what he was playing at. The big thing was the lack of a reproach.

"I heard you caused quite a rustle, Toki"

I snorted as I switched the sink off and lifted the heavy pot on to the stove. "well, I needed to. Or wanted to." I smiled at Jiraiya. The man smiled back and dropped his scroll land jacket to the side. I rolled my eyes at the lackadaisical care for this things. They were always like this at my house.

I sprinkled some spices into the pot and got to work cutting the meat. I grabbed a spare cutting board and knife and pushed it towards Jiraiya. The man shrugged and picked up the board and knife.

"Tofu," I said simply, and Jiraiya grabbed the tray of uncut tofu. He started to carefully pick up the white brick and place on the board. He cut with a clean finesse and focus. I turned back to the meat and continued deboning. "So, how was the hospital?"

I was curious why Jiraiya needed to go see Tsunade.

Jiraiya let out a small sigh. He placed the Tofu to the side and started grabbing vegetables. "Oh, Tsunade was yelling about not checking in and was a bit naggy. She always gets like this time of year."

I shrugged

Jiraiya continued. "I bumped into the Shizune girl. She seemed a bit more upbeat. Usually, she's a downer and asks to go on my missions but she seems happy. I suppose you had something to do with that."

I hummed. "oh, just went on a date."
"A date really? Jiraiya stopped his cutting and looked up.

I stopped too, was Jiraiya actually surprised. "Well, it didn't end a date. If that's what you're asking. She's my newest additions."

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "Toki, we can't-"

"I didn't I said. I knew where he was going. If I just recruited everyone willy-nilly, that left a lot of things open. Gaps in the circle. I wouldn't be able to vet people. Hell, I haven't even vetted Asuka. While I trusted her to protect me, there are somethings I wouldn't' trust her with Konoha. I would never let her know that status of Konoha's Jinchuuriki. I would never let her know of Anko's status as a previous curse seal bearer. There were things you just didn't talk about with outsiders.

Jiraiya set his knife down. I paused in my cutting and looked at him. His eyes were zeroed in on me.

"Toki, I'm going to say this. Mixing your personal feelings with decisions like this. Like this is not something that we can take lightly." Jiraiya said.

I nodded. "Yeah." Shizune's situation was sticky and full of red tape. "She came to me. Looking to do more."

Jiraiya crossed his arms. "She's doing quite enough. Her work at the hospital, she's part of a revolution. The strongest medical team is being born right here in Konoha. That's not enough."
I heard the pot boiling behind me. I grabbed the cut tofu and the meat. I gently slid them in and lowered the temperature. "Apparently, it's not enough." I sighed as I watched the meat slowly sink down. Bubbles popped rapidly on the surface. It was all a jumbled mess.

"Shizune is your friend. I understand. If she ever got hurt, we would have too much explaining to do."

I added spices and closed the lid, lowering the temperature even more. I rolled my shoulders and looked at Jiraiya. His eyes were sharp.

I let my face mold into Boss again. "I know. Which is why I will never utilize her outside of Konoha." I said. I grabbed the knife of the counter and carefully wiped it. "She will only be used to spy on internal areas. Mainly collateral on missions. Getting personal information."
"Blackmail." Jiraiya nodded.

"Partly, but also getting access to areas I normally wouldn't have access to."
Jiraiya pressed his palms against the counter and leaned forward. "I'm guessing you had already planned this?"
I nodded. Jiraiya and I were usually on the same wavelength. "My original plan was to build up with Asuka. Shizune merely accelerated my plans. Now, I can simply split up the job role I was planning. Shizune can handle information. Asuka can handle on-site medical attention."

"You think Shizune won't press you for more?" Jiraiya asked. I knew what he was really asking. Whether or not I would deny Shizune outside missions.

I shrugged. "I'll give her baby missions outside." I placed the knife away and started to move the scraps of bones and scraps to the trash bin. I grabbed a paper towel to start wiping down wet areas. Always need to keep the kitchen clean. "Nothing too special, nothing too risky, but just enough to sate her appetite." I thought about it. I really had thought about using her actively and treating her like Asuka. But, I had already come to a conclusion.

We were both too emotionally invested to think straight.

She saw me as an out from her routine.

I saw her as a tool for information.

But, those were not the only things we saw. We couldn't separate the background from the foreground. With Itachi and Shisui, I could flip the switch and view them as Aka and Kuro. It just wasn't the same here.

Jiraiya grabbed a towel from the side and wiped his hands. "Tell me." Jiraiya asked quietly. "why don't you rip the band-aid off and just tell her?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Because I know her."

Jiraiya closed his eyes and shook his head. "Bleeding heart Toki. It'll be the death of us."

I smiled. "At least we'll go down fighting." I grabbed plates and moved to the other room. I started to prepare the table for our monthly dinner. We always gathered everyone once a month or whenever Jiraiya came in for a dinner.

"Does Tsunade know?" Jiraiya called out.

"Nope." I grimaced and placed the final plate down. "You want to tell her?"

"I'd rather not get my jaw broken." Jiraiya huffed.

I nodded. "I'll have Shizune tell her then. I'll go visit Tsunade later, but I need to deal with this Mizu invitation first."

Jiraiya came out and nodded. He placed a bottle in the middle of the table. I blinked and read the inscription. Sake. I chuckled "At least you remembered the drink."
Jiraiya smiled. "Promised didn't I."

Jiraiya and I sat down and talked for a bit while we waited for everyone to get here. We discussed a few things like seals, novels and plans. Nothing work related. It was nice to just catch up with him and figure out what he was doing. Though it was a bit much when he tried to explain how he peaked on the Bathhouses, but that was Jiraiya for you.

I waited patiently against the wall. I was just outside the Hokage's outpost. It was the meeting ground for Team assignments and other things. Normally, Chuunins would be manning the station, receiving missions from citizens, dolling them out, and taking reports from returning shinobi. It was an interesting system because apparently, it was unique to Konoha.

When I had talked to Mei and Zabuza, they had explained Mizu's system, which was common throughout the elemental nations. Citizens would file a request and hand it into the station. Dedicated Chuunins or civilians would level the priority and then send it through the chain. Then it would be mailed or delivered to the specified teams. There was no face to face or meeting with the clients. Konoha made face to face standard. It was why many civilians, with lower and softer requests, came to Konoha. Konoha was known as the friendly village.

Many outside shinobi derided Konoha as too soft or as tree-huggers. But, I liked it. It reminded me what I saw was wrong with Shinobi. How all it took was a friendly face and a simple talk to really make a connection. That's what made Konoha special.

I sighed I picked up my tea canister and squeaked it open. It was time for work.

"Report," I asked as I sipped my tea from my container. I had packed up all my things in nice and neat scrolls. But, I still carried a traveler's pack just in case. I had called Sai, shin, Shisui, Itachi and Asuka to me. I had gone to Shizune and gotten a report from her myself. I had even stopped by Tsunade and informed her about Shizune. I told her the straight answer. Shizune was working for me as an informant. Tsunade huffed in annoyance and said that she would have provided me with the information. I agreed with her but Shizune wanted to be the middle main. Tsunade said she would turn a blind eye for now, but I shouldn't be getting Shizune into any trouble.

Itachi crossed his arms behind his back." I have continued to look into the Hyuuga." He started.

I had asked Itachi to discreetly look into the Hyuuga and figure out why the hell they were so I antagonistic. But, it had been a fruitless effort. Still, I kept Itachi on it just in case something came up.

"They seem to be tightly lipped about outside matters. From what I can tell there are internal struggles within the branch and Main families."

Shisui nodded. "A Caste system. There's going to be some ruffled feathers now and then. Their practice is archaic."

"They use seals to defend their Bloodline?" I asked.

Itachi nodded. "Yes, only on the branch members."

I rolled my eyes. 'Archaic practices and quite frankly hypocritical."

Itachi nodded. "yes, I find the practice to be … idiotic. A branch member could be seen as a part of the main Main branch easily. Also, forcing a seal on the branch members, just to hide their Byakugan is hypocritical-."

I held up my hand. "A problem for another time," I said. "Remember Itachi, One war at a time."

Shisui interrupted. "Konoha political shortcomings aside. We should probably focus on Mizu."

Shin pipped up. "Will we be escorting you?"

I smiled at him. He probably wanted to see Haku again. "No, it's fine. This needs to be a public thing so I need an official genin team with Sai snickered and Shin elbowed him in the ribs. I turned back to Itachi. "We'll table the Hyuuga problem for now. I don't really care for them. Look into setting up a meeting with the Merchant guild. I need reports on shipments and trades. Especially imports. We need to figure out routes."

Shisui tapped his lips. "Follow the money to where?"

I shrugged. "A village hosting the Kages will have a lot of traffic in them. Unusual amount. I want information on who is going where. You have information you have control. "

I shoved my hand in my pockets. "My traveling bag bumped against the wall behind me. "Sai," I said. "Keep an eye on Team 8 and team 10. Be their sparring partner."

Sai blinked. "Eh, why do I have to hang out with them?" Sai whined.

I rolled my eyes. He seemed to be enjoying himself, though. "I want to keep tabs on Naruto's friends. Think of it as a precautionary thing. "

"Do you want me to take tabs on Naruto then?" Shin asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, nothing's going to happen but I want him to train up for the chuunin exams."

I cracked my back. "Alrighty, secret plotting stand-up is done, we can get back to work now." I nodded them. "Thanks everyone."

Itachi and Shisui disappeared. Sai and Shin both gave me a small hug before running off together. I watched them go before entering in the outpost. I wondered if my message got to Mizu in time. If not, I'd just drop a message off.

I walked in and saw the Hokage sitting inside smiling. He was going through a couple genin teams. Most of them I didn't recognize. However, I did recognize the team who had just gotten a mission.

"Oh, Hey Asuma" I smiled and waved.

The bearded Jounin smiled at me and took out the cigarette in his mouth. "Oh, Hey Toki." Asuma smiled and waved his team over to me. I recognized all of them from meeting with Naruto. "you guys know Toki?"

The blonde girl nodded. "Naruto's older brother right?"

I nodded. "Yep." It was interesting to be referenced as that.

"Naruto and Dad talks about you a lot." Shikamaru said. He was a spitting image of his father, slouch and all.

"All good things I hope." I shrugged.

"Naruto says your cooking is really good." The last boy said.

"Chouji right?" I asked. The boy nodded and I continued. "Well, I had to cook for myself while I was traveling."

"You're traveling again?" Asuma asked.

"Not too far. Just to Wave. I already requested a Mission. You wouldn't happen to be my team?" I was supposed to get a genin team.

Asuma shook his head and held up his scroll. It was marked yellow on the sides. "Nope, this is an outpost mission. We're supposed to deliver some reports to the border walls and then bring back some information. Nothing too big."

I nodded. "Well, that's good. I don't want to keep you." I smiled and moved out of the way. Asuma nodded and walked past me.

"Talk to you later Toki," Asuma said and stuck the cigarette back in his mouth. His team followed him. I see why Shikaku was worried for his kid. Over the past few months, I had learned to assess people by their muscles, scars, callouses, and eyes. All of these pointed to training and to strength. Team 10 didn't look strong.

I tore my eyes away and looked at the Hokage. The Hokage was still smiling but his eyes were sharp. I nodded my head slightly and moved to the side. I sat down at the waiting area for Civilians. The only people here was an old lady, a couple merchants, and a young boy. They all waited patiently in the area. I chose the corner seat and leaned against the wall.

A couple team passed by and picked people up. Sometimes they would just come and get a scroll. Other times they would go over to the waiting room and talk to a client. It was interesting to watch the ebb and flow. I was itching to get out my scroll and brush but I couldn't. Too public and I was supposed to be a non-assuming civilian.

The door opened again and I stared at the newcomers. "Huh." I murmured to myself as Team 7 walked in.
Naruto was bouncing on his toes excited. Sasuke was right behind him talking to Sakura. Sakura had her hair in a tight ponytail that reminded me of Anko. Kakashi sauntered in, his face was buried in a book.

"Ah, Team 7" The Hokage smiled as he waved them forward. Normally the chuunin would sort people out. But, the Hokage called them which meant this was an important mission. I kept myself in the background for now.

Naruto bounded forward. "So, Old man. What's the mission?" Naruto smiled wide.

The Hokage laughed. "Easy Naruto. I got a special one just for you." The Hokage reached into his robes and pulled out a scroll with green borders.

Naruto blinked. "Eh, an escort mission," Naruto whined. "But, those are so boring."

The Hokage waved the scroll in his face. "I wouldn't be so sure. This one is to Wave."

Ah, Dammit. I rubbed my face and stood up. I guess this was where the Hokage was going. He was going to tie my hands like this. With Naruto around, I couldn't play dirty, even if I wanted to. Oh well. It would be good to spend time with Naruto. But, Sarutobi was really laying it on thick with the restrictions.

Naruto crossed his hands behind his head. "Wave huh." Naruto smiled again. "It's fun there."
Sasuke huffed. "That's because you have a bridge named after you."
Sakura giggled. "Well, you acted pretty surprised when you got there."

"Ah, shut up." Naruto groaned.

Sarutobi continued. "You'll be escorting a valued asset. So treat him with care." The Hokage nodded to me.

I walked forward, hands shoved in my pocket. "Hey."

Naruto looked over, eyes wide and jaw open. "Nii-san. What are you-"

Kakashi put his hand on Naruto's head, instantly silencing him. "Naruto, manners now. This is our client."

I ripped my eyes away from Naruto and looked at Kakashi's lone eye. It was sharp. It was cold. There was a steel behind it. He knew the type of missions I went on. I knew what he was asking. Would this endanger his team?

I sighed. "Well we're just going to be delivering some stuff to Wave and I need to talk about some shipments. Nothing too big."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Why not send someone else? I mean you really shouldn't go outside the- "

Kakashi's hand bopped Naruto on the head. "Now, Now. This is our client Naruto. Treat him with respect."
Naruto glared at Kakashi but looked at me quickly

I shook my head and turned the Hokage. A quick glance told me that our business had been done here. The Hokage had rinsed his hands and I was ready to go.

I waved my hand. "Come on, let's head to the gates."

I exited out the door and heard team 7 scramble behind me. All the way I could feel the boring eyes of the Hokage on my back.

That's pretty much it. EVEN MORE SET UP. Also, I still haven't decided on a team name just yet so keep them coming. I'm thinking: Branches or Leaves. It'll be interesting to pick one out.

So Let me get down to explaining stuff.

Council: So, I first wanted to set up things with the council. I wanted to highlight a stark difference between the Adviser Council and the Konoha Council.

Relationships in Adviser council : The Adviser council is the get shit done type of council. Where it's almost just people reporting, asking for advice and moving on. While there is political agendas, they all usually coalign. Danzo's and Toki's goals to gain footholds in foreign country aligned. This caused an alliance between the two. But, there was some 'differences' between the methods. It didn't change their goals nor cause the to actively go after each other. They merely nudged each other very roughly in the ribs.

Toki's goals, however, shifted a bit too far from Konoha's alignment and we're starting to see the repercussions. I once had a couple reviews saying that Toki always got things his way. Well, To be honest, wouldn't anyone? This is my logic. When you are someone of skill and importance you get 'respect'. That means people will listen to you. They may not agree with you but they won't outright call you out. A co-worker you meet for the first time, normally, isn't just going to disagree with you, call you a dumbass, and then be really antagonistic to you. That's not how the real world really functions and that's not how I envision the Naruto universe.

So, I decided to make use of complex relationships. Where people stand side by side but hold daggers at each other's hips. It is plain to Toki, Danzo and Sarutobi that things aren't that hot between them right now. Jiraiya is caught in the middle (if you read the Omake in the earlier chapters). The Hokage merely nods and goes along with it when things are not that big of a deal. But, when things are a big deal (Mizu), his real opinions start showing. and THATS where Toki receives friction. The Hokage isn't going to outright slap Toki and stop him. But, the Hokage is going to express his disapproval heavily and try to nudge Toki back in line. Toki's having none of it.

Obviously, this is causing friction, which I tried to show in this chapter.

Political Situation in Konoha council: The Konoha council is basically a stage. It's more about political agendas and using goals to manipulate and further oneself. It's why I always thought it would be a great idea to show Shinobi invasion. I wanted the Konoha council to be a civilian thing. One traditional made to handle non-essentials during war time. Then, like all important thing, it's made political. Then Shinobi started forcing thier ways into it and changed the nature of the council.

Also, I used it to show off the friction between the Hyuuga and the Uchiha. I thought that would be interesting to explore since now the Uchiha are the dominant force. In the Manga, the Hyuuga were the 'royalty' in my opinion. So, I thought of making them the challenger to the Uchiha's royalty would be a nice twist. It is now an open secret, to the higher echelons of Konoha, that Toki was part of the Embassy. Many know of his status from Kumo. No one, except for a select few, know that he is part of the Adviser council. As such, people will start to use him as a chess piece in their games. To be honest, I won't really delve into this too much unless people really want it. The reason why is because it takes away from the focus of the story right now. Also, I've been faffing about for far too long.

Mizu: I mean come on, you really think I'd let it lie. Nah, the tension, double meanings, subterfuge will be far too fun to play with.

Sealing: I have a really fun idea in mind for a sealing project. I will probably dedicate an entire chapter to it. It'll most likely be a sub-5k chapter. I really want Toki to eventually find his way back to sealing and more importantly, find joy in it again. If you noticed, I made very little hint of him creating new seals or new novels for that matter. Things get lost in the pipeline (like in my life right now).

If you have any questions please drop a review, sorry about all the mess and the repost and all that.

Thanks for sticking around!