Naruto's House
Yugao stirred slowly as her eyes slid open; what a night she had last night. Never again was she going to drink with those perverts, especially her senpai. Kakashi was the worst but she should have known before she even said goodbye to Kushina–and she had said she was going to keep an eye on her son just to make sure that her former colleagues didn't take things too far as she knew them.
In the end, she was the one who ended up in more trouble. She would not have drunk that much had it not been for those colleagues of hers.
Aside from getting herself into trouble, the night had been fun.
She had missed those kinds of nights with the guys.
The former Anbu captain blinked as her eyes fully opened, she was staring straight into Naruto's eyes. The blond had his head resting on the palm of his head, facing her with an amused look on his face.
Yugao nearly jumped out of the bed when she became aware of everything.
"What are you doing in my room, Naruto?" Yugao asked, staring at the blond.
She didn't know how she even got back here. Yes, it had been that kind of a night. Naruto who was doing nothing to help her out after she ran her mouth hadn't helped it. But she had done it to keep his secret. If she had not said anything, those two would have done everything to find out about his personal life and would have caught him with Mikoto.
"Staring at you." Naruto responded calmly. "Before that, I was sleeping. Do you have a problem?"
"Yes." Yugao said with a firm nod. "How did I get here?"
"I had to carry you back here and had to carry Panther to his place while Kakashi took care of Tiger. They were pretty out of it after watching you shove your tongue down my throat whilst your hand was trying to get inside my pants."
Yugao had the decency to look embarrassed about it. Yes, she could remember that well. Those brutal friends of hers had told her to prove that she was indeed going out with Naruto, a kiss hadn't been enough. Those guys had kissed a lot of people, sometimes even men, just for the sake of a mission. After a couple of drinks, Yugao had pulled Naruto over and manhandled him.
Of course, he had stopped her from going too far, but that was because he had noted she had been too drunk.
Yet before that, he hadn't been trying to do anything, but appeared content with just going with the flow. Perhaps he had been amused by watching her rack her brain trying to see what she could do to get out of the situation. It might be that out of everything that occurred last night, her struggles had been his only amusement.
"If I hadn't done that, you would've been in trouble." Yugao said. "You know if two more start knowing, Kakashi was going to know and then the whole village was going to know."
"I was aware of that." Naruto said calmly. "But you started it and I told you to be careful with what you say. You didn't listen so I thought it would be a good lesson to you if I just went with the flow. Even sleeping here was just going with the flow…"
Yugao ignored the comment about just going with the flow in sleeping on her bed. "Did they buy it though?"
"Yes, but we have to play the part now because you couldn't keep your thoughts to yourself. There are some comments you shouldn't make because they will lead you into an uncomfortable situation." Naruto lectured. "This is why I just don't open my mouth around people who ask a lot of questions. You don't want to end up saying things that will trap you."
Yugao flipped to the side and winced as the headache she has been trying to ignore pounded her into submission. She stared at the ceiling. She now had to play a girlfriend to Naruto but she didn't want to deceive his mother like that.
However, if she does tell her the truth, the woman would ask her 'why' It would lead the question she had been trying to avoid with her former colleagues. Ah, this was what happened when you couldn't hold your mouth after a glass of sake.
Yugao blamed Naruto for it.
She wasn't like that, it was his fault for letting her in on his secret.
Oh wait, she had found out about it and been forced to keep it to herself.
"What do you think will happen if your mother finds out about you and Mikoto?"
Naruto shook his head. "I don't know, but I know she will not be happy, to what extent, I don't know. Mikoto says it is something that would threaten her friendship with my mother. Then there is also Sasuke to think about. He will resent me for it, most likely for the rest of his life." the blond said in a calm tone.
He wasn't concerned about it though. Sasuke's feelings towards him were not important. However, things could become difficult if the Uchiha decides to pull away from him. This was something he really didn't want to think about because it would mess up things.
Maybe he should start thinking about ending it before it becomes a problem.
"Your mother is certain to be furious with Mikoto." Yugao said in a firm tone. "She won't have to ask to know who made the move on whom. Just thinking about how her best friend took away her son from her and then slept with him, her precious son. Your mother will be furious.
"I don't want to see that. You're a bad person for putting me in this position. I'm not seeing anyone, so we can play the part, but your mother doesn't have to know anything because I don't want to lie to her. She has been good to me." Yugao said. "Are you okay with that?"
"I have no problem. Besides, I don't dislike you." Naruto said.
"That hardly gives me pleasant thoughts." Yugao said. Naruto got up from his side and got on top of Yugao.
"What are you doing?"
She wasn't resisting, she wasn't shouting, but her heart was beating really fast. This wasn't an unfamiliar position for her, and it wasn't that she couldn't say no, she just didn't want...
Naruto's face was just inches away from Yugao's, his hands holding hers. "The first time I kissed you, I came up strong, but you didn't seem to have a problem with it. Last night, I didn't have a problem when you were hungrily devouring my lips. Like last time, it got me excited…" He paused.
"You don't mind if I do it again, do you? It's like I'm standing at the edge of a cliff, but I can't jump on my own, I need you to give me that last push."
Yugao stared at the blond for a long minute; his intentions were obvious but she didn't want that. It wasn't that she hasn't thought of doing it before. She has wondered how he managed to satisfy Mikoto–but that was just her curiosity getting the best of her and a bit of loneliness.
Their sex talks didn't help things either.
"What happens after?" Yugao asked.
The desire was there, but she wasn't going to allow her body to be used for testing things. This was her precious body; she loved it dearly. Maybe if she was promiscuous, she wouldn't have a problem with it, but she was not. She wanted something more than just physical satisfaction; she was past that stage of fooling around.
"I don't want my body to be used just for sex. I don't want you coming into my room looking for a pick up." Yugao said in a firm tone.
"Yugao." Naruto started, looking straight into the woman's eyes. "Do you think I would do anything to hurt you? Think about your role. I trust enough with my mother's safety–for me, that is like trusting you with my own life. If I did something horrible to you, would you still stand me? Would you still be willing to live under the same roof with me? What would my mother even say if she found out that I purposefully hurt you like that?"
There was no need for Yugao to say anything else.
It was apparent that he had given it some thought.
Yugao raised her head slightly to meet with his. His warm breath washed over her face for a second as their lips brushed. The teasing lasted for a couple of seconds before Naruto's lips parted hers and he gently captured her into a soft kiss.
"Yug-" that was Kushina entering the room.
Both Naruto and Yugao turned towards the door, looking at the redhead Uzumaki. Yugao quickly pushed Naruto to the side; unfortunately, it was the wrong side that he ended up hitting the cold floor in a thud. Still, the purple haired former Anbu didn't pay it much mind, her focus was on Kushina.
"It's not what it looks like!" Yugao said quick to say before Kushina could say anything.
"I'll pretend to be innocent, stupid and that I didn't give birth to him." Kushina said leaning against the doorframe, hands folded across her bust. "What does it look like?" The Uzumaki asked, with an innocent look on her face, head tilted to the side.
From her tone, it was difficult to tell whether she was pissed off or just surprised with what she had seen. Yugao looked at Naruto for a moment before looking back at Kushina. The blond wasn't going to help her with anything. If anything, it appeared that he didn't know what to say because he wasn't expecting to see his mother catching him in that kind of a position.
"Umm…" Yugao started, but she could not say anything.
"I was worried. I checked your room before I went to sleep so I thought I'd check up on you Naruto. So when I didn't find you by your room and in the study, I thought perhaps you might know something, Yugao. I didn't think I would find this…" Kushina said.
"What does it look like again? Oh, you've had yet to answer me…"
Naruto closed his eyes as he settled on the edge of Yugao's bed. How had this happened? His mother wasn't supposed to see something like this from him. He hadn't thought that he would caught so easily. What was he even thinking making a move on Yugao like that? He really needed to get his mind thinking straight. It was all because she had looked so peaceful when she was asleep and he had given in to some thoughts.
How was he going to explain this situation to his mother though? She was looking at both of them with an expressionless look on her face. There was no emotion, but she was waiting for answers. She was still pretending to look stupid.
Seeing no responses coming, Kushina sighed, "I want both of you in the kitchen in 30 minutes. Breakfast should be ready by then, and we will talk." The woman said in a hardened tone before walking away.
"Well that was unexpected." Naruto said as he stood up.
"You think?" Yugao responded sarcastically.
Naruto turned to face the woman for a moment before shaking his head. "It's not what it looks like, huh?" He said, amused. "For someone who has been a career, Anbu, I didn't think you'd give such a response. If we were caught red-handed, but… it's not what it looks like?"
"What would have you said?"
"I don't know, but definitely not 'it's not what it looks like." Naruto said walking away. "Well, better figure out what it looks if it doesn't look like we were making out…"
"Laugh whilst you can." Yugao said. "But you should know that she is going to tell Mikoto about this, and knowing how possessive she seems, she definitely won't be happy. So while you take a shower, you can also think what you're going to say to your friend."
30 Minutes Later
Naruto tried to avoid his mother's gaze as he walked towards the kitchen table. It appeared that she wasn't talking to Yugao yet, about anything. There was no avoiding the situation right now. At least he was certain that his mother wasn't mad about it. She had many questions and he would try to answer them as honestly as he could.
This was going to become a little normal, wasn't it?
Well at least his mother didn't see Yugao as his older sister, otherwise she would be thinking they had been committing something as distasteful as incest. If things had been like that, Naruto wouldn't have gone that far. He might be indifferent to most things regarding life and usual norm of what was morally right, but that was a line he would not dare cross.
"Have you changed your stance or is it still not what it looked like?" Kushina asked once Naruto was settled beside the kitchen table.
"Thanks for the food." Naruto said, assuming that his mother was talking to Yugao who had given her the response.
Kushina reminded the blond that he too was involved because it didn't take one but two. He had been the one on top of Yugao after all; the questions should be directed at him. "The question isn't directed at Yugao alone, Naruto. You were also in that room."
Naruto looked at his mother. How was he going to go about this? Honestly, he didn't know the best way to go about it. He wasn't planning on lying about it. It was just that this was something he usually didn't talk about and it was a little awkward since it was his mother. He was conscious of this fact these days. Back then, he would not have minded, but now he understood those sorts of things clearly.
"I never said 'it isn't what it looks like.'" Naruto quoted those words from Yugao.
He was going to be graciously blunt, but of course he would hold his tongue somewhere along the lines, but they were adults.
"Yugao?"
"I didn't know what to say at that moment so those words just came out," Yugao said.
Ah, she felt like a child who was caught doing something naughty by her parents and was in big trouble because of it. However, she wasn't a child. She was a grown up woman, and yet she felt like a child under Kushina's gaze.
"So?"
Yugao looked at Naruto.
The blond spoke, "It was what it looked like." Naruto said, but when his mother said nothing, the blond asked, "Mother, do you want me to explain explicitly what it was that was happening?"
Kushina quickly raised both her hands as she shook her head. She already saw it; she didn't need Naruto to go into detail about it. Oh, he would explicitly explain if that was what she wanted, but she didn't want any graphic images in her mind.
"There is no need." The woman said quickly. She paused as she calmed herself. "So, how long has this been going on?"
"It only lasted about a minute before you came in." Naruto said.
Kushina blinked.
"So you guys haven't..?"
That was what Naruto's words could mean. They were in the same bed in the morning, so she had thought they had spent the night together. They were not kids, so she had thoughts that had gone that far.
Yugao shook her head.
"Oh." Kushina said. Nevertheless, they were going to do it. "Yugao, can you excuse us? I want to talk to Naruto alone. Of course, I will talk with you after, but I need to clear some things with him first."
Yugao turned to Naruto-who didn't give her a glance, his focus was between the food and his mother. She sighed, knowing that he was just ignoring her. The former Anbu picked up her plate and walked away from the kitchen table.
"I know you two have been spending some time together…I mean the door is always locked in your study. You don't talk anywhere but the study. I didn't think anything was building up, but really I am surprised." Kushina said. "I'm happy that you're taking an interest but I thought it would be with someone your age. Maybe Ino-chan. I don't have anything against Yugao, she is family already.
"Yet, this isn't what I expected." the Uzumaki paused and gave Naruto a stare. "What are you trying to do, Naruto? I love you but I also care about Yugao. So, answer this question, do you love her?"
"I don't dislike her." Naruto said.
"I know you don't; I know you trust her, this is why we are living under the same roof." Kushina stressed those words. "But do you love her, Naruto?" Kushina asked, again, in a deliberately slow tone just to get the message across.
There was a huge difference between loving someone and trusting them. It wasn't out of love that Naruto trusted Yugao. It was based on something but not love. His response of not disliking her wasn't enough that he should be on top of her. Kushina wasn't going to accept it. There had to be something else for her to condone it.
Naruto was silent for a few moments as he went through his thoughts. "It would be a lie to actually say I do love her. I have only known to love you. Nevertheless, I understand now that loving you and someone else is different. I don't know what I feel. I can't really put it in words."
"Here is my second question." Kushina said after listening to Naruto's response. "What is your objective in this thing? Do you hope to one day marry Yugao into the Uzumaki, or are you just planning on enjoying your youth like the other children?"
"What do you want, mother?"
"Naruto, if when I'm sleeping in my room, that scene I walked into is what is going to be happening, you'll have to think about marrying her. If not, I'm not going to accept it. Temari isn't in the picture. For now, you can forget about her, but think about Yugao. Would you consider marrying her? That means making her happy. Think about this, and make a decision. Nevertheless, Naruto, if you decide that you can't see yourself marrying her, don't waste her time. I love this family, and I don't want anything to ruin it, do you understand me?"
"Yes." Naruto said.
"Good." Kushina said. "Now call, Yugao, I want to talk to her alone."
Naruto nodded and stood up.
A minute later, Yugao walked back into the kitchen.
She sat across Kushina.
"I'm sorry you had to walk into that scene."
Kushina shook her head. "I let Naruto go out to drink and the following morning that happens." She said with a shake of her head. "Well, at least I know that something like that had nothing to do with drinking. I believe that you're past that stage, Yugao. You're not a child anymore."
"The Sake had nothing to do with it." She said. "Admittedly, I had a little too much drink."
Kushina was silent for a few moments before speaking. "What do you expect from, Naruto, Yugao? Do you want something to take off your loneliness? Do you want a relationship? A proper relationship?"
"I can't answer that right now." Yugao said. "But to be honest, I don't think I'm at an age where I have the time to experiment on things."
Kushina nodded. "I don't have to tell you anything about Naruto. You know him. I love him, but there are things we must admit about him. While I will say Naruto isn't evil, he isn't the nicest person in the world. I know he is manipulative and wouldn't mind going as far as to play his hand with Tsunade…"
She paused before asking. "Do you think that he would not go as far as to manipulate even you, Yugao?"
"To be honest, I don't know about that." Yugao said in a quiet tone. "But I know he would not lie to me. For him, the consequence is too big. He is meticulous in the way he does things. He doesn't just move because of a sudden emotion."
Kushina smiled. "I'm glad you understand what you're dealing with. Because if you're looking for something bigger from Naruto, you have to know that it will not be smooth sailing. Nevertheless, you know him, I am sure you can handle him. Someone his age would not bear with him. If you can handle him, put a smile on his face, lighten him up, I cannot ask for more. All I want is for my son to be happy…And of course, your own happiness matters too, Yugao. So think carefully before deciding what you do..."
"I think I will try…" Yugao said.
Kushina smiled. "Please lock the door next time."
Afternoon
Hokage Office
Tsunade looked at the request in front of her for a moment and then stared back at Naruto.
"What is the story between you the Fire Daimyo?" The Godaime Hokage asked.
Naruto appeared to think for a moment; the Fire Lord was a sly old geezer who attempted to use him for political gain. Of course that had failed because the Sandaime was there, but Naruto wouldn't have had any problem with it. Well, back then he had thought that the old man was someone powerful, but now he had come to discover that he was irrelevant when it came to shinobi matters.
He may control the Fire country, but when it came to shinobi matters, he had little power and influence. Konoha allowed him to influence it to some degree but if a war was to break out, the Kages wouldn't hesitate to cast them aside because they would be just a waste of resources as they would be demanding needless protection that could have been better utilised in the efforts for victory.
Kages were the core in the Elemental Nations, they were the five most powerful individuals–at least that was what Naruto thought. He already had met one in the name of Gaara. Speaking of which, he really hasn't even bothered the Sand siblings and really didn't appear to care much about what was happening in the Sand.
Maybe he should make a visit soon.
Naruto focused on Tsunade before responding. "We attempted to use each other when the Sandaime was still alive. I don't dislike him, but I have lost all interest in him."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow at hearing this. "What?"
"The Sandaime had thought if we stayed 'friends' it would reflect kindly on Konoha and I thought it would earn me some favours. However, I have come to understand that he is nothing. Maybe amongst the Feudal Lords and with money, but when it comes to shinobi, money isn't the important thing that makes you strong." Naruto responded calmly. "Why do you ask?"
Tsunade blinked. She was honestly surprised that he would tell her everything so simply even though she wasn't demanding any answers. Was this his way of dealing with her in a fair way or did he just think that it was something trivial so much that it didn't matter if she learned about it or not?
The slug princess shook her head. "There is a mission request and it names you specifically. He wants you to escort his wife back to the capital."
"I don't really have the time and patience to baby sit that woman." Naruto said with slight distaste at the mission.
"You don't have a choice." Tsunade said in a hardened tone. "You will escort her. You are due to leave tomorrow morning. Come in early and I will give further instructions. I should be done drafting my letter to the Daimyo by then." the Godaime said.
"You want to play that game as well?" Naruto asked.
Tsunade ignored the question. "I'm curious; why did you want to earn favours from the Fire Daimyo?"
"On the same subject." Naruto said. "I will make a visit to Kirigakure. The journey and everything, it should take about at least a week. So, I will be away from the village for that period and Sasuke as well."
"Why Kiri?" Tsunade said. "Why is that on the same subject? I don't see how those two connect."
Naruto raised his index finger as he responded. "Shinobi are despicable creatures who betray, kill friends and family for petty reasons. A war can be started for a simple reason…"
The blond Uzumaki paused, a shadow fell over his eyes for a split second as he responded, "To be honest, I find most of the shinobi population repulsive–for the lack of a better word. I tolerate the impurity because there is no way around it. Even so, I learned that people can change. Well, that comes with being human. You can change your mind in the blink of an eye for the good or for the worst. I'm always on my toes because this world isn't safe. It repulses me, yet I still fear it. I want to connect a few dots that will at least hold together to ensure that there is no war in the near future…"
He wasn't going to say anything more than that. That was the sweet noble dream that Tsunade needed to hear for now. Anything below the desk would be for him to know and for her to remain in the dark over.
She didn't need to know everything.
"For a second I almost thought that you'd want to do for the good of the shinobi world." Tsunade said. "But this is just for you or for your mother…"
"I will not deny nor confirm that, but it does benefit both Konoha and the Elemental Nations." Naruto said with a wave of his hand, almost as if he was dismissing Tsunade's suspicions.
"I will talk to you, tomorrow morning."
Uchiha Compound
Sasuke stared at Naruto for a long minute as the blond Uzumaki walked into his house as if he owned the place. The blond just strolled in here like this was his house, this was his home, but it was not. He may have been coming here since he was younger, but this was not the Uzumaki background that he micro managed like a possessed demon; this was the house of Uchiha.
Sasuke felt that he needed to establish that.
"I don't just walk into your house like that." Sasuke said. "I'm sure you wouldn't be happy if I did so." the Uchiha said.
Naruto looked at Sasuke with a raised brow; the teen was sitting with his mother. It wasn't often that he found the two together, but it was mother and son, it was to be expected. Still, looking at the woman was just trying to see if she agreed with what Sasuke was trying to suggest.
The woman merely smiled, but Naruto got the feeling that she either didn't want to comment or she was amused by the statement from her son.
"You wouldn't just get into my house." Naruto said in a calm tone. He settled down beside the two Uchihas. The table was littered with papers. Obviously, they were working together. "But I should not act as if I am the man of this house. It will not be happening again."
"Well, that is surprising." Mikoto said with her smile. "You're in a good mood today."
"You can say that." Naruto responded calmly. He turned to Sasuke, "I came to speak to you. It is important and I cannot leave without discussing it."
Sasuke snorted at the word 'discussing'.
Since when did the blond Uzumaki discuss things with him? Naruto only informed him about completed things and what he was planning on doing. There was never a day he consulted with him before doing something. The consultation was done inside his head before he goes on to dish out the final product to his 'subjects'
Naruto shook his head at Sasuke's expression. "Should I disturb your work, or will you can't hear me out?" The Uzumaki asked quietly.
"I'm listening." Sasuke said.
They were going to speak right in front of Mikoto–this was the first time he was discussing things with Sasuke in front of his mother. He didn't even go into such things with his mother. He always left the disturbing details of his plans to his mind, well, it wasn't that everything was disturbing and there was nothing outrageous he was going to say to the Uchiha.
Naruto turned to Mikoto: he wondered if she had spoken with his mother already, but by the looks of things, it was apparent that she had yet to do that. Well, if it meant that he could avoid her for now and until he leaves the village, so be it. There were things he didn't want to talk about with her at the moment if he had a choice.
"Sai is already in the village and is busy setting up things for the agency. We will still keep that base I showed you, but most things will happen in this village. I have spoken with Tsunade about it and we are on the same page. Once everything is set, Sai will fill you up on everything and you can visit anytime you want something." Naruto said.
"The Hokage actually agreed to it?" Sasuke asked, a little surprised. "What did you have to pull through to get her to agree?"
"Nothing." Naruto said with a shrug. "You just need to have a way with words. You don't get everything through using a forceful tone or demands. You must be willing to communicate clearly with people, to get them to listen to you. If people cannot listen, you can't sell them anything."
"Spoken like a negotiator." Mikoto said. "What more deals are you negotiating with the Godaime?"
"This and that." Naruto said vaguely. "The reason I came here is because I want you to come with me to Kiri tomorrow. It might take at least a week, but it is important. If your timetable is free, you can come with."
Sasuke looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding. "You're making a move on the Mizukage…" The Uchiha said. "I could use some outside air. What time do we leave?"
"Just be ready by early morning. I will let you know." Naruto said before standing up.
"Wait." Mikoto said to Naruto. "What move are you making on the Mizukage?"
"Nothing personal." Naruto said with a shake of his head. "But I'm not afraid to make it personal if that is what it will take to get her to see the same thing as me."
"I don't approve of that." Mikoto said in a very firm tone.
Naruto shrugged. "My mother doesn't approve of many methods I use." the blond said indifferently.
"You don't tell your mother the methods you use." Mikoto gave a flat response.
Naruto stared at the woman for a long minute before shaking his head. "That is true, but it doesn't mean she is ignorant of everything." The blond said before walking away from the two before he could be dragged into an argument with Mikoto.
"What was that all about?" Sasuke asked his mother. "Since when do you question his methods? You have always known that Naruto is a manipulative fox and will use any method he deems affective to get what he wants…"
It didn't surprise Sasuke that the Uzumaki could plan something like this. This was Naruto after all. He didn't go by what was morally right or wrong, he went by what he wanted to do and how to achieve it.
Perhaps this was by his dislike of humans. Well, the resentment was said to have been much worse before, at least according to his brother. These days the blond seemed tolerant and was willing to work with people. But of course, he only got along with those people in his circle.
"Nothing." Mikoto said. "What is Naruto setting up now? With regards to the Mizukage?"
Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know the details but it was about connecting some dots to make a connection. I won't be surprised if it is to be able to influence how this world operates soon…" The young Uchiha paused before asking, "What do you think we should do?"
"See where this goes." Mikoto said. "But don't play your hand too much. It's okay if you just play along. We don't have to do anything, for now at least. Our clan isn't in a great position. But we must not allow trouble to get to us. But I'm sure Naruto won't be doing anything disastrous because he has to think about his mother."
Sasuke nodded. "I think so too."
"What is the difference between Naruto now and then?
Sasuke looked thoughtful for a few moments before responding. "He has really changed. I guess it is for the better, but I am not the one to say."
Later
Icharaku Ramen
Mikoto settled next to Naruto at the ramen stand, and ordered herself a bowl of ramen.
"Why do you like this place so much? From what I know, this is the only place you eat food aside from home. Well, when you are alone. I have never heard anyone saying that they saw Naruto eating somewhere else aside from here."
"I don't like the other places." Naruto said calmly. "Besides, this is the only place I have been able to eat in peace without having to worry about the food being poisoned."
Ah, the bitter old days' when being Uzumaki wasn't even the last thing anyone would want to be. But things have changed, haven't they?
Naruto no longer had to face anything despicable at the hands of the villagers; he could live his own life the way he wants to without them being a hindrance to it. He could do anything without them saying he didn't deserve it because he was nothing more than just a container.
The blond didn't quite live like a container, did he?
Even in his life as a shinobi, you'd never know he was a container unless you were told by someone who knew about it. He didn't even go around talking about the Bijuu inside of him and that wasn't because it was a sad subject.
There was another reason; Mikoto just could not place her finger on it.
"Well, I can't blame you with what happened in the past." Mikoto said before going silent as her order was placed in front of her. She looked at the steaming ramen for a couple of moments before eyeing Naruto out the corner of her eyes. The blond kept his gaze on his bowl. "Why do I have to be the last person to know about your absence from Konoha?"
It was Naruto's turn to eye the woman. Why indeed? But did he really owe her that much that she be treated as a special case? She was demanding some preference and he got the sense that it wasn't just because they were sleeping together.
He has known all along that it wasn't just about the pleasure–there were hidden agendas and emotions that were included. It had appeared as lust at first, but over the past, he has learned that it was more than that. He was refusing to admit it, even though he has accepted the woman as a part of his life.
"Are we in a relationship?" Naruto asked, in a bit of a curious tone.
"We are in one, but not one that I would like." Mikoto said. "I understand that things will be difficult if those in our families find out about it, but I can't just let this go. You've become a big part of my life and honestly, I'd say you're my secret man."
Naruto didn't offer a response to this. "Admittedly this is nice, it has been a pleasant experience and has changed some aspects about me, but how long do you think it will last, Mikoto?"
"That is something that I don't want to think about." the Uchiha responded calmly. "But I have trusted you with my own body; I don't want that to be meaningless. I know this is going to be difficult, but I want to at least try."
It was safe to say that his mother had yet to say anything to the woman about Yugao. It was better that way. There were still things that he needed to solve before making any decision. This wasn't just something that affected today or tomorrow, it would affect future days. Therefore, he had to be careful with what he decided.
"I didn't think that I would be thinking about something personal that didn't affect my mother." Naruto said. "But I guess this is something that happens when you're growing up. I'd thought I done my part though, but it seems that there is still so much to learn about life, emotions, relationships and the side of being human that makes us seek happiness, in ways that we can understand."
"You do admit that you want to be happy yourself…" Mikoto said.
"I never said I didn't want to be happy." Naruto said with slight shake of his head. "My mother's happiness has and will always be my priority. It is only that now I can see that it isn't just about her safety that matters. I am my mother's joy, that is something I am only starting to fully understand now. I've seen her burst with joy when I do normal things, when there are brief moments of happiness in my life. She has always told me that her desire is for me to be happy, to enjoy the riches of life. I accept that, but a part of me is always restless because of the kind of world we live in."
Mikoto felt happy, only because Naruto was willing to say this kind of thing to her. He normally would not, not to her or to anyone. He closed his heart to everyone, but she was happy that he allowed her to catch glimpses of what was inside his heart.
"This world isn't the most beautiful place, but just because it is filled with hate, murderous intents, and traitors, doesn't mean that you can't be happy; you can still be happy, because at the end of the day, that is a choice you make for yourself. Nobody can force it, you decide whether you want to be happy or not, and when you have made the decision, you make the effort." Mikoto placed the money for her ramen on the counter before standing up.
"You have to ask yourself, do you want to be happy? What will make you happy? How does that happiness affect those around you? If you want to talk more before you leave, come see me tonight."
The Following Day
Outskirts of Konoha
"Isn't this going to cause a problem if it is discovered?" Sasuke asked Naruto.
The blond had sent a clone to guard the wife of the Feudal Lord.
He might not know much but his mother had told him a few things about the Daimyo and his importance. For Naruto to send a mere clone to guard his wife was just a blatant show of disrespect.
What if something happens to her? It wasn't just going to affect the Leaf's relationship with its Daimyo but Konoha's image as well.
Naruto looked at Sasuke with a raised brow. He had expected Sasuke to ask him many things, but not this kind of a question. It was surprising really. "Your mother is teaching you politics." the blond stated as the two sped through the forest, hopping tree after tree in the journey towards Kiri.
"For my future roles, it will be important that I know the basics." Sasuke said. "The Uchiha clan isn't dead–we are alive and well, maybe just 'young' but we will get there one day. When that happens, I need to be ready to handle things for my mother and the clan. Of course, that means dealing with other clan heads."
Sasuke would not care much about village politics; he was most concerned about the future of his clan and its survival. Well, they had survived Itachi and now they just had to stay silent while they raised the young children. They would reclaim their rightful place as Konoha's strongest clan, but for now, it was all about taking care of the small issues that were fundamental for the clan's future–in his hands.
His mother wasn't going to stay clan head forever, she was going to leave the duties for him at a certain stage. It wasn't now. He wanted to handle a few things first and fight many battles before he could think about looking into the inner workings of the Hidden Leaf.
"Your mother is doing a rather good job." Naruto said. "You're obviously learning something. That is good, I don't have to caution you when you make reckless decisions." he paused to really think about what he had just said. "At least most of the time…"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Sasuke demanded with narrowed eyes.
"You will always be Sasuke and I will always be Naruto. There are parts of ourselves that we can never get rid of." Naruto explained lightly. "I know when you hear something you don't like, there is a certain way you will respond, it might be measured now, but still the same thing."
Sasuke looked at the trees ahead of him for a long minute, thinking, once done, he went back to his earlier question. "Why did you really send a clone to guard that woman? For bandits, she is a good target."
"Not for rape or to be sold as a sex slave." Naruto was quick to say. "The worst that could happen is they sell her in the black market for her body parts, but that is unlikely. Since she is the Daimyo's wife, she is useful alive. She is likely just to be used for demanding a ransom."
"That indifference in your tone makes me wonder, but I'm not the one to say." Sasuke said with a shake of his head. "Wouldn't it be bad if something like that happens?"
"Naturally." Naruto said. "But nothing will happen. The clone is armed enough to handle bandits. It will be a different matter if it comes across shinobi, but we are not expecting something like that, so it should be fine."
"Aren't you the one who was always saying you should always expect the unexpected? This is the shinobi world, you can never really figure out what everyone is thinking." Sasuke responded calmly. "Maybe it doesn't apply now because it isn't convenient to you. This must be the hypocrisy Itachi spoke about." the Uchiha said the last words to himself rather than to Naruto, but the blond heard him.
Naruto chose to ignore the last remark from Sasuke, "There is nothing to worry about and in case something unexpected happens, there is a backup plan to ensure that things proceed smoothly." the blond said.
"But this just means you have no interest in using the Feudal Lord…He may not have much say in the workings for shinobi, but he is still the Lord of the Fire country and with that comes influence over other Feudal Lords." Sasuke said. "Still, knowing you, there might still be plans…"
"I have no such plans. If I wanted more, I could have had Sai pay some bandits to try something and then my clone would perform some heroics in ensuring the Daimyo's wife safety. Surely, the woman would have spoken my name in glowing terms…But I no longer have any interest in him…"
Sasuke's eyes turned towards the blond for a second before looking at the trees ahead. "You'd make her go through the ordeal just for that…"
Naruto shrugged. "It would be a valuable experience for her and I would end up eliminating vile insects that pollute this world." the blond said indifferently. "Let us increase our pace; we must hurry to get something to take us through the sea. I want to be in Kiri by tomorrow. We can go slow along the sea, I don't have a problem with it–it will be some time to relax and maybe some practise runs along the heavy currents."
"What would you need to practise along the sea?"
"Chakra control, elemental manipulation and you can train your senses." Naruto gave off a list.
"But you don't use Suiton jutsu." Sasuke pointed out, thinking that within the sea, one would think of utilising the vast amount of water for Suiton jutsus. He knew Naruto was a wind manipulator but he also used both Fire and Lightning to some extent.
Wind was his greatest, even though he rarely showed off his skills with it. When at his lethal best, Naruto would either be using his sword and wind. The blond often used his head than muscles though. It was something else that he didn't want to impose himself as a very powerful shinobi, even though he was.
He was probably the only one who knew the extent of Naruto's abilities and maybe Jiraiya to some level. Even though he thought the blond had reached another wall in his growth, he could never confidently say that he could defeat Naruto in a serious battle. Maybe later once he has awakened the powers of the Mangekyo Sharingan or when he is using the Eternal Mangekyo.
That was something that he only learned from Naruto. Despite not being Uchiha, the blond was very knowledgeable about the powers of the Sharingan–he knew the tricks.
"The wind flows different in the sea." Naruto said, but that was the only thing he said-he didn't go any further than that. He increased his pace, causing Sasuke to follow him.
The Following Day
Kirigakure
Sasuke flashed in front of Naruto, just above the ground; his right foot flashed through the air as it travelled towards the blond's temple. The Uzumaki saw the attack coming and didn't attempt to block it, he ducked under the kick. Sasuke's Sharingan reacted swiftly to the movement and the Uchiha summoned a lightning blade in the blink of an eye.
Without even looking down at Naruto, he attempted to stab it down towards the blond's back, but Naruto suddenly burst into a murder of crows.
Sasuke didn't disperse his jutsu as he landed down. He tracked Naruto's form a couple of feet away from him–the Uzumaki was standing atop of a small rock.
"Your use of the Sharingan's ability to predict movements is outstanding. A slower person will not have a chance against you if you don't allow your arrogance to get the best of you." Naruto said calmly, hands folded over his chest.
"Your reflexes keep getting better and better." Sasuke said.
The Uchiha suddenly disappeared in a burst of electricity. In the blink of an eye, he appeared right above Naruto, birds chirping in the palm of his right hand. The Uchiha flashed his jutsu straight towards Naruto, but once again, Naruto managed to get out of the way.
This time around, he disappeared along a silent breeze.
Sasuke's jutsu exploded after colliding with the rock Naruto had been standing on. The explosion tore through the rock, shattering it into pieces.
Sasuke added another jutsu whilst the rock was shattering. He poured out lightning chakra into the ground, producing multiple electric bolts around the place Naruto was going to land. A clone appeared in a puff of smoke beside Naruto and got hold of the original before twisting him once in mid-air. It then hurled him straight towards Sasuke like a bullet.
"Odama Rasengan." Naruto said as the large ball of chakra formed around the palm of his right hand. Sasuke's Mangekyo came to life as Naruto neared. The blond appeared as if he was going to slam the jutsu against Sasuke's part Susano'o but he suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke.
He appeared right behind the Uchiha, holding his blade in his right hand. The tip of the blade touched Sasuke's ribcage Susano'o from the back. "Extending blade," Naruto said before a wind blade extended from his sword, in blinding speed, invisible to the naked eye. Sasuke only managed to avoid the jutsu through the Sharingan as it had pierced through his Susano'o.
A second later, Sasuke could clearly see the light blue blade extending through his Susano'o from the back to the front. The Uchiha twisted around quickly along with his Susano'o as its size increased. A heavy hand slashed through the air before crashing into the ground in a loud boom–its target had already disappeared.
"Can that jutsu really pierce through anything?" Sasuke asked.
It wasn't the first time Naruto was piercing through his Susano'o with the same jutsu, and every time it was always after contact with it. He has never really used it without contact to the target.
"It doesn't matter, anyway. At least now I know how it works…"
"Just because you know how it works doesn't mean you will know it to deal with it." Naruto said.
Sasuke shrugged. "That was your attack, and should we see which is faster?" the Uchiha said as he prepared a bow and arrow, ready to shoot straight at Naruto.
Naruto dispersed his sword and shook his head. He was not going to have the joy of avoiding Sasuke's arrows from the Susano'o.
"This is enough for the day." He said. "We have got visitors." the blond Uzumaki added calmly, without looking at anywhere to suggest he was seeing the visitors he was talking about.
Sasuke deactivated his Mangekyo before responding. "Well we are in Kiri's territory." The Uchiha said. "The visitors are actually us…"
They were surrounded by a horde of shinobi, but it was to be expected because they had been making some 'noise' in the village's territory. It was only logical that they take measures to handle the situation of the uninvited guests who had chosen to have a sparring session in their backyard.
Sasuke didn't feel the need to glare at anyone over this kind of welcome.
"You're being perceptive." Naruto said. "it is a bit freaky since it is being done by you," the blond Uzumaki said calmly before turning his attention to the Kirigakure shinobi.
Ao stepped out and landed at a safe distance, but close enough for the two Konoha shinobi to hear him without the need to shout. He could tell they were the Leaf's shinobi by their headbands and not to mention the other one was an Uchiha. The Sharingan was paired with the Hidden Leaf and no other village.
"What are Konoha shinobi doing here?" The man demanded in a firm tone.
As it stands, Kiri has no relations with the Hidden Leaf. They would have had something with them but since the Sandaime Hokage refused to help them in their civil war, they hadn't tried anything and have so far been focused on rebuilding their village and making friends with new villages, but not anyone in the Five Great Nations.
Some of those villages thought that Kiri was dead and now the weakest because of its recent bloody history. The village had been truly blessed with many bloodlines, so much more than Konoha had been. There was no other village that had more bloodlines than the Mist, but things happened and they were in this kind of position.
Naruto looked away from Ao–he stared into the sky. "The fact that we have 'put away' our weapons and are not leaking any murderous intent should be an indicator we do not mean any harm… there is no need for such a tone with us…"
"Just because you have put away your weapons doesn't mean that you don't mean to fight, it could be a ploy to get us to drop our guard." Ao responded calmly. "I have lived in this world, long enough to know that shinobi are not the most trusted people. It's never wrong to be safe…"
"You see, Sasuke, this is the kind of world we live in. You cannot just trust what you see and not just everyone because if you do so, you will regret it one day. This is a massive lesson we must all learn. If you trust easily, you are naïve. But this is just the world we live in, so we must know its rules and apply them." Naruto said to the Uchiha.
He then turned to Ao once more and addressed the man. "My earlier response was just to provoke that kind of a response from you." the blond said.
Ao glared: it wasn't funny. Who was this brat anyway? Both him and the Uchiha were powerful, he had been able to tell from watching them fight.
"My name is Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto. He," Naruto started pointing towards Sasuke, "Is Uchiha Sasuke. As you can tell from our headbands, we are shinobi from the Hidden Leaf. We come in peace and I also have a message from the Godaime Hokage."
"We were not aware that Hidden Leaf messengers were coming." Ao said. "We don't know anything about it…"
"Our visit to this land was personal. I have heard some good stories about this village, and that it is very peaceful. I thought it would be a good place to rest for a while. The Godaime then gave me her message to deliver to the Mizukage when she was informed that we were coming to this village." Naruto said taking out the letter from Tsunade.
Ao didn't go towards the blond, he remained standing In the same spot before asking. "You can deliver that message to the Mizukage yourself, but be warned, if you try anything stupid, another letter will be sent to the Godaime Hokage without you."
Naruto shook his head but refrained from saying anything. He could play the part. Besides, he was here to make friends not enemies. It would no good if he insulted the man…
"If we were planning on doing something, we wouldn't have allowed ourselves to be seen so lightly." Sasuke said as he walked towards Naruto. "And if we want to do something to the Mizukage, we'd start with you first and in the next minute, we'd be landing atop of her tower."
A killing intent was quickly directed towards them.
"There is no need for that Sasuke…" Naruto said with a wave of his right hand.
"Maybe you are willing to bend, but I cannot allow him to threaten us like that, especially since we have said that we have a message from our Kage…" Sasuke took the letter Naruto had on his hand before throwing it towards Ao. "This was your proof, but you chose to ignore it in favour of spitting your toothless threats. Now, hurry up and lead us to your Mizukage, we have been travelling by sea for a long time and this place is damn cold." Sasuke said in a firm tone.
Naruto said nothing, he just looked amused. As he said, Sasuke will always be Sasuke.
Mizukage Office
Mei looked up at the two Konoha shinobi walking into her office led by Ao. She had already received the report about Konoha shinobi sparring just outside of her village. She was a nice person, so she didn't order her men to bring them to her by force. But because they were Leaf's shinobi and she was a kind person, she had decided that that would only be done if they refused to cooperate.
Since they were here in peace, she assumed they had cooperated.
She didn't say anything to them as she took the letter from the Godaime Hokage from Ao. She looked at it for a moment before turning her focus on the two fine young men.
"Just because you are fine young men, I won't have you taken away into the interrogation cells." Mei started calmly. "Your Kage would have to forgive me, but you can never be too careful in the shinobi world."
Sasuke wanted to snort at the first words, but he held himself from doing so. He would not have permitted something like that to happen. Even if he had fought back, it wouldn't have caused a war between Kiri and Konoha to occur. Kiri could not afford to go to war and Naruto would pull all THE strings possible to ensure that nothing of such happens.
Mei noted the look on Sasuke's face.
"Do you have something to say?" She asked with a pleasant smile.
"No." Sasuke responded calmly.
"I thought as much." Mei said before turning to Naruto.
Since he walked into the office, his facial expression has not changed, not even the slightest, not even a twitch–he was just observing what was happening around. It was interesting because that mask on his face didn't spell to her as if he was that kind of a person. There was something different from him and the Uchiha.
"So, what possessed both of you to work out just outside of my village?" Mei asked in a dead serious tone.
"The sea was rather cold and we wanted to keep our bodies warm. You should know that the temperatures are very different in the Fire country. But of course, warming up wasn't the only idea." Naruto finally spoke. "I just thought it was best to move our bodies after the long journey through the sea."
Mei stared at the blond for a long minute, searching for something in his eyes, but he gave away nothing. She didn't have to look back at Sasuke to tell that between the two, the blond was the one who was in charge. Their expressions spoke of different things, and just by looking at them, she could tell that they were capable young men.
The Mizukage smiled and held out her right hand. "Mei Terumi, Godaime Mizukage." She introduced herself.
"Please sit down…Ao, you can leave…"
The man nodded before walking out of the office.
"Uzumaki Naruto, Jonin of Konohagakure." Naruto introduced himself to the Mizukage in a pleasant tone; a small smile graced his lips as he added. "A pleasure to meet you…Mizukage-sama…"
"The pleasure is all mine… it's not every day that I get to meet such interesting young men." the Mizukage responded with a smile of her own before turning to Sasuke.
"Uchiha Sasuke, Jonin like him." Sasuke said.
Mei nodded. "Is this letter…" She said holding out the letter she got from Ao. "the only reason you two came here? Depending on your answer, I will either tell you to stay until you recover or to go back to Konoha and tell the Godaime that I have received her message."
"No, there are other personal reasons for coming here." Naruto responded in a calm tone.
Mei tilted her head to the side, curious about what the blond meant by personal but she didn't ask. She looked down at the letter before opening it. She read through the single passage written in the letter and then eyed Naruto with a calculative look on her face.
"Kirigakure as a lot to offer there are a few places I can recommend if you're looking for pleasure…" the Mizukage said.
Naruto turned to Sasuke.
"Aren't you going to ask?" the blond said to the Uchiha, but it was done on purpose.
Sasuke glared at the blond. "I'm not here for that." He said in a hardened tone, "And since when have you been concerned about pleasure?"
Naruto shook his head. "You're telling the Mizukage our secrets." He said. "But I should have known you'd respond like that." The blond said turning to Mei. "If you can make time to talk to me, I would appreciate it, Mizukage-sama. To be honest, aside from other things, I came here because I wanted to speak to you."
"How long do you intend to stay?"
"A couple of days give or take." Naruto said.
"Tomorrow afternoon. For now, you should go around to see the village and we will talk then." the Mizukage said. "Ao will be at your aide if you need anything. For now, I have a lot of work to do…"
They were being dismissed, just like that.
Naruto smiled.
Maybe he would get along just fine with this woman.
End of chapter
I have nothing to say but that thanks for the reviews to the last chapter. I'd actually thought that the Anbu scene had been somehow, but I'm glad it was well received.
Thanks to Freestyle 763 for editing this for me.
The Omnipresent Sage