Sorry this came late. I went mental yesterday when Manchester City conspired to lose after their lead during half-time. Anyway, I went to church and came back refreshed… So here it is.
Chapter 36
It was easy to start war within the Elemental Nations – one didn't need to think hard with people who were used to taking out their weapons to solve problems. It didn't matter who was right, the winner was always right. As Madara would say, there are winners and losers in this world. Obito would ensure that he was going to be a winner of this war that he was going to start.
For his dream, to be reunited with Rin once more, he had to win.
He knew something that other nations didn't know and he could use it. There were various scenarios he had played within his head. He could play the same trick he did with the Yondaime Mizukage but this time around, with more precise orders of attacking a certain village. The problem with that was since that person would be exposed, it wouldn't take long for the geniuses to figure out that he/she was being manipulated.
That would bring an immature end to his war.
Another way to start war would be to tell the nations which had Bijuus that unless they give him what he wants, he would declare war on them. He had thousands of white Zetsu clones to do the work and with their special abilities; they could assume any form or figure. It would be quite simple to frame, so for example, Iwagakure for attacking Konoha or the Cloud.
Obito had a different idea though. This one would work out and he could set up the clones as a back-up plan in case something goes wrong.
Since Naruto appeared to be the biggest threat and the one Nagato was counting on for peace, it would work out perfectly if he could usher to the dark side by ruining his reputation and framing him for other things. He would watch how the blond would react to this.
The masked Uchiha was currently in the Cloud, watching the Jinchuriki of the Two-tails; this was his response. He was going to take the Jinchuriki and blame it on the Akatsuki. Of course, this wouldn't spill anything, but he was also going to leak the fact that both Naruto and Jiraiya were friends of the Akatsuki. Since both Nagato and Konan are the Sannin's former students, it wouldn't be unbelievable to say that Konoha was behind the attack through the Akatsuki and was trying to get power.
The Raikage was a man quick to anger. But Yugao alone would not force him to act even with the information he would be fend, credible information. Someone much closer to him needed to be attacked. It didn't have to be successful, the attack just had to happen from the Akatsuki – a genuine attack but the attacker had to escape.
"Have you found the Hachibi's Jinchuriki?"
Appearing out of nowhere, Zetsu responded in his deep voice. "Yes… he is by the village…"
"I will take the Two-Tails, you stand-by watching the Hachibi."
Hidden Leaf
Naruto was at least content that things in his private life appeared to be just fine but he was still lacking in terms of a firm grip the darker side of the workings of the Elemental Nations. It was a problem for Naruto because he could not control those factors and they could disturb things. He knew that the world wasn't just filled with Orochimaru's but there were those people with money who controlled even shinobi and village leaders.
Those kind of people Naruto needed to eliminate. He would not mind going on a destruction spree to destroy them all from the face of the Elemental Nations. It was important that he does so. The problem now was that he didn't have the kind of Intelligence that could help him with that kind of operation.
"You have a rather stern look on your face… I'd say you are plotting something deep." Mikoto said, standing by the entrance of Naruto's study with her hands folded across her chest. "Something wrong?"
Naruto looked up; his expressionless mask changed quickly upon seeing the elder Uchiha. "I am trying to figure things out. I used to make calculated moves but recent weeks have forced certain changes of things in my planning," he responded quietly.
Mikoto stepped into the study and looked around a bit. She knew the study of their old house, but this was something knew. And talking to Naruto about the plotting hasn't been a part of their conversations. It was always something different but she could not simply say he didn't sit down and think about deeper things, right?
"My son would probably ask if those things are warded and if you even let people in here." Mikoto said as she settled down on a chair in front of Naruto's desk.
Naruto raised an eye brow before shaking his head with a small smile on his lips. "Your son doesn't have a high opinion of me. You see something good deep inside of me but Sasuke only see an immense darkness that he needs to watch out for, just in case it decides to escape its cage."
Mikoto had never quite thought of Naruto as a bad person. She had chosen to see his complete love for his mother as the good thing about him and refused to see other glaring facts. Hell, not even Kushina denied that her son had some messy thoughts within him. It wasn't something she openly talked about but she was at least willing to admit that.
Sasuke on the other hand completely refuses to believe that there is even some good in Naruto. Her son has been insistent that Naruto is bad and the only thing that keeps him grounded is his love for his mother. But things were going to be different now, weren't they?
She was carrying something – something he would no doubt love. There might be darkness within him, but he was still someone who had love in him. If he was cold as her son claimed, he wouldn't care for Yugao, or even her.
"I chose to see the good in you because you did nothing but show me good things." Mikoto said. "For Sasuke, you were the bully and he knows a lot more of what you do when you are outside the village. I don't know any of that and I have never asked."
Sometimes it was just better to ignore certain things or at least people thought. It was never a good thing to live in ignorance and Mikoto has seen much of this world to allow herself to live in blissful ignorance.
"A bully?" Naruto was amused by that reference. It was perhaps strong but he hadn't been fair to the Uchiha. "Sasuke had a lot of issues when he was younger and talking to him didn't seem to solve anything; this is why I resolved to violence at times." The blond paused. "What brought you here?"
"Before I became pregnant, would you have asked that question?" Mikoto asked.
Naruto thought for a couple of seconds before responding. "My main concern would be that there were people in the compound. It would even be difficult to sneak around the house now with someone who has eyes at the back of her head."
Mikoto raised an eye brow at this. "Who?"
"Karin… unless I seal away my chakra, I can't really hide from her. Well, at least this house is warded, so she can't know I am here when I'm in certain rooms." Naruto said.
Mikoto thought of those naughty days they used to sneak around… she had really felt alive in those days. If she was to be honest, she hadn't been pleased at all when Kushina said she could no longer see her dear Naruto. Well, at least things had changed now.
"That sounds like a problem…" Mikoto said. "Do you see us getting intimate like that, again? It won't be something we haven't done before and although I will be with a child, I don't want to die alone. It wouldn't be a bad thing if you spent some nights at my house watching over our child and me…" a warm smile graced her lips when she said that.
"That is something I think about, but I don't see a problem there…" Naruto said. "The kind of image you're trying to paint on me is very frightening, Mikoto. Your situation is so delicate right now that you can't be put in any mental and physical pressure. You cannot even afford to be in a battlefield because a simple thing could end the life forming inside you.
"I have always been careless about human life. It has been to some point where a massacre wouldn't even make me blink but there is a life coming and it will be defenceless, precious. What frightens me is the fragility of it and that is something I'd never feared because I have used it to my advantage.
"Yet this time, it will be a life that I have created and I must protect it. It will shatter certain regards I have had about human life. I think the most dangerous part is that I will start valuing life. Maybe it is that I don't want to change how I life. That is life and the most difficult challenge I face now."
Mikoto smiled. "When you speak like that, I can't help but see something good in you. Naruto, you do understand what life is, even though you ignore certain facts but you understand. Sometimes you might opt against understanding, but you know. Change is indeed difficult, but you're not alone. You have me, Yugao, and how can I forget your mother?"
There was something in her tone that suggested something when she spoke about his mother. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"You're the smart one…" Mikoto threw back with a smile. "I actually came here because I have something I need to ask from you."
"What is it?" Naruto asked with narrowed eyes.
"Sasuke says that you are the only person who can train the young ones in the Uchiha clan. I could handle that but my condition doesn't allow me. Besides that, with how Sasuke spoke, you adapt to the role of being a sensei quite well."
Naruto really didn't have the time to be dealing with brats who could be taken to the village's academy – even though it was useless. He could spend time with Ino – but that was because it served him well and he got a chance to kill time. Now, having him lead fresh minds would be nothing more than the devils temptation for him. If there was any other choice, Naruto would avoid such a situation.
The Uchiha didn't have anyone experienced enough to take care of the training because Itachi had slaughtered all of them. Sasuke wasn't really the sensei type but he could do it if he gave himself the time to do it. Probably the Uchiha just didn't want to spend time babysitting brats.
They did need to grow quickly in preparation for the future, led by Sasuke. Well, he could step in. It would be a good experience for him. For the first time, he would try to do something simply because he was doing a favour to the Uchiha not because he had some hidden agenda. Aside from that, he would be able to measure the strength of his future allies.
"As you understand, I understand people but this will be something different. I won't have the time to treat them one by one as I did with both Sasuke and Hinata. If they are in the academy, they must quit and focus on clan teachings. I know a few secrets of the Uchiha and the Sharingan. If some of them are ready to become shinobi, they can be sent back to the academy for a whole year.
"Spending a year at the academy will make them adapt into society and make friends with the rest of the villagers. This means that they won't be excluded from certain things. It won't be difficult for them to gain friends because I will teach them what is required."
"You appear ready to take the matter by the horns." Mikoto said with a smile. "You almost look excited." The elder Uchiha added. "If you can do that, it ensures that the future generation will know who their friends are. Uchiha and Uzumaki can forever be friends if the future generation is trained by Uzumaki. The next will have a leader who is from born of an Uzumaki father."
Naruto didn't look particularly pleased upon hearing that from the Uchiha. Really, if someone was going to be his child, they must be the future leader of his clan. Not a second did Naruto even entertain the thought of having the child lead both clans. Uzumaki would always be Uzumaki. They can have blood relations with the Uchiha but that would end there.
"We will cross that bridge when that occurs but I don't want my first born to be head of Uchiha."
"Come on, Naruto. I won't have any other child and you will probably make many more. You're still young and you can use that to increase the numbers in the clan. You have to take in mind that if you don't do that, the clan might become extinct. To restore a clan, you must be able to make those kinds of sacrifices." Mikoto said in a serious tone.
"We will see…" Naruto said.
Hokage Office
It was often that Naruto found himself summoned into the office by the Godaime Hokage but when it did, it raised all kinds of alarms inside his head. Something had to be happening for the woman to call him in the manner in which she did. He called it a summons because the Anbu who came to him called it exactly that and didn't budge when he said he needed a couple of minutes.
"What is it?" The look on Tsunade's face clearly stated that the woman had something deep in her mind that she needed to tell him.
"I thought you were just looking into Kirigakure and I was okay with that because I could gain something from that relationship. I did warn the Mei-san about your plotting but I didn't think that she would play along. I thought if I did so, it would caution both of you but it has not." Tsunade was speaking in a hardened tone. "What are you saying about this? Mei-san is coming and is looking to request you to escort her to Iwagakure… I know for certain that this action is only a way for her to take you into the village."
Naruto didn't think that things would come to this point but it has. He was expecting things to happen somewhere from Iwagakure. He must have underestimated Onoki's stubbornness. The old man probably saw Kiri was too small to even call a meeting with him outside of his village.
Still, couldn't Mei have found some way to take him into the village? This was just a blatant action and it would not sit well with the Sandaime Tsuchikage. He could be wrong – he was wrong about this one. That wasn't even his biggest test as things stand – dealing with the irate woman before him was the next challenge and it didn't appear as if it was going to be easy.
How was he going to go about things now?
Mei was already on the way and this woman was sitting with the request. The fact that she didn't tell him when it came meant that she had probably thought of refusing it. She might continue with that refusal if she didn't get sufficient answers. Going by force would close a couple of doors and the woman would be more than willing to charge him with insubordination.
At the thought, Naruto sighed.
The blond Uzumaki decided to settle down before responding. "I was not aware that things had come to this point…" he said calmly.
"I don't really have any reason to trust what you say to me at this moment."
"If Mei wanted to hide anything from you, do you think she would have even bothered to request my services from you? I have no reason to lie over the fact that I didn't even know she was coming into the village. In case you missed it, I have been sorting out my personal issues…" Naruto responded in a flat tone.
Tsunade stared but she did not let up on her suspicions. "I considered a couple of things when I received the request and that was something that I suspected. But it does not change that you have been planning to meet with Iwa's leader. If things had gone your way, you would have done it without me knowing it."
"I cannot deny that but it appears that Mei had other ideas." Naruto said.
"At least I can trust her to be honest with me. I don't like it when you undermine my position and do things behind my back. I don't care if it benefits Konoha in some way or not but next time you do something like this, I won't accommodate it. Regardless of who you are, I'm still the Hokage and you will not do as you please in this village, do you understand me, Uzumaki?"
"Crystal."
"Good." Tsunade said with a nod to herself. "Prepare yourself for departure. She will spend the night here and you will also escort her back to Kiri once business with Iwa has been handled. I want to know everything that concerns Konoha when you return. If it is any of your shady business, don't parade around wearing the Leaf's headband. If you do anything that might bring dispute, you will cease being a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf."
Iwagakure and Konoha had a bad history. It was for a fact that the last war between the two villages was ended because both had suffered massive losses and Minato's entrance in the stage. Had it not been for Minato's almost impossible feat, Iwagakure would not have ended the war. It was for a fact that even though the man was dead they still held a grudge against him because in their eyes, he solely cost them a war.
Tsunade didn't think they would transfer their hatred to Naruto even if they knew he was Minato's son. She really didn't want them to think that Konoha was plotting something. If those people knew the kind of person Naruto was, they would automatically assume something was up. It hasn't taken much for wars to start and unlike Konoha, Iwa has been rebuilding massively while they suffer massive losses with incidents occurring in the village.
They remained strong, but if it took Minato's actions to end the last war, what would happen if they were to go war once again with Iwa?
"I'm not threatening you in anything, Naruto. But I'm Hokage and I will only do what is best for Konoha, not you." Tsunade said. "Maybe you might not want war but if its convenient for you, I cannot say you wouldn't intensify the flames."
"I will not comment on that but you should rest easy. If Mei sent you the letter, then she will talk to you when she does get here. The reason I wish to speak to someone in Iwa of course. Explaining to you will probably be pointless." Naruto said. "Do you have anything else to say to me?"
Not even bothering to say anything to defend himself or say anything about why Mei was taking him to Iwa, Tsunade was a little irritated by that. Yet, she knew she would have a hard time believing anything from him if Mei wasn't around. She trusted the woman, but Naruto just made her uncomfortable.
"Mei will probably notice it but as an extra measure of security, I have already sent a squad of Anbu ahead. A message to Iwagakure has been sent to inform them that Mei would be bringing you along… this is just for damage control. I don't want you shocking them with your appearance." The Godaime Hokage said. "That will be all."
Naruto nodded and disappeared from the office.
Tsunade sighed deeply before leaning against her chair. She closed her eyes; trying to calm her nerves.
Perhaps she had let her emotions get the better of her.
Uchiha Compound
"Naruto said he will do it." Mikoto said to Sasuke. "I don't think it coming from me made any difference in his thinking though."
There didn't appear to be any hidden intensions and he had said that for the first time in his life he was going to do something without any selfish needs. He was simply doing a favour to the people he had a good relationship with and something good for a change.
"I wasn't expecting him to refuse…" Sasuke said. "It makes a good case for future between our two clans. Knowing how he thinks, he was going to take it. I wasn't thinking that he would do it for free though. Naruto has never done anything without expecting in return."
"He did look after you when Itachi had requested that he does…" Mikoto said. "He had nothing to gain from that."
Sasuke merely shrugged it off. "Probably considered the pros and the corns. Regardless, he can do something good. He isn't completely bad. I just have my issues with him."
Mikoto stared for a long minute before shaking her head. "You are never going to let that go, are you?"
"Naruto betrayed my trust… I will never forget that." Sasuke said in a firm tone. "I'm going to speak to the Hokage regarding the clan's future and your return the table with other clan heads."
A return of the Uchiha to dine with other clan heads hadn't been the most welcome. It was in fact hostile but there was nothing Mikoto could do about it.
"I can sort that out…" Mikoto said. "You are growing, Sasuke. Have you considered getting a girlfriend? I know you are young to marry, but getting to know girls will at ease my worries."
"What do you mean by that, mother?" Sasuke demanded with narrowed eyes. He was speaking about her last statement.
"Just take an interest in girls, Sasuke."
About an Hour Later
It didn't take a mind reader to see that the Godaime Hokage didn't appear to be in a good mood; that was the thing that Mei saw as soon as she was ushered into the office of her fellow Kage. She wasn't expecting such a welcome but she didn't take it to heart. Life was too much to be taking everything to heart and besides, she had an idea of what exactly might be pressing the blonde's buttons.
The Godaime Mizukage smiled warmly at the Slug Princess, "I hope you received my letter with the request." She said. She figured it was safe to get down to business rather than talk about something else that would probably even worsen Tsunade's mood.
Tsunade stared at the redhead for a moment before nodding. The Slug Princess sighed tiredly. Just thinking about what Naruto did behind closed doors made her head hurt. Really, if he was plotting something like this, what more could he be planning? There was bound to me more, and knowing that he doesn't care about what is right or wrong when it doesn't apply to him, he could be planning some things that bring harm to the Hidden Leaf or to himself.
"I did receive it and I only spoke to Naruto regarding it about an hour ago. I still have not made any decision. I want to understand things before I let him go." She had told Naruto that she had already sent a message to Iwagakure informing them that he would be accompanying the Mizukage, but she wanted to see if this person was going to be willing to share the details with her.
It was somewhat understandable but Mei really thought that the woman was worrying too much. No doubt she was holding on because she thought Naruto was plotting something sinister. And even if he wasn't, he was doing something behind her back – it must not please her but what could she do about it? There was no one who was going to control Naruto unless you had some powerful genjutsu to manipulate him.
Words? No, he didn't even like doing someone's bidding.
"What do you understand about Naruto?" Mei decided to ask the question. Tsunade's understanding of the blond Uzumaki would define how she solved matters with him. "When you came to Kiri with him, I thought you really did understand him better."
Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"If you understood Naruto, you would not be having a difficult time here." Mei said calmly. "I will not lie to you; there is a frightening amount of darkness within Naruto. It is scary; I don't even want to think what would happen if it was allowed to roam free. That is something he has, but he is still a very logical and rational person.
"Naruto cannot form a relationship with someone or something he does not trust. If he doesn't trust you, he won't even acknowledge you. There are levels of trust of course. I think Naruto trusts you to a level that he doesn't think you'd do something against him out of nowhere unless he has done something against Konoha… at the same time, I don't think he simply expects you to take action without even affording him a chance to speak.
"If you worry that Naruto will do something that could cause Konoha to be in conflict with other Hidden Villages, you should not. Naruto's only goal now is trying to get the Elemental Nations to cooperate. As things stand, every man is for himself and no one cares about what happens in another village."
Tsunade looked straight into Mei's eyes; she accepted what the Mizukage was saying but she really had some tough thoughts inside her head. She wasn't just dealing with anyone but with Uzumaki Naruto. Maybe Mei might not appreciate the kind of danger Naruto posed but Tsunade did. She also understood that he could be a huge benefit to Konoha if things were handled carefully. The Godaime Hokage just really did not have the patience to walk in such fine margins were a single error could cost her dearly.
The slug princess sighed once more. "Why did you let me know? You could have still gone with him without telling me anything." Naruto could still have slipped away from the village without her knowing about it and even if he had known, he would not have even told her. But if he had decided to do so, it would have been because he knew she would eventually know about it.
"I'm a friend of Konoha. Even when Naruto came into Kiri, there were other reasons but the first thing he thought of handling was Kirigakure's relationship with the Hidden Leaf. You must understand something, Hokage-sama, Naruto has no intensions to see this village burn. There might be a history but what he is thinking about doing now is trying to build a better world. It might be the thought of peace or just a sense of security.
"Regardless, I know he really wants it. He might not acknowledge it, but to have the kind of heart that he has and still look for stability is because he really wants to see something change. If it is peace, it is because he wants to be at peace. He was never at peace when he was younger and I'm sure he doesn't want to see that kind of life again, for himself and for the future.
"The problem with that is Naruto has darkness in him. Even though his desire is noble, it can easily turn into something we all fear."
Tsunade agreed fully with the last part. "That is perhaps my biggest fear with him." She said. "Naruto does not have the conscious to break away from wrong. It isn't that he can't tell the difference between right and wrong; he does but his willingness to disregard it is what worries me massively. This means that even though he wants peace, not everything will be good."
Mei nodded. "I know that; he has admitted that to me." The Godaime Mizukage said in a firm tone. "I think I can watch over him though. We already have a special relationship and I know I can watch over him. I know I can keep him from turning into something nobody will like."
How could the Mizukage say something like that so confidently? Naruto wasn't the kind of person who consulted other people when he made his decision and there was just an admission that the Uzumaki did not think twice to break the moral values if it suited his desires. Mei wasn't anything like Naruto; she was a smart and kind person but not a corrupted shinobi like Naruto.
Thinking deeply, Tsunade felt that this day was just getting worse and there would much more bad news. She really needed some good news. That was a case she would think once Mei has left her office. For now, she was more worried about this Naruto situation.
"What makes you think that you can reign in on Naruto? I have asked around and I know there is only one person who can tell Naruto to stop doing something." Tsunade said. As far as she was concerned, only Kushina could interfere up to that level but she always lets her son handle things the way he wants.
"It's simple really; once you get used to Naruto and are able to hold a good conversation with him, you get to understand how his mind works. I have spent a couple of times with him, and I can say that he is a curious person and I am interested in being a bit closer to him." The Mizukage said with a sly smile.
The Slug Princess eyed the Mizukage with a curious gaze before shaking her head. "That person has a girlfriend, impregnated another woman and cancelled a marriage agreement between him and the Godaime Kazekage's sister."
Mei was honestly surprised; she didn't know that Naruto had so much personal activity with his life. He really didn't appear to be a person who had that number of women in his life. What do you know? You can never tell anything about a shinobi's life.
"He cancelled a marriage? If it was something of a political nature, shouldn't that decision come from you?" As far she was concerned, that kind of marriage was forced on people and you had no say in it. But then again, this was Naruto they were talking about and Tsunade probably let him do some things he likes.
"It was actually a contract between the Yondaime Kazekage and Naruto's mother. I had no say in it and the agreement was that if they ended up not liking each other, they could terminate the agreement..." Tsunade said in a nonchalant manner. "If you think that you can keep a Naruto from doing something dangerous, I can trust him in your care. But I will not stop being cautious."
"Doing so would be a mistake." Mei said in a serious tone. "Does this mean that we can have a safe journey to Iwa with your blessings?"
Tsunade took some time but she finally nodded. "Just keep an eye on him."
"There will be no need." Mei said. "Naruto understands the danger in the situation and what he wants to do is to try to see if he can form a favourable relationship with Iwagakure. He wasn't even thinking about Onoki but someone who has the chance to succeed the Sandaime Tsuchikage."
"Does he plan on trying something with the Tsuchikage's granddaughter?" That was the only person Tsunade thought could possibly succeed Onoki as Tsuchikage. She was still young but did have the capabilities to lead the village.
"Not at all…" Mei could not possibly say that with confidence. "Naruto just concluded he could not possibly work anything with the current Tsuchikage. He understands that Onoki is stubborn and if he were to spend time with him, he would end up insulting him and that would possibly ruin things."
Was she just quick to judge things with Naruto or did she just not understand his intensions? Tsunade could not decide on that but she would have to consult with Jiraiya. She simply could not take Mei's words and just leave it as it was. Maybe Naruto was already influencing the Mizukage – or maybe that was just her paranoia with everything that had Naruto in it.
There were too many things that she would need to sort out within her head just to figure out things with Naruto.
"Maybe sometimes I let my emotions get the best of me…" Tsunade said. "If you feel the need to rest, I will get Shizune to show you the hotel… if you feel you have the energy, I can get someone else to show you around the village."
"I think for now, I want to rest a bit… I will go out a bit later. You see much more of a village during the night…" Mei said. "Is there a chance that I can see Naruto?"
"That will depend on him." Tsunade said.
Mei smiled upon hearing that. "I will see him then."
Tsunade stared, "What makes you so confident that you will? Is there something even happening between the two of you? You will forgive me for asking, but with Naruto, you can never rule out anything."
Mei laughed at the question. "There is nothing… he just excites me." The Godaime Mizukage said calmly.
Later
"You are getting sentimental…" Yugao said to Naruto: the blond was lying on the rooftop, with his eyes staring into the night light. This wasn't the first time that Yugao was seeing him here, and this surely won't be his last time.
At this moment, Naruto really didn't care about whether he was being sentimental or not, he was most focused on having his personal issues sorted out. For the most part, things were riding out smoothly but it was his participation in this life that would determine whether this road was a success or not.
Naruto's eyes glanced at Yugao as she moved closer to him; the former Anbu lay next to him. Once she was settled, he responded. "Perhaps, but don't you agree that our lives have taken a different twist that we never considered?"
"While I was just ignorant of something happening between you and Mikoto, other things occurring have been unexpected. But we are adapting well. Although it is just a few of us, you can tell everyone you have a clan to worry about now." Yugao said. "I do have my fears though."
"What fears?"
"That you will be taken away from me by other people around us," Yugao said in a serious tone. "Have you considered that it would not be outrageous for you to be locked with Karin just for the sake of preserving the Uzumaki blood? As things stand, the only way the clan grow will be through you and her."
That was a possibility and it was something that Naruto had been avoiding to think about but there was no way around the issue was there? He really had to think through things but for the good for the clan, it was a bridge that he would have to consider. Since they were already on the issue, he could consider how Yugao would react to this.
There was also his mother but he doubted she would have a problem with it. If they really wanted to restore the Uzumaki, they would have to go through this. The only issue would be if Karin was willing to go through it. The girl was a little stubborn and hardly listened; trying to convince her would be difficult.
"We'd have to get Karin to agree to it."
"…Which isn't going to happen any time soon…" Yugao was quick to say. "But you are still teenagers, there will be time to grow into your early twenties and perhaps then, she would have grown to like you." Yugao wanted to add that maybe around that time, they would be having a child of their own, but she didn't want to push things. As long as she was conscious of it, she didn't have to worry about anything.
Naruto would catch on to it soon, he wasn't that slow.
"I know…" Naruto said with a sigh. He moved his hands towards Yugao and slowly got up. He got on top of her, placed his hands on her shoulders. "But in the meantime, I have you to think about. You know, I never really thought I would feel emotion just being in this position, or even holding you while in bed. It used to be just warmth from another human, but now there is something that actually swells in my heart."
Yugao smiled warmly and brought out both her hands. She held Naruto firmly and pulled him closer to her chest but did not say a word.
"Well, this is getting good…" Jiraiya suddenly said with a lecherous grin on his lips. He was walking on the rooftop, heading towards the two. "I wouldn't mind if you continue even further while I watch…" his tone then got deadly serious, "but we must talk, Naruto… alone."
Yugao groaned loudly at the interruption from the Sannin. While she recognized the seriousness tone in his voice, she certainly wasn't happy with his timing.
Naruto merely smiled. "I'm not going anywhere you know… You should head to our room. I will join you after I finish talking to Jiraiya." After saying that, he got up and helped Yugao stand.
Yugao sighed, now feeling slightly cold. She turned towards the Toad Sage, "…have a better timing next time, Jiraiya-sama."
Jiraiya responded with a wide smile. "Next time, I won't even tell of my presence."
Yugao clearly understood he meant watching them get dirty. She wanted to show disgust over the shameless statement from the Sannin but this was what he was known for wasn't it? If she was going to do it with Naruto, it better be sound proof and hidden from all eyes. She didn't want to read about her activities in the sack in one of Jiraiya's books.
"You will be mutilated if you do that…" Yugao responded to Jiraiya in a menacing tone. That said, she gave Naruto a kiss and walked away.
Once Yugao was out of the picture, Naruto put on an indifferent mask on his face and stared at Jiraiya. He made a clone, pumped with more than half of his chakra and strengthened it in a way that it was much more real that after being stabbed, it would not disappear but just bleed. He needed it to be special.
Naruto then nodded to the clone. "Follow me, Jiraiya." The blond disappeared in a small twist of wind.
He appeared atop of the Hokage Monument, sitting on the Sandaime's head. Jiraiya appeared a second later and settled down beside the blond before speaking. "You lied to Yugao. The clone is going to be with her all night… but the main question is, where will you be, Naruto?"
"I have an important guest that I must entertain tonight before we head out tomorrow to Iwagakure." Naruto responded. "What is it that is important that you had to run all the way back to Konoha, Jiraiya?"
"The masked Madara is declaring war. I don't know what he plans to do but he has said that he will plant the seeds for war. I know he wasn't joking and this is something that we cannot allow, Naruto." Jiraiya said in a dead serious tone. "On my way back, I tried to find out what he could be doing to make this a reality. I don't know if it is correct or not, but I have heard that the Akatsuki attacked Kumogakure, took the Two-tails Jinchuriki and although attacked the Raikage's brother, failed to catch him."
Naruto's mask of indifference turned cold. "Regardless of what we do now, there is already damage done. To eliminate him is to limit the damage."
If the 'Akatsuki' attacked Kumogakure then it would mean that Nagato was going to get blamed for it and at this point, if that man was truly planting the seeds of war, it would come back to both him and Jiraiya. Ultimately, Konoha would take the damage for it. The Raikage was going to get emotional over everything and may act in haste.
If the man doesn't demand Konoha pay for everything and his Jinchuriki returned, there was going to be bloodshed. Konoha couldn't return the Jinchuriki because it didn't have it but the man would not care for that. It was going to be a tricky situation that could only be solved with eliminating that fake Madara.
Naruto really didn't think that his connections to the red clouds would be exploited in this manner. This was going to cause a huge rift between him and Tsunade. The woman had already said that if this came back to haunt them, she would throw him under the bus. The bigger picture was Konoha's villagers reaction to all these.
If Tsunade does indeed throw him under the bus and the Raikage threatens war, they would demand that he leave the village. He has never been good for anything other than misfortunate. That kind of mentality from them could be used to leave this village. But Naruto wasn't going to be quick to move.
"I see you are have come to the same conclusion as I have." Jiraiya said to Naruto. "I have yet to speak to Tsunade but I know she will not be happy to learn about this. There is going to be a tough choice if the Akatsuki is connected right back towards us."
"It is going to be connected to us, Jiraiya. If you are want the Elemental Nations to head into war, attacking Kumo isn't going to be enough. That man knows about us, he knows you trained both Nagato and Konan. It is something you cannot deny. The only way to plant a seed of destruction is to leak that Intel to Kumogakure.
"Iwagakure will also be involved in this… if Iwa catches wind of this before I get there, reaching the village would be a dangerous part on me. There is a possibility that he could also whisper something into Onoki's ears. Mei must delay her trip to Iwagakure just for a little bit until we get a handle of things…" he was talking to himself more than to Jiraiya. "I will leave you to handle Tsunade… I have plans to get rid of that man. But since this is forced, I will be forced to take a different route."
"Are you sure you can handle it, Naruto?"
"I'm not suicidal, Jiraiya." Naruto responded sharply. "I have great plans, this can ruin everything. From what I foresee, it threatens everything I tried to work on. Should this village, Iwa, and Kumogakure turn on me, I will be forced into the defensive. You really don't want that kind of situation, Jiraiya." Naruto spoke in a dark tone before standing up.
The tone, it brought a chill down Jiraiya's spine, he could not even ask anything about it; he just watched Naruto disappear from the Monument without a word leaving his lips.
Wasn't this something he had known or something he had been ignoring? There was undoubtedly a level of darkness within Naruto's heart. But this wasn't something that made him evil. No, everyone had his own darkness that they must face up to. Naruto's was perhaps a little too frightening and it had the potential to swallow him up.
Even with this, Jiraiya didn't want to lose hope; he still wanted to believe that Naruto would find a way to conquer his darkness. They all have ways to exercise their demons.
Still, that fake Madara's actions were going to ruin things. At least they had time to action before the Raikage does anything. He just had to find a solution. If Naruto was successful in defeating the masked Madara, then he could return the Jinchuriki and hand over the man to the Raikage.
Naruto's speed in doing all these and the Raikage's actions would determine a lot of things nevertheless. Jiraiya hoped that other villages don't get involved because if they do, there would be trouble.
Mei's Hotel
The Godaime Mizukage was dressed and ready to enjoy the night joys of the Hidden Leaf. It had been quite some time since she had some fun and she had managed to get her message across to Naruto. He was to accompany her around the village just so she could feel alive before focusing on more stressing issues about Kirigakure and the state of the Elemental Nations.
To be quite honest, Mei was feeling a bit giddy, almost like a little girl preparing for her first date with a boy she liked.
Naruto was something special and she wanted to see all sides of him. She has seen the dark side and the indifferent side, and now she wanted to see how he would react when she flirted; she wanted to see how he would react to her body. It was goin-
Mei's thoughts died instantly when an ominous feeling washed over her. The Godaime Mizukage felt on edge as she turned away from the mirror. There had been nothing that was reflecting on the mirror to say there was an intruder behind her but the feeling that made her instincts react told her there was someone in this space she had been given by the Hokage.
She was on guard as she walked out of the bedroom and onto the living room. Her guard loosened a bit when she recognized the chakra signature and came to see just who the person in her hotel was.
"Naruto…?" She put in as a question because there was something about his expression that made him look slightly frightening. "Is everything okay?" Mei didn't want to be scared of this person – who she knew could never hurt her.
"The guards outside are in a genjutsu and this place is warded with silencing seals…" Naruto said in a flat tone. "If I wanted to murder you now, I could do it and go off to sleep next to Yugao or at the Uchiha compound."
The Mizukage folded her hands across her chest and stared at the blond. She did not move any closer to him. "What gives you that thought?"
"This is just something that someone could do. I imagine if something like that happened, Konoha would take the heat." Naruto said. "I'm sorry, but I cannot entertain you tonight. There has been something that came up."
Upon hearing that, Mei walked over to the blond. She sat next to him and stared straight into his eyes. He wasn't the same Naruto who appeared in Kiri, he wasn't the manipulative person the Godaime Hokage seems to fear; he was something else and she could not quite define it. Either way, he seemed open.
"For the first time since I have come to know you, this is the first time you seem open to me and yet, I can't tell a thing going on inside your head." Mei said. "What came up?" She asked in a serious tone.
Naruto stared into those eyes for a long minute before responding. "There are things that I didn't tell you because they were tricky and could prove dangerous if told. Tsunade even warned me about it, but I considered the possible scenarios, this is one that I never thought would happen. Should it occur, it opens a door to a whole world of possibilities and I'm not standing in a good position in those possibilities.
"You see, there was a criminal organization that was founded by Jiraiya's former students – who he thought had died. We stopped them and managed to get them to see the light. You must have heard of the Akatsuki… that is the organization. There was apparently a mastermind behind the Akatsuki. He attacked Kumogakure, taking one of the Jinchurikis and nearly taking the Raikage's brother.
"This was his response to being betrayed and he has said he wants to start a war. I wanted to avoid it but I guess he wants to show us that this world will always be ready for war. Should it come to the Raikage that I have connections to the Akatsuki, what do you think will happen?"
Mei frowned upon hearing that. But this was still something that could be solved. He just needed to show the Raikage that the man who attacked Kumogakure was someone who was acting on his own. If he could prove that and offer his help in capturing him and returning Kumo's Jinchuriki, the Raikage should be satisfied, no?
"What are your thoughts, Naruto?"
"I don't have a good history with the Raikage. Last time I went to Kumo, I insulted him. The leader of the Akatsuki leads Amegakure. I have connections with you. Now I want to move over to Iwagakure… The Raikage gets emotional quickly when it involves his brother and his village. If he thinks that Konoha is trying to expand and control other nations, he will act.
"Even if he doesn't say Konoha but lays the blame on me. Onoki could soon get on the act as well. If Onoki was suspicious about me accompanying you, then he can say he has his suspicions confirmed. If those two conspire together, maybe go after Ame, there will be bloodshed. If they demand my head, to protect Konoha from war and facing both Kumo and Iwa, Tsunade will be forced to sacrifice me. As the Hokage, her duty is to protect Konoha. The villagers would certainly be happy if I get exiled from the village. What happens after then?"
"They will hunt you."
Naruto nodded. "And I will fight back, Mei. I will not let my life end. But when I fight back, it means destruction. Perhaps I overestimate my abilities, but if it comes to a point where Kumo wants my head and will not listen to anything I say, it will be either them or me. In such a scenario, I will dedicate my efforts to wipe out Kumogakure."
Naruto understood that if he just killed the Raikage and some people, they would stop just for now, but sooner or later they would come back for him. Hatred was passed down like an inheritance and it simply did not go away. If he does something to Kumo and leave people behind, those people could try to avenge their loved ones.
Perhaps he was being paranoid but that threat was a reality. Thus, reducing the village into ashes solved all threats.
To Mei, this was turning out to be a difficult situation. She had expected a very happy night but now there was the thought that this world could be plunged into war by someone. Of course, she head heard of the Akatsuki and about some of its members. She had seen war, and she didn't want to see another one again.
Yet, this wasn't her biggest problem and Naruto appeared as if he could find a way to stop a war. However, that just meant that the anger would be focused on him. And that was her biggest worry over everything. If Naruto was hated, and pushed into act, the thing that he didn't want to become would overtake him, there was no doubt about that.
Wasn't it something that she feared Naruto turning bad than war occurring in the Elemental Nations?
No, the Raikage has fought in a war before; he wouldn't be so quick to do say we go to war. This is why it might focus on Naruto but not just Naruto alone but Jiraiya as well.
"I don't want to be known for erasing an entire Hidden village Mei…" Naruto said. "If I do it to one, I can do it to another village that so much as looks at me in the wrong way. I have a family, I will do everything to protect them. I also have a child coming, I don't want that child growing up to be a target of people with evil intensions toward me."
Mei really needed a drink but she had to be sober through all these. Surprised that Naruto just said he was going to be a father, she was but it wasn't the biggest question she had to ask. There were far more pressing matters.
The Godaime Mizukage held out her hands. "Come here… let me hold you for a while and then tomorrow, we will discuss the way forward…" she said with a smile.
The Following Morning
"Good morning," Mei greeted Naruto with a warm smile on her lips.
Naruto stared at that smile for a while before closing his eyes. What kind of a person was he? His girlfriend was lying with his clone in their bed while he rested in another woman's bosom. What a treacherous world this was and coming from someone who actually hated this kind of thing, it was rather ironic but not surprising.
He shook his head. He had to come here. Yugao has never seen anything inside of him and there were no drawbacks with the Mizukage. If she chose to hate him or do anything against him, he could always use Shisui's eye to get her in order. Once more, he shook his head; he could have such thoughts about a woman who just comforted him.
He was such a corrupted person.
"Morning, Mei…" Naruto greeted as he sat up. "I should head back home."
"We must discuss things before you leave. I don't know when I will talk to you again, but it should be today and I don't know what kind of decision you would have taken then. We are most likely to sit with the Hokage, but in that time, things will be different from when it is just the two of us…" Mei said in a hardened tone. "I want to know what you are planning to do from now on… and I want to offer some suggestions."
"The first step is erasing the nuisance. I don't know how things will happen but if the Raikage comes down knocking, Konoha will respond. I have to get rid of the problem and retrieve Kumo's Jinchuriki nevertheless." Naruto stated. "How the Raikage reacts to that will define my next move… I cannot even attend your visit to Iwa."
"As you said, that is something we have to put on hold. I will write to Onoki and give him my reasons. He is old and stubborn, but if I tell him what he needs to know, he will surely understand… at least I hope he will…" The redhead said. "I'm concerned about your state of mind…"
Naruto put on a curious mask, "what of it?"
"You should consider facing up to your negative emotions, Naruto. You cannot continue ignoring it and pushing it to the back of your head. The day that you are pushed towards your emotional limit, it will take over you." Mei said sternly. "You have to face it and maybe you will even discover more about yourself."
Naruto smiled – it was a bitter smile. "I have thought of that but to be honest, I'm actually afraid. What will happen if I lose?"
Well, that was about it. Hope you enjoyed it.
I read a comment about Naruto marrying Ino… I laughed reading that. Buh I'm truly glad that the last chapter was well received. I hope this one wasn't heavy.
The Omnipresent Sage