A/N: This is my first try as an author so bear with me. English isn't my first language so don't hesitate to pm me with any fault you find, I am always eager to learn.
Reading the reviews I got, I didn't expect such a reaction about Sasuke's transplant surgery from the previous chapters. Well, there's really no point in spoiling it for you guys in an author note like this, so I'll just let you discover the truth about that mystery while reading the story. Hope this turns out okay, please don't turn all critical and throw classic manga material at me if it isn't exactly textbook, you're reading fanfiction after all.
I may or may not have side pairings in the story, such as the Kiba x Hinata pair I had in the first chapters. They won't be developed though, as romance really isn't my forte and they won't have a great impact to the overall plot either. I would just mention them in a final chapter or epilogue, as a way to give more closure to the story when the time comes.
Anyway, welcome to the next chapter of Kaze No Kami.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any other manga for that matter.
Chapter 52 : Spy Games
Sunagakure – Council Chamber
The whole assembly was in shock and awe, as they saw Naruto stepping inside the room. It amazed Kurenai that her student could make such an impression in a room full of veteran fighters, the very elite of Suna no less. This also showed her that Konoha still had a long way to go though, in terms of acknowledgment towards Naruto regarding all the things he did for the Village. Even among the elite of Konoha, she knew there would always be those who fear and can't trust him, no matter how hard he works to protect them.
Something else became an issue as soon as Naruto's group appeared in the meeting room, the fact that he was escorted by Konan. She was someone they could clearly identify as an Akatsuki's agent, for her participation in the raid that aimed to kidnap their Kazekage, not that long ago. Even if the Angel of Ame didn't wear the famous black cloak with red clouds any longer, they still saw her as a threat, one that needs to be eliminated as soon as possible. Before things could get out of hands though, Naruto stepped up and tried to defuse the situation with something he knew would command respect.
"Kazekage-dono, Tsuchikage-dono and honorable council members of Sunagakure, I, Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto hereby present myself in front of you, as the Shinobi Alliance's Sou Taicho. Escorting me, is Yuhi Kurenai, my former sensei and Konoha's Genjutsu Mistress. Also with me is Konan, honorary member of my clan and formerly known as the Angel of Amegakure. I mean no disrespect but there are things of great importance that I need to discuss privately with both the Kazekage and Tsuchikage." Naruto announced, making sure that everyone knew Konan was under his protection. He left no room for any argument, the moment he made use of his title of the Alliance's Leader, everyone knew only the vote of three Kage could cancel his decisions concerning Akatsuki related matters.
No one was foolish enough to challenge Naruto, after the blond made his request known. They all turned their head towards Gaara or Kurotsuchi, asking for instructions. No one wanted to cross the Kaze no Kami but they didn't want to leave their leaders alone either. Gaara shared a quick look with Kurotsuchi and they both nodded to each other, signaling for everyone in the room to leave.
"Actually, I would like for your bother and sister to remain with us, as they also fought against our enemies in the past." Naruto said, as Temari and Kankuro were leaving the conference room.
"Very well, jonin Temari and Kankuro shall stay for the remaining of this meeting." Gaara replied.
Once everyone left the room, Naruto sighed heavily and went to sit down. He was joined by Konan and Kurenai as Temari and Kankuro went back to their respective seats near Gaara. Kurotsuchi was left alone, as Naruto made her escort leave the room.
"Sorry about all this but the kind of things we're about to discuss can only be shared with those I fully trust. No offense for your people Gaara, or your escort Kurotsuchi but you were the only people in the room that had my trust." Naruto said visibly more relaxed than earlier, if the lack of honorifics he used for the Kazekage and Tsuchikage were any indication.
"That's alright, Naruto, even I can't be sure of everyone's loyalty nowadays. After what happened the first time Akatsuki attacked, I know we can't be too sure about those things, as far as Akatsuki is concerned." Gaara replied with a smile.
"He's right, you know. That masked man from Akatsuki could make Jiji do things he would have never even consider doing if he had all his mind. We can never be too cautious these days and I perfectly understand the need for discretion." Kurotsuchi added.
"Well, I really don't know how you guys do it all the time but I'm still not used to ordering people around like this. Anyway, this isn't a social call, things have gone from bad to worse since our last encounter." Naruto said.
Before anyone else could speak, Naruto also decided to bring up the issue of the identity from the man hiding behind the masked member of Akatsuki. They were shocked to learn that Uchiha Madara may still be alive after all this time, and the Uchiha Founder would be the one hiding behind that mask.
"Well, as we were saying before you arrived, we are completely surrounded by Otogakure and its allies. We still managed to keep contact with Iwagakure, thanks to a coordinated assault from our forces in Stone Country. Had we not reacted immediately like we did on that day, I fear that either Suna or Iwa would have already been defeated." Gaara reported.
"We had no way of contacting you guys on the other side, I'm positive that they intercepted every messenger bird we've already sent. Our borders are now secured and we may be able to hold them back should they decide to attack but I'm not quite sure of what their true intentions are. From the reports I have from our outposts, ever since they conquered River Country, all they did was fortify their borders and nothing else. We have no idea of what's going on behind their lines." Kurotsuchi added.
"Pretty much the same happened on our side, our allies from Kumo and Kiri managed to push back the enemy as they were trying to flank us by taking down Shimogakure and Yugakure. Fire Country is still the Nation that shares the most borders with the enemy, that's the reason why it is currently being fortified with reinforcements troops coming from both Kumo and Kiri. Tsunade is in charge of setting up our defenses on the other side with the cooperation of A and Mei. I was given the mission to check up on you guys and then infiltrate and assess our enemy's forces. I chose Kurenai and Konan since they are both Stealth experts and I trust them unconditionally." Naruto told them.
"Even so, going behind the enemy's lines right now is suicidal. They are expecting you, no doubt about it. Where do you even plan to check in the first place, their territories are now numerous and they may or may not have the local citizen's cooperation." Kurotsuchi asked, seeing many problems with Naruto's plan of infiltrating the enemy's lands.
"Our target is Ame, since it is strategically placed at the crossroad of the Elemental Nations. It shares borders with Iwa, Suna and even Konoha. Should we need to fall back during that mission, we would then have three options to do so. That's also the place I would advise to march against, once everyone is ready and I've determined that it is safe to proceed. The locals have already fled the scene under Konan's orders, before Oto started their invasion, so we're not at risk of having collateral casualties when the battle starts and Konan has a perfect knowledge of that village. Freeing Ame also ensures us a safe way to travel from the East side to the West one, I'm pretty sure that River Country wouldn't last long against us, when they are isolated from the rest of the territories under Otogakure's influence." Naruto explained the parameters of his mission and why Ame was chosen for their insertion point.
"I only see one flaw in your mission's plan, Naruto. No offense but if you managed to deduce all this, Amegakure being a strategic position to take over and all, then I think that it is safe to assume the enemy could also know of this. While I agree with you that taking back Ame should still be a priority objective for us, you would do well to not underestimate Uchiha Sasuke or his Akatsuki allies." Gaara warned Naruto.
"I know Gaara, thanks for your concern. However, this is something that needs to be done and I'm the one with the highest chance of survival for this type of mission. I've selected Kurenai and Konan because I knew it would increase the chance of success for this mission to have them with me." Naruto replied with a smile.
"Even so, we cannot allow you to take all the risks, Alliance's Leader or not. You won't be able to "flash" your way into Ame since you have no beacon in there, so taking Kurenai and Konan for their stealth ability and knowledge of the city to get in there the old fashion way was a good call. However, I know of a perfect way to increase the odds of success for your mission." Kurotsuchi said.
"Oh, and what do you have in mind, Tsuchikage-dono ?" Naruto said back with a smirk.
"We will stage a fake assault against Otogakure's lines at these two points." The Rock Princess replied while showing two spots on the map they had in the center of the room. The places she indicated were Takigakure in the north and Tanigakure in the south.
"I approve of this plan, this will force them to split their forces to avoid losing those villages. With those two diversions, your group should be able to sneak in easier. I'm sure Uchiha Sasuke will take the bait, he may even chose to lead one of the two groups that will go to defend their positions." Gaara said from his seat.
"Okay fine, this could work but do not take any unnecessary risk with those two fake attacks of yours, we still don't know much about their offensive powers. Anyway, now that we made sure that you're both fine, we will proceed with the second part of our mission." Naruto said before he stood up and went through a familiar series of hand signs.
"Ninpo : Kuchiyose no Jutsu !" He yelled as a small dragon came out.
"Keep this little one with you, he wont be easily intercepted by our enemies, so you can relay anything you want to Tsunade on the other side with him. Just make sure to also let her know that we finished the fist part of the assignment." Naruto told them as he handed Gaara his dragon summon.
The blond then walked towards Kurotsuchi and slowly took out a Hiraishin kunai from his vest before giving it to the brunette.
"I only used a temporary seal on you the last time we met, when I needed to use the Hiraishin before that Akatsuki member could reach you. Please accept this, as a sign of friendship between us. I trust that you will use it wisely, should you need my help at any time in the future." He said as she accepted the kunai.
"Thank you Naruto, I'll make sure to keep it safe so that it never falls into the wrong hands. It's a funny thing you know, I would have never believed it if someone had told me a year ago that I'd be standing in front of the Yondaime Hokage's son, and that he'd be willingly give me one of the famed Hiraishin kunai." Kurotsuchi said with a smile.
"Okay the diversion attacks will take place in two days, that leaves you some time before you have to infiltrate Amegakure." Gaara said as he stood up and joined them, staring at the map and thinking about the best way to execute their plan.
Amegakure – Detention Area
Sasuke and Zetsu were inside a small room with little to no lighting, staring at the fallen form of Danzo. The leader of Root was chained to a small bed, obviously unconscious, with lots of tubes going inside his body.
Sasuke slowly reached for the bandages that covered his eyes and pulled them off. His eyes were closed for a moment, but when he opened them Zetsu could see an evolved version of the Mangekyo Sharingan flashing through the young Uchiha's eyes.
"I see, so that's where you got those new eyes of yours. I was pretty sure you'd take Itachi's eyes but I guess I was wrong." Zetsu said as he saw Sasuke making his way towards Danzo's bed, unaffected by his words.
"He gave me more than those eyes, thanks to Kabuto's truth serum. I've noted in here everything he knew about Konoha and the secret tunnels he took to get outside the village, undetected by their sensory barrier. I need you to infiltrate the Leaf and give me more information about their plans and that annoying jinchuriki of theirs." Sasuke told Zetsu as he handed him a folder.
"Well, Madara did ask me to assist you so I guess I'll do it. I hope that those tunnels of yours do exist though, wouldn't want to face their Kaze no Kami if your plan fails." Zetsu said as he took the folder.
If Itachi's name didn't annoy Sasuke that much anymore, the mention of Naruto's nickname did. He couldn't wait until the moment he could face the blond again, with his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.
"Not even Itachi could resist that special drug from Kabuto, you don't need to question my plan or those information. There are solid so you have no excuse for failing this mission, now leave me you are dismissed." Sasuke snapped at him. Zetsu then left without another word and Sasuke decided to get back to the Kage Tower or God's Tower as it was previously called, a fitting name for him, he thought.
God's Tower
Once he got back to the tower, he was greeted with the presence of Suigetsu and a group of other jonin, waiting for him in front of his office. Suigetsu was happy and curious to finally see him without the bandages, but he left his questions about it for later, as they had more pressing matters to discuss first.
"Sasuke, these are the jonin who will infiltrate the villages you mentioned in our previous meeting." Said the silver haired swordsman.
Sasuke was genuinely surprised that Suigetsu managed to get so many spies on such a short notice. They all wore regular clothes, with no headband to identify their respective villages of origin. He knew that many of them came from the Countries he had invaded in the last month, making their loyalty to him questionable. Hell, even those from Oto would betray him in a heartbeat if they didn't fear him or his elite staff so much. An idea suddenly crossed his mind as he looked at those men, then a smirk appeared on his face as he spoke to them.
"Gather them in the meeting room immediately, Suigetsu." Sasuke said as he entered his office.
Meeting Room
Once Sasuke joined them in the conference room, they saw that he changed his clothes from his battle gears with the Uchiha crest in his back to Kage clothes. He chose the purple color for his attire, and his hat was hiding his eyes. The men were all standing in attention in front of him, with Suigetsu waiting on the side. Sasuke then slowly removed the hat, revealing his Sharingan in its Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan (A/N : Will be called EMS from now on.) form.
"Suigetsu, come to my side for a moment." Sasuke said, as Suigetsu came to stand at his side.
Once Suigetsu was out of his field of vision, Sasuke started gathering more chakra to his eyes before speaking again.
"You are now soldiers of Otogakure, your only purpose in life is to serve your village and its leader the Otokage, Uchiha Sasuke. You will obey any orders I give you without concern, your former lives are now over, you belong to the Uchiha Clan from now on. Do you understand me ?" Sasuke yelled. The men suddenly all bowed down and kneeled in front of him.
"Hai ! Uchiha-sama !" They all shouted in sync.
"Impressive, what did you do to them to make them so … docile ?" A perplexed Suigetsu asked Sasuke, suddenly really glad that the raven haired man ordered him to move out of the way just before launching whatever jutsu he just used.
"It's just a simple ability from those new eyes I got from an old man." Sasuke cryptically replied, remembering his last conversation with Danzo, as the drug was making the old War Hawk reveal all his dark secrets.
This made his realize he only got one of the culprit behind the massacre of his clan, the other members of the Elder Council were still at large and Konoha would be his next priority after them.
"Now that I know where their true allegiance lies, resume your mission and send them on their way to their respective targets." Sasuke said as he turned back and made his way towards his office.
A/N : What do you think ?
Naruto and his escort made contact with the other side. They will have a good opportunity to get inside Ame when Gaara and Kurotsuchi launched those two fake attacks against Otogakure's borders.
On the other side, it is finally revealed where Sasuke got the magic eyes. I thought about leaving the issue unanswered for another chapter or two but that wouldn't be very nice of me now, would it ?
Consulted many sites and it has never been said that one needed the eyes of his brother to reach the EMS, just another Uchiha blooded individual would do. Sure the sibling aspect can help but it is not mandatory in my understanding of the process.
There was no way Sasuke would desecrate his brother's body, knowing how much Itachi "loved" him. I created an opportunity by having Danzo on the loose outside the Leaf with a bunch of Sharingan eyes at his disposal. Shisui's eyes are good for the Emo King's plans, as he lacks the loyalty of his new beloved citizens. I was very tempted to put a " All hail, Sasuke !" when he used his hypnotic eyes on the jonin spies. Cyber cookies to the one who guesses first where that scene comes from :)
I'm not sure if Danzo's version of Shisui's hypnotic idea implantation is a permanent one or not, I may create a permanent version for Sasuke if that's not the case, this is still under debate. Give me your thoughts on that.
Anyway as usual, please Read and Review.
