A/N: Yeah, so, I know the last chapter was something akin to a filler, slice-of-life kinda deal. Didn't really notice until after I uploaded, to be completely honest. So...here, hopefully this chapter makes up for it! Yes, something actually happens!
I hope you enjoy! :)
"Lord Mizukage?"
The man in question cracked a single eye open. He adjusted to the minimal light coming through the window behind him and his bed, the first thing he saw being the ceiling to his bedroom. A fan was spinning overhead, and the pale blue ceiling formed a dome-shape that made everything seem much wider than it was supposed to, especially when it fanned out and became a normal cylindrical room. Chojuro, now half-awake, took the same single eye and looked throughout the room. Nothing, as he expected. Just the king-size bed he was on with the massive blankets that covered him, and a dresser at the left end of the room. There was nothing else, all the items he did need would be down in his office exactly one floor below this room. At the opposite end of the room was the only door leading out, and in it was a hunter-nin, stiff and professional as per usual.
"What is it," grumbled Chojuro. He received an apologetic bow from the person who woke him.
"Apologies for waking you like this sir, but we must be getting ready to leave soon for your summit."
The Summit? Oh yes, that. He had been so caught up in researching the jinchuuriki matter that he had forgotten about this. He gave a half nod and began to rub his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, which the hunter-nin took as an unspoken order to leave the room. The door clicked shut, and Chojuro tossed the blankets off of his thin body. He swung his feet over it's edge and stood up, the cold wooden floor helping wake the man up. He could barely see a thing without his glasses, but he had grown so familiar with this room that he didn't need them. He was already walking to his wardrobe, still half-awake, and already opening the thing and pulling out his usual attire. It went on with ease, snug and form-fitting as his clothing always had been. Inside the dresser was a small shelf at the very top. There, he kept three of his most important possessions: his glasses/earmuff combo, a photo album of his younger days, and his Kage hat. This was no time to drudge up past memories, so he quickly snatched his glasses and hat, putting them on with swift motions. The moment his earmuffs slipped on, he felt comfortable, at ease, like he could finally focus.
...Five Kage Summit...
He made a small turn and looked at the foot of his bed. There had been a small trunk where he packed a few changes of clothes, some emergency weapons and the like. It appeared that his escorts had already taken the thing.
Was I really in that deep of a sleep?
The leader of the Hidden Mist scratched the back of his head, too tired to really ponder over anything. Without much thought, he came to the conclusion that he was finally presentable, and should probably be heading down into his office. He had asked a certain someone to come by yesterday night, his stand-in. Hopefully Chojuro didn't come off as irresponsible by showing up to his own office later than his visitor. On his way to the only door in the room, he stopped just before the thing and looked down at the ground; leaning against the wall was his sword, a fat and broad slab of sharpened metal that somewhat resembled the legendary blade he once wielded, Hiramekarei. Those days as a member of the Seven Swordsmen ended long ago...but, as he picked up the replacement sword and stuck it to the harness he wore, he reminded himself that he had no regrets.
Bah, there he goes again, pondering things that didn't matter. He had enough on his plate as is.
Today is going to be a long day...
Walking into his own office and expecting someone else to be in there was a very strange feeling. Chojuro opened his own door and looked at the seat behind his desk, fully expecting his guest to be sat there for some reason...but, that was not the case. The Man of Five was stood just in front of the desk, also half-asleep and letting his eyes wander throughout the room. Oh Kami, there Suchiru was, as well, smoking a cigar and enjoying it's taste. Yaju...Chojuro did remember asking to see him, but it appeared he wasn't present. And...well, the fourth person wasn't here yet.
Kami, I forgot I asked them all to show up in the morning...I'm just glad all four of them aren't here right away.
The Mizukage made his way into the office, yet didn't bother to go behind his desk. He only shut the door and stood in front of it, getting both men to turn and face him. He lifted a hand to tell them there was no need to greet him formally, and both men merely nodded in acknowledgement. "As both of you know, I'll be departing for the Land of Snow to attend the Five Kage Summit. As such, I have important tasks for both of you." His hands clasped behind his back, and the Mizukage lifted his chin. "But before I go on, I must ask, have either of you seen Yaju or Kagura? I also expected them to be here."
Shaking his head, Suchiru was the first to answer. "I ain't seen the kid, but Yaju's out of the village collecting materials for his forge."
"I see...alright. In that case, I'll just get on with it. Ketsui, your task is simple: ensure that Jiyuu spends as much time as he possibly can with the others."
A look of defeat wriggled onto Ketsui's mug. "...yeah? That's it, huh?" Clearly wasn't an easy task to take on, but if only Chojuro knew that.
"I need his bonds with the people he will work with to be strong again. Do what you must to bring him back, please. This is imperative. And as for you, Suchiru," the Mizukage spoke as he turned his attention to the other man in the room. "Continue researching the Hidden Abyss Village with Horusuta, though I will not allow any departures from this village with the information she had brought from the Hidden Rain. You two already have some sort of system underway, I advise you to keep at it until you discover something ground-breaking. Understood?"
The jounin nodded, though his gaze became a little downcast, and his cheeks reddened some. Yeah, there was definitely a 'system' underway, alright. That 'system' resulted in the kunoichi taking up seemingly-permanent residency in his home...not that he minded.
"Very well, both of you are dismissed."
As expected of the two, they bowed in understanding, and Chojuro opened the door for both men as they filtered out of his office. But, just as the Mizukage began to close his door, rapid footsteps quickly approached the office, and an arm stuck in the way of the closing thing. "Lord Mizukage! You wanted to see me?"
That legendary sword, Hiramekarei, was strapped firmly to his back. Chojuro hoped that he had been training diligently with it, the bandages on it looked like they hadn't been removed since Chojuro gave him the weapon.
"Kagura...you can't always sleep in like this."
"Sorry sir, I...I had a long night."
"Hm." The Mizukage adjusted his glasses. "Now listen, Kagura. What I have to say is very important, and I need you to really understand all that I imply."
"Yes sir."
"You are going to be the stand-in Mizukage while I am away."
The young man froze where he stood, eyes widening considerably. "...what? M-Me?"
"Yes, Kagura."
"...but...surely there must be someone more..."
"If there is anything one must learn about being a Kage, it is that sometimes a leader doesn't accept such a role until they are thrust into the position. It was like that for myself, and I know you desire the position to be yours at some point. It is best that you get a feel for this sort of thing now. But, do not worry. Some of our best shinobi will be here, and they will be around to assist you if you need it."
Although he was trying his absolute hardest to not show anything childlike, it was clear by the smile he was trying to force down and his tone of voice that he was absolutely giddy. "Th-Thank you, Lord Chojuro!" He accompanied his words with a bow, as per usual. "I promise to not let you down!"
Those words brought a genuine smile to the Mizukage's face. "Good man. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend." Opening the door behind him, Chojuro stepped outside and looked back, his hand resting on the knob. "Just don't burn down the place," he joked, shutting the door behind him.
His smile died in an instant. Without wasting more time than he had already, Chojuro reassured himself that his successor would be just fine on his own, and began his descent down a nearby flight of stairs to leave the Mizukage Tower. Upon reaching the exit, he could see his assistant, Misuno, standing patiently with her arms at her side, and her eyes half-lidded. Kami knows how long she had been waiting for him.
"Are you ready to depart, sir," she asked in her usual low voice. As excited as ever, it seemed.
"Yes, let's be on our way."
She nodded and opened the exit door for him, but he took only two steps outside before he saw Yaju walking up to the very same entryway that Chojuro was leaving through. The large Hoshigaki froze when he saw the Mizukage, but quickly flashed his large, terrifying smile. "Ah, good morning to you. You wanted to see me?"
"I thought you were gathering forge materials," the Mizukage inquired without a second thought, brow furrowing. "Why do I find you outside my tower and not in my office?"
"Well, I just returned," he admitted, grin not disappearing.
"Whatever," Chojuro said back, voice more stern. His hand went to the brim of his Kage hat, and made a slight adjustment. "I expect some sort of notice if you're going to leave the village, Yaju. You of all people should understand the dangers of leaving the village during times like these. I summoned you to ask that you and the other Swordsmen stay on alert while I am away. Kagura will be my stand-in, so do not disturb him unless it is imperative to the well-being of this village, understand?"
Placing a fist over where his heart was, the Hoshigaki gave the smaller, skinnier man a chuckle. His goggles shimmered a little in the light, giving off an odd aura. "Yes sir, you can count on me."
"Good. You are dismissed."
Without a second word, Chojuro walked past the behemoth of a man with Misuno following close behind. Yaju turned to watch the two walk at a leisurely pace, no doubt heading to a secure area with a boat all ready for his departure. The Mizukage and his assistant became coated in a thick cloud of mist that blended in with the environment, and soon, the Hidden Mist's leader was out of eyeshot.
An eerie silence befell the Mizukage Tower after that, and Yaju was well aware of it. He adjusted his goggles a little and felt his smile grow a little more, even to the point where it was twitching.
...the Land of Snow, huh...
The harsh waters and bitter cold made the five-day journey absolute hell. Normally, minor Kage meetings were held online after the Hokage sung praises about computers, but even some major ones didn't require all the Kage to physically meet up a location far from their own villages. It was agreed upon, however, that such a dire situation required that they all meet in the most private of chambers to discuss matters, as if the threat of espionage was still possible. There was a small temple in the middle of nowhere out in the Land of Snow, one forgotten by time that had resisted the harsh forces of mother nature. It was the perfect place to have a summit. Having been trudging through the snow without a thick cloak over his body, the Mizukage was starting to think otherwise.
"Where is this place, Misuno."
It was not a question, despite being worded as such. He spoke through clenched teeth and demanded an answer, sick of the bitter cold that was making his thin frame shiver. He demanded to know if they were close, he needed a fire, a candle, anything that could provide him with warmth.
His ever-so-faithful assistant rolled her eyes, already aware of the man's hatred for the bitter cold. "Clooooose, just be patient."
"Any patience I have is wearing thin."
"Yes, much like your attire, sir." She looked at him over her shoulder as they walked, since this was one of the rare occasions where she would walk in front of him to take on any incoming danger. Her eyes narrowed, and Chojuro could tell she was smiling beneath her face-mask. "I did tell you to dress accordingly."
She earned a grumble from her village leader, but Misuno laughed it off and returned her attention frontwards. She didn't speak often, never needed or wanted to. She wasn't anybody interesting, just a kunoichi who was experienced and was fortunate enough to land the job as Chojuro's bodyguard. But it was the small moments like this where she did enjoy poking fun at the man, the few moments where she could take a serious job and make it a little easier to handle. As much as Chojuro didn't want to admit it, he appreciated the playful teasing. It made him momentarily forget why he was out here in the first place.
"There it is, dead ahead," she announced, making the Mizukage look over her shoulder. Yes, there was indeed a lone stone temple right ahead, it's surfaces coated in either frost or layers of snow. There were no guards, no shinobi, nothing. Perfect. Truly, it was solitude at it's finest, and the one thing all the Kage needed for their meeting was the guarantee that nobody would be listening on the outside.
"About time. Let's head in."
The pace of the two picked up, and it wasn't long before the temple's gigantic entryway was within walking distance. Chojuro stopped to take in the sheer size of the closed stone doors, and they were tall enough to make him start feeling dizzy the higher up he looked. Misuno, without waiting for Chojuro to give her permission, went ahead of him and placed her hands on the freezing stone slabs, pushing them in just enough for the two of them to squeeze through. She turned and beckoned for her leader to follow, which he did without question. The Mizukage's assistant closed the entryway behind them, leaving the village leader to walk ahead. There was not much to this temple: two hallways lead left and right, and most likely wrapped around to meet each other at the other side of this construct, but the main attraction was the room straight ahead. A large room with pillars lining the insides, and a round table with five chairs, everything also constructed of stone. There were no fancy decorations, no banners, no cushions or carpets, not even coloration of any kind. The only other thing in this room were some candles for light, and Chojuro was already checking his pockets for a match to light them with.
He got here first. Well, looks like there was a first time for everything. He gave his pocket a pat out of minor frustration when he realized he didn't have a match with him, nor did he know of any fire style techniques that he could use. Defeated, the Mizukage picked one of the stone seats and plopped down onto it, taking off his glasses and earmuff combination, along with the Kage hat. He tossed them all onto the table before him, and gave the center of his brow a well-deserved massage with his thumb and forefinger. Misuno took her place behind his seat, silent and attentive even without the others present.
How did we get here, mused Chojuro, only letting a gentle sigh release. How did we lose our era of peace so fast. Where did we go wrong...why is this all happening.
As much as he wished he did, Chojuro didn't have the answers to his own questions. He sat in silence, a cold and dismissive silence that made it clear he had no desire to share his thoughts with anybody right now...not that it mattered, he and Misuno were the only ones present. But his assistant understood, and would not try to go against his unspoken wishes.
The solitude did not last too long. It was only ten minutes later when both individuals heard the stone doors open and close once more. Kurotsuchi, better known as the Fourth Tsuchikage, took easy, cautious steps into the room, her eyes immediately meeting with Chojuro's. On instinct, she gave him a little smile, and then took in her surroundings as her assistant, Akatsuchi, followed her inside.
"This place could use some touching up," she joked as she took off her own Kage hat and placed it on the table, walking the long way around the large piece of stone furniture until she reached the chair beside Chojuro. She placed a dainty hand on the chair's back and rested her weight on a single leg, her outfit parting just a little more at the skirt and showing off a little more thigh. She gave Chojuro a teasing smile, one that could only be seen on her glowing face. "It's so dull, isn't it?"
Of course she was testing him. Kurotsuchi always acted like this around him, and Chojuro was well aware of this game. He kept his eyes frontward as he grabbed his glasses and earmuffs off the table. "Quite," was his response, ignoring the slight heat in his face. He placed his signature spectacles back on and made sure his muffs were on firm before he gave the Tsuchikage his full attention. "I see you're in good spirits, as usual."
"I have to be," she told him, pushing off the chair and swinging around it, seating herself in the most elegant of manners. She even crossed her legs once seated, like a true lady. "I think it helps make everybody else feel better if there's at least one cheerful person in the room."
"Today might not be a day that calls for such behavior. You already know what we're all going to discuss."
Her smile struggled before it wilted, and soon she found herself staring at the table. Her warm and welcoming gaze became stiff and serious, as was expected for such a topic. "Yeah..."
"Hn. I can't remember the last time we had a meeting like this."
"Five years ago, when your second jinchuuriki disappeared." Her hands shifted to the small arm rests of the stone chair, gripping a little at the edges. "...hey."
"Hm?"
"...when you return to your village, please thank that Jiyuu boy for saving Netsu. Knowing that one of our ally's own shinobi was able to save at least one jinchuuriki and give us hope in finding our own...it was such a huge moral boost to the Hidden Stone, one that my stupid little smile couldn't achieve."
"I like your smile."
He got a shocked looked from the Hidden Stone's leader before Chojuro realized just what he said. His slightly warm face suddenly felt as if it were on fire, and he backpedaled as best he could. "AH, I, uh, I mean, yes! Yes. I...I will let him know...certainly..."
The awkwardness of his previous comment hadn't left the air, and a vain attempt at clearing his throat to make things less uncomfortable for him only did the opposite. Kami, why did he always make himself out to be a fool around her, of all people? If anything, at least she was smiling again, even appearing to hold back some giggles. That wasn't so bad.
"Lord Mizukage, was there something you wished to tell me," she teased. Chojuro was finding it a little hard to breath right now, but thankfully, he needn't choke out a response. The sound of the door opening and shutting once again was enough to make him lose his blush and sit upright, while Kurotsuchi turned her attention towards the entryway.
A hooded man shambled in, hands in pockets and head lowered. His Kage Hat was off, hanging from his back with a thin string hugging the man's neck. He took the thing off and tossed it on the table from the entryway, landing it right next to the other two with perfect precision. Darui, the Raikage, removed a hand from his pocket to scratch at his small mustache with a thumb. He really looked like he didn't want to be here, but such was the way things were with this man. His assistant, Omoi, followed him in, and as per usual, he had a lollipop in his mouth and his hands in his own pockets. Without a word, he took his spot standing by a pillar, and the Raikage shambled over to the seat next to Kurotsuchi. He took his place in silence, and his gaze remained fixated on the table before him. He was...unnaturally quiet. The other two Kage remained silent, awaiting anything that he would say. The first words he did speak, however, were quite expected.
"This whole situation is so drab," Darui mumbled, leaning back a bit in his seat and bringing his gaze upwards. "...but...I have to do what I have to do."
Adjusting his glasses a little, Chojuro felt a bit of stress crumble away. He was glad he wasn't alone. "It's our duty as Kage, after all. We have to make sure that we can all work together once again to fight a common-"
"Not that," Darui cut off, rolling his head to look at the much skinnier swordsman at the table. Chojuro shut up right away, curious as to what this was all about. But, it took the Mizukage only a few seconds to realize just what village the Raikage meant, and put the pieces together before the dark-skinned shinobi could continue. "Thanks for getting Netsu back to us. I, and my whole village, appreciate it."
"Of course."
It was a huge deal for Darui to thank someone, even if it was with as few words as possible. He tended to be quiet if there wasn't a battle or active meeting going on. 'It's just so drab,' he would complain. But times were different, the situations were different. It looked like today was going to be full of surprises. Chojuro felt it was best to not to push Darui on what he just said, the man didn't like speaking casually as it was. But, of course, the Tsuchikage couldn't have disagreed more.
"Well, well," she said as she grinned at Darui. "It sounds like you're in debt to the Hidden Mist Village. How do you plan to pay them back?"
All Kurotsuchi got out of Darui was a long, drawn-out sigh. "I haven't got a clue yet. Maybe I'll think of something when this meeting's over." He lowered his chin and looked towards his fellow leaders; it was clear he hadn't been sleeping lately. "Speaking of meetings, where are the other two? I'd like to wrap this up as fast as possible."
As if on cue, the door opened and shut once more. Quiet, steady footsteps echoed through the stone structure, and a familiar red garb flowed with the small breeze introduced from the unforgiving outdoors. Removing his Kage Hat as he entered, Gaara was the only village leader polite enough to walk right for the table, gently place his hat down, and take his seat while nodding to the others present, only getting a nod, smile, and lazy wave in response. Kankuro followed Gaara in, and as expected, took his place at the edge of the room directly behind his brother's chair. He gave all the other assistants a smirk and salute, to which they all replied with a friendly nod. It sure was easy to be less stressed out if you weren't the one who had to call all the big shots.
"I trust everyone is doing well," The Kazekage spoke in his usual somnolent voice, "...all things considered."
"The Hidden Cloud's doing much better after Netsu returned to us." Darui folded his arms across his chest and shut his eyes, like he was about to take a nap. "But I guess you figured that out."
"I did feel that recovering one of our jinchuuriki would be uplifting, yes."
Normally ready to poke at the other Kage present or say something controversial, Kurotsuchi let go of her normal smirk and held out a hand to Gaara in question. "Speaking of which, am I correct in believing these rumors to be true? Did you, in fact, harbor the boy who saved the Four Tails Jinchuuriki in your village?"
"Jiyuu Tamashi?"
"Of course. I'm sure you're no stranger to that name," she stated, looking at the Mizukage. "Your little Hyuuga is quite the superstar for all the right and wrong reasons. But I did hear that he had been hiding out in the Hidden Sand Village."
With a small exhale, Chojuro held his slightly-bearded chin between thumb and forefinger. "I thought I had told everyone, but perhaps it slipped my mind. Gaara and I agreed to allow Jiyuu some time in the Hidden Sand as part of an extended training mission."
"I thought that the Hokage was going to take Jiyuu back to the Hidden Leaf after the Chuunin Exams from long ago. Didn't your mission compromise that?"
The question that she asked the Mizukage was a good point. He didn't answer her right away, but didn't have to. The door opened and closed for the fifth and final time, and the only shinobi crazy enough to wear bright orange walked into the room. He stopped at the foot of the table and pulled off his Kage hat, giving everybody the confident grin he was known to sport, but it was obvious to all that he was a little troubled. Not hard to understand, after all, since he was also a jinchuuriki. On top of that, he had been helping to teach the jinchuuriki of other villages, guiding them down a safe path in life with their own little 'Jinchuuriki Summits,' as he liked to call them. All those kids who he watched grow up into young adults, nearly gone. Only he and Killer Bee were the products of an older shinobi age, but their combined efforts felt wasted after all that's happened. And on top of that...well...
...perhaps he should just bring that up in the meeting.
At an unusually slow pace, Shikamaru shambled into the room and took his place far behind the Hokage's desired seat. He looked at Kankuro right away, and nodded. The Puppet Master began to mouth something to him right away.
'How's my nephew and sister doing?'
Of course he would want to talk family at a time like this, what a drag.
'We're all fine, just stressed out.'
'Why are they stressed out?'
'My kid's friends with Naruto's kid. Temari's friends with Hinata. The whole Hidden Abyss thing, the Hyuuga thing, the Jinchuuriki thing...it's got everybody on edge. Such a drag.'
'Hopefully we can get some kinda plan going here today.'
'Sure hope so.'
Placing his hat on the table and taking a seat, Naruto looked to each and every person sat at the table. The presence of all five Kage in the same place brought some sort of powerful feeling into the atmosphere, but also a bit of tension. Everybody was nervous, worried, aggravated, though they all went about displaying it in their own ways. Naruto, he never liked to voice his complaints aloud unless it was to someone he knew would listen without thinking less of him, like Shikamaru or Hinata...but, this was something he just had to get off his chest.
"...my village isn't looking that great right now, y'know." He said these words as all were staring at him, and slowly, his attention went to Chojuro. "People are scared that their Hokage is going to get abducted or killed by this 'Hidden Abyss Village' that they've heard about. The Hyuuga are tearing themselves apart because of how many of their members had left to join that village. Because of that, my wife is very upset." His smile couldn't hold at that line, but it was fine, because he didn't want to act all happy and go-lucky right now. "She's not only upset because of what's going on in her clan, but also because the Hyuuga are being ostracized. Everybody thinks they're traitors, and people begin to speak. My son already ran away from the Hidden Leaf years ago because he's...well...I don't know...and my daughter's having trouble forming any sort of bonds because she's half-Hyuuga. My sister-in-law is ready to tear her hair out because people believe she's failing as a clan head, but I'm sure this sort of rebellion has been cooking up for years. We're just getting it full-force, and it's not the best feeling in the world, y'know?"
Chojuro could feel himself sink a bit into his chair, but remained stoic on the outside as the Hokage continued.
"...there's even talk that, since I'm technically linked with the Hyuuga...that I'm in on whatever's going on with the Hidden Abyss Village. I've heard rumors that I'm gathering up jinchuuriki to take over all other shinobi villages through war, one of the things I wanted to erase from our world. I'd like to come up with a plan to stop the Hidden Abyss as fast as possible, because now they're affecting my family. They're rotting my village, and it's harder to keep everybody happy when one of our founding clans had a huge hand in making this whole mess."
The room fell silent. That was quite a heavy load of info to take in at once, and none would have imagined it was getting to be so personal. Naruto was beating himself up about it, like he should have seen this all coming from a mile away. It wasn't logical, sure, but neither were many of the things the Hokage did. He always felt it necessary to shoulder the largest of burdens, regardless of what others would tell him. It was his village, his responsibility, but it felt like he had no say over anything anymore. His friends and colleagues never doubted him for a moment, but when the average civilian hears rumors and chooses to believe them, it never amounts to anything good.
"...I'm sorry, Naruto," Chojuro said, his voice barely above a whisper. He felt as if he were being addressed directly.
"You don't have to be," the Hokage answered. "Just...keep doing whatever it is you did to get Netsu to safety."
He didn't reference the Hyuuga's Black Eye directly, but Chojuro, everybody, knew what he meant. Chojuro could only wonder how that whole situation went, too. A Hyuuga in a foreign land runs away after the Three Tails Jinchuuriki disappears, and none hear anything about him other than that he's a missing-nin killing other Hyuuga. A regular hero...and to make matters worse, Chojuro was just now realizing that Jiyuu going to the Hidden Leaf may not have been such a bad idea. He was different, and differences in the Hyuuga Clan were what dictated if you were upper or lower class behind compound walls. Jiyuu may have been the key to unify them all...as Naruto had proposed to Ketsui and himself all those years ago when discussing both Jiyuu and Tsuyo. But, Ketsui had been selfish, and Jiyuu was uncontrollable. Never would he have predicted that he run off like that...that didn't lead to the best of friendships between the Leaf and Mist for a moment in history. Would that boy alone have been enough to ensure the stability of the Hyuuga Clan, and maybe the Leaf in the long run? Would there be less defectors heading for the Hidden Abyss if Jiyuu were within the compound to unify them all?
It's too late to know now.
"We cannot rely solely on Chojuro's shinobi to resolve this issue." Gaara's calm and quiet tone broke some of the tension in the room, and got everybody focused on what the main topic they were meant to discuss. "We must agree on a plan of action to save our jinchuuriki."
The Raikage cracked his eyes open at what was spoken. "That's a good idea. The only problem is they've been taken somewhere that we can't find."
"Then I think our next step should be obvious," spoke the Tsuchikage. "We already picked out our special operation teams, right? We should be sending them out throughout our own countries to search for clues."
The Hokage shook his head a little, not making eye contact with anybody. "I've sent Sasuke out to find whatever he could about the Hidden Abyss, and he's only found dead ends. He's been at this for a few years, and the closest he came was interrogating some people, but none of them would tell him anything useful. He's never been able to bring someone back to the Leaf, either. If he did, we could have had our Interrogation Force do something."
"These people are willing to give their lives for this village. Nobody's going to live long enough to make it to one of our villages as a captive," spoke Chojuro.
Kurotsuchi massaged the back of her neck a little, shifting which of her legs was folded over the other. "Then what plan of action should we take? Has the intel recovered from the Hidden Coal Village been of any use so far?"
"Not particularly. It's all in code, or incomplete. All we can confirm is that the Coal had been used to cycle around money and illegal goods, and that they were tied to the Hidden Abyss in a very close way. I would have liked to have had one of the Coal-nin be captured and brought back to the Mist for questioning, but none lived. They were just as dedicated to throwing their lives away as any Abyss-nin is."
"I think the first thing to worry about is protecting our last remaining jinchuuriki," Naruto spoke, his hands going onto the table as he shared his thoughts. His bandaged hand was curling into a fist, and a well-trained ear could hear his knuckles cracking. "I feel like Netsu and Bee should be brought to the Hidden Leaf and kept under my protection...I won't let anybody take them away..."
Despite understanding his emotions, even Gaara had to shake his head at such a request. "Naruto, surely you of all people understand just how much of a risk it would be to do that. It will just make your village become a massive target, and there is a greater chance that the Hidden Abyss Village may very well launch a full-scale attack on your people. We do not know what they are truly capable of, nor if any of the members of the Hyuuga Clan in your village plan to revolt if an attack were to happen. There are too many risks involved." The redhead slid his eyes to his old friend, making only the briefest of eye contact before the blond looked down at his own fists on the table. "Do not forget that you are in just as much danger as all the others were."
"He's right," Darui agreed. "But, as the man who's village contains the other two jinchuuriki, I think they should be taken to hideouts, somewhere not that obvious. As it stands, my village is in just as much danger, if not more than the Hokage's. Keeping Netsu and Bee safe by having them stay somewhere far off will also keep my people safe, it would be a win-win."
"But the Hyuuga have the Byakugan, and so many of these Abyss-nin came from my village," Naruto admitted, and the words he spoke tasted sour as they left his mouth. "Even if those two had agreed to move into safe houses, they could still be found easily."
"Bah, this is all so...so..." Humdrum, which was what Kurotsuchi wished to state, but she knew that was wildly inappropriate for this topic. But more-so than this whole approach being lackluster in terms of flare, it also lacked action, production of a preferred outcome. "...so lacking in initiative. We need to pool all our resources into finding their village and taking them out with a full-scale attack."
Adjusting his glasses at the statement, Chojuro made sure to look anywhere but the kunoichi's direction so he wouldn't get to see her disapproving stare. "That wouldn't be so wise. Not only could that take an unprecedented amount of time, but we would also potentially be walking into a trap. We don't know how well-guarded they are, if they are on alert, or how large their village is to begin with. Yes, we will scout for them before making an attack plan, but what if their village happens to dwarf all of our own? What will we do then?" He swallowed something in his throat, and put a finger at his temple as he felt a headache coming on. "We need to be cautious. If they are able to capture jinchuuriki without any sort of violent methods, imagine what they could do if they wanted to cause damage."
"Well, if I had to make an assumption, it would be that they are capable of causing destruction that none of us would want," said Gaara, hands folding in front of his face as his elbows rested on the table. "If I remember correctly from the report that was sent out when Netsu was recovered, she had been branded with this 'Caged Bird Seal' that the Branch Family Hyuuga possess. I remember being told long ago just what it does and why it is used, though it sounded as if the one used on Netsu was different in some way. Jiyuu had reported to you, Chojuro, that he found Netsu in a comatose state, and reported that the seal on her forehead had been directly interfering with her own chakra. She was completely held against her own will, yet she could not do anything about it. If the captured jinchuuriki can be manipulated in this manner, then they will be fighting to protect the Hidden Abyss Village, whether they wish to or not." The Kazekage fell silent, but only to catch his breath and gather his remaining thoughts. "...what we should do is continue as we were, gathering any information we can. When we have enough information, then we can decide on how to defeat our enemy."
Chojuro felt his brow scrunch up. "Other than what we've recovered from the Hidden Coal, we have no leads to follow. We're short on time as it is, and we have no idea when the Abyss-nin will come for the remaining jinchuuriki." He paused and faced Naruto, trying his hardest to drive home the urgency of the situation. "All of the remaining jinchuuriki."
The blonde knew better than anybody the severity of the situation, how pressed they were for time, and certainly how vulnerable he was in his own village where there were potential rogue Hyuuga living within walking distance from his place of residence. "Then what do YOU think we should do?" His question came out rough, Naruto was clearly aggravated that nobody would simply let him protect Netsu and Bee in his own village. Despite the risks, he felt it was the simplest solution. But hey, if it was such a bad idea and they were so pressed for time, maybe Chojuro had a better solution.
But the Mizukage only took the finger that was resting on his temple and used his whole hand to grab at the side of his head, staring down at the table once more. "...I haven't the faintest idea."
Of course he didn't. Nobody did. They had never truly had to face a situation as bad as this before, at least not as Kage. But even back in the days of the Akatsuki, they were a bunch of missing-nin who would actively cause damage and launch attacks on villages in plain sight. They were powerful, yes, and they certainly gave everybody trouble, but at least the Five Nations knew just who they were at odds with, regardless of whether they were unified at the beginning or not. All people knew to look out for that signature cloak, black with red clouds, and without a unified effort, the Akatsuki still fell. But this Hidden Abyss? This was another shinobi VILLAGE, one that nobody could find after searching for years. They never launched a single attack, they had never been discovered, and yet they managed to do what the Akatsuki had attempted. But the Akatsuki would kill the jinchuuriki, they would do it simply to extract the bijuu within. The Hidden Abyss are keeping them alive, as far as everybody knew. To take away a jinchuuriki without a battle of any kind, to simply walk in and out of a village without a single attack being launched, it was terrifying. There had been guards outside some jinchuuriki's places of residence as well, it's not like the Kage had been fools and left their special shinobi to fend for themselves. And still nothing worked. Despite their best efforts, the Five Kage couldn't prevent their own jinchuuriki from being abducted from their own village.
History was repeating itself, and yet, times were completely different. Either the problem at hand was much larger than any of them could comprehend, or they were simply failures as Kage. Either way, progress had to be made here today. They had to begin something, they had to start some sort of dedicated team effort to take back their jinchuuriki, and put an end to whatever this Hidden Abyss Village was.
Sighing as loud as he could, Chojuro took his hand off of his head and gestured it to Naruto, determined to see if they could start doing just that. "Lord Hokage, I've sent you copies of the information recovered from the Hidden Coal. Have your specialized shinobi found anything substantial, anything at all? How goes the progress?"
Uncertain as to if he should sugarcoat the situation or not, Naruto looked behind his seat at Shikamaru, who had been hard at work with the Intel Team of the Hidden Leaf to crack any codes or secret messages that may be present in the information they received. The Nara massaged the back of his neck and gave a small shake of his head, clearly not proud to admit he hadn't gotten anything grand. The blonde turned back to the Mizukage, completely defeated. "Well, to be honest with-"
The gravity in the room was multiplied tenfold, and it sent all the Kage as well as their selected escorts to the ground in an instant. The sounds of stone cracking and wind rushing flooded the temple's chambers, and it became very hard for everybody in the room to breath. Their heads were spinning, the pressure being placed on their bodies was too great to do much about; the only person in the room who was capable of doing do was Akatsuchi, who was barely able to stand on his own two feet against the immense pressure, let alone do anything about the situation. Gaara's defensive sand surrounded his body in a pool, yet even it was having trouble doing anything other than become a puddle beneath him. The sensation lasted for a few minutes, despite feeling much longer...and once it stopped, everybody in the room was launched off the ground before they hit it once again. Gravity was normal, and the Kage were just barely climbing to their feet with the assistance of their accompanying shinobi.
"What the hell was that?!"
"What's going on?!"
The head of each Kage was too fuzzy from the initial force to really focus in on which of their assistants asked those questions. Nobody had a chance to say anything else before the ceiling above the table began to develop large, deep cracks that sent sediment spilling onto the stone furniture below. Each Kage got out of the way, their assistants helping them move faster than they probably could in their current state, and they had barely managed to avoid being crushed by the giant stones that had once formed the ceiling. Sunlight spilled out of the hole up high, but it was so blinding, so unnaturally bright. Some people had to shield their eyes, others only squint, but what came next was something that none of them could believe.
Levitating down under the veil of heavenly light, a being clothed in white descended with open hands held out at their sides, like they were some sort of divine being. Small stones and clouds of sediment hovered around the bottom of their body, moving lower and lower as the being descended further. They wore a hooded haori, gloves, shinobi pants, boots, and a featureless mask, save for the single hollowed-out circle on it's forehead. Not a single section of flesh was exposed, nor was there any hint of killing intent present. The being gently perched itself atop the mountain of rubble that sat in the middle of the room, the stones that floated by their body now giving in to gravity and hitting the ground. The being was near motionless, save for it's chin being inclined in such a slow and unnatural speed. Nobody spoke, it was hard enough just to breath. The air felt thinner for some reason, and the sudden shock of the whole thing left everybody with a mind filled with nothing but panic.
"...amusing," the being finally spoke. His voice was low and smooth, definitely a male despite the thinner frame. "It appears that my informant had done their job well. Here you all are, the Five Kage, champions and leaders of shinobi-kind. For such high-standing individuals to congregate in a place as barren and void of life as the outskirts of the Land of Snow, it says little of your supposed 'bravery.'"
Holding his shoulder in place and standing in front of Darui, Omoi tried fighting through the pain of the shoulder he had dislocated upon falling from the immense gravity surge. His teeth were grit, and he was about to bite through the stick of his lollipop. "...informant? Who the hell...what the hell did you do to us?!"
"As for what I did you you all, nothing. I simply elevated the situation to a new height. And in regards to my informant, I am unsure as to why you would ask me such a ludicrous question." The man in white shifted his head over to face Omoi head-on, clearly getting the Cloud-nin to tense up even further. "Why would you inquire about something that you will not get an answer to? Perhaps when this is all over, you could debate amongst yourselves about just who here was responsible for this breach of security." He paused to chuckle, though it seemed to be out of genuine humor than to infuriate the Five Kage; it managed to irritate them regardless. "The Five Kage do not seem so impressive up close. Such a powerful group of shinobi surely wouldn't appear so...intimidated. You all can try to mask your emotions as best you can, but I see it clear as day." The man in white folded his hands behind his back, and took a moment to turn his head and look at each Kage individually.
"...all of you are...scared...yes?"
Kurotsuchi clicked her tongue, and brought herself to her feet as Akatsuchi got in front of her, clearly ready to battle. "Us? Scared? Hardly! If anybody should be scared, it's YOU! Anybody can make a big and flashy entrance like that, but anybody idiotic enough to do that to the Five Kage won't be leaving alive."
"...do you doubt my capabilities, Tsuchikage," the man in white asked, his whole body turning to face her. "Perhaps you are unaware of your current situation."
He made the seal of confrontation, and a hole blasted outwards from a wall in the temple behind her. She, as well as the other shinobi in the room, turned to see...
...clouds. Millions upon millions of clouds that formed a sea far beneath the temple. The sun was bright and close, unobstructed by anything in the sky. The stones that had been used to build the now-busted wall could be seen falling and falling, only disappearing once they reached the clouds below.
It wasn't possible. It just wasn't possible. What was this? A genjutsu? Kurotsuchi checked to make sure she wasn't under the influence of a mirage or something, that her visions were true. This was no illusion. The temple they were all inside of was now hovering high above the clouds...and the air that poured in began to feel that much thinner. Wide-eyed and unable to truly comprehend just what was happening, the stunned kunoichi faced the man in white, who felt that he didn't need to say a thing.
"I am not sure what technique you're using," Gaara muttered as he stood up, sand surrounding him, "but it must be draining your chakra at a very high rate. That's a foolish position to put yourself in."
"If I were you, Kazekage, I would be more concerned with what the man holding this temple in midair had to say, lest he chose to conserve his chakra and let five leaders fall to their demise on a whim."
The tension in the air spiked in a heartbeat as every Kage shot their own ocean of killing intent towards the man in the middle, but it didn't appear to have any sort of affect.
"I have come here today for a very simple reason. The Hidden Mist and Hidden Stone Villages have attacked a very close ally of mine, the Hidden Coal. A weak and impoverished society that the Hidden Abyss Village was just beginning to help stand on it's own two feet once more. Now, I do believe that all of their members are deceased." The masked man seemed to bring his attention to Chojuro, making the blue-haired Kage tense up. "And, if I wished to bring more to the table, I would add that for the past seven years, my shinobi, my people, have been killed by the hands of the Five Great Nations. I know how much you wish to prevent my humble little village from growing into something grand, but such barbaric acts against a society as small and reclusive as mine are just unfair. I have shouldered the pain of my people long enough, so I come here today before the Five Kage to seek some sort of...agreement."
Sweat trickled down the back of Chojuro's neck. He felt, no, he KNEW that most of this was being directed towards him purely because of Jiyuu's actions alone. "...your village," he spoke, trying hard to keep himself calm despite his current predicament. "...you lead the Hidden Abyss Village?"
The man in white nodded.
"...that means...you must be..."
"Yes," the masked man stated. "The leader of the Hidden Abyss Village and head of The Family. I am The Father."
"Alright, 'Father,'" began Darui, frowning some. "I don't know why you think you're deserving of a peace deal with any of us, especially since you've been stealing our jinchuuriki from us."
"I never 'stole' your jinchuuriki, Raikage," the Father spoke, like a schoolteacher correcting a student. "Please, I am not barbaric. Any jinchuuriki that had left your villages came to us on their own free will. Or rather, we had found them wandering aimlessly throughout the land, and we invited them to our home."
"...liar..."
Father didn't move himself, still facing Chojuro as the Hokage stood up, fists at his side and fury in his eyes. "I know they wouldn't run away! They were happy with where they lived and the people around them! They left because you took them!"
"And don't try lying to us," added Darui. "Because when Netsu came back to me, we saw what you did to her. That Caged Bird Seal was used to control her, wasn't it?"
"I do not control anyone. Hokage, Raikage, I merely opened their eyes and showed them the truth."
"What truth?"
"Oh, I'm sure you're all well aware. It is clear that they are merely made to be weapons of mass destruction. They are sung songs of praise and given the absolute best training that their villages can offer, all in case another war breaks out." Now, Father bothered to turn and face Naruto head-on, arms unfolding behind his back and falling to his sides. "Hokage, I'm sure you're aware that each major shinobi village held exactly two jinchuuriki except for yours. Why do you think that is? You, as a jinchuuriki, have become so immensely powerful throughout your life that there is no need for a second jinchuuriki to reside within your village, is there not? That is why the other four Kage in this room decided that it would be best if the rest were divided equally amongst each other. It is a form of deterrence from attack should one of your peaceful villages decide to go rogue...ah, but...I'm sure you are well aware of this already. After all, this is just a theory I had crafted, but judging by that look you're giving me, I believe it's safe to assume that I am correct."
Indeed, Naruto was glaring holes through him. A long time ago, Naruto sat with the other Kage to discuss the matter of the wandering bijuu who no longer felt bitter towards humanity, towards shinobi. To prevent any possible enemies who may pop up in the future from capturing them as the Akatuski did, it had been decided that each Bijuu were sealed into a new jinchuuriki. The Hokage understood that such a process may take time, and the bijuu may not have been so open to the idea. After explaining his thoughts to the others, the Kage simply decided to plan for the future, assuming the bijuu went along with their plans. From there, the issue became who would be in charge of the jinchuuriki, who would get what. Naruto, as Hokage and a powerful war hero who was capable of historic feats of strength, was told off the bat that it would not be fair to the others if he had any other jinchuuriki within his walls. Bee was still the jinchuuriki for the Eight-Tails, and he already had a village. From there, the math was simple, and each village essentially picked a number (of tails) from a hat. It had been paraded around Naruto that this was strictly to keep the jinchuuriki safer if someone ever came around looking for the bijuu again, and that was how he had pitched it to said bijuu when he had been asked to convince them to play along. Luckily, things went his way. But here? Now? The Hokage gave each village leader in the room around him a quick glance to see why they were so silent. Many of them seemed to be hiding some sort of emotion, keeping it from welling up on the surface. Whether it was shame or embarrassment, he couldn't tell...but he knew it wasn't anything positive.
Was the Father being truthful?
"I see you're having trouble denying what I say," the man in white continued. He raised his hands in question. "But these are times of peace, are they not? Surely, the jinchuuriki aren't needed for combat, for war. Why not allow them to roam free? They are people with their own thoughts and feelings, why not allow them to do as they please?"
"You can't use that as an excuse," Gaara countered. "You're hoarding the jinchuuriki! It's clearly being done as a means of war!"
Father shook his head, and folded his hands behind his back once more. "I do not wish to ruin the peace, Kazekage. I merely started a village where all are accepted as equals, regardless of who or what they are. The Family, my fellow founders of the Hidden Abyss Village, all come from different lands and have lived very different lives. The same is true of our civilians, our shinobi...and the jinchuuriki. Have you ever considered that they do not like being used as weapons? Have you thought about the way you brought them up and trained them for the purpose of making them deterrents? They do not like it, not at all. They only wish to be normal people who live average lives, not to be paraded around and showered with glamour as they have been. That is all I have offered them when they came to find me, and they accepted."
"Then why the Caged Bird Seal?"
The somnolent, yet sharp and tact voice of Shikamaru differed from the others who had already spoken. Still facing the Hokage head-on, the Father lowered his chin some.
"...it is...something many of us bear. You could say we use it as a way of proving loyalty."
"...you're a Hyuuga, aren't you."
"..."
"Are you from the Main Family, or-"
"Not that it is of any concern to the current matter, Hokage, but I was a Branch member."
"What are you planning? Why are so many Hyuuga leaving our village to join you? And you can't lie to me, you have to have been a Main Family member if you can use the Caged Bird Seal, right? You have to be the one doing it, you're the leader of the village."
"..."
The assistant to the Hokage mumbled something similar to 'what a drag' beneath his breath, trying to keep calm considering the obvious danger all of them were in. "...you should realize that trying to play the role of someone with positive goals isn't going to work. Our jinchuuriki decide to go to your village, but were branded with a symbol used by the Hyuuga Clan. Lots of Hyuuga are leaving our village for yours, lots of shinobi in general are joining you. On top of that, there's also the Hidden Coal Village, a place that got by with the help of the black market and any money it could make off of it. None of this paints the Hidden Abyss as a great place. You're not stupid either, I'm sure you understand how it all looks from the other side."
"Yes, I am well aware of how it appears, but I do not expect someone less than a Kage to even begin comprehending-"
Ten Naruto shadow clones dropped down through the hole in the roof made by the Father, lunging at him with the intent to rip him apart limb from limb. The Hokage had taken advantage of Shikamaru's short analysis to create his well-recognized hand sign and form his signature shadow clones outside the building, and launch a surprise attack. Unfortunately, the Father did not seem to be surprised at all. In fact, he only unleashed a burst of chakra from his body the moment the clones piled on him, instantly throwing them against the walls and dispersing them into smoke. Naruto recognized that technique, the One Body Blow. A common Hyuuga taijutsu technique that Hinata would use in training...damn it all, he had been watching with his Byakugan. The tension in the air rose, and small traces of killing intent could be felt crawling off of Father.
"...I shall treat such a lowbrow attack as a declaration of war, if this is what you intended for."
"That's fine," Naruto said through gritted teeth, speaking before anybody else could tell him to not be so hasty. "We've fought too much and lost too many just for someone like you to come and ruin the peace we won! We'll save our jinchuuriki, and we'll keep our peace!"
"...hm...so, you believe that you will achieve peace through war. You think that by killing me and burning down my village, everything will be fine."
The words made the Hokage freeze. Naruto, the man who would never allow hate to consume him, the shinobi who grew up bearing the hatred of those around him and fought for a world where all could be, found himself agreeing to a battle against a foreign group of shinobi. Why? This was exactly what he had tried to prevent from happening during the Fourth War, this was his whole reason for fighting. Peace, to destroy hatred.
And at the same time, the moment he began to feel as if he were not himself and begin to backpedal, he could only remember the many jinchuuriki who had been taken away. He remembered them when they were children and had come to their first jinchuuriki summit, how each of them were essentially like his own children in a way. He recalled his duty as not only a fellow jinchuuriki, but as a Kage, a leader. This Hidden Abyss Village had taken away his brethren, they were ruining his family life by painting the Hyuuga as a bunch of traitors to the Hidden Leaf, and they were ruining the stability of his home.
He...hated them, and their leader. And it was this very emotion which he had considered so impure, so destructive to one's own self, which he had allowed to consume him just this once after so many years. Sometimes you couldn't solve all your issues with talk alone, his best friend being a good example of that. He needed to fight this freak...he needed to do it to save the world once again! A familiar golden cloak of chakra covered his body, distinct black markings racing along his cloak and pants. The power filled the room, and the Hokage held out an arm as a golden Rasengan began to swirl into existence above his palm.
"...yeah, I do."
A 'tsk tsk tsk' came out of the man in white, who still kept his hands behind his back like he was in no danger at all.
"Pity. I had assumed that things would be different, but you Kage are always the same." He took a hand and pointed right at Naruto, the rest of his body unmoving. "...I look forward to the day where you, Naruto Uzumaki, see the light and decide to join us."
Naruto left the ground as he jumped to attack the Father, but the entire temple had begun to fall. The man in white remained hovering in the air, looking down through the hole he had left in the ceiling to see the Kage scrambling to hold on to something. The entire temple became smaller as it fell further and further away, and the only thing keeping it in view to the man in white as it sunk below the clouds was his Byakugan. The Kage were panicking, as any group of people would, but the Hokage had acted fast. As they were nearing the end of their descent, he called upon the entity within him, and the entire temple as well as those inside it became enveloped by a gargantuan glowing yellow body, one that appeared to belong to the Nine-Tails. The beast landed in the snow on all fours easily absorbing the fall and keeping all people inside safe.
A pity, really.
It's about time I head back, mused the Father.
Seeing the massive Nine Tails lower itself to the ground and disappear, leaving the temple touching down on the earth, left a sour pit in the man's stomach. He could see the Five Kage filing out and holding themselves, some a little banged up from their decent. They would be fine, and they would hurry home to their villages to announce that a war had been declared on a village they had yet to discover the location of. They could if they wanted, Father didn't mind. If they truly wished to interfere, they would not be capable of doing much.
With a small grunt, the Father placed a hand over his heart, and vanished into thin air.
It was rare for all members of the Family to be present at once. Most of the time, the members of this infamous group had their own personal business to attend to, but this was supposed to be a very special occasion. Only one seat in their little conference room was empty, the one that sat at the center of everything. The red flames in the center of the table flickered, yet gave off no real sound or light. It could only keep the attention of all those present for so long before they began to wonder just what was taking the Father so long to come back. Had he been captured? Killed? Impossible, none would even entertain the thought. And yet, each passing minute made it harder to not consider.
Thankfully, he appeared before everybody right in his chair, hand still on his heart. There was a special seal of sorts tattooed onto his left pectoral, one that teleported him to the complementary seal which lead him to his very room. It was a much quicker method of escape then leaving the same way he had reached the temple (his method of transport had been similar to that of the other Kage).
Finally in a place he felt safe and comfortable in, the Father let his hand fall onto the armrest of his chair, and his head bowed while he took some slow, deep breaths. In his doujutsu, he could see that all eyes were on him, each member eagerly awaiting some sort of news. He sat in his chair in silence, however. He needed a moment to gather his thoughts, to come up with a proper way to introduce their new predicament. A war with the Five Great Nations was downright suicidal, yet he was sure they could pull through it. They had the tactics, the knowledge of each village's inner workings thanks to those who had fled to the Abyss, and plenty of experience. Not to mention, the Family alone was quite a force to be reckoned with. On top of that, they had the gigantic advantage of having their current whereabouts being unknown. This could work, they just needed a sophisticated plan of attack.
Perhaps they should be the ones to cast the first stone, and cripple the villages in one fell swoop.
"Well," a dry and raspy voice spoke up. Father lifted his head to the voice of the Elder, and folded his hands on his desk as the man in red continued. "Don't keep us in suspense. Go on, give us some good news..."
"We are now at war with the shinobi of old. The road to rebuilding all of shinobi-kind, and more importantly, Hyuuga-kind, is underway."
Elder chuckled at the report, each laugh dripping with a vile, sinister aura. "Excellent, such fantastic news." He stood from his chair, and placed a hand on his heart. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I do not wish to be late for my usual ceremony. Oh, how joyous of an occasion this is...when may I share with my brothers and sisters our plan of action?"
"As soon as I have decided who will go where." Father gestured an open hand towards all members sitting at the table. "Go on, if you all have something to attend to, do not let me keep you waiting. Report back here within the next 12 hours to receive your orders. Our attacks will need to be carried out as quick as possible, so that the Kage will struggle to find some sort of method to track us down. If we can cripple them early on, they will have a much more difficult time trying to find us."
"Very well," Elder snickered. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."
The man in red vanished like a ghost into the fog, and those who remained could swear that they still heard his laughter echoing in the room even with his presence removed. It hadn't bothered anybody, but for the Elder to be as pleased at this was a sign of the destruction to come. He lived for this sort of thing, and he would live to see yet another series of bloodbaths.
"Uncle, good work on providing me with the location for the Five Kage Summit. You have done this village a great service yet again. And as it is with Elder, you must also let anybody in your village who wishes to join us know. The time is coming. Within 12 hours, receive your orders, and may your clan be ready to join us."
The larger, bulkier man in blue grunted in response, using the same hand-over-heart gesture before he also disappeared from the room.
The Mother had put her full attention on her village's leader, standing from her seat as she did so. "You need 12 hours to come up with a plan?"
"Not exactly, but I'm sure you all have been waiting some time for me to return here. You must all be exhausted. I can assure you that a show of force will be needed, but as for the finer details, I am unsure."
"Just make sure you do not plan anything too ambitious," she warned, though it was clearly out of concern more than anything else. The masks made it hard to read the emotions of one another, yet they kept them secure at all times in the event that one of them was either a shinobi in disguise, or if someone was spying on them. The masks themselves were lined with a metallic plating that was capable of blocking the Byakugan's vision, a handy tool to stay anonymous within a village full of Byakugan. That being said, any emotion detected in the voice of one another made it clear just what their intentions behind their words were. Communication was key, and that went double for a place like this.
Father gave her a nod, and Mother placed her hand on the shoulder of the tallest, thinnest member present. "Come along, Pet. Time to go for a walk."
The tall man made a low breathing noise and snapped it's head in her direction, yet the woman was not scared of such motions, for she had grown used to them. The Pet stood from his seat, gently bumping his head against the ceiling once he did so. The two headed for the exit to the room, the former moving with as much grace as a cloaked, hooded person could, while the other shambled behind her like a creature in the midst of night. He cast a curious glance at the village leader before he ducked down even lower to exit through the door. Once both members had left, the door shut on it's own, as if attached to a fishing line that had been pulled.
"Please, do as you all wish," Father repeated as he brought his attention back to the remaining three members of the room: Aunt, Son, and Daughter. "As with the others, you will know our plans within 12 hours."
Aunt didn't need much else to be said. With a satisfied snicker, she rose from her seat and walked to the exit, each of her footsteps being hard and heavy. There was a distinct sound of something being dragged along the floor as she moved, as well, though it disappeared the moment the opened the door and shut it behind her.
"Has the Elder completed his work on what I and Uncle had retrieved from the Hidden Rain?" Daughter's question came out like she just asked her parents if they had bought her that gift she really wanted for Christmas, yet she tried to keep herself as civil as possible. The small tremble in her throat from the prospect of having such an important tool refurbished was evident to Father, who fortunately had good news.
"Yes. As a matter of fact, I believe he finished only hours ago. Please, go ahead and make any preparations you believe will be needed. We will not be needing that for some time, but it will be best to have it ready."
She nodded, and became a solid black shadow before sinking into the ground below, like a specter.
Father and Son remained in the room, the younger of the two remaining silent as he stared on at his counterpart. The smaller individual wore the same outfit as any other member of The Family, yet his was all black, and a small slit had been cut for his eyes, one too thin for anybody to really peer through except the wearer. He hadn't spoken a word this whole time, he rarely did. He understood that he was best used as a tool to further aid the village in prospering, and knew that he didn't really belong here amongst the rabble, let alone among it's leaders.
And yet, Father would always deny such a thing. The man in white chuckled, and stood from his seat as he walked to the exit. His steps echoed in the room, and his immense presence could be felt shifting in the empty space even if one had not been aware of his presence. "...would you like Inarizushi for dinner once again? I'll treat."
This made Son's head perk up, though he didn't do much else. "...yes," he muttered, as gruff and solitary as usual. He stood from his seat, and walked to the man who opened the door for him, allowing him to leave first. "That would be nice."
The village, despite being dreary and illuminated via the pale light of the moon, was full of cheerful people. People of all different lineages walked the streets as if it were daytime, plenty of places for food and drink were crammed full, and the ambience of cheers, laughter and chatter could be heard anywhere in town. The village was not as large as some of the other hidden villages around, but it certainly felt just as lively. As Father and Son walked towards their usual stop, any civilian or shinobi would wave and smile to their leader, some calling him 'Father' as he requested, while others insisted on simply calling him 'Lord Kage.' Singular, as if he were the only individual deserving of that title. He would argue the point that he felt unworthy of such claims, but the people would not hear it. Son watched on with indifference as people waved to the man in white, yet the man in black remained a shadow right beside the founder of the village. His own ideology about his purpose here would begin to reverberate in his own mind yet again, and there was seldom he could do about it.
"Here we are," Father mused aloud, walking into a small shop close to the cathedral which sat in the center of the village. Opening the door caused a small overhead bell to jingle, garnering the attention of an older Hyuuga dressed in chef's clothing. He was behind a counter with all sorts of ingredients, barstools lining the front of it and practically inviting anybody who wandered in to have a seat. Some customers were already digging in to all sorts of fresh foods of high quality, only looking to Father once before smiling and continue to eat. But, the majority of seats were empty, beckoning for the two village heads to sit and enjoy a meal.
The older Hyuuga behind the counter was beaming the moment he saw the familiar white garb. "Ah, welcome Father! Sit, sit! I'll prepare your favorite right away, free of charge!"
The chef was already beginning to work on what he promised, but Father was shaking his head as he sat down, Son plopping down on the stool beside him. "Nonsense, that is not necessary. I will pay what I owe. And please add one plate of Inarizushi for Son."
"Of course! But, um, I am serious, Father. You are always welcome to eat for free here, any of our leaders are-"
Father shook his head once again. "Please, I am flattered, but I must turn down the offer. You will be paid what is owed, and I will not hear another word on the matter."
"...well...alright, if you insist." The old man never lost his smile, and seemed to work a little faster.
Father and Son sat in silence, both watching the chef perform his job with the greatest of ease. It was usually quiet between the two, despite this type of outing being rather common. Father treated Son as his own child, despite the two not actually being related by blood. The older one had provided a home for the younger, and from there, the Son refused to stand by and watch the man who sheltered him bring up a village like this from nothing. Sure, he may not have been a Hyuuga, per say, but what he did offer as a shinobi more than made up for it. He resigned himself to being a mere tool from there on out, and was content with that ideology, yet Father would always deny such a thing. Father didn't believe in people being 'tools', only allies. A 'tool' can be discarded, and to treat a fellow human the same way would be simply unthinkable in his own opinion. It was moments like that, or today when Son brought himself to be completely silent on important matters, that Father felt it necessary to treat him to food.
A kind gesture, and one that Son would always appreciate. Nobody would see it, but sitting here and smelling the aroma of this restaurant through his mask was making him smile like a boy in a candy shop.
Soon, their plates were place in front of them, each filled with their favorites: Inarizushi for Son, and Tenzaru for Father. Both took their chopsticks in hand and said thanks for their meals in near unison before lifting their masks above their mouths just enough so they could eat; Son was clean-shaven, Father has a little bit of stubble and a small scar on his chin. The silence continued between the two, as Father was a firm believer in being quiet while eating, but that did not mean that his thoughts needed to be silent. He was already formulating some sort of battle plan for this war that the Five Kage had wished upon themselves.
We have a small advantage, as some of our members are able to teleport to and from the village with the aid of the seal on their heart. Those fortunate individuals will need to strike from the inside, or rather, some will. The villages will have their defenses at their weakest from within, naturally. Hm...Uncle and Daughter have such seals, and Elder uses him near constantly. However, I feel that Daughter's abilities would best be used elsewhere. I'll have Aunt take her place, and send her to assist Uncle in the attack on the Hidden Mist. Daughter and Son work well as a team, and I believe Son will have little issues using 'that' on the two jinchuuriki remaining in the Hidden Cloud. Mother and Pet are nearly inseparable, it is best that I keep them together and send them somewhere not too far...perhaps the Hidden Stone. The Hidden Leaf will not be attacked just yet, I will save that for last, as a statement. That only leaves the Hidden Sand, obviously that will be left up to Elder and...
"Father?"
A voice accompanied the sound of a small bell jingling from the restaurant's entrance. The man in white could see in his doujutsu just who it was, as well as the determination that put such a serious look on their mug.
"What can I help you with, Tokage?"
The one-eyed Hyuuga could feel his closed eyelid twitching, his nerves clearly shaking him up. "...w-well...sir, I...I heard about the summit."
"..."
"...I'm not sure if you have room for me, but if you would be so gracious as to give me an opportunity to prove myself, I'd be honored. I wish for a chance to prove I'm worthy of being added to The Family, please!"
Anyone looking at Father from the front could see his lip curl into a small snarl at the inquiry. Earning a position in The Family did not come down to raw power or brutality in a fight, despite those traits being the most prominent in a few members. Every individual had something grand to offer, be it experience, knowledge within a specific field, or merely their genes. Tokage was a great foot soldier, a lethal shinobi who could usually see a job through to it's end...but he was young, reckless, and thought too highly of himself. That, coupled with his massive failure in the Hidden Rain...well...
"No."
"...Father...please...I'm begging you." Tokage could feel his knees weaken, even to the point where he had to hold onto the entryway for support. "I've been a part of this village for more than five years, I deserve a shot!"
"You are not-"
"Father, if I may," Son spoke. His voice was very quiet, just above a whisper, but the low tone being used had it's intended affect: Father was forced to be quiet and listen carefully so he could hear the younger man speak, which also meant that he had no choice but to take in every detail of Son's idea. "It would be wise to at least couple him with someone experienced enough to handle their own, if you decide to allow him a chance. As long as he is not sent to the Hidden Cloud or Hidden Leaf, places with jinchuuriki, he should be fine. His capabilities in a battle cannot be denied...but more importantly, he is expendable. If he dies, then he is not worthy. If he lives and manages to contribute something significant, then perhaps he is worthy of recognition."
With his thoughts concluded, Son went back to eating. This was another reason why Son was such a valuable member in the eyes of Father. He was insightful, and would often look at things in a light that nobody else would. 'Expendable'...that was basically stating that Tokage was a tool to use. Father hated such a belief, but looking back, all members of the Family had sacrificed a large portion of their livelihood to get where they are now. It takes more than just guts and grit, you know...a position at the big table also requires a cool head, and something more than a taste for destruction.
Who knows? Perhaps when the chips were down, Tokage would reveal that there was more to him than just a Hyuuga with a grudge.
"...very well," Father stated, acknowledging Tokage with a dismissive wave over the shoulder. "You will accompany Elder to the Hidden Sand. I must admit, I was considering going there myself, but I must remain here in preparation for the chance of a counterattack, in case our village is found. Someone must remain to protect our people and the jinchuuriki, at all costs, and it shall be me." He ate more of his food, savoring the rich flavors only to forget that he was making a decision that he, admittedly, felt uneasy about. But it was best to have a capable fighter go in his stead than to leave the Hidden Abyss without a guardian. "I will tell you just what you can be used for in 12 hours. Meet us at our cathedral, and we will talk then."
The worry that made the one-eyed Hyuuga tremble with every breath faded like smoke in fog, and a troubling smile found itself teasing at the corners of Tokage's lips. "...thank you, sir."
Without need for much else, Tokage left the restaurant in silence, allowing Father and Son to finish their meals. The two continued to eat in silence, as per usual.
Deep down, Father felt that it would be the last 'usual' thing he would be capable of doing with his free time for a long, long while.