Have an early chapter. The Societal Lockdown does mean more free time after all...

Kishimoto owns Naruto.

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Chapter Five

Palace

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"Hello, Tou-san."

"Asuma." Hiruzen said, his voice a complex mix of emotions. "It is good to see that you are well."

"You too." Asuma admitted, his voice softening slightly, then he grinned. "And I see that you have yourself another Genin team. Had it not been for… certain events, I might have had a team of my own to match against them."

"Jonin Sarutobi Asuma, be known to my team, Hyuuga Hinata, Senju Ruto and Uchiha Sasuke." Hiruzen stepped aside as he spoke so that his son could get a good look at the awestruck trio.

"You must be the only Jonin to ever teach two generations of the same family." Asuma almost laughed as he approached. "How many achievements are you trying to claim for yourself? Hokage twice, retired twice, trained a Senju…"

"Twice." Hiruzen joined in, then the two Jonin caught each other in a brief hug before separating.

"Konoha hasn't been the same without you." Hiruzen noted. "Of course, now that we have the Godaime secure in his position…"

"An Uchiha as Hokage." Asuma agreed. "If Madara was still alive, he would be gratified to see his wish come true. And I see you have brought the final Four of the Twelve with you."

"Hyuuga Ko, Senju Kimimaro, Uchiha Tekka and Yuki Haku." Hiruzen confirmed and Asuma frowned.

"What's with the masks? I thought that it was a Hatake clan thing, not a Senju clan thing?"

"Long story, sir." Kimimaro shrugged.

"And one that can wait." Hiruzen interjected.

Asuma looked round, then motioned for them to follow him.

"We can share a bottle later, dad. For now, let's get you to your quarters so you can settle in before you're summoned before the Daimyo."

"He does love his presentations." Hiruzen sighed.

"Indeed he does."

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"Ruto?"

Naruto turned to the door where Sasuke was leaning against the door-frame, a wry look on his face as he looked round the room. It was a very quick look as the room was barely large enough for the futon on the floor and just enough extra floor-space to let him edge down the length of the room beside the futon.

"You as well, huh?"

Naruto grinned and looked up. Sasuke followed his gaze, then bit down a curse as he realized what he was looking at. From the rafters fourteen feet above the floor, several shelves were hanging from ropes attached to wooden pegs, shelves that Naruto had used to unpack some of his clothing and important equipment onto.

"Back soon."

As Sasuke vanished, Hinata emerged into the corridor from the room on the other side.

"Unpacked, Hime?"

"I am." She smiled. "I was quite impressed by the shelving, I may ask for similar shelves to be put up in my room. It really saves space, although you do need to have mastered tree-walking to use them without risking damaging the walls."

"Unpacked." Sasuke emerged from his room.

"That was fast."

"The shelves are the perfect length to unroll a small storage scroll." Sasuke shrugged. "I just unrolled, unsealed and… done!"

Naruto blinked, then face-palmed. "I'm a baka. I actually unpacked it all individually, unsealing it on the bed and carrying it up."

"So did I." Hinata sighed. "I could have saved so much time."

"You'll know better for next time." Hiruzen chuckled as he appeared at the end of the corridor. "The Daimyo wants us to attend the afternoon meal and afterwards, we'll have a small private audience. For you three, it'll be a small introduction and greetings, then you'll be escorted out, probably to the Dojo where Asuma'll be doing the final briefing of the new Twelve. I'll rejoin you later, the Daimyo wishes to have a long conversation."

"Do we have enough time to wash up, first?" Hinata asked quietly. "We are still dusty from the journey…"

"We do." Hiruzen confirmed. "Grab your washing kits and your smartest field outfits."

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Naruto wanted to stare in wonder at the hall into which he was walking, but his lessons in how to behave in social situations (started by his mother, then continued by the Hyuuga clan after he moved to Konoha) had made it clear that looking around would make him be seen as an uncultured idiot by those used to such surroundings. As such, while he glanced at the various banners hanging from the rafters and the various painted screens cleverly arranged around the edges in such a way as to cover the entrances used by the servers, he made sure to keep the overwhelming part of his attention on the dais located at the end of the hall, a dais on which the Daimyo of the Land of Fire was seated behind a table lavishly decorated with gold and precious jewels. As they moved forwards, the Daimyo pulled a fan out of his sleeve and opened it with a well-practiced flick, using it to cover his mouth as he spoke quietly to the man sitting beside him. The flunky nodded, then made several complicated hand-signs which Naruto didn't recognize. The mystery was soon solved, however, as a nearby guard armed with a long spear from which a banner hung struck the end of the spear against a small wooden box against his feet which was obviously there for just that purpose. As the noise level dropped in response to the loud thud, the guard spoke, his voice carrying cleanly across the hall.

"Jonin Sarutobi Hiruzen of Konohagakure, Genin Hyuuga Hinata of Konohagakure, Genin Senju Ruto of Nami no Kuni, Genin Uchiha Sasuke of Konohagakure, you are welcomed into the august presence of the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni, long may he reign!"

A sussuration of whispers briefly rose as Naruto was introduced, then the volume dropped again as the Daimyo gave them a regal nod.

"Welcome, old friend."

"I am overjoyed to see you remain in good health, great Daimyo." Hiruzen replied with a bow.

"We have much to catch up on." The ruler of the Land of Fire waved at the seat by his side which had somehow become vacant.

Hiruzen bowed again and walked forwards. As he did so, Hinata covertly tapped the elbows of her team-mates and bowed. Naruto and Sasuke instantly copied her, then followed her as she seemed to glide to one of the tables arranged around the edge of the room, a small table which had a servant standing beside it.

"Good catch." Naruto whispered to her and the corner of her mouth twitched in a brief smile before she knelt down on the cushion provided for that purpose, Naruto and Sasuke flanking her. A moment later, several trays of food had been placed in front of them.

"What is this?" Naruto asked in shock as he stared at the unfamiliar meal.

"Unagi and Matsutake Mushrooms on a bed of rice and with a herb glaze." Hinata replied quietly.

"Expensive." Sasuke noted. "They must be trying to impress us."

Hinata gave a slight head-shake as she used her chopsticks to pick up a thin slice of eel. "Not really, this dish is one served to those who are not yet important, but will probably be. If you look at the high table, you will see our Sensei is being given a dish which is topped with a lotus root carved into a flower with extra petals made of Fugu and highlighted with gold flakes. The cost of that dish alone would be enough to buy a large house in Konoha, one with a garden."

Naruto managed not to gape, but only by a huge amount of willpower.

"Oh, this will be good." Hinata looked towards the far end of the hall where a group of performers were entering with various drums. "I haven't seen a Taiko performance for quite some time."

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Shifting to make himself comfortable behind the plain desk set in the center of his study, the Daimyo took the thin-sided china cup from the proffered tray and inhaled the rising steam of the dark drink with appreciation. Opposite him, Hiruzen accepted a cup of his own while behind him sat a line of four Shinobi.

"So, these are the final members of my new Twelve?" The Daimyo asked curiously before taking a sip of his drink.

"They are." Hiruzen confirmed. "My son selected them himself, coordinating with both me and his replacement to ensure total loyalty to you."

The Daimyo glanced at Asuma, who was seated just behind and to one side, in the traditional position of a bodyguard, then at the armor-clad lady kneeling behind his other shoulder. Both nodded in confirmation.

"And who are my new protectors?" the Daimyo prompted.

"Starting from your left, Great One, we have, Uchiha Tekka, Hyuuga Ko, Senju Kimimaru and Yuki Haku, all currently high-ranking Chunin and each bringing their own Kekkei Genkei to the task of keeping you from harm."

"I have heard of the dojutsu of the Uchiha and the Hyuuga." The Daimyo smiled at the two Chunin in question, then turned his gaze to the other two. "What are the other skills brought before me?"

"Senju Kimimaro has the ability to control his bones, using them for protection and offense. His ability allowed him to survive an attack from the Jinchuuriki in Sunagakure's forces, an event I witnessed with my own eyes and which means we now have confirmation as to whom is the holder of the Ichibi. Kimimaro is never unarmed, his bones are his weapons."

"Fascinating."

"Yuki Haku has the ability to control ice, shaping it to his will to form shields, blades or whatever tools he needs. His skills also extend to both water and air, he can clear away any poisonous gas and can purify water without needing extra tools."

"How wonderful! Don't you agree, Shayo-san?"

"I would need to test them to be truly sure of their skills, but I would not be eager to meet them on the battlefield." The woman replied without a single hint of emotion crossing her face, a feat that impressed Hiruzen.

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"You defeated a Jinchuuriki?" Shayo inquired as she led the quartet to the rooms set aside for the Guardian Twelve, rooms located just below the Daimyo's quarters and which had several semi-disguised trapdoors set in the ceiling to allow them to reach the one they were protecting as fast as possible if needed.

"No." Kimimaru shook his head. "I survived his attack by quickly growing my bones to protect me from being crushed by the wave of sand trying to engulf me, then distracted the youngster long enough for his father to arrive and begin the Jutsu that would allow him to subdue the Ichibi carrier."

"Even so, surviving an attack by a Demon Carrier is no small feat." Shayo allowed. "The files said that both you and Yuki-san are Kenjutsu specialists, yet I see no sheath for a sword."

"Would you like to examine one of my blades?" Kimimaro prompted.

"Please."

Kimimaro reached up to his shoulder and grabbed the handle of bone as it burst through his skin, pulling at it until the bone katana was unsheathed and the wound closed again, a slight flickering of green showing that the normal accelerated healing was being helped further by self-directed medical chakra. Even as Shayo gaped in shock at what he had just done, Haku flicked open one of the water-pouches on his belt, the water flowing out and round his arm before lancing out to form an almost-transparent Chokuto of ice.

"That was… disconcerting." Shayo finally admitted as Kimimaro held out the katana across his palms for her to take. Taking the hilt, she held it up for a moment, then made several quick cuts and parries before handing it back. "A truly excellent blade, given its… unusual origin."

"When Ruto saw him do that for the first time, he complained about not being able to do it himself." Haku chuckled in memory.

"And then he persuaded you to make a sword with your own powers." Kimimaro shot back, causing Haku to nod in reluctant agreement, then the Ice-user sighed at Shayo's quizzical look.

"He dragged an entire bucket of water up to me and asked me to make a sword, then when I tried to show off for him, Kimimaro called me out on my lack of skill with the blade."

"…a sword like that would worry many of my old sword-brothers." She admitted as Haku turned the blade to allow the light to refract through it. "I assume that you are using your bloodlimit to hold its shape?"

"I have been working on improving my control further since I earned my promotion to Chunin." Haku confirmed even as his blade shifted to become a katana.

"As I have been working on different properties for my blades." Kimimaro added as he finished tucking his blade into his belt.

"I can see that this will be a very instructive few years." Shayo noted with a slight smile.

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"That was… that was…" Naruto waved his hands in random patterns as he tried to describe the evening and Sasuke chuckled as he leaned against the door-frame.

"I enjoyed it." Hinata noted quietly as she sat beside Naruto on his bed, writing something in the journal that she had brought with her. "The drummers were very skilled."

"Before my clan joined with the Senju to help found Konoha, we had a cadre of drummers for battlefield communications." Sasuke noted. "Any Uchiha who reached adulthood without activating their Sharingan was given the chance to become a Drummer. Given how well-known the use of drums by my clan was, it was a job which had a rather short life expectancy."

"Disrupting communications is a valid tactic to gain battlefield supremacy." Hinata agreed. "The Hyuuga Clan has other means of battlefield co-ordination."

"On the rare occasions that you deploy in large numbers." Sasuke agreed with a semi-smirk, causing Hinata to roll her eyes at him. "Maybe I should recommend that the clan reinstate the Drummer Corps, even if only as a performance team."

"It would certainly show people another side of the clan." Naruto offered and Sasuke blinked.

"…it would. A side slightly less militaristic than we've been showing so far, even with us integrating into the general forces and bringing other clans into the police force…"

"If you need sumisen players, we have a few in my clan." Hinata offered impishly.

"Sadly, there aren't enough Senju for my clan to join in." Naruto sighed. "Shame, it could be fun."

"The Nara have several flute players…" Sasuke mused. "I wonder if we could persuade them it wouldn't be too troublesome to join in…"

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Nara Shikaku looked round.

"What is it, tou-san?" His son asked, his hand hovering above the piece that he had been about to move.

"It felt for a moment as if someone was plotting to make us do extra work." Shikaku looked round again. "Such a thing would be…"

"Troublesome?"

"Indeed."

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"Changing the subject…" Naruto paused at Sasuke's raised eyebrow, then continued. "Has anyone else noticed a lack of servants around? I expected to see more of them doing things like cleaning, moving supplies and so on."

"There are smaller corridors that the servants use to keep them out of sight of the rich and powerful." Hinata noted. "The entrances are either hidden or in places where they can be easily overlooked. There is one at the end of the corridor, for instance."

Sasuke blinked, then half-turned to look at the wall in question. "I… don't see it."

"You see the pillars in the corners?"

Sasuke nodded.

"The entire wall between them is a sliding door. The handle is the carved flower on the left."

Sasuke vanished from the doorway and a moment later, a slight noise of something moving marked where he had gone, then there was a click.

"You were right." Sasuke admitted as he reappeared in the door. "I know we won't be here for more than a few days, but we need to either explore those corridors or find a proper map of this place, one better than the one we were given. And on that subject, are there any hidden entrances in our rooms?"

Hinata's byakugan flared to life, then she shook her head. "No. There is a small door in Sensei's quarters, though."

"Show me."

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Hiruzen sighed in tired relief as he entered his room. Although a normal observer would have thought him relaxed and unobservant, an astute observer would have noted how his fingers were poised to start making hand-seals while his eyes darted round the room, looking for anything out of place.

Such as the piece of paper by one wall, weighed down by a shuriken.

"Hmmm?"

Hiruzen moved to the unexpected note and after spotting the three small sigils along the edge of the note that marked it as being from his students, he picked up the note, absent-mindedly pocketing the shuriken as he did so, and angled it so that he could read it in the candle-light.

Sensei

When doing a brief examination of our quarters, Hinata
discovered a small passage leading into yours.

The entrance to the passage is located in the corner of the
room, to the right of the window.

The latch is the knothole in the floorboards in the corner.

We thought we should inform you.

Sasuke.

Hinata.

Ruto.

Hiruzen re-read the note, then smiled.

"I already knew of it, but well done, my students. Well done."

Putting the note into the same pocket as the shuriken, Hiruzen moved to the shelves and unrolled a storage scroll. Unsealing the contents, he extracted a paper tag and placed it on the hidden door, where it adhered.

"That should keep things fairly secure." He smirked to himself. "Now to get some rest."

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"Good morning, Sensei." Sasuke greeted Hiruzen as the former Hokage stepped into the room that they had claimed as their temporary base (and which happened to be perfectly placed to make it very difficult for anyone to sneak past into the bedrooms).

"Sasuke." Hiruzen smiled. The others not up yet?"

Sasuke shook his head. "Both are up, they've gone to wash up."

"Sounds like a plan." Hiruzen agreed. "I don't have any meetings for a while and the Daimyo prefers to break his fast only with family before dealing with the paperwork."

"Isn't his wife in Konoha?" Sasuke mused as he fell into step with his teacher.

"She is indeed. The reasons are… complex, slightly political and at least partially classified. However, his young daughter is here."

"I do not recall seeing her last night." Sasuke frowned. "I used my sharingan briefly to memorize the guests… how old is she?"

"Seven." Hiruzen replied. "I was surprised that she wasn't at the feast, but she's obsessed with Shinobi, so I would guess she had decided to visit the new Guardian Twelve again."

"I wonder where she is now?" Sasuke mused.

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Hinata carefully massaged the shampoo into the hair of the young girl sat in front of her while Shayo rinsed off nearby, keeping watch yet somehow managing not to be obvious about it. As her fingers carefully de-tangled the young girl's hair, Hinata replied to her question.

"Yes, I do know Senju Tsunade quite well. She has taught me many useful things…"

"You're one of her students?" The girl gasped in awe. "Can she really punch so hard that it could collapse a castle? Can she cure everything in moments? Is it true that she turned down the position of Wave Daimyo because it would cut down on the time she spent healing?"

As the barrage of questions continued, Hinata gave the snickering Shayo a brief glare, something that caused the older woman to laugh harder.

.

"I'm certain that at least one of the Twelve is with her." Hiruzen replied. "After all, their remit is to protect the Daimyo and his immediate family from all enemies. By the way, well done on finding the servant's entrance to my quarters."

"It was Hinata who found it." Sasuke admitted. "My Sharingan completely missed it, it was that well constructed. Just like it missed the one at the end of the corridor. I mean, using an entire wall as a door? And hiding the edges behind support pillars? That's sneaky."

"One of the architects was a Shinobi." Hiruzen chuckled. "If I recall correctly, he was a trap-master serving under the first Hokage, one who who was invalided out when he lost both his legs and part of one hand in combat. After having medical treatment, he began designing buildings that were deceptively open yet very easy to defend. I know for a fact that he designed the Academy. Did you ever wonder why the inner walls were stronger than the outer ones and had removable slats covering weapon-slots? It was so that enemies could easily breach the outer walls and then find themselves unable to advance while the defenders counter-attacked."

"I… hadn't noticed." Sasuke managed.

"Well, it's not immediately obvious, but it is mentioned as part of the Chunin Induction Course." Hiruzen shrugged. "I am certain that you would have learned soon enough. He also designed the hidden passages that wind through the Hokage Tower, and the wall which surrounds our village. You would be quite surprised at the number of security measures incorporated into the wall. For example, there are only a few sections of the Wall which can be scaled via the tree-walking method and those sections are carefully located so that if anyone tries to come in that way, they will find themselves in specially-landscaped fields that give them no shelter while protecting the defenders. Literal killing fields."

Sasuke whistled. "And I thought that as the son of a Clan Head, I knew most of the important details of Konoha. This conversation has been a real kick to my ego… although one that I probably needed."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Hiruzen smiled down at his student. "Compared to many of the Uchiha I have worked with, you are incredibly well adjusted and don't suffer from an ego the size of the Land of Fire."

"I… have no idea how I should react to that."

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"…and that's the story of how I met Tsunade-sama." Hinata finished as she entered the small dining hall, the young girl by her side staring up at her in amazement while behind them, Shayo walked quietly, her face almost emotionless but her eyes crinkled slghtly in amusement.

"That is amazing!" The girl gushed as Hinata managed to guide her to the low table where Naruto and Sasuke were having breakfast, snagging a pair of plates from the nearby counter as she did so. Kneeling down, she waited for the girl to flop down next to her, then reached for the platters of food, moving several Onigiri to both her own plate and the girl's. Naruto poured a cup of tea for her, then a second one at Hinata's nod.

"So… you must be Senju Ruto!" The girl stared in amazement at Naruto. "Why do you wear that mask?"

"It's a Senju tradition." Naruto replied reflexively, then he took a bite from his own Onigiri.

"That's weird!" The girl sounded fascinated as she watched the Onigiri seem to pass through the mask. "How did you do that?"

Naruto swallowed before answering. "It's a Senju technique."

"That is amazing!"

"Akika-hime, be known to my team-mates Senju Ruto and Uchiha Sasuke. Ruto-kun, Sasuke, may I introduce you to Shijimi Akika."

"An honor to meet you." Naruto gave her an eye-smile, then covertly elbowed Sasuke, who seemed to have frozen.

"…likewise."

Akika gave a huge smile, then turned her attention to her breakfast, allowing Naruto to quickly use some silent hand-signs to speak to Sasuke.

~problem?~

Sasuke almost jolted, but his hands moved to form a sequence of symbols.

~guest important guard/protect priority~

~confirmed~ Shayo signed from where she was sat at a nearby table, one positioned so that she could watch over them.

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"It would seem that your team has been drafted as bodyguards for the Daimyo's daughter." A voice chuckled and Hiruzen half-turned to see the smiling blond man strolling up to him.

"Yamanaka Komaru, it has been a while since we last talked." Hiruzen greeted the Jonin. "How are you settling into your new role?"

"It is… interesting." The new leader of the Guardian Twelve admitted with a sigh. "Shayo is an incredible deputy but she refuses to help me with all the paperwork I need to deal with."

"Paperwork is the eternal curse of leadership." Hiruzen agreed. "Wouldn't you agree?"

"I would." Asuma laughed as he strolled up. "Why do you think I was so happy to hand over the position?"

Komaru glowered at his predecessor.

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As they stepped outside, Naruto glanced around at the various groups of courtiers and functionaries who were hovering nearby. Akika had obviously spotted them too because she let out a sound somewhere between a sigh, a groan and a growl of irritation.

"Don't let them spoil the meal you had." Hinata whispered to the younger girl and Akika gave an unwilling nod even as a woman glided up, looking at the girl's three escorts with a sniff of disdain.

"Princess, you really should not be so eager to surround yourself with these… peasants."

Akika swelled with indignation, then paused as Hinata placed a restraining hand on her shoulder. Recognizing his cue, Naruto stepped forwards.

"Good afternoon, may I introduce myself? My name is Senju Ruto, the youngest child of the famed Iryonin Senju Tsunade. With me are my team-mates Uchiha Sasuke, the younger brother of the Godaime Hokage and Hyuuga Hinata of the famed Hyuuga Clan, both of whom have the honor of training under Jonin Sarutobi Hiruzen, once Hokage of Konohagakure, as do I. May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

The woman had gone progressively paler as Naruto spoke and as he looked at her quizzically, she staggered back a few paces.

"Of course, I… I need to go, I am needed… over there!"

Akika giggled as the woman scurried off with no sign of the gracefulness of her approach.

"I guess she wasn't as important as she thought she was." Naruto sniffed in a perfect impression of the lady's opening salvo, causing Akiko's giggling to increase while Hinata rolled her eyes at him.

"Must you?"

"Must I? Why yes, I must."

"Ruto…" Hinata sighed.

"Yes, Hime?"

"You never told me you were a princess too!" Akika gasped and Hinata glowered at Naruto before replying.

"I'm a different sort of princess. You are the daughter of the Daimyo who is in charge of an entire country while I'm the daughter of a Clan Head who leads the Hyuuga clan. That means that you're a more important princess than I am."

"Nice recovery." Sasuke whispered, his eyes crinkled in a smile very similar to the one Naruto usually sported.

"Thank you." Hinata whispered back as Akika scurried ahead of them to the large pond in which red fish lazily swam, Naruto following to ensure that she didn't fall in.

"He's good with kids." Sasuke noted and Hinata nodded, then the veins around her eyes swelled as she once again scanned her surroundings for potential threats. This time, however, her eyes widened in shock and Sasuke's own sharingan whirled into life as a pair of kunai seemed to materialize in his hands.

"Where?"

"The pond!" Hinata shouted. "Ruto! Four in the pond!"

The water seemed to erupt as the shinobi that Hinata had spotted launched themselves towards the shocked Akika, only for one of them to fall back with a kunai embedded in his knee while a second was thrown off-balance as he deflected the one that would have buried itself in his right shoulder. The other two swooped in on their target, but the warning had brought Naruto just enough time to pull Akika away from the water and move in front of her, unsheathing his sword while using his free hand to make four one-handed seals, the result of which caused the area around him to be covered in chakra smoke.

Sasuke pumped as much chakra as he could into his legs in order to propel himself forwards far faster than he could have done without enhancements, bursts of chakra from his feet leaving craters in the manicured lawn as he blurred forwards towards the dissipating fog and the sound of steel on steel. One of the would-be kidnappers staggered out of the cloud with a cut down his arm and Sasuke promptly disabled him in passing with a low slice that took out the tendons in his knees. As he entered the fray, the reflective side of his his sword-blade let him see Hinata finish disabling the shinobi he had crippled.

"For the-glurk!"

Sasuke blinked as the cloud finished dispersing to reveal a half-dozen Narutos with their swords drawn and the final two shinobi flat on the ground, slowly-growing puddles of red showing that they had been taken down via multiple stabs.

"Thanks for the warning, Hime!" One of the Naruto's called.

"What was that technique that you used?" Sasuke prompted as two of the solid clones of his team-mate moved to each of the fallen attackers, roughly treating their wounds while also securing them. "I didn't recognize a single hand-sign you used… I've heard about one-handed hand-signs, but I thought they were almost a lost technique…"

"Haku-nii taught me." Naruto shrugged. "He learned from his clan scrolls and decided that as Kaa-san had taken he and his mother in, we should learn too. They're not as efficient as two-handed seals, they use almost a quarter-again as much chakra for the same effect, but they work."

"Haku-san taught me the seals I would need to activate my dojutsu with only one hand." Hinata added as she moved to the other downed shinobi in order to temporarily remove their ability to use chakra.

Sasuke re-sheathed his sword as the slapping of sandals on stone announced the arrival of the Palace Guard. "I wonder who hired them."

"We'd rather die before betraying our Master!" One of the bound Shinobi spat and Sasuke tilted his head slightly.

"I think we need to take them to Yamanaka-san."

All four captives froze.

"Yes, I really think we need to take them to him."

.

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"Well done, you three." Hiruzen smiled as the door closed behind a yawning Akika who was being carried by Shayo.

"Will we ever find out who was behind it?" Hinata asked and Hiruzen gave her a look of understanding.

"I'm afraid that you probably won't learn who hired them as it has already been classified, but your actions not only revealed a previously unsuspected traitor in the Court, they also placed us in a superior position with Kumogakure…"
Hiruzen paused as Hinata growled, then continued. "The four were hired to capture Akika and take her to a hidden base where she would used to force the Daimyo to break the mutual-defense treaties that the Land of Fire maintains with the lands of Frost and Hot Water, leaving them open to annexation by the Land of Lightning. Now that we have proof, however, we can use this to reduce Kumogakure's standing further, reducing their financial base even more."

Hinata smirked at Hiruzen's summation. "Good."

"The trick is pushing them down, but not too far, otherwise they may decide that it is worth the risk of triggering the Fourth Great Shinobi War in order to preserve their existence." Hiruzen noted. "I believe that Itachi will be able to make the required moves. I am sure that within a week, messages will be heading for the Daimyos in question."

"And we know that Kumo's trying to go expansionist." Sasuke concluded. "I wonder how bad their financial situation is?"

"That is a good point." Hiruzen smiled. "Yes, I expect the Frost Daimyo to finally accept an expeditionary force of Konoha Shinobi to reinforce those of his own land."

"Hey, Sasuke, how does it feel to have helped rescue a princess?" Naruto asked and Hinata started giggling.

"Well, it's a thing that eye will always remember."

Naruto groaned at the pun.

"Now, we need to talk about tomorrow." Hiruzen recaptured their attention. "The Daimyo wishes to make a rather pointed political statement to those who would try to undermine him and you three will be used to make it…"

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"And so for their actions in protected my beloved daughter, I hereby grant the positions of Meiyo Guardians to Hyuuga Hinata, Senju Ruto and Uchiha Sasuke." The Daimyo announced as a trio functionaries moved to present each of the Genin with a red band with Kanji for Fire embroidered in gold at one end and the Kanji for Shinobi on the other. Naruto removed his Hitai-ate and handed it to the functionary who unclipped the metal plate and transferred it to its new mounting. Accepting the modified Hitai-ate back, Naruto donned it once more, feeling the long tail-ends fluttering in the breeze. Unlike the other two, it was not the first time he had touched the red strap, he had worked on it for several hours the previous evening to add embroidered storage seals to it into which he had transferred the contents from the storage seals on the previous fabric band.

Briefly glancing sideways, he saw that Hinata's hitai-ate was tied and tucked in such a way that the two Kanji were visible flanking the metal plate while Sasuke had chosen to have his own strap's proportions changed so that the knot was now just behind his left ear with the ends hanging just above his shoulder, the positioning keeping them clear of the handle of his katana which he wore angled to the right so that he could draw and deliver a downwards strike in a single move.

"Let us celebrate our heroes!"

Akika was the first to start applauding, but only because she had her hands held ready. As the wave of applause echoed across the plaza, Akika had to be prevented from running forwards to hug them.

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"The first ever Honorary Guardians." Asuma chuckled as he watched from the side of the stage, although his eyes kept darting to the few nobles who were looking disgruntled. "Your three are making quite the name for themselves."

"They have a lot to live up to, a great burden of history to shoulder… but I believe that they will surpass even my greatest expectations." Hiruzen replied, using the waves of cheering to mask his words so that only his son would hear.

"You had similar expectations for the Sannin."

"I know." Hiruzen sighed. "I still do not know exactly where I went wrong with Orochimaru…"

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"…but I don't want you to leave!" Akika looked up at Hinata with tear-filled eyes.

"We have to." Hinata patted the young girl on her shoulder. "There are others who need our help and it wouldn't be fair to prevent them from getting it."

"I know… but…"

"Maybe you can visit?" Hinata suggested. "Or once Sasuke, Ruto and myself learn a certain technique, we'll be able to visit you."

Akika sniffed and accepted the tissue that Shayo passed her, using it to wipe her eyes. "…okay. But when you become Chunin, I'll be there!"

"And I'll be honored to see you there." Hinata smiled, then she dropped to one knee and gave the surprised girl a quick hug. "Goodbye."

"…bye."

Standing up, Hinata gave Akika a deep bow, then also bowed to Shayo who nodded in return. Straightening up, she smiled at Akika once more, then she leapt onto the top of the courtyard wall and dropped down the other side, Naruto and Sasuke joining her a few seconds later.

"Said your goodbye's then?" Asuma asked as he emerged from the brief leaf-whirl of a shunshin, Hiruzen flanking him.

"We have, sir."

"I'm not a sir quite yet." Asuma began strolling towards the exit. "I still need to officially re-activate my Jonin rank in Konoha, then I probably need to get a few missions under my belt before even thinking of getting a team of my own."

"My three have inspired you, have they?" Hiruzen smirked and Asuma nodded.

"They have. The four that they caught, the one that Sasuke took down was a Shunshin expert. Not at Shisui's level, but damn good. He would have grabbed Akika-Hime and taken her while the other three acted as a rearguard. Those three were expendable and knew it, but they volunteered as their clans were promised clan-hold rights in the lands they expected to gain."

"Making war pay." Hiruzen sighed. "I had hoped to never see another Great War in my lifetime."

"Well, your team has managed to prevent one." Asuma half-turned to grin at the trio. "So, any of you three got younger siblings I could recruit for my own team?"

"Hanabi isn't due to graduate for another three years." Hinata mused. "If you think it will indeed take you that long to re-train yourself to be able to lead a team…"

Hiruzen burst out laughing at the chagrined shock on his son's face.