Forgot to include this in the first posting of this chapter but new Supplemental Material dealing with Tsukuyomi's Palace is available on my website for those of you who may be interested.
Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 134-A "Kusari no Juin"
Patron Release 2021.02.17
The sound of wood against dirt was accompanied only by the faintest creaking of the carriage and the soft humming from its other occupant as the world of the living returned to share its existence with Naruto. It only took him a moment to realize that his head had been placed on someone's lap and, considering the fact that only one person had been accompanying him in this particular carriage, it was not hard for him to determine who that someone was.
Without a doubt he preferred the thighs of her...his...previous body but closing his eyes again he allowed this, making no move to extradite himself. He was well aware how much his godfather craved physical contact with him and how starved he'd been for it since taking his latest body.
Unfortunately for him Naruto was not in the least bit attracted to the form of one Uchiha Sasuke so there would be none of the interactions Orochimaru so craved. This, however, was something Naruto would afford him for the time being, a reward of sorts for the application of his Juin and -hopefully- enough physical contact to help tide him over until he was able to switch to a more suitable body.
Briefly his curiosity flared, wondering what had become of the Juin he'd recently received but he pushed that down with little effort. He was alive and Orochimaru didn't seem worried so he would assume that at the very least nothing bad had happened. He would leave the discovery of any positive effects for when they reached Nami no Kuni and instead allowed himself to drift back into the sweet embrace of sleep.
It was all the vacation he was going to be able to afford himself, after all.
Spaced out as they had become, by the time Naruto's carriage had rolled over Nami's bridge into the city of Hanahime it was given little notice by the people therein. While they may have seen it previously- possibly on both occasions, even- the simple fact that there were so few people to actually see their Daimyo off in the past meant that none of the citizens who saw this carriage knew who it would hold within.
Shingetsu, as the Wolves had nicknamed it for the overwhelming amount of black in its design, was his carriage and his carriage alone. Its wheels did not turn except in his direct service.
Not that the people of Nami no Kuni or Hanahime would have the slightest idea.
Of course, that also wasn't completely their fault either. His very first trip from Nami to Hi no Kuni's capital of Kagayaku Machi hadn't exactly been widely announced to the populace- in fact, he'd much preferred their quiet exit from the city as he went about his business- and the carriage had held a very different appearance back then.
When his trip to visit Iroh had reached its end the Wolves had torn down the carriage to remove the explosive tags as a precaution for future trips and- upon rebuilding- had covered their handiwork with a very simple theme of black.
He was fairly certain both that Ganju hadn't been involved with that particular project considering how simple it had managed to be kept and that Mai had been the one to choose the design.
She would have wanted to make sure there was absolutely no chance they could have messed up any part of the carriage and as it so happened it was very, very difficult to mess up 'make it black'.
That wasn't really giving those Wolves who had worked on it credit as they had done a spectacular job but the quality of their craftsmanship really wasn't being questioned at the moment.
With nothing to inform the populace of Hanahime of exactly who was passing through their busy streets and the presence of a driver wearing the face of a snarling wolf they made their way to the palace unhindered.
Not that anything would have changed had they known, it wasn't like they were eager to greet him back into his country or cared that he'd come back at all. Hell, probably didn't know he'd been absent, either.
Naruto, after all, was not their beloved leader.
That honor fell to Hana.
The carriage turned smoothy and slowed to a halt across from the doors of his palace. He still found it strange to think about, definitely preferring the much more simple residence of his apartments- expanded as they had been- to something so grandiose. He'd never really been one to want to call attention towards himself, it was simply an unfortunate consequence of being who- and what- he was.
He may have felt differently- if only slightly- had his Wolves been using the palace as their residence because then he could more easily justify it but they had built themselves barracks on the palace grounds to reside in, separated from the palace propper and any guests that he may have.
Naruto could see the wisdom of that- probably Hana's idea- considering how strange his children could be and the fact that he would be expected to entertain high-profile guests in his palace should they visit but it didn't make him wish they were able to take advantage of this palace any less.
It was terribly wasteful to be just for him, he would have been fine in a tent.
Probably not the best impression for any guests, that, but he would have never been able to justify such expenditure for a palace to reside in. That was, perhaps, why they hadn't let him know until they'd already completed the structure.
They knew him too well, it would seem.
Waiting a few seconds after the carriage came to a full rest he sat up and took a moment to ensure he was presentable as the Daimyo of Nami no Kuni. He doubted anyone but Wolves and their associates would see but on the off chance there was anyone else in the vicinity he needed to maintain appearances.
Orochimaru frowned as he sat up- he didn't need to turn to see that- and sighed in disappointment. "Are we here already?" As the one who had been sitting up the entire trip and able to see out the carriage window he should have known that but Naruto was very much aware just how much focus his godfather put towards him. It was not surprising he'd not been paying attention to anything else.
"Yes, I do believe we are." Reaching for the carriage door Naruto let himself out- much to the annoyance of the Wolf who had been but two steps away from doing it for him- and started towards the palace. "Come, we'll speak of the seal when we've settled in."
Mention of the new seal caught Orochimaru's attention and his curiosity soon had him following his godson out of the carriage. In a body that was closer to age in Naruto and with Nartuo being taller than Sasuke the Snake Sage had to exert considerable- for a civilian, perhaps- effort in order to catch up to Naruto without looking as though he was sprinting after the young man.
Not only would that have been horribly undignified- and he only cared about that as it would affect Naruto's image- but with so many Wolves around sprinting towards their deity was quite ill advised.
They were, after all, a terribly protective lot.
The black doors were pulled open by two Wolves standing guard before them and they both bent deeply at the waist as Naruto passed through the threshold and into the heart of his domain.
Looks like his vacation was over, time to get back to work.
Servants halted their tasks at his presence, immediately offering bows suitable to show respect for his station but he paid them no mind, his attention on other matters entirely. It was muscle memory that had brought him to his private office- a sanctuary against the rest of his life as Daimyo- and he wasted no time slipping through the bright red doors into the warm space they hid from the rest of the palace.
Sinking deeply into his chair, he was only vaguely aware of one of the servants he'd passed intruding on his domain just long enough to start the fireplace before they slunk backwards from the room, bowing deeply in apology.
Iroh wasn't too bothered, he knew his sanctuary didn't really become his until several minutes after he entered it when word had spread through the palace that he was not to be disturbed.
Even so, just being in this room served as a buffer from the rest of the palace, a place he could go to think and relax without being set upon from all sides by his duties as Hi no Kuni's Daimyo. While there was little actual work- in the traditional sense, he knew even the lowliest farmer in his lands probably worked themselves much harder than he did and he tried to remind himself of the fact often- it did involve a lot of tedious politicking that had a tendency to wear on him throughout the day.
His father had always loved the games and politics of the palace and to this day Iroh still thought he'd had to have been insane. Iroh was adept at both the courtly games and the ways of the palace but he took little enjoyment from it, preferring to focus his attention to the country as a whole and the world that lay beyond it.
That difference would be why Iroh's dominion was expanding while his fathers had lain stagnant throughout the entirety of his rule. It was better than alternatives, certainly, and Iroh knew for a fact that it had been wholly due to his mother taking an iron grip on Hi no Kuni finances and foriegn policies while his father played his little games with the Imperial Court.
His grandfather, for instance, had somehow managed to lose Cha no Kuni and Udon no Kuni after permitting the formation of the very first Hidden Village. The influence- and military might- from that action alone should have seen Hi no Kuni expanding or at least being placed into a better position when compared to the other Major Nations but his grandfather had instead lost influence and land to other, lesser, lords.
It was probably a miracle Iroh even had a country to run by the time he had ascended the throne but Hi no Kuni's recent expansion was nothing but deliberate. As much as he loved his parents he wasn't about to allow his legacy to be the same as their own. No, Iroh's rule would be marked by a new golden age for Hi no Kuni as they finally managed to ascend officially as the single greatest country among the elemental nations as they should have been all those years ago.
They already wielded quite the influence even among other Major Nations but that wasn't good enough for Iroh. For his dream to be achieved- and that probably wouldn't happen fully within his own rule or even during his lifetime- there could be no comparison between Hi no Kuni and the other major villages. Hi no Kuni needed to be so far above them that its superiority was unquestionable and- by the grace of the gods- unending.
That was the sort of legacy Iroh wanted to leave when his time came and with the steps he'd already taken he was well on his way.
Of course, those steps were also what concerned him the most these days.
With their alliance to Nami no Kuni, Konoha's occupation of Kaze no Kuni, and now Kirigakure being aided by Konoha Hi no Kuni was rapidly growing in strength and influence-
It just seemed like it was going too well.
Iroh frowned, reaching for a glass and one of the bottles he kept on a small table beside his desk.
He was aware that you shouldn't look gift horses in the mouth but things just seemed to be going a bit too smoothly for his comfort. Naruto- or Tsukuyomi, rather- had more or less dropped Nami's influence into his lap to use against the other Major Villages in exchange for formally acknowledging his right to rule it. Support the person with command of Nami and gain the weight of Nami no Kuni's name? That wasn't even a question.
Kaze no Kuni was quite different but he would be a fool not to acknowledge the role Tsukuyomi had played in that as well. With the Wolves aiding Konoha, Suna's forces had been absolutely crushed leaving the desert country defenseless to the marching of Iroh's Samurai army and the Shinobi of Konohagakure.
His hold over the country was far more loose than he'd like, as he lacked anything to really solidify his rule, but it was still his without too much trouble.
And then there was Mizu no Kuni. With a grimace he poured himself a glass and downed it in one go, allowing the slight burning sensation to momentarily distract him from his thoughts of that...success.
Naruto had most certainly had a hand in that one, there was no way he could deny the young Daimyo's influence in that situation- and the fact that he had a hand in all three of these matters didn't sit well with Iroh at all- considering he and his Wolves had quite deliberately reduced the majority of Kirigakure to ash and rubble when they'd been forced to pull out.
Iroh snorted in amusement at the thought, nearly spilling as he poured himself a smaller glass he intended to enjoy much more slowly than the first. They hadn't been forced to pull out so much as they had decided they no longer wanted Kirigakure but, being petty and vengeful as they were, they had also ensured no one else could have it either.
Asuma had managed to maintain good relations with Kirigakure despite that catastrophic failure- quite possibly because they had no one else to rely on at the moment- so there were still good chances for Kirigakure also falling under his influence and helping him secure his recently expanded domain but he would have to say the single most worrying thing about the Kirigakure situation was that he had no idea if Tsukuyomi- young Naruto- was aware of the part he had played in it.
In a way he had played both sides and he knew that was especially tricky business when dealing with Shinobi. Part of him hoped that the destruction of Kirigakure was the consequence of that- and, perhaps, a warning demonstration of what the Wolves were capable of- and no further action would be taken.
He was not, however, holding his breath.
The Wolves were not known for mercy or forgiveness which meant either they had been satisfied with the pounds of flesh they took from Kiri or they were planning something. Naruto hadn't struck him as the patient type and his Wolves didn't seem to like waiting but at the same time he knew there had to have been plans set in place and carefully monitored for that young man to gain control of the Wolves in the first place and later of Nami no Kuni.
Just because they didn't like to wait didn't mean they were incapable of biding their time and nursing their grudge.
It was not a thought he enjoyed dwelling on.
Perhaps he should invite young Naruto back to Kagayaku Machi so they could speak. That would give him a chance to gauge the feelings of the Wolves towards him and his involvement, he thought. He only briefly considered taking up the standing offer to visit the mansion Naruto had set aside for his visits to the allied country, dismissing the concept entirely until things were more settled and, most importantly, safe.
If they really were holding a grudge against him it was beyond foolish to go into their territory, accept their hospitality, and place himself in their hands at the mercy of the Moon-God.
And, regardless of what his father sometimes though, Iroh was no fool.
Mai was already in his office by the time he reached it, sitting behind his desk perusing through some of Sai's latest reports that the young man hadn't bothered to send to Konoha with the impending- and now complete- exodus.
He wasn't terribly surprised by that, though he did briefly wonder why she was doing that when she could instead be spending time with the source of those reports. It had been quite some time since she had last seen her brother and he certainly wouldn't hold it against the two if they took an afternoon to catch up with each other.
"Mai." He greeted her as he approached the desk, idly noting that the second desk- the Mizukage's according to Anko- had been removed from the room. Considering what it had already been used for, he felt there was a good chance it had been relocated to Anko's room by either the Wolves or Tsunami. "Have you already seen Sai?"
She rose a questioning brow at him as she noticed his presence. "No, why? Had you wished to meet with him?"
He met her brow with a flat, dry answer of; "Because he's your brother." As her cheeks pinkened slightly he continued. "I thought you might like to see him again."
"Well, yes." She admitted. "I would like a chance to catch up with him in person." She frowned slightly and turned her gaze to the small stack of papers that had already accumulated at his desk. "I thought there was probably work we needed to see to before that, though, considering we've just left Konoha."
He waved off her concern with a lazy gesture of his right hand before using it to pick up the very work she spoke about. Only skimming the first page- that brothel the Inuzuka had somehow ended up with had been doing very, very well it would seem.- he returned his attention to his favorite Wolf.
"Today was set aside for travel and settling in, we can get to work tomorrow." What he really meant by 'we' was simply everyone except him, but that wasn't important. "I think visiting your brother for the first time in almost a year now-" That part was voiced in almost a question, mostly because he had trouble remembering when, exactly, the young man had come to Nami no Kuni to be the commander of the Wolves here. "- would more than qualify as settling in."
"Yeah, I guess waiting until tomorrow would be fine." She slipped out of his chair for it to be immediately occupied by its rightful owner causing her to give him a concerned frown. "What about you, you're not going to be doing any work today are you?"
He gave no answer as he placed the papers back onto the desk but she was -slightly- comforted by the fact that he did not immediately start pouring over them.
"Naruto?"
The voice from the doorway caught Mai's attention and she was greeted by the form of Uchiha Sasuke.
"We can speak in here, Orochimaru." Naruto turned back to Mai. "I need to discuss the results of a project I gave him."
"Is that all you'll be doing for work today?"
He was wise enough not to answer that with a lie- or at all- but unfortunately that in itself was answer enough for her.
"Naruto…" He could hear her hands mover to her hips over the disappointment in her tone. "What happened to getting to work tomorrow?"
"There are things I need to oversee and I haven't done any work today so it should be fine." He sent a warning look towards Orochimaru, strongly suggesting he made no mention of the seal they had placed upon him earlier that day which had exhausted him completely. "If you pass Hana on your way to visit Sai could you let her know I'd like to speak with her at her earliest convenience please?"
"On what?"
He rose a brow at her question but answered anyway.
"I don't believe I've ever congratulated her for having a city named in her honor."
"...Oh."
"You worry too much, Mai. I'll be fine." His gaze moved to Orochimaru as they came to a stop at the other side of his desk but his words continued to be for his favorite Wolf. "Go see your brother and relax, tomorrow you can resume working. Between you, me, and Hanabi there should be a much lighter load even without Hanabi's recent changes to the structure. It will probably be a week or two before things are running as smoothly here but by the end of this month you shouldn't have to worry about me being overworked ever again."
She would be the first to admit that it sounded almost too good to be true but she also had no reason to really doubt his words or Hanabi's ability. If he thought the new system would reduce the workload then she was inclined to believe him.
If he thought that would make her worry less about him overworking himself, however, he was very much mistaken. She'd worry regardless, especially when he had such a tendency to make work for himself in the absence of it. She was sure he'd still be working himself just as much even if none of the work from the House of Wolves ever crossed his desk.
That was just who he was.
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." Giving only the briefest of nods to Orochimaru- almost as if to say she was placing the responsibility for their lord's wellbeing in his hands- she exited the office, closing the door behind her with a soft click.
Naruto spent a minute or so quickly skimming through the contents of the reports to see if there was anything urgent- or that may become urgent- before setting them neatly to the side and cocking a brow towards a still standing Orochimaru.
"You can take a seat," He gestured towards the two simple chairs sat before his desk for that very purpose. "This is a discussion not a report."
Accepting his invitation Orochimaru took a seat on his desk, thinly veiled amusement shining through Sasuke's black eyes.
Naruto wasn't sure what else he should have expected.
"So," Naruto started. "I'm assuming nothing came up throughout the process considering you're calm enough to be in a playful mood?"
Orochimaru's lips immediately fell from the faintest hint of a smile to a more neutral position. "Nothing seemed necessarily wrong but there were several...abnormalities...I noticed about the seal. I'm assuming-" and desperately hoping. "-They were due to the change's you'd made. How do you feel?"
Naruto paused to consider that which was probably a good sign. A lack of notable pain was usually a good thing, though there were some notable- and major- exceptions to that. "No pain, no discomfort, no shortness of breath, headaches, rashes that I can tell, soreness, lack of feeling, sensitivity, or anything else beyond a general feeling of weariness but I had that before the seal."
Orochimaru nodded happily. "That's good, there doesn't seem to be anything that's gone wrong during the process but we should probably do a more thorough check-" His look became quite serious. "-Preferably sooner than later. In fact, I'd rather you have gotten yourself a checkup before setting foot in your office." Mainly because everyone who knew Naruto also knew just how hard it could prove to be extracting him from said office. Once he started working he didn't stop until it was all done if he could help it.
"I'll request Shizune to stop by later." Naruto waved off his godfather's concern with a dismissive flick of his wrist. "Just give me your basic observations for now. Anything I should be telling her to look for or anything I might need to keep in mind?"
Orochimaru wasn't very pleased by that and the frown pulling at Sasuke's lips made that abundantly clear but as long as he was actually willing to allow a healer to look him over he supposed he should be grateful. Still, Shizune might have been the apprentice of his old teammate but he wasn't sure how competent the woman actually was. If most of her time had been spent caring for a drunken Tsunade rather than learning from her Orochimaru didn't suspect she had much of a chance to learn anything.
"I'm sure young Kato is plenty skilled-" Naruto had decided to make her the head physician of the House of Wolves, so there must have been a reason and he would rather avoid indirectly insulting the young man by saying otherwise. "But for something so important maybe a team in a proper facility might be better advised?" he proposed.
Naruto gave him a look for a few seconds, his brow rising ever so slowly, before he gave a roll of his eyes and capitulated. "Fine, I'll make sure Shizune's assistant Tsunade is there too."
That wasn't- Orochimaru paused, forehead creasing as he processed the words he both knew he had heard but was certain he must have heard incorrectly.
"You-" He shook his head. "Tsunade?" Was the question the Snake Sage managed to get out.
"Hmmm? Oh, yes, she was in one of the first carriages with Kato-Sensei. I've assigned her to Kato-Sensei as her assistant in matters of the House of Wolves."
"Senju….Tsunade….?" Orochimaru asked, hoping for clarification that Naruto was quick to toss his way.
"Yes, Orochimaru. Senju Tsunade. I'm assuming you're well acquainted with her considering you were both on the same team for a not insignificant amount of time in your youth."
Orochimaru asked the only sensible question he could after that;
"Tsunade's the assistant?"
"I hired Kato-Sensei first."
For some reason, Orochimaru thought that Naruto's explanation shouldn't make as much sense as it did to him but he'd worry about that later.
Having been dragged from his office and into his chambers by the two women, Naruto wondered not for the first time who was actually in charge around here. Above his shirtless chest Tsunade and Shizune paused in their examination- hands glowing green- to share a look.
"So am I going to escape this bed without you tying me down, Kato-Sensei?"
Tsunade's brows rose as she shot her former apprentice a questioning look and Shizune struggled to keep a blush down at the scrutiny. "Tying him to his bed, huh?" An amused smirk pulled at Tsunade's lips. "I didn't realize you were so kinky, Shizune-chan."
"I've never tied him to his bed." Shizune protested, not meeting her former master's eyes.
Tsunade looked down to Naruto with an obvious question and he gave a slight shrug. "She's not wrong, the only bed she's tied me to was her own."
The Slug Princess's smirk became a wide grin. "My, Shizune, you're quite the little minx, aren't you?"
"...It's not like that." Shizune mumbled, cheeks now fully red. "I only tied him down because he wasn't listening to me." As soon as she said it Shizune knew she had made a mistake and a quick glance up to a grinning Tsunade only confirmed it.
"No boys for years as we travel and now all of a sudden you start going all out? I had no idea I was keeping you from your fun." Tsunade looked down at Naruto again. "Does she make you call her mistress when you two are together?"
"She's usually acting as my doctor when I see her."
"Roleplay? I'm impressed, Shizune, but I think you might want to go for something a bit more fresh. You're a doctor normally, try to mix it up."
"...Would you two knock it off, I'm trying to work here."
"Yes, mistress." Was Tsunade's immediate answer, earning herself a blushing glare from Shizune.
"I swear to the gods it must be something about Konoha. We stay there for a few years and suddenly you're as bad as Jiraiya." Shizune rolled her eyes and returned her focus to the Iryojutsu in her hand.
"Jiraiya doesn't have any shame, that's his issue. None of the things he does are appropriate in public."
Shizune's technique dropped in her surprise as she realized what Tsunade was saying. "Wait, you mean your complaints about him being a pervert all these years was solely based on where he was being a pervert?"
"Of course not, he's only a pervert because he was in public. It's perfectly normal in private."
"We're currently performing an examination as physicians of the House of Wolves."
"And we're doing so in his bedroom. I can hardly think of anywhere more private and appropriate."
"...I think it was easier to deal with you while you were permanently drunk."
"So," Naruto spoke up from beneath them, interrupting the two best medics in the world. "Should I take that as a 'no' for me getting tied to the bed?"
"Only if you ask Shizune nicely."
"Tsunade!"
Seeing as he'd not wanted to be tied down in the first place- he still had work to do- Naruto refrained from asking Shizune to tie him to his bed, much to an amused Tsunade's disappointment. When Shizune had finally managed to get Tsunade to stop teasing her enough to confirm what she had observed Naruto was only slightly surprised by the results.
Pathways for a secondary- albeit lesser- chakra system were present meaning he had been successful in his goal but the fact that they were currently active despite his seal laying dormant was by no means a bad thing but had hardly been expected. He would need to go though his notes with Orochimaru again to see if they had missed something but he supposed it could just as well be a mistake during the modification process itself.
He certainly hadn't been in a preferable mental state as he first received Orochimaru's Juin, his body struggling to remain conscious long enough to do the work. It was perfectly likely that the desires he'd projected to Sealkeeper hadn't matched what he'd gone over and planned with his godfather.
As it was a better result than he expected, however, he wasn't exactly going to complain.
Unfortunately both Shizune and Tsunade had forbidden him from performing any Justu or trying to activate his new Kusari no Juin for the next day as his body adjusted completely to its new state. As eager as Naruto was to see if that secondary system would perform as intended he also had plenty of experience with Chakra System issues and had absolutely no desire to mess up his new one like his original.
It would have been quite the waste.
Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 134-B "Flags"
Patron release 2021.02.27
To no one's great surprise Naruto had returned to his work as soon as a blushing Shizune had finally managed to shoo an amused Tsunade from his personal chambers and his personal floor completely.
Beyond what Mai had been looking through earlier there hadn't been too much more work to accumulate and he was fairly certain he should be done with it all before he retired that evening. Of course, that wasn't saying much considering he had no plans to leave any work done. It would all be completed before he allowed himself to sleep regardless of how much work there actually was.
Fortunately for him it wasn't nearly enough to cause any sort of sufficient trouble.
Naturally things couldn't be allowed to continue smoothly wherever Naruto was involved and he soon found his work interrupted. In this case, at least, it was an interruption he had brought upon himself.
"Already hard at work, I see." Hana grinned as she let herself into the office. "If I didn't know better I'd have to say it looks like Nami no Kuni's Daimyo always does his work at that desk, it's hard to believe you only got in earlier this afternoon."
He rose an amused brow- sparing her a glance only for a second- before returning to his work. "I'm quick to settle, I suppose. It doesn't take much for me to be able to work."
"That's fair." She laughed. "You'd only need a flat surface, I guess." She thought for a moment. "Hell, most of us just need a flat surface but I know I wouldn't be able to dive in right after I'd moved in."
He looked up again, only the faintest hints of amusement dancing in his eyes. "It needs to get done, I'm doing it."
"Yeah, it does." Hana agreed with a nod. "But it can't be that urgent. I'm sure you could have put it off until tomorrow. Actually, you probably could have put it off for a week or more. Even I know the important things are brought straight to your attention, anything they just leave in a pile on your desk can obviously wait."
"And the longer I put it off the more accumulates. It's easier to get it out of the way as soon as I'm aware of it." He set down the report he'd been going over and leaned back into his chair. "How has Nami been in my absence?"
"Well beyond that surprise Sai sprung on me, she's been good." It was clear enough she was still irritated that Sai had gone and renamed the city after her behind her back but Naruto couldn't really say he cared about the matter in the slightest. "We've been working to plan out her expansion, Hanahime-" There was something about the way she spoke the name of the city that told him she still struggled to accept what had happened. "- doesn't really show any sign of slowing down yet. If anything trade is picking up and that just means more sailors, more merchants, and more people who need services."
Hana frowned in thought, briefly gazing off to the side. "I can't say I'm not worried about the future, though. Eventually the number of merchants and traders will match what the ports can handle and if they continue to grow past that we'll find ourselves with more workers than work. Costs of labor will plummet, goods will increase due to demand, and we'll be headed right back to where they were under Gato."
"So our options are to either restrict the number of people who can come to Nami to stave off an influx of workers we don't have jobs for or we need to increase the capacity of the docks to encourage continued growth of such jobs, no?" He raised a brow at her in question, just confirming what he already suspected, and continued before she was able to offer an answer. "Of course, the labor required to do so would either pull from existing jobs- potentially crippling them as they mature and making the whole thing pointless- or it's going to require attracting more workers who are going to need jobs afterwards."
It was a terribly delicate sort of balance that had to be held until these burgeoning merchants and shipping companies managed to grow enough in the global markets that continued growth would be all but guaranteed to be able to handle the workers who would need employment.
They would also have to grow fast enough to reduce the time between dock work and new employment for those workers. The more he could keep out of the streets the better it would be for Nami.
He also needed to be aware of the plateau these markets would inevitably reach, at which point growth would cease and couldn't be relied on to fortify any further economic growth they planned. Not only that, he would have to make sure to implement proper policy to keep those same businesses from getting out of control and allowing another would-be Gato from rising
Human greed was predictable enough and someone was bound to start wondering where they could cut costs and increase profit margins. That sort of thinking wouldn't lead to the sort of Nami he wanted, one of prosperity and safety for his children and his people. To that end a certain level of harmony must be maintained- even if it required force to do so.
"That's what our economic advisor told me, yes." Hana gave a firm nod as she tried to dislodge the surprise that had stricken her. Unless he had somehow gotten his hands on one of the reports that had been sent to her on the civilian side of things- which, while absolutely possible for the young Daimyo, seemed fairly unlikely considering he'd only just arrived- he had a much greater innate grasp on the situation than she had before things had been explained to her.
It was hard sometimes to remind herself the young man sitting before her was around the same age as her little brother, he just always seemed to strike her as so much older.
In fact, there were times Hana could honestly believe her mother was but a child when compared to Tsukuyomi- such were the years that rested heavily over his shoulders in a dignified cloak.
Sometimes that fact made her uneasy, other times it was comforting, but right now it brought with it fond feelings of home. After a long trip father had returned and everything was just as it should be.
It was a strange feeling to admit that Nami- Hanahime- felt more like home to her now than the compound back in Konoha did and she briefly wondered if a majority of that was simply due to how long she had been away. Perhaps were she to visit again she would realize that the feelings of Nami paled in comparison to her childhood home.
She wanted to say the other half of her was the traitorous one as it desperately hoped she was wrong but she would be lying if she said she didn't want Nami to be her home. She had grown as attached the the country as the people had of her and she was in no hurry to separate herself for any substantial period of time.
Hana could, however, use a vacation.
"I'll have to speak with them at some point, then." He scribbled down a note to himself on the back of one of the reports and set it away from the others so it would not be accidentally taken before he had the chance to transfer the memo somewhere more appropriate. "In fact, I'll need to meet your entire team eventually. I'd like to know the people helping you do so while I'm away."
There was something about his words that struck her and Hana could feel her lips tug into a frown as she thought. He didn't say "while he was gone" or "while he was away", both of which would have been distinctively past-tense, and instead seemed to be both future and present tense. He was going to be leaving and it was probably going to be soon.
"You're leaving again, aren't you?" She decided to voice her suspicions, wincing at the disappointment she could feel inflected on her voice. That was not something she had been intending to share.
His purple eyes searched her, peering beyond the simple physical plane of flesh and bone to view some deeper truth she had no hope of understanding. She tried not to squirm like a guilty child caught under that gaze.
"Yes." His answer freed her from the scrutiny but did nothing for the weighty disappointment that settled over her. "The original plan did not see me coming to Hanahime at all but there have been some...delays...in one of my projects so I'll be here until I need to go see to it personally."
"...And then you'll be back?"
The lack of answer that came from him wasn't a 'no' but it sure as hell wasn't a 'yes'.
An uncomfortable - as far as Hana was concerned, anyway- silence continued after his wordless response, filling the empty space within his office like a dense cloud of fog. Eventually he decided to speak, strong clarity of voice pushing away the fog and temporarily banishing the awkwardness she felt.
"I will, undoubtedly, be returning at some point to visit Hanahime and the country of Nami. Certainly something here will also require my attention in the future."
"But you had- have- no plans of coming back, do you?"
"No." Honest and to the point, she always appreciated those answers much more. None of that flowery bullshit meant to soothe broken egos and placate those she probably wouldn't consider worth his time.
She'd prefer it if he always spoke like that, letting people know exactly how he felt and what his intentions were, but she would settle for him using it with her more; He still had a habit of speaking to her as a Daimyo instead of the leader of her pack, something she assumed was simply due to how often he needed to be Tsukuyomi.
Well, that's what she hoped it was. The idea that he might not always see her as part of that pack was not an explanation she really cared for.
Of course, she also didn't care for the fact that Hanahime would apparently only be getting visits- and the attention of the father- if it was absolutely necessary. He was their Daimyo, damnit, presence in Nami no Kuni should have been the rule not the exception.
"Can-" She paused, wondering if she had any right to actually ask her question, before deciding that as Governess knowing why the Daimyo was avoiding his country was absolutely her concern. "Can I ask what it is that's pushing you away from Nami no Kuni? I'm sure I can see the matter resolved for you." She hoped it didn't sound as pleading to him as it did in her own ears but she wasn't so foolish to put her trust into it.
"Nothing's wrong with Nami or Hanahime." Purple eyes caught and held her, softening significantly, and not for the first time she felt like a little girl before the young Daimyo. "There are things in the work that require my attention- long term projects that will benefit the Wolves."
"But what about Nami?" She crossed her arms- hips cocking ever so slightly to the side as she adjusted her weight- and Hana was struck with the thought that she probably looked like a petulant child or- at most- a rebellious teenager arguing with her father. The realization brought a redness to her cheeks she dearly hoped he would not notice.
A brow rose at her question and the corner of his lip twitched up in amusement.
"Nami will continue under your great leadership, assisted by Commander Sai and whomever else you've collected to advise and support you. I hardly expect my absence will be noticed, Hana."
"The people need to know they have someone looking out for them. What are they supposed to think when their Daimyo doesn't even want to stay in his own country?"
"They have someone looking out for them, Hana, you. They already look up to you and celebrate your leadership. It would be bad form were I to try forcing you from that position and they have no reason to accept me over you." He gave a soft smile but it was bereft of his earlier amusement and didn't seem to quite reach his eyes. "Besides, they hardly realized I was gone at all and probably don't know I'm back. I see no reason to change either, my presence doesn't matter to them."
"It should." Insisted the Inuzuka heiress with a scowl. "You've practically turned their hell into a paradise, these people should be naming children after you!"
"They don't know my name." He pointed out, faint amusement returning. "They do, however, know yours. I'm sure we'll have a generation of little Hanas running around the city before too long."
While the idea wasn't wholly unpleasant she still wasn't comfortable even considering she would be getting further recognition when she'd already had an entire city renamed in her honor. Godsdamnit, how was she supposed to convince people to commission a statue or make a holiday celebrating him when they only saw her and not the man who stood behind her?
She wasn't the one who had freed them and even if she had led them well that was only because he had been the one to appoint her as Governess. Everything she had been able to do was only because he had made it possible for her.
There was no Governess Hana without Daimyo Tsukuyomi.
"They probably will," She admitted with a huff, diverting her eyes. "But that's not what we're talking about. It's a matter of national pride, you avoiding your country is going to reflect rather poorly on us."
He was silent following her words and after a tense few moments she found herself looking back to see what expression he might be wearing. It was contemplative, which wasn't indicative of anything bad, but she didn't like the searching quality it had; she could feel cutting straight into her soul.
"Hana," It was clear and soft but she still flinched as her name came from his lips. There was an authority to his words that never failed to make her feel like a foolish, misbehaving child. Even so she found her eyes forced to meet his own where they became locked. There was no escaping that gaze. "What's really bothering you?"
She wanted to tell him that his absence felt like he was repeatedly abandoning Nami- abandoning her- and that she just wanted their father to stay and be proud of his children and the work they were doing but the words caught in her throat. She'd hardly spent any time at all with the man, how was she supposed to explain that he seemed more like a father than her own had ever been? She didn't even know Tsukuyomi- Naruto- so why was it she felt so desperate for his approval?
His words on her position as Nami's Governess had left a warmth in her but there was still something missing and she had no idea what it could be. She couldn't request something she couldn't name and even if she could it wouldn't be genuine then.
"Nothing." Was her eventual answer- a lie if she had ever uttered one- and she was absolutely certain he was able to see right through it. "I've just been pretty tired lately, I guess. It would be nice to get a break."
"Ah, I see." He gave an understanding nod either not seeing- which she thought was unlikely- or not acknowledging her blatant lie. "You have certainly been working hard as of late, a vacation is not a request without merit. I'll see what I can arrange for you. Was there anything in particular you had in mind or have you been too busy with your work to consider it?"
"I've thought about it a bit but I haven't really looked into anything. Hana admitted, a slight tightening of guilt forming in her chest. She really did want- and probably needed- a vacation but the fact that it was coming now solely because she lied to him and avoided giving him the answers he had requested made her feel dirty. She knew for a fact she wasn't the only person who could use a break and she genuinely enjoyed her job for the most part so a break wasn't critical for her by any means.
"I heard about the resort you sent your son to from Sai and that sounded quite nice," It sounded more than nice, a vacation fit for a Daimyo or, in this case, a prince. She didn't expect she would receive the same but she would have been happy going just about anywhere for a week or so. "I've also thought about spending some time back in Konoha to see my friends and visit my family."
Again he nodded, scribbling down her responses on the back of his chosen report. "So, did you want to visit the resort first or Konoha?"
"Eh?" Surely she had heard that wrong, he wasn't offering her both, was he?
His brow returned to its proper position higher up his face and she only briefly wondered if it spent more time down in a neutral position or up there questioning those in Naruto's presence. She had a feeling it might be the latter.
"Did you want to spend a week in Yu no Kuni first and then head over to Konoha or did you want to visit family and friends and then spend a week at a resort before returning?"
He was; he was offering both and not just a few days, either. Two weeks of vacation? That was too much and she voiced such.
"I- I can't spend that much time away from Hanahime." She froze as she realized she was technically defying her Daimyo- was he her Daimyo if she wasn't a citizen of Nami? Was she a citizen of Nami as its Governess? - and she quickly tried to smooth it over before he noticed or said anything about it. "Ah, not that I don't appreciate such a generous offer, Tsukuyomi-sama, I just don't believe it necessary for me to spend so much time away and I wouldn't want to burden Sai and the others with my work in addition to their own for so long."
He waved off her concerns with a lazy gesture of his hand.
"It's fine. Mai, Hanabi, and myself will be here for some time yet until my project progresses enough. We'll be able to divide your workload without too much trouble, don't worry about it." Not that he had any intention of giving either of them any extra work, of course. Hanabi would be busy getting Nami on the same system she'd already implemented for her team and overseeing it while Mai as his heiress would be busy taking a more active role in overseeing the House of Wolves so she would have the experience to eventually take his position.
He would see to the matters of Nami no Kuni- it was only proper as their Daimyo.
"Well...If you're sure." If there were going to be that many people to split the work between that didn't sound too bad and if anyone should be taking responsibility for Nami no Kuni in her absence it was hard to argue against it being Nami's own Daimyo. She still felt he was being too generous just by allowing her two full weeks and definitely because she'd be spending half of that at a Yu no Kuni resort but she tried to push that down with self-assurances that it would probably be a much more modest resort than his son had been at. "I suppose I'd rather stop by Konoha first and then spend some time at the resort, but travel arrangements might go better if I head to Yu no Kuni first and then stop at Konoha on my way back."
"Konoha first it is." She went to object only to be silenced immediately by a hard look from the young lord. "I will worry about travel arrangements and getting you where you need to go, Hana, all you should worry about is what you'd like to do in Konoha and at the resort."
"I- uh- thank you, Tsukuyomi-sama." Like her earlier worry he also dismissed her gratitude with a wave of his hand.
"You deserve this, Hana, that's all there is to it. Are you staying with your mother in Konoha or am I reserving a room for you?" He shook his head before she could answer. "Poor question. You'll have a room available for you, feel free to use it if you'd like a bit of space during your vacation. I'll have the details when we provide you with your itinerary."
"O-okay."
"Just need to figure out when to set the dates…." He looked about the desk for a second before realizing his calendar- as empty as it tended to be- had not yet made its way to his current office. "What day is it?"
"Uh, Wednesday?" Her answer was just as much a question as his but directed at the fact that he apparently didn't know what today was. A traitorous thought briefly suggested that perhaps leaving her city in his hands might be a poor choice but she quickly pushed that away. It was his country, not hers. "August thirty-first."
He paused in his writing, peering back up at her with questioning eyes. "You're certain?"
"Yes, Tsukuyomi-sama. I'm expecting Sai's proposed budget for the Wolves tomorrow on the first."
"Oh, I guess we left earlier than I realized." He frowned at that lightly but it quickly deepened as he realized what else she said. "You know you'd probably be better off giving him a proposed budget, right? And even then it's doubtful he'll stick to it."
She gave an amused snort. "I've already filed his corrected budget for next month, I'll send him a copy when I get the one he's been working on."
Naruto nodded approvingly. "Good, good. I knew you were an excellent choice for Nami."
"Thank you, Tsukuyomi-sama."
"I think we'll have you leaving Friday afternoon, you'll spend the fourth through the eleventh in Konoha and then the fifteenth through the twenty second in Yu no Kuni. We'll have you back by...let's say the twenty-sixth? No, Tuesday the twenty-seventh. That should account for anything that pops up during travel."
She stared at him, trying to comprehend what she had just heard. After nearly a minute more of jotting down his notes for her itinerary he glanced back up and noticed.
"Is there something wrong with those dates, Hana?"
"I thought you said it was supposed to be two weeks?"
He blinked in surprise and looked back down to his notes, his worry at a mistake melting into confusion as his brow rose once again. "That is two weeks."
"The fourth through the twenty-seventh is not two weeks. That's more than three!"
He gave a small shrug. "I'm not counting the time being set aside for travel, that wouldn't be fair to you."
"I- you-" She couldn't manage to put her disbelief into words and settled for a huff and the shaking of her head. "You're an infuriating man, Tsukuyomi-sama, did you know that?"
Based on his expression she would have to guess that he had not. "If you say so." he shrugged again, returning to his work arranging her vacation. "If you could have your September calendar sent to me directly and inform your team that they'll be working with me in your absence that would be appreciated."
Hana gave a nod to show she understood and accepted his instructions. "Of course, Tsukuyomi-sama."
"You may also wish to visit with Anko before you leave. I'm not sure where she is at the moment-" Honestly he was a bit surprised she hadn't already tracked him down to his office and started pestering him for some fun but he'd put the time he had without such distractions to good use until then. "- but the room she claimed would be a good place to start. It's the room across from Tsunami's and if she's not there you may want to see if Tsunami is. She probably knows where Anko could be found, I don't think there's anything that goes on in this place she doesn't know about."
"Anko's here?"
"I wouldn't have been able to get her to stay in Konoha had I tried." He answered, amusement and exasperation in equal measures plainly expressed with a strong dash of undeniable fondness for the woman. "I made sure she resigned from active duty first to avoid trouble."
Yeah, Hana wouldn't expect Anko to have done that without someone else making her. That woman would have just waltzed out of Konoha and become a missing-nin without a second thought and her reaction to learning so would probably involve a sheepish grin as she scratched the back of her head in nervous embarrassment.
It might even earn itself an "oops" from the woman before she shrugged and dismissed the matter entirely until the hunter-nin started to come after her.
She would still try to play ignorant when they caught up to her, too, that was just Anko.
"Thank you, she probably would have forgotten."
"No, she would have just not done it." Hana couldn't say he was wrong. "I had to sit with her in the Shinobi Offices to make sure she did it, otherwise she would have walked out of there after twenty minutes of waiting.
Also very true.
"But that's of no concern now, she got it done and I'm sure she'd like to see you. I'll have your itinerary to you by mid-morning tomorrow at the latest. Go see to your affairs as Governess for the next few days and we'll have you relaxing before you know it."
"Thank you, Tsukuyomi-sama."
He waved her off again.
"I've already told you, Hana, you deserve it. This is owed to you, there's no need for gratitude when I should be the one thanking you."
This was, as far as she was concerned, thanks aplenty but she accepted his words with a respectful nod solely because she knew it would be a losing battle to attempt convincing him otherwise.
"If that was all, Tsukuyomi-sama?"
"Ah, yes, of course. You are free to go, Hana, I won't keep you any longer."
"Thank you, Tsukuyomi-sma." She folded at the waist to give him a bow that could quite easily be argued as too deep considering her own status but if he noticed he didn't make any mention of it and she turned away to leave his office. It was technically bad form to show her back to him but again he didn't seem to notice or care. She was just about to slip through the door when his words caught her attention.
"Oh, and Hana?" She turned to meet his gaze and felt a warmth fill her chest as he gave her a full, genuine smile. "I'm proud of you."
And that, she realized, was exactly the sort of thing she'd wanted to hear from him. If he wasn't already working on providing her a vacation she was sure those words would have provided her all the motivation she needed to maintain her work for the next year.
By the time she retired that evening her face was sore from the smile she wore for the remainder of the day.
Knowing of her father's pride in her made it well worth it.
"Should Tsukuyomi-sama have a flag?"
Tsunami- arms full of freshly cleaned linens- found her attention pulled towards the off-duty Wolf who stood next to the stairs looking out the front window on the top floor of Tsukuyomi's palace. His back was to her and she paused to consider whether he was actually speaking to her or just wondering things out loud. After a few seconds of silence he turned to look at her, making it very clear who he was speaking to.
"Well? Should he?"
Technically as mistress of the palace Tsunami outranked the Wolves within when it came to day to day matters, especially when those Wolves were off duty as the mask hanging loosely from this Wolf's hands would indicate, but knowing how much her lord favored his private army- Nami's army now, technically- she did her best to remain polite and respectful when she interacted with them.
The fact that each and any one of them could kill her before she could blink made that decision even easier and their status as Nami's liberators could be used to forgive their sometimes gruff nature.
With this in mind she took a second to consider the odd question before proceeding. "If he wants one, of course." She agreed. " But I haven't heard him mentioning a need for one."
"He hasn't." The Wolf tilted his head to the side in thought before amending his previous statement. "Well, I haven't heard of him mentioning a want or need for a flag."
Tsunami thought that should be more than sufficient to answer the Wolf's question and made to continue with her task of remaking the beds on the upper floors when he continued.
"I was just thinking that it might be proper for him to have a flag. You know, something to represent him."
"Do Daimyo normally have flags?" She asked, frowning slightly as she tried to answer her own question. She really had no idea, she had certainly never been around Daimyo before Tsukuyomi and even she knew not to consider anything that young man did to be normal for a Lord.
"Countries usually do." The Wolf had a similar frown tugging at his own lips. "Villages don't, as far as I know, Konoha never had one and I don't think the others did either. Clans place their emblem on flags and banners sometimes, that's considered normal."
"Well in that case I would think a Daimyo's flag is also his country's flag, isn't it? The flag represents the country and they're the head of that country." Arguably they were the country, politically speaking. Tsukuyomi wasn't just the Lord of Nami but also Lord Nami. The identities were one in the same as far as the courts would be concerned. That was also about the extent of her knowledge on the subject.
"Normally." They agreed, scratching their head through messy brown hair. "But Tsukuyomi's domain includes more than just Nami so his flag should be more than just Nami's flag. The Fire Daimyo has more than a single country, but even then it's just countries in his domain. He simply has two flags to represent each of the countries he controls and would use the appropriate flag in each situation."
"Okay," She could kind of see where he was going with this but she still didn't see why Tsukuyomi needed the flag in the first place. "What sort of situations would require a flag?"
Even with the Wolf only half-turned in her direction she was able to see the look of surprise that overcame him and after a few owlish blinks they turned to her fully. "...Well...if we were to need to raise an army, or if we captured a city...I suppose…." His frown deepened. "Behind his carriage, perhaps, and maybe if we get him a boat….Ah!" the Wolf's eyes lit up. "We could put a flagpole outside and use it to inform the people of Nami when their Daimyo was present in his palace."
That wasn't a horrible idea, she could admit, at least not the part about having it outside the palace, but she didn't think letting people see how often he was away from Hanahime was a good idea and voiced that. "Maybe just a flag that's always up. Tsukuyomi's trips often take a while and his flag would be down more often than not."
"Yeah, yeah." He nodded, the start of a grin on his lips. "A symbol of the Daimyo to whom the palace belongs. We might even have it flown outside government buildings, too."
"Perhaps Nami's flag should be on the government buildings and we'll keep Tsukuyomi's flag limited to the buildings he resides in or that the Wolves control directly."
"Yeah, I guess that would work, we should probably ask Tsukuyomi about it first."
Tsunami dearly hoped her irritation didn't show on her face. "Maybe you should have asked him about a personal flag in the first place?" She suggested.
He shook his head. "No, if we bring it to his attention it's better to have it ready for him otherwise he'll take designing it as a personal task to complete. I wouldn't want to give him more work."
A fair point, really, and not one Tsunami was going to be arguing against even if she thought it might be a good idea to check before spending time and effort on a project he may not particularly care for. Of course, if it kept even a single Wolf busy and out of trouble she would certainly support it for that alone.
It was also kind of sweet they wanted to make something for the young man.
"Well, in that case I guess you should start designing a flag." She suggested only to be immediately hit with the most pitiful, pleading look she'd ever seen on a grown man. Even Kaiza couldn't manage that sort of look when he was trying to persuade her of something - or apologize for doing something stupid.
Mostly the latter.
With a roll of her eyes she released a deep sigh. "Fine." Holding out her armful of linens he took it questioningly. "Place one set on each of the beds on this floor, I'll go find one of the girls to finish up here and I'll help you with your flag."
The sudden hope and excitement that came over his face really made Tsunami question if Tsukuyomi was the 'Lord of Wolves' or if 'Prince of Puppies' was more apt.
At least things weren't dull around here.
Shingetsu - New Moon
Kagayaku Machi - The Shining City
As determined by Patron Poll, Naruto's Seal has been named "Kusari no Juin", the Cursed Seal of Chains.
Also determined by Patron Poll was Patron-Suggested "Kagayaku Machi" as the name of Hi no Kuni's capital city, suggested by TheGreatBubbaJ.
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