Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1.

AN: Chapter title: An Invitation

The task of speaking with Naruto Uzumaki was not something those who sought it thought would be easy. It had, surprising them all, not been some near impossible task to approach his tower. Not even the clones that stood watch seemed to desire to stop them, they barely seemed to even wish to provoke them. They were watched of course but they weren't spared more than a cursory glance from the clones they passed. There wasn't even the expected second hurdle of Sasuke Uchiha to antagonize them, gloat to them about how weak they still were, how strong Naruto and his army truly was.

The Uchiha was nowhere in sight actually. The clones that were stationed as guards continued to watch them but nothing else.

Getting to the tower Naruto always seemed to want to build higher and higher into the sky had been even easier. Almost disturbingly so when compared to Ino's last few encounters with the Uchiha and Naruto's clones. There was no air of hostility, of annoyance, as they traveled down the streets. Not even from the scattered patrols of his personal bodyguards, his Praetorians. They were, again, spared a look but nothing else.

In hindsight, upon review of their path through the streets, the small group had all but been escorted from the outer edges of the district to the front door of Naruto's tower. The clones serving as guards hadn't impeded them as they usually would have, had clearly been expecting them in some capacity. Lee and Neji had both kept an eye on those they passed, had noticed reports being sent using the earpieces in the helmets all of the clones wore. It wasn't an outrageous leap of logic to think someone like Naruto would have them watched since the Chunin Exams, perhaps even before then.

It was impossible to know for sure with how he acted. It both fit his character and didn't to have his army keep an eye on all of them, let him know what they had done day after day since the attack.

"I hate to think about it but he's probably had his army watching us this entire time." Ino was the one to put words to such thoughts, such feelings.

"I can't speak for anyone but the Hyuga Clan but his clones have been watching the main compound since the end of the preliminaries." Neji was someone who was more than qualified to confirm some of their suspicions. His Byakugan made it all but impossible to hide their presence. If they would even bother with such a thing. "With the number of his clones spread across the village, there's no reason he couldn't manage the same for the rest of you."

'That should be horrifying. But considering he knew about the attack for so long and didn't say a thing, I can't even bother with being surprised anymore.' Ino stared down the street. Her blue eyes were focused towards the tower that grew higher by the day, at the prominent red swirl Naruto had chosen as the standard for his loudly proclaimed 'Uzumaki Empire'. No matter how many of his clones had left the village or were occupied with the builders and crews coming in, it always seemed to grow bigger, have more clones surrounding it, and the flag that never left the top.

"Let's just talk to him and get out of here." Ino couldn't help the shiver that raced up her spine. "I hate being watched like this."

Hinata was silent, had been silent ever since they had spotted the first of Naruto's clones. If Ino was being honest, that fact unnerved her the most. It was almost like the Hyuga was a completely different person once she was around Naruto and his clones, any of the timidity or nerves she had been used to seeing from the girl was suddenly replaced by nothing but a cold determination.

The guards standing directly outside the tower were actually the first to outright deny them entry.

"None are allowed unauthorized entry." A single pair of Praetorians seemed to be the only guards placed outside the tower. Both had immediately laid a hand on their swords, red eyes glaring at Ino ahead of the others. There was true hate in those eyes, true loathing at her very presence.

They didn't go so far as to outright threaten any of them but their intentions were clear.

If they approached, they would attack without question.

"Well…what do we do now?" Ino looked to Lee or Neji for something. Hinata's pale eyes were focused on one of the floors of the tower, the floor the Yamanaka figured Naruto had to be on with how intense Hinata was being.

"Nothing but wait. He knows we're here." Neji had activated his Byakugan once they had been turned away. "He's looking at us right now."

The doors in front of them were suddenly thrown open, Sasuke striding out with a dozen of Naruto's red eyed Praetorians trailing behind him. They were glaring at them. Sasuke had an overblown smile on his face as he applauded them for whatever reason he thought up in his mind, a simple gesture of his hands directing the Praetorians to relax their stances behind him.

Not a single one of the clones took their hand off of their swords.

"I didn't think you had it in you to come here Ino-chan. Don't you know this is the very heart of Caesar's glorious Empire?" He kept up her nickname just to see if it would infuriate her. A flash of disappointment came when it didn't, when she kept a cool head. He turned his Sharingan to Hinata and the rest with the Yamanaka. "Caesar was only expecting Hinata to arrive today, the rest of you are an unexpected surprise. You'll have to state whatever reason you're here for before I can allow you to pass beyond this point."

Neji and Lee both turned their gaze away from Sasuke, to the streets that were now barricaded by walls of shields, to the Praetorians that had emerged to surround them on all sides from a distance.

Hinata stepped forward.

"I want to speak with Naruto-kun." The determination in Hinata's voice unnerved Ino.

'What is going on with her?'

"I have no orders to stop you and Caesar gave me no reason to deny your entry." Sasuke motioned to two of the Praetorians he had stepped out of the tower with. "Follow these two. They'll escort you to Caesar." He turned his gaze back to the rest of them. "As for the rest of you, Caesar's time is far too valuable to dare waste. You'll have to settle for speaking with his Legate on whatever matters have brought you here." He gave a mocking bow. "I am all ears."

Ino bit down on the urge to gnash her teeth at the Uchiha.

"This is what I get for trying to be nice." Ino calmed herself down. Breathing in and out to a slow and steady rhythm. Blue eyes focused on the Uchiha. She flipped her hair out of the way and walked up to him. "Sasuke, against everything screaming at me to just ignore you, I'm going to keep trying to be nice." She gave him a saccharine smile, batted her eyes. "Will you quit being an ass and just let me talk to you and Naruto? Together so I don't have to say this more than once or have you changing my words."

The Uchiha merely stared at her.

"Well? It's a yes or no question."

The red and black in his eyes vanished. He laughed.

"I can almost applaud your daring Ino-chan." Sasuke stepped back. "Once Caesar has finished his business with Hinata Hyuga, I will find you the chance to speak with hm." He turned to Lee and Neji. "Both of you are welcome to come with her. I can guess why you two are here." He turned back to Ino and his stare briefly locked her in place. It was almost frightening how quickly the Uchiha could go from his normal mockery to something like this, a look in his eyes more fitting to see from someone like his sensei than him. "I hope you have a good reason for all of this Ino. If you don't, I will have no choice but to obey whatever Caesar commands of me."

Up above in his tower, a Caesar warmly greeted Hinata Hyuga.

"I'm almost surprised to see you here so soon Hinata. What brings you before me with such haste?" He didn't return to his seat, offered her a spot next to him as he stared out the window behind him. He smiled at her. "Are you that excited to work with a Caesar and his mighty Legion?"

"I'm here to tell you something I think you should know, about my father." Hinata's cold determination impressed Naruto. He had expected her to change but not so swiftly. He had expected it would take tireless hours of work day after day to break her from her kindness, her reliance on her teammates and sensei. He had been ready to speak with his Legate on both light-handed approaches and having the two of them simply beating the lesson into her during some of the training he had planned for her.

It was his surprise that she could so easily impress him, that she could remove that critical weakness even temporarily. She had more talent than he had originally given her credit for, had clearly always possessed such a thing, had simply never had a true reason to allow it out.

Until now.

'Perhaps I underestimated the effect my words would have.' Naruto would think more on such a thing later, for now Hinata had his attention.

"What of him?" Naruto's eyes briefly burned from blue to red, his rage his to command in the blink of an eye as cerulean returned. "I have no small dislike for him and those of the Hyuga who follow him so blindly but I am working on limited information. For as revealing as it was, I only know him from what most would hardly call a single encounter. Before I was Caesar, before I commanded my Legion, stood at the head of my Empire, I could hardly even recognize his face, let alone the clan he serves as head of. Such a thing can no longer be allowed." He turned his head to look at Hinata. "Before you tell me anything of what you've learned, tell me of the man your father is."

Hinata was silent. The determination that had brought her here was replaced by something else, a familiar timidity that Naruto had seen from her before. He had expected such a thing, was disappointed only for a moment as her prior, and lesser, personality made an unwanted return.

She was less interesting like this.

"I see. I should not be surprised that such a question will take time for you my dear Hinata. I will provide as much as I can spare during such a busy time for myself and my Legion." Naruto turned his eyes back to the village, a glance down to the base of his tower showing him whatever game his Legate had been playing with the others had come to an end. They were likely on their way here now. He didn't have the time to spend on drawing the Hyuga out of her shell again nor did he feel the desire to put forth the effort. "After my promotion to Chunin, the two of us will speak again. Have your words ready then."

'I'll need to have my Praetorians prepare a file on her father. I'll go over it before the next time we speak.' His mind made up on the matter, a Caesar found other things needed his attention.

He pressed a finger to his ear.

"What is it Legate?" At the words Sasuke spoke, he rose a blonde eyebrow. "You wish to fulfill her demands? I thought you enjoyed whatever game it is you play with her." Naruto shook his head. "Bring them up. We will continue our meeting once she's done with whatever she's come here to do."

Naruto spared a last glance to Hinata.

She looked akin to a lost dog, confused by his actions.

"On second thought, await my command." He didn't wait for a response from his Legate, didn't require one from someone he knew would follow his order. He turned the entirety of his focus to Hinata.

At a gentle touch of his hand to her cheek, her face turned red. He offered her the same smile he had the last time they had spoken at length.

"I know that look on your face my dear Hinata. Do not believe you have disappointed me in not answering me now, do not believe you have upset a Caesar. I do not deny that asking this of you is difficult, that I am asking you to tell the man who will help crush your father how to do so, but I ask this of you because I know you can accomplish it. You are my dear Hinata after all. You must remember that I am the only one to still believe in you and your strength, I believe in you where any others would instead console you with empty words, coddle you until you are weak. Where Yuhi would stifle your talents, where those you would call teammates, even friends, would treat you as if you are akin to fragile glass, I will always believe in you, aid you if you ask it of me. Yet I would never seek to demean you with empty words, with empty promises of aiding you, with only a desire to see you remain weak as others would." He stepped closer to her, allowed her to lean into his touch, gaze at him with admiration, with devotion.

Such a thing would never fail to amuse him, to bring some delight to his blue eyes.

"You know I trust you, correct?" He brought her closer with a tug of her hand in his. "I revealed things I have told only my Legate to you, revealed secrets that are mine alone to you." His smile revealed his fangs. "If I did not believe you capable, if I did not believe in Hinata Hyuga, I would have told you none of these things, I would have never dared to take you into my confidence as I have. Yet I have done so. I have decided to do these things because I have nothing but faith in you."

He drew her closer to him, embraced her. Her crimson flush still amused him, the hesitance with which she looked to him, the adoration she stared at him with.

"We will speak again as I have said and I will be with you every step of the way."

He drew back, smiled at her.

"Now, unless you wish to stay as I speak with the others, I would suggest you depart. You no doubt have other business to attend to today, correct?" Naruto used the seal all who served in his Legion carried with them to signal his Legate to bring the others, the sharp spike of Chakra no doubt unpleasant to the Uchiha.

On the other side of the doors leading to the floor Caesar's office occupied, Sasuke was prepared for the sharp spike of pain coming from the seal on his arm.

"Ah, it seems that Caesar is no longer occupied with Hyuga." Sasuke rose from his seat, bid the Praetorians stationed there to allow them to pass through. Of the ten stationed there, four moved to open the heavy doors while the other six continued to keep an eye on the three brought before them.

None of the Praetorians had drawn their swords but their eyes had burned to red the moment one of them had spotted Ino, had informed the others of her presence with a near growl and tilt of his head towards her.

"Remember, Caesar's time is not something to waste. Say what you need to say and do it quickly." Sasuke took the lead down the hall, empty of Praetorians but guarded on both ends by them. The heavy doors, more like gates, were sealed behind them as they passed through.

He stopped at a door bearing the red swirl that Naruto had taken as his personal symbol across them.

"Caesar awaits inside." He opened it and stepped aside, nodded to the three of them to enter.

"Finally." Ino was the first inside. She wanted this entire trip over with before it became even more insane, so that she could finally get away from all the eyes watching her. "I'm already regretting going through all this trouble for you two." She didn't stop until she was in front of the waiting Naruto, the blonde seated at his desk.

"Ino Yamanaka, Rock Lee, and Neji Hyuga have requested a meeting with you Caesar." Sasuke stepped past them and to Naruto's side. He cast a red and black gaze around the room. "I see Hyuga is gone."

"She departed just before you entered with the three of them." Naruto leaned back in his seat, his blue eyes never leaving Ino even as he spoke to his Legate. "Yamanaka, what is it exactly you want to say to me?" There was no taunting smile on his face, no amusement in his eyes as he spoke to her. "You seem particularly driven to bother my Legion today."

"I can't believe I'm actually doing this." Ino was speaking to herself before she stepped forward, mentally calmed herself before she did something she wouldn't regret to the blonde in front of her. "So, since some of our graduating class ended up getting promoted to Chunin in their first year, we all wanted to come together to celebrate that. And we wanted to celebrate the fact that the village is still standing after the attack. Since not only did you and Sasuke get slated for promotion from the Chunin Exams but you two also fought for the village, we want to invite you too despite our differences in pretty much everything. We want to celebrate this pretty big occasion with you as a group, make it a fun memory, make the night something to remember. All of that stuff." Ino stared into Naruto's blue eyes as she reached into her ninja pouch, dropped the letter she took from it on Naruto's desk. "This is an invitation to something I almost know you're going to make weird or awful or somehow both." She stepped back, briefly locked eyes with Sasuke. He had an eyebrow raised in curiosity as Naruto opened the quickly penned letter, something more like a note. "Show up, don't show up, you can really do whatever you want. I just wanted to let you know it was happening."

She shook her head, couldn't believe she had actually fed into Naruto and his delusions.

"And I'm officially done with today." She looked to Neji and Lee. "Either of you two want to talk with him?"

"I'm free to speak with either of them after the promotion ceremony." Naruto handed the scroll off to Sasuke, bid him to step forward with a wave of his hand. "Legate, see to it that my Praetorians see these three out of my office and out of my tower. They can loiter if they wish but do not allow them entry once they leave."

"Of course Caesar." Sasuke partially turned, offered the salute of the Orange Legion to the seated Naruto. He gave the three his full attention and headed towards the door. He pressed a finger to the earpiece he wore. "Praetorians, escort the three from the tower. They are free to loiter if they wish but nothing else."

He took them to the door.

His normal smile was absent, Ino would almost even say he looked confused.

'These two are way too weird for me.' Ino shook her head as she headed back the way Sasuke had brought them, Neji and Lee following her. 'Hopefully they don't even bother with showing up.'

The door closed behind the three Genin.

Naruto shared a look with the Uchiha who stood across the room from him. Alone within the confines of his office, the two allowed some of the burden of their responsibilities to slip from their shoulders for a while.

"Shall I have the Praetorians begin preparations Caesar?" Sasuke seemed at a lost, one of the few times he had been rendered into such a state since taking on a position in Caesar's Legion. He latched on to what he believed he should be doing and that was all he could manage.

His Caesar gave a deep sigh in reply. He was just as lost as the Uchiha.

"I truly have no idea Legate." Naruto let his head fall back, the ceiling of his office drawing his gaze. "That offer was rather surprising even for myself." He found he could no longer remain sitting, found a sudden bout of energy forcing him to rise from his seat. He ran a hand through his unruly blonde hair. "I can't imagine why either of us should go, I care nothing for them and you care for perhaps one or two of them. Yamanaka among them."

"I won't deny that, for the lot of them, I enjoy showing them the vast difference in their strength and mine. Particularly those in our graduating class." Sasuke offered a shrug of his shoulders. "As for Yamanaka, drawing her ire is an amusing game if nothing else."

"Yes, her ire is what entertains you." If the situation was different, a Caesar would have laughed at his Legate's words. As it was now, Naruto stepped around his desk as he shook his head at Legate's words, leaned back against it. "Her being part of their little group is more concerning than I would like to admit. She is proving to be more than a mere thorn in my side when it comes to her attitude. I've still yet to serve her any consequences for daring to attack not only one of my Praetorians but one of the Centurions among them during the attack." He crossed his arms over his armored chest. He shook his head to clear it of a growing fury at the memory of such a slight against his Legion, against himself. "Yet, I can't dwell on such a thing now. I will have to devise an appropriate punishment for Yamanaka later. At this time, more important things require my attention."

"If you command it Caesar, I'll take on such a task." Sasuke offered his services. "I'm sure I can find a cell dark and deep enough to throw her into for a few months to teach her a lesson."

"No." Naruto's voice held no argument as his red glare focused on his Legate with burning intensity, with something approaching hatred. He gave an order with that single word. "We have other things to discuss and that is a private matter I will handle in my spare time." His words were absolute. The heavy air in the room vanished in the blink of an eye, as blue replaced red. "The Praetorians will arrive with their reports by the end of the hour, correct?"

"I have requested a report in depth on all of their movements to be given later today. You will have it as soon as I do, if not before." Sasuke hesitated for a moment before he spoke again. "Would it be impossible to attend?"

"Nothing is impossible for me, doubly so with you by my side." Naruto answered without truly considering the question. He sighed, rose a hand up to his face. "I've been waiting on the Toad Sage to appear for days already, I don't want to risk missing him if he decides to come by on his way out the village. There's a fair number of things I need to speak with him about I can't afford to postpone any longer. Whatever he's doing with Mitarashi should be finished soon, correct?"

"Your Praetorians could only monitor her movements like the rest, anything that happens within that apartment is unknown to us." The Uchiha he had placed as his second in command provided information his Caesar didn't like hearing but had expected. "We also haven't yet finished with going through the prisoners your Legion claimed during the failed attack. I've instructed the Legionnaires of the Ninth and Tenth Cohorts to begin going through Bingo Books as well, work back from the present all the way to versions from fifteen years ago."

"Anything interesting from it?" Naruto hadn't been made aware of his Legate's addition to his order but didn't disagree with it, a blonde eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Anyone?"

"No one truly remarkable so far. We've been able to identify most of the unknown as simple Missing-nin, deserters and traitors from their villages with some unique trait to them, most are minor but some possess truly great abilities. The Ninth and the Tenth have begun totaling up the bounties though. They both have begun to see who can claim the most in your name. I have one of the most recently updated scrolls concerning it all, the next is due in roughly twelve hours barring any unexpected developments." The Uchiha produced a scroll from a seal on his armor. "If you desire it Caesar, I can have their heads sent off to a number of bounty offices and their payment collected. Although we want for nothing with our acquisitions in the Land of Waves, more funds will never hurt your Legion nor your Empire."

"We'll need to find a way to keep our new riches from the Third Hokage then." Naruto chuckled, couldn't deny his satisfaction at the idea as his Legate tossed him the scroll. "Do with the money what you wish Legate. I'll issue a new order to have those of the Sand and Sound handed over to Morino within a month. Perhaps we can even feed what's left of the bodies to the fox for disposal. It'll be the only good use for the beast now." He broke the seal and gave it a once over. "Anything else to report?" He looked up. "What of Silver Fang and those who stand by him?"

"I have little to report on Asuma Sarutobi or Kurenai Yuhi. The only thing of note is that the two have been seen together more often in public. The rumors heard by the Legion suggest they are dating. As for Maito Gai? He has been issued a great number of, considering his skills, low-risk missions that have kept him within the borders of the Land of Fire but outside of the village. If he's anything like his student Rock Lee, he is likely being kept far away from Gaara. Silver Fang himself has commonly been seen entering Mitarashi's apartment and spending long hours within." Sasuke mentally went through the many reports he had read throughout the past few days on Silver Fang and those close to him. "The only others of note outside those four would be Yugao Uzuki and Hayate Gekko. Once the attack concluded, the four, with the exception of Mitarashi, were observed spending a majority of their time in the hospital with those two."

"That is quite a thorough way of saying nothing new to report Legate." Naruto shook his head as his second in command offered a shrug. "I should have expected as much." He closed his eyes, thought for a moment. "Legate, it has now become vital that I have the opportunity to speak with Silver Fang in the coming days." Blue eyes met the Legate's shocked black. He offered a humorless smile. "I should not have avoided this conversation as I have been." Naruto was not surprised to see the blatant confusion on his Legate's face.

He didn't know if he was impressed or not when his Legate simply responded with the salute of his Legion.

"I will see to it Caesar."

"Thank you Legate."