Jiraiya settled down at the Hokage Monument, and looked down at the streets. The civilians were already moving about. Some people were checking their properties. There didn't seem to be any immediate trouble and so the inquest had to begin.
There was a lot of destruction for there not to be an inquest. Something had seriously gone wrong for the enemy to get inside the village as they did. They had known something was coming, but not in this form. Not Orochimaru causing destruction simply for the fun for it. It looked as if this had been the purpose. Then again, his former teammate could have well planned to bring Konoha to a standstill.
He was that arrogant.
At least, the Sandaime was going to survive this. Then they would have to deal with how things go this point. Orochimaru obviously had some inside connections. It was unthinkable to think someone would betray their own village.
But Danzo had it in him. Jiraiya did not forget the message the old man gave him. He wanted to carry it out.
"Shikaku?"
The Jonin commander didn't sit with Jiraiya, he just stood still, and then surveyed the village streets with an expressionless look.
"How is the Sandaime?"
"Tsunade said he will pull through. But whether he will resume his duties will be another thing."
If there had been a chosen successor, they wouldn't worry much about the future. Konoha was too big to be without a leader. Leave a vacuum of power and you'll have all kind of worms popping up into the picture to claim the power. The Hokage power came with privileges. In the wrong hands, it was a disaster.
"Then the village will need a new Kage… Had Tsunade-sama accepted the Sandaime's request?"
"No."
"Worrying. We can worry about that once the Sandaime has woken up but we must start asking ourselves questions. Naruto and Sasuke depart the village and the Fire Lord comes here. An invasion occurs."
It was too much to be a mere coincidence. The presence of the Feudal Lord while could be explained, did lead to an uncomfortable situation. With the nan around, he wasn't going to sit still and leave the Leaf without a leader.
"We definitely have to convince Tsunade to take up the position in an acting base until the Sandaime is awake. He had already desired for her to be his successor. Both you and I can vouch for that."
"And the Anbu Commander. The rest of the Council will need convincing. But they have to respect the wishes of the Sandaime…" Shikaku said, but it was far easier said than done. He knew there would be opposing forces. Koharu and Homura may agree but Danzo was going to be the negative thought. If however, Tsunade able to gather the confidence of the Jonin Commander and the Anbu commander, Danzo's wishes should fall into deaf ears.
Shikaku hoped that this would be the case.
There was the Daimyo to convince.
"That will be your job. I'll help." Jiraiya replied. "What have you discovered about the events that transpired?"
"The people who watch over the barrier were manipulated. Someone took over. Inoichi is busy with them but I've not heard anything. Some of them appear to have already been in the village and came out from somewhere. We know the information Danzo and you had was false. There was campaign that must have taken months if not years to put together. We didn't even see the Jinchuriki come into the village."
"Inside job." Jiraiya frowned deeply. "Where was Danzo in this situation? Knowing him, he would have been out here, making sure the right decisions were taken."
"That is the thing. He didn't come out. His Root were not seen either."
"Do you think he colluded with Orochimaru? He is the only one with the pull and the means to pull this heist. And he is the only one who can benefit from this."
"Hokage, huh? It has always been his dream. It isn't out of the picture that he could have had a hand in it. But we have no proof to accuse him of anything."
That was the problem but they had to search until they found something. Jiraiya was willing to kill the man with his own hands if he had something to do with this. He could not be forgiven for colluding with the enemy. He had always been close to Orochimaru anyway.
"Let us hope Naruto and Sasuke come back with success and can bring us something useful."
"You think they can take him down?"
"I did a number on him. In his state, its not a question whether they can manage it or not. It is whether they can bring his head back to the village…" Jiraiya paused as an Anbu appeared out of nowhere and whispered to Shikaku.
"What?" Jiraiya asked after the Anbu disappeared.
"We are being called to the office of the Hokage by the Feudal Lord."
"The Feudal Lord couldn't have started this." They all knew his character after all. And that meant someone had pushed him.
Naruto's anger?
It wasn't a usual occurrence. Sasuke could count the number of times he'd seen Naruto lose his cool. He could add those times. Even when he wasn't happy and obviously ticked off, Naruto was perfectly calm. It was one of the things that made him envious. He could never be like that. His emotions got the better of him. But seeing how Naruto could be perfectly normal when the situation demanded he not be made him feel some discomfort in his heart.
Sasuke shook his head, narrowed his eyes and then faced Naruto who was a distance away, with Orochimaru now standing between them, within the clearing.
"Are you going to let him go like that?" Sasuke asked Naruto, having noted Kabuto fleeing the scene.
"We will get him. The real danger here is this snake. Konoha needs to have his head or a part of him that we can salvage after what he did. Of course, I do think the best is to just kill him. Some things just cannot stay dead."
Sasuke just nodded. "You want me to offer you support?"
"Yes. Like I said, we need to deal with this quickly. Weakened, yes. But he is still a Sannin. But I'm the one who gets to chop him up."
"Sure…" Sasuke replied indifferently.
Orochimaru looked on as the two suddenly disappeared. He'd thought Naruto would want to take him on alone. But it appeared the blond wasn't so focused on vengeance that he would overlook the bigger picture. He smiled – he could deal with this threat. A little weary from the heavy workload with Jiraiya, but he could still deal with the brats himself. And if the opportunity presented itself, he could well take on Sasuke as a host. Should prove enough for him to end up taking Naruto back to his hideout as well.
The thought made him giggle.
When the two landed beside him, flanking both his sides, Orochimaru didn't move. They were quick in their motions. Sasuke was swinging his blade across his throat, while Naruto's left foot swung toward his chest. The blade cut through his neck, and the kick spammed into his chest.
But Orochimaru just crumbled into dust.
"Wind Breakthrough!"
A powerful gust of wind slammed into both Naruto and Sasuke, sending them flying away, and importantly separating them.
It was just a gust of wind, no blade within it. Naruto landed gracefully, his eyes focused on Orochimaru. Naruto appreciated the speed in which Orochimaru cut the distance between them. He was not just a sannin in name only. He had the speed to back it up.
Naruto quickly folded his hands across his chest, in anticipation of an attack. But what came were multiple snakes, hissing toward his face. Orochimaru hadn't even touched the ground yet when the snakes neared him.
A burst of lightning, and Sasuke's sword cut through them, stopping them from getting close to him.
The second Sasuke cut through the snakes, Orochimaru was already moving to attack. His left foot hit Sasuke on the gut, sending him flying back where he came from. As his eyes shifted back toward Naruto, the blond was gone. His presence was felt behind and Orochimaru twisted his neck inhumanely. But a hard kick slammed into his face, sending him tumbling to the trees.
It was not flesh that hit him. No, Naruto had hardened his leg into wood. Orochimaru thought as much before crashing into a tree with his back.
The sound of lightning. Orochimaru held out both hands, trying to grab the jab straight toward his chest. He caught the sword, but it just slid through his hands, piercing through his chest.
He hissed, opening his mouth wide. A snake slipped out, forcing Sasuke to pull away. But Orochimaru didn't stop because the Uchihs wasn't the target. The snake revealed the blade of a sword and then it extended, stretching forward.
While lunging toward Orochimaru, Naruto was forced to hit the breaks, seeing the incoming sword. He ducked under, and watched the sword flash just above him.
"Hmm…" Orochimaru swore. He was backed against a wall and couldn't move quickly enough with the sword stretched out as it was. The problem was that Sasuke had suddenly appeared before him, swinging his sword down, with every intention of cutting the snaking holding the sword.
He quickly raised his left hand, and multiple snakes burst out, rushing toward the Uchiha.
Sasuke was forced to abandon his assault by blurring away from the scene.
Orochimaru's eyes shot toward his right side. Another Naruto. No, it was two of them. The other one was lying just above the original. And the other was holding a long sword, swinging it in an upward motion. The sword sliced through the snake through his mouth. Simultaneously, the clone grabbed the sword and then started pulling away.
Sasuke landed in beside Naruto while Orochimaru was still planted against the tree.
"Amaterasu."
"Grrr…" Orochimaru hissed as intense pain hit him. The black flames ignited around his body, burning him with unbearable heat. He opened his mouth wide, and then two hands popped, shedding his skin.
He fell to the ground on his chest, yet with his head lifted, but breathing a bit heavily. That took a lot more than he thought. Fighting with Jiraiya had certainly taken a lot from him.
Seeing Orochimaru shed his skin, Sasuke frowned. "He is going to be difficult to kill," he said. He realized Naruto wasn't even focused on him but was staring at the sword his clone was holding. "Naruto!"
"I heard you. I saw him. But he isn't moving well. Jiraiya sure did a number on him." Naruto said in a casual tone. "We just have to pound him until he has no more chakra to shed his skin."
"Easy for you to say."
"Nobody told you to wave around Mangekyo Jutsu like that…" Naruto said casually. "Stand guard. I will attack. See an opening, and take it."
"That sword belongs to me, Naruto-kun." Orochimaru said, while still on the ground.
"The Sword of Kusanagi. I'm told this sword can cut through anything. I'm keeping it."
"Kukukukuku…" Orochimaru laughed, getting up from the ground. He waved his right hand.
Naruto watched with curiosity as the sword flew away from the clone's hands. "Oh… you can control it like that. This is truly a good weapon. And its ability to stretch like that could prove useful in the end."
Orochimaru grabbed his sword and then took a thoughtful look. He couldn't risk losing his sword. And so, he storee it once more. He regretted it the second he did so as Naruto suddenly grinned.
"I had a feeling you might do something like that." Naruto held up both his hands, on the palms there was a kanji for explode. "Explosive tags are usually written in pieces of papers and shinobi buy them because they do not posses the ability to write the seals. Not everyone knows Fuinjutsu after all. But for some of us, tags are only necessary to save chakra. I have tags written on me and I can tag them on things I want using chakra. But not usually on a person. You'd notice it because it is chakra after all. So, when my clone touched your sword, what did you think it did?"
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed and he quickly tried to remove the sword from his body but it exploded from within.
His vision turned upside down and he watched, his head detached from his body. While falling, he saw his upper body blown up, it was all just multiple snakes.
"If you told me when he explodes, he turns into snakes, I wouldn't have done that," Naruto said. The sword was lying on the ground, still perfectly fine. But he couldn't go there, not when the snakes were attaching Orochimaru's body together.
"Kukukuku…" Orochimaru chuckled once his head was connected to the rest of body by the snakes. "Very good, Naruto-kun. Minato would be impressed."
Naruto bent down, placing both hands on the ground. "Wood Release: Rising Sphere!"
"Hmm?" While still stretched, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. A large wooden structure bust out of from the ground below him. It looked like the cleanly cut trunk of a tree. But what caught his attention where the marks on the wood.
Explode.
"Sasuke…" Naruto called, rushing toward Orochimaru. "The primary goal is to make something like that. I infuse the tags when I manipulate chakra. But because it demands too much chakra, I prefer not to use it that often. So, Orochimaru, jump for him."
Orochimaru hissed. Naruto was forcing him to jump. He had no choice because the wood was going to explode. He quickly tried to jump, but the wood still exploded, blasting him into the air. The splinters from the wood pierced through his body, making him swear at Naruto.
He's eyes sharped. An arrow was speeding toward him. A purposeful attack. Naruto rushing toward him was the diversion. The arrow pierced through his chest, leaving a gaping hole. Where was the blond now anyway?
"Fire Style: Great Fire Ball no Jutsu!"
Orochimaru twisted his head above. A huge ball of flames. Once more, he hissed, he couldn't avoid it. He refused to cry in pain when the flames slammed into him, sending him crashing to the ground in a loud boom.
Naruto landed on the ground beside Sasuke, watching the column of flames that surrounded Orochimaru, slowly eating away his flames.
"You think he won't get up after that?" Sasuke said.
"I would have just preferred to hear him cry in pain while gnashing his teeth," Naruto replied. "You put a hole through his chest. And that was after I blew up his body from within. If he is still alive, Konoha isn't going to see his head."
When the flames died down, a badly burnt Orochimaru was lying in a crater flat on his belly. His body burnt to the third degree, steam rising with the skin peeling off. Yet, he was still twitching.
"He is still alive. Persistent snake."
"Should I burn him with Amaterasu and see if he will still shed his skin?"
"No. let us wait and see what will happen now. He is starting to reattach once more."
Sasuke shook his head but still smiled. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Of course I am. Look at him? Actuall, you should go ahead and light him up. Maybe this time he will cry in agony."
What happened next was that the snakes burst into a hideous white snake. No, it looked like hundreds of snakes bundled into one.
"Is that his real form?" Sasuke asked casually, his eyes staring at the Sannin.
"Yes. He only turns into that when things are bad or when he is going to eat someone. I suppose he is going to try to flee now. You can predict his movement and try to stop him."
Orochimaru hissed, glaring at the two brats. He normally would have managed to get up from that. But fighting Jiraiya in Sage Mode had taken a lot from him than he thought. And who would have thought the brats would force him into this position.
"You two have really grown. But I must depart for now. We will meet again…" Orochimaru said, and then hit the ground.
But he didn't go far. A lightning sword hit him on the tail. The sword piercing through, hitting the ground but because of his quick movement, the sword sliced through.
He hissed painfully while still fleeing.
"Mokuton: Rising Spear!"
A wooden spike burst from the ground as he was trying to speed away. It was just below him. It pierced through his neck, pinning him to the ground.
Naruto landed on the sides of Orochimaru, and summoned the sword of Totsuka. It felt weird holding the sword with his hand. Considering, it was ethereal. His left held the gourd. He lifted it and sword it downward in a forceful strike.
"Arg!" Orochimaru hissed, as the sword cleanly cut through him. His body danced, tossing and turning after being severed from his head. Until, finally it stopped.
He was left looking like he had been staked. What remained were flames for him to look as if he'd been stabbed and put on a burning stake.
When Naruto appeared in front of him, his eyes widened. Seeing the sword Naruto carried. It was a sword he had searching for a long time now. How come Naruto had it in his possession?
"Where did you get that sword, Naruto?"
Naruto ignored the question. "Orochimaru, you're not going to die because we are better shinobi than you. You are dying because you're an arrogant scum. You just fought Jiraiya and you received a beating, and had to run after that. Even then, you still believed you had enough in your tank to face us. Sasuke and I were not going to be fair. We are not even normal kids after all."
"Do you-"
Naruto drove sword straight through into Orochimaru's mouth. It pierced through the back. "I want to torture you, but this will be enough. Enjoy the drunken state, Orochimaru."
"Kukukukuku…" Orochimaru laughed. "This isn't the end of me, Naruto-kun. I sent Kabuto away because I considered that you two may be able to destroy this body. I will come and collect those two swords."
"I see; so there is a way to get you back. I'd like to see how… but if you come back, I will take the satisfaction of killing you the second time." He said, pulling the snake into his sword before sealing him within it. After a second, the gourd disappeared along with the sword.
"What is that sword?"
"One of those legendary tools… I'll give it to you someday. Along with another. They will make your Susanoo hard to beat..." Naruto replied with a shrug, walking toward the sword of Kusanagi. He let loose of a long breath, feeling weary. "I need sleep when we get to Konoha."
"Can I rest a bit?"
Naruto faced Sasuke for a moment before nodding. "The Mangekyo really puts a strain on you, doesn't it?"
"Yeah. And the chakra demands also increase."
Naruto nodded. "I also need a breather. I burnt quite a lot of chakra today. And I need to calm my nerves and be happy that I can sleep better with Orochimaru dead."
"Didn't he just say he was going to come back?"
"You want to ruin my mood?"
"Ignorance is not good for you. What about the Sandaime?"
Naruto closed his eyes. "We will see when we arrive at the village. Nothing bad I hope."
"If it is?"
Naruto didn't reply.
Jiraiya narrowed his eyes, seeing Danzo standing behind the old man's desk. The Daimyo was standing by the window along with Homura and Koharu. He didn't like this one bit. He hated this situation. He could even see the victorias look in Danzo's eyes. Jiraiya felt a chill down his spine and knew something had happened. This was a big mess.
"Ah, Jiraiya-kun…" the Feudal Lord greeted happily. "I hear you worked hard to protect Konoha."
"It is my duty."
"Indeed and Minato's son?"
"He went after Orochimaru. We decided that Orochimaru's crime was too great that we could not let him escape the village with his life."
The Feudal Lord nodded his head enthusiastically. And then replied. "Serving the village like this father."
"If I may, Daimyo-sama… why have we been called?"
"We held discussion with the knowledge that Hiruzen is unable to carry out his duties. We came to a decision that Danzo will be appointed acting Hokage to steer the village from this crisis. Once calm has been restored, we will sit again and elect a permanent Hokage. Hopefully by then, Hiruzen will be well enough to inform us his wishes."
This was happening. Shikaku didn't know how he managed it but Danzo managed to borrow himself some time in the hot seat. He knew it. Jiraiya knew it. The man wasn't going to step down. He was going to keep that seat. He would not warm it for anyone.
That was unless they removed him by force.
"But sensei had a wish."
"Princess Tsunade? She is indeed a good candidate. But I was under the impression that she refused the request. Was it not true?"
"She was just given time to think about things."
"This is pointless!" Danzo cut in harshly. "We need experience to deal with this matter and an appointment has been made. I am Hokage and will lead this village from this mess Hiruzen put itself into."
"How is this his fault?" Jiraiya demanded, glaring at Danzo.
"Orochimaru was his student. And he was the one who let him go years ago. If he had done what was required of him, we wouldn't be in this position."
Jiraiya wanted to rebut and argue but Danzo wasn't necessarily lying. He was just using this to his advantage in an unfair way.
"And you, Jiraiya. You had many years to remove him from existence but you failed to do so. You were too focused on trying to change him." Danzo said in a stern tone. "It is obvious that the students of Hiruzen cannot be trusted to lead the village in this time. This is why this decision has been made and I will not tolerate any insubordination."
Jiraiya almost lunged at Danzo as he sat on the chair that belonged to his sensei. But he held himself.
"Senei told me that Danzo must be executed for working with Orochimaru for this invasion. It was his wish and I intend to carry it."
Shikaku sighed. It had to come to this. But having dealt with the Feudal Lord, he knew it was unlikely to change anything. Worse, Koharu and Homura were present, but neither looked to be interested in saying anything. In just meant a decision had been made.
While they fought to protect Konoha, Danzo was working with the Feudal Lord. He was working on the man. It was no longer a coincidence that the Daimyo appeared just before an invasion took place.
They were defeated in this play. As long as the Daimyo gave his blessing, there was nothing they could do.
The Feudal Lord looked shocked. "Why?"
Shikaku didn't want to speak because he understood that the moment the Feudal Lord said Danzo would be acting, it was final. Unless they could change his mind. If not, neither had the power to overrule the man.
If they went against the wishes of the Daimyo and refused Danzo, the Leaf would suffer. Severely so.
"There is suspicion that someone from the inside worked with Orochimaru for this invasion. Danzo is also a suspect. A very likelihood suspect."
"Oh," The Feudal Lord was surprised to hear this.
"This doesn't matter. We must now focus on trying to rebuild the Leaf. Such things can be done once Hiruzen is awake."
"We must not dismiss such things…" the Feudal Lord said in thought. "The decision stands still stands..." The Feudal Lord said. "However, it is worrying that loyal servants think you are a traitor." He said, turning to both Shikaku and Jiraiya. "How sure are you?"
"Very sure!"
"Well I cannot dismiss concerns from Hiruzen. He was a loyal and good Hokage. Both Shikaku and Jiraiya have been good servants. They cannot all be lying." He adopted a thoughtful look. "My decision has been made. Let us wait for Hiruzen to wake up and then we will deal with this."
"But you'll be letting a traitor lead Konoha!" Jiraiya shouted.
"If you can prove it to me here that what you say is indeed true, then I'll rescind my decision and listen to your suggestion on who should be acting Hokage." The Feudal Lord waited for a second before speaking again. "It is settled then." He said, walking away from the office with Koharu and Homura. Who were oddly silent throughout.
"Shikaku."
"Hai?"
"Alert every shinobi of the current changes. Gather your best Jonin in an hour. I wish to address them about the way forward."
"Of course."
"Keep that seat warm, Danzo. When the Sandaime wakes up, you will be out. And I will drag you through the streets myself before watching you get executed for being a treasonous snake that you are."
"Careful, Jiraiya. You may be a Sannin, but you do not have the license to say whatever you want."
"Or what?" Jiraiya dared Danzo.
Danzo had known Jiraiya was going to be a problem. Shikaku would do what was required. So there was no need to remove him from his position. However, the Sannin would continue to be problem if he stayed present. The only way to solve it would be to send him away from the village.
But still, if there was a fight for Konoha, Jiraiya would still fight. He was a loyal shinobi after all. His obedience at this point wasn't required. If he needed raw power, he now had Naruto and Sasuke on the palm of his hands.
Oh, how it was good to reap from the fruits of his cherished dreams. How long has he sought to control the Uchiha and the Kyubi?
"Be present as well when I address the Jonin. We do not want them to think you do not support me; would not be good for the morale of the forces."
"But I don't support you."
"Do you want to start a civil war? There are surely many who will not listen to me. And some who will. If we start fighting amongst ourselves, ontop of the damage we have already suffered, Konoha will fall. Is that what you want?"
"Not if I take you out quietly?"
"You will be branded a traitor for killing an acting Hokage."
"Sensei will reveal your crimes when he wakes up." Jiraiya shrugged.
Danzo afforded himself a smile. "If he wakes up."
"This is bad." Shikaku said as soon as Jiraiya appeared before him. But he still had no other option but to obey Danzo.
Of course, they could silently kill Danzo. But the Daimyo would suspect something.
"Knowing him, he isn't going to let Suna off the hook. I'm surprised he hasn't ordered we move out to launch our own invasion on the village." Jiraiya said in a serious tone.
He could say goodbye to peace with Danzo at the helm. This man was going to start a war soon. Once he had stabilized things and managed to get Suna under him, he was going to war. The man didn't see friends or neutral people. The other Great Nations were not allies. Which meant they were enemies. And he had no other way of dealing with them aside from elimination or subjugation.
The Sandaime was going to be shocked to death once he learns that Danzo has managed to usurp his power.
"That is if he doesn't make the announcement when he addresses the Jonin. He loves war after all. During the Third War when the Sandaime was calling for it to end, he was saying they should use Minato's power to bring Iwa to its knees." Shikaku shook his head. "I'm even more surprised those two agreed to this. They've supported his ideas but not his quest to become Hokage."
"Must have had something on them which is why they were silent. They had after all even tried convincing Tsunade to become Hokage after she returned…"
"We can't do anything now. We just have to wait until the Third wakes up."
"Yes."
"But we must develop a way to keep the Daimyo out of Kage selection issues. He has too much influence on things."
"We are in his country. It is the price we pay for his financial support. If we don't want him influencing things, Konoha needs to be able to stand on its own without the Feudal Lord."
Standing on the village walls, overlooking the streets, Sasuke had expected to see a village in flames and smoke. It would have been good for him to even vent in this farce of a mission he had been sent to accomplish with Naruto. But looking below, he could see only the results of battle. Civilians and Shinobi working hand in hand to clear up the mess created by a stupid invasion. It did look like the village did some damage.
It was a sight Sasuke never thought he would see. After all, Konoha had always been the sure place with battles always occurring outside during missions. But life was not so simple. With each passing day, he leant me about this cruel world of shinobi system.
The fittest ruled. The most corrupt did whatever they wanted. He wasn't the idealist, but what kind of world did he want his version of the Uchiha clan to see? Did he want to bring his clan into a world where it could face the same tragedy that he faced when his brother went mad with power?
"Orochimaru was able to achieve this much… it appears he was not that weak and just talk," Sasuke said to Naruto.
"Yeah." The damage could've been even bigger. But Konoha wasn't just the best for nothing. "What happened to Sai?"
"He said he was going back. He didn't resist and even offered to take me back after your message came."
It made it look as if he genuinely didn't know anything. That could be the case. But the undeniable truth was that they had been sent for nothing. For even Jiraiya to have been misinformed just showed that to control the flow of information, you controlled how people moved. For Hidden Villages, Intel was an important part that kept the machine marching forward.
"Well, that happened that way. At least we were able to meet and deal with Orochimaru. It should bring some peace into the village."
"Are you going to forget that he clearly stated he was going to come back?"
Naruto shrugged. "I'm not going to take the word of a mad man and lose my sleep over it."
Anko was going to be pleased to know her former sensei was dead. She would no longer have to worry about him. And he could sleep well at night. And most importantly, the Hidden Leaf would breath freely and joyously tonight knowing that they had cut off the snake's head.
Sasuke shook his head. "Who are we going to report to?"
"You worry about that now? Someone at the Tower maybe. This is a time where people are searching for their loved ones. If they lived or died. If you had a friend in the village, you'd have worried about them. And you'd be thinking about looking for them."
Sasuke's expression didn't change. "You are my friend."
Naruto laughed. "Sure, I am. You know, Sasuke. When it looked as if I'd been hurt, someone called out my name. calling desperately for me to be alive. When I heard that, I felt happy and really alive. To know that I belong and there is someone who cares for me. Someone I befriended. Someone who knows what is inside of me. At that point I thought, maybe I wasn't doing anything wrong."
Even if things didn't change much for him. As long as he could have friends who needed him. Friends like Sasuke who were completely hopeless without him. A person like Ino who would cry if he died – Naruto felt that living was worth it.
"That blonde girl?"
"Yeah… You should make other friends too. They don't have to be our age group… I have Anko as well…" Naruto said in thought. "I suppose there is Sakura…"
"Yeah, right." Sasuke replied with sarcasm. "Well, she is still our teammate. If you did well, maybe the streets will finally smile for you."
"Maybe but that wouldn't make me happy. I think I'm owed an apology."
"Good luck with that…" Sasuke said. "I'm going to check if there is no damage to the Uchiha compound before going to report to the office."
"My house should be fine…" Naruto said in thought. "Even if it isn't, a house can be rebuild. I'll go to see the Sandaime and then go to rest. Don't bother me. Tomorrow is surely going to be a long day."
"Long?"
"Repairs. I'll repair the gate and parts of the walls that are damaged and will be using my Mokuton to rebuild some houses. That is of course, if things are normal. If they are not, I'll wait to be surprised."
Sasuke halted from leaving and then asked. "Why did you really let Kabuto go?"
"Because I wanted him to feel alive after escaping. Besides, I was a little too angry to make him suffer. I'd just given him a quick death. That I do not want for him."
"And Orochimaru?"
"Well, weren't you the one saying he is going to come back? Besides, I needed to kill someone."
Sakura smiled happily seeing Naruto walk into the hospital. He looked fine but with signs of battle. She'd heard from Shizune that he'd departed once again to chase after Orochimaru. If he was here, did it mean that Sasuke was also back in the village?
"Naruto!" She called him.
Naruto turned to face the girl and then smiled, waving his right hand. "Sakura. That is one teammate confirmed to be alive and well."
"My life was never in danger!" Sakura created a fist. "Unlike yours."
"You heard?"
"Of course. Ino was telling everyone who cared to listen. And the people who were around saw you. Of course, my master said you were stupid and reckless."
Naruto laughed at this. He could imagine Ino telling people. Perhaps for his own good. She was truly a good person and friend.
"It was fine. It just looked as if things were dangerous. And before you ask, I just returned with Sasuke. He went home…" Naruto said, his eyes darting around. "Where is your master?"
"I'm not sure…" Sakura replied. "But she isn't around here… is there something I can do for you?"
Naruto shook his head. "No but thanks. I was looking for her specifically… Get back to work, I'll no doubt see you tomorrow…" he said turning away from the girl.
This just meant that the Sandaime wasn't here. He must have been moved from here to somewhere more secure. But where? The Sarutobi compound or private places in Anbu spaces?
He didn't get to think for too long as Jiraiya appeared in front of him. "Follow me."
"You sound serious." Naruto said with narrowed eyes.
"We are in a serious situation…" the Toad Sage said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We have to be a little secret…" they vanished from the hospital and appeared in front of Hiruzen's home.
"Why?"
"Anbu are going to come for you. I'm sure they were alerted about your return. But I want to talk to you first before you hear it from him…" Jiraiya said in a dead serious tone.
The usually joking Jiraiya using a serious tone? When the Sannin did this, you knew things were bad. Naruto swallowed hard, thinking it had something to do with the Sandaime Hokage.
"First, let me apologize for not saying anything about the Sandaime. I honestly thought with Tsunade around, by the time you returned, he would be fine. Only she reminded me that Orochimaru would use that against you." The Sannin frowned deeply. "I didn't even think about that. I was trying to keep this from you."
Adults and their need to always try to protect the children by keeping the truth from them. What good did it do? If he had been someone else, he would have just lost his cool and end up falling to Orochimaru in the process.
"I really hate this attitude you people take."
"I know." Jiraiya smiled sadly. He'd been told already. "But the old man is still alive. What I wan to tell you is the consequence of his current state. He is still unconscious and Danzo has seized power with the help of the Daimyo."
"Ah…"
The problem with this kind of system was that there was no democracy. This was no different from a nation ruled by a King. Kage were Kings. Their rule was absolute. The leader was imposed on the village and no one was going to defy him. The shinobi population were going to obey the man and the Anbu would be dealing with anyone who plotted to take the life of the Hokage. A treasonous offence.
It was just damn funny that of all people, Danzo ended up seizing power. What kind of leadership was he going to bring up?
Naruto halted. He was royally screwed. "I'm screwed."
In the eyes of Danzo he has always been the weapon. The Kyubi. Now that the man was in the leadership position, he was going to order him around like a weapon. He wouldn't even be surprised if the man called upon him to demonstrate that he could use the power of the Kyubi and if not, he would be forced to learn.
"Yeah." Jiraiya admitted. "Just be careful. In the eyes of Danzo, you are either useful or not. If you are not loyal, he will try to get rid of you despite your power."
"I regret being rude to him now."
"It isn't like he is going to hold grudges. But I must admit, your life is only going to get difficult from now on. If we go to war now, just know you'll be in the front line."
They went into an underground room. Tsunade was sitting beside a bed. The Sandaime lay, frail as he was, his skin pale. His eyes closed. He glanced at the woman. She looked worn out. Really tired.
"We moved him here because we don't him at the hospital. Anything can happen. And his awakening is the only thing keeping Danzo from officially becoming Hokage."
"You're saying Danzo could kill the old man to gain the power."
"Yes."
Naruto didn't reply. He stopped beside the bed and looked at the old man. His eyes softened, becoming sad. There were many lies. But this was a person who has always been there for him. When he had no one, the old man was willing to take time off to spend time with him. He didn't even do that with his grandson. He had cared for him. He still did. And Naruto was never going to forget that.
His heart pounded. Fearful. He'd never experienced the pain of loss. He didn't want to experience it like this. Not when he'd still been distant with the old man.
"He is going to live right?"
"Yes but not for long…" Tsunade answered without explaining.
"I see…" Naruto replied, staring. "I'll come and check again."
"Don't you want to talk?"
Naruto turned to Tsunade for a moment and then faced the old man. "What is there to talk about? I don't know how I'm feeling. I'm tired. I know I'm going to be treated like an animal from now on by the current leader. There is a lot to think about it but not talk."
Tsunade bit her lower lip. Jiraiya had avoided even saying that they wouldn't be in this situation if she had agreed to become Hokage. He was avoiding the issue.
But it was true. Danzo was going to do what he has always wanted to do. Hiruzen had always been the one who protected Naruto from being made into a weapon. He couldn't speak now. But Naruto wouldn't have to face that prospect if she had accepted.
She smiled bitterly; she had nothing more to say to him. What else could she say? At this rate, he was going to end up living a very short life. And a miserable one. If Danzo stayed true to his character, Naruto was going to become known to massacres. He was going to become known for the bad things. And all because they allowed the cold hearted man to take the position of Hokage.
"I'm going home. If you need me, I'll be there…" Naruto said in a quiet tone before walking away.
Once he was gone, Tsunade spoke. "You can say it, Jiraiya," her tone was bitter.
The Toad sage shook his head. "Nobody knew this was going to happen. I'm just worried about how to manage the situation for him. Naruto is a good kid. But he sees the world for what it is. If Danzo throws him into a pit of fire, we may not like what comes out of it."
It was in such moments that he appreciated the role the Sandaime played. Even when there were many failures, there was some good. But Danzo ran the risk of shattering it all.
"I didn't want to come back because I'd lost so much because people wanted to become Hokage. That position was nothing more than a curse that takes people's lives away…" Tsunade said sadly. "I wonder how it was like for sensei. He sent kids to war. Watched their parents die. His own successor died before he could. How did he still manage to continue after all that?"
"I don't know hime… what I know is that he had many regrets. I'm sure the fact that he couldn't even protect Konoha from Orochimaru has hurt him more than anything. He was resolved to fight Orochimaru to the point of dying with him. But even when he was willing to sacrifice his life, that was still not enough."
What to do now?
It was a question that repeatedly bombarded the corners of his mind. It couldn't be pushed to the back of the head. Rest was not afforded. For Naruto saw the possibilities that lay before him. And it wasn't anything pleasant. For his sake. His happiness and his own peace of mind. There would be no good night sleep tonight. More misery had just been piled in his shoulders. This world didn't operate on a fair and just system. It operated on a cruel system that had eyes on whom it chooses to torment.
He glanced up. The Sun's glare was lessening. Very soon, darkness would reign and he would be alone, faced with a mountain of problems.
For Danzo, it was clear he wanted the power of the Kyubi. It would be fine if he was using it. But the man may just decide that he didn't trust him enough to let the Kyubi be in him. He would then try to extract it from him, on his orders as Hokage. Of course, that could risk his life and Naruto wasn't just going to lie down and let it happen. There was no deep thought or question about it. If Danzo came for his life, Naruto would respond in kind. He was fine with leaving Konoha. Most as a traitor. Likely, Sasuke would follow him.
But if that wasn't the case – Danzo choosing not to risk his life, an even grave situation arose for him. The former was better option. It made things easier. But here, living as a weapon wasn't something Naruto wanted. He could endure it just until the Sandaime wakes up. But after that, he would be okay with becoming a missing-nin. For this village that hasn't done anything for him, Naruto would not sacrifice his sanity.
As he strolled through the streets, he noticed the difference in the mood. A few nods. Smiles and waves. Yet, what did it mean if he wasn't going to be happy? He was going to be miserable if the two options he saw would be the only ones available for him.
While walking, an Anbu materialized behind him.
"Uzumaki, you've been summoned to the Hokage's office."
"Now?"
"Yes. Now." The Anbu said, putting a hand on his shoulder and they vanished from the streets.
Naruto was surprised to see Sasuke at the office. But the uncomfortable moment was seeing Danzo sitting behind the old man's desk, on the man's chair, and in his office. It was wrong in many levels. He hoped, the man's face would become planted in the Hokage Monument. It would just become a hideous thing that haunts Konoha.
He didn't say anything to Sasuke but just acknowledged his presence and then stared at Danzo.
"Why didn't the two of you report back on your mission?"
"As far as we were concerned, Konoha didn't have a leader. Our mission was given to us by the Sandaime Hokage…"
Danzo shook his head. "The mission to kill Orochimaru. It would do this village good to know that you handled him."
"We were going to do that once we knew who to report to."
"Sasuke tells me you sealed part of him as evidence."
Naruto took out a scroll and place it on the desk. "It isn't much of proof when this is literally the lower half of a snake…" he said indifferently.
Danzo looked at the scroll. He could breathe easily now knowing Orochimaru was dead. The Sannin couldn't have told the two anything. He was safe as long as he was dead. Nobody knew anything. The only missing piece was Kabuto. And he was a dangerous person; he really just knew too much. The last attempt had failed to kill him. This time, Danzo was going to do it right.
The bigger problem now was the loyalty of these two before him. He couldn't say Sasuke had anything to the Leaf. He was too focused on killing his brother. A flight risk he was. He'd already seen the assessment from Anbu. The same was about Naruto. If these two fled from Konoha, the Leaf would have lost a great deal of power. Before that happens, Danzo was going to test it and see if there was something he needed to do to ensure that they stuck around. Nothing less of his control would give him the peace of mind but he was willing to be patient. For now, at least.
"Kabuto is alive then."
"Yes. He fled."
"I will deal with him. I have an important mission for you two. Immediately, you are to go to Sunagakure. Give it two options, become a part of Konoha, ruled over by the Hokage or perish."
Naruto smiled bitterly. Not even a day and such orders were already been given to them. Well, at least they had exchanged a couple of words without Danzo saying something about the Kyubi.
"Just the two of us?" He asked.
"Yes. Just the two of you. This is your chance to show Konoha your loyalties. If they refuse to be led by Konoha, destroy it. Leave no one alive."
"It will be done." It was Sasuke who responded, putting a hand on Naruto's shoulder.
Once they were out of the office, Sasuke gave him a look. The Uchiha looked up for a moment and then took on an expressionless mask. This was turning into some day. Konoha gets invaded and they are ordered to destroy a village. That man didn't even blink about what he just ordered them to do. It was almost like he was used to giving such orders.
The Leaf under the Sandaime was very different from this. This was going to be a nightmare, at least to those who were enemies of Konoha.
"You do realize he is doing this intentionally?"
"Yeah…" Naruto said in a flat tone. "He doesn't trust either of us and is sending us to do this just to see how far we are willing to go. If Suna refuses to bow, we will do the unspeakable and then Danzo will swiftly know that his orders will be obeyed."
"Suna did attack Konoha. From where I stand, that attack could've been expected from either Kumo or Iwagakure."
Of course, Sasuke wouldn't think deeply about this. He called himself an avenger. This suited his character. It Suna attacked Konoha, then it deserved any retribution against it. Revenge was Sasuke's motto. But Naruto didn't operate this way. They would be forced to kill innocent civilians. Danzo wanted them to wipe out an entire village. That was damn crazy. Who could live with the weight of slaughtering thousands of people?
Naruto was praying that Suna would take them seriously and not do anything stupid.
"Actions have consequences, huh?"
"Yes. They should have thought about this. Konoha lost some lives. Danzo could be thinking that it needs to be paid. If Konoha leaves it as it is, it will look as if the Leaf is weak…" Sasuke shook his head. "I don't necessarily agree with it but we have orders."
"But you'll abandon them if Itachi shows up."
"It goes without question."
Naruto. "I think this time, I'd do so with you. Together, very few would dare come us," he said. "Let's meet at the gates in an hour."
Naruto found Jiraiya waiting by the village gates, hands folded across his chest, a rather serious expression on his face. Sasuke was standing on the other side. Naruto really didn't want to talk. He just wanted to go to his father's house and get some sleep. Not face this task Danzo had put for him.
"Here for moral support, Jiraiya?"
"I heard," the Sannin said. He swore at Danzo. If Naruto decided to leave Konoha at this stage, Jiraiya wouldn't fault him. At this rate, it was really amazing that he was still in Konoha. Maybe he was thinking about it, but Jiraiya wouldn't fault him.
"About our delightful mission."
"Yes. I can go along with you two. I have the license to come and go as a Sannin. I can try to plead with Suna to submit. And my presence will make it known to them that this is serious. You won't have to shed needless blood. Even if that has to happen, I can do it with you."
"Generous offer, but Jiraiya, you need to stay and watch over the old man until he wakes up. I'll be praying that Suna submits. If not, I will come back at hero in the next couple of days."
Sure, Danzo could try to kill Hiruzen just to make sure he doesn't wake up. If the Third wakes up, Danzo losses his grip on power. He can try to pull off a coupe or civil war, but the odds will be against him. His best option is making sure that the Third didn't wake up.
Yet, Jiraiya felt he owed it to Naruto be with him at this point. It has crossed his mind that Danzo would do this, but the reality was much more horrifying.
"I'm really sorry, Naruto."
"It is fine. We all have choices we can make. I can also make a choice now."
Jiraiya swallowed. He knew which choice Naruto was talking about. "I wouldn't blame you if you made that choice, Naruto."
"Now that is shocking."
"I wouldn't make it with you but I would understand it and wouldn't try to make you rethink it."
"Naruto, we don't have all day."
"Well, there you have it, the master Uchiha is calling me…" Naruto said and then walked past Jiraiya. He didn't say another word. Sasuke joined him. "Let's take this slow. We can rest once we reach the River country. We will cross the desert tomorrow. I need some time to gather my emotions."
"Even you struggle with emotions."
Naruto laughed. "Well I am a person. This is foreign territory for me. I need to gather my emotions before I act in an unsavory manner or do something stupid." He said in thought. "Isn't it funny? In our world, to protect what you value, you must kill something. This system is a system of cruelty."
"If you're bothered by it, why don't you try to change it?"
"I am just one man. The Kage and Feudal Lords hold all the power. No matter how much he may wish, one man cannot change the entire elemental nations. Unless of course, he decides to wipe out the entire shinobi population and start it afresh with his ideals."
"That is one way to go about it… but something one person cannot achieve."
"Indeed. So, what do we do, Sasuke? If this is how we shinobi must live, what must we do to change things? If it us, then our children we also be ordered to such missions. Or maybe others will be ordered to make us submit or if not, we are wiped out of existence."
Sasuke's expression was unreadable, in deep thought.
It was just the same thing happening over and over again. Is this how the shinobi world functions? Perhaps he could thank Danzo for displaying to them the ugly nature of this world.
Looking at things, you'd not think in the morning, an invasion occurred. While a few mourned, many celebrated. Those who celebrated had every right to do so. The village had survived an invasion. Orochimaru was dead and the Sandaime was going to be well, even if Konoha did have an acting Hokage.
Yet so much had changed in a couple of hours Shikamaru thought this whole day had has covered up to a whole week. To the normal people, nothing has changed. But to those of them who were privy, everything has changed. The entire system that ran the village had flipped and he was already starting to feel the changes. It was so much burden that he considered it would have been less of a bother to his mind if he'd been stupid.
One person who didn't seem to have the burdens he carried was Ino. She'd been gulping down on alcohol with both relief of her survival and happiness over someone. At this point, it was safe to say she did like that someone. For Chouji, he was shoving down food inside his stomach. He'd said you never know what was going to happen tomorrow. He wasn't off the mark.
As far as his father said, they may be marching to war tomorrow.
"You're more gloomy than normal." Ino said, staring at him.
Shikmaru smiled. Gloomy? He was just burdened. She too wouldn't be all smiles when she does hear what he had to say to her.
"You're brighter than usual."
"Of course I have to be. We live to see another day. That should be reason enough…" she smiled, a rather beautiful smile. "You know, Naruto has had it rough. Today has changed things for him. He saved the hospital. And people are appreciating it."
She was frustrated that she hasn't been able to see him since then. She knew he had returned to the village after leaving to hunt down Orochimaru. But he had suddenly vanished. She'd checked. Even Sakura had seen him but not her.
"He should thank you…" Chouji said, pausing his services to his gut. "It is almost as if you really like him…" he added in thought.
"Of course not!" Ino exclaimed, rising from her seat. When eyes turned to her, she calmed down. "He is my friend. I understand his situation and I want to see it change… for his happiness."
"Then you do like him…" Chouji pressed. "But as a dear friend…" he smiled, seeing Ino flush slightly.
Shikamaru shrunk slightly. This was truly a troubling predicament. For Naruto, it was cruel. "You may want to hold on to your celebrations."
"What?"
"Where do you think Naruto is?" Shikamaru asked in a serious tone.
Ino shifted uncomfortably due to Shikamaru's tone. "You're scaring me."
The Nara smiled. Maybe she should be, for the future and Naruto's future. "My father told me that Naruto has been sent to Sunagakure with Sasuke. The reason you haven't seen him is because he was sent shortly after he returned from battle with Orochimaru."
"Why don't I like the sound of that?" Why would he sent after battle? He had just faced a Bijuu in the village and then rushed to face Orochimaru. Without resting he was forced to go to Suna? Did they think he was a machine?
The last word rang bells in her mind and she tensed.
"It isn't really a secret but they have gone to make Suna submit. If things doesn't happen accordingly, what Suna's Bijuu tried to do here will happen there. Worst case for Suna is that they don't apparently have enough with the power to stop a Bijuu. It may bring the destruction…" Shikamaru paused to let Ino absorbed his words. "My father says the man who is acting Hokage probably sees Naruto has nothing more than a weapon and would most likely see Sasuke as a way to keep control of that weapon. So, Ino… even if the villagers might now come to like Naruto, he might not be happy because of what he will now be asked to do."
Ino was deflated. Her happiness shattered. What was Naruto even thinking? This was different from being a shinobi. She knew there were missions you had to kill someone. Assassination missions and the likes. But what was being asked of Naruto was another whole matter. He was being asked to become a cold blooded murderer.
"Shika…" Ino started in a whisper. "What will happen if Suna refuses and chooses to fight?"
"Destruction. Naruto is acting on orders. The villagers might praise him it. For destroying their enemy…"
"Then the question Naruto must be; will he kill innocent people just for people to like him… Is that price worth it, Shika? Will he not say it is best to be hated?"
Kabuto had always stood in front of Naruto in a position of power, never of weakness. But to be weaker, and frightened of the blond was a new experience. It was amusing even.
"I'm just a clone and not doing to kill you."
"I should have known you were not going to just let me leave."
"Of course not."
"Then why did you?"
"I was a little too angry. You Kabuto, defiled my mother's grave. You're perfectly sane. And yet you tormented me in worship of your master. I will not grant you a simple and quick death. I'm going to make you suffer that you will beg me to kill you. But I won't.
"Enjoy your life, for now. Tomorrow or maybe later. I will come to you, Kabuto. But I won't kill you. I will come, take a finger or two, maybe your lower lip or right ear. Maybe open you up and take one lung. And i'm not going to use a knife. I will pull it off with my hands."
Sneaking into Suna had been quite easy. The village was in apparent disarray. Getting in and they had discovered this to be true. Then again, the village was without a leader and they had to get in grips with the fact that they had infuriated Konoha and would have to deal with the fallout. Not to mention, there apparent issues with the Wind Lord.
The two were in a building, watching the Kazekage tower through a window.
"Why do you think Suna attacked Konoha?"
"From what I know, Suna demands more money for missions to make up their economic failures. They've always been the poorer out of the Great Nations. Perhaps this is due to the location of the village. Suna can't make anything, it has to buy. The Window Lord favored Konoha shinobi and this only made things worse for the village. I assume they joined Orochimaru for their own survival. The fact that Orochimaru killed their leader means that he was now refusing to go through with the plan."
"A fight for survival, huh?"
"Yes. In this world, when a shinobi village doesn't get along with its Daimyo, survival becomes difficult."
The Feudal Lords and their power. Influence and whims. They held the world together and yet still could turn this world into a blood bath. Careless creatures whose only concern was to preserve their power and status. They didn't even understand the plight of shinobi and yet didn't think twice before sending them into battle. Their deaths. And in the end, wouldn't care for it. After all, they were far removed from this reality.
"How do we go about this then?"
The first thing they did was to gather information. With Sasuke using the Sharingan to good effect, that was easy. A couple of hours in the village and they had already learned what they needed to learn in order make their move.
"The village elders are in the tower meeting with Baki. But what concerns me is that we haven't been able to find anything about Gaara and his siblings. It is almost like they didn't return."
"They must be hiding them."
"Yeah…" Naruto nodded. "Let us just go to the tower and talk to the elders. Whatever they decide, we will then make our move."
"Are you sure about this? If they refuse, we will become known for this and kill many innocent lives that had nothing to do with the invasion."
Naruto closed his eyes as he absorbed Sasuke's words. "They'll refuse subservience because they'll be thinking they can take us hostage and do their damage. But we will show them power. No, I will do it and they will be forced to submit."
"Danzo said if they refuse to submit, they must be wiped out."
"Yes, but if they change their mind midway, we can stop. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I killed people were willing to become slaves in order to continue living."
"That is a plan, then…" Sasuke said. "Let's go."
Naruto was in a henge and Sasuke was hiding in a black cloak with a hood. They took to the streets and then dropped their disguises. It didn't long for them to be surrounded by shinobi.
Naruto raised both his hands. Sasuke did not, he only sharpened his eyes, making the shinobi shift uncomfortably.
"We bring a message to from the Hidden Leaf."
"Follow us."
Baki shifted uncomfortably seeing the two. Why would Konoha send kids to them? There could have been better shinobi the village could send out. Orochimaru never gave them much about the two. He'd stated they didn't need to worry because the two would be out of the village. But now they were here. He knew Orochimaru had wanted them out because he wanted to take them for himself but for what reason, he never said.
"What does Konoha want?"
"You have two options: Submit to Konoha or face destruction."
"Are those Konoha's only options?"
"Yes."
"And who will carry out this destruction?"
"We will." Sasuke replied.
"I see." Baki answered. "Let me go talk to my elders and we will come back with a decision."
Those old geezers were going to refuse to the order. A message to Iwa had already been sent. They wanted to gain the favor of the Stone and use it against Konoha.
"Don't take too long."
After ten minutes, Naruto turned to Sasuke. They were camped inside the office of the Kazekage. "We have their response, Sasuke. Protect yourself."
Sasuke activated his Susanoo. "What of you?"
"I have my own methods. Let me handle things." Naruto said closing his eyes.
Naruto appeared within the Seal and faced the sleeping giant. "Hello Kyubi."
"My host… you need my power?"
"Yes. But I also have a proposal for you. The seal as it is allows you to take over my body. We can share my body. That is something I wish to avoid. I've always had the trouble of having to choose between using my power and your power. I can't use both at once. So, I've come with a method to let you 'out.' But still bound by the seal. So, you can only be out for a limited time. The chakra you're allowed to possess runs out, you'll be forced back."
"Not today. You want to avoid causing destruction. I refuse to do it for you." Let Naruto kill. That way he becomes corrupted and it might be easier for him to be free.
"Then, give me more of your chakra to be able to transform."
Baki raised his right hand. This was just making things worse but if they captured the last Uchiha and offered him to Iwagakure, things would work in their favor. At least that was the reasoning of the elders. What they failed to consider was why Konoha even bothered sending just the two of them when it wasn't short of better experienced shinobi. Nothing he said changed things. It was like they had already decided.
"Ignite."
Boom!
The Kage tower went up in flames. Fiery flames that rose up into the sky. The heat in the village only seemed to fuel the flames. Baki could feel the heat from even where he stood. But concerning was that there was no sign of the two Konoha shinobi.
When the flames died down, the tower had been reduced to debris. But the two teenagers were still standing. The other surrounded by purple chakra and the other by orange chakra. Defensive jutsu, Baki thought mildly. He had thought it would be enough but he didn't think they would be able to shrug it off.
"Surrender to us and nothing will happen to you." They were up against an entire village. Not even someone as powerful as Jiraiya could stand that kind of pressure.
"They are using our words against us but a little merciful…" Naruto said. From where they stood, they could see hundreds of shinobi standing on rooftops, waiting to launch attacks. It wasn't anything normal.
"They tried to kill us. How is that merciful?"
"They are being kind enough to offer false hope…" this has been entirely predictable. Danzo must have known this much. "I'll run loose. Be free to join if you want." Naruto said, hands held together. "You have doomed the village. Anyone who dies, it will be in your hands!"
Those words, what was he going to do?
A sense of dread hit Baki when an explosion of chakra hit through the village. It was an oppressive chakra. The kind of vile chakra that had weaker shinobi tremble while getting on their knees. Shukaku was nothing compared to this. This was a Bijuu. Nobody told them that Naruto was a Jinchuriki. Nobody. Not even Orochimaru had said anything. That traitorous bastard. Baki hoped he was dead.
As the massive image of the Kyubi showed itself, everyone scattered. Baki watched haplessly. Gaara wasn't even around. And it had to be the Kyubi of all Bijuu.
The beast let out a huge roar, and its tails slowly swinging. Baki bad no other option. Even when the beast that stood tall above everything else, what else could he do? Would they accept if he surrendered now? Sending out people to fight would just be sending them to their deaths. No, he had to stop this. Even if it was against the orders of the elders.
While he was thinking, the Kyubi's tails swung wildly. Powerful gusts of wind picked up. The buildings behind. The shinobi behind. Everything was sent flying. The buildings crumbled into dust. He could hear cries of flying shinobi.
The Bijuu didn't stop there. It hadn't move yet. It moved. Its huge paws took a swing at the buildings beside. As if it was just toys, it swatted them. Destroying everything in a single strike.
A group tried to jump at it, but one its tails swept them to the sides. Its eyes locked on him and then it became still. He wanted to jump in and surrender but then it lifted its tails, started gathering chakra.
His heart pounding, Baki shouted for everyone to clear. If it launched that, it was going to get to civilians. It was going to cause massive destruction. He turned around, started issuing orders for people to get ready to flee.
It didn't take long for the Kyubi to finish gathering chakra. The massive ball of energy that was above it was enough to destroy the village. If he let it launch it, it would do so. Baki jumped ahead. If they attacked anyway, he would be the first to get hit.
"We surrender!" He shouted, jumping in front of the Bijuu. "We surrender!" He shouted, on his knees, head kissing the dust. "Please stop. We surrender!"
Groveling was much better than death. He could live with this humiliation but if he did nothing, he would be condemning everyone to their deaths and for what? Maybe the situation would even improve with Suna under Konoha.
Sasuke landed in front of him. Baki stared at those hypnotic eyes. But behind him, the Bijuudama still hovered, threatening them with death.
"We surrender." He repeated.
"I don't think he can stop that right now. What do you think he can do with all that energy?"
The words of the Uchiha were cold. "He can direct it outside the village."
"You betrayed Konoha and then tried to kill us, won't you try to do it again if he stops?"
Baki took out a kunai. "You can take my life. Nobody will try anything if that happens."
"Good." The Uchiha then blurred away from him.
Unlike with what the Uchiha had said, the Tailed Beast Bomb wasn't launched. In fact,marks started forming below it, and then warped it away. Had it been just sealed away?
In a puff of smoke, the Kyubi disappeared and both Naruto and Sasuke landed in front of him.
Sasuke watched Naruto at the corner of his eyes. So that was the power of the Kyubi. He thought of it enviously. With that power alone, Naruto could have destroyed Suna in a minute. Destroying Konoha wasn't impossible either. Danzo must have understood the power of the Kyubi, which is why he gave that order.
There was some destruction. Slight movements and yet so much. An entire line of buildings had been wiped clean with just the Bijuu violently waving its tails.
He glanced at Baki. The man was now on both feet, he didn't display any emotion. None at all.
"You were given the order to refuse our terms, correct?"
"Yes." Baki nodded.
"Send a word for those who gave that order to be brought here." Naruto said without emotion.
Baki nodded and looked around. The village was at a standstill. It wasn't just the Shinobi watching everything now, it was also the civilians. How things changed. He waved his right hand and someone came before him. He whispered his orders and then faced the two.
"We wish to return with the Jinchuriki. Where is he?"
"He isn't here. He was taken by the Akatsuki on his way back to the village. Some of our shinobi have gone to face them."
"Where?"
This wasn't good. The Akatsuki was starting to attack now? His life was going to be in danger if they were hunting down the Bijuu. This bad. It was just one thing after the other.
"They went toward the direction of the River Country."
Sasuke frowned. "Do we go after them?"
"For now, we stay here and see to things. I will send a clone to Konoha. It is gonna be slow, but necessary. I wish to see the village and talk just get a message…" Naruto said calmly as a clone appeared in a puff of smoke. Without warning, the clone disappeared.
Shinobi brought the elders to them. With people watching everything. Sasuke didn't waste time, he took out his sword. Naruto may have given the order but he understood what needed to be done.
He ignored their pleas. And while everyone watched, he slaughtered them all. One by one. In front of everyone while Naruto just watched with a look of indifference.
"The message should be clear. Sunagakure betrayed Konoha. We did nothing to provoke an attack. But you attacked us. Let this be clear, anyone who conspires against Konoha will meet the same fate!" The Uchiha shouted, just for those listening to hear.
Naruto closed his eyes.
How sometimes he wished he could just keep them closed. Just so he doesn't get to see the horrors of the shinobi world.
But blind people never live for too long.
Nobody must kill me.
The saga Continues until the next chapter
The Omnipresent Sage