cough*
"Itachi!"
Naruto rushed over to the Uchiha with a panicked look. His voice matched his expression. He was no expert. Itachi had taught him a couple of things about the human body, but he was certain, no one was supposed to cough blood if they were healthy. The way Itachi had gone to his knees, clutching his chest with a pained look told him there was something very wrong.
He cursed his luck and hoped it was nothing bad. But he'd noticed. And Itachi was trying to hide it from him. There was something wrong and it made Naruto afraid. For both of them.
He knelt beside his sensei and stared at the blood. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know whether to pat him on the back. He was clueless. He just stared until Itachi gathered himself.
"Are you okay?" He asked in a worried tone.
Itachi was not okay. It was perhaps some divine punishment. He didn't believe in that, but a runaway thought did sneak in. Maybe if he was moving freely, he could try to manage this. But going in and out of the Island would expose Naruto. Either way, he really didn't think there was anything that could be done. He was really sick. Maybe it was truly the punishment for his actions against the little ones. His brother. His parents.
He closed his eyes. The blood of the young Uchiha who knew nothing. In his hands. The betrayal in Sasuke's eyes. For the sake of Konoha. Because Danzo ordered it. The memories haunted him. But it wasn't what was making him sick.
He glanced at Naruto. He looked concerned. As anybody would be. They were not brothers. Sensei and student – and maybe friends. Maybe Naruto wanted more. But Itachi couldn't offer anything more than his friendship.
He sat in a meditative position, closed his eyes once more. Maybe he was thinking too much. There was that treacherous thought. But every shinobi knew his body better than anyone. He knew when he was reaching his limit. He knew when his body was signaling of something really wrong.
He opened his eyes and responded to Naruto.
"Yes." He said. Maybe he should have told the truth. But he thought there was no need. If things became bad, he could send Naruto back home.
Sunagakure
Rasa nearly jumped from his bed when he sensed an unfamiliar chakra presence. His hand gripped a kunai, ready for action if an attack came. But there was none that came. He did not let his guard down but allowed his eyes to move toward the corner of the room, within the shadows. Behind a mask, a blank mask. Crimson eyes stared down at him. Hs frowned deeply. This was in intruder. No question. Who? Why? The Sharingan. Was it Konoha? Had the village sent someone to kill him? But Konoha no longer had any Sharingan users. Was it just keeping one hidden?
"Who are you?"
"Relax. I have not come to kill you."
"You want me to relax when you have breached the security of my house late in the night?"
"Well, I have not attacked, have I?"
"Just because you haven't, doesn't mean you won't." Rasa shrugged. "I have already raised my chakra levels to alert everyone of the danger. Show yourself. And we will listen to you once we have apprehended you."
Naruto scoffed. "I could have slit you throat if I wanted. Such arrogance. But all Kage are the same. You all think you're leading role players and have the power that no one else has," he said calmly. "Before you even woke up, I had the time to place a barrier around this room. No one will feel your chakra."
That he had time was complete nonsense. Naruto knew a simple barrier. He just had to appear and apply it. It was mostly likely the activation of the barrier that woke up the Kazekage.
"I see," Rasa nodded. "It must be true. If not, they would have already appeared. Who are you?"
"I am death to those who see this mask." Naruto smiled behind the mask. This was the first time he appeared before someone wearing the mask with the Sharingan activated. He always kept the mask sealed. It wasn't his mask of Shinigami. He kept the mask sealed on one of his earrings. It was after all, a valuable mask of the Uzumaki. "Well, that is not why I came here. I must admit, getting into Suna was quite easy. Suna does live up to the title of being the weakest amongst the Great Five."
"Do you wish to test that?"
"Nay." Naruto shook his head. "Konoha was a lot more troublesome. I had to use some dirty tricks just to appear before the Sandaime." He paused, realizing he was off ramping from the reason he bothered coming here. "I came to see your intentions for your troubles with Konoha."
"So, you have been sent by the Leaf."
"The Sharingan does not mean I am from the Leaf. I am acting on my own. I have an interest in the state of things. I understand you have the survival of Suna at heart, but why fight with Konoha?"
Was there any other reason to even talk to this nameless person? Rasa didn't think so. What he knew was that he was trapped in this room. He couldn't sense anything from the outside. It meant the people couldn't sense what was happening here. Maybe they would notice. But it didn't change the fact that he was trapped with an unknown person.
"Remove that mask, then I will talk to you."
"I am a liar. I lie every time." Naruto stated sternly.
"It would be illogical for me to talk to a masked man about plans for my village. I talk to such with those I trust. You are nothing more than an intruder."
Well, the Kazekage was not false in that regard. What did he expect? That the man would suddenly talk to him as if he was a long lost child of his? What value was there even talking to him? Rasa was most likely thinking about trying apprehend him. The only reason he had not even lunged at him was because he stood in the darkness.
There was no such a thing as trust in the shinobi world.
He pointed a finger at the man, stepping out from the shows. "Welcome, to my world."
The world of Tsukuyomi. It was convenient this way. Less time. He could interrogate or torture Rasa if he needed to. The blood red world. If it was not bloody, it was black. Crows cowed in the background. A large moon illuminated from above. The Sharingan that was visible from the world was the eye of Shisui. This was a convenient way to use the Sharingan's powerful Genjutsu.
"Genjutsu?" Rasa frowned. This was more powerful than the normal Genjutsu. He could not break free from it. It seemed he had no option but to listen to this person, who was now sitting on what was a cross.
"You will not remember whatever conversation we had after this. Whether the eye above us manipulates you remains to be seen. To he honest, I have no interest in doing so. But I killed Danzo. The main who made things worse behind the shadows. I don't want to understand your reasons. You want to protect Suna. Everyone does the same thing. But make me believe that the conflict with Konoha will be good for Suna in the long run and it isn't just creating conflict."
"And if I cannot?"
"Then it means you have failed to lead, Suna, Kazekaga-sama. If I cannot believe on the balance of things, your plan if there is any, will work out, then you have failed. And you must be taught the right way."
Rasa was livid. Baki got that just by looking at the Kazekage. Shinobi were already spreading around, searching for the intruder. His guards would be sent back to training. And there would be demands for more. He sighed tiredly. In the dark of the night, vultures attacked. The good thing was there didn't appear to be an attack on the Kazekage. Then what was the objective? How had the intruder even managed to get to the Kazekage in the first place?
"This is an insult to Suna." Rasa glared at Baki.
"It is not the first time someone has managed to sneak into the village." Baki replied firmly. "The Sandaime Kazekage disappeared and even to this day, we still don't know what happened."
And with great respect to Rasa, the Sandaime Kazekage was a lot stronger. At least this time, their leader didn't vanish into the winds with no hope of being seen again.
"I don't need to be reminded of that!"
"What is important now is discovering the motives of this." Baki said. "Aside from the mask, was there anything else?"
Rasa shook his head. "He stayed in the darkness. But I'm certain he had redhair. I want you to look for information about him. Even if we must pay. We will do so." He frowned deeply. "Is Suna this weak?"
"No. Assassins are trained to infiltrate any defenses. Sometimes it is impossible to stop them from infiltrating. Nobody just dares to try it on the Kage. They are not civilians after all."
"Someone dared and almost succeeded."
"Almost."
Rasa glared. "Does it look like I care?"
Kirigakure, Mizukage office
Mei sighed tiredly. Always a mountain of work. Not time for personal gain. When Naruto had appeared before them, a child, she'd not thought her future would be changed in this way. There hadn't been ambitions to become Mizukage. A better future for the village that gave birth to her, yes. The discrimination against blood line holders hadn't made it easier. But here she was, a revolution occurred and she sat at the helm of it all.
The once bloody Mist was now a peaceful village. Secluded from others. Yes, but by design. This was no good time to step into the world of Shinobi to compete with other Great Nations. She was afraid they could get dragged into the troubles that besieged Konohagakure and Suna. The Mist was not ready to be dragged into war. Not to mention, she had no ally. Kumo was a foe. Iwa was a foe. Suna had been irrelevant. But while Konoha was not an enemy, they did not dine together.
This wretched world could turn one into a husk of misery.
She smiled when Ao walked into her office with Choujuro. Timid at first, but he had grown. Thanks to Naruto.
"Done training?"
"Yes." Choujuro replied with a small smile. "I was hoping I could request a mission."
"That's new." Mei raised an eye brow and glanced at Ao, who didn't offer any help. "Why do you want to take a mission?"
"To test myself and see things in other Great Nations."
Once more, Mei glanced at Ao. He shook his head. "You can only know more and understand how things work. But you're part of my guard. You understand that you can't leave the village as you please, right?"
"I understand. But you're not going anywhere and I thought it would only help me grow."
Growth. Everyone needed that. It was true Choujuro lacked experience. But Kiri didn't have that many mission request going into the other Great Nations. Perhaps she could see what the Feudal Lord had.
"Come back tomorrow. I'll see if there is something I can find for you. If not, you can do something a little dangerous with Naruto. It will give me a peace of mind if you're with him, regardless of the danger."
"Hai."
She watched him leave and then faced Ao. "He is growing. He wouldn't have asked that before."
"Bad influence." Ao shrugged, but happy. "Did you receive any response from the Raikage?"
"No." Mei shook her head. "It isn't surprising that he would ignore us. There is nothing that we offer. We have lost our former glory. And he values strength. I won't bother with Iwa. There is nothing to gain. And the Tsuchikage is known for stubbornness."
Ideally, Mei would jump into the ship of friendship with everyone. But she was not naïve enough to believe such a fantasy was possible in this blood thirsty world. Alliances have always been made for war purposes and sometimes to end wars. In times such as this, everyone minded their business.
Suna was courting death provoking Konoha. If it tried something, Iwa was going to pounce on its village. That greedy village wouldn't waste time sinking its teeth on the Hidden Sand. If it did that, Konoha would have to fight, to protect itself.
"We could also have a problem with Iwa."
Mei's expression became blank for a second. They knew Iwa was after Naruto – and it had nothing to do with his mercenary work. If they found out he was connected to them, for whatever it was that he did, it was going to be chaos. There was much secrecy about it that it bothered her. And Naruto was conscious about it. Yet, he did not blink in telling her anything.
"Yes. A big one. Perhaps that is why he is intent on leaving. Anything from Konoha?"
"No."
"We should send a message to the Sandaime Hokage."
"Without his knowledge?"
"Yes." Mei nodded. It was Naruto's fault for keeping things from them. "But we'll have to confront him about these things when he returns. It will make clear of where we stand."
Ao nodded. He had his reservations about Naruto. But there was no denying that he has been helpful. He was just not loyal to anyone but himself. Nonetheless, there have been selfless actions on his part. And to dismiss his value would be stupid. He kept his secrets but that was normal. There was no fear he'd suddenly turn on them one day. Ao just worried about what he might have done to offend Iwagakure that they would want to secretly murder him.
"It was bound to happen, eventually." Ao grunted. "When is the Feudal Lord coming?"
"In a couple of days. I wonder if he will be receptive."
She wanted Kiri to be more open and focus on tourism as another method to generate income. Shinobi would still have their uses. But she wasn't building a military power. She was building a village that would be safe for all, with a military power to protect itself from any invasion or threat.
"His support will be needed. And I hope we can have fruitful discussions." She added calmly. "Maybe we can even put Uzu in the map as well."
"He is rather protective of Uzu… you think he will appreciate the idea?"
Mei smiled bitterly. She didn't know. Considering, Kiri also took part in the village's plundering. It was no time to dwell on the past nonetheless. She was only thinking about the future.
"We'll see."
Unknown Location
Naruto stood up. There was someone walking toward him and he knew it wasn't Kabuto or Orochimaru. It only left Sasori. He'd been thrilled when he didn't find the spy master around when he returned. He glanced at his sword which was stabbed on the foot of the stairs. He could use it and just be done. Or he could just walk away and go back to Kiri. He could collect the other swords in due time. He didn't have the appetite to battle Kisame at the moment. He knew where to find the twin lightning swords.
He slowly walked down the handful of the stairs and grabbed his sword. He gently pulled it and then sheathed it. Casually, he strode through the narrow passage.
When Sasori was closer, he came to a halt.
"You came back."
Maybe he should have spoken to Rasa about capturing this man. He would have collected a good bounty. He wasn't going to wear the mask that often anyway. So, there needed to be other ways of generating money for home.
"I'd gone to check on someone."
"Information is key." Naruto said, an expressionless mask on his face. "I was just in Suna. I think the Kazekage will change his tune. But maybe not. You can never really tell with shinobi."
"I didn't think you held some interest in that."
"I do." But just for his own reasons. He wasn't a saint trying to save the shinobi world from the dark forces of hidden villages. "But not in a way you'd expect."
"In what way then?"
Naruto shrugged with indifference. "Just curiosity."
He was close enough to hit with his attack. Attacking this man meant death. There was nothing playful and he couldn't permit him to escape. He had to kill him right here and now. If he survived, Sasori could make living difficult for him.
"Lightning Wheel."
It happened instantaneously. It didn't seem as if he moved. It was a circular rotation. Lightning spread out around him, creating a wheel. The radius of the attack was wide enough hit Sasori. Although the attack didn't seem like a sword, it cut like it. The lightning struck first, just to paralyze the target before the sword cut through. It cleaved Sasori's outer puppet in half. The lightning force caused the lower part to shatter into pieces.
But Sasori was still able to escape with his real body. He'd shot out the second it was hit. Barely making it out alive.
The attack came out of nowhere. But he shouldn't be surprised. Naruto meant to kill him. This was no test. The blond was trying to murder him. You couldn't trust anyone in this world. At least, he didn't try to stab him through the back.
"That came out of nowhere." Sasori said in a casual tone.
"You got away. Well," Naruto laughed with embarrassment. "That is probably my fastest attack. I'd thought you'd be dead with it. Now we must have this talk."
In response, Sasori chuckled. "I'm not trusting a word that comes out of your mouth about that being the fastest attack. But I wouldn't have survived if not for my real body."
Naruto glanced at his sword. "So it seems."
"Why?"
"You knew this was going to happen."
"Not now."
"Whims, maybe." Naruto replied with a shrug. "I thought why not?"
Sasori thought it laughable. Naruto almost killed him because 'why not?' It was truly amusing, because he didn't think the blond was lying about it.
"You will make a fine collection." Sasori said expressionlessly as held up a scroll. In a puff of smoke, his master piece appeared.
"I prefer against such." Naruto said with a shake of his head. "But come, let me end your existence, Sasori of the Red."
The puppet of the Third Kazekage lunged toward him, forcing him to the same. Its right hand produced multiple blades. When Naruto neared it, it swung the blades toward his upper body. Naruto reacted swiftly, ducking under the attack by falling forward, while twisting around. He positioned his body horizontally, facing up and then tried to stab the puppet the chest, but Sasori pulled it away.
Naruto quickly stabbed his sword to the ground, using it as balance as he touched down.
Sasori didn't wait for Naruto to regain his balance and turn around. He unleashed hundred hands from the left hand of the puppet. They rushed toward the blond while his puppet remained at a safe distance.
Naruto felt the attack and didn't pick up his sword. But as he straightened, he flashed through hand seals, chucking in large amounts of oxygen, until his stomach grew. He twisted around, and then released his jutsu.
"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" A ridiculously intense flame spread out of his mouth and formed a large fireball. The flames collided with the hundred hands, burning through them before they could hit him.
Sasori quickly detached the hands to avoid the flames spreading through to the puppet. He glanced at the head of Hikari which lay on the side. He let loose of the Kazekage for a moment and moved the head. It took to the air before releasing multiple shots of poisoned senbon.
Naruto had just about cancelled his jutsu when he sensed the senbon. In flash, he picked up his sword and rotated it like a fan beside him. The defensive maneuver deflected all the senbon away from him.
He quickly jumped away, and then landed a distance away. He didn't even glance at the head of Hikari as it crumbled to the ground.
"Poison," he said with a frown. "Without an impenetrable defense, there is not way I am going to avoid all of the senbon. One is going to hit me."
"You will die a slow death as a result." Sasori added.
"Yes." Naruto nodded. "I have so managed to hide most of my abilities because I don't permit people to see them and live. I don't fight where there are crowds. It creates an element of surprise when the opponent doesn't know abilities."
He doubted Genjutsu was going to work on sasori. He was but a puppet. There was no system to interfere with. He just had to crush his puppets. But he couldn't do that without revealing some of his abilities. He was always loathe to use Mangekyo abilities, but to survive without being poisoned, he had to use every means necessary.
"I know you hide most of your abilities. But they are not going to help you."
"Hahaha…" Naruto laughed. "Then, mind if we just forget I tried to kill you? We can go our separate ways and pretend nothing ever happened."
"Are you serious?"
"Take a guess."
"You're not walking away from here."
"I figured you'd say that." Naruto sighed. "I was thinking I could play around. But the poison won't permit me to do so."
Sasori was on alert when the blond suddenly vanished into thin air. He quickly brought his puppet in front of him. A second later, Naruto appeared on his left side, swinging one of his swords toward his throat. The puppet released the retractable blades from its right hand, swiftly moving it block the attack.
When the attacks collided, Naruto's sword crushed his blades. This forced him to release Iron sand through the mouth of the puppet. Naruto saw this and quickly leapt away. But as he was in mid-air, a rope shot out of the puppet, coiling around his left leg.
"I got you know."
Sasori released a cloud of poison.
Naruto frowned. And then hurled his sword toward the puppet knowing it couldn't dodge, not see the sword because of the cloud of poison. He held a single hand seal once he did so.
Sasori was surprised when his puppet suddenly crashed to the ground. He couldn't pull it. It seemed way too heavy for some reason.
Naruto appeared in a blur, just above the puppet, away from the poison, holding one of his swords. It was incased in crimson flames. "Slashing Fire wheel."
Sasori only saw a twisting motion of crimson flames. It happened in an instant that all he saw was Naruto in mid-air, surrounded by spinning flames. But below, the puppet had been crushed, burning brightly with the flames.
Naruto leapt away, landing a distance away. Mindful of the cloud if poison that was still within the atmosphere.
He held out his left hand, and the sword within the burning puppet flew into his grasp.
Naruto stared at Sasori for a second before checking himself to see if something grazed him. With nothing to worry about, he faced the man and then spoke.
"I wonder if I am just too strong or if my opponents are just weak," he said with disappointment. "And yet, my strength cannot be compared to that of Itachi…" he smiled. "Maybe those are merely sentiments."
He then started to walk toward Sasori.
The puppet master lunged toward him. The blades spinning through both his sides rotating like fans. Naruto quickly summoned his second sword, and stood still. But Sasori didn't attack with either sword. He held out his right hand, a small pipe popped up, and then released a powerful stream of flames.
Naruto held both swords in front and spun them around, coated with wind chakra. He created a powerful rotation, almost like a fan. The flames collided with the force created by the rotation, and exploded into a cloud, forcing Naruto to jump away to cover.
The second he landed, he was forced to leap into the air as the stream of flames shot toward his body. While still in midair, Sasori moved the flames toward him.
Seeing this, Naruto hurled one of his swords straight toward Sasori. But the man reacted swiftly by raising his hand. His flames hit the incoming blade. He was trying to melt it. But it did not melt. It continued to charge toward him and this forced him to cancel his attack and dodge it.
Naruto had wanted to teleport to it, but the sword was probably too hot for him to touch and so, he didn't go after it. He landed peacefully.
"You're not really attacking."
"It's not that I don't want to. I can't. to be precise, I am too cautious to get that close to you. If you poison me, I'm dead."
The Kyubi would probably keep him alive until he got Kabuto to work out an antidote. But Naruto wasn't willing to take up that chance. He didn't trust Kabuto. Not with his life.
"If you continue to do so, this is not going to go anywhere."
"I suppose so. You're not going to get tired. You're a puppet after all." Naruto said, shifting into the Mangekyo Sharingan. "I'll have to be a little faster." He said in a whisper, releasing a bit of his chakra. His sword became coated with wind chakra.
Within seconds, he was gone.
It took years of battle experience for Sasori to be able to react to Naruto's appearance. When he flashed in front of him, he was already swinging his sword in a strike aimed toward his waist. He moved the sword around the left side to block the attack.
Clang
Sparks flew when the swords collided but Naruto's sword shattered his. This forced Sasori to implement an attack before he could be cut in half. He held out his right hand, palm facing Naruto. A stream of water shot in a flash.
To his surprise, Naruto dodged this point blank attack. It was almost as if he'd seen it coming. Sasori glanced down after the blond ducked. He was already holding the other sword. When had he gotten it? He wanted to glance behind but he was caught in a bind. It wasn't the second sword that attacked, and the blond wasn't even looking. It was the first blade that cut through his right hand.
Naruto didn't stop then. His second sword stabbed through his chest, before the blond leapt into distance.
Sasori was unbothered. He didn't feel pain. As long as his core was not touched, he could always reattach any part. And so, he did with his hand.
"That's a little bothersome. You're not human." Naruto stated flatly. He pointed one of his swords toward Sasori. "Amaterasu."
Sasori felt nothing when his entire puppet body burst into black flames. He didn't feel any pain nor the heat they produced. He glanced at his core, it had also caught fire. The flames were slow burning. His body wasn't melting as it would with normal fire. It just made him realize the flames were not normal.
"It will take some time, but eventually, you'll burn to ashes." Naruto said, turning away from Sasori. "I did want to collect the bounty, but I can take some puppets and confirm your death."
Sasori still stood. The blond was just going to walk away from him? Was he confident that the flames wouldn't be extinguished?
Konohagakure
Hiruzen stared at the letter from the Kazekage with surprise. He shouldn't be. With Danzo dead, things were supposed to return to normal. But Naruto had said something that surprised him.
No doubt, Onoki was going to snap at his people once he learns that Konoha and Suna were moving toward reconciliation. The enemy was always looking for a hole to sneak in, a shadow in which he could lurk undetected. The scuffles with the Sand had provided such an opportunity but it would end without Iwa dipping into the heart of the issue and doing some damage.
He glanced at Shikaku – whom he had summoned. The council of Homura and Koharu was no longer required. They sought what was best for Konoha but like him, were relics of the past. And their scheming with Danzo had left some bitter taste in his mouth. The Nara provided genius strategy and sound advice. He had no ambitions aside from serving the Leaf.
"Suna wants to meet."
Shikaku audibly released a long breath. He'd been waiting for such news. They might not admit it, but the issue with Suna was also harming their finances. The Feudal Lord supported but in turn, he wielded more influence. There was a tipping point that they could have reached sooner – an order by the Lord to invade Suna and crush it.
They had already plotted for such a move. People were already in Suna – waiting for the order. Worst case scenario, the Kazekage was to be taken out before the battles even began. Idealistic, but the Sandaime Hokage had seen the light in such a move. Nobody wanted the desert to be a mass burial site for Konoha shinobi. The logical step was for them to root out the main problem.
"A welcomed development but we can't afford to let our guard down."
"Obviously."
"Are they suggesting we meet on neutral ground?"
"Yes; the River Country."
"It would be best to send some scouts to look at the place. Anbu should also be positioned to make movement if there are surprises."
It wouldn't be a move out of the box to lure the Sandaime in talks only to ambush him. He could even be ambushed before reaching the River Country. This was a textbook assassination move from history books.
"He suggests leaving our strongest away from the River country. He will only enter the borders of the country with just one guard and expects me to do the same." Hiruzen paused for a moment before adding. "Kakashi stays in the village in case there is a surprise attack. Suna has a Jinchuriki. We need to keep watch of him. Jiraiya will go with me, but won't enter the River country. You will be in charge of the village."
"I understand." Shikaku had no objections to this. "Danzo's involvement?"
"We admit nothing. We're not even sure of it…" He smiled. "Suna started this. And they must end it. Our demands might have to become a little flexible but we won't stop receiving mission requests from the Wind Lord."
"It would cause more damage and friction if we made the admission. Then this becomes a secret that must be buried."
"Yes. Jiraiya, Anbu Commander, Kakashi are the other ones who know of this. No record of it will exist. Future generations need not be burdened by sins of the past."
The problem of keeping some records was the threat of discovery. There were a couple of missions sanctioned whose details were never filed in mission reports. Just the danger, shinobi involved and that was all. Some records were kept. But they were specific on what had to be recorded.
"And project sleeper?"
"It remains," Hiruzen stated firmly. "We can't blink. We do not even know if we can trust anything he says. Treaties have been signed. And the Kazekage has shown he is willing to tear them."
"Danzo?"
"He wouldn't have been influenced if he wasn't already doing it. Danzo wouldn't just choose Suna to fight. It is weak and we gain nothing from it. My guess is he just took the advantage of a situation Rasa had already created."
"That makes sense." Shikaku nodded in agreement.
"Terminate part 2 of the project. It is unnecessary." Hiruzen ordered. "One more thing; Naruto was seen in the Wave country. After he disappeared, the country was freed from its oppressor."
"That's surprising. Why?"
"The villagers couldn't have afforded any price to hire someone to free them. Maybe he did it out of goodwill or there was something he wanted, and the freedom of the country was a consequence."
Shikaku adopted a thoughtful look. "The latter seems likely. I suppose he is going to move freely without hiding now."
"Yes. We'll have to make the admission that he lives. But we won't say anything about his status as a Jinchuriki or relation to Minato. It will affect the village negatively if we do so."
"Indeed. I can imagine the Feudal Lord punishing us given he is still a fan." Shikaku smiled. "And contact?"
"We'll have to keep an eye on things. And be proactive. We will respect his decision but if there is any intention to harm Konoha, we have to act swiftly."
Flashback
Mei slammed a glass of alcohol on the table. The glass cracked. She'd have more satisfaction if the damn thing broke, but still lament at her spilled drink. These days, sitting at the back of a bar, drinking and drowning in the misery of life was the best she could do. Almost everyone here was struggling. You heard laughter. But that was just the alcohol. Of course, there were sadistic bastards who enjoyed the carnage Yagura brought to this once glorious village.
Now, when you walked through the streets, it was just starved people. Discrimination rife. Streets filled with blood. The stench of death and poverty made her feel nauseated. She could only drink.
The rich and crazy enjoyed this rule. They took all the money and entertained Yagura. They protected him. Not that he needed protection. Yagura was more powerful than anyone in this village. Not even she could do anything. Many have tried but failed.
When a shadow loomed large, she glanced up but was surprised by a poof of smoke. She nearly jumped but sensed no danger. A transformation jutsu. What appeared in front of her was a child. Maybe 14 years of age. There he was, a strange mask on the side of his face. Those black eyes seemed like a bottomless pit of abyss. The earrings; small, white with a crimson swirl at the center. It reminded her of Ao. He was smiling. Was this his real form or just the transformation? No, he had undone it.
He was definitely not from around. What was a child doing here? No, given the expression on his face, it was apparent this was no child.
"Mei Terumi." He said smiling casually. "Should I call you Mei-san?"
Mei found herself nodding. She motioned for him to sit across her.
"Thank you."
"Who are you?"
"Ah, yes. I am not a local. I have come from the Fire Nation… but originally far closer to the Water country…" he responded in the same tone. "I've looked around this village and I am saddened by what I see. You're the strongest person I could find, so I came to see you."
Immediately, Mei wanted to jump over the table and shut his mouth. He would get killed and so could she, if a loyalist heard him saying something like that.
"I don't want to go wherever you're going." She said sternly. "Aren't you a little too young for this?"
"Hahaha. Yes. And I understand your concern." He leaned closer and then mouthed.
Mei clearly read in between. 'I can assassinate Yagura for you.' He said that with a smile.
He then pointed at his mask. "I don't require payment. But of course, if he dies, someone needs to take over from him. Someone who can steer the ship. While wearing this mask, I have killed people. And don't worry, the other people can't see it." He stood up. "We will talk again."
Another poof of smoke, and he had transformed again.
Mei just sat there, speechless.
Flashback En
Kirigakure
Mei smiled seeing Naruto walk into her office. His silent return. It always felt like a husband she'd missed had come home. He didn't socialize with the people in the village. It was the orphanage, training with Choujuro and then her. Sometimes just alone – not bothering with anyone. That was Naruto's time in Kiri. The villagers didn't know the vital role he has played to see this village in this state. But the shinobi knew. They watched him. They watched him train some Anbu back in the days. Her guards did occasionally train with him.
Curiously, Naruto was well learned in the art of silent killing. When it came to Sneaking in behind people's back and putting a dagger through them was one of his specialty. He was a rare all rounded shinobi who could play in any field.
"You smiling like that makes me feel uncomfortable." Naruto said, as he stopped in front of Mei's desk. She always had one of those beautiful smiles. A charming woman with a big heart.
Strangely, there was no man around her. But he wouldn't dare question it. It was a touchy subject. He wasn't the best person to point the glaring absence. He was also alone. But he could excuse it by saying he was young.
"Why?" Mei smiled innocently. "I enjoy your presence."
"Are you sure you don't like what I bring to the table?" He asked, settling gracefully before folding his hands across his chest.
Mei mirrored his body language. "That too. Who wouldn't like gifts? Maybe I like the gifts a little more."
Naruto made a face. A normal person would have pouted. He nonetheless wore an expression that came close. "I should start boycotting this village."
"We know where you call home. We'd come for you."
"And leave your beloved village?"
"Why not? You're important."
"Hahaha." Naruto smiled warmly. "That is good to know," he said.
"You should smile some more. It looks good on you."
There was really nothing to smile about in this life. He wasn't miserable. Naruto quite enjoyed his life. But he has done things. Horrible things. The blood in his hands. It was normal for a shinobi. But he did sometimes drift off to the path of idealism. But not so pacifist as Itachi. He encouraged a little bit of violence.
"Life weighs down on me. It isn't to say I'm miserable. I just think a lot and my expression becomes somewhat fixed. After all, I'm usually wearing masks to fit in a given situation."
It was only normal when he was in Uzu. He didn't have to hide anything. Here, there was some normalcy but he kept secrets. He always had to look over his shoulder. Not because he didn't trust any of them – but because he didn't trust the shinobi world. It could find a way to screw him over.
It always has.
"But you can still be you."
"I know. There is just a lot. I enjoy the peace every now and then." He replied in a firm tone. He then brought out a sealing scroll. "The sword is in there. Honestly, I considered even bringing Zabuza back to alive. But I ended up just killing him."
"I wont ask."
"Nothing to it. It was just sad that he once thought of rescuing this village by attacking Yagura and tried to make money to try again. But ended up getting lost in the darkness."
"He wasn't a saint to be begin with."
Naruto laughed. "There is no shinobi who is a saint."
"You know what I mean." Mei gave him a stare. "Doing something half-heartedly brings about that result. And it is easy to get lost in darkness and end up just drinking along the currents."
Naruto nodded in agreement. He knew the feeling too well. He'd caught himself so many times on the edge. The missions he did were sometimes disturbing. Brothers paid to have their brothers ruined. In royal battles, nobody was good. Almost everyone held ambitions for the throne and they murdered each other for it.
"I've drifted along the edges myself. Seeing this village has helped stay in the line."
"I'm glad we have been of help."
"That's a bit shameless taking some credit for that."
Mei giggled softly. "There isn't a lot we do for you. So, I'll take anything I can get." She paused, staring. "Ever since you showed up, you've always been around. It isn't going to be the same without…" she chuckled before adding. "And I thought you were just some mad brat when you first came."
"It did sound like that. I was a bit new in dealing with people. Introducing myself was a strange thing. But here I am. You have helped me learn about life and being a leader. It seems, there will always be something lacking. I knew how to fight, but I didn't understand other things. You shed the light and helped grow as a person."
Mei was a leader on her right. He offered her his strength. Sometimes reason couldn't teach things. When you always tried to rationalize things with humans, you were always going to fall short. Humans behaved unpredictably at times.
"We can't do everything by ourselves. Only arrogance makes us believe we can do everything."
"Yeah. The downfall of many shinobi." Naruto nodded his head in agreement. "This village has come to mean more than I anticipated, that's why I have stayed for this long. Uzu is more of sentiments. My safe heaven. The place I can be to escape from the shinobi world."
"You will always be welcome."
"If it is your home yes." Naruto sighed. "I should have interacted more with the others. I'm a stranger now."
"There will be time."
"Sure…" Naruto stood up. "I'm going to go and rest. Calm things a little before deciding where to go."
"Come to my place. Let's have dinner." She smiled. "I'll cook."
"Sounds like a treat." He grinned. "Time?"
"Come around 6pm. You come early, we talk. There is much to discuss."
"So, it would seem."
Iwagakure
"Call it off." Onoki instructed without warning.
"Huh?" Kitsuchi asked.
Onoki stared for a long minute. Had he been so pressed in his thoughts that he had a conversation with this man? Time was playing tricks on him. Old age. Even if he was in denial of it. He was grown. But not stupid. His mind didn't slow down. Shinobi didn't become stupid with age. They became wise. In some rare case, some do become senile. But that was if they even reached old age. Hardly anyone reached his age. There were few people he could count who fought with him when he was a mere Genin. It didn't matter with power. Even the Yondaime Hokage died young.
Admittedly, he'd smiled when he learned the man was dead.
"That person." They still didn't know his real name. "We're just continuously losing shinobi to him. And even to this day, we still know nothing about him."
"We know he is strong."
"That is the problematic part." Onoki said. "We'll just have to hire someone to do it for us."
"Shinigami?"
"I tried that already. He refused. I cant even get hold of him these days. He seems to have just vanished."
"He would have been useful. And even if he died trying, it would have been good for us. A loose end to tie."
Certainly, they'd given that man missions that would get this village into trouble. The point of hiring a mercenary wasn't simply to save their strength but to hide their hand in it all. Small nations could hire for the lack of man power. Iwa was great, it didn't require it.
"That would be good. But we can't do anything. If he found out, he'd turn on us. Mercenaries function well because they keep their mouths shut. They are only loyal to money, but if they can't be trusted to keep secrets, they'll never get jobs." Onoki leaned back to his chair. "Have it called off. I have heard he may have come from the Leaf. Unsurprisingly, the Leaf has some powerful shinobi who have turned rogue."
"Should we ask Konoha for more information"
"I didn't want to make that admission. But we'll have to. And I believe that they won't share anything if he is indeed their former shinobi." Onoki replied. Admission would mean being forced to carry the blame for his actions. "We'll put him in the bingo book."
"Crime?"
"Attempted assassination on me and Kurotsuchi."
Kitsuchi smiled. They both knew it wasn't true. That person had sneaked into the village but for a different reason. He had the time to kill Kurotsuchi or even try some harm on the old man. They had discovered this much in their investigations. Whether he was working with Deidara was something different but they concluded since they fled together, they must have been working together. Maybe he was just a bait for Deidara to steal.
"We have improved security, so no one is going think they can do it. But it's a glaring admission to make. Has there ever been a report of someone sneaking into the sleeping chambers of a Kage and fool around?"
"We're obviously not going to say that." Onoki was quick to say.
Kitsuchi nodded. "What happens when it turns out that the information we received was wrong? The person who attacked is completely different from the one we're hunting."
"The information was truthful." Onoki shrugged. "Even if we are wrong, we're not going to make that admission."
Mei's House, Kirigakure
Mei stood at the door, staring at Naruto. She rarely ever saw him without one of his swords. He always had a sheath on his back. One more thing was his earrings. She'd never seen him without them. She'd always assumed they were for protecting his Sharingan. And so, she never bothered to ask. He looked so casual and relaxed she couldn't help but smile.
"If you smile like that, I might just melt."
"That would he a moment to cherish. You rarely give anything away."
Naruto shrugged. "My sensei was always expressionless. I learned from him. Besides, he always taught me to be a shinobi. Part of it is being unreadable. I suppose I am always in the mode."
"We never do stop being shinobi." Mei replied. "But you have a beautiful smile. You should show it some more."
"Maybe." He replied with indifference. "You going to keep me waiting outside? People will see me and start talking."
Mei laughed. "As if they don't already talk."
Naruto raised an eye brow. He didn't spend too much time around the streets to actually follow gossip. He didn't care for it.
"That happens... Nothing had I hope."
Mei gave him a sly smile and then stepped over. "Please come in."
It wasn't the first time Naruto was here. But he wasn't usually alone with just her. He'd always liked to keep a distance. He didn't want her ensnaring him in her web. He'd come to learn, some women had that power.
The interior was beautifully designed. The house itself was modest. Although she worked in the biggest building in the village, she didn't live in the biggest house. Her lounge had sofas covered in blue ink. It was so like her and her love for blue things. If he popped up in front of her, wearing all blue and having dyed his hair blue, she'd probably jump on him.
Settling gracefully, Naruto put on leg on the sofa and another on the floor. The Mizukage sat beside him, watching him. Strangely, he observed her shut lips. Her lipstick. Those deep eyes that invited him within. He didn't stare much, but she seemed to noticed and grin widely.
"I don't think you give me that look often."
"I respect you."
"Hahaha… that's not really a complement."
"I was trying to avoid the issue."
"Failed miserably."
"So, it would seem." He glanced around the room. Silence. A fresh fragrance of nature. Not quite the same scent the Mizukage wore. "We're not always this close."
"You've done a good job of keeping the distance. Even if you came to my house before, you were different."
"I'm relaxed because I am leaving or at least had planned to depart. I always told myself I didn't want to attach to anything."
Maybe there were fears of being left alone again. This world has already made promises to screw him over and over again. To protect himself, he kept a distance.
"Things don't always go as we plan."
"Yeah…" Naruto released a short breath and the leaned on the sofa. "You wanted to talk to me."
"Yeah." She paused, not sure how to go about it. In her silence, Naruto spoke.
"My secrets? Or at least the things I don't talk about with you."
"Yes."
"What do you think you know?" He asked, his eyes staring straight at hers.
"You're a Jinchuriki and you're originally from the Hidden Leaf."
It was actually quite scary. In his time here, Naruto has never used the power of the Bijuu. He'd fought and killed Yagura when he was younger. Mei wondered if he could use the power within him or he's just never faced anyone who forced him to dig that deep. Then again, he had the Sharingan. She had learned, the Doujutsu was masterly deadly if used right.
"Correct on both accounts. How did you come to it?"
"Sharingan and that you're a Jinchuriki. We already know which villages have Jinchuriki. The Kyubi remains. Considering everything, we figured you were a Jinchuriki. Given how hosts are treated, it is likely you fled from Konoha at a young age."
"I did not flee. If I'd fled, they'd put me as rogue."
That was another curious thing. Naruto was never reported missing by Konoha. So it had made things a little tricky. The Leaf didn't even have to worry about disclosing the loss of its Jinchuriki. The village has fought wars without Bijuu.
"So, what happened?"
"The Sandaime sent me away to find some freedom and escape the hell. But one thing led to another and I chose not to return to Konoha."
Mei nodded. "I don't understand why they don't mark you as rogue if you're not going back."
Naruto smiled. "Sentiments. I am the son of Konoha's Yellow Flash. Unless I do something against the Leaf, they'll let me do as I please in respect of his memory."
Who didn't know the Yellow Flash. But it was actually quite ridiculous that she had the son of one of the most famous shinobi to have ever lived in her village. Being the son of a former Kage, had his childhood been better, he could have worked at becoming the next Hokage. And yet, here he was. The more she thought about it, the more she just wanted to keep him closer to her.
"So, Konoha knows you're here?"
"No. I only went to the village recently. As far as they were concerned, I was missing. But now they know I am alive. The villagers believe I am dead."
"You were never loved, huh?"
"Hence the Sandaime felt it necessary to take me away from the village."
"Unfortunately, things didn't go well for him."
"It is only because of some twist in fate, my sensei died a lot sooner. We hadn't even finished our training. I was alone for a couple of years."
"What made you decide against going back?" Mei asked curiously.
"Fear and the thought of misery. I went there secretly, but the villagers seemed much happier without me. The things they said about me made me angry. I felt it was best I not stay."
He made a decision for happiness. Mei was nonetheless surprised that they let him leave. If he was a normal shinobi, she could understand. But Naruto was a Jinchuriki. He couldn't be called a rogue shinobi because he had never become a shinobi of Konoha. But he still held the Kyubi within him. That was a power no village wanted to part with, much less gift it to another village.
Mei didn't think he'd come here to make Kiri an enemy of Konoha for his vengeance. If that had been the case, he would have gotten rid of her after getting rid of her predecessor. She was glad he wasn't hateful.
Given his advancement at a young age, it had been apparent he had a rough childhood. It was past the time of war where 12 year olds where sent to battle without any experience. Mei applauded him for becoming what he was. He wasn't without faults. He was faulty, but a good person.
"Is it bad that I thankful things worked out the way they did?"
Naruto shook his head, managing a small smile. "No. But it wouldn't have been bad to go back and prove things wrong to those people. To show them that I was human just like them. But mostly, to get them to acknowledge that I existed."
"You were denied an existence, huh?" Mei couldn't imagine what it would be like to have people try to ignore the fact that you existed. "You will always exist in Kiri."
"I'm not sure about that." Naruto said with a sad smile. "I have enemies that may get this village in trouble."
"Iwa?"
"Yeah. We have been playing a little game. A bloody game." He sighed. "I started it. I was at fault. But I was young and whimsical."
"What did you do?" Mei asked in a serious tone.
"Tone?"
"It is an important matter." She smiled. "Admittedly, I don't think there is anything you'll do against any village that we'll make us abandon you."
"Wait till you hear what I did."
"You're making me nervous."
"Hahahaha…" Naruto laughed. "Before I came here, I went to Iwa. I surveyed the village. Gathered intelligence. My transformation technique and ability to make clones that retain memories is efficient for information gathering. Since transformations are not merely illusions, I can take any form. With shinobi, its difficult because I can't copy their chakra signature or scent. Anyway, I infiltrated the village. Knocked out some people and simultaneously went into the sleeping rooms of the Tsuchikage and his granddaughter. I didn't do anything but I fled. Someone revealed my identity to Iwa."
"Who is that someone?"
"Orochimaru."
Basically, Iwagakure was after him for attempted assassination. That was big. If Iwa knew he was here, or believed he was their shinobi, it could even declare war on them. Now she understood why he didn't want to stay with them.
"I see."
"Told you."
"I didn't think it was something this big. But I didn't say I was abandoning you." Mei said firmly. It was true she had to put the village first, and she would do so. "Why didn't you do anything?"
"I was merely testing my skills. If I could infiltrate Iwa, then I was certainly capable of killing anyone."
Mei shook her head. "Reckless. What if you got caught?"
"The Tsuchikage's particle style would be a problem. But if all things failed, I would have simply transformed into the Kyubi."
"You'd have made things worse!" Mei exclaimed. "How are you even going to solve this?"
"I will speak to the Tsuchikage some time. I suppose once my existence becomes common thing, there will be issues between Iwa and Konoha. I'll get involved. Obviously, that man is likely to try to lay siege on Uzu. But that is a problem I can solve."
"And if you can't?"
"Either I die or the Tsuchikage dies."
The earrings were back. The sword was sticking out from his shoulder. He was back to being that guarded Naruto once again. The night before he'd been much more human than she'd ever seen him. Mei was glad for that moment. She felt she now understood him better. There wouldn't be more questions than answers when he departed from her presence. But he was still leaving Kirigakure. For now, maybe it was for the best. She had her role, and he had his role to play as well.
Mei smiled happily. "You never told me what the earrings are used for."
Naruto's eyes shifted about for a moment. A boat was ready to take him to the Land Hidden in Whirlpools, his beloved home. He hadn't expected to see Mei here, but here she was.
"You want to know all my secrets?"
She smiled. "I don't think we'll ever get the point where I know all your secrets."
"I suppose." It was always good to have something up your ace in case there were surprises.
"You've never asked if there are things I hide."
Naruto shrugged with indifference. "You don't need to know everything. And I understand you have a village to protect. I am just a shinobi who's offered a helping hand, but not of Kirigakure."
Mei shook her head. "You are not just anybody. You are more. We value you dearly and I consider you to be part of Kirigakure." She said firmly to drive her message through.
Naruto smiled. "That's good to know." He said. "They are for various things. But mainly to store my masks. I've never told you, but the masks are quite special. I usually use them during missions. You'll know eventually."
Maybe it was a heritage of being Uzumaki. But Naruto was well knowledgeable when it came to Fuinjutsu. He created some good seals. Many of them too complex for even her to try to decipher. But that was one part of his skills he didn't like teaching anyone.
"You said various things… but there symbols are similar."
Naruto wagged his index finger. "That's a secret." He said smiling. "I'll contact you once I have arrived in Uzu. I wont stay for long. Going to move again. Need to sort this issue with Iwagakure before it blows out of proportion."
It amazed Mei how he saw this as a non-matter. Onoki wasn't doing to settle for anything less than death. He was aware of this and yet didn't seem that bothered by it. It made her curious on what he was exactly planning. She didn't want to ask. She was better off not getting involved in this.
"I have one more request."
"What?" Naruto's right brow rose slightly.
"Kisame; I think it will be best if he is kept alive. He was a good person who just got tired of the direction of the village and orders he had to follow."
"You want him alive?"
"Yes. He is a powerful shinobi. His presence makes Kiri look good."
"And if it doesn't want to return?"
"There is no other choice." Mei shook her head. "But there is a preference. I will send Choujuro to you. He wants to experience the shinobi world. If Kisame refuses, then you'll fight him. Choujuro needs that experience."
"I understand."
Mei moved closer. He stopped inches away from him. She was hesitant for a moment but finally wrapped her hands around him. She wasn't ignorant to the fact that his body stiffed for a moment at the sudden contact. This was the first time she became physical with him. After a moment, he returned the hug. Mei smiled and took in his scent before breaking contact.
"Safe journey." She said awkwardly.
A/N
You'll have noticed that other characters had more 'screen time' in this chapter. I'm going to be writing this way from now on. It's a bit of a change in the way I tell stories.
Pairing is still Naruto x Mei. Obviously, it's going to take some doing for them to get that close and eventually form a relationship. But I am going to try to write a better pairing than i usually do.
The Omnipresent Sage