Hello Everyone, hope you enjoy this.
(Uchiha District)
Naruto arrived at the outskirts of the Uchiha District to the familiar shed he had previously dropped off Kagome at, not wanting to cause a scene he looked around before jumping to the window and looking in. Inside he saw Kagome lying down on a rickety bed, her face contorted to show a slight discomfort.
Despite his earlier plan to just put down the gift with a note and get out, Naruto decided to stay for a few moments and walked up to her bed. He put a hand to her forehead and was easily able to discern that she had a fever.
'Probably over-exertion,' Naruto thought as he formed a cross-seal and a bunch of clones popped into existence, they moved through the small shed to carry out their instructions. One of them in the meanwhile brought a bowl of water with a clean cloth. Naruto sat down as he dipped the cloth into the bowl, wrung it and then put it on Kagome's head. He repeated the ritual for a few minutes before the reddish hue on her face faded a little.
Satisfied, Naruto left her a note before he jumped out of the window and went back home – he hoped she liked the leftovers.
…
(10 Minutes Later)
Kagome awoke to a soothing sensation on her forehead, as if the cool spring breeze was moving around her. She then opened her eyes to see that she was still alone in her room, as she got up she felt a wet cloth slide down from her forehead.
Now aware of something different, she looked around, a tray of food was put on the small table near her bed, the shed had been tidied up a bit and even the hole in the roof seemed to have been fixed.
Did one of the clanswomen take pity on her?
She opened the lid on the bowls to reveal a warm serving of fish, eggs and rice which smelled heavenly. Without caring in the slightest for any manners or suspicion, she chose to follow her stomach's desire and ate her fill.
'It wasn't anyone from the clan,' she thought as she wiped her mouth. The food, while delicious, was completely different from what had been cooked today in the clan's kitchen. No matter how much pity anyone in the clan felt for her…she knew that there was no one here who would take the pains to cook something different exclusively to feed her.
Putting down the bowl in her hand she looked at a small wrapped box at the back of the table, curious she took it in her hands, there was no name on the outside. She peeled the wrapping paper to reveal a small box - inside it was the prettiest brooch she had ever seen in her life.
'Beautiful' she thought as she held the brooch in her palms. The center seemed to be made out of a single red crystal that glistened in the light of the lantern near her bed - it was like the ones Mikoto-sama herself would wear.
She continued to admire the ornament for sometime before her gaze fell on a small piece of paper slightly poking out under one of the bowls. She put down the brooch and started reading.
'Greetings Ms. Kagome,
I hope that you feel better whenever you wake up.
I've been thinking about you for some time, and my limited array of words isn't enough to tell you how sorry I feel for bumping into you that day. I didn't mean to get you in trouble, and I'm really sorry if that incident led to you getting scolded again.
Please accept this small gift from me as an apology, I hope you like it.
Yours Sincerely,
Naruto Uzumaki
(Future Hokage)
P.S. I'm sorry if the food tasted like crap, I'm still not very good at this cooking-stuff.'
Kagome smiled as she folded the note. The completely unexpected visit had taught her much more about the boy –whom she had come to know as Sasuke-sama's teammate.
Did he know she was an avaidh dasi? An illegitimate girl born of a descendant slave?
Did he know that she was born of shaapit blood, the ones who led a cursed existence?
Would he do the same things for her if he knew that? Wouldn't he just kick her down like everything else if he was in knowledge of all that?
…something told her he wouldn't. That he could truly understand what it meant to be like her.
'Naruto Uzumaki,' she thought, 'I hope we meet again.'
It wouldn't hurt if he came back again with food. She was famished most of the time.
For the second time in the night Kagome lied down and pulled the covers, a smile adorned her face as she let sweet slumber consume her senses.
…
Sasuke wandered around the small lake in the compound, in his mind he replayed the time he had spent on the edge practicing the Great Fireball Technique over and over in his younger years to gain the approval of his father.
…memories which seemed to be in the distant past. Before the night when he had lost everything…
ALL BECAUSE OF THAT MAN!
Sasuke's chakra flared as he rushed through handsigns, he breathed in and then a giant fireball was expelled from his mouth.
'Still not enough,' Sasuke thought as the fireball faded, he needed far more power if he had to catch up with him.
He took deep breaths in an effort to calm down, sleepless nights like this one had become common after that incident.
Walking back to his quarters his eyes caught a familiar mop of blond hair jump from the servant quarters and out of the compound.
'What a loser,' Sasuke thought but walked away without acknowledging anything. Who the Dobe wanted to spend his time fooling around with was none of his business.
Afterall the bottom-scraper and the slave seemed to be an ideal match.
…
Naruto jumped across rooftops as the thoughts with respect to Kagome swirled in his head. She was clearly overworked, and most certainly not fed enough.
What was with her? Why did the Uchiha treat her like that?
…what was the strange feeling he got when he met her? Was it some kind of chakra?
The thoughts continued to float in his head, but soon enough the periphery of the Kuroki compound was within eyesight.
'No more time to think,' Naruto looked ahead with determined eyes, 'I have a mission to finish.'
…
(3 Days Later)
One of the most startling realizations Naruto found from constantly analyzing Gato's papers was the fact that how deep the underworld ran across all countries on the continent. From international smuggling operations that ran drug rackets like professional companies to mercenary guilds that provided muscle for hire to anyone with cash, Naruto had read about everything that went on in the world.
'If things are like this now, who knows what was going on in the era of warring clans,' Naruto thought, the time period before establishment of the hidden villages was said to be marked with chaos wherein clans constantly fought each other over territory, prestige, power and money. But from what Naruto had gone through in the last few days, things were pretty much still the same in quite a few fields.
…and Gato had a hand in almost everything, even if just a minor stake in some places. A stake Naruto would have to preserve…even if he hated it. All the contacts these trades brought in were just as much, if not more valuable than the money one could earn therein. Used correctly, all these contacts could be used to create his own spy network.
"Naruto-sama," a voice called out as Naruto gestured for the member to speak, "We have received news from the Wave, the new Chief of Police Staff wishes to announce Gato's death in the next 72 hours."
Naruto dropped all the papers he had been holding.
Currently Gato was reported to be missing in Wave Country, something that everyone across the world had taken with a pinch of salt. Most of Gato's illegal dealings were an open secret few people ever spoke about, so the reports of him lying low somewhere in the wave or on a comfortable cruiser in the high seas until things calmed down was very likely.
That had given something very crucial to Naruto and his team – time. They all needed time to compile and understand everything they had on Gato, they needed to know what that guy owned, and then figure out a way for Akemi to use the Kuroki Clan's resources to initiate a steady takeover. Henso would in the meanwhile pretend to be Gato if required and make a few appearances before civilians around the world until all this was figured out.
That was the pretty basic plan Naruto had concocted, but an announcement of Gato's death from the Wave would send everyone in a frenzy trying to take what they could. Managers in companies would try and takeover their branches with help of corrupt officials and even governments would pounce at the chance to get a piece of the pie – both officially and unofficially. All this was without accounting for what would happen in the dark underbelly of Gato's holdings in various illegal operations across the world.
"That bloody …!" Naruto let loose a stream of curses that would make hardened sailors proud.
"…who is he?" Naruto finally asked as he forced himself to calm down, "Give me a report on this Chief."
Kuro moved towards him and handed him a folder. Naruto swiftly tore open the seal and skimmed through the pages. As he closed the folder a smile formed on his face.
The new Chief of Police Staff in Wave…was the ex-chief of the revolutionary army that had set fire to Gato's palace.
"You and Ginko need to get ready for a short mission to the Wave," Naruto spoke as he closed the folder, "Send a word to Tazuna, I want to know where we can find this guy."
"Understood," Kuro spoke as she took back the folder, "Gear and supposed duration?"
"Standard for a normal B-rank," Naruto spoke, "Should not take more than 4 days."
Kuro nodded as Naruto moved out towards Jiji's office. He needed to solve this problem before it became a big issue.
…
"…I shall sanction this," Danzo spoke as he looked at the boy, "You are authorized to lead a team comprised of Kuro and Ginko to the Wave. You will officially leave alone for a week-long farming mission to a nearby village and later catch up with your team. Send a few clones to report at the location in case of pursuers."
"We will leave within the next 3 hours," Naruto spoke as he looked up, "I think I'll need some liquidity on this mission too."
"How much?" Danzo asked.
"Around 10 million," the boy spoke unflinchingly.
"Reasoning?" Danzo questioned.
"That guy himself," the boy spoke, pointing to the picture of the Police Chief, "I'll admit that I haven't been around him too much, but when I led his group I could clearly see what kind of a person he was. He isn't likely to take such a drastic action as declaring Gato's death unless he has accepted a bribe or some other incentive from someone who wants this declaration…an offer which I'm going to have to make him revoke. Since he's most likely already given off whatever money he made from the deal to those in the erstwhile revolutionary army, I'm gonna have to bear the refund costs on this one to keep everything smooth."
"But what if your reasoning fails?" Danzo asked, "Despite the fact that the man may have sworn his allegiance to you, it is still likely that he may betray you…or even sell you out to whoever is backing him."
"I thought about it," the boy spoke, "I'll be meeting him once he's under Kuro's Genjutsu cloak, he won't know when or where the meeting will take place. Secondly I'm having Henso, Kagebo and Surume move 24 hours after we leave with full equipment. If he isn't agreeable then Kuro will retrieve information about his benefactor, we'll then drug him and dump him in a bar somewhere far away. Henso will disguise himself as Gato and make an appearance before the Daimyo's brother-in-law, therefore making the nobility believe he's still alive. Then Kagebo and Ginko will scare off whoever is orchestrating all this, and depending upon the situation this person may have to be removed from the equation."
"A Gato-esque solution again?" Danzo asked, "How many people are you going to sell off as slaves to the mines?"
"Not that," the boy shrugged, "I'll have Surume drug them before they're hauled off to Lightning Country on a merchant ship, by the time they return it'll be too late."
"Why not follow protocol and simply kill them off?" Danzo asked.
"Well," the boy took a deep breath, "Presently we don't know who is doing this, it could be someone from the Government trying to take over what is left of Gato's assets in the country, a business rival looking to take over some of his companies in another place or someone we have no prior knowledge about who is just testing the waters. Going for the kill in any of these situations would not be ideal, as it would only create more suspicion around Gato's status – which would be very bad for our main mission of taking over his holdings for ourselves."
"Very well," Danzo leaned back in his chair, "The Hundi for the amount will be provided to you in addition to the emergency funds."
The boy bowed again and moved out.
Once again alone in the dim light of his office, Danzo allowed a smile to grace his features.
He had chosen well.
…
(5 hours later, Outside of Konoha)
Naruto jumped from branch to branch as he and his team ran at a nearly breakneck pace as towards Wave Country. The blank mask he had put on was making him sweaty and the bandana pulled over to conceal his hair did little to alleviate the heat.
Regardless he continued to pump chakra to his feet and tried to keep up with the pace Ginko had set for them. They were currently travelling in a standard formation, with Ginko at the front as their main fighter, Kuro at the back and Naruto in the middle to provide support in the form of clones and weaponry.
After 6 hours of continuous travelling, they finally took a break and Naruto crashed to the ground. Looking up he could see that Kuro seemed to be slightly winded while Ginko showed almost no sign of tiredness.
"Ginko, take the first watch," Naruto spoke, "Kuro the second and then I'll take the last."
With that Naruto climbed up to the biggest branch and dozed off.
He was woken up 6 hours later by Kuro, who promptly slept off herself. Naruto rubbed his eyes lightly and extended his senses as far as he could. Satisfied on not detecting any other presence in the area he moved down to the ground and created a few shadow clones to survey the area.
'I hope that this turns out good,' Naruto thought as his eyes scanned the moonlit forest, 'I don't want to have to hurt anyone unless necessary.'
…
(Wave Country)
Tazuna was pleasantly sipping on some sweet saké enjoying the view presented from the foyer. The completion of the bridge had left him with some free time, and he wanted to enjoy it as much as he could given that Gato's oppressive reign was over.
Suddenly he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up, cold sweat broke on his brow as the familiar feeling of death invaded his senses.
"Do not turn," a voice spoke behind him, "I have been sent by Naruto Uzumaki, nod if you understand."
Tazuna nodded as his breathing became normal again, these shinobi were something else.
"Good," the voice spoke, "Do you have the information we asked for?"
"Yeah," Tazuna spoke, "His name is Kurohiko Yukake, he's the same guy Naruto used to set fire to Gato's palace. Tonight, he will be partying at the Akaimoya Club on the outskirts of the city with some of his mates."
"Alright," the voice spoke, "Naruto-sama conveys his gratitude for your cooperation."
Before Tazuna could turn, the bearer of that voice had vanished without a trace. The only thing that left was a glass bottle on the ground with a small note.
"Regards,
Naruto Uzumaki."
The note burst into flames as soon as he read it. Alone once again Tazuna gazed at the bottle, it was a fine blend of imported whisky.
'Kid's got taste.' Tazuna thought as he headed home. Drinking something fine like this required a good setup and mood.
…
"Cheers!" Yuyake shouted as he raised a toast with his mates, the revolutionary army had been inducted into the country's revamped police, and with the end of Gato's reign it was time to party.
He ate and drank to his heart's content, putting down another jug of beer he noticed a pretty black-haired girl smiling at him across the counter.
Unsure of how to respond he gave her a small wave, it was reciprocated and soon he was sitting next to her.
"Can I buy you a drink?" he tried to sound as smooth as he could, but with 3 beers swirling in his stomach he was sure it wasn't looking too good.
"Sure," she replied with a giggle and Yuyake grinned.
Into the night he waved a discreet goodbye to mates, his arm slung around the girl's slender waist as he trotted out into the street.
He was getting lucky tonight!
"So Kinako," he slurred, "You got a place here?"
"Yes," she spoke as she led him, "It's just around the corner."
They turned around an alleyway into an unpaved road than ran into the forest. Yuyake continued to walk until they came to a hotel. They walked upwards to a room where he looked out of the window.
"You know," he spoke as he peered outside, "I didn't know there was a hotel around here…"
His voice faded as the lady poked a finger in his neck and the world darkened.
…
The Genjutsu faded away as Kuro released her technique. The hotel once again transformed into an abandoned store and her natural brown hair shone under the moonlight.
Targeting civilians was far too easy, she wondered why Naruto Uzumaki even bothered negotiation when she could simply manipulate him through a Genjutsu to do as they desired.
Nonetheless, her duty was to follow orders.
She picked up the target and hauled him over her shoulder before jumping out from the window and towards the meeting point.
She had a mission to execute.
…
Yuyake awoke groggily, his vision slightly lidded as he looked around.
He wasn't drunk enough to pass out, just what had happened?
He squinted and rubbed his eyes, but to no avail. All he could see was darkness with seemingly no end in sight.
"Hello," he finally spoke after a few minutes of walking, "Is anyone here? Kinako?"
"I'm afraid she had to leave," a voice behind him spoke and he turned to face the speaker.
"S-shinobi-sama…" he stuttered as he saw the blond-haired boy from a few weeks ago seemingly emerge from the darkness.
"It has been a little while Yuyake," the boy spoke.
"Indeed," Yuyake tried to calm down, "Where am I? Where did Kinako go?"
"The Kinako you refer to, does not exist," the boy spoke, "She is an agent of mine who was tasked to get you here for a meeting, a mission in which she succeeded in quite well."
Yuyake gulped as he realized the situation he was in.
He was officially and completely sober now.
"…a meeting?" he finally asked as he calmed down, "Has something happened? I swear that my comrades and I have not-"
"-it's not that mission itself that I'm talking about," the boy cut him off, "But your recent actions and the possible aftermath."
Yuyake looked on cluelessly.
"I stuck my neck out quite literally to help your army," the boy spoke, "I went against sanctioned protocol and even risked the wrath of my superiors in order help you, one of the main reasons as to why I swore you to secrecy – something which you have abided by. However your current actions risk undoing everything."
"Current actions?" Yuyake couldn't help but voice his confusion.
"Your desire to declare Gato's death," the boy spoke, "It puts me and you, both at a very big risk. Slick as he was, Gato had friends in many places that can cause immense hardship..."
Yuyake's face attained a blue hue as the weight of the boy's words sunk in.
"…his death means more than just a cause for celebrations for this country," the boy narrowed his eyes, "It means the collapse of one of the biggest players international trade, and there will be people who will be looking for scapegoats. Have you considered the consequences of an independent investigation by another country? What answer will your Daimyo give if Hot Water country calls for an explanation for the death of one of their biggest benefactors and taxpayers? What will happen when the countries where he gave generous donations to political foundations come looking for his killer…did you think of all this?"
"…No," Yuyake spoke as the gravity of what he was about to do sunk in.
He was about to declare the death of one of the worst tyrants his country had ever seen and partake in the celebrations that would happen afterwards - He even got paid to do it.
It has seemed so simple.
…he never thought of the shockwaves this would send throughout the world. No one knew what happened to Gato actually, no one except the boy that stood in front of him.
"There are people who are going to try and take all that he had," the boy spoke, "And in order to justify something like that on moral grounds they will try and look for someone to pin the blame on. Do you realize who that someone will be?"
"…us," Yuyake gritted his teeth as he finally understood what the Daimyo had been trying to do by merging the revolutionary army with the small police force.
Before being inducted into the force him and his comrades were independent, and most importantly they were anonymous. No one, except those that supported the cause against Gato with their heart knew of their identity or locations.
…but that was no longer the case. Following Gato's end almost all of them had returned to their homes in a proud display of bravado – the feeling only buffed when they were inducted into the police force and given steady employment. Many were contemplating starting their own families.
If an investigation opened now, they were all in the open – the perfect scapegoats in the game of politics and power. There would be no escape into the wilderness now.
His fists clenched as he berated himself over and over for his foolishness. He had let the end of Gato's reign let him get soft, he had started trusting the same Daimyo which had let their country fall before the tyrant he had fought against since many years.
He had let his final success get to his head, and if not for this wake up call his head would have been on a pike in a few months – this time at the hands of his own countrymen.
"An apology would not be enough," he spoke as he bowed down on his knees, "But I'm truly sorry about what I was about to do shinobi-sama. I let the final triumph get to my head, and it could have put us all in danger."
"Atleast you understand the demerits in your actions," the boy spoke, "Have you signed the warrant for declaration yet?"
"No," Yuyake spoke, "It is still on the draftsman's table. I can make the file disappear, but I'm afraid that-"
"-there is someone who incited you to do this, most likely with highly lucrative monetary incentives," the boy spoke, a smirk on his features, "I know, how much have you been paid?"
"5 million Ryou was promised," Yuyake spoke with his head hung down, internally he made a vow to never let anything go to his head ever again, "1 million in advance, the remaining amount payable after I publish the warrant with my signature."
"Very well," the boy spoke, "The required money will be given to you so that you can return the advance bribe with interest tomorrow itself. But I need you to tell me exactly who was lobbying for this declaration."
"It was a man from Water Country," Yuyake rummaged through his pockets as he tried to find the slip, "He came out of nowhere a few days ago waving money at me and my comrades at a bar. I really don't know how I can repay you for-"
"-there is no need," the boy spoke, a hulking masked figure emerged from the darkness and took the slip from his hands before merging back with the shadows, "But in return for bailing you out this time, you and your circle of comrades must agree to serve as my informants. Rest assured, you will be paid for any services you provide to me."
"I understand," Yuyake spoke, "I'll talk with them tomorrow and return the money."
"We'll be tailing you when you meet this lobbyist," the boy spoke, "But for now you are done, remember your vow of secrecy."
Yuyake bowed once again, he felt something poke him at the back of his skull and his vision slipped.
…
"Bringer of Darkness: Release," Kuro spoke as she released the hold of her technique. Naruto looked on as Ginko slung the unconscious form of Yuyake on his shoulder and jumped out of the cave they were using as a temporary base for their mission.
Naruto picked up the note from where Ginko had left it and eyed it, it seemed kind of familiar…
"Anything the matter Captain?" Kuro spoke as she came near him.
"Well," Naruto searched through his belongings before he found another note and compared them both under the lantern they hung on the ceiling, "I think so, yes. Have Kagebo make a request for further reinforcements the moment his team gets here."
The note that Yuyake gave him…and the one handed to him by Haku were complete replicas of each other.
What the hell was Zabuza playing at here!?
…
(Konoha)
Kakashi walked back into the village after having completed a routine A-rank mission. While he appreciated having a genin team, nothing beat having some alone time with his former ANBU comrades.
Thinking about his team, it would be a week since they had last met tomorrow.
Perhaps he should check up on them sometime.
…
(Wave Country: Morning)
Yuyake woke up to find himself sleeping in what appeared to be a barn. A suitcase packed with money was kept near his feet.
He stood up and dusted himself, the suitcase was deposited safely with his sister before he tidied up and went to his office.
"Gerro," he spoke as he came near the draftsman's desk, "Come inside my cabin."
Inside he gestured the man to sit.
"The Gato file," Yuyake spoke, "I want to see it in a better cover."
Gerro raised an eyebrow at his boss's sudden flip decision but nodded nonetheless.
In the afternoon when the officers were out patrolling, a small fire occurred in the filing section. The reported loss was a bunch of old newspapers and a few unidentified case files with no recorded copies.
…
(2 days later)
(Genkai: Eastern Docks)
"So the shrimp's still in the game," Zabuza spoke as he read his contact's report.
This was bad, another simple job had grown far too complicated…and the blond shrimp was looking even more dangerous.
"Shintaro," he spoke as he called out Chojuro's codeword, "We have got to party at the bar tonight."
Zabuza was now officially out of the race to be the Godaime Mizukage. The job would be too much for him.
…
(Night: Angel Ladder Club)
"…so let me get this straight," Mei spoke as she narrowed her eyes, "You tried to curry a favor with the Governor of the Eastern Provinces by helping him take over Gato's business, but now this Naruto Uzumaki is involved and wants to meet you because of what you did."
"Yes," Zabuza nodded as he looked down, "I'm sorry for the trouble."
Mei sighed as she looked at the man in front of her, he was a good soldier and could even pass as a decent match for her…but he sucked at politics and deal-making.
"Do you even realize what you tried to do Zabuza?" she spoke as her gaze hardened, "If that officer had declared Gato to be dead, then given your history as a shinobi and the possible grudge you could hold against him as an unpaid mercenary – the blame of his death would have been on your head."
Zabuza simply looked down.
"You would been made the scapegoat by almost anyone that wanted to bite into his fortune," she spoke, "Your return would have been for nothing with the tag of a murderer, and I doubt that even the Governor would hold up his part of the deal after that. Do you realize how badly you messed up?"
"…yes," Zabuza spoke as he looked up, "I'll do as you say, no independent deals from now on."
"Good," Mei spoke as she looked at him, "Now tell me more about this Naruto Uzumaki."
"He's a kid," Zabuza spoke, "Based on his features he's around 10 to 12, officially a Genin on a team led by Hatake Kakashi. But based on my experience he's something else."
"Elaborate," Mei spoke.
"He's shrewd," Zabuza spoke, "Far shrewder than any kid I've seen in my life. He acts independently from his team, is very good at information gathering and was able to subdue Haku quite easily within 5 minutes. He has access to deep pockets given that he paid over 30 million to me at the drop of a hat…possibly working for a shadowy unit in the leaf."
Mei nodded at his report, Konoha had a reputation for young prodigies. The shadowy units of the Leaf too were the stuff of legends, having been credited for taking down the nearly invincible Third Raikage and even the unstoppable Hanzo – all rumors, but definitely not without substance.
"Let's see what he has to say," she spoke as she looked out of the small window in the room, "Where has he asked to meet?"
"On Makitsu Island," Zabuza spoke.
'A reasonable location,' Mei thought. Makitsu was a small island lying in the ocean that separated the Lands of Water and Fire. It was often used by seafaring ships as a short stop and was a pretty popular tourist destination.
"Very well," Mei spoke, "But this time it will be me who meets him, I'm wagering that he's pissed because of your little stunt and we can't afford any more trouble than we already have."
"…take Haku with you," Zabuza spoke as he nodded, "He is good with blending in and can work as an effective bodyguard."
"Will do," Mei spoke, "I'm leaving Ao as incharge while I'm gone. Haku and Chojuro will accompany me."
"…that kid is shaping up," Zabuza spoke, "I think he'll be enough even without a sword."
Mei smiled lightly, one of the major benefits of having Zabuza join them was that there was finally another swordsman who could train Chojuro.
Soon the both of them left for their separate destinations, Mei had a meeting in the next 36 hours.
…
(Ocean: Ship plying between Wave Country and Makitsu Island)
Naruto sat up in the 'bird's nest' of the ship he and his team were taking to reach Makitsu island.
From the message they had gotten, he would be meeting Terumi Mei herself. Naruto had currently put the Gato mission temporarily on hold, sidetracking his entire team to find anything they could on the woman. Even Danzo- Jiji himself had stepped in to help him out.
She was born of the Terumi-clan, an erstwhile noble clan in the Land of Water which was famed for the 'Boil Release' bloodline that made them dangerous fighters on the battlefield. She was said to be the only member of the clan to survive the bloodline purges of the Yondaime Mizukage, and was the only ray of hope for the resistance fighters as she had the support of one of the surviving Shinobi Swordsmen – making her an official challenger for the post of the Mizukage.
Who this swordsman was, no one seemed to know or speak of openly.
'But it most definitely isn't Zabuza,' Naruto thought as he looked at the nearly endless mass of water. In the past few hours he had devoured almost every shred of knowledge regarding the Hidden Mist he could lay his hands on. A failed Genin candidate who was in Yuyake's circle had agreed to accompany them and had told them many of the open secrets regarding the village.
The Hidden Mist was, in many ways, defined by its swordsmen. The institution of the Seven Swordsmen was itself created by the Shodaime Mizukage to appease the founding clans, and only the person who obtained the approval of the majority of them could be appointed as the Mizukage.
But the institution had been in steady decline since some time, from what information he had received from Jiji, a former ninja of the Leaf – Maito Dai had managed to almost entirely wipe out the previous generation of the Swordsmen…he had dealt a crippling blow to the Hidden Mist at the cost of his life.
The Yondaime Mizukage who reigned over the village right now was Karatachi Yagura, a frighteningly powerful shinobi said to be capable of producing Tsunami's in the high seas with his techniques. Jiji's information also seemed to indicate that he was possibly a Jinchuriki like Naruto himself, though which beast he held inside was currently unknown. His initial years of reign had proven to be quite successful, with the institution of the Seven Swordsmen being revived as well.
…but that had been before the Bloodline Purges. It was not known exactly why, but since the last few years Yagura had systematically dismantled clans bearing bloodline limits, often through violent means when required. His actions had plunged the Hidden Mist into a Civil War - where it was only because of Mangetsu Hozuki, the current leader of the 7 that Yagura still managed to retain his power.
One of his clones on the ship dissipated and an idea struck Naruto.
If Terumi Mei had the support of one of the swordsmen before Zabuza went back to Water Country, it was most likely that she had 2 of them supporting her now. Which meant that, in theory, she could vote Yagura out of power.
'Then what stops her now?' Naruto thought, he dispersed all his 'thinking clones' on the ship, but none of them had figured anything. He then created a few others to come up with possible theories but to no avail.
He had officially hit a wall, meeting Terumi like this would be for nothing.
Naruto needed help, and luckily he had someone he could rely on.
"Kagebo," he spoke as a figure emerged from the shadows of the sails, "Take a message, I want it to reach JIji ASAP."
…
(Leaf Underground: ROOT Base)
"Well done Uzumaki," Danzo spoke in the darkness of his office as he read the note his young charge had written to him.
To his credit, the boy had let go of his useless ego and knew when to ask for help. He was good, but still young and inexperienced – a defect Danzo would start covering once he was back.
For now, he'd just fill in the gap of understanding in the boy's head.
He wrote his answer and had it sent right away, he was about to get back to his work when Fuu came inside his office without knocking.
This meant there was an emergency.
"What is it?" Danzo asked.
"Agent #58 stationed near Uzumaki Naruto's old residence has reported in," Fuu spoke, "Hatake Kakashi has been asking around for him, and could be coming at his present residence to check up."
For the first time in what seemed like years Danzo let a curse escape from his lips.
…
(Konoha Village)
Kakashi wandered around the apartment complex he had assumed his student resided in. His initial action of jumping in from the window had been met with a scathing and quite violent rebuke from a young Kunoichi who had moved in there. Kakashi had barely managed to scamper out before someone died.
The talk with the landlord had not shed much light on the issue either. The guy's mood had changed the moment Kakashi had mentioned Naruto's name, and he had been pushed out saying that he no longer knew where the boy was and was just grateful that it was gone.
Kakashi had known that many villagers did not hold a high opinion of Naruto, but he never knew it was this bad. He had half-mind to walk back in and make the landlord speak but decided against it.
Instead he jumped across the rooftops and towards the Hokage Tower.
If Naruto had moved, then he had to have updated his address with the authorities.
…
(Naruto's House)
Akemi walked around Naruto Uzumaki's quarters to ensure that everything was in order. As per Danzo-sama's orders the Northern entrance inside had been temporarily sealed off and all traces of the existence of ROOT had been erased from the house.
Now all she had to do was wait.
…
(Outside the Kuroki Compound)
Kakashi looked at the gate of the compound as he went ahead and knocked, a guard opened a small side window and soon he was let in.
Inside he was directed to the main house in the compound where he met a woman he vaguely recalled from his earlier years as a Shinobi.
"Good noon to you Hatake-san," she spoke with a light bow, "My name is Akemi Fushiki and I am the current custodian of the Kuroki clan. I am told that you are here in the compound to see Uzumaki Naruto-san?"
"Yeah," Kakashi spoke lazily as he looked around, "Is he around here?"
"Unfortunately, not at present," Akemi-san spoke, "Uzumaki-san is currently out running an errand for me outside the village, it would take him a few days to return."
"Days?" Kakashi raised his eyebrow, "Pardon me madam, but I don't understand what you are saying – he is a shinobi of the Leaf and is to remain in the village unless he has permission to do so. What kind of an errand is he running that requires him to leave the village without informing his squad leader?"
"If I may explain it in detail," Akemi-san spoke, "I had arrived at an agreement with Uzumaki-san a few months ago, whereby he would run errands for the estate whenever he was not on other official missions. In return I let him use the outhouse in this compound for accommodation purposes. It has proven to be a rather convenient arrangement with his clone technique and he has proven to be quite hardworking and earnest in his work. It is also registered as a D-rank mission as per the applicable protocols."
"I see," Kakashi felt his shoulders loosen slightly, "So you have him do odd jobs here and there, that's it?"
"Indeed," Akemi-san spoke, "A few days ago he happened to mention that he had been given 2 weeks off his official duties. Therefore I asked him to provide some assistance in our wheat farms in the North for this Harvest season. He left a few days ago, and given how fast he can be with his clones I believe he will be back soon."
"Hmmm," Kakashi rubbed his chin, the woman in front of him looked like she was speaking the truth. She was quite aristocratic in her mannerisms, indicative of the fact that she was the custodian of a business clan. The arrangement she spoke of was quite the lucrative offer for someone like Naruto, but…
"I'd be pleased to escort you to the outhouse if you wish," Akemi-san spoke, "Uzumaki-san is quite a nice boy, and it would only be proper of me to show his teacher his lodgings."
"…alright," Kakashi shrugged. If nothing it'd soothe the feeling of paranoia he was having.
He was led by Akemi-san a bit deeper into the compound as they came before a cozy-looking house tucked near a small pond. The area near the house seemed to have been cleared and Kakashi could see an amateur Gardener's work in the making. The house was surrounded by a few basic traps indicating that it was a shinobi residence.
"I do have a key," Akemi-san spoke, "But I'm afraid that Uzumaki-san has set up a few ingenious traps to keep out intruders. He reported a few problems with stray cats earlier and I'm sure he's made a few modifications since then."
"That won't be a problem," Kakashi spoke as he took the key. He lazily flung a kunai to the ground to set off a basic trap before he sidestepped to dodge a volley of paintballs, he then opened the door with a violent shove and the bucket of water on the top now lay harmlessly on the floor.
Kakashi then moved in as he looked around. The place was slightly messy but overall alright – a few extra rooms had been closed off, the kitchen looked well stocked and most of Naruto's possessions, including his signature jacket lay on the floor in the drawing room.
Overall, it felt homey.
"…I hope he isn't giving you any trouble," Kakashi spoke as he moved out at the end.
"Not at all," Akemi-san spoke, "To the contrary of what I was advised earlier by a few villagers, Uzumaki-san has solved quite a few issues regarding maintenance in and around the compound since he started living here. That was the very reason as to why I had him help us in this Harvest season, he'll be paid a bit extra if we manage to complete everything before the deadline."
"Where is your farm?" Kakashi asked as they both started walking back to the main house.
"In Hikotoshi village," Akemi-san spoke, "It is a rather large tract spread over 100 Acres. I was hoping that Uzumaki-san's clone ability could help us solve the shortage of labor we have been facing."
Kakashi nodded, Hikotoshi wasn't that far and was known to have substantial farming operations. He then separated from Akemi-san after a quick goodbye and walked out of the compound.
…it was only after that he checked the entry in the Journal of the last week that he pushed back his paranoia. Naruto Uzumaki was reported to have left the village for over a week for an ongoing D-rank to Hikotoshi, the D-rank was in turn paid for by the Kuroki-clan.
It was just as Akemi-san spoke.
Naruto was an orphan who was now working and trying to establish his roots, what was the worst that was going to happen in this arrangement?
He'd let it be, the complex wasn't that great looking and it looked like Naruto was in good company for the moment.
…
(ROOT Base: Underground)
"Report," Danzo spoke in a gruff voice as Akemi moved inside his office, Hatake's single visit could risk undoing everything he had achieved in the past few months.
"Hatake Kakashi had visited the Kuroki compound 5 hours ago," Akemi spoke, "He enquired about Naruto Uzumaki's whereabouts, to which I provided the standard answers as per Sub-Protocol 5 of Protocol 9. Overall he seemed convinced that my arrangement with Uzumaki-san was bonafide in nature and left after spending 25 minutes within the compound. His body language did not indicate that he was suspicious of the arrangement, however I would not discount a paranoid approach to Uzumaki-san's case as is evident from the fact that he cross-checked my story with the official records."
"…dismissed," Danzo spoke letting his shoulders deflate slightly, it seemed that Hatake's indolence would serve its purpose for the moment.
Atleast for now, he had dodged a bullet.
…
(Makitsu Island: A day later)
"…Cold!" Naruto smacked his head slightly to relieve the self-induced headache from eating too much shaved ice. Once it had settled down he ate the remaining part of his dish and paid the vendor.
Naruto then walked around taking in the sights the island had to offer, for this mission he had dyed his hair black, the whisker-marks on his cheeks had been covered with a hint of makeup and he was wearing contact lenses that made his eyes appear green.
All in an effort to hide his true identity in this place, afterall protocol dictated it and he had already broken a few rules by letting Yuyake see his face. Henso had been rather thorough in his preparations and everyone on his team had been completely transformed.
It was quite the experience…being someone else that is. Right now Uzumaki Naruto of the leaf was officially in a small farming village in fire country, and it was Menma Namiori of Wave country who was enjoying a vacation here with his elder sister and her fiancé.
He looked ahead as Kinako and Gukori aka Kuro and Ginko walked ahead in the general market area looking for sweet nothings like a real couple. Naruto then took a coconut from a nearby stand as he surveyed his surroundings, they had already marked a good location for a meeting with Terumi Mei and-
"Hey!" An older-looking girl walked over to him and snapped him out of his thoughts, "You look new here!"
"Menma Namiori at your service," Naruto spoke as he took a sip from his drink, "I'm here on a vacation with my sister."
"Kaori Hikoto," the girl spoke with a smile, she pointed to a nearby shop where a girl around his age seemed to be fiddling with her dress, "That's my sister Kimiko there, we were wondering if you'd like to join us on our beach shack for this evening."
Naruto was about to refuse and walk away, given that he was on a mission and had no time to fool around – but he held back.
Was he being…asked out?
It was a novel experience for him, years of being avoided and shunned by the majority of people around his age made it difficult for him to accept his proposition.
Terumi-san wouldn't be landing for a few more hours for now, and he already had a bunch of clones working on everything.
"Sure," he spoke as he looked up, he could spare maybe an hour or two, "But I'll have to ask my sister first, she's just around the corner with her fiancé…
…
The next 2 hours proved to be the most enjoyable in Naruto's life. For that small amount of time he could forget that he was Naruto Uzumaki and just act like a normal kid just having a good time when out on vacation. He drank flavored soda, played hoops, scooped up fishes and ate a lot of sweets.
It was almost like utopia.
"So…Menma-kun," Kimiko spoke as they walked along the beach in the evening, "I hope you liked the island."
"It is awesome," Naruto let his genuine emotions surface as he smiled, "I had the most fun in my life, Believe it!"
"I'm glad," Kimiko spoke as she fiddled around with the hem of her dress, "Ummm…"
Naruto looked at her questioningly, Kimiko in the meanwhile looked back at her sister who was serving drinks in the shack who signaled something Naruto was unable to read.
…that was until he felt a warm and slightly wet feeling on his lips.
"I-I'll see you around if you ever come back!" Kimiko ran back at her sister who gave her a thumbs up.
Naruto for his part stood shell-shocked as he brought his fingers to his face and traced the hem of his lips.
This was his first kiss.
…it felt oddly good.
In a few moments he said his goodbyes and walked back to the hotel they had been staying in.
…
"Naruto-sama," Kuro spoke once they were alone on the road, "Allowing that girl to get close to you was a serious breach of protocol."
"…she didn't even have access to chakra," Naruto tried to justify himself, he knew what had happened was not as per the rules but…it had felt good.
"Females will often utilize their sexuality in order to achieve hidden objectives," Kuro spoke without missing a beat, "While a background check has confirmed that the girls were simple civilians, many a times physical contact even with a civilian woman can be fatal – especially vish-kanyas."
"Vish-kanyas?" Naruto asked.
"An ancient and very dangerous cult of assassins," Kuro spoke, "They are based out of a remote village in Fang Country. They adopt young girls who are born under unlucky stars and thus abandoned by their families - the girls are then fed a diet consisting of various lethal poisons over a period of time, something that makes their body secretions such as blood and saliva just as lethal as the poisons themselves. The girls are trained in singing, dancing, weaving and various other womanly arts including seduction – they may not be shinobi but are in no way less lethal than any other enemy you face. A single kiss from a vish-kanya can kill a grown man within a very short period of time, the only remedy being drinking a cocktail of poisons only that vish-kanya herself knows about."
Naruto absorbed the information in stunned silence.
"I believe that your reaction is based on the fact that you have no experience with women," Kuro spoke, "It would not be advisable to undertake negotiations with Terumi Mei by yourself in this scenario, she is deemed to be older and far more experienced compared to you."
Naruto wanted to shout out to defend himself but swallowed his words, as per his training he followed his breath for a few moments and weighed Kuro's words.
What he had done was indeed breach of protocol, he had let his desire for social interaction and female company get better of him. Even if his clones were working on everything while he enjoyed himself for just a few hours he had dropped his guard to such a level that a simple civilian girl was able to get behind his defenses.
…bottomline being that he did mess up. He couldn't afford to lower his guard like this.
"I'll keep it in mind," Naruto spoke, "You and Ginko will stay with me during the meeting. I don't think Terumi-san herself would be alone either. Have Kagebo and his team station themselves a bit far from the meeting place in case she has a sensor with her."
"Understood," Kuro spoke, she made a few discreet hand-signs and a sparrow sitting on a nearby branch flew off.
Naruto looked ahead and started dispersing his clones, he hoped no one had to walk off this meeting with blood on their hands.
…
(Suikari Resort: Makitsu Island)
Haku moved around extending his senses as he constantly surveyed the area, detecting no additional threat other than Naruto Uzumaki and his 2 comrades he sighed in relief and looked at his leader.
"3 of them," Haku spoke as he looked at Mei, "Chakra levels indicative of them being Jonin-level. No other signature within 500 meters of the resort."
"…I still don't think that's all he has," his team leader spoke as she did her hair, "The way Zabuza described it, he's pissed off at us and is pretty powerful in his village. With the kind of money he waved around earlier before you and Zabuza I wouldn't put it to be beyond him to have a stealthy team tucked somewhere along the beach to take us out."
"S-should I run a recon?" Chojuro asked nervously.
"No need," Mei spoke as she surveyed her appearance, "I don't think he's looking to get down and rough in this place unless necessary…and we're not looking for any trouble either. Plus this meeting is to ensure that we don't create a new enemy for ourselves. One of you running around will only set off alarm bells for them."
"I-I see," Chojuro bowed.
Haku looked on as his commander got up from the stool and dropped her robe, a thin violet dress desperately clung to her body, a high slit giving plenty of room for mobility as well as showing off her long legs. A similar cut on the top revealed her bountiful cleavage.
But overall, it was her ease and confidence in her outfit that struck Haku. She was completely focused on her task, and was not in the slightest ashamed of using her body to gain a better bargaining position.
Without a doubt, Terumi Mei was just as skilled in the Kunoichi Arts as in other shinobi fields.
…
(Naruto's Room)
Naruto sat cross-legged on the floor, his clones similarly aping his actions. The alarm in his room went off as he opened his eyes and got up.
An additional advantage of using the shadow clone technique for training was learning that he could calm himself down quite easily if he dissipated a clone that had been meditating. As per Kuro's observations Naruto had spent the last hour in contemplation of his actions and had come up with a pretty novel idea of keeping his surging hormones within control.
As soon as the meeting began, a clone would dissipate within every 4 minutes like clockwork. This would ensure that he remained calm and focused throughout the negotiations irrespective of what tactics were used against him.
Taking a deep breath Naruto jumped up and put on his robes, he walked out of his room and towards the meeting area. Kuro and Ginko soon joined him in the hallway as they moved to the upper dining area that had been reserved for the night.
He had a problem to fix, and hopefully he'd get it done without having to order a massacre.
The meeting which would decide the future was about to happen.
Hope you liked it.
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Stay Safe.