Sorry about this awful delay you guys. Finals week has mixed in with gradually moving back home and I'm all sorts of a mess. Anywho, here's a little transition chapter before we get into the good, meaty slaughter we're all waiting for!
Just to be clear that's good meaty slaughter that I own in no way shape or form
Sasuke beat everyone back to the village by almost a full twenty minutes, leaving his teammates no warning about his rapid departure. If Itachi had been listening in on any of the conversations, (which was very well possible since it's Itachi freaking Uchiha) then he would already know of the situation at home.
As it was, Itachi was going to try and track down his target before heading back to report, so Naruto figured Sasuke would have some time. Naruto had to check in with Tsunade before he could head home, and seeing the girls and Zabuza was something he was really looking forward to.
Sakura walked along with Naruto on their trip home, enjoying the company that had been missing from the village for a year. He seemed more… at ease now. Like he was almost detached from everything, yet still invested completely in the world around him. It made no sense, but Sakura got the feeling that he had grown more in the year away than he would have in five years in the village.
Naruto was content simply walking with Sakura. She had several stories about her and Sasuke, some of them making him laugh aloud. She told him of the fun she has at the Girl's Nights Karin and Haku have every Sunday. There were even a few stories of how Itachi would watch her and Sasuke like a protective mother whenever the elder Uchiha was home and not training.
Overall it was as if nothing but time had changed between the two. Naruto was also taller than her now, but that was forgotten pretty quickly once the conversation turned to her training. The stories she had about that particular subject were pretty vast. The hour and a half long stroll was filled mainly by Sakura's complaints of how ridiculous her tasks usually were. She had picked up a side job at the hospital to combine with her medical training, and she insisted that both of them combined were nothing compared to the demands both Guy-sensei and Lee made of her. Naruto understood that statement wholeheartedly. Those two green freaks were crazy when it came to training.
Before Sakura could get around to asking Naruto of his own training and time away the village gates came into view. Naruto had to promise that they could all get together soon and have a real conversation over the past year, maybe over dinner or something. With that reassurance, the two parted ways at the gates: Naruto to get to the Hokage and Sakura to get home and tell her parents she was fine.
Naruto was told by Shizune to wait in one of the chairs for Tsunade to return. Apparently, she had gone to see Tayuya herself and was just now getting back to the office. Naruto couldn't help but wince at the fate of the girl. Tsunade could be scary.
"Why do I have the urge to smack you right now?" the woman in Naruto's thoughts asked as she entered.
Naruto laughed nervously, "Ah! Haha, no reason probably. I did well enough for an on the fly mission so why hospitalize me, right?"
Tsunade sighed as she sat down. She looked fed up with everything that had happened, and Naruto honestly didn't blame her. "It went exceptionally well considering the circumstances. We just have to figure out how to get Tayuya to talk and all should be well enough. No one was hurt too seriously, although Neji and Akamaru had some close calls they're set for full recoveries."
Naruto visibly relaxed when he heard that. "How would I go about recommending people for field promotions?" Naruto asked suddenly.
"Give me their name and your reasoning and I'll add it to the listings. They'll need another officer's recommendation before I consider it though."
"Kiba Izunuka. His teamwork and strategy with his ninken helped him hold off a pair of jonin. His partner received injuries near the end of the fight, but they were successful in delaying and getting information from the enemy before my arrival. Tenten Higurashi. She showed exceptional stealth and tracking skills for the short amount of time I was able to sense her, and clone memories of her show her adding valuable input into solid strategies and reliably completing her own parts of any given plan."
Tsunade nodded as she scribbled down the names. "Is that all?" she asked once.
Naruto nodded but jumped a bit when Itachi walked in the now-repaired door. "Lady Hokage, I second both of those recommendations. I had crows watching the entirety of the woods and was close to intervening before Naruto arrived."
Tsunade smiled, put a check next to each of the names, and slid the paper to the middle of a stack. "Perfect. Naruto, If you'd finish up your report please?"
Naruto would normally have to file a written report, but since this wasn't an official mission he could get away with an oral version. After a quick recount of the day's events, Tsunade nodded in approval.
"You did well, Naruto. I'll be sure to assign more missions specifically to you, and you should be a full jonin by the end of the year," Tsunade then shifted before looking to Itachi. "Before I move on to your report, Itachi, I have to pass along an important message to the both of you. Tomorrow will be our first major Council meeting, and now that both of you are back there couldn't be a better time. Take today to do as you like, but please report to the main briefing room tomorrow at ten a.m. sharp. Naruto, you are dismissed."
Naruto didn't need any more coaxing and he left immediately, eager to see the rebuilt compound.
Karin sat at the rounded desk of the Uzumaki administration building trying her best to keep herself entertained. Days here went by slowly, but she did get the occasional visitor. Sometimes they came with official business or other nonsense she told them to ask Naruto, but days like today she would get lucky. Ino had come over to keep her company.
"I don't know how you live in this room for most of the day," Ino complained while leaning against the desk. "At least at my counter, there are flowers to keep me company."
Karin snorted at the thought, "Ino, only you would consider flowers company."
Ino blew a raspberry at her redheaded friend. Changing gears, she asked, "So what's the plan for this Sunday?"
"I was thinking maybe sushi and other seafood for dinner. Naruto should be back by then so I don't want to risk ramen."
Both girls giggled at the thought of Naruto storming in on their girls' night, raiding the kitchen for any and all ramen. Fantasy it may be, but it could very easily become a reality.
"We talking about ramen in here?" a new voice spoke up.
Both girls spun around, and they saw him at about the same time. Naruto sat draped across a chair, one leg dangling over an armrest. How he got in past a pair of kunoichi, one of which was a sensor, was unknown.
Before Ino could say anything, she had to restrain a laugh as she saw a red bullet shoot into the blond's chest. If not for the wall, that poor chair certainly would have tipped over.
"Naruto, you're home!" Karin shouted, her voice muffled by Naruto's chest.
"And what a home you've made it, Karin," Naruto replied warmly.
Ino was slightly taken aback at his response. Was this really Naruto? That was actually kind, and thoughtful, and nowhere near as awkward as an entrance, she was expecting. Ino watched as he stood up, dragging her friend along with him, and finally met his gaze.
"Well," Naruto held open an arm while keeping the other wrapped firmly around his cousin, "would you like one too, Ino?"
Did she? He was her friend and she was happy to see him again, but would that be giving off the wrong kind of message? She was definitely over him; all that drama had happened over a year ago for Kami's sake! But seeing him now… confident, still handsome…
"Yes she does," Karin answered, giving Ino no way out of the situation. The redhead pulled Ino into the embrace, and the three shared a quick hug in reunion. It was definitely nice to hug him, and the guilt was almost nonexistent.
"So, are you going to show me around or do I have to figure things out myself?" Naruto asked with a smile, looking down at Karin as he did so. Said girl immediately grabbed his wrist and started dragging him around, leaving Ino alone to contemplate her thoughts once more.
Naruto was impressed with how much had been finished in the last year. The list of buildings was fairly small, but they were the important ones. The administration building, Zabuza's private dojo and training field, a public set, a pair of residential houses for the three members of the Clan aside from Naruto, and the Clan Head's Manor. It was quite a bit bigger than Naruto was accustomed to at three stories, but he supposed that Hinata would like it.
Yeah, he still thought of his future as one where Hinata was present. It wasn't weird at all, just… hopeful. It didn't matter that no one had seen her in the past year, Naruto would find her. Nothing would change that.
"So what do you think?" Karin asked nervously.
"Uh, what?" Naruto blinked himself back o reality, startled by the sudden question.
"Of your new house, silly," Karin rolled her eyes at the goofy blond.
Naruto avoided her stare and asked, "Would you run by it again, I was distracted."
'Please say by me.' "Well, you can see it has three stories. The first floor has your kitchen, dining and living rooms, as well as a bathroom. The second floor has three bedrooms and a bathroom,. The top floor has the master bedroom, connected bathroom, an office, and a few extra closets"
Naruto gave her a confused look, "Who could ever need that much space?"
"Well, a Clan Head. One with a wife and kids. Or a few," Karin said matter-of-factly.
"Few kids?" Naruto confirmed.
Karin started to tug him along towards Zabuza's, "Uh, yeah! Kids. Of course."
Naruto's meeting with Zabuza hadn't been much more than that; a meeting. There weren't any overly kind words from the ex-mist nin, and Naruto soon left him to train up the few students he had with him. Exactly what Naruto had expected if he was being honest. Haku had unfortunately been away on a mission, but she was due back by the weekend.
After he had managed to say to goodbye to Karin (and escape) Naruto made his way to Sasuke's place. Sakura found him earlier and had wanted to meet up there when they all had the time, and since Naruto had more people to stop by he figured she was already there. Hopefully, he wouldn't interrupt anything.
The entirety of the Uchiha district still seemed cold and lifeless, but the house that Sasuke and Itachi occupied retained a bit of life. Still, Naruto couldn't help but feel the pain that still bled from the streets as he made his way to his friends' house.
"It is the pain of betrayal, Naruto. No matter which side you view that night from, someone was always getting betrayed. My father used to warn us about these dark emotions. 'The pain and thirst of loss can never be quenched by the blood of your family.' The Uchiha and their pride are a perfect example of this."
"Sometimes I forget that you're thousands of years old you know that? Sometimes I also think that our time with the toads is affecting you more than me."
"I'm going to choose to simply accept that compliment."
Naruto cut their banter short by knocking on Sasuke's door. Kurama didn't always break silences like that, but whenever he does it's usually for some sage-like reason. The last year was absolutely full of it.
The door opened and Itachi was the one looking at Naruto. "Naruto, hello. I must give you my thanks for rescuing my brother. In fact, if Orochimaru hadn't jumped in or I had known about your… new relationship with the Kyuubi I could have likely kept my cover."
Naruto bowed awkwardly, trying his best to brush off the compliment while still accepting it. It wouldn't do to get a big head.
"Your team is waiting for you in the living space. Feel free to help yourself to the pantry, I have to go and prepare for tomorrow's meeting."
With that, the tall Uchiha left, sweeping past Naruto in a controlled stride. That was an almost surreal encounter. Itachi had become a kind of living legend within the Elemental Nations, the only real S-Ranked threat in the active Konoha force aside from the Sannin. Not to mention he was 'the most eligible bachelor in twenty years.' Naruto didn't want to know how one got such a title.
"Naruto! We've been waiting for you!" Sakura called out as soon as Naruto stepped inside the door. She was sitting back to back with a dozing Sasuke, doing her best to elbow him awake. Yeah, he had a pretty good reason to be tired after today.
"You guys start the 'meeting' without me?" Naruto joked.
Kakashi looked up from his orange book and grunted, confused as to the changing situation. Apparently, Naruto had shown up between now and the last fifteen minutes. Sakura's urging to wake Sasuke got a bit too enthusiastic, and the dark haired Uchiha slumped over. His shoulder smacked the wood of his floor before he jolted awake, scrambling to sit back up with a bit of dignity.
"Actually, it's nice to know not much has changed," Naruto laughed aloud as he took a seat next to his teammates. This was honestly something he had missed the most; these team meet-ups.
"Speaking of change," Sasuke muttered as he righted himself on the floor, "How did the last year treat you?"
Naruto smiled wistfully as he thought back, likely looking like an old man remembering his glory days. In reality, he was remembering how often he had his ass handed to him over the last year.
"Well, my Sage Mode is better is a lot better now. I can summon Kurama at various tails, and I'm working on modifying the Rasengan. Aside from that I did a lot of sparring with Sages that absolutely kicked my ass most days. How about you guys?"
All three other people in the room stared blankly at the blond, each for a different reason in the stories of the last year.
'He's going to finish sensei's Jutsu? Even I failed at that…'
'Who the hell could hand Naruto his ass? Last time we sparred it was like fighting a blond version of my brother!'
'WHEN THE HELL WAS SUMMONING BIJU A THING?'
Kakashi cleared his throat, catching his students' attention. "Well, I for one got a lot of reading done during my long-term mission. We never did find our targets, but Itachi had much better luck than we did by the sounds of things."
"Isn't that the same book and/or series you've been reading since we've met?" Sakura asked with a disapproving look.
"Art doesn't expire," the team leader defended himself.
"Well, I have been working my butt off, and not just with reading," Sakura pointed. "Tsunade-sensei taught me a lot, and I have her Seal of a Hundred Healings mastered. And on top of that, I asked Lee to teach me about the Gates. Of course, he brought Guy-sensei into it and I'm exhausted all the time, but I can open three of the gates now. Oh, and I made Chunin."
Naruto knew most of this already, having seen it in action. Hearing it aloud though was a sobering experience, and Kakashi looked more than pleased with his pink-haired pupil. Sakura had probably grown the most of the three of them, and she had a reason to be proud of herself.
"I'm getting better and better with my sword every time I see Zabuza. I'm training under my brother as well, and I've gotten a lot stronger even without my evolved Sharingan. I've mastered most of my family's signature genjutsu, and now I'm working on alternate forms of the Chidori."
Sasuke finished by showing off one of his Chidori variations; a long sword like lightning blade extending from his chirping hand. Naruto thought that the last Chidori used on Kimimaro had been a bit different, but he was understandably too distracted to take total notice.
"I'm still awesome and still your senior. 'Nuff said," Kakashi offered after heavy prompting.
"Come on, Sensei! Give us more than that," Sakura urged.
Kakashi shrugged his shoulders as he leaned forward. "I spent most of the last year hunting targets you all know of. You kids had a much more exciting time than I did." This seemed to satisfy the youngest ones in the room. "I am very proud of all of you and your progress, though."
And like that, the mood lifted even higher and smiles were skillfully hidden from view. There was always something special about getting praise from someone who's taught you. Someone who you look up to. Especially when that someone is Kakashi.
"Yeah, well I bet we could take you on now," Naruto asserted after regaining his composure.
Kakashi chuckled and held up a hand to stop the confirmations he knew were coming. "Usually I'd love to test all your growth personally, but we have a war to prepare for. Can't be wasting too much energy now. In fact, I think the first war meeting is tomorrow."
Naruto groaned aloud when he was reminded of that.
"Speaking of tomorrow," Sasuke started, "I think I'll sleep until it starts. I'm exhausted."
"Go ahead and head to bed, Sasuke," Kakashi granted as he stood. He was followed by all of his students.
"Since he actually wants to sleep, Sakura you probably shouldn't follow him," Naruto joked as the three guests made their way for the door.
"Idiot."
"What?"
Naruto saw Kakashi open the door, and suddenly he was flying out of it, his head throbbing with more pain than usual.
Sakura stood with her fist outstretched, eye twitching, and saying, "It's a good thing that door was open."
Kakashi just shook his head as he left to the sound of Sasuke grunting in his form of agreement. He never had a dull moment around his team, and he wouldn't have it any other way.
Naruto stood outside of the door leading to the meeting room. Conference room. War room? It didn't really matter. It was too early to bother Kurama with being awake and actively partaking in anything, so Naruto was going in solo. Kakashi had told him how things would probably go and what he should bring, so Naruto had at least a little bit of confidence going into this.
Naruto was the most recent addition to the council, and by proxy of showing respect, his first appearance should be with him being the last beside the Hokage to arrive. Kakashi had explained that this was usually so every other clan could see him enter the room and read his body; to try and get a feel for what kind of Clan Head he would be. No problem. He could usually walk into a room without making a fool of himself.
Naruto was also sitting in his mother's seat instead of his father's, one of the oldest seats in the village. The Uzumaki name carried a lot more weight than Namikaze did throughout history. In fact, Minato had been the one to found a seat on the council for his name when he became Hokage. That being said, Naruto would have some high expectations to live up to. He would make the Uzumaki clan proud. He would make his parents proud.
Naruto stood up straighter and opened the door. As his foot passed the threshold of the room, all polite muttering stopped as eyes were trained on him. Nothing more than Naruto had expected, but still a little off-putting. Naruto calmly walked to his designated spot while looking for the few people he both knew and was supposed to acknowledge.
Inoichi had pledged himself to Naruto long before anyone thought he was the best thing since ramen. He was the first person Naruto offered a small nod to. The blond man returned it with polite surprise.
Next up the table was Asuma taking the place of his father. He was smoking while lazily following Naruto with his eyes, and he returned Naruto's small nod with his own. It was well known that Hiruzen had a soft spot for the blond, so Naruto had no problems making the connection with his son. And that was never minding the fact that Asuma had helped him figure out his chakra claws.
Up near the head of the table was Itachi, sitting just behind the Hyuga seat. Naruto was surprised when Itachi nodded first, but he didn't show it and returned the gesture. Sasuke was likely the reason Itachi held Naruto in such regard.
Sitting in the highest occupied seat of Clan Heads, just before the three Council Elders, was Hiashi Hyuga. Naruto didn't give him a nod, there was no real binding tie between them until Hinata was returned. Instead, the two shared a look. It was full of understanding and determination, and both knew that their interests were the same. Hinata would be found, safe and healthy.
Naruto pulled out his seat in the silence of the room, and then turned to the Council elders and bowed slightly before sitting down. Naruto laid out the few notes and documents he had prepared and sighed in relief when he heard the voices start once more. Not the one in his head, Kurama was still being a lazy ass, but the ones at the table.
It was a really good first impression if what Kakashi had told him was anything to go by. Naruto took note of all the empty civilian council chairs on the opposite side of the table and then decided to study the order the Clans were arranged in. Clans with more influence, political or otherwise, were seated closest to the Hokage.
The Hokage sat at the head of the table, of course. Following her was the three Elders; Danzo, Homura, and Koharu. While not actually clan seats they counted as the first three chairs since they carried the most political weight aside from the Hokage.
The highest actual Clan seat (but technically still chair number four) belonged to the Senju, which made sense as they were the founders and the family of the first two Hokage. Positions five and six belonged to the Hyuga and the Uchiha respectively, and (up until the Massacre) Naruto knew that the seats often switched.
Seventh was the Sarutobi clan, who had a significant jump up the rankings since Hiruzen became Hokage. Naruto wasn't sure if Asuma had always sat the chair or if his father had picked another representative, but everyone seemed surprised to see the chain smoker present.
In the eighth chair sat the Aburame clan head. Naruto didn't know him personally, but he was aware that he was Shino's father. A quick check of one of his notes told Naruto that his name was… Shipi? That didn't sound right… Shibi! Wow, he had to start taking better notes. Sakura could probably help. That wasn't the only place he had to cram things on a page due to poor planning. Apparently, the Aburame single-handedly wiped out a rival clan in the last war, earning them a bit of a political boost despite the social barriers they were known for.
Ironically Naruto was seated ninth at the table, something he thought Kurama would enjoy. Was it pure symbolism that put the Uzumaki, the literal guardians of the Kyuubi, here? Or maybe honor to the past favors and deeds?
The next three seats were interchangeable between the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. They made a large impact in the past with their teamwork, and they cared little for their actual positions since everyone gave them the respect they each felt was deserved.
The Inuzuka made up the thirteenth slot, and the last two seats were unoccupied. Number fourteen belonged to Guy-sensei, but he was stationed elsewhere for the meeting. The last chair was his father's and would be the first to be replaced if another clan found themselves deserving a spot on the council of fifteen.
The door opposite the one Naruto entered was opened, and a line of well-dressed businessmen and women streamed in. They were the fifteen most powerful (richest) civilians in Konoha, and they liked to annoy the Hokage during times like these. Naruto was sure they saw it as something important, but no one was really fooled.
Naruto spent the time waiting for the civilians to find their seats pretending to read over his papers. There was no one to talk to with an anti-social Aburame to his left and the bored Shikaku to his right. That must be where Shikamaru gets it from.
Eventually, a third door opened, one behind the Hokage's seat. Jiraiya was the first to emerge, followed by Kakashi and Guy. They were the three top jonin in the village, present to act as peacekeepers in case the council became agitated. They were actually just for showing off to the civilian side, everyone knew that there were ANBU ready to kill everyone in the room. Probably.
Naruto stood with the rest of the thirty-person table as Tsunade entered wearing her full robes and hat, the first time Naruto had seen her do so. She looked like a true symbol of pride and strength, fitting for 'The Strongest Kunoichi in the Elemental Nations'.
When Tsunade sat and removed her hat the table followed suit. Her three jonin of choice remained standing behind her, seemingly alert for any stirs in the room. Well, Guy was. Kakashi's one visible eye seemed to struggle to stay open and focused while both of Jiraiya's were roaming the chests of every woman in the room.
"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first War Council in over twenty years," Tsunade started off. She had the total attention of every person in the room.
"As many of you already know, we are at war with Iwa, Kumo, the majority of Mist, and whatever minor country villages decide to join their cause. Hostilities arose due to one of our three major enemies abducting a young girl the last public chunin exams and killing or injuring others during their escape."
Everyone could feel a small spike of anger come from two distinct points in the room, and both Naruto and Hiashi refused to care.
"Instead of ratting out one another or confessing, each village became more and more belligerent and disrespectful in dismissing the claims. Eventually, they declared war on Konoha. Suna stands at our back, as does Grass and Waterfall."
A few mutters went through the seated assembly, but they quickly silenced themselves.
"We are here today to discuss our course of action, key positions for the duration of this war, as well as to handle any concerns or questions. We shall also decide on an adequate opening few missions to send teams on before we get too many full squads sent into the field."
A collective weary sigh escaped the shinobi side of the council. The questions and concerns portion would drag on forever as usual, and it's always by the civilian council.
Tsunade cleared her throat and was handed a paper by Jiraiya. "The first order of business shall be the assignment of roles. Many of these assignments will be unchanged from the last time we went to war, and I am grateful that we have such experience available to us."
Many of the civilians leaned forward in their seats, hoping to be chosen for one spot or another. Naruto found it kind of sad really.
"My lead General and strategist will be Shikaku Nara. I'm positive your performance will do your Clan as proud as your previous one."
Shikaku stood and bowed to the Hokage before retaking his seat. It was of no real surprise; the man was a tactical genius. That must also be where Shikamaru gets that from.
"Jiraiya will remain the Spy Master and lead infiltrator. In conjunction with this, Inoichi Yamanaka will remain the head of intelligence and communication."
Inoichi bowed while Jiraiya simply inclined his head.
"I am placing the Hyuga in charge of guarding the borders. I will leave the decision on how many to dedicate to our border safety and how many to give to our fighting force on you, Hiashi."
The pale-eyed man gave his own flowing bow.
"I am placing Konoha's financial affairs in the hands of Mebuki Haruno, Mino Wazashi…"
Naruto honestly stopped listening after the list turned into the civilian side of things. He was pretty sure most of the last positions were to keep the merchants happy with pointless titles. The only position of importance was the first one regarding the war's funding, and Naruto only recognized Sakura's mother and the owner of the bank from the names listed. What the hell were they doing handing out jobs for a 'home care and cleaning committee' anyway?
"With that out of the way, we can get into the statistical side of this war. Our last reported census places our total forces around the 15,000 mark. Of that number, 8,000 are genin, 5,000 are chunin, and 2,000 are jonin."
Naruto saw Shikaku write those numbers down on a pad of paper.
"Jiraiya has reported the number for Kumo and Iwa to be around 20,000 and 18,000 respectively. They both have more shinobi than us, but we hold our standards higher. Our brave shinobi are worth five of each of theirs."
Naruto could appreciate the little bit of pep talk, but the hard numbers still made him uncomfortable. Apparently, Shikaku shared his thoughts. The man made small sounds of displeasure as he wrote down notes and numbers.
"Suna can offer 11,000 shinobi to the fight, with Grass and Waterfall combining for another 9,000. We do not know for sure the allies of our enemies, so we cannot account for their numbers."
"What of Mist, Lady Tsunade?" Itachi asked, his head tilted in curiosity.
"We do not know how much of the country has started to follow my former teammate," Tsunade's brow furrowed in frustration at the thought. "Sound alone invaded us with an estimated 6,000 troops. We killed and captured almost half of them, so it would be safe to assume that in the last year their numbers have grown back to around 4,000. We should assume with the addition of Mist our opposition doubles that number."
Naruto heard a huff and more scratches from Shikaku. That poor man.
"Now, our main focus should be on Kumo, Mist, and any of their allies. We can trust Suna and our allies to guard our rear from Iwa, and we can either hold off or eliminate our threats. Further deliberation with my strategist is needed to cement a plan into place."
Mutters ran through the room as the words left her mouth, and Naruto watched silently as she silenced the room in a… creative way. Her hand rose, and her fingers indicated she wanted Jiraiya to approach her.
As soon as Naruto's first sensei was close enough, her hand wrapped around Jiraiya's jaw. Hard. Naruto smiled as he saw a fear widen in his perverted role model's eyes, and Tsunade threw him forward.
The Sannin screamed as he flew down the table, the sound getting louder until it passed Naruto and quickly fading as the flying man went past, and the room was shocked into silence. The far wall held no resistance to the large 'projectile' and a hole into the hallway was created. Everyone knew then how hard their Hokage threw one of her oldest friends.
"Well, that's one way to use your top jonin to silence the table…"
"Now, are there any suggestions on preliminary missions, possible teams for the missions, or anything you wish to discuss with me or the rest of the council?" Tsunade asked, her voice unchanged from the last time she spoke.
"We should send a team to Amegakure to try and secure their allegiance," one of the civilians suggested.
Literally every one of the present shinobi had to fight a visible reaction. Did… did a civilian just offer a good idea?
Tsunade recovered quickly and answered, "I will have a diplomatic team sent to Ame, thank you for the suggestion."
Soft mutters went through the crowd as people tried to come up with their own ideas. Tsunade leaned in to listen to her advisors. Naruto decided that this was as good a time as any. Time to make an impression.
Naruto ruffled his papers, smacked the bottom of the stack on the table to neaten them up, and cleared his throat to get the room's attention.
"Lady Tsunade, if I may?" he asked. He was still the new kid on the block, literally the youngest person in attendance, so he was showing as much respect as he could.
"Of course, Naruto. Anyone seated in the Uzumaki's chair doesn't need to ask to have their voice heard," was her response.
Naruto smiled in thanks, for both the personal reassurance in the new environment and the political backing her words held. The Senju and the Uzumaki were distantly related, and in the past, his family had done great things for Leaf. Tsunade wanted everyone to know that she would treat Naruto like a true Uzumaki, despite his name only recently being validated.
"I have a few points, actually. Most of the reasons that smaller hidden villages turn on us are because war between the major countries destroys their lives. In order to avoid this, I suggest we inform the residents of Northern Tea country to evacuate. I suggest we do the same for those in Wave. even though they do not have a military to attack us with, the fact that they are a major player in marine trade means that they could wreck us economically in the future."
Naruto's words hit the money-minded civilians extra hard, something he had been counting on to reach through to them.
"As well as future repercussions, the bridge to Wave should prove to be an important supply route during the war, one we should move to secure early on. As for Tea, everywhere between our border and the border to Frost Country should be cleared."
Tsunade smacked the table once to silence the room. "Wave I understand, but what drew you to adding Tea into the equation?" Tsunade already mentally agreed, but she wanted to hear Naruto's reasoning.
"In the last Great War, Frost aligned with Kumo, and the one before that they were nearly destroyed by Kumo. Knowing this, it is in Frost's best interest to align themselves with Kumo. Tea would get caught up in the crossfire, and we want to be able to fight without worrying about the lives of innocents."
Nods showed the approval of Naruto's words, so he continued. "I would recommend two teams be sent to Wave in order to both deliver the message and secure the bridge. I believe that the team sent to Tea should be prepared to act as an assault team as well since it would be prudent to also have them scout the border and few miles into Frost Country for signs of Kumo activity. If possible they could try and persuade the Country to our side."
Tsunade leaned to the Elders to get their opinions on the matter. As she did so, Naruto caught the eye of a few of the older Clan Heads, many of whom gave him looks of approval. So far so good.
When Tsunade straightened back up the room quieted. "In addition to your solid preemptive plan, the Elders would like to add a team to go to Sound. Their mission will be to locate and destroy old bases used by Sound."
That was the approval to Naruto's proposal that he was looking for. He sat back and waited out the duration of the rest of the suggestions. Most of them were utter crap spouted by the civilian side. 'Protect these specific luxury trade routes' commonly used for exotic spices and trinkets. 'Assassinate the Raikage' as if that was a viable option. Ugh. Idiots.
"Okay, does anyone have recommendations for any of the approved missions?" Tsunade asked while rubbing her temples.
"I would volunteer my Nephew Neji to join the Sound team," Hiashi immediately volunteered.
"Thank you, Hiashi, I know what he can contribute to the team and will add him immediately," Tsunade responded while writing down the name.
"I volunteer myself to the Wave team. I led my genin team there during the construction of their bridge, so I will be a trusted face," Kakashi spoke from behind the Hokage. Tsunade only nodded and wrote down his name.
Naruto spoke up again. "With the permission of Itachi Uchiha and Mebuki Haruno, I would like to volunteer Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno to accompany me on the Tea team. We can also rendezvous with the Sound team after we complete our primary objectives."
The room tensed, and the Hokage looked Naruto dead in the eyes for a solid ten seconds. "I can agree to that three-man cell if both Itachi and Mebuki agree."
There was a bit of an uproar from the civilian side of the table. One of the older, balding men stood up and said, "Lady Hokage, are you sure we can trust such a vital mission to a trio of chunin? Especially when one of them stands to gain so much at this table from volunteering himself?"
Naruto bristled at that. Hard. He was accepted as a real person since he revealed his parentage, but he still was held in rather low light due to his other circumstances. Not by many, but enough that it affected situations like this. To top it off, this cock waffle assumed Naruto was as power hungry as he was.
Tsunade remained completely calm, looked at the standing man, and then smiled lightly. Naruto felt his stomach drop a little. He knew enough about the woman to know that a reserved smile like that meant she was pissed.
"Naruto, you have my permission to validate yourself as leader of this mission."
Naruto smiled and nodded at his Hokage. "Thank you Lady Tsunade."
Naruto stood and locked eyes with every person in the room for a split second before settling on the man standing across from him. "I am Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, Tokubetsu Jonin of Konoha. I have single-handedly killed summons that entire squads could not. I have single-handedly killed dozens of men at once, on more than one occasion. A year ago, as a genin, I was listed as an A-Ranked threat by both Iwa and Kumo. I am the only living user of the Hirashin, which is how I plan to rendezvous with the Sound team. I have defeated jinchuriki with nothing more than hand-made seals. I defeated a reincarnated Shodaime Hokage in the same manner. I am the jinchuriki of the strongest Biju in the world, the same Biju I now have the ability to summon into battle at his full strength."
By the end of his speech, everyone was slack-jawed or in gripping fear of the blond. Much of that information wasn't well known, and his last little boast trumped everyone's expectations. Well, except Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Kakashi that is.
"Any objections to Naruto leading this team?" Tsunade asked.
"I volunteer my brother for the position," Itachi responded.
"And I volunteer my daughter Sakura," Mebuki immediately followed.
"Good. In that case, the meeting is adjourned," Tsunade stood and left through her door, leaving a still stunned room to watch Naruto gather his papers.
Okay, I move back home Wednesday, so I'll do my best to have a chapter done by this weekend! Hopefully this one was enough to hold you all over.