There was a buzz in the Elemental Nations. Especially from Kumo.

"I heard that half our tailors went missing last night," A commented. "Anyone know why?"

There were several bloody shinobi.

His best.

"Redheads?" offered up Darui.

Killer B didn't say anything. He was the only one who was unharmed... Him and Yugito, anyway. Which led him to a suspicion...

"Did you guys let them through?" one of his eyebrows twitched.

"No, bro. We fought, I lost," Killer B said in a rapping voice. "They got away, we'll get them back today."

That... Was not as bad as he thought it would be.

He sighed. "What kind of redheads? Where were they from?"

Yugito flicked her nails. "Probably from that island, in the direction that they came from."

A nodded. "I see." He bent his head over his paperwork, then froze again. And he turned his gaze to Yugito. And Killer B.

Neither of them seemed to get it. Some of the older shinobi in the room did.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"

Yugito repeated, word for word, what she'd just said.

And for the first time in history, A paled.

"...we're so dead..."

~:~

The Fire Daimyo waited. It wasn't good for the Uzukage.

The door opened, and a young teen rushed in with several others. All but the teen in front had red hair.

"Sorry," the blonde in front said, holding her side and gasping for breath. "We... Had to get... Formal robes... Made in one night."

"I see." The Fire Daimyo sought the clan leader. "Which among you is the clan leader?"

An older-looking redhead smiled genially.

"Naruto-sama, the only blonde heiress, is our leader," he said. "Even though she is inexperienced, she alone has the right."

The blonde straightened. "I am Uzumaki Naruto," she said, changing into a formal stance, hands clasped behind her back. "My apologies for making you wait; I wasn't alerted to the meeting until yesterday night while I was getting fitted for my clothes."

A dirty look was thrown in the air.

"No, our ex-leader set the request up with me," the redhead who looked really nerdy said, pushing up her glasses. "I told Miri to make the meeting."

"Can we meet this ex-leader?" the Fire Daimyo was indeed interested.

"No," Naruto said flatly. "He died in the Second Shinobi World War. He's a ghost right now, and only Uzumaki can see him. Convenient," she said, shooting another dirty look at thin air.

They sat down, Naruto pulling out another chair and the Daimyos starting when the chair moved on its own accord.

"Sorry, but Kazama-sama wants to join the proceedings," the elderly Uzumaki said. "I am Uzumaki Chiota. This is Uzumaki Karin, Uzumaki Tayuya, Uzumaki Naruto (obviously), and Uzumaki Kikion with Uzumaki Kazama in the 'empty' chair."

"I am the Water Daimyo, Shiro Sikori," the effeminate male Daimyo said, leering slightly at the old Uzumaki. "Want to go on a date, hunk?"

"I'm over five hundred years old, sir," Chiota said.

There was a stunned silence.

"Unfortunately, I'm also probably the oldest living Uzumaki," he added. "Which is the only reason I'm here; Naruto needs someone to guide her. I will read over the contracts with Kazama-sama's help, and we will help her decide what is best. Ultimately, any decision made for the clan as a whole is, of course, up to the Uzukage and Queen. Usually, it is two separate people, but for now the responsibilities of the Uzumaki clan as Queen and Uzukage lies with Naruto."

Naruto smiled tightly at them.

And they began the proceedings. Missions, how they'd work with Uzushio being an island, a possible bridge being built... On and on it went.

Never ending. It was almost horrifying to all of them. Because the Uzumakis bickered about almost everything. But it was also very funny - and quite refreshing from the veiled barbs that came from politics.

"What about your alliance with other nations?" the Fire Daimyo asked, quite taken with this group.

"I plan to go to Suna," Naruto said after a moment of shared looks. "Suna is the only place that took no part in the destruction of my people."

"I see," nodded the man. "I hope that your country flourishes. I assume that your peace treaty with Konoha still exists?"

"Indeed, it does," Naruto replied firmly. "I plan on sending an Uzumaki-only clone. It is a technique that belongs to the Uzumaki alone."

Her obvious don't ask me what I'm going on about was explicitly clear.

"Very well. I shall send a missive with you to Tsunade-san, if that's all right?"

The blonde leader nodded with a smile. "Next time you see me, I'll be a redhead~" she said in a sing-song tone.

The three groups bid each other goodbye, and when the Uzumakis meandered away, in the direction of Hi no Kuni, it was a runner sent by the Daimyo who had to tell them they were going in the wrong direction.

The Fire Daimyo had a meeting to arrange, and Lady Shinji had a cat to retrieve.

Kamis above he hated that cat.

~:~

The Wind Daimyo summoned the new Kazekage. Sabaku no Kankuro looked grumpy as he stood in front of the Daimyo.

(Granted, it's not as if the Daimyo was all that pleasant to be around...)

"Yes, sir?" he asked respectfully.

A redhead in the court shifted, a bright smile appearing on her face. "Kankuro-san!"

He was glomped.

"Uh... Sorry, but who are you?"

The girl smelled faintly of... Salt.

"Kankuro-san! I can't believe you don't remember the mother of your child!"

Kankuro promptly choked on his own spit.

The girl was crying loudly.

"Sorry, but I think you have the wrong guy," he said, aware of Temari's snickering. "I've never slept with a redhead. And besides, where's the proof?"

"Standing over there! Own up to your actions!" the crying redhead shouted.

He looked. "Gaara?!"

He was eating... Ramen?!

"Is the boy really your child?" the Wind Daimyo asked.

"No, he's my runaway brother."

Gaara met his eyes.

"Hello, Kankuro. How could you abandon me with Mother?"

Then the crying redhead finally lifted her face, and Kankuro gaped. It was Naruto, the gaki at the chuunin exams who had somehow found out that his father was dead.

"You!"

"So it is your kid," Temari snorted, making Kankuro flush.

"I'M A VIRGIN, DAMMIT!"

Instantly, all traces of tears vanished as the redhead grinned at the Wind Daimyo.

"Told ya I could do it. Pay up!"

The Wind Daimyo changed, and there was a new person sit on the throne of the Wind Daimyo.

"That's a relief. Spending the rest of my years in this genjutsu would have been dumb," the new Daimyo Temari had briefly spoken of in passing said (while Kankuro hadn't been paying a lick of attention). The new Daimyo of Wind folded her hands demurely across her lap, and so began the meeting.

~:~

"To frankly put it," Naruto said to Kankuro, "I'd like an alliance between Suna and Uzushiogakure."

"This has never happened," Kankuro frowned. "In the history of shinobi, there's only one clan and one village aligned to Uzushio."

"And we all know how that happened," Naruto said flatly, causing the other teen to wince. "Most of Uzushio in ruins, most of the clan dead. Only several children managed to survive. I'm not asking for an alliance in perpetuity. I'm simply asking you to consider an alliance so that we're not alone anymore."

"What of Konoha?"

"With Suna, Konoha, and Uzushio allied with each other, it's clear that Konoha will aid you with whatever you need. Whatever," Naruto repeated. "As will Uzushio. And in return, you and Konoha will help Uzushio, and you and Uzushio will help Konoha."

There had never been an alliance like this. It was always hostility, even with allied nations. But with this arrangement, three nations would rise to become better than the others.

"Very well," Kankuro said with a sigh. "Are we done? I'm exhausted."

"So am I," Naruto nodded. "Let's go chill. Tomorrow we can draw up the contracts."

The two retired to another room, where they chilled.

"How did your hair get red?"

"A seal," Naruto answered.

Oh.