man of the world.


MAN OF THE WORLD


CHAPTER ONE:


Ten years later…


Naruto stared at the flowing ravine. He was knee-deep in, and locked onto a certain something flip-flopping against the rock-bed of the ravine.

NOW

Naruto lightning-quick reached down and snatched a live-fish right out of the stream. It was huge. Naruto used both hands to hold it. That huge. It flip-flopped in his tight grip. It stopped writhing. Naruto said, R.I.P. Naruto held it out and examined his catch of the day. He fox-grinned.

Naruto had grown. His hair was buzz-cut-short. It still spiked up in the weirdest places but it didn't bother him. He kept a clean shave—the lady asks; the lady gets. He hated shaving. Buuuut—he did it. He feared the wrath of The Woman. He lol'd at his fear.

He tied the fish to his back and trekked all the way home.

He'd grown taller. He was his father's height by now. He was older than his father when he passed. He thought about his father often. The Fourth Hokage. He still hadn't reconciled. Not fully.

Naruto wore black shorts and an orange sleeveless. The heat permeated. He sweat. He worked haaard. He was a house-husband now. He hunted for a living. He had enough savings from his heritage that he could live a healthy lifestyle 'till death did him in. He lived modestly. He was a minimalist. He never had a desire for things. Once upon a time, he had a desire to be acknowledged…


Naruto entered his home through the backyard. He slid the door open and entered. He made sure to kick his sandals off onto the patio. He set his backpack and the giant-fish to the side in the kitchen. He entered the main foyer.

He went, I'm hooooooomeeee!

Padded footsteps. Louder-than-those-footsteps.

"PAPA!"

A boy-o sky-rocket-style launched into Naruto. Naruto quarterback-style caught him. Naruto was still deft-af. The boy-o fox-grinned. Naruto ditto. He was a little, mini-Naruto.

Naruto said, "How's my boy? Huh, Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya said, "I missed you, Papa!"

Naruto scratched his nose. "Your Papa missed you too."

"Uh-huh, and what about Jiraiya's Mama? Did you miss her too?"

Naruto saw her for the umpteenth time and fell for her all over again. It was ritual. Every time he saw her he fell in love. Every time he kissed her it was their first.

Naruto jaw-dropped. "Ayame-chan."

Ayame was ten-years-older-beautiful. Ayame was fine-wine-style beautiful. With age, even more beauty. Simplicity and purity. She evinced both. She represented honesty. She gave Naruto everything. She was his rock-bed.

Ayame smiled and mocked Naruto. She scratched her nose ditto and winked at him. He grinned even wider.

Ayame walked to him and hugged him tight. She pulled back and knocked foreheads with him. Jiraiya climbed up his Mama's leg and got stuck in between them. They giggled and group-hugged. Naruto pulled away and scratched his nose for the umpteenth time.

Naruto patted Jiraiya on the head. "You wanna go take a look at the gigantic fish Papa brought back?"

Jiraiya nodded his head, Yes.

Naruto gesticulated towards the kitchen. Jiraiya thump-a-dumped all the way.

Naruto pulled Ayame closer. She bridged the gap herself. They kissed. Sparks flew this time. Ten years ago…reminisce about how we began.

Ayame pulled away and ticked his nose. He grinned.

They held hands.

Naruto felt a knock at the back of his mind. A thought lingered. The thought was always the same. What is the world without Uzumaki Naruto…? And 10-years-thereafter, the thought became: Hey, world, it's been 10 years…are you okay without me…?

Naruto quieted it. Ayame's love spoke volumes louder. She quieted it. All this time. She always did. She was the destroyer of his doubts. She was his soulmate.

Naruto squeezed her hand. She understood. She winked at him. She led him away into the kitchen to watch their son.


Konohagakure


Shikamaru got the call first. A messenger-bird dropped it right on his head. He thought it was a deuce. He picked it up from the floor and shot the bird a middle finger. He didn't give-af that the damned creature didn't understand him.

Shikamaru unfurled the scroll and read. He promptly furled it, pocketed it, and full-sprint ran off towards Hokage Tower.


Konohagakure-no-sato. The Hidden Leaf Village. Ahh—how it's grown. Just like Naruto; unlike Naruto. Konoha had become a true and proper shinobi village. Everything was draped in secrecy. The root operation Danzo started had overrun every other output of service that existed within the village.

Danzo had his pinky dipped in muddy waters. Danzo knew every dirty—big or little—secret. Danzo was the village's Sixth Hokage. He had been for ten years running. No contest. No election. He had Tsunade iced on the hush-hush. He ran a democratic-front with a dictatorship-backside. He funnelled village-funds into illicit ops. He funded casket-charities—as in, the charity's a front for his own businesses.

Danzo was just as illicit as the businesses he invested in. He was a man draped in mystery. He was an enigma wrapped up in a conundrum. Everybody who knew what's what knew that Danzo was a dipso. They just didn't know which way he was conniving.

All Hidden Villages were on the brink of all-out-war. Danzo was all for it. He was like, Come-and-get-it. The shinobi's followed suit. The one's who knew what was what and dipso-Danzo, knew that he was calling for world-scale decimation. He had ultra-secret plans to rebuild the shinobi world with his own mould and clay. He had über-un-secret desires to play God.

But nobody trumps Kami in this world.

Uzumaki Naruto left ten years ago. He gave up on the shinobi world, but the shinobi world hasn't given up on him.


Shika burst into the R&I HQ. Ino & Sakura snapped to. Choji munch-munch-munched on a pack of jerky. The entire Konoha 11 situated in here. They took over R&I when Danzo dismantled it and replaced it with his own Intelligence Division.

Sakura said, "What?"

Shika chucked her the scroll.

Sakura unfurled it. "WHAT?!"

Shika paced.

Ino said, "What is it? What does the scroll say?"

Shika paced.

Sakura pinched her brows.

Ino snatched the scroll. She read it. She dropped the scroll. She got up, pinched her brows, and began pacing faster than Shika.

Shika snatched his jerky and chucked it across the room. "Now isn't the time for this Choji."

Choji stopped his munching and came to. "Wth's going on guys?"

Sakura bit her lip. "That scroll is a letter…"

Choji said, "From who?"

Shika said, "From The Fourth Hokage."


The Land of Fire & The Land of Wind Border


Genchi's Tea Palace


Danzo went, Sit.

The Fire Daimyo & Kazekage sat.

The Fire Daimyo was younger. He was his father's son. He had taken over just a year and a half ago when his ailing father died of an unknown disease. Little did he know…

Danzo evel-knievel-smiled.

The Kazekage…Gaara. He had grown. His hair was long and unkempt. It waved and curled across his forehead. His Love-mark was still faintly visible. Danzo was still the old-fuck he always was.

Gaara said, "The Daimyo of The Land of Wind couldn't make it, sadly."

The young Fire Daimyo said, "That's preposterous. This is a slap on our fa—"

Danzo said, "That's quite alright."

The Fire Daimyo stfu.

Gaara said, "You had an offer, Hokage-sama."

Danzo said, "Hai—Kazekage-sama."

Gaara went, I'm listening.

Danzo cleared his throat. "I propose an allegiance between Konohagakure and Sunagakure. I understand that we've had our differences in the past few years, but I see no reason why our villages cannot rejoin forces."

Gaara said, "Out of the question. I reject your proposition."

Danzo evel-knievel-smiled. "I would reconsider, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara q-eyed him.

Danzo said, "The shinobi world is on the brink of an all-out-world-war. Konohagakure has strengthened ten-fold since I came into power. But I'm afraid…the same cannot be said for Sunagakure, can it?"

Gaara grit his teeth.

Danzo said, "Yes…you see, when the world does war, we will be ready. We will be strong. But where will you be, Kazekage-sama? Are you prepared to watch your village burn?"

Gaara spat on his side. "We broke our allegiance for a reason, Hokage-sama. Uzumaki Naruto was the glue that held us together. It's been 10 years since. Whatever the risks, I'll bear them, but Sunagakure won't hold hands with someone as dirty as you."

Danzo said, "Oh? I'd be careful, Kazekage-sama. With the world preparing for war, you wouldn't want to turn your back on the only hand reaching out for you."

Gaara stood up. "Considering the world is going to go to war anyways…fuck you, Danzo."

Gaara exited.

The Fire Daimyo waited…then—"Yeah? Well, fuck you too!"

Danzo roared.

"Good boy, Kanai," he sarcasted.

Danzo watched Gaara's back as he left the tea-shop. He rolled his eyes and waved two fingers. Two Anbu members blitzed to his side. He went, Go! They blitzed out. They got their orders—Follow the Kazekage. Danzo kept tabs on everything and everyone.

Danzo sipped his tea and connived.


Naruto chased Jiraiya madly. Naruto & Jiraiya played hide and seek, sage-mode-style. Naruto always won; Jiraiya never knew how—his papa always had eye-shadow on for some reason. Naruto roared.

Ayame watched. She sat on the patio. Sun was downing. Their family was whole. Life was sweet. And then came—

Knock-knock-knock!

Ayame startled.

Knock-knock-knock!

Naruto went eyes-sharp. He blitzed to Jiraiya and picked him up swiftly. He tossed him to his mother and hid them both in their bedroom.

Knock-knock-knock!

Naruto swiped a kunai from inside a ceiling-tile. He swerved beneath low-roofed-ceilings and archways—he designed his home to trip-up any and all intruders.

Knock-knock—

Naruto felt the chakra signature through leftover sage-mode-chakra-sensory-XP. He sleeved the kunai and slid the door open. Naruto eye-rolled. He went, You—what do you want?

Shikamaru said, "I know this is troublesome. But can I come in?"