Disclaimer: I do not own the Naruto Franchise that belongs solely to Masashi Kishimoto; I do not own Heaven's lost Property, High School DxD or any other Anime I borrow themes from. The only thing I claim is my OC's and original Story Plot.


Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys I'm back again with another chapter and I feel especially proud of this one. Not a single ounce of action or fighting to be seen yet this chapter still pours out so much profound weight. This is a heavy chapter that preludes to the Chunin Exam and many things to come. We get a large peak inside the inner mechanics of the Shinobi world and how each of The Great Five co-exist and affect one another on a world scale. There are a lot of things to be revealed in this chapter that opens up the world more and sheds a little more light on things to come. But the most exciting thing to be featured in this chapter is the verbal showdown between two Titans and that's a word I've hinted at before.

So without further delay: sit back, relax, and enjoy.


Chapter 56

Politics of War

Hiruzen felt old. Really old. He was 69 years old and should be in retirement right now. The sad thing is, he used to be over 12 years ago when the Fourth Hokage was in power. He remembered presiding over the Fourth's Inauguration as the next Hokage. It was one of the proudest days of his life. He found a suitable successor to inherit the Will of Fire and protect the village. He could finally step down as Hokage after the last 34 years. But it was not to be as the Nine Tails Incident took the life of Minato Namikaze the Fourth Hokage and his wife Kushina Uzumaki the Red Death. Two of the strongest shinobi in history and of their generation. It was one of the greatest loses the village has ever suffered in terms of military strength. The power they wielded was enough to completely make any potential invader give up on their endeavors just at the mention of their names.

Hiruzen was forced to come out of retirement after that tragic day. There weren't enough suitable S – Rank shinobi with the adoration and favor of the public or the mindset or experience to take on the exalted mantle of Hokage. The sheer amount of pressure and responsibility the title places on your shoulders is enough to break a lesser man. It times of strife a young, optimistic, and powerful individual would need to rally the people behind them and relieve them off all their fears.

The total number of S – Rank shinobi currently under the banner of the Leaf at the time was quite huge in all reality considering that such a caliber of shinobi is hard to come by. Hiruzen of course was one and hailed as the strongest Kage of his age as well as being called the God of Shinobi. Then you had Danzō Shimura the Darkness of Shinobi. His battle prowess and overall experience made him extremely dangerous and a formidable ninja. His two old teammates Koharu Utatane and Homura Mitokado while not exactly Kage level in terms of overall power, did have decades worth of experience and were quite skilled in their own right but they weren't exactly right for the position of Hokage. The next was Dino Pasquinelli the Dragon of the Forest and Kingpin of the Jasmine Dragon Mafia. While it is not widely known, only in the most private of inner circles is it ever talked about that Dino is rumored to be just as strong as Hiruzen in terms of power. While that notion is hard to believe for the lesser known to grasp only the highest echelons of ninja know the truth. Even though Dino isn't a shinobi his power still remains an uncontested fact and he could be an excellent Hokage if he wanted to but he was content running the criminal underworld and keeping the public safe.

But the sad thing was all five of these individuals all had one thing in common. They were old. They were all past their primes and were at retirement age. Add on to the fact most shinobi don't live to see their thirtieth birthday and you can easily gauge their prowess. The next qualified individuals would be the Legendary Sannin. Jiraiya was an excellent choice. His power and worldwide fame was undeniable and with his far-reaching influence and knowledge of the worlds international spy industry it would make him a very effective Hokage. The next was Orochimaru… sadly he wasn't the man for the job. Some argue he's the strongest of the three Sannin and weather that's true or not does not take away from his actual stated power. He was Kage level and could take up the position if not for his impure ideals and ideologies that a Hokage has never had before. Sadly a few years later he would defect from the village as proof that he wasn't right for the job. The last had the pedigree and bloodlines to be the Hokage. Tsunade Senju the great Slug Queen and granddaughter to the First Hokage and grandniece to the Second Hokage. Her power was unquestionable and her skills as the greatest medical ninja to ever live would make her a shoe in to be the Hokage, especially when you take into consideration who her students were. Sadly, she suffered too great of a loss during her lifetime and the trauma has made her retire as a shinobi.

While not as old as their mentors the Sannin weren't exactly young either. They were middle aged and while that's not a bad thing it would mean they could only serve about a decade's worth of a reign before they would start to feel the effects of age and rightfully make the decision to pass the title onto someone who is very young and capable. Switching Kage ever few years shows that your economy and military structure is weak and unstable if you can't properly maintain a leader for long. This unfortunate scenario has plagued the Village Hidden in the Sand since its inception with the first three Kazekage all being assassinated. It truly reflected bad on them in the grand stage of politics between the Five Great Nations.

Another unfortunate circumstance is the ANBU Commander not being eligible for the Hokage position. They work in the shadows all of their lives with the public and shinobi worlds never knowing their faces or identities. You can't elect someone so unknown into the office of Hokage and expect the public to view you as their leader who they can trust to lead and protect them. The moment you pass the rank of ANBU Captain you immediately become disqualified from being elected for any public office. You are forever trapped within the shadows of your village. All ANBU Commanders are S – Rank Kage level shinobi with razor sharp skills but they will forever be condemned to serving as the silent blade of their Kage. The Jōnin Commander is another fallback position to look for a suitable candidate to take on the mantle of Hokage but since the ranks inception almost every person to hold that position has come from the Nara Clan. The current commander Shikaku Nara is an exceptionally powerful shinobi and talented in his own right but the thing that far out striped his battle prowess was his intelligence. He was a recognized genius in the shinobi world and a formidable foe but not only was he not personality wise the right person for the job but he lacked the overall overwhelming strength and pedigree that other Shinobi had. His purpose was that off a general and strategist, not front-line fighter.

The only ones left to turn to were the Titans of the Hidden Leaf. Four individuals whose power stood above all others. Four S – Rank Shinobi with powers and skills that made them incredibly dangerous and a credible and worthy adversary as well as threat to any other shinobi of their caliber. The first was Minato Namikaze the Yellow Flash of the Leaf. As the history books would tell you, he was the right man for the job. He in fact won the position and was named Fourth Hokage but his reign was the shortest reign any Kage has ever had and he never grew to reach his fullest potential. However, his already established skills made him recognized as one of the greatest shinobi alive and a leader of his generation. The next and undeniably strongest of the four was his very own wife. Kushina Uzumaki. Just her name struck utter fear and respect into the hearts of any who opposed her. Her raw overwhelming strength and skills were second to none and she could have easily been Hokage two times over compared to her husband but even though it used to be her childhood dream she eventually grew up to realize she could be a leader and make a difference in the world following the pursuits of a different avenue. The next was an individual of mystery who many haven't seen in many years. Their pedigree was up to snuff but their personality could be called into question that it wasn't Hokage material. The final member was Shoko Higarashi herself. Her power was tried and tested, she was undeniably a powerful kunoichi who could easily on skills and power alone take the mantle of Hokage uncontended. There wasn't another shinobi alive currently in the village who could match her in power, skill, or experience. But she retired after being afflicted with her own tragedies and traumas making her completely unfit for the title of leader.

It was a shame Hiruzen thought. The village while still boasting itself to be the strongest of the five Hidden Village's was secretly weak. For the last decade, it's been the weakest its even been since its inception. To many powerful individuals of great prestige and fame have left them. While in terms of quality when it comes to their ninja they are still on top it did nothing to ease the discontentment Hiruzen felt of their current political, economic, and militaristic situation. The village always pushed for quality of quantity and while they've managed to maintain that it does nothing in the face of the Hidden Cloud and Stone. They pushed for quantity while nurturing anyone who showed quality and promise. As it stands now, both villages outnumbered the leaf 10 to 1 on the Hidden Stone's side and 15 to 1 on the Hidden Cloud's side. They had thousands of shinobi in their ranks. Hiruzen pitifully wished the Titans were all still together and in complete unity.

Just one out of the four of them instantly makes the 10 to 1 and 15 to 1 advantage the other villages have over them obsolete. The power they wielded was just that revered. The four of them combined and no army or village could stand against them. Only the combined might of their opposing rivals. The Axis Titans could ever hope to oppose them and level the playing field. And to make matters worse. All four Axis Titans are alive and health till this day. The only Titan that could be confirmed alive on the Hidden Leaf's side was Shoko and she was a shell of her former self. Only in recent years since meeting and bringing Naruto into her life as she actually started to train and return to her former glory. But 1 vs. 4 was a mountain too great for Shoko to ever hope to climb.

Hiruzen sighed as he finished reading the emergency report he just received from Jiraiya. 'Angeloids… to think we'd see more of them. Chaos should have been the only one.' Hiruzen was heavily concerned by this new wave of information. Two unknown Angeloids just attacked a group of shinobi in broad daylight in the middle of Midway. This was unprecedented and deeply concerning. The physical description Jiraiya wrote down matched a report from months ago about a squad of Hidden Stone Shinobi being mysterious murdered on their local patrol. The weapons and tactics they used matched the autopsy reports from those shinobi's dead bodies. It was truly disturbing.

'When Naruto spoke to me in a private conversation and revealed to me what Chaos was it truly shocked me. I did not think I'd see another being from one of the 3 biblical factions. To think little Chaos is an Angeloid and some kind of advanced model. I always knew something was special about her. Too bad he couldn't reveal what Iris was. He said he wasn't allowed too.' Hiruzen noted while massaging his aching wrist. Arthritis was taking hold of him in his old age.

'If these latest reports are anything to go by then I'm afraid Naruto is going to need to be under watch and protected 24/7. Just dealing with this new threat is bad enough, that doesn't even take into factor that mysterious group called the Akatsuki. From what Jiraiya recently told me they're starting to become a little more active.' Hiruzen took a long puff of his tobacco pipe as anxiety and concerned weighed down on his old heart.

"I see stress is finally getting to you, old friend. That's not good for the God of Shinobi." Danzō's hassled voice spoke up from the dark shadowed corner of the Hokage's office. Hiruzen's wrinkled lips curved up into a small smile as he peered into the corner of his office to see Danzō Shimura; his old rival, walk out of the shadows of his office. His cane clacked across the hardwood floors of his office as the elderly man took a seat in front of his desk. "Arthritis is something even shinobi of our caliber cannot defeat. Although, the same could be said for you. You were lurking in the shadows over there for the last five minutes without moving. Are your knees acting up again?" Hiruzen shot back with a chuckle that amused Danzō if the raised eyebrow was anything to go by.

"I see your senses haven't dulled one bit my old friend." The calculating man remarked. "Well with the way you always come into my office it kind of helps me keep my senses sharp." Hiruzen mused while smoking from his pipe. "So, have you heard the news about the incident in Midway?" Danzō asked as he got down straight to business. "It always amazes me how fast you acquire your information Danzō, you really get to the root of the problem." Hiruzen mused with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, he coughed into his hand before taking on a serious look as well. "Yes… I've heard from Jiraiya what happened. This is a serious problem, one we can't ignore this time." Hiruzen frowned while sitting back in his office chair.

"I'm going to have Jiraiya silently stand guard over Naruto for the foreseeable future. We can't leave anything to chance. We must also ascertain the true threat level of these invaders. We need to plan accordingly." Hiruzen announced as he was also thinking of a few other plans for the future. "Very good then… but it's as you say Hiruzen… I could get to the root of the problem for you if you'd like my assistance?" Danzō suggested in a subtle way that was a private joke between the old friends. "If you mean the assistance that you've already started to provide, then yes Danzō I'd appreciate your assistance." Hiruzen responded in a jolly tone as he took a drag from his pipe. "Very well then, I'll take my leave for now Hiruzen but I must also inform you of one last important fact." Danzō revealed as he shifted in his seat, he was preparing to get up but he had one last thing to say.

Hiruzen perked up at this as he felt like what his old friend had to say would be equally as important. "I've heard that the Hidden Cloud have been mobilizing recently. Some reports suggest that they may be gearing up to act against us. We must be careful Hiruzen." Danzō warned in a very cautious tone which Hiruzen adopted as he turned to look out of his office window. "I agree my old friend. I agree."


The Land of Lightning / The Village Hidden in the Clouds

The Hidden Cloud Village was a massive village situated in an immense mountain range up in the northern peninsula of the Land of Lightning. In the center of the village was a large cylindrical building that wraps around the large mountain like spire rising high into the air. It had large panoramic windows and blue tiled roofs and walls with the large symbol of Lightning engraved into a plaque on the buildings main entrance side just like the Hokage Tower in the Hidden Leaf.

This was the Raikage Administration Building and was were the Raikage of the village as well as its administration conducted their day to day business. Right now, the building was busy as a group of high profile Shinobi were heading towards the Raikage's office at a brisk pace.

The leader of this small but important group just so happened to be the leader of this the village, the Raikage himself. He was a mountain of a man standing at an impressive 6'5 who matched the mountains his home was situated in. His name was A or stylized as Ay and it was a customary custom in his village to name their children after the letters in the alphabet. A has dark skin with a large muscular build, bleach blond hair that was greying combed back in slick corn rolls. A small moustache and goatee added features to his face. His face has pronounced cheekbones and tear troughs under his eyes, and a prominent crease across his forehead. He has pointed canines and his top lip also has a darker hue than the bottom one; traits he inherited from his father.

A had on a long white Haori without a shirt on underneath advertising his chiseled chest with his ceremonial Raikage hat hanging off of his back. He has black Fūma Shuriken tattoos on both shoulders and large golden vambraces on his wrists, he also wears a gold belt around his waist with a boar's face engraved in the center, black pants with torn ends, cloud ninja shin guards, and shinobi sandals. All of these aspects combined give him the appearance of a professional wrestler. Which was fitting since every Raikage in the past has been a professional wrestler and the sport of wrestling is the national sport of the Land of Lightning and its people.

The next to walk besides the jacked Raikage was an old veteran shinobi of both fame and skill. His name was Dodai and he was the Hidden Cloud village's Jōnin Commander. A contemporary and skilled match against Shikaku Nara the aged shinobi was one who has served both the current Raikage and his father the Third Raikage. He is currently 50 years old with his birthday arriving soon to turn him 51. He's the wielder of the very powerful and versatile Lava Style Kekkei Genkai; and as per customary of shinobi born with this Kekkei Genkai who live in the Land of Lightning he has gained mastery over this Kekkei Genkai's subset, the Corrosion Style. He can create vulcanize tar and rubber and use it in many creative and versatile ways, and when you combine that with his general usage and mastery of the normal Lava Style and his obvious and not so surprising affinity to Lightning Style it makes him a true force to be reckoned with.

Dodai has short and spiky, dark-colored hair that due to his old age is more of an ash grey color that is largely obscured underneath a stylized headband in the form of a large hat. Along with this item, his typical attire consisted of the standard outfit of most Hidden Cloud shinobi including the distinctive single-strap flak jacket, as well as a unique eye patch worn over his left eye. In his old age, the contours of his face have naturally become more pronounced and he has grown a small goatee as compared to his youth. He also prefers to wear the high collared variant of the standard cloud ninja attire and his eyepatch has the kanji for Lightning printed on it.

The next to be noticed was a famous Shinobi of his generation. Darui the Black Panther. He is a high A – Rank Shinobi who is well on his way to one day becoming a highly revered S – Rank shinobi. He is Kakashi Hatake's, Baki of the Sand, and many of the other high-ranking shinobi from the other village's competitive rival. His strength, fame, and skill is an easy match for Kakashi, Asuma, and Guy. He is an exceptionally skilled Shinobi with an affinity for Lightning, Water, and Wind Style and the holder of the mysterious and incredibly rare Gale Style Kekkei Genkai. Not much is none about it and only a certain percentage of the Shinobi in the village can use it with Darui's power and mastery over it making him the strongest user of it in the world. Alongside him being a master swordsman of a respectable caliber he also has another trump card up his sleeve. The revered and secret technique. The Black Lightning. It is a Hidden Jutsu that so far has been passed down to each and every Raikage with the famed Third Raikage being Darui's master and teaching him the secrets of this technique. Many think Darui is being groomed to be the next Raikage and with his pedigree it just very well might be true.

Standing at 5'7 Darui is a fairly tall, dark-skinned man with a slightly bulbous nose, black eyes that usually look bored, and shaggy, white hair which covers his left eye. He wears a high-collared, sleeveless black vest uniform with loose fitting pants, bandages on his wrists and the one-strap-over-one-shoulder flak jacket of a cloud shinobi. Darui also has stylized characters for Water and Lightning tattooed on his right and left shoulders respectively, denoting his chakra's nature affinities, Water Style and Lightning Style, as well as the fact that he has a Kekkei Genkai, the Gale Style. The tattoo on his left arm also signifies that he has inherited the Third Raikage's Black lightning. He carries a broad, foldable cleaver-like sword, strapped to his back when outside the village.

The next in this small group of important shinobi was a young woman by the name of Mabui. She was a special woman, she was the Fourth Raikage's daughter and only child. While not as well-known as her contemporary's, she was still a fairly powerful and skilled Shinobi who preferred to stay out of the limelight. She was one of the top five strongest kunoichi's in the village so she was very well respected especially since she served as her father's personal aid and secretary. She had a strong affinity for Lightning Style with a secondary affinity for both Yin and Yang Release which was a rarity. But what made her truly a unique Shinobi is a special technique exclusive to her. A one of a kind Ninjutsu that she developed called the Ethereal Transfer Jutsu. A Jutsu that allows Mabui to teleport any object that is placed on a special chakra seal at the astounding speed of light to virtually any place on earth provided you have the coordinates, marker, and it's a place Mabui has been to before.

Mabui was a dark-skinned young woman with green eyes. She wore very formal attire consisting of a long-sleeved, high-collared dress shirt and skirt, along with a pair of long earrings and sandals. She wore her light grey hair pulled back into a bun with two bangs that fall on either side of her face.

The last person in the group was Darui's best friend and partner. His name was C. He was a competent shinobi of high standing making it to Jōnin level on his own merits. In terms of overall power, he wasn't particularly strong. He was a support type of Shinobi who was not only a strong Sensory Type Ninja but was also a Medical Ninja. He has a strong affinity for Lightning Style which was a very common trait in the Land of Lightning but he had a very strong affinity for Yin Release which naturally made him excel at Genjutsu. By all rights he should just be a Special Jōnin instead of a regular one; but do to the fact he had two nature affinities as well as strong Taijutsu skills and other standard skills all Jōnin are required to have he just barely managed to squeeze in a full promotion.

C is a young man with short, blond hair which he wears parted in the front and dark eyes. He wears the standard attire of the Cloud Ninja: A sleeveless, black shirt with a one-strap-over-one-shoulder white flak jacket, black head band, characteristic black, elbow-length arm-guards, and the red and white Cloud Village shin-guards along with a pair of sandals.

These five shinobi were currently walking with a brisk pace towards the Raikage's office. A had a gruff look on his face as he marched towards his office while carrying on the conversation with his top shinobi and aids. "Dodai are our two advanced vanguard battalions ready for deployment?" A asked with a deep rustic like voice that matched his hulking stature. His voice echoed off the walls as his Jōnin Commander answered his question immediately. "Yes, Lord Raikage. The two battalions are ready to leave tonight. The other three regular battalions are scheduled to set up at the Land of Fire's boarders by the end of the week just in time for the Chūnin Exam Finals." Dodai answered with a stack of papers in his hand. His expression was grim as he knew what these actions his village was taking would lead to. Another all-out war.

"Very good Dodai. Oversee the final preparations for the troops to move out. I don't want the Hidden Leaf to be aware of our movements. Also make sure all of our other battalions and reserves are on standby and ready to initiate their duties at a moment's notice." A commanded as his heavy footsteps reverberated through the spines of those following him. A knew full well what his actions were going to cause. He was prepared to carry his own weight and be in this struggle for the long haul. "Is Yugito Nii with them? Has she been briefed already on what to do?" A asked in a different tone of voice that conveyed a different set of feelings. Dodai closed his one visible eye and sighed before responding. "Yes, Lord Raikage. She has already been briefed and knows the daunting task that lays a head of her. Her part to play will be important, I only hope Lord Killer B won't be too furious with us for this." Dodai grimaced as he shook his head slowly. "Killer B will understand that duty comes first. They are Jinchūriki, they are weapons and weapons are meant to be used by their master. Make sure to prep her one more time so that she remains focused." A ordered gruffly as he shook off any lingering thoughts he may have had in regard to that subject. He couldn't allow sentiment to get in his way.

"As you wish Lord Raikage. I just hope this is what you really want." Dodai submitted with a sigh, he had a saddened undertone to his voice as he felt a little too old to be going to large scale village to village war. "Harden your heart Dodai. You are my Jōnin Commander and a trusted loyal friend. I need you in this endeavor. We are Shinobi and in this world only the strong are allowed to survive." A said in his very unique tone of encouragement. He wasn't a very sympathetic man by nature but for his very few close friends and allies he could show a hidden side of compassion to them. He just wasn't very good at it.

"The Hidden Leaf have grown weak ever since the Nine Tails incident and the Uchiha Clan Massacre. They've lost a lot of their military strength over the years yet they still manage to float along as the strongest Hidden Village. They've sucked up a lot of revenue from taking in nearly 4 times as many missions as they ever have. It's damaged our economy for more than a decade since clientele are more drawn to the leaf than us over general preference. This must change if we are to bring in more revenue and a better economy. If we can't occupy their village and bleed it dry then we'll just simply destroy them and make us the sole provider for their clientele. Either way, change must come to us now or in another decade our economy will never be able to recover." A argued as he watched over the years how the leaf took on many missions to bring in enough money to repair their village and bring their economy back to its former glory.

This phenomenon was the exact reason why the Hidden Sand Village was in the economic crisis it's facing now. Their Daimyo was sending all of the missions he's supposed to send to his own country's village to the Hidden Leaf to help uplift their economy. It's made the Hidden Sand pathetically poor and in relative terms the second weakest Hidden Village right behind the Hidden Mist who are still in the middle of their internal civil war. The Land of Wind's Daimyo was an idiot in simple terms. He allowed the Land of Fire's Daimyo who is an underhanded genius to manipulate him and sway him into giving him his country's contracts to help his own country recover. The Land of Wind's Daimyo believed the sob story told too him by his colleague and plunged his own countries Hidden Village into a depression.

A refused to let that happen to his own country. The Leaf has mostly recovered by now but the economic damage had already been done. The Hidden Sand was screwed over and forced to suffer from their incompetent leader's decisions. "We will prevail Dodai and come out of this stronger than ever. We'll be the strongest Hidden Village left with the Hidden Stone being our only rivals and in time we will crush them if they defy us." A said as he and his entourage entered his office right as he was saying this bold statement.

"Oh… is that so A?" A husky brittle voice spoke up that made the Raikage's heart stop. In his office was none other than Balalaika herself. She was sitting in his office chair that she had turned to look out at the village below. She swiveled the chair around to face her old acquaintance and was lucky enough to catch the brief amount of shock and fear that crossed the Raikage's eyes before he violently squashed it with his ego and male pride. "That's a pretty bold and insensitive statement to make, I am in the room after all." Balalaika said with a small sadistic and pleasant smile on her scared face that sent unpleasant tingles up everyone's spines. "Who are you intruder?!" C yelled as he took a menacing step forward to protect his Kage but that was a big mistake.

Hearing this abrupt interruption in the room Balalaika simply panned her eyes over to C with a lazy motion and stared him straight in his eyes. C's heart stopped as he dropped to his knees in fright. He just received a potent dosage of the Kingpins killing intent. "Don't interrupt me boy." Balalaika warned as she watched C hyperventilate on the ground as she tried to regain his breath. Darui was by his side in an instant as he tended to his friend who was on the wrong side of one of the most dangerous people alive.

"Balalaika. What are you doing here?" A asked with a growl in his voice as he never in a million years would have thought he'd see his old acquaintance again, and in his own office none the less. "I was in the neighborhood so to speak so I just decided to drop in and say hello, is that a crime." The mob boss taunted with her deadly eyes peering into the Raikage's like a predator. The leader of the Hidden Cloud didn't show it but he was unnerved to see the woman before him. He was well acquainted with her in the past and he knew what she was capable of. It didn't bode well for anyone that she was right here in his village. She wanted something important or else she wouldn't have come personally.

"It is when you enter my office uninvited! So, I'll ask again what are you doing here?" A growled as his chakra hummed just beneath the surface of his skin, threatening to come out. A light layer of static electricity was building up on his skin that was crinkling his clothes and while this would largely go unnoticed to the untrained eye, to Balalaika this was as plain as day and it caused an amused smile to spread across her face. "Always so hostile, that short temper will one day get you in trouble Lord Raikage and unlucky for you that day just so happens to be today." The mob boss warned as she sent a glare at the imposing Raikage who sucked in a deep breath. Mabui who was behind the Raikage felt her knees go weak as she sunk to the floor in fright. This was too much for her.

"Lady Balalaika, it's a pleasure to see you again after all this time… we don't need to escalate things any further than they are already. So, what can we do for you today?" Dodai politely addressed as his wizened tone halted the tension building up in the room. "Lord Dodai it's a pleasure to see you again after all these years. The years have been kind to you. You've managed to retain most of your youth despite your age. I'm happy for you." Balalaika said in a normal and pleasant tone as she completely switched up her tone when addressing the Jōnin Commander. He was a man she respected due to his personality, philosophies, morals, ethics, and much more. The one thing besides strength, loyalty, and profit that Balalaika truly admired and respected the most in the world was a person with strong morals and character. She had no patients for flaky people who tend to be uncertain in their beliefs or those who would easily change their opinions and loyalties if it saved their skins.

"Thank you for the compliment Lady Balalaika, the years have certainly done you justice as well. But the fact still remains… what are you doing here after all this time. The only contact you have with the Land of Lightning usually comes from the Mafia family that resides here. You haven't spoken to us directly in nearly a decade." Dodai formally questioned as his Raikage seethed a bit in the background. A wasn't a very patient man and he most certainly didn't have the patience to deal with the most dangerous woman alive. Her mind games were legendary as were her intentions.

"Thank you for the compliment… I do try to keep my appearances up… but since you've asked so nicely I can go ahead and tell you why I'm here." Balalaika purred in a sultry manner as she lit a cigar in her mouth and got herself comfortable in A's chair which pissed the Raikage off to no ends but he couldn't do anything about it for now. "I was lead here because of an interesting rumor. One that has caught my intention fully." Balalaika began as she looked directly at A which made him tense up. "Oh… and what rumor would that be?" A questioned back as he took a menacing step forward. By this point Darui managed to get C back up to his feet but the young Jōnin was badly shaken up by this experience. He's never felt anything quite like what Balalaika exposed him to and the sad thing is she wasn't trying hard either. "Easy boss… be careful." Darui warned as he saw his Raikage approach the deadly woman. Darui knew of Balalaika and her fame. He was wary of what would happen if his leader went off and attacked her haphazardly. It would be a catastrophe of monumental proportions. Their village would suffer great collateral damage and casualties.

"I here that you plan to surprise attack the Hidden Leaf while that little snake carries out his invasion." Balalaika revealed as Dodai's lone eye widened in surprise. A made his thoughts about this more vocal as he towered over the younger woman sitting behind his desk. "And what of it! How would you know of this?" A raged as he yelled at the kingpin who smirked back in his face without a show of fear at all. "How I know of this is of no concern to you, old friend. What concerns me is the fact you are going through with this. It's pathetic enough that they Hidden Sand would betray the Hidden Leaf like this but they even have the audacity to align themselves with some upstart village lead by Orochimaru of all people. It's tragically sad." The mafia boss of Hotel Moscow said with a sad and patronizing shake of her head. She really could care less about those villages but she had a different motive in mind.

"Why does this concern you! You should be happy that the Leaf is getting what it deserves. They've licked their wounds like a sad dog for far too long now." A yelled as he bared his teeth at the mob boss who raised her eyebrow at the angry man. "They've toted themselves as the strongest Hidden Village of the Great Five and the public foolishly agrees. They've recovered a lot of their lost strength over the last decade and in just a few short years' worth of time their newest generation of shinobi will solidify this fact and make their bragging a reality. We must strike now while we still have the chance to." A challenged as he slammed his hands down on his own desk. The wooden surface shook but it didn't disturb the dirty blonde-haired woman who blew a cloud of smoke directly into A's face.

"Are you here to join us Lady Balalaika? Are you trying to work out some type of deal?" Dodai questioned as he was trying to think of any possible reason why the mob boss would bring up this fact. "Unfortunately, not today Dodai. I'm actually here to make A tell his forces to stand down." Balalaika revealed as the entire room grew quiet from shock. Silence reigned in the room for what felt like an eternity before the Raikage violently crushed this with his loud outburst. "Absolutely not! How dare you presume to order me around like this! I am the Fourth Raikage and I bow to no one!" A roared as his chakra flared out of his body in uncontrollable waves. Electricity sparked off his body as the room started to shake from the sheer amount of power rippling off of the powerful Raikage.

Balalaika remained unfazed and largely unimpressed as she let out a somewhat aggravated sigh. "I said I want your forces to stand down. NOW." Balalaika insisted and like a flood gate her chakra leaked out of her body in calm but enigmatic waves that dwarfed the current output of power the Raikage was displaying. A brown aura of chakra surrounded the Kingpin as the entire massive administrative building alongside the mountain it was attached to started to shake under her power. The sound of the large panoramic windows in the office rattlingly within their confines could be heard as some exercise equipment that A likes to have in his office vibrated across the floor from the tremors. Everyone in the room besides the Raikage himself were brought crashing down to their knees under the mighty woman's power.

"I don't want to do this but it is in your best interest to comply with my demands A. If you don't have your forces stand down you'll leave me no choice but to destroy your village… or alternatively I can have Karasuba out there go massacre those two battalions you have prepping." Balalaika threatened in a bone chilling fashion that paralyzed everyone in the room with unfiltered dread as A's eyes widened in shock. He rushed to his window and looked out of it towards the direction the villages barracks were. Enhancing his eyesight with chakra A zoomed in on a small dot standing on top of the mountain peak that overlooks the building the barracks a in and sure enough once his eyes properly focused a person came into view.

A tall woman, a walking psychotic and homicidal woman of extraordinary power was seen perched on top of the mountain peak with a dark grin in place. "Karasuba the Dog of Hotel Moscow! You brought your little lap dog with you!?" A seethed as the woman was staring him straight in the eye from the long distance apart as if she always knew he were going to look her way. The person staring A down was a woman on equal footing to him in terms of power. She was the Hidden Stone's ANBU Commander and member of Hotel Moscow making her Balalaika's right-hand woman and closest confidant. She was an S – Rank shinobi of incredible finest and skill as well as being a walking tank. She alongside Balalaika held the feared title of Titan. She had an arch rival who she would often tie even with back in the Third Shinobi World War but since then she's fallen from her old power only to in recent years start to climb back up and reclaim it.

Karasuba is a tall woman of notable stature. She has long light grey shaggy hair tied into a low ponytail that reaches her lower back and grey narrow eyes. She had heavy bags underneath her eyes giving her a haggard and exhausted look but that did nothing to affect her physical performance, far from it. She had on a black skintight leather top with a brown miniskirt underneath that went down a quarter thigh level. Black stockings that went up to mid-thigh level completed this look as multiple brown leathered belts crisscrossed her waist that had kunai pouches and many other ninja equipment clipped to them. On the thickest belt, two things could be seen. One was her headband, she had it tied securely to her belt with the metal plate facing the world with the cloth a rustic brown that matched the color of her miniskirt. The second thing on the large belt was a sword sheath attached to it with a beautiful black katana sheathed inside ready to be drawn at a moment's notice. Draped over her shoulders was a long ash grey colored haori that went down just past her knee caps in length with the symbol for Hotel Moscow printed on the front shoulder areas on each side while on the back a large printed symbol of the Hidden Stone could be seen if she turned around.

'The fact that Balalaika is here means that the chance of me going through with my plans go down the drain. Even after all this time I still don't think I can beat her in a one on one fight and even if I could my village would suffer massive amounts of collateral damage before I could force her away from the area. Not to mention the loss of life. But when you add on the fact she brought her little lap dog Karasuba along with her that shoots my chances of opposing her out the window. It would take everything I have just to hold off the both of them and by that time most of my village will be destroyed. I would need Killer B and Yugito's help on top of those in this room to stop them.' A silently contemplated to himself as he squeezed his fist tightly in anger. He was at a major disadvantage right now.

"Hey! Yo! What's going on Fool ya Fool!?" An enigmatic voice blurted out as the office door behind everyone flew open with a tall man entering the room with a skip in his step. He was tall and looked very much like the Raikage with a similar haircut that was slicked back corn rolls in a bleach blond color and a thick goatee. The man was dark skinned which was a common trait here in the Land of Lightning and a very muscular build very much like the Raikage in the room. On his right shoulder, he has a tattoo of the kanji for "iron" and on his left cheek, he has a tattoo of a bull's horn like a bull, and the left one is partially missing. His top lip also has a slightly darker hue than his bottom one. The man was wearing oval shaped sunglasses and a white-colored headband. He also has his village's standard one-strap-over-one-shoulder flak jacket, and a long, red rope belt tied around his waist, the standard Cloud hand and shin guards, shinobi sandals, and a white scarf around his neck. On his back was a red sheath carrier that had seven swords attached to it.

This was a very special man in the Shinobi world. He was a Jinchūriki just like Naruto. He was the Jinchūriki host to the Eight Tails Giant Ox. He was hailed as the strongest Jinchūriki in the world and had perfect control over his Tailed Beast's power. He was an S – Rank Elite Jōnin level shinobi with immense power who was regularly compared to be second to his older brother A the Raikage.

"B!? What are you doing here?" A asked in shock as he turned to see his little brother enter the room. "Oh, Killer B it has been quite a long time." Balalaika said as her entire tone shifted to one of interest and general calmness. An air of contentment was around her now as if the earlier tension in the room was never there to begin with. "Ah! Yo! It's me the rapping Killer B! I came here because I sensed all the beef!" Killer B rapped with a swagger in his step as he made his way over to Balalaika who watched the rapper with amusement swimming in her eyes. She seemed to be charmed by Killer B's personality.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spill my killing intent and chakra out everywhere. Me and your older brother were just having a disagreement of sorts. You know how hotheaded and stubborn he can be, he couldn't handle a simple request I made of him." Balalaika summarized in a laid-back tone as she panned her eyes over to Killer B to watch him dance around the Raikage's desk. "Don't you worry your pretty little head babe! Big bro is a big grouch, a hit or miss in the pouch! So, don't pout!" Killer B rapped as he wrapped his arms around Balalaika in one smooth motion that the powerful woman completely allowed with a charmed smile on her face. She had a raised eyebrow and an amused twinkle in her eyes as she showed no discomfort with what the younger man was doing. "You haven't changed a bit in all these years… I do enjoy the company of a younger man, especially one as quirky and charming as you." Balalaika complemented as she trailed a finger up Killer B's muscular arm. The rapper grinned a triumphant grin while flexing his other arm in a show of male bravado.

"B! Get away from her right now! This isn't the time for your jokes!" A reprimanded as B rolled his eye behind his shades and stepped away from the kingpin who actually showed the faintest pout across her lips. "Balalaika why do you want me to call off my planned invasion. If I do so now I will never get another chance again." A complained as he watched the woman shift her weight in his chair. She turned to give him her full attention while staring him straight in his eyes with her dead soulless ones.

"I'll go ahead and explain this one time and one time only." The Kingpin of Hotel Moscow said as she took a drag of her cigar. "There is a certain individual of extreme interest to me that lives in the Leaf. On their own the Leaf should easily be able to repel the combined invasion of the Sand and Sound. They'll be crushed and dealt with easily but if you were to get involved and take advantage of the carnage then it very well might push the Hidden Leaf over the edge and lead to their downfall. I can't allow that. If you invade there is a very strong possibly that VIP of mine will be killed in the crossfire. As things stand now this situation presents just the right amount of danger to put him in that will force him to grow and mature. It should also be noted that other outside forces have also laid their interest in the Leaf as well." Balalaika explained as A and the others stood their shocked that Balalaika would go to this length just for one person.

"What makes this person so special that you'd go through all this trouble just to stop me?" A questioned as a burning curiosity was in the back of his mind. He desperately needed it answered. Something wasn't quite adding up in his mind with Balalaika's motivations and actions. While A was a very hot-headed man he was still the Raikage and he's lived a long life. A lot longer than the average shinobi. He was very intelligent so something felt fishy about Balalaika's intentions. He also took note of these other outside forces tidbit but he wouldn't get a chance to ask those questions.

"There's a lot of things about this person that makes them very special, but in all actuality, he'd be someone you'd get along great with Killer B." Balalaika hinted as she got up from A's comfortable chair. "Oh, really now! Fool ya Fool! Can this dude keep pace with the Great Eight?" Killer B asked as he slid up next to Balalaika in curiosity. "As of this moment he can't hold a candle to you, but that is exactly why I need him to grow and mature through these hard times. In time, he may very well surpass you Killer B." Balalaika honestly revealed which intrigued Killer B immensely and infuriated his older brother. "Impossible! Whoever this person is cannot surpass B in anything! That is utterly ridiculous." A snapped as he refused to believe such a claim.

"Believe what you want A it makes no difference to me but I'll only say this once from one fellow Titan to another as a show of curtesy. Don't get in my way. Have your men stand down or your village will suffer the consequences." Balalaika threatened as she walked pass A with a cold aura surrounding her. Her signature green jacket that was draped over her broad shoulders bellowed out dramatically behind her as she made her way over to the office door. "You coming B? Since I'm here in your pleasant village I'll need a strong man to show me around." Balalaika purred as her soulless eyes trailed up and down B's muscular form. She was into younger men, that was for fact. It didn't even matter that B was only a few years younger than her, that age gap was enough. Especially since he embodied all of the core characteristics she liked and respected in people. She showed the most respect, loyalty, and friendliness around people who matched up to these ideals of hers.

"Ah yeah, going to head home and get my drink on son!" Killer B rapped as he skipped his way across the room to follow the mafia boss out the door. As he passed his older brother he subtly nodded at him before continuing on. It was a message to his brother telling him he'd handle things and look after Balalaika while she was in the village. Despite Killer B's flamboyant attitude and personality, he was actually a very down to earth, serious, and intellectual person. He was a true shinobi and a monstrously powerful individual to face off against. He was one of the very few people in his entire village that Balalaika couldn't just completely brute force her way through and overpower them. He's actually a worthy challenge for her alongside his older brother. For that reason and one reason alone she respected them. He would keep a close eye on her while she was in his village and she knew this of course but it didn't faze her. It all worked out in her favor since she liked him and was rather fond of him. He was one of the few people she would ever dare call friend.

The door to the room closed and all was quiet once again as everyone could finally breathe again. A gritted his teeth in silent rage as he saw Karasuba mockingly staring back at him. He knew she wouldn't move until Balalaika was ready to leave. She was simply there to be a constant source of intimidation and an ever-present looming threat. She would slaughter his people if he made one wrong move.

"Dodai… order our men to stand down and suspend our operations." A ordered in a resigned tone that sounded like it took a lot out of him, which it did. He wasn't the kind of man to submit to anyone or anything and just right now he was forced to surrender to a superior opponent who had all the chips in her hand. "As you wish Lord Raikage… I think this decision is for the best." Dodai said with a heavy heart that for better or for worse felt a lot lighter now. He didn't want to go back to war and drag all of his people into a conflict that would cost a lot of lives. There had to be other alternatives to keep his village economically safe.

"Lord Raikage! We can't let that woman win. We can beat her if we all took her on!" C countered in anger as he was trailing off of the fear he was feeling from earlier. He was surprised he didn't vomit from the terrible feeling Balalaika's killing intent inflicted upon him.

"No C, you are wrong about that." A countered as he shook his head slowly. C was surprised at this as his leader's voice sounded so resigned and defeated. "You are young C and naïve to how the world works. All five of us in the room combined would definitely be a match for someone like Balalaika but that would completely leave Karasuba out their unattended and by the time any one of us got all the way out there to her she would have already slaughtered one of our battalions… probably both of them before you would get there." A explained which caused C's whole face to pale at the morbid reality of what could happen.

"The four of you combined alternatively would be able to hold off Karasuba for a short time but the only two of you that would be of any challenge to her would be Darui and Dodai, you and Mabui would only get in the way and would be better off playing support for them." A continued as he was a deceptively calculating and intelligent man. He knew how the battle would play out in multiple different scenarios. "In retrospect Killer B would be the only one in the village capable of taking Karasuba on in a 1 on 1 sword match, but more importantly I'd need him here with me to bring out the full power of our A-B Combo against Balalaika." A finished as he explained how the many different variables in the fight would play out.

"Boss… we need to tread carefully and look at all the facts. We still have work to do." Darui sympathized as he placed a hand on A's broad shoulder. A sighed as he turned to face his subordinates. "You're right Darui, the most important thing we need to ascertain is the identity of this peculiar individual that has captured the attention of some like Balalaika. Whoever he maybe… he must be incredibly important for her to come here personally to enforce her will. If we can find them we can have an advantage over her." A speculated as he arranged the papers on his desk back. They were shuffled out of order by the vibrations caused by his and Balalaika's powers flaring earlier.

"I agree boss, but that's a dangerous game we're playing if we do that. If she found out we have this person in our custody it could spell disaster. From what I could gather she seems to be silently grooming him for her own benefit. Any outside interference could be enough to set her off." Darui explained cautiously as he helped his leader get his office back in order. Mabui and C were in the background helping as well while Dodai solemnly looked out the large panoramic windows of the office. He himself could see Karasuba faraway still perched up on top of the mountain taunting them with her very presence and he sighed at this. His heart was to soft sometimes to be a shinobi. He couldn't bear to drag his people back into another war.

"I know Darui I'm well aware of that, for now we must at the very least find out the identity of this mysterious person. My gut tells me he will be someone of great importance in the years to come. After we find him I want you to make first contact with him and assess him as you see fit with your judgement skills. We must know who we are dealing with, he very well could one day be an enemy." A ordered as he came to a final decision in regard to this situation they found themselves in. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place. All he could do now was do what was right for his people. That notion would have to be enough to help him sleep at night.

"You got it boss, this is going to be so dull."


To be continued...


Author's Note (A/N): Hey guys this was quite the chapter I must say. It was jam packed with a lot of juicy information to many things. Hiruzen's contemplation reveals all of the top players in the leaf at the time of the Naruto's birth and we finally see who the Titans are. Hiruzen and Danzō have another one of their conversations were they discuss what to do about Naruto and the new threat on the horizon. It would seem Hiruzen has an intimate knowledge on the supernatural world and more importantly the Three Biblical Factions (High School DxD). Danzō also warns Hiruzen that the Hidden Cloud is on the move once again.

We get our first look at another of the Great Five villages in the story and it's the Hidden Cloud. We are introduced to A the Raikage, Killer B, C, Dodai, Darui, and Mabui. We see glimpses of all of their personalities and characterizations and I took the liberty of toying with Mabui's background. In this story she is A's daughter. It has no significant impact on the story at all, I just did it to give her a little more background and complexity.

We see that A is planning to invade the Hidden Leaf amidst the chaos and confusion of Orochimaru's invasion that he's become aware of. We learn the real reason why the Hidden Sand is in the poor state it's in right now and how the Leaf's support from all of their clientele have hurt the other villages economy. Despite Dino's best efforts in helping the Hidden Leaf from the inside, by the time they could get back on their feet the damage had already been done. It's for this reason alone that A feels the need to act in order to save his country from a potential economical crisis in the future.

Balalaika makes her return to the story with dramatic flare as she completely blackmails and manhandles the Raikage in his very own office. We see a deeper more complex layer of personality from her in how she deals with different people. We also see some of her ideology here in how she views and treats people. We also see that she has a particular soft spot for our lovable Killer B who she appears to be smittened with. We also get a debut/cameo of another Titan by the name of Karasuba. An apparent psychotic woman with immense power who loves battle. A was backed into a corner by the appearance of not just one Titan but two. It's also revealed that he is one as well which should denote him as a very powerful shinobi irregardless of his title of Raikage.

Finally, Balalaika reveals her motivations for coming to the Hidden Cloud and she doesn't want the Hidden Cloud to interfere in the invasion. She says a very important person is their under her watch. (I wonder who that could be?)


Next Chapter: Chapter 57 (Third Stage: Coliseum)


That's the end of Chapter 56 I sincerely hoped you enjoyed it.

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Published: 8/31/2017