November 12th.
Umigakure.
The last of Naruto's clones were summoned.
He had done so since he came back; cutting their direct feedback to him, and leaving them to be independent. They would handle matters on their own; if anything worthy of notice happened, they would warn him.
There was no hiding it. Under his white, high-collared kimono, Naruto and his clones wore his latest battle armor. They were made out of a strange, strong, form-fitting material that gave them unimpeded movement. The material provided both elasticity, superior resistance and protection. Something that would protect a clone - even ones weaker than the ones he had created for this - from most attacks. Combined with their ability to use the Storm Cloak…
They were near unstoppable.
The clones didn't carry any weapons, because they simply could summon Spectral Swords when it came to it.
Toru wore the same armor as well.
"I think it's about time." Naruto nodded to himself.
Most of the group had already left. Or depending who in particular… their clones had left.
"You seem… strangely unbothered." Toru said, frowning.
"What about…?" Naruto blinked.
"About planning… executions." Toru just said. "You used to see things differently." He stated.
"Yes." Naruto nodded. "And I used to see things wrong. I am not going to waste my sympathy on people such as the ones we're talking about. And I won't feel even one iota of guilt. Back then… I didn't even want to kill people who were doing their best to kill me. We were lucky no one died directly because of it."
Toru stared at him.
"…Self-defense is a bit different from this." He said.
"Is this the part where you give me a moralistic speech…?" Naruto just smiled.
Toru chuckled. "No, far from it. I'm a ninja, and from a clan of ninja. I… did my own fair share of murder, it would be… hypocritical of me. I'd prefer not to do it, still."
"Then we agree." Naruto stated simply. "But it's the best way to ensure we won't have to keep on doing it after that. Or… less so, at the very least. A strong preliminary message. If people go on thinking I'm ready to get rid of those who go too far so quickly, well… It's going to prevent a whole lot of trouble later on. You can see it as pruning a tree, even."
Toru sighed. Pruning a tree.
"How… pragmatic of you." He said.
"Thanks."
"It wasn't meant to be a compliment."
"I know." Naruto chuckled. "I'll only go for the worst of the worst, though. Nothing like Konoha's Culling. The shinobi world is too… fucked as a whole for me to consider killing every murderer besides us."
"…Man, you're great at these motivational speeches." Toru deadpanned. "I'm entirely convinced."
"I know you're not, but... It's a pre-emptive strike." Naruto smiled thinly. "Against monsters. The classic, you know the sort… The worst of the people in power, as well as the worst of those who don't have power at all. Child-killers, rapists, slavers… People who do this sort of thing for fun and all — oh, obstructionists too, if they're bad enough. I'll kill as many as I have to for the rest to gently… cower away."
Toru closed his eyes. Obstructionists, too; he muttered back.
"…I'll help, then. If it's so damn important." He muttered.
Naruto lifted an eyebrow. He knew that Toru wanted to play no direct part in this. And he would not have his friends shoulder a burden he was much more suited to carry.
"No. No need." Naruto shook his head. "This is something I'm going to take care of. Better put all of the blame on me, too. Besides…" He let out a quiet chuckle. "I've got more than enough experience with mass murder to not mind too much."
Not that the act would weigh on his conscience much, considering he would not even remember doing it in the first place.
Toru tried not to think too hard about the statement.
"Well… you go first, then." Naruto casually waved him off. "You said you wanted to talk to some of them, first."
Iwagakure.
Eight of Iwa's elders convened upon the fate of their village.
Ōnoki had disappeared entirely, along with a few shinobi who had been returned with their memories of the event wiped.
It was as clear of a message as it got, for there were only a few people in the world who could manage to do such a thing.
And only one village which would be brazen enough to take responsibility for it by leaving the men alive after it.
Noguchi Yoshiyuki was a lifelong shinobi.
He glanced around the gleaming stone table, not bothering to disguise his movements. All eight of them were here.
"Rumor has it that Uzumaki Naruto is alive." Tetsuya led with his usual bluntness.
"Bah." Kichiro grumbled. "This is nothing more than Umi trying to bluff their way to victory. The man has been dead for months now."
Yoshiyuki nodded. Half of Iwa had heard the news. The fact that it coincided with the Tsuchikage's disappearance was simply too convenient.
Their Kage was gone. And they dared to use that man's name as a deterrent, still.
"Even then." Yoshiyuki leaned forward, despite his anger. "Umi still has powerful shinobi."
"Hmph." Katsuo laughed. "That's also something they want us to believe. What few shinobi Umi has, although strong… haven't fought for months."
"Months…?" Suzu asked, lifting an eyebrow in derision. "You mean… since they fought Akatsuki's leader…?"
Katsuo frowned. "I don't recall asking—"
Whatever he was about to say was cut off by a quiet voice.
"I have come bearing a message." The intruder said.
Eight people froze.
Konohagakure.
"Did Sasuke warn you already?" Anko asked the Hokage.
He sat in the center of the room, wearing a cloak of pristine white. The hat sat on his head in a way that seemed both casual and deliberate at the same time.
"About Uzumaki Naruto's… return or the coming events?" He asked softly.
"About both." Anko smiled sharply.
"Yes." Itachi simply nodded.
She looked at him soberly.
"Are you fine with it or is this going to be a…"
"Hostile takeover…?" Itachi asked, slightly amused.
Anko laughed.
"Yes, that." She shrugged. "I'd hate having to knock you out."
"If you can." Itachi simply said. "But well… I have known since the beginning."
"What is your answer?"
"Don't you know it already?" Itachi smiled slightly. "Working together, we can change the world. Easily. So… for as long as I believe Uzumaki Naruto's actions to be those that will lead to and maintain world peace… I — and Konoha — shall follow." He stated.
"And do you think that is his aim now…?" Anko asked evenly. "Who's to say we're not really after ultimate power to achieve our… nefarious goals?"
"Uzumaki Naruto is not interested in power for power's sake. His memories, his heart and soul say so." Itachi simply said. "At least for the time being. And the same goes for the rest. I am fine with that."
"Good answer, cousin." Anko grinned.
Itachi sighed.
Sunagakure.
"You again…?" Chigusa asked, her displeasure obvious.
She didn't forget how easily that man had put her into a full-body freeze, last time.
"It is I again, yes." Uchiha Toru said.
She knew him, of course, and not only because of last time. Here was a man who had come back to life. "What is it you want, this time…?"
"My friend is going to… come around later. I thought it would only be fair to warn you about it, because he can be a bit… blunt, sometimes."
"And you aren't…?" She spat.
Uchiha Toru tilted his head.
Chigusa couldn't move again. If her shinobi saw her like this—
"Look." He said, voice flat. "I came here because I'd rather we all go along… somewhat decently. I played nice last time, because of my other friend. And Sakura would have slit your throat already, if you spoke to her in a tone she didn't care for. I'm not Sakura, luckily for you."
Toru paused, waiting for an answer.
She was frozen entirely and that included her mouth.
"Oh, sorry, bad habit."
He released the body-bind he had cast on her.
"We're really trying to avoid bloodshed." Toru said. "If you really must insist on a show of force, let's have… a tournament, or something. I don't know. No killing, if possible. If you need me to do so, I will take on all of your men, one after the other — maybe not the same day, if possible."
"What the fuck are you talking about…?!" Chigusa grunted.
"I think you will see soon enough." Toru chuckled.
He turned to leave through the window he had come in from. How he had done so in broad daylight, she had no idea.
Uchiha Toru stopped.
"Oh, and Chigusa…" He said.
A shiver went down her spine.
"The war's over and I would rather not kill any of your shinobi. There was too much of that in the last war. But there will be-" He cut himself off. "While… I may really, really not want to kill, let's not forget something very important."
"…What is it?"
"This is your second chance already." He said flatly.
Chigusa didn't say anything.
"So don't fuck it up." He finished.
Uchiha Toru jumped out of the window, disappearing entirely with a whistling sound.
Shin Kumogakure.
"So you really are going for it, then…?" Yugito asked Karin, frowning. She had known for a long while, of course, but still…
"Of course." Karin simply nodded. "It is the only workable way, frankly."
Yugito didn't bother denying it.
And it wasn't like it was going to change much for her. Kumo was already part of Umi in all but name, at this point.
And the benefits far outweighed the negatives.
Karin laughed.
"I know that face." She said.
"…What face…?"
"You look like you've bitten a lemon." Karin chuckled.
"Ah."
"Which means you're thinking of my hot concubine." Karin nodded.
Yugito snorted.
"Is that what he is…?" She smiled.
"Well… of course." Karin pretended to frown. "For the time being. We'll fix that soon, though. So what's on your mind?"
"Well… thinking of him in charge of… the entire world is not exactly putting my worries to rest." Yugito said dryly.
"Ah." Karin waved it off, smiling. "We'll all be here to make sure Naruto doesn't fuck things up, right?"
Yugito smiled a bit. Truly, whatever Karin saw in Naruto when she was… worth so much more… Yugito couldn't understand.
"Sure. Let's keep that man in check, then."
"Also, there's a fair in town later today. Wanna come with me?" Karin asked.
Yugito gave her an incredulous stare.
"…Aren't you going to be busy…?"
"Nah. That's what clones are for." Karin laughed. Yugito continued to stare. "So?"
"…Sure, let's go, then."
Kirigakure.
"Mei, we're going to take over the entire world." Ino warned, before leaving again.
"That's nice." She waved the younger woman off. Their first meeting aside, they got along pretty well.
Mei knew about the events of today already and they clearly needed no help. They had Naruto, too.
She had more important matters to attend to. Like… how to tread the thin line between businesslike flirting and… a shameless coming on.
The man that had her so… deep in contemplation was a true enigma to her.
But well… that was half the fun, wasn't it…?
Konoha.
Sarutobi Asuma had been thrilled to see that his former student had grown to be so confident, so strong.
Ino had always been driven, but to see the sheer heights she had reached had been a humbling experience.
He may not necessarily agree with a lot of the things Umi did but he respected Anko's skills, and not only because she had been Kurenai's friend… so long ago.
Naruto, though…
His first sight of his former distant cousin took him by surprise. He was taller and stronger than Asuma was, now.
Konohamaru was just as surprised as he was, perhaps even more so. By now, though… It was the second or the third time that Naruto had come back from supposedly being dead. Which meant that he didn't know what to think anymore.
Then Naruto spoke, addressing the entire village.
Asuma dropped his cigarette.
Konohamaru froze.
Biwako pursed her lips.
Far up North in the Land of Lightning.
Tayuya had long since left the shinobi life.
Orochimaru and the protection he offered had been a tempting offer. But going to live on an island had never really appealed to her that much.
And frankly… being a kunoichi had always been a means to an end for her.
It was freeing not to be powerless though, so she kept her skills sharp, but she would rather do something else with her life.
Playing music, for one.
Sure, the work came and went, and sometimes the pay didn't come at all…
But it sure beat killing people for a living.
Tayuya was in Ōtano when it happened.
There had been times she had wondered what had happened to that cute blond from back then, in her Orochimaru days. He was a good musician, too, even though she hadn't been about to tell him.
But well, that was a very casual sort of dalliance, and that was already years in the past.
So of course, she had never expected to see him again.
Especially not like this.
Uzumaki Naruto had grown up.
Back then, Naruto had been a cute teenager, a bit gangly. Now… he was hot. Tall, impossibly strong — and he looked like the kind of man who could do at least half of what he was rumored to have done — and these eyes.
The way he had arrived, floating down the heavens was clearly intended as a demonstration of his power. It was working, too.
The people of the town of Ōtano had gathered around him when he began to speak.
The way he spoke had nothing to do with the way he did as a teenager. He was entirely too confident, focused and straight to the point. The kind of person that simply took what he wanted. Because why would he not…?
Naruto met her eyes for a short instant.
And suddenly she felt nervous… like one of these too girlish academics she had seen around here. He smiled at her fondly and Tayuya looked away, face heating up.
'Gods. Talk about growing up.'
Then Uzumaki Naruto delivered his message.
And the only thing she felt was incredulity.
"What the shit…?!" Tayuya muttered.
It was always the quiet ones.
The world thought Uzumaki Naruto dead.
And suddenly he was here again.
He had defeated Nagato, and the Five Kage had accepted his leadership.
People around him came back to life. His enemies disappeared in the shadows, never to be seen again.
And either he had never died… or he could bring himself back from even death. It was hard to tell which one was scarier.
The Bijū were supposedly gone, but there were many that thought that he controlled them.
At first, it wasn't even fear that spread.
It was terror.
The immortal's clones flew down to Earth, spreading the same message through small villages, big villages and cities alike.
"I am Uzumaki Naruto, leader of Umigakure as well as the Shinobi Alliance. I am the one who killed Nagato. In doing so, I have died… and come back to life. I will do so again, if needed."
"The age of War is over. I have come to unify the Land."
Naruto hadn't lost his ability to sense negative emotions; something he finally realized had been the Nine-Tails' power all along.
And his skill with it had improved tremendously in the best place for it.
Hell. And Enma's palace, as well.
Naruto could now tell the difference between intent and actual guilt - the fact, not the feeling that he could sense before already.
Soon, there was a clone in each and every one of the thousand most populated cities in the world.
They would not transmit memories or fatigue at all, unless something worth reporting happened. Or if they made any significant improvement to the Negative Sensing technique.
They would simply maintain themselves indefinitely, overseeing the process of change.
Each of them was more than strong enough to take care of local problems.
Less than a hundred leaders died during the takeover.
Every single one of them was chosen because they were powerful, guilty and opposed to the new order. All of them were killed by clones, their memories ripped away and the worst of their actions made public.
Ōnoki was made an example. And so were the worst of the former Daimyō.
It proved to be enough to cower the rest of the leaders.
The worst of the people were dispatched as well.
The total death toll numbered in the tens of thousands… only.
It proved to be enough to cower the rest of the people.
An omnipresent, immortal ruler who could feel intent and guilt proved to be big enough of a threat.
Then there was the revelation of the existence of Judgment. Naraka. The Pure Lands. Some believed; some didn't. But that wasn't really the point.
All of it together proved to be enough to cower the world.
In comparison to the terror that his return brought… Uzumaki Naruto dividing the world in Twenty Regions, all of them pooling economical resources together, seemed almost… bearable.
And just like Nagato had said, there was no one to oppose him.