Rated M for language and later content


GLORY


summum


Northern Uchiha Kingdom, Fire Country
March 21, 1311


Lord Sasuke haunts the halls of his castle. The path to his private chamber stretches long when his only company is torchlight and marble.

Tired, dreary, he combs his hair back with trembling fingers. He and Kakashi had finished drafting together a formal document establishing an official alliance between the kingdoms of Fire Country (and the only reigning king of Wind Country, courtesy of a broth-stained message from his best friend).

This puts certain feelings to rest and gives rise to others. Nearly two months have passed since the day his brother relinquished all ownership of land and name and in that time, several parties of Sasuke's militia had gone to the abandoned kingdom, scouting through the damage and searching for leads, leftovers, and survivors.

The castle's riches were still there, the stables and kitchens and quarters untouched, his Council dead and Shisui's body unrecovered. A handful of villagers returned with the recovery groups—a dozen in total—but none of them will talk. They are all walking shells, mute save for one little girl who burst into tears and cried herself to sleep.

He'd been furious at the initial expeditions, angry when nothing would come up. Odd how the gold was untouched, the fine silk and covetous riches flawless save for a few spilled belongings.

As more and more groups returned, his rage gradually simmered into anxiety, on edge at the possible leads. Anguish finally settles in him when reports of Shisui's unfounded body come back, but his bloodied sabier, his burnt and torn clothing and a detached arm bearing the familiar birthmarks by his elbow are evidence enough. He buries the remains with his parents on the soil of his land, facing east because the Uchiha have always favored the fires of the sun.

Desperation grips him as Uchiha's abandoned, hurt, and broken townspeople come to his kingdom. He opens his village to those who have been traumatized by Pein's brutality, splits them into two groups and gives them twin mansions on private property close to the castle so that they may be protected, safe.

And he retires, falling apart at the seams at midnight when he is alone and only the moon can witness his return to humanity. In this time, he comes up with the only sure solution.

Indeed, Lord Pein has attacked but the motive for such an attack is unclear. Ruling out money is certain; not only were the Uchiha riches untouched (brought back to join the Northern Kingdom's treasury with a large percentage dedicated to the survivors), but Lord Pein's small but powerful country is fully capable of making their own profit. Money is not the fuel.

The damning point is Itachi.

Itachi had never been a selfish man, hardly driven by monetary value or earthly possessions. He'd always been for the people, pacifistic to a fault and only willing to fight for causes he believes in.

But since young, Sasuke's always understood that those are the reasons why his brother and father would argue. When the previous king and queen of the single Uchiha Kingdom had passed, Itachi hadn't been at the public funeral; he'd been finishing off the war and Sasuke was at home with the rest of the civilians, twelve years old and staring at the bodies of his parents.

It makes sense to him, he thinks, that that is where the reason lies. Itachi's a man with patience built as hard as diamonds; joining someone like Lord Pein, who wishes to undo the nobility system, would be something that potentially interests him. He follows those who align with his beliefs and here it is, clear as day.

So this is what Sasuke fears. While death has never terrified him, it's the thought that his own brother would be the one dealing the blow that haunts his thoughts. Shisui had been an elder sibling to Itachi; killing him so easily meant Sasuke is doomed to the same fate and of all ways to die in this world, he does not want the face of a loved one betraying him to be the last thing he sees.

And then his people. His people would be in danger. His best friend, his wife, the kingdoms, all he's ever cherished, cultivated, protected.

This is why he drafts the alliance. He will not back down from the challenge Itachi has created. Blood means nothing now.

So why does it still hurt?

It would do him good to mourn the death of his brother. Let the memories die fondly so that he may face Itachi as a man, an enemy, and not family.

Distracted, Sasuke glides down the corridor like a wraith, firelight casting dancing shadows across his handsome, twisted visage. He waves away the two guards manning his chambers and enters, undoing the clasps of his longcloak.

Feminine hands creep from behind, between the spaces of his arms, helping the cloak settle onto the floor.

The king turns carefully, gazing down at the wells of deep crimson greeting him with sultry grace.

"Hello, my love," his wife purrs sweetly, passionfruit lips curling into a dazzling smile. She sings the syllables like a serpent, coiling her fingers into his collar before moving to unbutton his long coat. She wears nothing but a sheer, silky nightgown, dandelion-soft and pink, and he feels the smooth curves beneath his strong palms.

Sighing, stress sloughs off him. He gathers Mistress Karin into the circle of his broad arms, nuzzling the crown of her head and inhaling cinnamon and maple. Heat and spice make his blood sing, warming to a temperature that makes him feel livelier than he has in weeks.

She laughs quietly when he turns his head, kissing her temple.

"Another rough day?" she asks, undoing the string that keeps the top of his blouse cinched shut. She presses her lips to the exposed skin there when he hums. "But I trust everything is going well?"

"The Lords will arrive tomorrow afternoon," he supplies. She steps back, kneeling to unlatch his boots.

"Good." Successfully removing the right, working on the left, she smirks with barely restrained mischief. "You've nothing to worry about, my love. If anyone can handle what's thrown at him best, it's you."

He does not answer her after that, for her fingers begin grazing the length of his belt and he is done talking for the night.


Northern Uchiha Kingdom, Fire Country
March 22, 1311


Fire Country's best season is the springtime. Summer is too noisy and muggy with the cicadas and unending humidity. Winter only sees a small drop in temperature. Fall is a touch dry.

But springtime is when Fire looks most breathtaking.

Covered in the early morning showers, dewdrops stick to lush green foliage, coating the shade beneath with a spray of cool water. Flowers bloom under the sun, stark and bright against thick, full white clouds and bright blue skies. At night, fireflies occasionally come out, greeting travelers and sticking to dandelion tufts like sleeping fae.

There is beauty in Konoha's horizons, Gaara acknowledges. In comparison, Wind Country is harsh, unforgiving, brutal, both sides of the temperature and wildlife extremes with little exception. Some people truly have all the luck.

His skin feels less gritty and cracked, now slightly muggy and definitely softened. Welcoming the change, he unfolds his crossed arms and pulls aside the carriage curtain, gazing at the greenery.

Miles and miles of rich, emerald green stretches, and in the gaps between thickets are neverending fields of valleys, floodplains, wetlands, streams spiderwebbing from rivers and quenching the flora and fauna.

Soon the trees evolve; there's a sudden shift from the forestline to paved dirt. Cobbled paths form the ground and eventually, he spots the first cottage.

They grow in number until the densest part signifies town. Rounding the center square, his carriage (of which hearkens the bold green banner and golden hourglass crest of Suna Kingdom) reaps curiosity, and he surveys the people as his horses bank left, circling the primary land that the castle sits on.

He arrives at the back entrance of the royal home. Walking off the steps, Gaara takes in the air unimpeded, bathed head to toe in full spring weather, staring as the red flags of Uchiha wave high.

While not new to the kingdom, this is his first time coming on circumstances outside of celebration. The situation's dire, he knows.

Clattering hooves cause him to look left and he regards a hollering Naruto stumbling out of his carriage without the coachman's help. Smiling slightly, he watches the idiot king dressed in phoenix orange and brilliant blue run straight for him, smothering him in a hug.

"Hello Naruto," he says, patting the blonde man on the shoulder.

"Gaara!" he cries in joy. "God, it's been so long, what the hell?" Pulling away without retracting an arm, he grins happily. "How're Temari and Kankuro?"

"They've been fine," Gaara replies. Naruto's been a great friend to him since their teen years. Time has been kind to the both of them. "You haven't changed a bit."

Naruto winks. "And I'll be taking that as a compliment." Nodding to the castle, he asks, "Have you been here a while? Anyone see you in yet?"

"No, I just arrived." He gestures to Baki speaking to the coachman. "Is anyone else coming?"

A distant neigh causes them both to look roadward; Naruto squints before recognizing the silver stead. "Think that's Aki," he says with a jabbing thumb, smiling excitedly. He's almost vibrating at the prospect of seeing more old friends. "Should be Neji right now."

"Neji?" The same one he knows?

"Lord Hyuuga," Naruto mocks, "and probably Shikamaru, his advisor."

Oh, so it is that Neji. And he knows Shikamaru. The guy used to be an old lover of his sister's and despite their breakup, the two men were still decent friends. It's been years though; when did he get the promotion?

Aki comes around trailed by a similar horse with mottled baby brown and white hair. Neji pulls his military forager's cap off, pressing it between his arm and side to gaze at the current present party.

Settling his stead, he swings right off with grace, landing straight into Naruto's holler of, "Hey Neji, long time, no see!"

"I recall you visiting my kingdom two weeks ago," he says drably while stripping off his riding harness, familiar with the blonde's affinity for food. He'd arrived in time for the Hanami festival in Hyuuga, which occurs earliest between the countries of Fire. The idiot was seen shoveling bowls of udon into his mouth between spending time with Neji. "And nearly eating businesses into the ground."

"I paid like any normal person," he huffs, vaguely insulted. "You guys have killer udon and I'm on my quest to eat every single noodle dish in the world."

"Go to Shinjuku on South Uchiha territory," Shikamaru says, ambling up to them while removing his horseback gloves. "They serve the best bowls of fire noodles if you feel up to the challenge."

Not one to be cowed, the idiot king pats Gaara's chest with his spare arm. "Gaara, you're my partner for this journey. I put my life in your hands," he says solemnly.

Shikamaru laughs when Neji scoffs; the redhead seems mildly disturbed. 'Fire' what? Deciding not to indulge the blonde, he bows lightly despite having Naruto draped onto him, greeting the new king. "Lord Hyuuga," he says.

"Just Neji is fine," the pearl-eyed man corrects, bowing slightly in return although faintly smirking. "We're hardly strangers." Which is true—their generation is tightly knit with an extended spiderweb of networks and connections. It'd been their pledge to surpass their parents and their paranoia, isolationism, and greed, and so they came to be.

"I suppose." Gaara then nods to his advisor. "Shikamaru. It's been a while."

"Gaara." The man waves lazily. "Can't say this is the most ideal way to have a little reunion but you take what you can get."

"Indeed."

"Has anyone come out to greet you?" Gaara picks up on Neji's slightly disapproving tone but doesn't comment on it. The Hyuuga and Uchiha are notorious for their clan rivalry.

"No, but there's the big guy now," Naruto says, excitement renewed. It's true; two inconel soldiers with hawkfaced helmets are walking towards them, flanking the towering and intimidating form of his greatest and oldest friend.

Sasuke is a proud individual, cold to a fault but made of fire rather than ice. He's imposing, tall in stature and built more muscled than his lean brother with a frame cut out of training, sparring, and swordfighting. As he approaches, he looks a little more man than myth for once with the high sun alighting his pale, aristocratic features and the exhaustion there. His expression is pensive, thoughtful, maybe even relieved at their arrival.

"Bastard!" Naruto bellows, removing himself from Gaara to tackle. Sasuke side steps easily, tangling their ankles and tripping the blonde who lands with a rough, "oof!"

"Moron," he greets dryly, "you should quit being a king and move here. My court could use a jester."

Naruto doesn't take the insult with a single grain of salt, simply showing how he feels about it with a rude hand gesture. "Feh, your country would overthrow you to put me on the throne. I'm so much more awesome anyways."

"So awesome," Sasuke echoes blandly, much to the blonde's smug amusement. "If that's a new synonym for 'dumb.' Has the slang changed around here?"

"It has," Shikamaru says seriously, snickering when Naruto yells in indignation. "And just for you, synonym means same meaning, different words."

"I know what cinnamon means."

"Synonym. It's synonym."

"That's what I just said."

Neji resists the urge to face palm. Idiots. He's surrounded by idiots.

Sharing a long-suffering look with Sasuke, he nods his head towards Gaara who stands awkwardly in the middle of a conversation, torn between entertained and confused. He admires Naruto; surely his admiration isn't being directed towards a complete imbecile, right?

"Okay, which one is the seasoning: synonym or cinnamon?" Shikamaru asks with a thick breath, exasperated.

Naruto's mouth twists. Then the dim bulb in his head blinks weakly. "You just said the same word twice! Ha! Can't fool me." Proud, he sticks his nose into the air and laughs like a king.

Yep. Actual idiot.

Sasuke is beginning to wonder if this was a good idea. And if 'stupid' is contagious.


Okay, maybe not a complete idiot. It should go without saying to not judge a book by its cover—something that Naruto lives and breathes by.

At the round table in Sasuke's War Conference room, he sits lounging against a seat, arms folded behind his head while attentively listening to Kakashi talk about what they've got so far. Stuff about what they found, recovered, a couple things about how to move on, pick things up. Stuff about Itachi but that's where his attention hones in on his best friend.

Naruto may be a boy that wandered the streets for a majority of his formative years, but he's grown quite skilled in the art of observation. Jiraiya saw to that.

It's in the way Sasuke holds himself—tight, like a coiled snake that feels threatened, its tail rattling in warning. It's angry, somewhat infuriated, but there's a distinct look there that hedges against fear, terror, threat. He might as well have been hugging his arms around himself; a man for all his size, shrunken so small.

Naruto's eyes grow almost cold in their scrutiny, the color of frozen lakes in the winter. The calculating look is not lost on Gaara nor Kakashi, who both keep it to themselves with interest.

He, of course, still thinks that there's a larger story behind this whole ordeal. Itachi has a heart made of gold, showered in soft crow feathers and childhood dreams. His only reason for ever raising a blade against another is for the sake of protecting those he holds dear.

But again, that doesn't change the fact that they're all under threat and Itachi made a promise, loud and clear. So he thinks of both sides; he'll put more thought into the motive later and focus on the actions now.

Pursing his lips, the ice in his gaze thaws as Kakashi finishes and talking starts, diffusing the spotlight.

"Your brother has betrayed you."

This is what Naruto hears as he zones back into the conversation, Neji's words as sharp as a blade. He doesn't miss the droop of Sasuke's proud shoulders nor the pained clench in his jaw. Kakashi looks like he wants to disagree but manages to hold his tongue.

So the White Fang has his suspicions too? Naruto lounges back—that's interesting.

"Hey man," he says after a moment, gentle. He decides to keep his ideas to himself; he'll get the chance to talk to Kakashi some other time. "I feel like it should go without saying but I'm with you."

While not surprised, Sasuke seems somewhat taken aback. "...Thanks, idiot," he says without malice, touched by his best friend's unwavering support.

Naruto and Itachi had been close once, both connected by the commonality of calling Sasuke 'brother.' He figured he would've gotten more resistance out of the blonde but as Naruto sits there, chest puffed and shoulders broad, blue eyes steady, his heart warms over.

Slanting his stare sideways, Naruto frowns thoughtfully before saying, "Hey Gaara, I know I invited you here because we're allies and all but just so you know, I'm not making you make a decision." He nods to Sasuke without breaking eye contact. "You don't owe me or Fire anything."

Gaara is impassive as he skims faces, expressions, thinking. The literal pros outweigh the literal cons in joining the cause but unlike the weather of his country, he is not brutal. He's not hellish heat and freezing night.

He's spent the past ten years remolding Suna into something different. Warm with the suns, cool with the moon, resilient like the people of the desert. So even as Naruto gives him an easy out, he doesn't take it. More than half a lifetime in isolation and fear of the unknown has given way to this bright point.

Fire Country is different, a working body that circles, covets, and devotes itself to its heartland: Konoha. He has learned what the meaning of family is and this man with sky blue eyes had given him the working definition compared to a meaningless dictionary entry.

"We're allies," he repeats, "But above all, you are my friend."

Suna runs in his veins but Naruto is his second home, a brother, and if Naruto's closest people are in jeopardy, then he will help. He knows he would do the same for him.

The blonde is quick to dissolve into stutters and watery eyes, clutching onto Gaara's shoulders while wailing his name. Gaara seems to wilt but isn't opposed to the attention, smiling slightly. It dilutes the thick tension in the room and Sasuke rubs his forehead at the display. Kakashi laughs; the years have done nothing to staunch this kid's brightness.

Suna's lord then turns to Sasuke and tilts his head. "I will help," he concedes, "to the best of my ability."

Sasuke's lips press into a thin line; Gaara would be an invaluable ally, much more experienced in something like this than he. While he'd spent plenty of time in the past years building on his military experience and battle tactics, Gaara knows bloodshed.

Suna had come away from a civil war not too long ago—one that resulted in a small southside state seceding from the mainland and going rogue. It'd been horrible, dividing families and demanding death between fathers and sons. And this man across from him had handled the ordeal with grace, might, and fortitude.

He says, "thank you," and he means it. Gaara acknowledges this with the ghost of a smile and an enthused thumbs up from Naruto beside him. In better spirits at the proceedings, Sasuke looks to Neji, who appears lost to his thoughts.

Then in the next breath, he says, "I refuse."

Sasuke's blood curls; Naruto shouts a loud, "What?!"

"I'm sure you know what you're asking of us, right?" Neji says with observant, unreadable eyes. Sasuke stiffens at the gauging look.

Lord Pein is a household name, the bogeyman that every parent tells their child about. One of Master Jiraiya's former students, the boy once known as Nagato had defected in later life with his female companion, after both had killed his brother, Yahiko. All three of them had been Fire's once; now the pair are rogues, silent entities that caused Jiraiya to blame himself for a reason no one knows, leave and become a nomadic spymaster for Namikaze.

But it seems they've decided to make a move for no particular reason other than targeting those of noble blood. Whether or not it's vengeance against the old sage is a toss up but not off the table. Neji'd be damned to get dragged along and lose lives over some feud.

"We know next to nothing about Lord Pein," he decides to say, "other than origin and the fact that he took control of a small state and has started filling his army with rogues. Then there's his specialized division, his eight—apologies, nine—S-classed operatives."

Sasuke's jaw clenches at the implications. Neji is steady.

"You want me to lay down my people's lives against nine walking swords. Each of which have taken down full armadas with little to no help. Over an issue between you and your brother?"

Neji knows what it's like to be involved in battles that have nothing to do with him. He'd been in the aftermath concerning the lord across from him and the flower from a lifetime ago and his heart suffered for it.

But above all, he knows Sasuke's blood. Proud, reckless, selfish. Damned blood with hellish eyes. He doesn't quite trust him; how does he know his motives are for the greater good rather than petty vengeance? How does he know that after exacting his revenge by killing his brother, that he won't turn tail and leave the rest of them on frontlines?

The Uchiha have abandoned others before.

"I see more loss than gain."

"Pein's gonna come after any that's upper class," Naruto cuts in, brows furrowed. Damn—he didn't want to fight as much as the next guy but this is a little— "Not just Sasuke. I mean yeah, the thing with Itachi's crazy but he's just a piece, you know? Pein's the problem."

"After he's through with me, he'll come after you next," Sasuke states, rougher than intended. His eyes narrow when Neji levels him with an indifferent stare. "I'm asking to do this now, all together, where we have a bigger chance."

"We are not allies," Neji says.

"I'm asking to be."

"Why?" Neji observes him and Sasuke hears it now when he hadn't earlier—he's being tested. His intentions, questioned.

Stiffly, he says, "Because we're kin."

A moment of silence passes over the room. Neji scrutinizes him with progressively freezing regard.

Fire, for all their hard-headed and stubborn fashion, is known for its unwavering loyalty to their heartland. Their citizens are known for love, family, and loyalty and it's for this very reason that Neji slowly nods. Perhaps Sasuke hasn't succumbed to his cursed blood.

Sasuke feels hate but his need for justice appears to be greater than the natural poison of his people. That's a good sign.

"Then I fight with you," Neji finally concedes.

Sasuke searches for a lie in his look but when there's none, he exhales. Naruto's yelling somewhere about being scared out of his mind for no reason and Gaara attempts to placate the blonde with a few words but he barely registers any of it.

"We did it," Kakashi says beside him, hand on his shoulder. "We're getting somewhere."

Sasuke grunts softly; they are. Kakashi had been right. Orochimaru pales a million times over in comparison.

The next hour is a blur. Kakashi sends for a courier who retrieves a drafted document from the royal archives. Dated today, White Fang reads out the details of their meeting, their purpose, titled "The Four Seasons" alliance and scored with lines for signatures. One by one, the kings sign their names in rolling letters and smoking cursive with Sasuke following every stroke, every turn with intense eyes.

Once before him, he writes with firmness, certainty, hands steadier than they've been in the past month. But just as the ink loops the end of his last name, Naruto makes a noise of concern; "Wait a second," he says. "Pein's in charge of Rain, right?"

"Yes," Kakashi says, brows raised.

Naruto's forehead furrows. "Rain's barely like, two-fifty kilometers across," he says, remembering snippets of Jiraiya's anecdotes. Days in the past, spent in the Namikaze valleys, practicing how to ride and eating berry icebars in the shade. Tales of the tiny country that rains forever. "Like fifteen to twenty times smaller than Fire. Don't you think that maybe... I don't know man, but wars have to take place somewhere."

"Here," Gaara says with a grim expression. "They will bring the battle here." Remembering the fortresses of Suna's multicities against the rebel south, he asks, "Do your villages have fortification?"

Neji exchanges looks with Kakashi; Sasuke's face scrunches into something unreadable. "Not particularly, no," Kakashi replies. "Few attempt to raid Fire." The country is much too terrifying a place, too powerful and too tightly knit to be pushed into, but of course it's Lord Pein who might be able to challenge that. "This might be a problem."

"My soldiers are built for defense, but men are not as solid as rock."

Neji agrees; the Hyuuga are fairly skilled in defensive combat and are very strong in squads, but men get exhausted, tired, weak. They would need better than that. "We don't have long to prepare," he inputs with contempt, arms crossed. "It's not like we can erect walls in such short time."

"I'm familiar with one of the members in Pein's specialist group," Gaara says, jaded. "His defense is near impeccable, almost impenetrable, which makes his offense even more dangerous."

"How dangerous?" Kakashi asks, curious. So they have this in common: defectors.

"Poison," Gaara says simply. "He's a master toxin expert. The grandson of the herbalist Countess Chiyo."

Naruto begins to ask questions but Sasuke is barely aware, stiffening at the name of the familiar old woman. Kakashi's gaze slides sideways, watching as a realization dawns on his lord.

So it comes full circle?

"Would we be able to talk to her?" Kakashi goes on to ask.

Gaara shakes his head. "Countess Chiyo is a hermetic woman, much more since her grandson had defected. She's very hard to locate, let alone speak to."

Kakashi hums. "But if we have a way of speaking to her?"

Curious, Wind Country's lord shuttles his disbelief with a slight noise of confusion. "You have a way?"

"Sort of. And this resource might actually be much more beneficial than just finding and talking to the Countess for us."

"Who?" Naruto asks.

"Lady Sakura."

Kakashi observes the various expressions of the room in that moment. Naruto's surprise followed closely by excitement; Gaara's bewildered blinks followed by recognition; Neji's tightened shoulders followed by relaxation; Sasuke's stiffness and only stiffness. It makes him think.

"The Queen of Senju Kingdom, yes?" Gaara asks, vaguely remembering the woman with pink hair. He's seen her in passing a few times over the years, here and there mostly at North Uchiha parties and he's Naruto's plus-one. Then it strikes him; "Your previous wife?" he asks Sasuke.

The man assembles something indifferent on his face, swiftly nodding.

"How can she help us?"

"She'd be a very powerful ally for us," Kakashi explains. "When she stayed here, she was in frequent contact with Countess Chiyo, had been an avid fan of her tea brews. Her mother and the Countess are friends in a way but she's very fond of the Lady."

"So she'd be able to speak to her?"

"More than that. I think she can locate her."

"The Senju are also incredibly proficient in medicine," Neji states to the side. "If you've heard of Lady Tsunade, her daughter's inherited her skills." He half smirks in some sort of private secret. "I've also heard that her Lady in Waiting had been a poison specialist once when she served under the previous queen. Lady Sakura has surpassed both of them."

Gaara's mouth presses into a thin line. The deserts are a brutal place filled with creatures that have toxic offenses used as defense mechanisms. Their medical scene plummeted with Chiyo's disappearance. This would prove more than helpful—it would almost be a saving grace. "Good enough to handle the rogue?" he asks.

"Good enough to counter, perhaps."

Gaara's brow bone shoots up. Maybe the Senju are far more than he anticipated.

"Wait a second." Naruto snaps his fingers, gaining the room's attention. "Okay, back to the defense issue. Doesn't Senju have like—well The Walls?"

"The what?"

"It was built prior to the last World War," Kakashi intervenes, remembering cross-country meetings where he'd stood guard, listening to King Dan and Queen Tsunade speak to King Minato about creating a fortress in fear of Orochimaru, her defected comrade. "I'm sure you're aware that Lady Tsunade is a part of the Three Sages?"

"Yes." They're a storybook tale.

"Master Jiraiya and Lady Tsunade's third was Baron Orochimaru, a corrupted powerplayer that tried to take advantage of the Uchiha." He ignores Sasuke's cold demeanor for now at the memory. "He was exiled from the country for five years after being sentenced and Lady Tsunade feared that he'd come after her since she'd been the deciding factor, so she built a fortress around her village."

"The place is an ivory wall," Neji says. "It's impossible to get in, harder to get out if they wished."

Naruto nods grimly. "Yeah well, if the fight's coming here then we can evacuate the villagers, y'know? Move 'em to Senju."

"So then when do we contact Lady Sakura?" Gaara asks, hands folded beneath his chin. He gazes at the unnaturally quiet Sasuke across from him. "Why isn't she here?"

"She never sent word back in reply to the summons," Kakashi explains, motioning for the courier off to the side. He whispers for a messenger immediately. "But I suppose that's to be expected—" Sasuke stiffens "—seeing as the Senju are rather isolationist these days." Sasuke deflates just the slightest bit; Kakashi doesn't miss a thing. "Maybe she'll be a little more open to a second try."

"I dunno, Sakura's pretty stubborn when she makes decisions," Naruto says, folding his arms with a huff. He remembers past parties at Sasuke's, enjoying her hilarious company and natural affinity for using her fists as a form of talk. "If she said no the first time, I doubt she'd say yes."

"She's a rational woman above all," Kakashi says cheerily. "I'm sure she'll hear us out."

Naruto scoffs.

"...Or we could crash her birthday party."

"...You absolute madman," Naruto says, amazed, "I'm in."


I'm rewriting these out of order so here I am, finished with this chapter on Christmas Day (Happy Holidays from the past btw!)

The usual was updated—prose, style, pov. Got rid of the fluff that clogged my sentences, got rid of the gummy wording to try and smoothen the storytelling. I also modified the scene ofc to make it fit the tone I'm going for.

Thanks for reeeeeading.

- burrblefish