Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Naruto
Beta: Devoid Black
A/N: Wow, thank you all for your support! It's my first major story so every follow/favourite/review means the world to me and gives me incentive to write more. You guys are a fantastic audience!
Previously on Fernweh:
Jiraiya carries Tom on his back to Konoha where he is presented to the Hokage. Shinobi, being as paranoid as they are, do not trust Tom's intention and immediately throw him to Yamanaka Inoki's (Inoichi's father) tender mercies.
Tom is an excellent occlumence, so it surprises him when Inoki actually manages to break through his barriers after multiple attempts. Tom panics. He casts a confundus but is found out soon after.
The shinobi lose their trust and progress to physical torture to break Tom. Eventually, after days of not gaining anything, Tom requests to see the Hokage where they strike a deal (the most important components being: keeping his origins secret, his loyalty to Konoha and their loyalty to him.) under the Unbreakable Vow.
I also call the previous chapter: Where Tom regrows his balls.
Chapter 8: Along this Road
"Along this road
Goes no one
This autumn eve"
-Basho
Utatane Koharu's back creaked as she ambled up the stairs slowly. The halls of the Hokage tower were tortuous and confusing; the layout tantamount to a fortress, and that is not counting the sheer number of traps and seals placed in the building. Her breathing began to sound loud and labored when she reached the third floor. Too loud, in her opinion. But that was to be expected when the place was as quiet as a grave. Silence pervaded her senses, the only sign of life being the ANBU hidden in the shadows. Koharu almost scoffed in derision. Perhaps, it was time to step up their training again, it would not do to let their targets know that they are being watched. She gazed impassively as they fidgeted. They knew better than to offer her assistance, no matter how decrepit she looked. She suppressed the smirk threatening to cover her face and strolled casually to the last door in the corridor.
Conference room Violet has always been one of their favourites. It had an antique low table, two thrones fit for kings and a plush, red chaise against the window. She made herself comfortable, her large bottom sagged into the chaise and waited about two minutes before Homura came in, looking all business.
"Oh Good. There you are! We need to-"
"Homura." Poor codger stopped his panicking. "Settle down, we have time. Danzo and Hiruzen will arrive momentarily."
Homura, gave her a look of disdain and settled down next to her. You would think… after the number of times she had beat the crap out of him in their youth, he would give her some basic respect. She would not hold her breath. With the sort of dignity that came from years of playing the political ground, she turned her head away and said, "Do not worry, Homura. Your concerns will be addressed."
He did not bother stifling his scoff.
The Hokage entered a minute before the assigned time. Neither of them bothered getting up.
"Good afternoon" Hiruzen said amicably, settling down in the chair besides her. "I see you got my message"
She looked at him amusedly and greeted him back; he did know how to push Homura's buttons. Sure enough, the idiot was getting worked up besides her, ready to vent. Thankfully, Danzo walked in.
Koharu glanced at the clocked. Right on time. Cane clicked periodically against the stone floor and the man sat opposite to the Hokage. "Let us begin."
Koharu's eyes crinkled fondly at them, Her boys and their little power plays. Some things just did not change.
To nobody's surprise Homura reached a boiling point and burst out. "Hiruzen, it's about time you called us! It's been three weeks since the boy has been released! What have you been doing all this time, we would like to be kept up to date on these things. Especially because there is quite a large possibility that he is a threat!"
Koharu watched Hiruzen stuff his pipe with tobacco and light it with some amount of detachment.
"Hiruzen" She cut out causing him looked up sharply. "Homura is not wrong. What is the situation like?"
The Hokage paused and let out a sigh of resignation.
"The child is an asset. More resourceful than we anticipated." He scratched his beard thoughtfully. "He asks for assistance in education and exploration-"
"Such impudence!" Danzo barked. "He is a child! A child of unknown origins, what right does he have to make these demands?"
Koharu nodded. "I agree. What does he offer in return?"
Hiruzen looked at her and then to Danzo, in a way that… Was he… disappointed with her? Koharu bristled. The man was the Hokage; but they were his council. They were just as old and learned as he was! If he wanted a yes man, why should they exist at all?
After a moment he responded. "He is… more powerful than most. More intelligent. He could be cultivated into our most reliable weapon yet."
Homura looked impatient. "What will he give us in return?"
"The usual… Missions.. War effort. He will take on apprentices. His loyalty is to our village." Hiruzen said and lit his pipe.
"And you are that certain, are you?" Danzo drawled, sarcasm pouring out of him in waves.
She agreed with Danzo. How could he be so sure?
A slow, blood chilling smile took over Hiruzen's face that stopped her in her tracks. A smile that reminded her why it was that this man was made Hokage.
"Have some faith, Danzo." Danzo's face was blank, but years of knowing him told her he too was startled. "Have some faith in your Hokage… a deal has been struck with the devil" The Hokage chortled with suppressed laughter. "But who is the devil, I wonder. Who is?"
Danzo stirred out of his shock and threw Hiruzen a look of disgust.
"He is an asset, yes." Koharu said, frustrated. "But I still want him under control."
Danzo jumped at the opportunity. "I will have two of my men tailing him."
Hiruzen hummed, amused. "I already have him under surveillance, but if this makes you happy.."
"It would make us happy if you told us everything so our resources do not go to waste, Hiruzen!" Koharu snapped. "We are at war Hiruzen! Albeit, at the tail-end of one! But there will always be war... We want to be certain that he is not a threat-"
"Enough" The Hokage's voice was quiet but chilling as it cut across the room. "I have told you more than I need to, but it is through my discretion as Hokage, that the details of Subject 4994 are labeled as an S-rank secret. This meeting was called to inform you that the child is no longer a threat, but still kept under surveillance; and not to appease your curiosity."
His voice was sharp and unyielding and Koharu held her tongue.
"Like I said, you may keep a tail on him as well but it is unnecessary.."
She nodded once. "Is that all, Lord Hokage?"
He stared at her for a moment. "Yes, Koharu.. that is all"
She got up and began her long trek to the door, not looking to see if the rest of the council followed suit. "We shall convene at the next regular council meeting. And Hiruzen?"
"Yes?"
"Send the ANBU in this corridor to me tomorrow at 0800 hours. They need a lesson in stealth."
Hiruzen chuckled as the shadows bristled in indignation. "Of course"
Her lip curved up minutely, and she nodded; leaving the boys to their tantrums.
They sat in a large but low cave taking shelter from the never-ending rain. Tsunade shivered, "Does this ever stop?" she muttered in frustration.
Ame was a cesspool of arctic winds, damp clothes, and fungus in everything edible. Years of war and deaths have drained her and all she wants is to cuddle with her little brother, Nawaki, and shelter him from this unforgiving world.
Just a little bit more.. she thought. This is the last bit. Sensei promised.
Just a little bit more.. The rain falls in sheets, there is zero visibility and so, her chakra senses are wise open. Looking.. Searching..
Just a little bit more.. they were doing this to protect everyone they loved, for Konoha. For Sensei.. For her team.. For Grandma Mito..
For Nawaki.
There was a warmth over her shoulders and she was startled out of her thoughts.
"Penny for your thoughts, Hime?" Jiraiya patted her shoulder, over the jacket she was drowning in. His eyes were crinkled in warmth.
"Tch. It's nothing important, pervert." She played along, though she was oddly flustered by his attention.
"I'd say that I am plenty important!" He puffed up in self importance. Tsunade gaped at him for a second before she began pounding him into oblivion.
"I'm not thinking about you all the time, you moron!"
"Ah… no need to be shy, Hime. They say there are two things you can't stop."
I don't even want to know.
"War and True Love" He said with a smirk.
"Why You-"
"-I suppose one hour is too much time for you two to be silent" an exasperated voice sounded behind them. Both of them whipped around to face the newcomer.
"Oro!" Tsunade exclaimed. "I was just thinking about you!"
Jiraiya gasped and clutched his heart. "You wound me, Hime!"
"You were?" Orochimaru asked, curiously.
"Aa, I have heard from a little bird.." she began slyly. "that you brought yourself a man home"
Orochimaru's cheeks instantly dusted pink. "-I beg your pardon?" he sputtered.
Tsunade squealed inwardly. He was so cute! She won't lie, she had a crush on the man when they were children and he ignored every girl that ever came on to him. Perhaps girls aren't what he wants, she smirked, looking at the effeminate looking man. It didn't matter. That this boy caught her Oro's interest, only spurred her own.
"I want to meet him!" she declared.
"Hime!" Jiraiya objected, scandalized.
"It's not like that!" Orochimaru said at the same time, taking in her visage in despair. A stubborn Senju was a dangerous one.
"I only find his jutsus interesting!" He tried one more time. Even Jiraiya paused at that.
"Is that what kids call it, these days?" Jiraiya asked, making Tsunade cackle.
A sudden spark of chakra crackled across the cave and everybody stilled, laughter forgotten.
A snake crawled in, in a hurry. Orochimaru was on his knee instantly to pick her up. "What is it?"
"He's here. The salamander summoner! He's here! Hurry!"
"Tou-san! Tou-san!" a little lump with silver hair waddled up to him in anguish. "Don go tou-san! Please!"
Sakumo picked up his tiny son and settled him in the crook of his elbow. "Kaka-chan, it's only for a little while. Tou-san has some work to do, I'll be back by lunch time. You won't even know I'm gone!"
Kakashi pouted, his young face twisted in despair and guilt stirred in Sakumo's stomach. This war is a menace, I need to be spending more time with my son. Kakashi didn't wail or cry like other children, but it was made abundantly clear that his absence was hurting him. Sakumo sighed.
"Come Kakashi, it's already 10 in the morning, stay with Aoba-San for just a little while and I'll be back with eggplant soup, how does that sound?" His little monster grinned in delight and acquiesced to being passed on like a bag of potatoes to his caretaker.
Sakumo considered his son for a moment and made a split second decision.
-Boar- -Dog- -Bird- -Monkey- -Ram- Summoning Jutsu!
"Momo-chan!", Kakashi squealed elated at the presence of his father's partner Momo. Momo was a white hound with wolfish features and sharp canines. He stood tall at 50 pounds, towering over his son, who had escaped his guardian to clutch the fur on his flank. Aoba squeaked.
"Hullo, pup" Momo greeted him and Sakumo chuckled fondly.
"Momo, stay with chibi-chan for a couple of hours, would you? I'll bring you some fresh meat from the butcher's shop!" he enticed.
Momo sighed theatrically but gave in easily. Sakumo knew well he liked playing with the pup.
"Yes, yes.. hurry up…"
Sakumo gave a two fingered salute and vanished to the roofs and began bounding to his destination.
It had been about a month and a half since they had been back from that fateful mission in wave and three weeks ago the young man had been released. Three whole weeks with T and I… Sakumo shuddered, not wishing that fate on anyone. An odd feeling stole its way into his chest and he pushed his feet to run faster. He would have gone and checked on young Voldemo-san earlier, he would have! But his pup had been waiting for him for far too long. He deserved some time with his father. Poor child was left to Aoba-san's machinations in his absence. Where are you then, Voldemo?
Sakumo, was a tracker nin by profession. Five minutes later, he found himself in a tree, looking down at his target. Good humour filled his senses but he froze when he noticed the bags under Voldemo's eyes. He dropped from the tree.
"Good Morning, Voldemo-san!"
The poor fellow jumped like a startled kitten to face him, stick pointing at his face. Needs more work on his observational skill, Sakumo noted. He lifted his hands, palm-up, in the universal sign of surrender.
Voldemo slowly dropped his hand. "Oh.. it's you.."
Sakumo studied him with an unnerving amount of intensity. "Walk with me, Voldemo-san"
The man in question looked at him curiously but complied.
"What did you want with me, Sakumo-san?"
"Well.. first.. I'd like to ask how you're settling down here."
Voldemo shrugged non-committedly. "It's alright"
"And how's your recovery?"
Voldemo stopped and slowly turned to face him, face carefully blank. "What is it that you want, Sakumo?"
"I'm merely concerned for your well being, sweetheart" Sakumo brought out his most rogue-ish grin, the one he knew his wife had fawned over. "I need to look after you for the next couple of months, after all.." he winked and a Voldemo's cheek bones turned an attractive pink.
"I don't need looking after!" he snapped. Ah, that's the spirit I was looking for. I was getting tired looking at a porcelain doll. Sakumo smirked.
"Now, now.. I just mean that I will be teaching you for as long as Jiraiya is out of town on his mission. I will be looking after you and his team until then" Of course, it helps that you have an ANBU captain's protection close at hand too, Sakumo thought sardonically. He quickly let out his chakra, and found two other presences in the trees. Overkill, don't you think, Sandaime-sama? The man had always been cautious. But there was cautious and cautious to the point of paranoia..
"A team?" Voldemo said in obvious distaste.
"Voldemo-san, there is no such thing as a lone wolf-"
"Actually, there is-"
"Ah-ah.. and lone wolf is invariably culled from the pack, sweetheart. Here in Konoha, we work in teams, and play to our strengths."
The disgust was wiped from his expression and quickly replaced by a poker face. He really needs to work on that too, Sakumo thought in despair.
"So, when are we meeting them?"
"Now."
Sakumo had walked them directly into training ground 7 without further ado.
"Children?!" Tom muttered in disdain when he looked at them. Sakumo smirked. Poor child won't know what hit him.
