Naruto: Shoton of Konoha

by Arch-Daishou00

: For Stormy Rebel, miss you, Joachim, and thank you: "By the actions of the traitor Mizuki. Naruto awakens a rare Kekkei Genkai. And his path has now changed. And in the darkness awakens an ancient threat more terrifying than the Akatsuki, which only stirs thought of myths from a lost and forgotten age." : huge world expansion story, OC. Co-Author: Etheral-23

42. Where we go from here

Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto

Co-Author and Beta: Etheral-23

Tribute: You are remembered Joachim; Thank you man.

Arch: Hope you folks to stay safe out there. Stay home, go out if you only need to, keep your distance and wash your hands. Stay safe y'all.

Chapter 42: Where we go from here

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Grass crunched under Bai Shen's feet as he walked through a vast forest. The very same forest where brother Hidan had faced down that wretched disgraceful half-breed. His hooded visage took in the sight of the damage done by the Sage of Flames. A low snort came from the man; "That insufferable Uzumaki whore taught her well." Disdain laced in his tone as he surveyed all that was around him.

A low cough caught his attention as he walked a foot more before finding the headless body of brother Hidan. Close by was his still alive head. But only just as the lack the nutrients needed to keep his 'immortality' going were starting to ware off. One eye was pure white and faded as the other was slowly becoming the same. The skin was nearly matched to Hidan's hair with now a grayish color to it. His lone good eye widened as he saw his master coming towards him; "Father..." Hidan coughed as his voice was now a cracked rasp.

"Ah, there you are my son." Bai Shen knelt down and pick up his disciple's head; "You are nearly faded I see."

"I couldn't... kill... the half-breed bitch... I... I have failed our... Lord." A few tears rimmed Hidan's eyes.

Bai Shen chuckled; "Failed? Nonsense my boy. You have been a loyal and a true devout to our lord. I am beyond proud of you Hidan, and so I shall reward you for your service"

Hope shone in Hidan's eyes as he smiled almost like a child; "I am worthy?"

"You are worthy." The hooded man smiled in a fatherly manner; "Your soul shall be taken and given a new form that shall bring untold terror and torment to all the non-believers!"

"Oh... oh High Priest" The zealous follower wept in joy, feeling extremely humbled. "I... I don't know what to say"

"Your words are unneeded, my son. Your actions have pleased the Cult. Now you will be rewarded, and in your new life, you shall continue to serve our master"

His smile was so wide it could split his face, his dry lips cracked with the gesture. "Is it time?" He asked desperately and hopeful.

"Soon, my boy, soon" The High Priest promised him, yellow eyes blazing from beneath the hood. "Now comes the next phase"

Hidan laughed, his dry throat made it sound like there were pieces of sharp stone rasping against each other. "The fools at the Akatsuki, their false god... they have no idea, he'll... be swayed like a lost child with the promise of candy... But his power, it's all too real, High Priest" He warned the hooded one.

"Oh worry not, my son. He is but an infant with toys, all he needs is to be... properly distracted." Bai Zhen lifted his amulet before Hidan's face, "I'll see you soon, my faithful lamb" And so the priest with great joy let his soul be consumed, slipping through his eyes and mouth like a pale blue mist, absorbed by the amulet.

Bai Zhen promptly left Hidan's now lifeless head fall to the ground; it was empty now, his previous vessel now worthless. He was certain his new one would serve a true follower like her much better.

"Now" A sharp toothed grin adorned his lips. "Let's go pay a visit to this delusional godling"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Despair etched in the eyes of the queen of Lanka; as she walked through the ruined areas that were destroyed by the Blood Leash during their raid. Around her, many of her people in tears. Wailing in pain for either the dead or taken loved ones. Some that were children ran to their queen, hugging her and crying for their parents. Stained tears had yet to dry on Kuro's eyes as she neared a decimated home. She knew the family who resided in this place, the mother and her children were taken as their father laid headless and charred on the smoldering floor.

Beside her was a hooded Aobōzu who grimly wrote on a scroll; "We have counted at least fifty of our people were taken my queen. Including Miss Akeno and little Koneko" He spoke in a saddened voice. "The deaths are even more..."

A shuddering breathe escaped Kuro's gnashed teeth as she clinched her shaking fists; "And it was because of him." She snarled out like a curse.

Her servant bowed his head; "Kuroka had been detained and resting in a cell after she awoke. It took a dozen people to stop her from doing something foolish like pursuing those beasts alone. Prince Kyoka has been keeping her calm as best he can."

She ran a heavy hand over her face, a long breath escaping her nostrils. "And Mitsuko?"

"She actually woke up not too long ago" The broad shouldered cyclops replied, "She's been keeping to herself. She's taken Gōyoku's treachery very hard"

She's not the only one...

Kuro had known Gōyoku since she was a child; he was her father's right-hand man, his friend. The old demon pretty much embodied the ideal of a yokai of noble bearing. Powerful, wise, someone who could proclaim his status as superior and had more than enough ability to back up his claims.

She thought he was just a man haunted by the memories of what he witnessed, the atrocities of the Great War, The Sundering. Even she as a child, who had witnessed but barely understood what was going on, could recall those horrible times in vivid detail. So much death and battle, forces from all sides clashing in a never ending tide of blood. From the mortal sons of man, the earthborn demons of their world, and the hellish hordes of the netherborn demons of the underworld.

Gōyoku fought for their survival with her father, he was there when their proud king Vibhishana fell. And they swore to uphold the future of demon kind upon this once great nation.

Maybe that was the reason for his betrayal... Gōyoku was an old demon, very old fashioned in his believes. Might makes right, a trait they had inherited from their ancient ancestors, the demons of hell. To a demon, might was everything, it was pride, it was joy, it was their purpose in life. If you weren't strong, you were nothing.

In their struggle to survive, the people of Lanka remembered the lessons taught to them by Vibhishana, the reason as to why Great Ravana had fallen. Dharma and Karma were still absolute, true virtue laid more than just pure strength to follow the path of right action. Vishnu incarnate had proven to them mightier, not because his power, but because dharma stood on his side.

It must have been so sickening to an old proud demon like Gōyoku, to see demon kind cast away their strength in favor of patience and compassion for their own kind. The epitome of shame and weakness for an oni like him.

But that... didn't matter anymore. He had betrayed her, and the people of Lanka. She looked up to the hooded cyclops; "Anything else?"

"The surviving council members are awaiting you."

She wouldn't keep them waiting this time, she had her own fair share of words for them.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Kuro sat with a dull gaze as watched the four surviving council members arguing. Out of the eight, only the Lamia, Ogre, Tengu, and Kappa remained as the others were slaughtered by Gōyoku. From what they had discovered off the corpses the ancient Oni tortured them before killing. And it was a slow death for each one; he had made it as painful as possible.

"We must seek vengeance for what Gōyoku has done!" The Ogre roared with rage.

The Kappa was quick to retort "And ignite a war against the Blood Leash?!"

"So we just leave our people to die or live as slaves?!"

"I agree that we must save our people" The queen finally spoke, "But I dare not leave Lanka undefended. And taking an army looking for them will draw too much attention"

Kotamaru, the old wise tengu, tapped a finger on the underside of his beak, the equivalent of cupping his chin. "Perhaps a more tempered course of action then. Send a scouting force to look for them"

"And how will we find them?" Arjara, the lamia councilor, asked with a wary voice. Last night's events weighted heavily on them all. "Blood Leash has a reputation for always covering their tracks. To this day their true base of operations remains a mystery"

"There is also the issue that a simple scouting force won't be enough" Kriug the great ogre grunted, slamming a hand on his knee. "We don't know their numbers, or the kind of people they have. What we do know brings little comfort, that Gōyoku is with them, and I can't think of anyone that could defeat him one on one..."

"We have young Mitsuko"

As the arguments threatened to spill out of control once more, Kuroreimei announced; "I know how we must proceed"

They all turned their gazes at her once more, Kotamaru asking; "Have you come with a plan of action, my queen?"

"We don't know how to find them, we lack the resources to track someone who operates so far away from here, on nations our kind avoid... but I know how to enlist the help of people who can" The council looked to the Queen who stared back with a stony expression; "I am going to Konohagakure no Sato." And as expect as she knew, even now her council was in an uproar.

"We have already discussed this!" Kriug addressed.

Kotamaru shook his head; "We have no trust in the humans!"

"SILENCE!" The entire room shook as the council visibly recoiled from the roar of their Queen who rose to stand. Rage glowed over her very being as her eyes were now a brilliant sapphire with slits. "For centuries all I have heard from all of you is complaints and complacency! And I am DONE listening to all of your inane prattling! I am Kuroreimei, Daughter of King Dasra, descendant of Lord Ravana, and QUEEN of Lanka! MY WORD IS LAW! AND IT SHALL BE OBEYED WITHOUT QUESTION!"

Her words vibrated throughout the entire room as Kuro stormed out, not waiting for a reply. Slamming open the doors, standing out in the hall was the hooded Aobōzu who bowed his head and soon followed her as she continued walking. "Have my children, Mitsuko, and Kuroka ready to depart for Konohagakure."

"At once."

"We are done hiding from the world. We are children of Lanka, and we shall not forget our pride!"

The robe hooded demon smiled; "Yes my queen."

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

"Oh you should have seen those bandits when I cornered them," Yuma smiled brightly as she walked beside Team 7. "Practically threw their weapons and fell on their knees once I took out their boss with just a punch!"

After a night of celebrating at Degarashi Port, the Shinobi bid farewell to the Wasabi family and Benjiro returning home. To their surprised the buxom beautiful white haired mercenary joined them. For the few days traveling back the four could say they never met someone so wild and animated save Kushina. Yuma was literally a ball of energy as she regaled stories of some of her jobs to the young genin.

But they also soon learned she had a side to that Naruto was more used to, as he has been around the self-proclaimed 'SUPER-PERVERT'. Yuma let out a perverse giggle; "And that noble's son I saved wasn't prick and actually good looking, so made sure he had night he never forgot! Actually had good stamina and decent package too."

"By the gods we do not need to hear that!" Karin screeched as her cheeks matched her hair.

"Hey I'm doing you a favor; you kids will need to know what to do once you're older! Be thankful that Big Sis Yuma is here to teach you"

"Nobody here asked for your 'instructions'!" Sakura screeched. Good gods above did this woman have no shame?

If her previous statements weren't enough of an answer, then what came after certainly put any doubts to rest. "You guys listen properly in case you end up going for dudes. As for you girlies, don't you worry, I too can tell you how to properly pick up other women! I learnt all about it through the years; it all started when I first began experimenting once I hit puberty! Hehehe, Mai-chan was really surprised~"

Not even caring to know who 'Mai-chan' was, the team all either just groaned, shuddered, or both. Though there was that part of Naruto that did conjure up the image of Yuma seducing other wo-

Nope! Push those thoughts away, Naruto, he told himself. Save them for later... Ugh, he spent too much time around Ero-Sennin.

Sasuke, nearing his limit with the buxom swordswoman, asked. "Why are you following us to Konoha anyway?"

"Told you" She folded her arms behind her head. "Got business with the old toad"

The 'old toad' meant Jiraiya, but that clearly wasn't what Sasuke was asking. "I meant, why stick with us?"

"Cause I like you!"" She cheerfully smiled. The gesture was so wide it showed all her teeth. "You're cute kids! Even you, the moody one with a permanent stick up his ass"

Naruto couldn't stop the snorted laugh that escaped his mouth at the sight of Sasuke scowling. "And blondie here is utterly adorable with those whisker cheeks!" Said blond now blushed as he was hugged from behind and swayed. "And you two little ladies will be baddest bitches of the Leaf!"

Both Sakura and Karin deadpan; 'Well we won't be a harlot like you!' both mentally chorus while glaring at the woman's endowed chest.

"Whatever." Sasuke grunted with irritation. There was something suspicious about this woman ever since she had said she was the one to convince the Wasabi boss to contact their village. He trusted his gut instincts but at the same time; trying to figure out this woman was a nightmare. Being as noisy and loud as Naruto and Kushina was annoying enough to deal with. But at the same time his gut feel wouldn't stop pestering him and that was the bigger annoyance for the Uchiha.

"Ah we're here~" Yuma sing-songed as she pointed to the village walls in the distance.

'THANK THE GODS!'

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Tsunade leaned against her chair as she gave cocked brow to a grinning Yuma who waved at her beside her grandson's Genin team. "Explain to me why you and Sasuke got into a fight with the Chunin at the entrance station Naruto?" Her voice only getting drier as she deadpanned at the disheveled attire from both boys.

Sakura pointed to the White haired harlot; "Because she said she was their girlfriend and those dumb asses were too stupid and believe it." Jiraiya facepalmed beside Tsunade with a groan.

Shizune only sweatdrops while holding Tonton; "Seriously..."

"Well, the tales about you don't do any justice" The Hokage commented.

"Thanks!"

"It wasn't a compliment" Tsunade sighed, "Seriously, what would your parents say?"

"Oh my mom gave up a long time ago. And my dad? Well I'm actually exactly like him~"

Jiraiya cleared his throat, he probably had something stuck.

"No kidding?" The Senju said, unimpressed, before giving her teammate a look. "You hear that Jiraiya? Sounds like we found you the perfect drinking buddy"

"Yes, how about that..." He said, sending a subtle glare at the swordswoman who merely kept smiling.

"Okay" The buxom blonde woman got back to business, "So the mission was a success. Good work, Shizune will send your pay in the mail later. Now" She turned to Yuma once more, "Can I ask why you're here? If you're looking for work you'll be disappointed"

"I actually got business with him" Yuma nodded her head at Jiraiya's direction. "Info you people would like to get their hands on"

That got Tsunade's interest quickly. "Do you now?" She waved at the team to leave. "Well, this is above your paychecks, get some rest you brats"

"Bye grandma!" Naruto cheerfully called out as he left out the door. Prompting Sakura to look annoyed at his lack of tact (while in the office she was the Hokage first, family second), and bowed respectfully along with Karin and Sasuke, swiftly following their boisterous teammate.

Once the door was closed, Tsunade made sure there was no one listening in. And looked at the mercenary straight in the eye. "Now, what you got for us?"

Yuma walked a few steps closer, though it was unnecessary she lowered her voice just a bit. "When the job at Tea was finished my contacts passed some very crucial information"

"And your contacts?" Tsunade left the question open ended.

"Are people who would like to remain anonymous"

Fair enough, "I doubt it's nothing if you decided to tell us yourself" She would have preferred to go through the proper channels first before allowing someone to approach her out of the blue with supposedly 'valuable info'. But she was one of Jiraiya's favorite contacts, so that was enough for her. "What is it?"

Yuma's lips pursed as her brow furrowed. "They spotted some ships sailing from the southern coast" She walked up to a map of the Elemental Nations hanging on the wall, "They were traveling far to the south, even further beyond the Land of Moon and the Land of Sea, where the maps end" She turned a serious gaze at the Hokage, "They're positive those were Blood Leash slaver vessels"

A low growl came from Jiraiya; "Lovely... Just what we need."

Shizune paled as she looked to her teacher who narrowed her eyes; "Do your sources know what those monsters are doing?"

"Sorry," Yuma shook head; "But it can't be good with all the vessels they had. Whatever they are or were doing was big."

Tsunade looked at her grand-uncle's sword in her hand before looking back to the white haired woman; "Thank you for the information."

"I know your village and those bastards have a history."

A snort came from Jiraiya; "Putting it politely, we've had at least a dozen run-ins with them. Hell I faced least one of their Warlords"

That was news to Tsunade as she looked up to her old teammate; "Goro?"

"Hah! If I did I would have made sure to report everything about him, no" Jiraiya deadpans; "Was that psycho Shihai and his Ogres. Gave him a nasty scar but he scrammed, covered his tracks far too well." He would have loved a chance to fight the leader of Blood Leash, cut off the head once and for all. "Kushina's had the most run-in with them but that was years ago."

"Hmm" Tsunade intertwined her fingers before her face. "I doubt that's enough of a lead to finally find their hideout"

"It's better than anything" Yuma pointed out, "They've never moved such a long distance before, makes it harder to properly cover their tracks. That means that wherever they're hiding, it has to be south of the Nations, that's the only way their ships could safely dock that many people to be sold"

"This village has looked for them before" Tsunade reminded her, "We've never been able to find their hideout"

"But now you know a general area to conduct the search" The swordswoman insisted, "A group as large as Blood Leash can't keep possibly be holed up in a small place. That either leaves the mountains, or caves, especially those with a close connection to the sea"

The fifth Hokage let out a soft sigh. Even then, finding Blood Leash wasn't a simple undertaking. To muster up the forces they needed to truly bring them down would leave their village critically open.

Blood Leash wasn't just a slaver enterprise, they employed full mercenary forces to the highest bidder. Not only missions like one would hire ninja villages for, but outright pay for armed forces that would serve for security or a hired army. Blood Leash was smart, they made those deals with smaller nations, their large number of mercenaries often upsetting the balance of power, allowing governments to be toppled. Unprotected villages would suffer the consequences, being ripe for the taking, its citizens sold as slaves.

During the Third Shinobi War and its aftermath, Blood Leash had pillaged and raided many villages around the Land of Fire's outskirts. Taking many civilians as slaves, selling them in other nations to secret buyers. They had been a very bloody thorn in their nation's side for years.

To make matters worse, their top lieutenants were formidable opponents, ranging from A rank to S rank warriors even. Their army was substantial enough that it would require a good force of shinobi to be able to confront. They had the numbers, and they had the strength. Finding their hideout would only be the easiest of their challenges.

A sigh escaped Tsunade; "At least this gets us closer to taking these monsters out." Long overdue if she was honest. Just a little more... "Was there anything else you needed?"

Yuma just points to Jiraiya; "Can I barrow him for a bit?"

"Go ahead," Tsunade waved it off; "Just don't be too loud where I have to call the damn ANBU." Putting away her granduncle's sword, only Shizune saw the visible cringe from both Jiraiya and Yuma. She had to wonder what put them off like that.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Jiraiya sighed as he and his daughter had left the Hokage's office; "You haven't told her yet have you?" Yuma deadpanned

"Considering who you work for in a part-time capacity no..."

"You just keep that out, just say; 'Hey I knocked up this random woman twenty years ago and had a brat';" She tried to imitate her father's voice.

The toad sage stared at his kid for long minute; "First off I don't sound like that. And second, do you know how awkward that will be?"

"Because you've been in love with that woman for decades," Jiraiya only dryly stared at Yuma who grinned. "And wished you had me with Tsunade."

"Hey. I like your mother."

"But you love Tsunade." There was no angst or anger in the white haired woman's tone.

"...I'm not touching this subject" Not even with a ten foot pole. "Listen, bring this info I got back to your boss. Two Akatsuki members are dead"

That obliterated the young woman's smile, "Okay, that's... Who?"

"Hidan the Immortal, and Kakuzu of Taki"

"The fucking heart thief is dead?" Honestly, she had a much harder time believing someone as old and strong as Kakuzu had bite it than she did Hidan. No one was truly immortal, there was always a way to take someone out permanently, regardless of how much bullshit they packed in their repertoire of skills. But Kakuzu had been a relic from the early ninja villages for a long time, to hear he was dead was a shock to say the least. "Shit..."

"Yeah, that's bound to get Akatsuki to play it safe for a bit, and with Blood Leash seemingly expanding their operations, I don't doubt they'll try to take some of Akatsuki's territory"

"Take their business partners for themselves, disrupt their operations" His daughter quickly summarized. "Will pass the word along, last thing we need is any of those two groups getting the advantage over the other" It was their rivalry that created a sort of balance of power in the underworld, but if one were to seize more power so suddenly...

"Blood Leash may be barbarians, but their goals at least aren't so drastic. Akatsuki meanwhile still wants the Bijuu's, and if the Toad Sage's speculations are right, then that bodes poorly for everyone"

Yuma shuddered rubbing her arms as her dad had explained the truth of the Bijuu, Sage of Sixth Paths, and Kaguya. "Losing Hidan and Kakuzu put a dent into their plans. Who the hell was able to bring them down?" she looked over to her dad.

"Tomoe Gozen, Sage of the Flame."

The white haired woman crinkled her brow in thought; "I've never heard of her."

"Neither did I till a few weeks ago. Gamamaru personally knows her and trust her, that's good enough for me." And good enough for Yuma if that wrinkly old Toad vouches for her. She noticed her dad become distant for a long moment; "Also filled me on some stuff...I'll tell you that later."

How ominous he spoke had gotten his daughter's attention; "Take it that is huge can of worms."

"You have no idea."

XxX ~ the following day ~ XxX

Saito was glad this Benjiro had told Naruto who his parents were before leaving the port. As while he did not know Benjiro, he had heard some of his father Kenta who had worked on uncle Daisuke's swords. The Uzu swordsman was also glad Naruto took a picture of him, his team, Benjiro and his daughter, along with those strange brothers the blond mentioned.

Sitting on a chair in Kushina's house he grins; "Fate seems to smiling on us for a change."

"I agree." He looked up to see Samenosuke who sat down on a chair beside him. "Nice to know old Kenta's family survived eh?"

"Indeed."

"You think he's related to Takuma?"

"We're all related, Samenosuke"

"You know what I mean; they're from the same branch. Their own little slice of the family"

"Hmm"

Aaaaand that was far as conversations went between the two nowadays. Things had been tense ever since their scuffle the other day on the Senju estate. Samenosuke didn't regret his words, but he regretted how he handled them. Not that it actually prompted to outright apologize. The long haired man bit back a sigh; they all were too stubborn for their own good.

He still believed in what he said. Too many years had been lost out of fear, out of doing everything they could to survive in these uncaring lands. He had learnt to live life to the fullest as result, but Saito? Maya's death hit him too hard, and he had a son to look after. One he protected from everything with all his soul, whom he taught to guard himself against everything.

Soujiro was a good boy, but... he was just so passive, about everything. The boy lacked dreams and ambitions of his own. He just lived day after day aimlessly, following other people's leads. To Samenosuke, that was not healthy.

"You ever wonder what it'd be like" The roguish Uzu asked, "to have the clan together again, all in one place?"

"Every day"

A long sigh escaped Samenosuke's nostrils, dipping his head slightly and letting the long bangs of his hair hang. "I want to go home"

"...Me too"

Konoha was a kind place, one where they could finally settle down, stop running, looking over their shoulders at every turn.

But the lush forests of Fire didn't compare to the ample seas of Uzushio's coasts, the rustle of the leaves was a poor substitute for the roaring whirlpools of their homeland.

Saito lowered the picture as he gazed out the window. "And maybe Soujiro would have had a better life than what I could give him." The roguish Uzumaki both internally winced and looked wide-eyed; "Maya would have gave me a good scolding for how I've acted and raised our son."

A long sigh escaped Samenosuke as he ran his hands over his face; "I never said you were a bad father Saito. Just overly protective..."

"And you were right. Soujiro is like a blank book compared to Naruto or the other kids." The older man paused; "If he's not training or meditating I find him usually sitting on a bench watching people roam around the village." He glanced to his longtime friend and cousin; "I was too afraid something could happen to my son and shielded him from everything. Including what he needed to be a child at his age."

Samenosuke gazed sharply at Saito; "It's not too late to change that. With both you and him, are you telling me your giving up?"

"I don't know where I should go from here. I haven't in years honestly; especially after we thought we lost Kushina. But with her back and coming here... It feels like I'm coasting through the motions."

"I'd rather go with the flow, but that doesn't mean sometimes I don't feel, well... lost" Samenosuke admitted. "I know I shouldn't, but sometimes I wonder how things would have been, had Uzu not fallen"

"We all have wondered that from time to time, Same"

"Point is; I get what you mean. Guess we too share little Soujiro's problem, we don't know what we want"

"We do know, we said we wanted to go home"

A pessimistic snort came from the roguish Uzumaki, "And do what? Just go around trying to find any Uzumaki we can, build Uzushio again from the ground up?"

The deep, silent contemplating look in Saito's face told Samenosuke much; he didn't even need his cousin's next words to reveal his thoughts.

"Why not?"

Slowly Samenosuke turned and stared at his cousin; "Uh, did you bump your head when I wasn't looking?"

"I'm serious."

"It is just us, Hime, Lyn-chan, and the kids. Everyone else is doing their own thing. Uzushio is in total ruin, and last I check. We are not expert craftsmen."

Saito leaned against his chair; "Maybe not, but as you said before along with Lyn. We can't hide ourselves away anymore." He looked at the picture in his hand; "And I want to see a smile on my son's face. A true Uzumaki smile like Naruto and Karin have."

"You look like you have a goal" A soft smile formed on Same's lips.

"I do" The gesture was returned in kind, "I think I finally do"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

The straight fringe of Kuroreimei's black hair parted, flowing back with the wind, the rest of her hair creating a dark wave with the fast air currents. She ignored the sensation of the wind against her face, and instead only kept a resolute gaze towards the horizon.

The great itsumade bird soared over the great sea, flying at high speed to their destination of the mainland, casting a reflection over the blue waters bellow. Atop its feathery body, the queen and her entourage rode, their goal never wavering form their minds. The sound of the waves and wind was the only thing that filled in the silence.

Maikako sat next to her mother, arms cross, red fingers impatiently tapping the side of her kimono-clad elbow. Kyoka, dressed now in his battle armor, scarlet pieces of yoroi plate, layered shoulder pads, greaves and a strong chest plate, sat at the other side in contemplation.

Their other two companions kept to themselves. Mitsuko knelt at the left side of the bird, her eyes closed, meditating. As always, none could even begin to discern what was going through her head, just how she was taking her mentor's betrayal.

Their final member on the other hand, her face showed clear as day the great rage and sorrow she was feeling. Kuroka sat on the left side, her feline ears flat and pointed back against her head, her yellow eyes narrowed, and a look of great disdain in them. No doubt imagining what she'd do to her sister's kidnappers once she got her hands on them.

Maikako peered beside her mother; "When was the last time Lanka tried reaching out to humans?"

"When your grandfather was still alive. There was still much chaos after the Sundering; that went poorly..." Kuro kept her gaze straight ahead. "Because of that the council and my father decided best to isolate ourselves. It worked in the beginning, but now we simply can't anymore. And things have changed since those dark days."

"It's a big gamble. You really think the humans will help us?"

Her mother glanced to her; "We can't do this alone. And Konoha has had more than a few battles with the Blood Leash. I know they would love a chance to go after them."

"Is it Konoha you want, or that Uzumaki kid?"

"There is no way I want Naruto near them. Genin or not he is a twelve year old boy, and not ready to battle people like them. Their more seasoned members are another story. And I've heard Jiraiya of the Sannin himself battled a Warlord."

"What good are the sages these days?" Her daughter despondently asked.

"Their numbers aren't what they used to be, but don't be so quick to discount them. They still uphold a sacred duty; many sages in the past have also been Heirs of Rama"

Maikako made a sound of displeasure, "Heirs of Rama this, Heirs of Rama that, you place too much hope into people who follow the footsteps of someone who's not even around anymore"

"You didn't know Rama" Kuro said with a slight shake of her head, "How he inspired people, how others would follow his example. Many great heroes were born by believing in the same things he did"

Kyoka's lips pursed, "Did you know him?"

"...I saw him once, when I was a child, when the chaos threatened the world. Everyone was so afraid" Her voice grew distant, her gaze becoming lost in the memories. "I was so afraid. But he smiled at me; it was like looking at the sun, so bright and warm..."

The sheer presence, the overwhelming charisma Rama commanded was almost physical...

"He told me everything would be alright" She smiled softly. He inspired hope so easily into other people.

"...Well he was wrong" Maikako muttered, her gaze lowering.

The world was shattered, their people forced into isolation, countless have died in the chaos. For the so called wise king, he knew little.

"Maybe" Kuroreimei admitted, "But it doesn't change this truth; Those who defend the defenseless, those who smile in the face of overwhelming odds, those who would give everything to help others... those are Rama's Heirs. Their actions resonate far and wide."

Kyoka sighed; "Let's hope the humans are open minded for conversation." He glanced to Kuroka; "Your opinion?"

The feline demoness said nothing as she glared ahead.

Maikako gave a worried look to her brother who waved off her concern. Well, out of the bunch only her brother could keep Kuroka calm as possible. She had to put faith in that. Her eyes shift over to Mitsuko who remains in meditation; "Hope she's not sleeping..."

"I am not your highness." The demon woman's eyes slowly opened to look her way. "Keeping my head clear to think."

"You haven't been around humans since you became a demon." the queen looked to the Swordswoman; "Will it bother you?"

"No. That was years ago. I merely hope I am presentable for this meeting."

Maikako deadpanned; "That outfit will get some attention."

Mitsuko's battle gear was certainly stylish. She wore a dress bearing similarity to a sleeveless short and black kimono, a high collared black coat with sleeves that reached the middle of her forearms, revealing black armguards that wrapped around her hips perfectly. Her short dress showed off her upper thighs, the rest covered in black stockings with red lined black plates of armor.

The swordswoman really made the image of warrior-lady, bound to catch attention from her presence alone... or it could be the large d-cup breasts showing off a fair amount of cleavage due to the boob window in the middle of her chest.

"I see nothing wrong with my accoutrements..." She paused, her lips pursed slightly. "Akeno picked them for me"

Well, that certainly explained the boob window.

The thought of their missing friend made the mood sour once more, they prayed her, Koneko, and the rest of their citizens were alright. That their captors could at least refrain from harming them.

"Hmm…" Kuroreimei closed her eyes, "Although, perhaps until the job is done it is best to keep our nature a secret. Maikako, Kuroka, shapeshift to hide your demonic traits when we're at the village. That way we will not draw too much attention."

Her daughter dutifully replied, while the nekoshou remained silent. Kyoka's gaze went over Kuroka once more; she seemed to distance herself from them even more. He sighed, standing up and walking over the great bird's feathery back until he was next to her, sitting at her side.

"I know asking if you're okay is a very dumb thing" He outright stated, she didn't seem to react to his words. "So I'm just going to promise you we'll get her back"

Kuroka was once more silent till letting out a sharp breathe; "I'm going to kill them..." She finally spoke in a soft but raged fueled tone.

"I know; all I ask is that you don't let your anger blind you. You're smarter than that."

"...I swore I would protect her" The nekoshou muttered ever so softly, regret and frustration in her voice. "That I would do anything to make sure she was safe, that she had a good life" Her lip trembled, "That I let some slaver take her away...!"

"You didn't let anything happen" The youngest son of the queen said comfortingly, "You fought fang and claw to keep her safe, but that man" He said the word in loathing, "was far stronger than we could have anticipated"

Kuroka absently rubbed her cheek. One strike, just one strike from that towering man and she had been rendered unconscious. What was worse, it looked like he hadn't even been trying...

"And we were betrayed" The thought of Gōyoku was enough to make their blood boil. "But we're doing something about it now, we're going to hunt them down, get them all back, and make those slavers pay" He reached forward, tenderly holding a dainty hand in his own. "We'll get her home" He swiftly swore, "On my life, you can be sure of that"

Slowly, her fingers intertwined with his, finding a bit of safety and comfort in his strong hand. "You better keep your life when we find them, we are all coming home"

No more words were exchanged, merely gentle smiles. Their eyes drifted towards the sea, and Kuroka let her head slowly come to rest against his arm. The prince leaned in as her arm wrapped around his in a tender embrace.

From the corner of her eye the queen watched her son comforting Kuroka. A soft smile grew on her lips before looking back ahead; 'We are all coming home.'

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Tsunade glanced up from her desk to eye her sensei who had come to her office to go over some papers. Sarutobi looked far different from the village leader many had known him as, gone were his old Hokage robes, instead donning the garbs of the elders. However a frown was worn on the beautiful face of the Senju as her sensei added more tobacco to his pipe. "As your doctor I have a more than a few words on that habit of yours."

On the retired Sandaime's part he only dryly glared. "If you honestly think you can get a Sarutobi to stop smoking, then it's like you haven't met any before in your life." He went to looking over several papers.

'I'm just praying Naruto doesn't pick it up since he spent half of his time around you.' Tsunade deadpanned; "Why are you even up here sensei?"

"Well when I heard you got your hands on some info regarding Blood Leash, I just had to come here to see how you'd tackle that. Gods knows more than once I tore my hair off" He absently rubbed the spot between his forehead and his receding hairline, "That certainly helped with my growing baldness"

"Trying to catch up with more than a decade of old intelligence files is busy work, but needs to be done. Specially if I want to take down these bastards"

"Usually I'd question if you truly believe we could even locate them in the first place. But Jiraiya and his networks are more frantic than ever. They are actually getting somewhere" It was hard to believe, after years they might finally had a lead on Blood Leash's base of operations.

"Which is why I need to prepare my ninja" She pulled up another folder, another report from an old mission regarding Blood Leash from five years ago. There was a photo of a woman with long gray hair pulled up in a ponytail, dressed in an elegant dress with silver outlines. Junan, one of Blood Leash's lieutenants. Genjutsu and poisoner specialist. "Any information on their abilities, their numbers, everything we can pull on them to organize a raid" She looked at her old mentor once more, "And we still know nothing about their leader?"

"Goro..." Hiruzen muttered gravely, his pipe inches away from his lips. "The man seldom acts in person, and when he does it's to oversee important operations personally. I can't tell you how many times we thought we had him... but all squads that had confronted him were obliterated, as if Sun Wukong's own staff had descended upon them"

The leader of Blood Leash, the slave master himself, Goro was an enigma. At most they knew the man possessed incredibly endurance and physical strength, but they had no info on any of his techniques. People who had actually seen what the man could do never lived to tell the tale.

"I highly recommend sending Jiraiya with whatever group you decide to take after them. Though you can bet your daughter will want a crack at them."

"...As much as that terrifies me I know." Tsunade shuddered before giving her sensei a look; "But there is another reason you're here."

A low grunt came from the former Kage who said nothing as he peered back at his papers.

"You're looking through whatever information we have gathered in our search for Danzo." Another grunt came from the old monkey; "You can let us handle that sensei, what you should be doing is resting at home."

"I have been doing nothing but resting since getting out of the hospital."

"As you should, I don't even need to test you to tell your blood pressure is through the roof"

"I lived through three wars, I'll be damned if my own body is what does me in, in the end" The Third replied, "I know my limits Tsunade. Just because I may have passed down the hat to you, but I'm not retired. I'm as much a shinobi of this village as any other"

By that logic Tsunade felt she could pull rank and actually order him to rest more, as both his doctor and current Hokage (part of her wondered if it did work on a previous Hokage though). She knew the old man was tough, but she couldn't help but worry anyway.

"I know Danzo better than anyone" Hiruzen stated, the moment the words escaped his lips he frowned darkly. "Or I though I did, but I know how he thinks, how he operates. I can help in his search; find him faster than any other shinobi could"

Of that Tsunade had no doubt, but; "I fear you're too close to this"

"Oh I am, but that won't stop me, girl"

"I know..." She sighed. "At least tell me you are focusing on other things too"

"The usual, clan and family, see how our young shinobi are progressing" The previous Kage said, taking a drag of his pipe. "Enma has been insisting I visit the monkey clan grounds lately, though I am unsure as to why. He says he'll tell me once I go, but as you so 'gently' has persuaded me too, I have been taking it easy and staying put"

The Senju felt her eye twitch before rubbing them; "I encourage seeing them and whatever Emma-Sama want to discuss with you. Once your health is fully cleared."

"Then this old man shall continue as he is now." Hiruzen quipped back earning an eye-roll from his female student.

She loved her sensei like a father, but he seriously drove her insane with his sheer stubbornness.

The retire Kage paused; "We might have been rivals since we were Genin, but at least I thought I understood the man. Doing what he did for the village." A long sigh escaped Hiruzen; "Turns out I never knew him at all. Especially going over all the reports from Fox of what they found." He shook his head; "All he had done as well as having me under that damn genjutsu."

She didn't need to be told, she saw his handiwork herself. So many dead children, so many broken kids, orphans taken from all over the Land of Fire... And from the records they had found in the things he couldn't take with him in time during his escape, many of the Root ninja were even members of Konoha's great clans. Aburame, Yamanaka, Nara, and more. Promising youths Danzo had personally recruited and hid his true methods from the clans for a very long time.

The disclosure of this information to the council had only served to spark their ire; they all wanted a piece of the old war hawk. Although they knew that fully recovering their kinsmen may be impossible now, they had become puppets who moved solely on Danzo's will, and had abandoned the village alongside their master.

Tsunade swore she would do all in her power to hunt down Danzo. Commander Fox and his ANBU had been working nonstop, but as of right now they didn't have a solid clue on his current whereabouts. The Senju hated to admit it, but Danzo was good, you didn't get to be old in this business without having talent.

And right now, she had another more pressing matters. A bigger fish to fry.

All they needed was more Intel, gods willing Jiraiya's contacts would come up with something.

As if her prayers had been heard, her teammate appeared inside the room accompanied by a loud noise and a cloud of smoke, his features locked in a serious frown.

His words were music to her ears. "I think we have something"

Hiruzen set his pipe down, and Tsunade stood up from her chair. "Their location?"

"Not exactly, but my and Yuma's contacts were approached by another party, they caught we're looking for Blood Leash, and are willing to give us information in exchange for a favor"

"This is great" One step closer to taking them down, "Is this party reliable?"

"Oh no" Jiraiya grimaced, "Hell no but... well I don't think they'd have a reason to lie"

Hiruzen and Tsunade exchanged a confused look, "Don't keep us in suspense. Who are they?"

"Let's just say they're individuals with far too many eyes and legs for my liking..."

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Tsunade shivered as Jiraiya explained who reached out to her spymaster and Yuma's contacts. Hiruzen grimaced as he also did not share any enthusiasm upon learning who was being so helpful. "Of all the clans it just had to be them;" he grumbled.

The Gama Sannin nodded; "Trust me; I'm not a fan either but this about the only good lead we have."

"It just had to be the spiders..." Tsunade quipped rubbing her arms. Out of all the animal clans, snake included; none were ever more deceitful than the spiders. And only fools would openly trust them for anything. "You certain this isn't some Kurokiba trick?"

"I was paranoid enough to check it six times, Yuma checked it over a dozen times."

"But the spiders?" The Godaime said incredulously, "If there is someone you don't want to trust with anything is them"

The spider clans didn't have the best reputation, and that was putting it mildly. Their motives were always self-serving, and their actions unpredictable. You seldom saw the great spider clans allying with anyone unless it was due to mutual convenience. Even if someone seemed to possess a summoning contract with them, it was more often than not broods they had bred and trained since birth. No, spiders never did any favors unless it was to their own interest.

They were like ruthless mercenaries driven by an extreme business sense. As likely to honor an accord as they were to betray it if a better offer came their way.

"Look, I know this is extremely convenient" Jiraiya said, "But it's not like the spiders have any reason to help Blood Leash. Sure you could draw the conclusion they'll give them a share of people to eat, but even those slavers know better than to affiliate themselves with those creepy crawlies"

"Oh great" Tsunade droned, "So instead WE'LL be the ones to do what Blood Leash isn't stupid enough to. Great..."

"It's not an alliance" The Sannin stressed. "It's an exchange of favors, we get what we want, they get what we want, and then we part ways"

"I've dealt with the spiders before" Hiruzen commented, "I know that making a deal with them is a huge gamble, but we've never been this close to locating Blood Leash. If we don't do anything swiftly we might risk our chance"

Tsunade rubbed her eyes as knock to her door drew their attention; "Enter."

Stepping inside was a slightly breathless Shizune; "There is someone you need to see Hokage-sama." The young medical-nin composed herself. "Someone with a mission request involving the Blood Leash."

That drew the attention of the trio; "Bring them in child;" the retire Kage addressed.

Nodding she opened the door; "Please come inside."

Kuroreimei took quick account of the people inside the Hokage Office. Recognition shone in the eyes of Jiraiya and Hiruzen as the woman came in with her children, Mitsuko, and Kuroka. Her daughter and the nekoshou hiding their demonic traits with their shapeshifting. "You..." The white haired sage slowly remarked; "Weren't you here during the invasion?"

"Indeed I was," the queen gave a nod.

Hiruzen nodded; "Naruto spoke about you. You assisted us against Suna and Oto."

"Afraid only I'm in the dark here." Eyes turn to Tsunade who gave Kuro a scrutinizing gaze. "Then again I'm playing catch up to everything since becoming Hokage."

The queen of Lanka gave a small formal bow; "I am Kuroreimei, you may call me Kuro for short if you wish. This is my daughter Maikako and son Kyoka." She gestured to her children; "These are my aids, Mitsuko and Kuroka." she points to her guards. "I apologize if our arrival does not bring good tidings, but we are in need of help."

"Tsunade Senju," the buxom blond gave a nod; "and it's quite the opposite if my assistant said is true. You want us to go after the Blood Leash."

The red eyes woman gravely spoke, "They have taken my people"

The Hokage let out a soft sigh, "It's what they do I'm afraid. Any other day I would have rejected that mission on the simple basis that one just doesn't 'go after' Blood Leash like that out of the blue. Fortunately for you, we've been in the process of tracking them down once and for all"

Hope swelled in Kuroreimei's heart. "You are?"

"Yes. Our network of contacts managed to spot them as they returned from the southern seas" She leveled an analytical look at the woman with the hime cut. "I'm guessing they were returning from raiding you"

"They were" She spat the words with venom. "It seems like fate has arranged for us to fight them"

"You intend to join the fight, not just hire us?" Jiraiya questioned.

"We won't stay behind idle while our people are in danger" Her entourage nodded firmly, supporting her words. "Not to mention one of our own has recently joined them... he is very powerful"

"I see" Tsunade slowly said, "I have many questions, but those can wait. You are aware we don't take missions out of the kindness of our heart? We need money to keep this village operating, and going after Blood Leash is a monumental undertaking"

Kuro nodded in understanding, snapping her fingers and prompting the young woman with long dark hair and yellow eyes to come forth. Pulling out a scroll she unfurled it on the ground, revealing a storage seal. A simple handsign and its contents were unlocked.

The three high ranking Konoha's' eyes widened upon seeing three coffers come into existence, all of them filled with a great myriad of jewelry, gold, and many jewels, all of them of design unfamiliar in style.

It took a moment for Jiraiya to collect his voice; "H-how much is that?"

Maikako cocked her head; "Enough to buy a small town." Hiruzen's pipe hit the floor.

These people were willing to pay THIS much?! Shizune's jaw hung open as she had stood beside her teacher. Said buxom woman only felt her eyes widen so far they might pop out. "You could hire anyone with this kind of money!" The Senju remarked.

"True, but our nation is an isolated community. It has been a very long time since we spoke to another nation. And despite our wealth, our community lacks much."

Hmm, rich but unable to really do anything with it? Tsunade heard of some places like that, even seen a few during her travels. But this... They were going the extra mile for this job.

The Hokage looked over the newcomers, taking in their features. There wasn't exactly anything about them that drew attention, just a group of five regular people... so why did she get this strange feeling coming from them? It was almost like she could feel a very subtle veil of chakra shrouding the small blonde girl and the yellow eyed young woman. But it wasn't genjutsu; it was something she couldn't really place. If not for her precise chakra control and own experience with keeping a constant jutsu on her person, she would have missed it.

"Who are you, really?" The Hokage asked.

"People who'll do anything to rescue our own" Kuroreimei said, joining her hands together and bowing slightly, the motion mirrored by her entourage. "Please, I struggle to think of other ninja that could aid us in this task"

Tsunade thought it over, crossing her arms under her bust. "The appropriate payment will be decided once we organize our forces and muster the resources necessary. But there is something we have not yet taken into account"

Hiruzen already knew what she was talking about, "Gathering a large enough force to take down Blood Leash might lead the village critically open to our aggressors"

"And we are still recovering from Orochimaru's attack" Jiraiya pointed out, "We'd be too vulnerable"

"...Although" Tsunade suddenly grew pensive, "Maybe there is a way to make sure the village is safe while we take on Blood Leash"

"You have something in mind?" Her teammate asked.

The Godaime grinned, "We ask some old friends to do us a favor"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Kushina leapt over several roofs with her student Yugao. The ANBU had come to her home to inform her that her mother needed her urgently. "You know what's going on Neko-chan?"

"No sensei, I was just told to bring you to the promotional meeting hall. From what I've heard, others are being gathered as well."

Kushina's brow rose but said nothing as they entered the Hokage tower. Strolling through the hallways they came to the door of the promotional meeting hall. Yugao opened it and the former ANBU captain was greeted with a sight of many shinobi and ANBU forces waiting inside. Nearly everyone there was jōnin or highly experienced chūnin. Quite a few were her friends as well as Kakashi who was conversing with his peers.

At a table Shikaku gave the redhead a nod before looking back to the hooded figure of Commander Fox.

"Okaaaay... A wild guess something BIG is going to happen." Kushina guessed as she entered with her student.

"It seems so sensei, no idea what though."

"You in the dark too?" The voice of Asuma garnered their attention. "My old man sent for me, he just wouldn't say."

Kushina spied Fox in the corner before surveying everyone there; "You don't call a group like this for something small, that's for damn sure."

"You think it could be Iwa planning something?" Gai threw in his two cents as he and the current Jonin senseis came over to Kushina. "They have been skirting our borders and testing our defenses"

"That's true, my team went on patrol at the border, and they fought a fair number of Iwa-nin" Asuma explained as he took a cigarette from his pack. "Maruboshi-san was actually there with them"

Ahh the old man hadn't retired yet huh? Kushina thought with a smile. Konoha's First Eternal Genin had been around for as long as the Third Hokage, always a very kind and dutiful man.

"You aren't the only one who has been dealing with Iwa" Kurenai added, "The Aburame clan proposed using a rare insect capable of tracking smell for many miles, the bikōchū, they figured it could be used to track down Danzo. We ran into remnants of the Kamizuru clan who attempted to stop us"

"I can guess that because the ANBU aren't using it to hunt down the old warhawk that the mission was a failure" Kakashi, with his usual tact, guessed.

"Yes..." The Genjutsu mistress admitted with disappointment. "Unfortunately, the Kamizuru decided if they couldn't win then they wouldn't allow us to either. They killed the bikōchū before we could use it" That was what they had stated in the official report, when in actually Akamaru had eaten something that didn't sit well with the young pup so the insect's first scent had been the dog's flatulence. They decided that certain bit of truth wasn't really any crucial information, so they... tweaked things in the report a bit to avoid her student facing the backlash and ridicule.

Kurenai smiled despite herself, "Even though the mission was a failure, I'm glad we took it. Hinata... I think she matured a bit during that mission. She has developed beautifully"

Kushina giggled with that wide smile of hers. "Oh that girl is a badass in the making. People just can't see it"

"Speaking of Danzo" Asuma brought up, lighting his cigarette. "You think it could be about him?"

"Doubtful" The Copy-nin shook his head. "Kushina-sama and I have been working constantly with the ANBU to find him, we'd know if it was about him"

Asuma grew tense as he looked around before looking Kushina; "You think it could be about..." He spoke in a hushed tone; "that masked man?"

The air around them grew a little cold with a dangerous look growing on the redhead's features; "If it was about him, you think I'd wait for a meeting to hunt him down?" the dark venomous edge in her voice sent a chill through a few of them.

Yugao honestly wondered if they had enough people in here to actually stop her sensei if this was the reason for meeting. All eyes shifted to the door as Tsunade entered with Jiraiya, and Hiruzen. "Thank you all for coming on such short notice;" the Godaime spoke as she walked through the room to the lone desk meant for the Hokage. "I apologize for the abruptness, but this is a matter of great importance."

A man in his mid-years, dressed in standard Konoha gear, spoke up; "We were all just wondering why you summoned us, Hokage-sama."

The Senju took a seat at the desk with her teammate taking over; "Recently we got some activity involving a group our village has had more than one run-in with for years."

"It has been a long bloodied history between us and this group. Many of you in this room had at least one or more encounter with them;" the retired Sandaime spoke next.

A serious expression grew on the buxom blond; "But now we have received information that will be the foundation for the biggest mission our village has had in decades. The elimination of the Blood Leash."

You could hear a pin drop. Until the sounds of rattled mutterings and expressions of disbelief filled the room.

"Is it true?" Kushina seriously asked, taking a step forward. "Did we FINALLY find them?" Gods those slavers had been a nightmare for the Land of Fire and the neighboring countries for nearly two decades now. Even if they disrupted some of their operations before, they could never find their true base of operations.

"We're soon to meet with another party who can provide us with the information necessary" The current Hokage explained, "After that, we'll send some of our scouts to confirm it, and then we'll organize the raid on their hideout. We called you in here so you start preparing. We'll need a lot of hands for this one, which means your teams will also be participating"

That caused quite a few teachers to pause. "Our students?" Another jōnin spoke up worried. "But they're still-"

"They already faced the Oto-Suna Invasion" Jiraiya cut off, face set in stone. "In war time, they were still sent on missions to support the war effort. Besides we're not sending them to fight the top lieutenants. Wherever Blood Leash's main base is located most likely holds most of their mercenary forces, we need to fight their numbers with our own, which means sending in as many ninja as we can"

"That would leave the village open" Gai protested, "Can we afford to conduct such an operation in these times?"

"The intel is fresh, so the faster we act on it the better" Tsunade replied. "Besides, I had an idea on how to keep our borders secure while our raid takes place" Her honey colored eyes looks straight to Kushina, who tilted her head in confusion. "We are going to ask your scaly friends for a favor"

"You want the dragons to defend the village?" The redhead crossed her arms, "I mean I could get a few, but I don't think a lot of them will be able to, they're also busy with their own stuff to afford fighting anyone who would attack us"

"That's the beauty; we don't need them to fight" The Hokage smirks grew confident. "We'll just ask them to fly around our borders a bit"

"Oh" Kushina said, her mouth slowly widening as she slowly understood what her mother was planning. "Ohhhhh"

The sight of the great flying serpents would be enough to make any enemy on their boarders stop and put their operations on halt, if not outright withdraw. Dragons weren't seen much nowadays, and they were a hell of an intimidation factor. One of the reasons Iwa and Kumo had attacked Uzushio, despite the presence of the eastern dragon clan defending them, was because they had Kurokiba's support.

"Why I summoned all of you here was to learn of your experiences against the group. Know who we are fighting against." Tsunade gestured to everyone. "Kushina, while I know your experience is a decade out of date, what you know can still help us."

Her daughter grunted; "My usual run-ins with them was facing down that bitch Sarnai."

"I remember your reports," Hiruzen muttered lighting his pipe. "Goro's lover. Annoyingly, like her lover we know next to nothing of her history. All we know is her combat prowess and as you stated she rivaled you."

A long grumble came from the redhead; "Doubt she has gotten lax in the last twelve years."

"This will be a daunting task people" Tsunade leaned in on the desk. "I won't lie and say there won't be casualties, but this is a one in a lifetime opportunity. We finally have the chance to put down the biggest criminal element in the Land of Fire's territories. And one of the biggest factions in the underworld. I need each and every one of you to get you and your teams ready. We're going full force"

The Hokage walked around the desk, "I know that not too long ago the village was invaded, some of the repairs are still going on. But this is not the time to show weakness, if we take out Blood Leash not only we'll be ridding ourselves of them once and for all, we'll be sending a message to the entire nations; Konoha may not like to start fights, but we sure as hell will finish them. They call us hippies and tree hungers, conveniently forgetting this village has survived three great ninja wars, multiple threats, and even a Bijuu attack, NONE of those things were able to take us down"

Words of encouragement and pride rang out through the room, invigorated by their Kage's words.

"Blood Leash has hurt the people of this nation many times in the past, selling them as property, thwarting small governments which allowed despots to take over and made business for them easier. They think themselves the biggest mercenary force in the nations, but they're nothing but criminals who are long since owed the headsman's axe. Many of you have fought them in the past, lost comrades and friends to them... well now is our chance to make things right"

Many of the ninja before her had an edge in their gaze, anger, a desire of righteous vengeance, to protect their nation.

"So get ready... because we are going to break the Leash"

Her shinobi replied as once, with duty and devotion, a simple promise to finally rid themselves of that criminal scum once and for all.

"HAI!"

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Hope you guys enjoyed it, we're getting ready for the first of our big original arcs.

Kuroreimei

Basic Stats:

Strength: B

Speed: B++

Stamina: A

Intelligence: B+

Prana Level: A+

Personal Attributes:

Demon physiology:

She is the child of a rakshasa and a yuki-onna, born in an age where mysticism was far stronger. She possesses vast levels of energy and ages at a much slower pace than humans.

Fire Manipulation: A+

Inherited from her father, Kuroreimei has outstanding powers over flames.

Ice Manipulation: A+

Inherited from her mother, she also possesses superior ice powers than those found in human bloodlines and techniques.

Knowledge of Mantras: A

Kuroreimei has great knowledge over the ancient chants to cast various forms of sorcery and rituals.

Demon Magic: A

As a demon, her physiology is different from humans, she possesses no pseudo-nervous system that regulates the flow of energy, every part of her organism works in tandem to channel her power, and as such she can release energy merely by breathing. This allows her to wield magic much more naturally than humans.