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

54. Harsh Reality: Act II

Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto

Co-Author and Beta: Etheral-23

*Screams of Arch in the distance*

Etheral-23: So, it's been a while… suffice to say the long absence was no plan of ours. You see, Arch has been struck with a long series of ill fortunate events lately, one of which involved him being unable to use his computer for a long while. Broken keyboard, then broken monitor…

But things have turned around, and we're finally back. Hope you guys enjoy

Chapter 54: Harsh Reality: Act II

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

Han'ei City, as the capital of Han'ei Country, was large. Larger than Konoha that's for sure. Konoha existed as a semi-autonomous state, but even a small country's central city could out stage a hidden village in terms of size. Already from a mile away they could see the pagodas and the great castle in the distance, promising to be a center of buzzling activity.

Then they reached the outskirts, and were treated to the same sight of poverty and struggle they saw before in that town. Rundown buildings, people living in poor conditions, the streets filled with despondent and worn faces. To Naruto, it was hard to see people in this state; it made him wish that his job was to help them directly with anything really. But it'd have to wait; right now they had a mission to do.

The further into the city they got, the more it transitioned. From poor sectors to middle class houses and business run by regular people, to large markets filled with ostentatious wares and richly dressed nobility and merchants who clearly looked like they had never experienced a single day of hunger in their lives. It was easy to be fooled by the dazzling wares and the elegance of the kimono, or the armored samurai who lead groups of guards in patrol, but to the ninja this place did not feel right, not after seeing how much the other people were struggling.

Further into the center was the great castle of the Tokuhara clan, the rulers of Han'ei. It stood elevated from the ground in great walls, with a single clear stone stair leading up to the entrance, at the sides were multiple towers filled with guards who stood ever vigilant.

Sakura, tugging one of the horses which carried the still dazed bandits, took notice of something about the guards in the tower. Even from the distance she could spot it. "Guys, look there..." She pointed.

Sasuke squinted, monetarily activating his Sharingan so the image was clear. "They wield firearms"

"The daimyo has some serious money" Karin commented, "You need it to purchase those, the larger nations like to keep a monopoly on them after all"

As it was severely banned for all shinobi villages to even carry firearms. The sight of such weapons was rare to see in the nations, save certain places like the Fire Palace. The fact that Daimyo Tokuhara could procure such weapons to give guards spoke volumes on his level of wealth. "Flintlock rifles aren't cheap, and maintaining them is just as expensive," Kakashi remarked staring at the guards.

They came to a stop at the castle gate where stood several guards. "Halt! This is castle of the Tokuhara clan, explain your business!" The head guard the most decorated armor yelled out.

"Your lord sent for us," Kushina addressed as she and the others stopped a foot away. "We're Konohagakure shinobi. My name is Kushina Uzumaki and this is Kakashi Hatake. Behind us are our genin students and ally."

The instant those names were called out drew rattled whispers from the guards; "The Red Death and the Copy Ninja?!"

"Calm down," the lead guard scolded; "Do you have proof you are who you say you are?"

Kushina pulled out a scroll and handed it over; "To validate who we are."

Taking the scroll and unfurling, it the guard gave it a look over; "Alright. I'll take you to Tokuhara-Sama. Follow me and don't lag behind."

"Um, what's with the people in the horses?" One of the guards asked, pointing to the subjects of his confusion in question.

"Oh, those are bandits we caught trying raiding a town in your territory" Kakashi simply explained, handing over the reins of the beast to the man. "Figured you'd want to cage them yourselves"

The guard huffed and motioned for a couple others to help him, "Straight to the dungeon for these scum. Let's see how the rebels we captured like their new cellmates"

Washing their hands off the bandits, they followed after the guard who guided them into the castle. The large wooden gates opened, and they were treated to the sight of a luxurious entrance which lead into a hall with pristine wooden floors. The palace was a very detailed crafted building, with ample chambers and multiple floors. They saw court ladies with elaborate hair styles and stylish kimonos conducting a tea ceremony in one of the rooms with a clear view to the outside, while in another upper floor there were samurai kneeling and discussing Intel and strategy over a map of the land, planning their next move to deal with the rebels.

At the second uppermost floor, they were lead to a large square chamber where the daimyo reigned; it was decorated two byōbu with the images of carps. They were instructed to kneel by the guard, and so they did. The folding walls were retracted by two armored samurai, revealing the lord of the land.

He sat on a well-crafted chair placed against the wall, in between the statues of two carps. He did not look very impressive at a first glance. A simple brown haired man in his forties, donning robes befitting someone of his status. Daimyo Ishikata Tokuhara looked at the shinobi with curious brown eyes, and greeted them.

"I bid you welcome, Konohagakure shinobi"

He spoke like other highborn nobles Kushina and Kakashi have met in their time. His words being precise and formal as he gave a respectful nod. The shinobi quickly bowed with Soujiro following suit. "Daimyo Ishikata Tokuhara-sama, Konoha is here to solve whatever problem you need," the Uzu matriarch spoke respectfully with her head bowed.

"Indeed, and I am most grateful. My people have suffering long enough because of these rebels. Though I must admit I never thought I would ever meet the Red Death and the Copy Ninja themselves. Your skills widely known, even here in Han'ei."

"Thank you, Daimyo."

Tokuhara's eyes furrowed; "Though I had heard that you perished a decade ago."

Kushina lifted her head; "I had to falsify my death for a high priority and secret mission that only I could complete. It just took longer than I expected to finish."

The daimyo conceded with a nod; "It must have been truly important then. But I for one am glad of your return." His eyes went to Kakashi; "I am familiar of you as well Hatake-san. Welcome to Han'ei."

"I am honored Daimyo-sama."

Tokuhara turned his attention to the youngsters; "Genin?"

"Yes, my son Naruto, my daughter Karin, Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha. My nephew Soujiro however is working as an ally on this," Kushina explained as she introduced the kids.

"I am thankful Konoha has taken this matter seriously to send two highly renowned shinobi and their protégés" He sounded sincere in his gratefulness. "I am sorry you have to see my nation in this state, we have been hit by hard times lately"

"We were informed you have trouble with rebels" Kakashi said, "Any information you can give us can help our task"

He sighed, looking very tired and wary. "Where to begin..." He mused with a low tone. Resting a hand near his mouth. "The seeds of this rebellion must have been planted around a decade ago, after the war"

"War?" Kushina questioned, she was not aware of any such conflict involving Han'ei. Then again, it was when she was sealed; it seems mom forgot she was still a bit out of the loop.

"Yes, with our neighbors of Imashima. There were territories dispute between our countries for some time, but things escalated for the worse after fights broke out in our borders. We emerged victorious, but it was a costly conflict" The daimyo shook his head. "We even lost one of our finest warrior clans, the Akihabara, to the last man and woman"

"The rebels are stirring trouble because of the fallout from the war?" Sasuke asked.

"To put it shortly, yes. It takes a lot of effort, resources and money to recover from a war. I've had to make a lot of harsh decisions for the good of this country. But it saddens me to see some of my subjects do not see it that way." Ishikata sighed. "I've hoped my troops could quell it before it sprung out of control but, well, you can see why I summoned you"

"What can you tell us about the rebels?" Kakashi asked.

"Their numbers may not be the largest, but they're very resourceful and cunning. They've proceeded to make trouble for my soldiers with plenty of hit and run tactics, sabotage, and other acts of terrorism" He explained. "Their leader, of all things, appears to be a young man no older then eighteen"

They perked up at that particular piece of information. Someone that young was orchestrating a rebellion?

"Takeda Shimazu is his name, from what my reports have told me, he's very talented and smart, with a grasp of warfare you wouldn't expect from someone born into peasantry" The daimyo frowned darkly, his fist tightening in front of his lips. "And we can attribute his skills, and the source of how this rebellion began, to his guardian; Shibata Katsuie"

"Who is he?" Naruto asked.

"Once he was a retainer of the Akihabara clan, and became a ronin after their demise. He always felt the nation was to blame for the death of his lords" He shook his head in disappointment. "Had he actually had any honor, he would pledge himself to the nation the Akihabara gave their lives to protect. Instead, he stormed out and from I was told, adopted a young orphan from the streets, Takeda... The more I think on it, the more I believe he must have raised the boy with tales about my rule's 'injustice'"

Naruto blinked in confusion; "But you're just trying to do what's right for your people." He missed the glances from Sasuke and Karin.

A long sigh escaped Ishikata's lips; "You will find when being a ruler; be it a Daimyo or Hokage, you will always make enemies. Someone who does not agree with your methods or policies. Being a ruler is not an easy position, nor should it be. Decisions made by those like myself affect countless lives and some either see your action as benevolent or harmful. You will never make everyone happy, and regrettably there are a few who will lash out violently." The daimyo rose to stand; "Now, let us discuss this matter in the war room." Tokuhara begun to leave with the shinobi soon following.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Ishikata, followed by his guards, guided them towards a room just a hallway away from the throne. Around half of the throne room's size, it had a long low table with multiple military officers kneeling around it. On the table was a spread a map of the country and the closest surrounding territories, with multiple lines drawn and small flags pinned in key locations.

The warriors stood up as soon as the daimyo entered and bow at the waist. Ishikata acknowledged them with a small wave of his hand and gestured to a middle aged man with a thin mustache, a small goatee and the upper part of his head shaved, with a samurai bun tied up on the back. "This is the commander of my forces, Moroi Akuta. Akuta, these are the shinobi sent by Konoha"

The samurai bowed briefly. "We are thankful for your assistance. Had we requested aid earlier, perhaps we would have not-"

"Don't, Akuta" The daimyo stopped him, grief evident in his voice. "Not now..."

"...My lord" The samurai merely hung his head in reply.

Kushina choose to remove the sudden tension, "What do we know about the rebels? Do you have a location on them?"

"They move around very often, so pinning their exact area of operations is difficult" The commander said, "We do know they must camp somewhere on the Tanuki Woods. Unfortunately the forest is very dense and the area is too large, scouting parties have had minimal success in tracking them, a lot of them don't ever come back, and the rebels know the woods like the back of their hand"

Another samurai grunted; "And then that damn Beast showed up."

The words raised a brow of a few; "Beast?" Soujiro questioned.

"We have no idea where he came from, nor do know who he is. A mountain of man accompanied by a great bear joined the rebels." Ishikata ran his hand over his mouth; "the man's raw strength had torn through dozens of my men like they were paper. What's more he isn't just some dumb brute; his mind is sharp as well."

Kushina crossed her arm under her bust; "Sounds like the rebels got themselves a great asset."

Akuta grunted; "We made the mistake thinking he was simple minded on account of his immense brawn. It cost us dearly."

"Any other threats among them?"

The Daimyo nodded; "A pair of twin boys around Takeda's age. Both had shown considerable skills that rival most shinobi. I believe you would call them Chunin level."

"Not slouches then," Sasuke murmured

"Correct Uchiha-san."

"We did manage to get some information out of captured rebels" Commander Akuta continued. "We believe those twins to be part of the assassin's guild Kageken"

At the mention of that name, the eyes of the Konoha shinobi widened considerably.

"I figured that would get your attention" Akuta said with gravitas.

Indeed it did, the organization founded by Hattori Masanari, the Shodai Hokage's assassin, the most reviled and hunted man in Konoha's history, even more so than Madara Uchiha. His surviving protégés passing down the skills Hattori himself taught them, spawning a group of outstanding assassins... who strangely were very picky about their contracts, and conducted operations in a way that no hidden villages could understand the motives of.

This just made the mission even more complicated.

"It doesn't end there, I'm afraid" The daimyo added. "If you look at the map, you'll see some of the places the rebels have targeted" He waved a hand at the black pins.

"A munitions depot, a garrison, several outposts and even a refinery that supplies ore for our weapons" Moroi stroke his chin, "They clearly attempt to wear us down and weaken our defenses"

"For an attack?" Kushina frowned, "I'd doubt they'd have the numbers or the resources to conduct a siege on such a well-fortified castle"

"That is when the second piece of information we gathered from prisoners comes in" Tokuhara gravely said, "It seems the rebels have recently made a deal with the Manji clan"

Naruto felt he had heard that name before...

"What?!" Kakashi gasped in surprise. "But... that makes no sense. The Manji may do mercenary work, but they mostly stick to sabotage and theft, this is beyond their usual operations"

"Maybe they promised the Manji the nation's fortunes, or any other valuable thing. Whatever the case, the Manji will be arriving in bulk." The commander emphasized the last word. "They are the best archers in the nations, with eyesight that far outstrips that of any of my riflemen. They'll snipe them out before we can even see them coming"

Kushina exhaled a large breathe running her hand through her hair; "Well this made things more complicated. We will have to go over a lot before we start figuring out how to hunt these guys."

"Of course," Ishikata nodded he gestured to his commander; "I shall leave you with Akuta to discuss preparations to end this rebellion. I shall have personal rooms for each of you for your stay. My castle is open to you."

"Thanks, we're gonna fix this, you'll see!" Naruto promised grinning.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Despite the exhaustion of the long traveling and the meeting. Naruto took to exploring the castle alone as day slowly turned to night. "Man this place is huge..." he muttered taking in every detail of the place.

This place was high class at its finest. He had never visited a daimyo's palace before, and he had to say he was really impressed. It was large enough that he felt he shouldn't be going around without a map least he got lost. And it was decorated with finery everywhere he looks. From intricately designed sliding walls, to pedestals with expensive looking urns and flowers. He caught a glimpse from a bonsai garden and a long hall decorated with drapes and paintings made in classical style depicting the previous rulers of the Tokuhara line. It appeared that the carp was an important animal in the clan's iconography.

There were also a few rooms with shrine to ancestors and fallen relatives, filled with the low humming of prayers and the scent of incense. Clean rooms for samurai to practice kendo, decorated with swords hanged at the walls, and a suit of armor set to a kneeling position placed on another shrine.

The palace was filled with all sorts of people. The servants who kept things clean, the soldiers standing guard (now more than ever in these times), nobles discussing matters that went over his head, and even court ladies and geishas tending to different ceremonies.

Paying more attention to his surroundings as he rounded a corner, he did not see a tiny form running into him. He grunted looking down to see a ten year old girls adorned in the finest kimono with a long hime style purple hair. Her bright sapphire eyes gazed up at him with excitement and curiosity. Before the blond could utter a word she put a finger to her mouth making a 'shhh' sound. Quickly viewing her surroundings she saw a large cabinet, with an innocent giggle she smiled as she ran for towards cabinet and quickly got inside as if she was hiding.

"Aiko-hime!" The frantic voices of two men in samurai armor ran frantically searching around. They came to a stop as they saw Naruto standing there; "Oh, Konoha. Have you seen Princess Aiko?!" One of the guards questioned in a worried tone.

"Princess Aiko?"

"Lord Tokuhara's niece. She is ten years old, about this tall, purple hair..."

Much to their dismay and horror the blond shook his head; "Haven't seen her." Naruto felt a little bad for lying, but reigned in his facial expressions as the sight of guards going into hyper panic mode before running off screaming out the princess's name. Once they were far enough away he glanced to the cabinet; "All clear."

A happy giggle escaped the cabinet as the young girl hopped down with a huff. Her eyes shined with amusement as a grin of pure childish glee lit up on her lips.

"Thanks nii-chan, I was running from them for a while now" She patted her kimono. "Lost them in just five minutes, I'm getting better at this"

Well he was suddenly remained of Konohamaru. "No problem. They said you're the princess?"

"Yup!" The purple haired girl said, popping the 'p' at the end. "Aiko Tokuhara, heir of the Tokuhara clan and next in line for the throne of Han'ei" She suddenly spook all regally and performed a deep bow. "You may introduce yourself now, shinobi"

He grinned, realizing she wasn't being serious at all. Joining his hands together, he bowed. "Naruto Uzumaki of Konohagakure no Sato, at your service my lady"

"You have performed your task well, shinobi. And shall be rewarded in kind" She dropped the formal speech and once more reverted back to a normal excitable child. "You want some candy?!"

"Uh, sure" He shrugged.

"Cool! I've got all sorts of candy hidden in a stash on a balcony" She reached with her smaller hands to his own and pulled, guiding him down the hallway. "Uncle doesn't like me eating too much but he won't know, you'll keep it a secret right?"

He smiled, "My lips are sealed"

"Great! Also, don't tell him I'm not talking all stuffy"

The blond gave a thumbs up while being dragged by the younger girl. "You got it!" After going down a few halls the princess brought him to an empty balcony that was not as much decorated as the other rooms in the castle.

Releasing the blond she ran ahead smiling; "Nobody really comes to this room," Aiko remarked stepping onto the balcony as she opened the windows. Her little hands moved a medium size potted plant that concealed a small square compartment. Quickly she pulled out several pieces of candy and jogged back to the blond smiling brightly; "Here you go!"

"Thanks!" He took the candy, putting them in his pocket for later. "You're quite resourceful."

The princess giggled beaming; "Better than staying in my room all day listening to boring lectures," she stuck her tongue out.

Naruto bit back a snort, she definitely sounded like Konohamaru with Ebisu. He was just glad the closet perv relaxed a bit more, and was nicer to him since after the exams and invasion. He shook off the thoughts; "But lessons are a good things."

"...I know," Aiko deflated a little with small whine; "But it starts getting boring after three hours..." she waved her arms around.

"Hey, I get you" Naruto said as he sat by the balcony, taking a good look at the city outside. Things seemed really peaceful from up here. "When I was little my teachers couldn't get me to sit down on their lives"

"What about now?" She asked, unwrapping a bar.

"I'm better... mostly" Because nowadays his lessons didn't usually involve him sitting for hours listening on subjects that didn't help him at all.

"At least you learn to do awesome stuff like in my animes" Aiko said with a muffled voice as she took a bite from her candy. "Today I had to learn about economy and the national deficit"

"Ouch" Now that was one reason he didn't get into math. "But hey, it's stuff you gotta learn to do. You said you're gonna be daimyo one day, right?"

The blue eyed girl munched down the remains of the bar and crumpled the wrapper into a ball. "Yeah, yeah, Uncle doesn't have kids, so it falls to me to take the throne. Mom says once I get the hang of it the boring parts will be easy" She knelt on the opposite side from Naruto, looking over the city with a distant gaze. "It's just... scary, you know? It's a lot to do"

Naruto knew how she felt; it was how he did once the meaning of being a Hokage started dawning on him. "I'm sure you'll be fine. Doubt your uncle will give you the reigns before you are ready"

"I guess" She muttered not too confidently. "My dad says..."

She suddenly stopped, and the Jinchuuriki watched intently as her eyes widened slightly, grief evident in them. Her lips parted, trembling slightly before she pursed them and swallowed, as if trying to fight down the sudden pain she was clearly feeling. Aiko blinked repeatedly, trying not show how much her eyes grew wet.

"He said... that our clan's greatest strength was diligence and pride. That I have it too, I just need to focus it"

She sounded so longing...

Naruto looked at her for a moment before finally asking. "What happened to him?"

"...He died" She muttered, her gaze growing downcast. "The rebels killed him"

Sympathy bore on the blond before glaring out to the city; "I'm sorry."

"...Uncle said he went to reason with the rebels. He knew his decisions had made things bad, but he wanted to make it right." Aiko grabbed his kimono; "they killed papa before he could even speak with them."

Naruto was quiet for a minute; "I'll make them pay for that." Aiko sharply looked back at the who stared back; "I promise your dad's death won't be for nothing."

The princess blinked with her big eyes before small tears leaked from them; "Thank you Nii-Chan."

Naruto flashed a bright smile as he ruffled her hair

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

"Again!" An aged voice rang out with authority.

Takeda huffed as sweat beaded off his face. He held his dual katanas as he glared hard at his adopted father and teacher Shibata Katsuie. A large elderly man with a full white beard with a mustache and long hair placed in a low ponytail. Dressed in full samurai gear with a haori, his old wizened eyes sternly gazed at him; "Keep your breathing even and steady."

Takeda took one more deep breath and slowly gathered himself. Chakra flowed his center to his blades, waves of blue energy flowing over the metal. It crackled and sparked, morphing into yellow bolts of electricity.

Takeda grit his teeth and forced the energy to focus, guiding it to the tip of the swords as he slashed the air in a cross towards a large boulder. Arcs of lightning flew wildly and struck in erratic arcs at the ground and the edges of the stone, adding more black to the already scorched areas around the boulder.

Only the center remained unscathed.

"Enough!" Shibata called out. His rough elder voice was rasp, commanding and experienced.

The young rebel leader merely grunted in frustration, raising his swords once again and repeated the proceeds. Lightning gathering in his blades once more...

"I said that's enough" The ronin said more gently.

This time, Takeda obeyed. He let out a long sigh and let the energy die down. He stabbed the blades on the ground and sat on the grass, taking in steadying calming breaths. He looked at the two blades with a narrowed gaze, as though the weapons had offended him.

Shibata let out a rumbling sound as he approached, highlighting the size difference between him and the young man. "I told you couldn't use two blades for this" He said with resignation. "The Akihabara Lightning Call requires precision that is why it uses just one blade" He placed a large hand over one of the katanas. "Using two blades splits your focus, your chakra splits at two different points, and you can't regulate the flow properly for the attack"

"I had to try" Takeda huffed, swiping the sweat of his forehead and momentarily moving the bang that covered one eye. "It would have been much more powerful with two swords"

"You tried. It did not work" Shibata bluntly said, "Now you pick yourself up, and listen to your older mentor. He might know a thing or two of what he's talking about"

"I've always listened," the young man addressed in an ever humble tone. "Can't blame a youngster for wanting to experiment?"

The old samurai let out a snorted chuckle; "I suppose it is the hot blood of the youth in you to reach further. Rest up boy." Not needing to be told twice slumped onto the ground with his adopted father following suit. "You have improved well. If the Akihabara clan still existed you would have made a fine edition."

Takeda faintly smirked; "Maybe." He gazed up passed the trees to stare up at the sky above. "I wonder though; a young rebel with barely any idea of what he has been doing?"

"Compared to what Tokuhara has been doing for years, yes." Shibata quipped with no hesitation; "When he rose to Daimyo I had believed he'd bring our nation prosperity for all... I supposed he had everyone fool of his true intent, even this old man."

"He fooled us all," Takeda lamented distantly before clinching his fists; "That's why we have to stop him. Our people can't survive while he bleeds them dry for his and the other highborn elites... And now we somehow have to deal with the Red Death and Copy Ninja"

Shibata shook his head; "While Konoha might be the most moral adjusted among the Big Five, they are still ninja's for hire. Good or bad is not required in their profession."

"Kosuke thinks otherwise. Least when it comes to this Kushina."

"The Uzumaki clan has always been held familial bonds as extremely sacred, to point of eccentricity seen by other clans. But I feel the young lad is going by the old beliefs passed down by Tsukiko Uzumaki."

"He seems loyal to his clan, there's nothing eccentric about that" Takeda brought up with a wave of his hand.

"Ah, and yet he is here with you instead of returning to his clan now that he knows there is someone like him out there" The old warrior pointed out. "Because he is honoring that promise he made to us. An Uzumaki keeps their word, and he will try to do the right thing, that is what he learnt from Tsukiko Uzumaki""

"Sounds like you are familiar with them and that woman" Takeda pointed out.

"Not with her personally, but I've met Uzumaki in my youth who did. She's always been an inspiration to them" The large man said. "But is that Kushina woman that worries me so. She has been a ninja far longer than she's lived with her now fallen clan. Her reputation is not a kind one; she killed so many enemies on the battlefield that during one particularly harsh engagement her red hair looked much fiercer and demonic when stained with so much blood."

Takeda watched on as his mentor grew pensive.

"If she truly were a successor of Tsukiko's ideals, then she will help us, but if she is a ninja through and through... then the village that became her home will come first for her"

"You make it sound like I should have not heeded Kosuke-san"

"And what other choice would you have had taken, lad?"

He had a point there...

The young rebel's head dipped slightly, "I don't want to force Kosuke-san to fight his family"

"There are no easy choices here, Takeda" His adoptive father said sympathetically. "We must think first of our people. Kosuke has been a great ally in our fight; we cannot throw such an asset"

"He's our comrade" He disputed, not liking to talk about the large man as though he was a tool.

"And this is our nation we're fighting for" The large ronin helped the boy stand up, "These people look up to you as their leader, so you must do what you must for their sake"

He saw the wisdom in his words, but that did not mean he still had to like it. He made a lot of hard decisions for the sake of liberty, the people he killed, the soldiers who only sought to feed their family, his treasured allies who joined his fight knowing they could die any day whose lives he put at risk with a command.

But he had to keep a line somewhere, Takeda needed to still feel that pain and remorse, even if the choices costed him dearly. That's the only thing that separated him from the tyrants he sought to bring down.

The rebel leader furrowed his brow; "I'm not too keen on fighting children."

"Those children were trained in combat and are just as dangerous, if not more so, than the Daimyo's soldiers." His adopted father quipped; "And if the tales about those kids are true, they have done quite a lot around the nations."

"Such as?"

"They slew the corrupt tycoon Gatō in Nami. Driven out a large bandit group led by a former ninja, and was part of the unit of shinobi that took out the Blood Leash." Takeda's brow shot upwards; "So as I said, these aren't ordinary brats."

The young leader could only stare in shock at the achievements done by the ninja team they had to deal with.

"Make no mistake, these are a well accomplish and talented individuals. Kosuke has my respect and gratitude for aiding us in this quest, but if I have to choose between our country and the lives of these people who would oppose us... I will cut them down without hesitation" He placed a large hand on Takeda's shoulder. "A choice you too will have to make"

"...Hesitation is defeat" He repeated that ancient motto that Shibata had drilled into him for years.

Shibita nodded satisfied, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll go check on the scouts' reports. You take a rest and go to bed early; I'll handle things from here"

Takeda was already turning away, his weapons stashed on his waist. "I'm fine"

"Testing your limits is prudent" The old samurai called out, "But it is wise to know you have them!"

He huffed in irritation as his ward merely waved at him with his back turned.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Strolling back into the main encampment Takeda soon immersed himself with anyone whom needed an extra hand for work. Or just an ear bend to settle nerves, and their leader was always there for support. Each one held their own story of injustices brought about by the current Daimyo and his fellow nobles. Many who lost family, friends, anything that was devoured by the greed of the highborn.

For all those who were displaced and broken, Takeda found them and brought them back from the brink. Every person here he knew by name, he knew their lives of hardships and struggles. He was close to those with spouses and children, ensuring their safety. Despite not even being asked to, Takeda willingly and selflessly made certain everyone was protected.

Being a charismatic leader is one thing, but to go above and beyond in defending your people and their kin wanting no reward... Every single man and woman within their group would lay down their lives for Takeda, and follow him into hell itself.

'You could pay a soldier fight and defend. But you can't pay someone to believe.' And that is what Takeda had done through his actions and deeds.

Takeda sought to at least know the name of everyone under his command, even if he had a hundred other priorities in his mind. He made the extra effort because he needed to see their faces, to remember their histories and what they went through. That made their mission matter, it made it feel their cause was real and tangible.

The next person he approached was a woman with short cropped messy hair, a cut along the bridge of her nose. Her cheeks were greasy and sweaty from working the forge all day. Broad shouldered with sizeable arms, the graying hair and the small wrinkles on her face pointed her to be around middle age, yet she still worked with the same energy she had on her youth.

"Are you in need of more supply, Tamaka-dono?"

Experienced eyes shifted towards him in annoyance, but that did not stop her from continuing hammering a double edged blade shining red with heat. "The hell are you doing here? I know you've been training with Shibata all day. Tch, brats like you should rest once in a while."

Miss Tamaka had been the owner of a popular smithy that had existed in her village for at least five generations, their craft passed from master to student, her works were of great quality, and she always had a smile to offer her clients despite her coarse attitude.

Until the daimyo's soldiers came one day, and confiscated everything she owned. She refused to let them get away with it, and the situation escalated until the soldiers found themselves receiving a hammer that cracked their skulls. Tamaka had no choice but to go on the run, persecuted for the murder of three soldiers who would have killed her just for getting in their way.

Takeda let out a heartfelt chuckle; "I'll rest once my rounds are done." The older woman grunted resuming her work; "So do you require-"

"Heard you the first time, boy. I'm fine for the moment so no fretting on my account." She absently waved her freed hand.

"Being the leader I have to be concerned with everyone working with me."

Tamaka snorted again; "We're fine, kid, everyone here is doing their jobs. Just focus on yourself for a bit before focusing back on that rat bastard Daimyo."

The young man gave a respectful bow; "Understood ma'am." he turned on his heels walking away. His eyes peered around him to everyone working hard and diligently at their jobs .

He still felt there was something he could do with his time, honestly Shibata worried too much, he was fine. Takeda felt better knowing he could be of more use around during his free time.

But apparently, everyone was of one mind with that old man...

He approached cooks who prepared meals for their forces, a pair of brothers whose business had pretty much been ruined with the poor management and crumbling infrastructure of their town, and just didn't have the money to start over. The cooks took one look at him and stopped him before he could even get a word.

"Let me guess" One said with a wry smile, "Off looking to busy yourself instead of resting"

"With all due respect, oh great boss" The other added, "Beat it, we've got this. You already enough"

Not far enough in his mind. But he wasn't going to push.

There had to be someone there who wouldn't tell him such nonsense that he should do nothing.

"Hey!" Takeda's thoughts were interrupted by the chorus of two voices. Looking up he saw the twins Isao and Isamu leapt down from the trees. The blue and red bandana wearing boys gave a hearty grin to the leader; "Deep in thought boss man?" Isao joked.

"More like trying to keeping busy."

Isamu cocked a brow; "Didn't you do training with the old samurai?"

"Shibita," Takeda corrected with a mock glare. "And we finished, he's with the scouts, so he told me to rest."

"Which you are clearly not doing," Isao quipped with his ever present grin. "Everyone needs a break, even you boss."

The blue tissue wearing teen rolled his eyes. "You take too many breaks in my opinion. You stop whatever you're doing the moment you spot a pair of breasts"

"Hey I have to do something to ease the stress. This an important job, so we couldn't bring out stash" Isao lamented. And Isamu tried not look as disappointed as well.

"I am thankful you both restrain from smoking drugs in my camp" The long haired young man said dryly. "Yours is a great sacrifice for the cause"

"And you better be grateful!" Isao pointed at him. "It was premium stuff we've been growing for months!"

"We have quite the 'trip' planned out if you catch my drift" Isamu winked.

"I always do, unfortunately" Takeda shook his head when he felt it, surging inside him. Threatening to escape his lips. The rebel leader tried to hold back, but it ended making his face twist noticeably.

The twins dryly stared at him. "Are you trying to hold back a yawn?"

"...No" He let out through pursed lips.

"Get. Some. Rest" Isao said with open irritation. "Don't make me use a sleep dart on you"

People were really going to force him to rest one way or another despite his wishes huh? Fine...

"Alright" He sighed, scratching his head. "I'll be in my tent, but wake me the moment something happens" With that, he turned to leave.

"You got it boss man!" Isamu said. Despite them sharing the exact same voice, he knew it was Isamu. There was no mistaking it for him.

His own tent was centered near the middle of the camp, connected to the trunk of a great wide tree, its bark serving as makeshift wall as the tarp created a large triangular space. It was a comfortable place, as comfortable as a rebel on the run could afford to have. With a bedroll, a chair and a desk. Multiple scrolls littered around, maps and reports scattered over his desk. It was all he needed.

Dusk was settling, and it'd be dark soon. So Takeda got to work before he had to use a lamp, otherwise they could tell he had not in fact gone to sleep.

He sat on his chair and began browsing through the maps, already coming up with different strategies and contingencies they could use while awaiting for the Manji reinforcements. If the shinobi sent from Konoha managed to find them, then the next best hiding spot would be-

"I just knew you'd be doing this"

Takeda stoop up abruptly, throwing the chair back, with a kunai at the ready.

Isamu stared at him dryly. "Good instincts"

The young leader sighed lowering his weapon; "Are you sure you're not part Uzumaki? You're damn sure stubborn as one," Isamu lamented.

"Wouldn't I have red hair?"

"I hear there is at least one blond Uzu out there so who knows," Isamu shrugged before getting serious; "I can admire dedication. You got that in spades and more. But you're still human like the rest of us. You need rest," he spoke gently.

Takeda grunted out a sigh leaning back on his chair. Rubbing his free hand on his forehead while putting away his kunai; "I know, I know... Just hard to relax while my entire nation is choking because of Tokuhara and the nobles. And the people suffering..."

"Enough," Isamu reproached sternly; "We will get those bastards. But not right now. We have to think of today and not tomorrow."

At that the young leader relented after being stared down; "Alright..."

The blue wearing young man stared at the rebel leader gently, long straight brown bags dangling from underneath his tissue, swaying gently with the tilt of his head. A hand reached out to tuck away a few strands of hair behind his ear, settling into a comforting touch upon Takeda's hip.

"The rebellion won't collapse if you're not dedicating every minute of your time to it" The Kageken member said, "They need you at your peak as well"

"The only reason this rebellion has gone so far is because of everyone's tireless work" Takeda replied, leaning into Isamu's touch. "If I can give the back the same, then I'm doing a disservice to them"

"Not being able to actually lead them because you're too tired would be the disservice, that's why they all have different roles here" Isamu countered. "There is nothing wrong with letting go of your burdens for once."

Takeda's blue eyes shifted for a moment, as if pondering on his words, before looking back at him teasingly with a growing smirk. "Is that why you're here, to help me lay down my burdens?"

"I did promise to assist you in any way you require" Isamu grinned himself, brown eyes twinkling with amusement and want.

"You don't fool me with your act" The rebel leader said, his voice dropping an octave as it came out barely above a whisper. "You do this because you want to"

"What can I say?" Isamu grinned, placing a hand on Takeda's hip as he drew the two close. "I have a thing for dashing selfless men"

Their lips touched, tenderly at first, but as they savored each other the act grew in intensity, as hands eagerly explored each other's lean athletic forms. Isamu's hand holding the back of Takeda's head and grabbing a fistful of hair. A soft bite on the Kageken's lower lip was all the sign he needed for his mouth to open wide against Takeda's.

Momentarily pulling apart, Takeda huskily asked. "What are we doing?"

Isamu grinned. "What we did the other night?"

"...You know I like you. Right?"

The statement left Isamu silent for a second. "I... I like you too"

"So" Takeda sighed, leaning his forehead against the other man's. "Where is this going?" He didn't wait for Isamu to reply. "My place is here, with my people. And I... I know your duty takes you to other places, a lot places, so very often. We only met here because of chance"

"What are you saying?" The blue bandana wearing young man asked.

"Are we just ignoring the fact we know this won't last?" The rebel leader asked, "I don't... I don't want to give you any illusions. And I don't want to hurt you either, so I just wanted to clear things up"

Isamu sighed, leaning closer. "I told you, we have to think of today, not tomorrow" He whispered. "Any of us could die one day. Isn't it just best to let things be for now and enjoy this?"

Takeda remained silent.

Isamu planted another soft kiss on his lips. "So, tonight, let's just forget about everything"

XxX ~ several days later ~ XxX

Naruto yawned as he, Soujiro, and Kakashi-sensei woke up early to do some patrols around Han'ei. "You're really are not much of a morning person," The blond's cousin quietly remarked.

The blond grunted for which Kakashi chuckled; "Minato-sensei was never much of a morning person either, despite appearances."

"Nice to know it is genetic," Naruto quipped dryly gazing around the town with a grimace; "This place has seen better days."

Once the trio left the palace and noble district they entered the area reserved for the regular citizens. The blond felt a slight knot in his heart seeing how impoverished and dreary the town and people were and looked. Some wearing old clothes while other wore little more than torn dirty rags, their eyes hollow, filled with so much hopelessness.

"This is worse than Nami," the blond murmured.

"It is" His sensei responded casually but his keen eye not missing any detail around them.

Just like when they entered the city, the areas further away from the privileged center were like a whole different place. Naruto understood people here suffered the repercussions of the war, and then the rebel uprising, but he didn't like how the nobility seemed to live so comfortably compared to the peasants.

They had their riches, but these people looked like they were barely scrapping by.

The daimyo looked like a reasonable man; he didn't really raise any flags in Naruto's head, so he hoped he would extend his help to the citizens once the matter of the rebels was resolved.

"The rebels don't seem to be popular in this area" Soujiro commented, "I've heard a few commoners complain about how their actions have the guard riled up"

"Not every rebellion is popular with the people" Kakashi commented.

"Why would they be?" Naruto shrugged before crossing his arms behind his head. "They're just making things bad for folks here"

Kakashi gave a non-committal hum instead of a proper reply. "I don't think we might find any sign of suspicious activity here. We'll have to check what the others found in their scouting"

Soujiro's wandering gaze stopped at a particular scene further ahead. "Does that count as suspicious?"

Two of the daimyo's guards stood at the open doorway of a rundown home with a large commotion coming from inside. "What are they doing?" Naruto asked out of curiosity and confusion.

Soon shock was etched on his face as he saw another guard drag out a wizened elderly man by his shirt; "It's been a week old man."

"But I've told you! We can barely afford anything in town," the old man cried back; "There is no money to give to Lord Tokuhara if no one has any to spend!" His words were met with a club to his face.

"Only the dissident speak back. Are you one of the rebels old man?" One of the guards remarked with a sneer; "Are you plotting against our lord like the rest?"

"NEVER! I've served loyally to the Daimyo's family for fifty years!" He was struck again by another of the guards.

"What did we say about back talk!"

"Gods..." Soujiro muttered horrified.

Kakashi said nothing.

Naruto saw red.

He was ready to jump, and beat those assholes to a pulp for attacking a defenseless civilian like that. Teach them to pick on someone of their own size.

At least, that was the plan.

The moment he lunged forward, he was stopped by Kakashi's hand tightly holding his wrist, keeping him from taking another step. Naruto looked at him surprised, as the jonin merely shook his head. "Don't"

"What?!" Naruto was outraged, why wouldn't he let him do anything?! "But those assholes-!"

"Work for our client" Kakashi stressed. "If you pick a fight with them for doing their job, you'll create an incident"

Naruto's teeth gnashed tightly as he seethed. "Their job?!" He pointed at the injustice happening before them.

"Please, don't hurt him anymore!" A woman pleaded, her hair was arranged in a messy bun, there fear and desperation in her voice as she ran out from the house.

"Oh, have something to say about that?" One of the guards grinned, one hand going to the sword on his hip. One push of his thumb and the blade was visible, a spark of yellow electricity emanating from the blade.

The woman joined her hands together and bowed at the waist. "We'll be able to pay for the taxes at the end of the week, I swear!"

"What do you think sir?" The guard standing over the fallen old man asked. "Take them to dungeon?"

"Nah, too much paperwork. And we're already behind schedule" The leading guard replied, stroking his chin. "Just take something from their house as collateral, anything that looks shiny and valuable"

Tears came from the woman falling to her knees beside the elderly man who soon embraced each other as the guards strode into the house. Kakashi firmly held Naruto whose rage was boiling over, the Jounin quickly pulled the blond to a spot in between two buildings with Soujiro following.

"Calm down, Naruto" The Hatake addressed in a stern tone.

The blond however was having none of it; "The hell I'll be calm! Those guards were bulling those people who obviously had nothing! And you're telling me they were doing their job?!"

"Yes, they were." Kakashi reproached; "they were claiming the taxes."

"One can't collect water when the well is dry," Soujiro spoke with rare emotion in his voice.

Kakashi glanced to the redheaded Uzu and then back to Naruto; "Those men were acting in accordance to the Daimyo."

"To act like bullies to beat up on helpless people!?"

The silver haired knelt down before the blond; "Yes." The older man paused; "There is something you need to know. The state of Han'ei wasn't done because of the rebels. It was done by our client, Daimyo Tokuhara."

Naruto's mouth opened and closed repeatedly. "Why?"

"The war with the Imashima was costly, he takes from the civilians and cuts back on even the most basic necessities to ensure the nation's treasuries are full"

"But... he so sounded so honest about wanting to help his nation" He looked genially hurt by the state of his nation, of what his people were going through.

"And in his eyes, what he is doing is for the betterment of his nation" Kakashi explained. "That is, the nobility are the only people who should prosper to him. The peasantry exists to work for the benefit of the royal class"

"That's wrong" Soujiro stated firmly.

Kakashi did not deny it. "And it is our job to do as we are hired" He didn't even bother hiding the fact he did not like it either, if his tone of voice was any indication. "Peasant uprisings are ugly affairs, I was hoping you'd be spared from this until you were mature enough to understand"

"Understand what?!" Naruto snapped, the anger welling up in his chest until it burned. "That we're just supposed to go along with this?!"

"Yes" Kakashi stated matter of factly.

Naruto's breath was caught on his throat, as he stared back in shock at his teacher.

"We are shinobi, Naruto. We are hired to do a job because the money will benefit our village, OUR people" He waved a hand at the rundown streets. "We can't do anything for them. Our sense of right and wrong must not get in the way, or else we would fail the mission and our village will suffer as a consequence"

The blonde's head slowly shook from side to side, horrified by what he was hearing. "So... in Nami, if Gatō had paid us to help him... would we have?"

The Copy Nin stared at his student for the longest moment. "It's a possibility"

Everything became muted and blurred for the blond as he stared in no particular direction. The Jinchuuriki could take it no more, and so he ran, much to surprise of his sensei and cousin who shouted for him. His feet kept running. Away from this horrible place, from the reality that there was horrible injustices happening here, and he was unable to do a thing. Worse, he was force to accept them because that was his 'job'.

XxX ~ xx ~ XxX

Kushina silently thanked Sakumo-sensei for the tracking skills he taught her were still as good as ever as she journeyed through the vast forest surrounding Han'ei. Opting to go alone, having sent Sasuke patrol with Sakura and Karin while Kakashi was with Naruto and Soujiro. She focused her senses to her surroundings with her sheathed katana firmly in her hand at the ready.

So far though, much to her annoyance, all she had found were animal tracks of deer, wolves, boar, and not much else. 'As big of the group we were told about there should be something. Or they are smart enough to hide their trails.' If that was the case than this bunch was decently trained.

Absently she mentally cheered for this bunch. As fancy and honeyed as the Daimyo's words were, she knew a snake when she saw one. And knew damn well it was Tokuhara who was responsible for the state of the village. She hated elitist bastards like him, seeing anyone not highborn as tools to be used and discarded.

Helping a scumbag like this made her hate being a shinobi. But she swallowed down her disgust and did her job. She was a ninja, and she would perform her duty regardless how much it repulsed her when it came to jobs like this.

She froze as she heard the snapping of a twig a foot behind her. It was followed by a low deep animalistic growl. Slowly shifting on her heels with her free hand going to the hilt of her sword she came face to face with largest bear she had ever seen. It's brown eyes glared with fury before letting out a roar as it begun to stand on its hind legs. The giant beast roared again as Kushina remained as still as humanly possible.

"Calm yourself Kuma!" A deep gruff masculine voice rang out behind her. Once more Kushina turned as a towering shirtless man with long crimson hair came down from the tress and landed on the ground in front of her with enough force to shake the earth a little.

This guy was nearly as big as Korin-jiji!

"We aren't here to fight, my friend," His words seem to relax the bear some with it returning to all fours.

Kushina narrowed his eyes at the man with quick glances to the bear who remained guarded. "Take it you're the Beast the Daimyo's soldiers took to call?"

The towering man was silent as his face was kept shrouded by his bangs; "I am only a beast to those who harm the people here. But to you, Kushina Uzumaki. I would never raise a hand to." His face soon became revealed as she stared at the woman with warmth; "We are family after all."

'He trying to pull the red hair 'I'm an Uzumaki' trick,' Suffice it to say, it had been a tactic employed by enemies back when she was younger. Kushina kept her glare as she stared at the man's face. His face... she felt an inch in the back of her mind before shaking her head. "Just because you're a redhead doesn't mean you're Uzu."

"True, This could be a mind game to throw you off guard. So ask me something only an Uzumaki would know."

The shinobi keep her gaze narrowed at him for a moment, before folding her arms and slowly pacing around him. Keeping a close eye at the great bear and taking in the details of this person. His size and musculature did not necessarily reflect his strength, but the account of Tokuhara's soldiers described him as possessing immense physical strength. She had to keep her distance.

"Alright, I'll play your game before I decide to stab you"

"Intense..." The large man dryly quipped, and the bear grumbled.

"What was the primary god the Uzu prayed to the most?"

"Susano'o-no-Mikoto" He replied without hesitation. "In his capacity as a sea god more than a storm god"

"That was an easy one" She rolled her violet eyes. "Anyone familiar with our customs could have told me that"

"Then go for a harder one" He said with a touch of impatience. "You're more jaded than I expected..." He muttered.

"What branch were you a member of?"

"The steel branch" The muscular man replied with pride. "I was born to be a fighter"

"What martial arts schools were you trained in?"

"I... was too young to be properly trained yet"

The shinobi snorted at that. "Oh a likely story"

Kushina heard him take a deep breath, she was pushing his patience. Good. "The night Uzu fell... I was on board of the boats taking us to the mainland"

Kushina stopped her pacing.

"I remember... rain. Lightning. Everyone was panicking. Then... one of the great snakes attacked"

His voice grew distant, and if Kushina could see his eyes she would see the haunted shadow over them. "It broke apart, metal tearing under the weight of that beast. The water rushing in instantly. I was separated from the elders by the waves; I washed up ashore, alone. All I could see was the smoke rising from our home in the distance"

The shinobi said nothing.

"There was a baker in one of the streets. He would always give kids a piece of sweet cakes before lunch if they promised not to say anything. The place always smelled of cinnamon" He smiled nostalgically. "Funny, he was also one of the worst gossips in the village"

Kushina's lips pursed, trying not to let a short laugh escape her lips. She remembered that man...

"Maybe you're not lying" She admitted. "But I've been tricked before, enemy ninja trying to take advantage on my memory of Uzushio. I learnt to be cautious"

Too long she grew excited at the sight of another with a similar shade of red hair. And often her hopes would be crushed.

Saito, Samenosuke, Lyn. Those were people she recognized. Even with a lifetime changing them, there was no mistaking it. But this man, even if he had the looks of an Uzumaki, she had to be extra careful that she was not being fooled.

After all, he worked with the rebels; it would be a good opportunity for them.

"Ninja sure are paranoid" He said.

"Comes with the job" Kushina replied. "But you work for the enemy, I can't be too sure"

His expression shifted, disappointment showing in the slight twist of his lips.

"...I remember when baa-chan would take us to her garden, to play with the fairies"

It was at that Kushina froze... She shook her head keeping her glare; "What did you say?"

"I remember how you and Lyn always tried to catch them in Baa-chan's Taiyō flower garden. Both none of you never caught one, and when you two started fighting Maya was there being her usual peacemaker self. You got in trouble with your pranks on the island. These got bigger when Samenosuke was with you." He couldn't help but chuckle reminiscing; "The one and only time you ever pranked Maw-Maw-"

Recognition bloomed in the woman's eyes. No one outside the village knew of great grand elder Meihui's pet nickname. "Wait!" the large man paused; "What did Maw-maw always do?"

"Put us in her mouth when in dragon form. 'Protecting us' as she always called it. I remember uncle Daisuke berating her every time."

Kushina's eyes were as wide as humanly possible with her body somewhat relaxing. Her mind raced through her memories as there was only a handful of people she played with back in Uzu as a child. Hisao passed away, Saito-Nii and Samenosuke were hunting for the remaining Uzumaki with the wolves and foxes, so...

It was then the image of a small boy with a bowl haircut, clinging to Baa-chan's kimono popped into her mind.

She almost dropped his katana now staring closely at the man's face. She took in every detail and saw the similarities... Her mouth shuddered opening and closing several times; "...Kosuke..." Her voice raw with emotion.

A warm smile graced the giant man's lips as he nodded; "Hello Kushina," a tremble came to his tone.

She stared at him for moment... then she let out a scream of pure joy as she ran up to the man and jumped, holding on to dear life. Kosuke merely placed his arms around her as the two spun, laughing in happiness at this moment of reunion. Though initially startled, Kuma let out a joyful sound as he move around them.

"It's been so long!" He exclaimed, finally setting her down.

"I'll say!" She laughed. "Look at you! You're very much a descendant of Korin-jiji!" He had transformed from the shy bowl-cut boy into a towering figure of pure muscle.

"Well, had to survive in the wilds raised by bears" He palmed his furry companion on the shoulder. Kuma chuffed and nuzzled him in return. "The non-talking kind"

Kushina playfully raised a brow, "You're very articulate for someone who wasn't been given a formal 'human' education"

"Hey I still remember what baa-chan taught us. And I still had some books with me when I was alone" He defended himself. "Picked up things here and there from wherever I went too" He ruffled the bear's fur. "But still, my writing is not the best. Ashamed to say I barely even know how to make a seal"

The shinobi huffed, placing her arms akimbo. "Oh well that won't do at all! Ain't going to let an Uzumaki don't know the first thing about seals"

"Bah, what use is for that anyway? Next thing you're going to tell me is that I should 'brush my teeth'"

Kushina frowned, there was a lot to unpack there. "Okay, my scolding for you on that will have to wait, that second thing sounded oddly specific"

"Well my friends in the rebels keep telling me to do it, as my breath is 'death-inducing' apparently" He shrugged his wide shoulders. "Gotta say, after so long with bears, I don't even get some human things anymore"

Right, Kosuke was with the rebels... Well this wasn't complicated or anything...

"How did you end up with those people?"

"I ran into their camp, they gave me food"

The red haired woman blinked for one long silent minute; "You joined a bunch of rebels because they gave you food," her drawl as dry as sandpaper while now deadpanning.

"Takeda is a kind kid, level headed. Nobody came near me because of my size except him. Offered me some rice balls. So I decided to help him." he remarked proudly. His features grew solemn; "During travels I heard you died years ago."

Kushina stared at the ground; "You remember the few scrolls Baa-chan gave me before leaving to Konoha?" He nodded; "One was a highly dangerous experimental seal she stressed to me to only use when I had no other choice. Something really bad happened, I was dying and my late husband told me to use it. The seal saved me, healed me. But left me in stasis inside the scroll. A few months ago I was let out by my son."

"You have a son!?"

"Yeah," the former ANBU rubbed her arms; "He's... With the shinobi team I came with here... to help the Daimyo..." Oh this was feeling so awkward now.

Kosuke grunted; "I know..." Kushina looked up at him; "Our spies saw you and told us..." He pulled out a picture taken by Isao of her with the others at the border to show her. "When I saw you... I knew I had to come speak with you. The Daimyo is vile a man Kushina, the things he and his soldiers have done to the people here… He's no better than the monsters in the stories Baa-chan always told us as children."

"Tokuhara has numerous connections in the Fire court," Kushina murmured; "Konohagakure was obligated to come here because of it."

"So?" Kosuke raised a brow; "I've been told the Leaf village was the most morally adjusted among the ninja nations. Or was I told a lie?"

Kushina sharply gazed at him; "It's not that simple and you know it."

"I know well enough to see helping the rebels is the right thing"

"I have a duty to Konoha" She said, placing a hand to her chest. "I'm a shinobi to the village that has been my home for so long" She extended that hand to him. "Please, come with me. Saito, Soujiro, Lyn... they're with us there right now"

One eye becomes visible by the sharp turn of his head, moving the messy bang from over it. "They're alive too?" He asked, barely above a whisper. At Kushina's smiling expression, his own smile formed as he stared at nothing in particular. Relief and happiness evident on his expression. "They're alive..." He muttered.

"We are building things back, together. Come with us, Kosuke. Be with your family"

"But..." His smile soon waned. "You want me to abandon the rebels"

"I know it's not easy" She sighed. "But I have my orders. The rebels will not win, I don't want you to be caught in the middle of it"

He looked at her with surprise. "You're really going with this, aren't you?"

Kushina gave him a remorse look.

"I thought you'd understand" He shook his head. "That you still remembered baa-chan's lessons"

The woman's fist tightened. "Real life isn't like the stories grandmother told us. I can't just play the hero whenever I see something wrong happening. I have my responsibilities"

"To help bring further pain to the people suffering" He pointed out.

Kushina felt her frustration build; "What do you want me to do?"

"The right thing, as we were taught."

"There is no right or wrong when it comes to being a shinobi." Kosuke's gaze became saddened peering at the ground before turning on his heels and walking away with Kuma following. Much to Kushina's surprise; "Hey, we're not done talking!" the large man did not respond; "Kosuke Uzumaki!"

"...You've become what Baa-chan always hated. You have forgotten who you are," He spoke gently in sadness.

"Hey!" Kushina shunshined to appear directly in front of the giant man making him and the bear stop; "I'm still me."

Mourning glowed in Kosuke's eyes as his head swayed from side to side; "No... You're became just another ninja like so many others." The dishearten man was about to move when he heard a click from Kushina's katana; "You would draw your blade on your own kin now?"

"I don't want to damn it," her hand holding her sheath wouldn't stop shaking; "But my mission is to stop the rebels." Her body begun to tremble; "Please Kosuke, don't make me do this!"

Kosuke shook his head. Kuma lightly growled before a large hand rested on his head; "I'm not making you do anything. But if your shinobi code is more important than being Uzumaki. Strike me down now."

Kushina's teeth gnashed together, there was a metallic rattling as her hand in the blade's handle shook. Anger built up inside her in droves, she was mad at Kosuke, for suddenly appearing again and putting her in this difficult position.

...And she was angry at herself, for even daring entertaining the thought of having to fight her own kin like this. Just, strike him after believing he was dead for so long. What would the others say?

What would Tsukiko say?

Letting out an explosive breath, Kushina closed the gap between the hilt and sheath. "Go..."

"It doesn't have to be like this, Kushina" Kosuke muttered.

"You don't know me, Kosuke" She slowly shook her head. "I'm not a child anymore. I'm a shinobi"

"But you're still Tsukiko's grandchild" With those words spoken, he moved around her and walked away with his large bear companion. "I promise I won't hurt you and the others. But I'll fight you all the same to make sure these people win"

Kushina sharply turned. "This is not going to end like you think, Kosuke!" She shouted. "You won't be able to save them!"

"But I can keep you at bay, can't I?" He called out over his shoulder. "You've already shown you won't really hurt me"

"Bastard...!" She hissed. "Doing that to your own kin, what kind of cheap move is that?!"

He shrugged, "Said the ninja!"

Kosuke and Kuma disappeared into the woods.

Kushina knew she could follow them, silently tail them and find the rebels... but she did not.

She just stood there, feeling utterly lost.

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

Shibata Katsuie is based on FGO's representation of the character

Hope you guys enjoyed! Next up, two chapters of Dovahkiin