Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1.
AN: Chapter title: Caesar's Future Plans
"Is this a wise decision Caesar?" His Legate stood with him in his ever-growing tower, Naruto dismissing his guards to await the inevitable arrival of his guest.
"And which of my decisions are you questioning Legate? I must request for you to be more specific." He didn't speak with a threat in mind. He simply wished for his second in command to clearly state what had drawn his concern enough to vocalize it.
His Legate served as his advisor just as much as he served as his second in command.
"The plan to occupy the Land of Wind, the Hidden Sand, is my main concern but I cannot say I am not worried about other things. I only wish to inform you that Shinobi are difficult to control, the Uchiha Clan, a clan renowned for its strength and power, faced great difficulty when serving as the Konoha Military Police Force. Many encounters escalated and many officers were injured in the line of duty, others fell. As chief, my father was one who held to the ideal that it took stronger Shinobi to bring other Shinobi to justice. It is a difficult undertaking at any time but especially in a foreign land where we shall be seen as invaders at best and oppressors at worst."
"I understand it is a tall order Legate. I understand I ask much of you, much of my Centurions, much of my Legion. I understand this all too well." Naruto focused his eyes outside the window. "Yet it is something that must be done. The Hokage is not one to disregard when he offers such a…proposition. If I was to ignore his orders, to reject them, it will only bring undue attention to my Legion before it is time. While it is true the Second and Fourth continue to progress well on their task, that the Third continues to build me a mighty fleet, none of those projects have gotten far enough. Even with the funds acquired from Gato, the control over his enterprises bringing forth more, they can only progress so far with so much more needing my attention. I require time and that time is only gained by agreeing to the Hokage's terms. For now at least."
"I see." The Uchiha could not say this was not enlightening to know the reasoning behind it all, to further understand Caesar's decision. He still could not yet fully agree. "And am I right to assume that your plan with Gaara is something that goes far beyond what the Centurion of the Fifth believes. He shall serve as far more than as a mere enforcer of your will in the Land of Wind?"
"You are." Naruto could not help but chuckle at his Legate's words. "I consider Gaara and I something close to kin from the burden we both have had placed on our shoulders since our births. Our nature as Jinchuriki for the Tailed Beasts, he of the Ichibi and myself subjugating the Kyubi itself. He and I know the pain of loneliness, the despair that comes from so many fearing you. It drove both of us to something beyond madness, drove him to bloodlust and myself to behaving as nothing but a jester for this village. Yet my battle with him when his sanity had at last returned, when the beast whimpered in fear of my might, was enlightening."
"I'm afraid I don't follow Caesar. Enlightening? What does that exactly mean?" Sasuke rose an eyebrow.
"Yes, I didn't expect you to. It was something I did not even know I wished answers for before we clashed. Gaara will prove his usefulness given enough time Legate, you must simply allow him the chance to return to Sunagakure, to return to the people who will learn to fear he himself and not the beast he carries within." Naruto smiled as he stared out the window. "But enough of my plan for the Hidden Sand. I believe you had other concerns?"
"You know me too well Caesar. The Hyuga are not exactly a weak foe and are not a threat to take without the utmost care. A battle against them shall be nothing like when the Third Cohort crushed Gato and conquered Nami no Kuni in your name." Sasuke moved on. "It is admirable you wish to destroy them but it is not something to be taken on lightly, it is something that will be extraordinary difficult."
"I'm afraid you're wrong Legate. The Hyuga will be easy to deal with as long as Hinata follows my instructions. She will crush those against her and rise to her rightful position, her sister and father will prove a concern but she will surpass them under my tutelage. And once she's dealt with those two, the largest obstacles on her path, the remainder of the clan will be easy to crush. In their arrogance, in their misguided assurance of their superiority, they will never suspect her, one of the Main House, the girl too gentle to be heiress, to be their downfall. All fools like them are the same, never able to think that one of their own who enjoys such prestige would despise them enough to bring about their doom. And once they are destroyed, I will relish such a long-anticipated victory."
"It is truly such a masterful plan Caesar. They must be the greatest of fools to not see their doom in such a girl." Sasuke dared to mock such a thing. His red and black eyes locked with those of his Caesar as he turned to face him. "How do you intend to have Hinata Hyuga of all people assert her dominance, claim her rightful position as heiress, when all know her to be of a meek nature, her timidity a thing even the youngest of babes in the village know of?" He lifted his hand, dared to cast aside such a plan. "We are better off simply waiting for a moment to strike and eradicating the Hyuga when they at last overstep, dare to believe themselves equal in might to your Legion. It is a far more realistic plan."
Naruto merely stared at his Legate once he finished.
Sasuke did not look away from those crimson eyes.
His Caesar eventually allowed a grin to grace his face after several moment, his fangs bared only in jest as he soon fell to laughter to fill the sudden silence in the sparsely occupied office.
"I must say Legate, you are amusing." Naruto stepped behind the desk in his office. "I admit, such a thing crossed my mind more than once, even now such a thing finds a way to occupy my thoughts when I find a bounty of time to myself. I considered simply slaughtering them during the invasion, thought of how to blame the invaders for such a travesty, but I did not have the time. Other things occupied my mind and I cast such thoughts aside. By the time I returned to them, the seal no longer allowed me to call forth my Legion and the beasts of Orochimaru were foes of the Fifth. With such an opportunity gone, I find no reason not to look far off into the future when I think on the Hyuga Clan's inevitable demise."
He threw the Legate a scroll he took from his desk. The Uchiha caught it effortlessly and raised an eyebrow. He received a gesture of near impatience as Caesar waved his hand and so he broke the seal that bound the scroll. He read over the contents even as his Caesar continued speaking.
"Hinata Hyuga is, if nothing else, one easily motivated. While she remained in the shelter during the invasion, one of my Centurions spoke with her as I asked of him. She regaled him with tales of her training once pressed enough, spoke of a certain boy motivating her to push past her limits, expressed her disappointment in not being able to stand by his side in both the Exams and the battles he no doubt fought." Naruto dropped into his chair as the Legate of his Orange Legion lowered the scroll. "You are intelligent enough to uncover the identity of the boy I speak of Legate. I spoke with Hinata Hyuga for a reason. I would not waste my limited time on something if I did not stand to gain from it."
"I see…" Sasuke rolled up the scroll and stepped over to the desk, laid it down on the surface. He bowed his head with a rueful grin. "It seems I have underestimated your abilities Caesar." He lifted his head. "I shall see to it that Hinata claims her proper place among the Hyuga when the time comes. What do you need of me?"
"In time you and her shall meet. I do not expect any direct intervention from you or myself is necessary at this time." Naruto chuckled. "Simply be ready when I call upon you Legate. She shall gladly serve as the key to my victory over her irksome clan when the time comes but it shall be no time soon. I believe you and I are patient enough to wait a few years for the perfect moment to strike."
"I shall be at the ready when the time comes Caesar." Sasuke lifted a hand to his ear, pressed down on the earpiece that rested there. "It seems your guest has arrived Caesar." The Legate was already walking towards the door, lifted his hand in farewell. "I shall be busy elsewhere until then."
"Simply be available when I call upon you Legate." Naruto leaned back in his seat with a near feral grin taking hold of his face.
He had been anticipating this meeting for several days actually, almost anxious to see it through.
Only moments after his Legate had left the room, the door to his office was swung open. The Praefectus Castorum of his loyal Praetorians offered the traditional salute of his Legion upon his entrance to the room and he returned it as he rose from his seat.
"Caesar, Ibiki Morino has arrived at last." The words made his smile widen.
"I expected him yesterday. Send for him to be escorted to me." Naruto's laugh was booming. "Tell me Praefectus Castrorum, how many of Konoha's foes remain as prisoners of my Legion?"
"We have not yet finished the crosses for the lot of them Caesar. Once the seal functioned once more, I gave the order to move them all to the gates where the Legionnaires of the Ninth and Tenth Cohort have kept watch since." His Praefectus Castrorum provided the information he needed. Naruto thought on it for a moment.
"Let it be known to their guards that I have issued an order to postpone their collective executions. At least for now. By tomorrow morning, have a list of them all ready. Their names, ranks, and the village they belong to shall do for now. Half a dozen copies should suffice for what I envision, one for myself, one for my Legate, one for Morino when he no doubt asks for it, and the rest shall be for the Legion's records. The Ninth shall compile a record of those from the Hidden Sand and the Tenth shall compile a record of those from the Hidden Sound. Any unaffiliated with either will be placed on a third to the same standard." Naruto quickly wrote further details on a blank scroll on his desk. "Once my conversation with Ibiki ends, I will speak with you more on who my Legion shall turn over to the Hokage. Ensure that none of the more valuable prisoners under either the Ninth of the Tenth expire until after the exchange. The rest will either be executed or I shall make some use of them elsewhere."
"Your will shall be done Caesar." The Praefectus Castrorum collected the scroll and briefly looked over it himself. He passed it back to Caesar for him to seal it. "I shall call for Morino to be brought before you. Shall I go inform the Legate of your latest orders?"
"There will be no need." Naruto quickly penned another order, this one a shorter summarized version of that which the Praefectus Castrorum held. He sealed it and set it down on his desk. The scroll vanished a moment later. "The three of us shall speak of further details later."
"Of course, Caesar." The Praefectus Castrorum offered the salute of the Orange Legion once more to his Caesar before he left through the door.
Naruto returned to his seat and merely waited for the head of Konohagakure Torture and Interrogation to arrive.
It was a discussion he had expected since the end of the invasion and he had learned his Legionnaires had come upon prisoners. With Konoha Shinobi and ANBU present, they could not simply execute them so had taken them away. By the end of the attack, he had come upon several hundred prisoners at least.
He had not expected even a dozen. He thought his foes more committed to their foolishness, thought they had accepted death was the only outcome to those who challenged Konohagakure while his Legion defended it. Morino had learned of it only minutes after he had come to a mostly complete understanding of the situation and had ordered them be turned over to him.
He had of course refused, had sent half a Century of his Praetorians to aid a force from the Sixth Cohort in collecting them all and bringing them all to rather hastily constructed cells.
He had considered executing them the very next day but had been occupied. He didn't have the manpower to spare, he and his Legate still working with limited forces with the Fifth depleted, the Sixth anxious for blood, and the First spread across too many duties. Even with the return of his seal later, he found himself acquiescing to the inane orders of the Fire Daimyo issued by the Third Hokage.
Such a trivial thing as prisoners had slipped his mind.
Morino's pestering had only grown since his initial refusal that night. He had expected a meeting much sooner in truth, had thought he would demand an audience with a Caesar the very next day after the invaders had been defeated by his Legion and the scarred man had found his demand refused. He had been wrong. Morino had been focused on dealing with the prisoners he did have control over, drawing out any and all information he could from them in the short time he had. The Praetorians he had ordered to watch him as he moved from one building to another had reported he had been occupied with Inoichi Yamanaka and Shikaku Nara the past few days, had made irregular visits to where Mitarashi had hid herself away, where Silver Fang served as her consistent company while his own rather severe injuries healed.
At last, he would deal with Morino, deal with a rather irritating fallout from the failed attack, and carry on with more pressing matters.
The door opened.
"Uzumaki." Morino silently stood before his desk, didn't bother with taking a seat. The man would intimidate others with his mere presence, would drive them to irrationality, drive them to acquiesce to his demands to be rid of a frightful man, yet he was not dealing with one lacking in will.
He stood before a Caesar.
"Morino." Naruto didn't rise, he leaned back in his seat and met the eyes of the man who towered above him. "Am I correct to say you've come to speak to me on the prisoners of my Legion?"
"The Hokage will give you the next five days to have them delivered to Torture and Interrogation. Past that, I'll be returning with the ANBU Black Ops to bring them, and you, into my custody." Ibiki was a brave man or foolish to speak to him in such a manner. Naruto quelled his rage rather swiftly, only the faintest hint of red burning into his blue eyes before they were as blue as the clear skies.
"What a harsh deadline." Naruto chuckled. "The Hokage asks much of me as a mere Genin. I will need at least a month or the release from one of the Daimyo's orders." He paused, feigned a thought process. "Surely Konoha could make use of their Shinobi for one of them, call upon the Jonin and Chunin who claim themselves to be great Shinobi. I'm sure the village's illustrious force could handle border guard or escort the supply caravans that haven't ceased arriving for days or perhaps they could be sent to occupy the Hidden Sand now." He feigned astonished enlightenment. "Could it be that they can't Morino?"
Morino had no words in response. His eyes showed no wrath, no rage, no building fury. He was a master of his body, deemed to show only what was needed in the moment.
"Is it so maddening to think I need more time?" Naruto was grinning now. He understood every word he spoke would be reported to the Hokage, would be logged in some report or another. "Is it beyond all of you to think I myself must rest after my battles, after I fought the mighty beast of the Hidden Sand with naught but my own strength, none able to aid me the slightest in my battle? Is it unbelievable to think I must rest or do you wish to lose my mighty army?"
He was playing with him. Ibiki's control at last slipped, a scowl nearly settled on his face, irritation nearly shined, before it was gone. It had lasted a mere moment but it was enough to widen Naruto's grin. It was delightfully entertaining to irritate Morino, to know so many would pour over each and every of his words once reported by the Shinobi, believe themselves knowledgeable of his capabilities, of the position they believed him pressured into.
He was aware he had been under observation ever since his return from his last mission, his Praetorians had reported such a thing mere hours after his arrival. It would be equal parts easy and foolhardy for Ibiki to reveal such a fact, claim that they knew he had recovered what portion of his strength he expended during the attack despite his lack of treatment, his absent from any doctors at the hospital to truly ascertain his condition.
It would also serve as more than enough for a Caesar to outright refuse any further orders, to claim such distrust had snapped his concentration, and take away his army. His 'Shadow Clones' needed at least some minor focus to maintain after all and it would be perfectly normal for them to 'dispel' at such a revelation. It would be equally as easy for him to claim himself ill through his Legate.
It would be so easy to deprive the village of his Legion when the Hokage needed his mighty force to supplement Konoha's depleted manpower, to keep his stronger Shinobi within the Land of Fire, to keep reconstruction ahead of schedule, to keep the Daimyo content with the security of his lands and keep his focus away from meddling with the affairs of Shinobi.
"It would be a matter to discuss with the Hokage." Ibiki controlled himself wonderfully well. His true emotions, minus such a minor slip, had been hidden. "I'm merely repeating my own orders Uzumaki. Regardless, all of us have been stressed during the past few days. Any who call themselves a Konohagakure Shinobi have to accept increased responsibilities now. From the Hokage to the newest Genin, we'll all need to work hard for the village to prosper."
Naruto crafted an expression of confusion as he leaned forward in his chair.
"Am I not already doing more than anyone else?" Naruto understood Ibiki's goal. Questions of his loyalty abounded after they had learned how long he had delayed unleashing his troops, questions of his loyalty had abounded prior to the invasion when they had chosen to set Silver Fang on his Legate. "I'm doing my best Morino but even I have limits. Even if I'm Konoha's Jinchuriki, I'm still just me."
Morino hid his surprise at his open admission of his status. He had not spoken much of it after all, how was he too ready for such an unexpected statement?
A Caesar knew, now was the time to finish this conversation.
"It's already tough enough keeping that stupid fox out of my head after the attack riled it up, if I have to do anything more I think my head's going to explode."
Ibiki's shock was outright if minor with his wide eyes, his body nearly took a step away from the desk, and fear, true fear, seemed to burn to life in his eyes. However briefly, his control was broken.
False or not, they would believe they had piled too much on him, believed that the Kyubi was at risk of being released upon a village that could not face such a fierce beast again.
'Now bring me the Toad Sage Morino.' He had need to speak with the Toad Sage again. This meeting was the perfect chance to create such an opportunity. 'Have him come with all his knowledge of seals, with all his teachings.'
The chance it created for an alibi for his hesitation, why his army had been withheld for so long, was also a positive. The Hokage would likely see through such clear misdirection but he did not need the man to believe the report Ibiki would provide him. No, he needed the Daimyo to believe such things, needed those irritable Clan Heads to believe such things, and he needed the Toad Sage to push for his involvement from whatever mission he was on.
This news would no doubt be sent to him. He was sure of it. A seal master such as himself would be brought to relieve many of the fear of another attack from a beast long since tamed.
Truly, the most wonderful thing out of this conversation, he could erase all doubt to this being a falsehood, an elaborate ploy. All without lifting a finger.
Naruto Uzumaki was not considered a genius to any and he wasn't. He merely understood people, could find it in him to craft another, a more subtle if grand, prank for them all to fall for, to be victim of. It was one lacking a spectacular conclusion for all, a punchline for everyone to see. It was a joke that would take some thinking over, something few would do.
It was something many in his 'audience' would readily fall for.
Ibiki Morino was such a frightful man after all and he was a mere Genin, one untested with interrogation faced by a master of the craft. How could they even dare to doubt the words of their master interrogator? Who would dare cast doubt on his report when it carried such a dangerous warning?
Who would ever believe he had tricked a man as skilled as the famed Ibiki Morino?