Chapter 2: Family Ties!
Konohagakure, Land of Fire
Kushina fidgeted a bit as she smoothed out her dress. She had just finished making a big dinner for herself, Minato, Naruto and Hinata. She had spent a bit of time before heading home, chatting with Naruto's old teacher Umino Iruka. The two had chatted over ramen at Ichiraku and she had learned on how Naruto was growing up; the struggle to graduate from the Academy as well as his successes upon becoming a genin. She had been surprised that at age 12 her son had gotten drawn into a practical A-Rank mission in Wave and had remarked her first A-Rank was only when she turned 14!
Minato walked in and sat down on the landing before taking off his sandals and rested them in the corner. "Kushina, I'm home!"
"I'm in the kitchen Minato!" Kushina announced cheerfully. "Just getting the final parts of the dinner for Naruto and Hinata done!"
The smell of the various foods wafted into the living room as Minato walked in. He took a deep, content breath as the tantalizing dishes wafted into his nostrils. The Yellow Flash gave a smile as memories of the past flooded into his mind from the delicious food that Kushina had made. A slight melancholy came over Minato's face as he remembered the then bright future, he and Kushina had planned for.
…that's right…its like we've started over. Even after a year it feels like we've started right where we left off… Minato thought as he remembered Jiraiya, his master's first book which led to the Sannin becoming Naruto's godfather after he had read the book. Konoha had changed so much since the attack…
From the knowledge of the Hyūga Affair, the attempted Uchiha Coup d'état and massacre, Orochimaru's attack on the village with Sunagakure at the time, and finally a recap fully of the Invasion of Pain…Minato felt himself squeeze his hand into a tight fist. He had known the last one from the chakra he had left in his son's seal but seeing the rebuilding efforts firsthand was a different story. A constant nagged at the back of his mind…
…did I do the right thing? Minato thought to himself again as he walked through the house. At the time when I sealed Kurama into Naruto, it seemed like the only logical thing to do. Deprive Tobimaru of the fox and give Naruto a chance to fight and defeat him in the future. But…I had left him an orphan and the village had been weakened from Kurama's mind-controlled assault…
Minato put his hand against the wall of the house as he made his way in further. He passed a bureau which had a bunch of new pictures of him and Kushina, as well as several of them with Naruto and Hinata, and with Kakashi and Rin. The only old picture-a copy of the one Kakashi had, was right there in the center of the Yellow Flash with his old team for their first team picture.
"Anata?" Kushina asked from the kitchen. "Thought you were coming in!"
Minato smiled. "I'm coming, just was…reminiscing a bit."
The red-haired habanero poked out of the kitchen. "About what?"
"Just…the village, how much things have changed and how many friends we lost…" Minato said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Just…still hard to adjust."
"I know the feeling," Kushina said as she dried her hands with one of the dish towels. "Not to mention the village had to literally be rebuild from the ground up…"
"At least Naruto is doing well," Minato said as he put his hand to the wall. "Just wish we had been there to see him grow up to the man he is today."
Kushina came over and rested her head against her husband's shoulder comfortingly. "I know what you mean…but at least we're here now, not many have this second chance dattebane!"
Minato smiled at that and pulled Kushina into a warm hug. The two held each other for several minutes until the doorbell rang and they slowly separated with a smile on their faces. The Yellow Flash walked over to the door to see his son and Hinata there and he welcomed them in happily and hugged both of them!
"Thanks for having us over, mom, dad!" Naruto said as he gave both of them a big hug at the same time.
"Glad you could make it! Have things finally slowed down at the Hokage office?" Kushina asked and her son laughed.
"A bit, big project tomorrow is getting the districting and construction started for the Land of Lightning refugees that are staying in Konoha now," Naruto said with a grin. "Already connected the Land of Waves to start sending their architects and engineers for the project."
"That's great!" Kushina said with a grin. "And how about you, Hinata-chan?"
Hinata smiled. "I'm doing well, there were a few missions I finished today. All of them low to mid rank and I helped Neji-nii-san at the Hyūga Compound."
"And how is your younger sister?" Minato asked and the Hyūga lady smiled.
"She is doing well, climbing the ranks at a surprising rate and is mastering the Jūken secret techniques," Hinata replied as she smiled. "And I think she has her eyes set on Naruto-kun's apprentice."
Kushina giggled a bit. "You mean Konohamaru-kun? Aww that sounds so cute!"
"Hopefully, he won't be as dense as I was," Naruto said with a wince. Still can't believe I never noticed Hinata-chan's feelings for me all those years before Pain's attack…
"Well, lets have a nice dinner together!" Kushina said as she rolled up her sleeves. "I made a full spread for everyone! Several types of ramen and other dishes!"
The young Hokage's stomach began to grumble at the mention of ramen. "Lead the way mom!"
The family laughed at that and they went into the dining room to enjoy the feast that Kushina had cooked up. They took their seats, chatting and laughing as they shared stores! Hinata loved how Kushina had made several dishes and asked to share the recipes with her. Kushina was ecstatic and gleefully shared the recipes with the former Hyūga leader.
As the dinner wound down and dessert was brought in Hinata had a chance to indulge in her sweet tooth. While she acted a bit shyly, she took many of the cinnamon buns and other pastries that Kushina had baked to eat. Kushina laughed at that.
"Well we definitely know your favorite foods now, Hinata-chan!"
Hinata flushed. "Its…one of my few weaknesses. When I was young, I used to be taken around the various pastry shops by Natsu-chan and I loved trying them all, with cinnamon buns being my favorite."
"Heh, no need to be shy here!" Kushina said with a grin. "We're practically family after all!"
Minato smiled. "Speaking of that, are you two getting ready…?"
"Ready for what?" Naruto asked as he leaned back and patted his stomach contently.
"Well…you two have been dating seriously for a year now," Minato said with a smile. "Any future plans?"
Naruto gave a grin and wrapped his arm around Hinata. "Of course!"
"Ohhh that means you've set a date?!" Kushina asked eagerly.
"Not yet…" Hinata said with a flush but she cuddled against her boyfriend. "Truthfully, we're still working things out to make that step, but we're getting there."
Kushina frowned and puffed out her cheeks. "But come on! No need to wait, just get married already! Practically the entire village is getting ready for it!"
"M-Mom!" Naruto stammered at that as he lost his cool. "We're still working up to it! And there's no rush, the world's at peace and we have more than enough time to plan things out to when and where we want to have it!"
Kushina sighed. "Oh…right…" she rubbed the back of her head. "Different than when Minato and I got engaged…only a half a year before we tied the knot. You two are engaged though for these preparations, right?"
"Well…yes," Hinata said with a smile and showed the ring. "Just wanted to save the announcement for later…"
Kushina beamed at that and glomped her future daughter in law again. "Then take as much time as you need! Just to let you know we're here to support you through thick and thin!"
Naruto grinned and then hugged Kushina too and Minato joined it. After the big group hug the four took their seats again and began to chat about other things, the latest Fire Tiger's Shinobi Ball game (with Kushina's hair levitating and her eyes glowed as she badmouthed the ref and Minato tried to mollify her), to several dramas that Minato liked to watch on his off days. Naruto talked about his training, work as Hokage as well as the garden he liked to tend to around his and Hinata's house.
At the same time, Tsunade was at her house and was getting ready for her big date with Mei. The former Hokage breathed in as she applied some lipstick to her lips as she looked at herself in the mirror. She had picked out a sexy black dress that extenuated her frame and she had picked out the perfect perfume to entice her girlfriend. Despite that, Tsunade felt a little awkward with dating now. She had been so far out of the 'game' as it may she was worried she might embarrass herself or the Mizukage.
The last time she had even been on a date had been decades ago with Dan! And when she was about to open her heart again…to Jiraiya, he passed away in the fateful mission to Amegakure. The memories of both Dan and Jiraiya flooded her mind as she slowly put the lipstick down and looked at herself in the mirror.
"The world is at peace…I don't have to worry about losing another person I love again," Tsunade told herself as she breathed in through her nose. She then gave a confident smirk. "And I have the hottest girlfriend in all Five Great Nations…" she laughed at that fact as she put her hand to her hip. "Never thought of dating a woman before now…but stranger things have happened…"
Same-sex relationships weren't taboo within the ninja world, but they weren't as common as the more 'traditional' relationships. But it was frowned upon by several of the more politically minded or the old 'preserving the bloodline' would raise their heads. Already Mei's critics in Kirigakure were low-key insulting her choice in dating a woman since it seemed like a waste for the Mizukage's dual Kekkei Genkai not to be passed down to another generation. Even some of Tsunade's own critics were more publicly going after her in Konoha's press, saying that the 'Last Senju' doomed her own bloodline…while ignoring that she already had a son in Tenko.
Speaking of Tenko, the two were a little…tense around each other. Tsunade had thought she had lost her and Jiraiya's son, born from a one-night stand now nearly 19 years ago in a terrible flood while she and Shizune had been traveling. Upon learning that he was not only alive and well but had been raised by the toads of Mt. Myoboku was a major shock to her.
After the dust had cleared and things had settled back to normal after the Fourth Shinobi World War, the young man who looked disturbingly too much like Jiraiya had approached Tsunade while she had been working in the Hokage office. She frowned as Tenko entered the room. He was dressed in a Konoha flak jacket and had been given the rank of Jōnin after the War and made officially part of Konoha's ninja.
"…what do you want?" Tsunade asked as she went through papers. "Since if it's a date I'm already seeing someone…"
"That's not it," Tenko started as he breathed out. "I've waited literally years for this moment…and damn it I'm not going to be delayed or distracted from it any longer!"
"Pfft, what is this about?" Tsunade asked as she looked at him. "You're Jiraiya's son, right? Given his habits I'm not surprised on that end…"
"Yes, I'm Jiraiya's son…I just never met him…" Tenko said as he took a deep breath to calm himself. "And…"
"And what?" Tsunade asked as she offhandedly looked at an expense report.
"…you're my mom."
Tsunade dropped the paper and blinked. "…come again?"
"You're…you are my mom," Tenko started as he breathed in and the Godaime immediately frowned.
"What is this, some sort of sick joke?" Tsunade demanded, now angry as the old pain she had from years ago was brought to the surface.
"N-NO, far from…" Tenko said as he stood firm as the Godaime stood up and gritted her teeth.
"Are you trying to get me angry now?" Tsunade snapped as she stomped forward and walked forward. "Since that is about the only thing that you're doing…"
Tenko tensed up as he forced himself to stay. "It's the truth! I'm yours and Jiraiya's son and and…"
"Get…" Tsunade started before she saw his eyes…and several features…that could…and she lowered her fist. "No…that's impossible…"
The air was forced out of her lungs when she took a sobering look at Tenko. Her medical training had made her easily recognize genetic features based on looks and despite everything in her head screaming that it could be impossible, the rational side won out. Tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched her chest.
"It…it has…" Tsunade whispered as she looked at Tenko. "I…I saw…I saw you carried away in the flood…the rapids were too strong…all I found was your blanket…"
"…old man Fukasaku saved me that day…he said I washed down river while he was searching for insects…" Tenko started as his own eyes started to blur from the tears. "He took me back to his home…and the toads raised me like family…."
As he said that his mother then hugged him tightly, and he returned it. For several minutes, the two cried in each other's arms. For both of them it was the joy of finally being reunited, and it meant even more for Tsunade since she had thought her son, her own flesh and blood had died, and she had been powerless to stop it once again. Like a heavy weight was being lifted off her shoulders.
She smiled at the thought of their reunion. Tsunade had taken some time off of work as Hokage to learn more about her son and even traveled with him to Mt. Myoboku. While she was angry that they kept the survival of Tenko from her, the great Toad Sage assured her that he had foreseen their reunion and that any attempt to accelerate it would have ended in tragedy.
Her mind then wandered back to herself and Mei. Things had started to get truly serious between, and as such the thoughts of marriage had entered their minds. It would be the first time, whether present or former Kage had gotten married. Such a union would strengthen ties between villages for decades regardless of the sex of the Kage involved. Such a thing was now being discussed by the surviving elders in Konoha and most undoubtedly in Kiri.
Tsunade straightened her dress to make sure there was no 'accidents' as she breathed out. "Alright, ready to go!"
She bit her thumb and then summoned Katsuyu. "Yes, Tsunade-sama?"
"Reverse summon me to the portion I left with Mei-chan please," Tsunade requested politely and the blue and white slug gave a nod and the former Hokage put her hand on Katsuyu's back.
In a puff of smoke, she vanished from her apartment and a tiny Katsuyu piece was left so there was the ability for a quick return home at the end of the night. It was a system that Tsunade had developed for the long-distance relationship that wouldn't have to rely on the Hokage Guard Platoon for transport.
Land of Iron
Sasuke had a bead of sweat as he finished tilling the fields for one of the Samurai families he had killed before the breakout of the Fourth Shinobi World War. For the past year he had been working off his debt, either helping in the fields, doing odd jobs or taking part of missions. He had even grown close to a few of the families as well and many had forgiven him due to earnest actions to atone for the lowest point he had been. He glanced over to the small mansion near the wheat fields he was working in and saw the familiar pink hair of his fiancée.
Sakura had accompanied him to the Land of Iron at Kakashi's insistence. She had even set up a clinic to help treat the civilians within the capital. There had been a little…friction at the start of the arrangement. The half-Ōtsutsuki medic had taken nearly six months to fully forgive Sasuke for what he had done in the past and the last Uchiha found that he could get the brunt of her anger that she used to reserve for Naruto if he pushed things. She didn't let him walk all over her like she did in the past and, in his mind…he liked that. He liked the fact she challenged him or confronted him when he did something that made her angry.
After she had forgiven Sasuke, the two even had started to date while in Iron. Sakura had kept in contact with all of their friends in Konoha-Iron had benefited from the technological boom that had sprung up after the Fourth Shinobi World War. Things that had been rare like cellphones…were now commonplace, and even the 'upgraded' smartphones had replaced them.
"Sasuke, dinner will be ready soon!" Sakura announced from the mansion's balcony.
"I'll be right there!" Sasuke called back.
Sakura had let her pink hair grow out again, it now grew down her back and she wore it in a braided ponytail. On her forehead she still possessed her Byakugō no In and Karma seal, and from her temples she had two horns that had grown out to give her, in her own words a 'cute monster girl' appearance. She wore a red vest under one of Konoha's new flak jackets and a dark red skirt with black shorts under it. To many people who met her in Iron, they were amazed by her beauty…several young men were extremely disappointed when she and Sasuke finally got together.
Sasuke himself had also changed his look. He was now wearing a black overshirt with an exposed white undershirt, as well as a pair of black pants. Sasuke also carried a new sword at his back, a long, curved katana in comparison to his shorter, straighter chokutō blade. Emblazoned on the back of his shirt was the symbol of the new Uchiha clan he was founding: the fan was in the foreground, but it was surrounded by flames which symbolized the Will of Fire which he had embraced. The new Uchiha Clan, he had surmised, would be proud supporters of the next generation and would protect them with their life instead of dwelling on the past like the old Uchiha Clan did.
He had concluded that while the Uchiha did suffer some discrimination over the years in Konoha before the attempted Coup and Massacre, but they didn't do themselves any favors. There had been chances to mend and create bridges but due to a combination of pride and arrogance, his father turned them down and had been manipulated by Tobi and other members of the Clan into a plot to take power.
"Sasuke, did you hear me?" Sakura asked from the balcony as she put her hands to her hips. "Come on!"
He gave a smile. "I'll be there shortly, Sakura."
After he reached the mansion's deck and balcony, he wrapped his arm around Sakura's waist gently and her cheeks flushed at the display of affection. Sasuke gave a smile at her as they walked in to join the samurai family for the dinner.
"So how have things been at the clinic?" Sasuke asked and the pinkette medic gave a grin.
"Things are going well. Been talking with Ino-chan in Konoha about expanding things to the Five Great Nations," Sakura said as they walked through the ornate house that belonged to the Samurai family. "Tsunade-sama has also given her full support in helping the children that had been affected by the Fourth Shinobi World War."
Sasuke's eyebrow raised. "That so?"
"Yes," Sakura said as she breathed out. "Many children have lost loved ones throughout the war and are now either orphans or had lost a parent. That trauma…"
"Could start building a chain of hatred?" Sasuke asked. "Like with me?"
"…well…you and Naruto were my examples," Sakura admitted as she breathed out. "Now we'll have a generation of people who are either mentally scarred or orphaned due to the War. Not just in Konoha but in all the Ninja Villages! And I've talked with Naruto about Jiraiya-sama's late students of Yahiko and Nagato, and their only surviving member of the trio Konan. They lived in hellish conditions after losing their parents and barely struggled to get by! And that could happen again to anyone now considering the scale of the last War…"
Sasuke nodded and he looked to the sky. "And would eventually create yet another Pain, Madara, or what I was turning into…"
Sakura squeezed his hand. "…yeah…" she breathed out. "So that's why I'm going to change things for the better!"
"Then you'll have my help, Sakura," Sasuke said as he squeezed her hand back. "The Uchiha, despite the truth about the incident, still do have a lot of assets in material and money I can call upon. And I bet Madame Cat would love to help."
"Huh, who?"
"Madame Cat is an old friend and ally of the Uchiha. She is a seamstress and the master of the Ninja Cat contract," Sasuke explained. "Plus, she is a powerful kunoichi, could rival that of the Legendary Sannin."
"Ohhh I'd like to meet here then!"
"After I'm done here in Iron, I'll take you to her outpost Sakura," Sasuke said as she then rested her head on his shoulder.
The last Uchiha smiled at that as he wrapped his arm around her waist and the two cuddled as the sun began to set. As they watched Sakura smiled a bit and then dragged him towards the bedroom….
Otogakure
Shin Uchiha had undergone another 'upgrade' to his body, courtesy of Orochimaru. He flexed his arm as the power of the White Snake began to flow through his body and marks similar to the Snake Sannin's appeared around his Sharingan eyes. He smirked as the regenerative effects, combined with the Hashirama genetic material that had been added to it. His hair regrew from his head after it covered a few of his Sharingan eyes and he then looked at himself.
"This power…thank you Orochimaru-sama. I didn't think I was worthy of the same power as you."
"You've proven to be quite a reliable man for my village, Shin," Orochimaru said as he leaned back and crossed his arms. His Byakugan glinted a bit as he smirked. "After all, you managed to drive off the Yellow Flash of all people with your mere presence."
"Drive off is an exaggeration, my lord. He merely didn't expect to encounter another Sharingan user after the War," Shin said as he bowed and then he looked at the Snake Sannin. "I assume that attempts to locate Kabuto have been fruitless?"
"Mmm yes," Orochimaru admitted as he sighed. "That boy has, for now, surpassed my power and has learned to hide himself from even my trackers. Without Kabuto's assistance it is harder to keep the village running…"
"Perhaps its time to expand more then, aside from the Ryūha Armament Alliance we have few allies," Shin said as he put his hand to his chin. "Heard whispers of the Land of Silence…rogue ninja have taken over the country."
Orochimaru's eyebrow raised. "Silence, huh? What would cause so many rogue ninjas to flee there, it's a backwater with limited resources…"
"From word in the underground, Orochimaru-sama, their new leader was apparently a former ninja as well who assassinated the old Daimyo," Shin said with a smirk. "Sounds like someone we'd be able to recruit and get more manpower…"
"Excellent idea, Shin," Orochimaru praised his new right hand. "That reminds me, I do know a place where we could get some rare bloodlines for the village as well…"
"Oh?"
"It is a gladiatorial arena where unaligned ninja fight each other," Orochimaru licked his lips. "So many rare and powerful Kekkei Genkai…ready for the picking!"
"After we see what the Armament Alliance can do with their latest mission, that'll be worth looking into sir," Shin said as he rotated his arm.
"Excellent…" Orochimaru said as he looked at one of the cells. "He should be adapted to his new Cursed Seal by now, correct?'
"Yes…but a shame his sister hasn't joined us despite being in the organization," Shin commented as he tested out his Snake Summoning, several serpents shot out of his new arm. "Her power eclipses his by a lot, potential Kage-level."
"One thing to prepare for later," Orochimaru said with a smirk. "She will be assigned to the mission we have planning however…." He turned to his 'magnum opus' that was in the middle of the room. "While we plan our next move, my project needs some more work…"
Inside a massive tube was a little speck, barely visible to the naked eye that floated in a greenish-blue fluid. All around it were several computers and other monitors-including one that detected even the faintest life signs. Underneath the tube was the Kanji of 'Log'.
"We'll start giving it growth hormones," Shin said as his smirk widened. "Then I'll start to craft my own…you worry this progeny of yours will be uncontrollable?"
"All in due time, and even if it is it would fit my plans," Orochimaru said as he put his hand to the tube. "Shame I never will be able to get Sasuke as my perfect body, but this will be a worthy endeavor…I might not even need the Sharingan at this rate."
The speck…Log…twitched within the tube, only noticed by its creator's Byakugan, as if responding to their shared cells. Orochimaru licked his lips as the lights dimmed a bit and his eyes became the only things illuminating that very portion of the room…
Konohagakure
The next morning at the gates of Konoha several people arrived, all with Amegakure headbands on their foreheads. At the front of their procession was the unofficial 'Amekage', Konan of the Paper. She still wore the adapted version of the Akatsuki Cloak, though a golden trim went down to show her status within her village. The former member of Akatsuki had grown in power, both in terms of her abilities as well as in political standing. Amegakure's actions during the Fourth Shinobi World War had turned several tides, not just in the final battle and as such the newly created Shinobi Union had invited it to join the new political entity as an equal to the Five Great Nations.
"…feels a lot better to come here as an ally than an enemy," Konan commented with a bit of a smile and she looked at the Hokage Mountain and saw her junior students' faces on it and then looked up into the sky. "Sensei, Nagato, Yahiko…your will lives on…you'd have been so proud of Naruto."
The familiar pony-tailed advisor to the Hokage walked up to greet them and he bowed. "Did you have a good trip, Konan-sama?"
"Oh, very uneventful Shikamaru-san," Konan said with a smile. "How is the Nara Clan?"
"Things have been going well. Being the Hokage's Advisor, Nara Clan Leader, and Konoha's representative to the Shinobi Union doesn't allow me much free time anymore though," Shikamaru replied as they walked.
"I imagine Temari-san must be helping you with that, right?"
"Huh? Well yeah, she's Suna's representative," Shikamaru said with a bit of confusion.
Huh? From every interaction I've seen they having they act like they're a couple! Konan thought to herself. Yet they're just professional friends? With that blush that Temari-san keeps sporting whenever she's around him?
Shikamaru looked up into the sky. "Naruto's doing great, by the way. Despite being both the Hokage and the de facto leader of the Land of Fire, somehow, he's still making time for a life. Might even propose to Hinata soon."
"Oh, that's wonderful!" Konan said with a smile. She had met Hinata a few times after the War and the two had hit it off very well. "What else has been happening in the village?"
"Well, more construction," Shikamaru said as they looked on the top of the Hokage Monument. Several large buildings and apartment complexes were being built at the very moment. "Due to the influx of both traffic from the original capital of the Land of Fire and the refugees flooding in from the Land of Lightning, Konoha's needed to expand to deal with the population boom."
"I could send engineers and architects from Amegakure to help with these construction projects," Konan offered, and the Nara Leader stretched.
"Thanks, Naruto would potentially…" he started and then did a seal as someone rushed from the shadows right at Konan and was then stopped by Shikamaru's shadow
"GRR! Let me…at that…Akatsuki bitch!" It was a young shinobi, around 13 or 14 and he had a kunai in his hand. "She has to pay for the damage she and her boyfriend did to our home!"
Shikamaru sighed. "The village has been rebuilt, everyone who died in that attack came back to life. There's no…"
"No Shikamaru, its okay," Konan said as she breathed out. "I understand…I did the same thing when I was younger…"
Shikamaru released the boy from the Kagemane no Jutsu. "If you say so…but I am in charge of keeping you safe, Konan-sama."
"Shikamaru-sama, how can you defend her?!" the young ninja demanded. "She and Pain destroyed our village! Killed so many of our fellow ninja and civilians!"
"I know that," Shikamaru said as he sighed. "But she has atoned for that, as well as Pain. Naruto meeting with Pain brought everyone killed that day back to life and Konan-sama here is one of the reasons why the Allied Shinobi Forces survived and emerged the victor of the Fourth Shinobi World War!"
"That still doesn't change the pain and agony she caused! I saw my mom and dad die in front of me when one of her explosive attacks destroyed our house!" the young ninja retorted as the hand holding his kunai trembled. It was like he had been transported back to that very day and he could see Konan in her original Akatsuki robes as he pointed his kunai at her and he remembered her dispassionate, merciless eyes… "I was so relieved when they came back to life…but…but…I still have nightmares…seeing that I was unable to do anything to save them…"
Konan sighed and looked at the young ninja, he was 13 or 14 from the looks of it. She then bowed her head and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry for the pain and misery I caused you, there is a lot for me to make up for and I'll probably never fully redeem myself….but I still need to try to become a better person than I was when I attacked your village as a Akatsuki."
The young ninja's lip quivered, and his body shook. He stomped his foot and then jumped up onto a building before he vanished into the distance. Shikamaru glanced at Konan who breathed out to calm herself, a tear dropped from her eye.
"…being confronted with old sins is never easy," Konan said as she breathed out to calm herself. "Please, lead the way Shikamaru-san."
Shikamaru nodded slowly and lead the leader of Amegakure towards the Hokage Tower. At the same time in Konoha, Karin stretched as she sat at her desk in Konoha Hospital. The young Uzumaki had undergone a full course in medical ninjutsu-something that she had picked up extremely quickly to her own surprise, right after the War. Karin had let her hair grow longer, now down her back fully and she had shortened it around her temples. She was also wearing a pink long-sleeved shirt and black short shorts that showed off her legs, and around her forehead was a Konoha headband. Her past crimes had been forgiven and she had achieved the official rank of Chūnin in the village. Quite the accomplishment for Orochimaru's former 'Radar Jailer' as she had been derided by the Snake's prisoners. And due to her sensory skills, she often took part in shifts with the Barrier Detection Team.
Karin had managed to befriend the current leader of the team, Yamanaka Ino, quite quickly. Being former 'Sasuke Fangirls' as Ino had put it had allowed them to bond quickly and they often went shopping together and making visits to the new various cafes and restaurants that were now opening up around the rapidly expanding village.
"Hm…my shift's almost over," Karin muttered to herself as her stomach started to growl. "I'll pick something up for Tenko-kun on the way home. He should be finished with the missions he had assigned for the day."
Karin and Tenko had started to formally date shortly after the War had ended, given that they were rather new to Konoha. Due to Tenko's performance in the conflict as well as his general skill he had immediately been promoted to Jōnin and had even started to work to rebuild his late father's information network throughout the Five Great Nations. He saw it as a way of getting to know a father he had never gotten a chance to know.
She took out her phone to see how long it was until her shift ended and saw the lock picture of herself and Tenko on their first official date. Her cheeks flushed a bit at the memory as she straightened her glasses to cover her blush. He had been so cute and awkward during it which had been a pleasant surprise since the way he acted like what many people thought Jiraiya did…minus the perverted reputation the late Sannin had. He had even snapped when a waiter had insulted his name as a 'girl's one' under their breath after he had tried to hit on Karin during the date.
"Give me a break! Granny Shima named me, and the toads didn't know many human names!"
Karin laughed a bit to herself at the memory as her shift ended. "Alright…" she said as she got out from behind her desk and stretched. "Least no major emergencies happened during this shift."
After she had left the hospital, she ran into the scarred Morino Ibiki and she gulped subconsciously as and stiffened around him. Konoha's chief interrogator had also been in charge when she had been imprisoned following the Kage Summit when she had first defected. Karin had been subjected to his interrogation techniques to learn everything they could about Sasuke at the time as well as making sure her defection was sincere. He had been able to get into her mind and terrify her with just a few phrases and guesses about her heritage and where she originally had come from-he even had guessed she had grown up in Kusagakure by the way she held a kunai. More to the point…he recognized her as one of Kusa's Genin from the Chūnin Exams of then five years prior.
"Hm…I thought you had looked familiar. That red hair is unmistakable," Ibiki said as he mused over the information he had gathered.
"What…what do you mean?"
"You had come to Konoha before, didn't you? Not as an Oto Ninja…but from Kusagakure?" Ibiki asked as he lifted a paper up to look at her shinobi record. "Wonder how you became part of Otogakure after…your teammates abandoned you during the test?"
Karin frowned and looked down. "…I…I don't like thinking about what happened before I joined Orochimaru and later Sasuke. Sir."
Ibiki looked at her for a moment and nodded. "Kusagakure has a reputation for being one of the most oppressive places on the continent. Even its ninja village is basically used as secret police for its dictator."
She bristled at that. "Didn't stop Konoha from making an alliance with that dictator and ignoring the suffering of the people there." Despite herself Karin stood right up at Ibiki. "Yes, I defected from Kusagakure and joined Orochimaru, but I had nothing left to go back to. They used our healing techniques to such an extent my mother was bled dry of chakra and my father never returned from a suicide mission. Don't you dare think you can lecture…"
"I didn't intend it as an insult, just an observation," Ibiki said as he lifted his hand up. "And yes…Konoha does know about Kusagakure's…abuses. I'm just more surprised that you left that village on your own and ended up in Orochimaru's service."
"It just…happened. And Orochimaru was intrigued by my abilities. And frankly it was better in Otogakure for me than it was in Kusagakure."
"Until you met Sasuke and joined him after he 'killed' Orochimaru, correct?"
"…yes…" Karin gritted her teeth. "Yes, I loved Sasuke before. It was something that he didn't reciprocate but he at least treated me like a valued partner and ally…until everything with Danzo happened."
Ibiki nodded. "Thank you, that's all I needed to know."
Karin blinked rapidly. "What…what do you mean that's it all we've been doing is talking!"
"Exactly. I got to know a good grasp of your psychology and what your motivations are. And I was able to confirm you aren't loyal to either the late Orochimaru or Sasuke at this point from that," Ibiki said as he took out a pen and checked something on it with it. "You'll be free to go but you should know that we are ramping up for War, you might be deployed. No problem with that…right?"
At that inflection Karin gave a noticeable gulp as the control she had during the rant she made before faded and she felt herself back in the same position as before. "N-No, no problem at all, sir."
"Good. Oh, and by the way?" Ibiki started as he gave a smirk. "You'd have passed my first Exam all over again with that outburst if we were still in that same situation."
In the present Ibiki looked up and nodded at Karin before he walked on his way towards the Interrogation Center. The young Uzumaki gave a sigh of relief reflexively at that as she rubbed the back of her head. She shook her head a bit before she walked down the street and a man in a black robe…with white hair passed her. For a moment, her sensing went crazy and she spun around to find where that was only to be met with a crowd of people walking out of several businesses all at once and whatever she detected was lost in a 'sea' of chakra signatures.
"What the…for a moment I thought I sensed a chakra like Tenko-kun's…."
On Konoha's Wall a man with a beard in glasses had watched everything with interest. He lit a cigarette as the man who passed Karin appeared next to him. They had managed to penetrate the Barrier Detection without any trouble, though the Uzumaki nearly detected one of them from the looks of it.
"…so, how was the first trip to this place?" the glasses man asked. "Any feelings for this place that are stirred at all?"
"…a few," the robed man said as he glanced at the man in the glasses. "Didn't get far enough to scope out the Hokage though…"
"Or Jiraiya's son, correct?" the man asked. "I did see you tried to intentionally make contact with his girlfriend though."
"…hmph," the robed man said as the wind picked up and his hood was blown off. He was wearing a mask but there were…red marking under his eyes. "That was of interest, but I need to know why I am going to eventually have this sector."
"All in due time, but don't forget about your primary mission," the glasses man said as he stood up.
"Like I could forget it," the masked man said as he squeezed his hand into a fist. "I have a long way to go till you think I am ready for that."
"Believe me, we have nothing but time. We should get going before the Hyūga patrol come to this sector."
"Agreed."
With that the two vanished in a Shunshin without leaving a trace to be found. Tenko himself was meeting Karin now! He had gotten his white hair cut but it still extended down to his shoulders and he wore it in a single ponytail, and he had grown out white beard he kept trimmed. He was dressed in the standard Konoha Jōnin uniform with his summoning scroll worn on his back.
"Heh, hey babe!" he said as he jumped in front of Karin and she jumped a bit.
"GAH!" Karin said as she jumped.
"Whoa! You look like you saw a ghost!"
Karin took several deep breaths to calm herself. "Sorry…my passive sensing went haywire. I thought I sensed something or someone who had chakra like yours…"
Tenko blinked at that. "Well considering the reputation my dad had that might not be unlikely but…why would they even be here?"
"That's a good point…I think I was just imagining things."
"Still might be wise to inform Ino-san about this, maybe tweak the sensing system?"
Karin nodded. "Good thought…" her stomach growled. "I'll call her after our dinner."
Tenko smirked and wrapped his arm around the Uzumaki's shoulders as she cuddled against him. Karin and Tenko chatted as they walked down the street and the young Uzumaki laughed at one of her boyfriend's jokes.
At the same time, several clan leaders and jōnin met in the council site in downtown Konoha. Naruto was presiding since, for the first time in a decade a new Head Jōnin was being elected for the village. The position effectively made the second in command in Konoha now due to the Elder Council's retirement after Danzo's death. Many of his friends were now there, minus Sasuke, Sakura and Shikamaru. Ino, Chōji, Shino, Rock Lee, Neji, Tenten, as well as Chōza being the senior member of the council was there.
"Alright…I've finished tallying the votes," Naruto said as he looked at the papers. It had been close, and he grinned. "Congratulations Ino, you're Konoha's new Head Jōnin."
Ino did a double take. "Huh? Me? I thought Sakura, Shikamaru or Neji would be elected."
"It was close, but you received the most votes from the Chūnin and Jōnin in the village," Naruto said with a grin. "Looking forward to working with you here, Ino."
Ino laughed a bit and put her hand behind her head. "Heh, yeah! My dad would be proud here…" She looked down at that and closed her eyes. "And yeah, we'll do great her!"
Hinata grinned. "Congratulations Ino-chan!"
"Likewise!" Chōji added with a grin. "Asuma-sensei would be really proud!"
Rock Lee pumped his fist. "Agreed! Your youth is bursting at the sems Ino-chan!"
"I know you'll do good work," Neji said with a approving nod.
"Oh, we should go celebrate!" Tenten added enthusiastically. "Lets head to the Hotsprings!"
"Heh, right," Naruto started. "After the meeting concludes…"
Ino nodded. "Yeah, that's right!"
At the same time Kakashi was in his apartment and he breathed in. He had prepared for his latest mission, a B-Rank escort that he would be working with Rin on, the guarding of the maiden flight of the Tobishachimaru, the Land of Wave's brand-new airship. However, he had started to see the effects of the diagnosis that Tsunade had given him. With his biological eye, his vison was obscured by small blotches of dark spots that made everything had to see.
"Who would have thought that I'd be going blind in this eye?" Kakashi mused as he breathed out. In his head he went through the guesses that Tsunade had made though in the back of his mind he had a hypothesis. Forcing my eye to do the work of both for all these years really hurt it, I already had trouble with depth perception and frequently adapted by using my sense of smell or hearing to compensate. But now even that won't be enough…
There were very few blind shinobi that had existed throughout the years. The sense of sight was one of the most crucial-especially in information gathering and stealing documents. Without knowing what to look for a blind shinobi would often pick the wrong thing and jeopardize the entire mission. As such many just simply retired or went into teaching at the Academy, the few that still could do missions successfully usually trained their other senses to compensate.
An image of Obito then flashed in his head. "Kakashi…for my gift…I give you my Sharingan so I can help you…protect Rin and with my eye I'll at least be able to see the future…"
"…with your other eye you'll be saving my sight, Obito," Kakashi mused as he breathed out. "Don't know how you'd feel, after all these years about me using even more of your power instead of relying on my own…and I don't have much choice too. I don't feel like retiring before I'm forty."
There was a knock on the door, and he went over to see Rin there. She was dressed in her full mission gear, the latest Konoha flak jacket, a new pack on her back, as well as a belt that contained her kunai, shuriken and medical supplies around her waist. Finally, she was wearing a pair of blue pants and was wearing her long brown hair in a bun instead of down her shoulders.
"Ready yet, Kakashi?! We gotta get to the dockyard in Wave by morning tomorrow remember?"
Kakashi gave a smile. "Yes, I'm ready," he said as he stretched. At Rin's side he could have sworn he saw an ethereal image of Obito beside her, not as a child but an adult who gave him one of his trademark grins and he shook his head. "It'll really feel like old times."
"Heh, might as well make a two-man cell at this point," Rin said as Kakashi grabbed his pack. "After all your students are all either independent, Jōnin or Hokage now."
"Hm that is true, though I wouldn't mind eventually teaching another team," Kakashi said as the two walked out the door.
Rin didn't act much like her childhood self, she carried herself with a lot of confidence and self-assuredness now. Despite her time in ROOT, she managed to keep her emotions and became an even stronger kunoichi. Kakashi hadn't seen her in action much but the thought of the two reforming a team once more made him a bit happy. Though he had been surprised that she had yet to act like the love-struck young lady he remembered in the past and wondered if her crush on him had persisted or she had grown out of it.
Well, we'll have some time to talk, that'll be a good time to reminisce and see how things are, Kakashi thought as the two reached ground level and began to head to the West Gate of Konoha.
Land of Sound
Rahyō had done it, he had finally managed to master the power that Orochimaru had gifted him. His enhanced Cursed Seal of Heaven had achieved the Level 2 state and he had webbed wings on his back, and he flexed his hands a bit as he tested the new power that circulated through his body. A feral grin appeared as the entire room turned cold as he instantly froze everything with Hyōton.
"Well sister, you aren't the strongest member of our family anymore," Rahyō said with a smirk and Orochimaru came in.
"Looks like you've made the power I gave you your own," Orochimaru said with a nod. "Just in time for your next deployment."
"I assume you've sent my sister ahead of me since my survival wasn't assured?"
"Exactly, Shin will also meet you there," Orochimaru said with a smirk. "I require the technology the Land of Waves has developed. It'll make it much harder for the Shinobi Union to counter me."
Rahyō's Cursed Seal receded, and he dropped to his knee and bowed. "We will secure the airship Orochimaru-sama. Then we will rebuild the Armament Alliance."
Orochimaru nodded. "Excellent. Now get moving, you have a limited time frame before the airship leaves you behind."
Partially transforming, the webbed wings burst from Rahyō's back. "That won't be a problem, Orochimaru-sama. Even if it takes off, I will reach it."
The Snake Sannin's tongue flicked out like a snake and he smirked. Gradually he was creating a powerful independent force that could challenge the new Shinobi Union. And eventually he would have the power to face his old apprentice Sasuke and the eternal thorn in his side, Naruto, personally. Nothing would be far from his reach after he accomplished these goals!
To be continued…
Author's Notes:
Sorry it took so long to update since the first chapter. Been toying with other stories as well as 2020 being well…2020. Hope everyone is safe and had survived the Pandemic, Trump's epic tantrum after losing the election and his cult's reaction to it, and just…the general misery that 2020 gave. But 2021 will be better and I will be posting not only more chapters of this, but some Star Wars crossover fics that I've been toying with (one is a Star Wars: The Clone Wars crossover with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and the other is a Star Wars/Dragon Ball Z fic I'm planning out).
Anyway, this was mostly a 'slice of life' chapter to update a few things. Konan's status in the new world, Kushina and Minato's renewed marriage, seeing Tenko and Karin again and everything. Didn't expect a couple Boruto characters to appear did you here, hehehehehehehe. Oh and I hoped you like Ino's rank up, I thought it made sense considering we have a canon basis in the Boruto manga and anime on how highly respected she is in the Village. Just showing the greater plots that I'll be working into the sequels since this IS the first interquel.
Anyway, please read and review! I'll really appreciate the latter!