She fucked up.
That is the thought running through Kaede Hasegawa's head as she ran across the Baipa Fields, its tall blades of rice obscuring her vision but with little help from the moon, she managed to find a way to pass through. Fire burned in the lungs as she sprinted as hard as she could, the sound of the rice field rustling and the light footsteps of her pursuer echoing so much that she couldn't tell if they were near or just behind her.
She snatched a look behind her, only catching a fleeting, blurred glimpse of him before her heart caught up to her throat and she turned back around. Absolute terror was etched onto her face. She pulled up her torn dress up to her knees, allowing her legs to move more freely. The shallow gash that ran down her arm continued to bleed out, but she did her best to stop it with the makeshift bandage that's made out of her own jacket.
Kaede couldn't believe that had messed up so badly. It was supposed to be a normal night, her job may be dangerous but it paid well. In fact, she had come to enjoy it. She always had a knack for listening to gossip and gathering information to the point that she would know every rumor about a village in a matter of a few days. Being offered to be paid for a hobby was the icing on the cake.
Her employer had placed her position in Ta no Kuni with all of her needs paid and sorted. She easily got a job as a waitress in the local bar—not that she's surprised. Vanity isn't one of her traits but she could recognize her own attractiveness and men tend to give in to the requests of a beautiful woman. It was certainly the perfect cover. No one would suspect her presence and serving them a drink just a touch stronger than what they ordered will loosen their lips.
But on this particular night, she had struck gold when she overheard a small group of shady people in the corner of the bar. Usually, she wouldn't mind them because a newly-built hidden village called Otogakure has recently been thriving and pumping out an abundance of shinobi, and plenty of them are shadier than a shadow. Seeing a guy with a backpack full of rocks isn't that strange to see in Ta no Kuni. But one name was mentioned that had her ears perk up.
Orochimaru
You would have to be living under Iwa if you haven't heard of that snake. Even civilians from all across the nation have heard about the awful atrocities committed by the most infamous traitor of Konoha since Madara Uchiha. What's more, is that Kaede was given specific instructions to immediately report any findings related to the former Sanin.
However, she grew too greedy.
She entertained them for too long and one of them, who appeared to have snow-white hair, pale skin, and two scarlet dots on his forehead. Their eyes met for a single second and in that short moment, his vivid green eyes peered through her soul and practically unraveled her identity. She knew it; he knew it, and it was only a matter of time before every person in the group knew it.
Without even telling the owner or any of her co-workers, she discreetly slipped out of the bar and ran for it. It didn't take long before she heard the trailing footsteps behind her. She knew she wasn't fast enough to outrun them so she swerved towards Baipa Fields in hopes of concealing herself.
It worked… for a while.
The same white-haired man had leaped into her path and nearly thrust what looked like a bone-white knife into her chest. What saved her was her barely-trained reflexes and the sea of vipers that sprung at him. She managed to shake him off for a while before she once again heard the ricegrass behind her rustle and the sound of wooden sandals clapping against the soil.
Kaede has no idea where she's going or when the Baipa Fields would end. The blades of grass continued to brush against her skin. Her high-heeled sandals dug against the wet dirt as the air around her howled with icy winds. All she could hear is her own breathing; inhaling and exhaling, sending a blazing fire down her lungs. Her vision darkened when she forced herself to close her eyes. The last pint of her energy is starting to drain and she could feel her legs tremble at each step.
But hope suddenly broke through this despairing situation.
She didn't know when it happened, but all of a sudden, the sounds of wood clacking against concrete rang in her ears like a choir of singing angels. Orange tendrils of light greeted her eyes upon lifting them. From her right to left, torches hung parallel to each other across an entire hallway and she ran past all this. She could hear the sound of her breathing echoing along with her steps, but she dared not stop until she knew she was out of danger.
Concrete, pockets of flames, and eerie shadows were all she could see. But after a couple more seconds, she was greeted by an eldritch green glow that was flooding out through the gaps of a door. Everything from the dilapidated, wooden door to the rickety sign hanging above the doorway spelled bad news. But she has bigger problems, specifically a knife-wielding maniac. With no choice but to enter, Kaede slammed the door behind her and leaned against the wall beside it with a pounding heart, not noticing the eerie, acid-green light bathing her body until she turned around.
The most noticeable thing in the room was the four incubators filled with an acid-like liquid bubbling from the bottom. Rusty, metal pipes—ones you can find in a junkyard, ran all across the ceilings and connected each incubator to a filter stationed in the middle. The muffling bubbling noise from the incubators and the whirring sound from the filter occupied the room. Kaede, once she found her heart rate calm down, began to sidle across the chamber.
"This… it's a laboratory," she whispered to herself.
Her eyes caught onto the piles of paper stacked on top of a wooden desk, along with a few journals and empty beakers. Jittery hands brushed against the papers, fiddling along with the corners and allowing her eyes to skim through its content. All she saw were data, graphs, and statistics but what concerned her were these so-called subjects. Blood work, cellular reconstruction, organ splitting; none of these are found in a normal laboratory.
But before she could investigate, a loud clang rang across the concrete cavity and caused Kaede to jump out of her skin. Despite the glow dancing along in the room, blankets of darkness fell over the dark figure leisurely walking past the incubators from the other side of the room. A tapping noise, along with the clapping steps of wood, grew louder as the figure walked closer.
"Hm, it seems I miscalculated." came a silky, honeyed voice.
Dread ran through Kaede's veins. Fear became a tangible, living force that crept over her like some hungry beast, immobilizing her. Despite the lack of oppressing or malicious aura exuding from the figure, their mere existence held her by the throat in a tightening grip. Each second felt like one step closer to death. All she wanted to do was leave but her feet remained rooted onto the ground, almost as if she was chained to the concrete.
The figure eventually turned and allowed the acid-green glow to wash over him and reveal his features, which only proved to send a cold wave that embalmed her very body. A pale, chalk-like complexion was what greeted her first. Black velvet locks flowed down to his waist and some framed his pronounced face, only emphasizing his golden, slitted eyes that practically robbed the strength of her knees and forced her to fall to the ground. His lanky, but deceiving frame continued to stride forward, almost to the point of slithering across the concrete.
"Rats aren't common around here," he said, his elongated tongue flickered for just a second to see his fangs.
His bony fingers gently caressed the clipboard in his hand. A sickening grin curved up his lips, no doubt relishing in the terror emitted by the woman. He gingerly slipped the clipboard into the pocket of his grey garbs, specifically under the thick, electric-purple rope belt tied in a large knot behind his back. The purple marks around his eyes that curved down to the bridge of his nose glimmered sinisterly as he stopped right in front of Kaede.
The poor woman felt her fluids pool under her legs but she couldn't bring herself to care. She could no longer control her hands nor her voice, both seemingly shaking in an odd, trembling rhythm. Her mouth opened to speak, but all that came out was a pathetic croak. This only earned a throaty chuckle from the pale man, who stretched down to close the gap between their locked gazes.
A whimper escaped the young woman. "P- please…" a tiny voice squeaked out, unlike the confident person she used to be.
If possible, his grin stretched even further. "But maybe, I'll make an exception…" Those were the words Kaede heard before a burst of agony exploded in her neck and the dark took her to rest.
Naruto let out the biggest sigh of his entire life as he strolled through the empty streets of Konoha. It's currently four in the morning. Neither the moon nor the sun is up in the sky, but an ethereal shadow of indigo continued to blanket the entire village. He had just sent the kids home, right after surrendering Asahi Yamamoto's head to the bounty collector while the hostages and the stolen goods are currently being safely escorted back to their respective villages.
Judging by the results, it should've been a successful night.
Well, that was until he heard how his students' part of the mission went. At first, he was proud that they accomplished their task rather well. But upon learning about Sakura's hostage situation, his heart dropped. Guilt had churned in his stomach for allowing such a thing to happen under his command. It didn't take him long for him to pull Sakura to the side and ask her about what she felt. The worst thing one can do is to bottle all these emotions.
Unfortunately, he was met with a closed door. The smile that she gave him was so strained, he was surprised that it didn't break immediately. The fragile mask she wore wasn't able to hide the doubt and fear in her eyes when he had asked her if she wanted to continue her shinobi career. Although her answer was a solid yes, he could easily see through the false confidence. He could've pushed her to reveal her true feelings, but Naruto felt like this wasn't his battle to fight so he let her be, albeit with lots of hesitation.
The situation got worse when he had to explain to her parents why their daughter came back home with a splatter of fresh blood on her clothes.
One thing he learned from his interaction with them, Mebuki Haruno has the tenacity of a lioness. Naruto found out that night where Sakura's fierce personality comes from. If it weren't for the fact that he knows of her civilian status, he might've thought he was talking to a clan head. Thankfully, with the help of Sakura, they were able to sate her anger before she continued her rant. It took a bit of time, but they eventually convinced her to not pull her daughter out of the shinobi program; though Naruto purposely didn't mention that she legally can't interfere with any shinobi activities as a civilian, including her daughter's.
The father had been much more silent, but nonetheless furious altogether. He would've never thought he would be getting the 'if you hurt my daughter' conversation from the father of his twelve-year-old student. If Kakashi or Kami forbid, Anko, heard about this, they would've never let him live this down. It would take approximately fifteen minutes before every Jonin and ANBU would hear about it, and he won't let that slide.
After an entire hour of talking (lecturing), Naruto was finally released from the lion's den. Unfortunately for him, he has yet to report to the Hokage, as per tradition and the rules. However, it didn't take him long to reach the Hokage Mansion, and deciding to get the report over with, he sprang up from the bottom of the tower and proceeded to run across the building to reach the window of his surrogate grandfather's office.
Without even knocking or mentioning his intrusion, he slipped inside and suddenly found himself with two, cold blades dangerously crossed around his neck. Another two were hovering right above his knees, ready to sever through the flesh if necessary. The last had their blade against his back, directly over the heart and spine. If it were anyone else, a security system such as this would've taken their life before the Hokage could even notice them. Unfortunately for them, Naruto is the last person the system would've worked on and it's clear from the barely audible gasps from the ANBU, that they realized this as well. After all, who knows the system better than the person who created it.
But before Naruto could comment on their quick maneuvers and positions, an exasperated sigh was heard from the Hokage and in the next second, the blond was free from the death trap and strolled nonchalantly to the Hokage's desk with a pout.
"Aw, I wanted to test them. You're no fun." Naruto said with a grin.
Hiruzen simply rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Don't worry, if they're tough enough to survive a spar with me, then they can withstand anything." He remarked, ignoring the gulps and shivers from the ceiling. The wizened old man then steepled his fingers. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure?"
Naruto dug his hand into his pocket and threw out a scroll to the Hokage. If this was anyone else, they would've been hit with a full dose of killing intent from the ANBU guards for such blatant disrespect to the Hokage. But after spending years in the agency with the former ANBU Captain, it was no longer a surprise to see his blunt attitude.
The monkey summoner caught the scroll with an arched eyebrow. "I assume the mission is a success. How was it?" he inquired, gesturing to the barrel chair in front of the desk.
"As well as a shinobi's first C-rank mission; headache-inducing." Naruto sighed as he took a seat on the offered chair. His hand rubbed the bridge of his nose with a frown. "The kids did great for their first mission. Utilized their skills well and a hostage situation occurred only once. Not bad but explaining to the parents why their child's clothes are drenched in blood will knock a few brain cells off my head."
The Hokage hummed in amusement. "I see. But what about the boy? Any suspicious activities…?"
"None." The blond stated, eyes furrowing in concern. "If he's trying to hide his affiliation to ROOT, then he's doing a bad job at it. But I don't buy into that. Danzo's planning something."
"Yes, that is quite clear." A frown formed on the old man's face. He then quirked an eyebrow at the Jonin. "You know, I'm surprised you haven't demanded to try and take down Danzo and his ROOT yet."
"If I was younger; probably. Besides, we have no idea where their base is. Each time we receive info, they change it. If the Hyuga's and Inuzuka's can't find them, then it's just a waste of time for me.." Naruto replied with a scowl. "Danzo's a wild card. His influence is too large and killing him might just start up something. As his former friend, you should know that taking him off the board won't eliminate the influence he has on the game." He regarded the Hokage with a knowing look, to which Hiruzen replied with a sigh.
"You're right. By the time I realized that Danzo was straying to the wrong path, he had already established himself as a key figure in the council and in the village." He said. As much as he hates to admit it, his spy network is just as valuable as Jiraiya's. There are places Danzo can infiltrate that Jiraiya's network can't like Kirigakure and it's really important to have an eye on the ongoing conflict. Losing that will be a big blow to their village's advantage and knowledge.
Despite years since the Third Shinobi War, no person is stupid enough to think that peace has fallen over the Elemental Nation. Maybe the civilian population or some naive Genins would think so, but any seasoned shinobi would be able to feel the tension between the nations. It only seems that way because the damage dealt by the last war was so severe that it would take years for everyone to recover. Kiri and Iwa probably had the worst outcome out of the five hidden villages. According to reports, Iwa's military is still heavily damaged and Kiri's civil war shows no signs of stopping.
But that doesn't mean that everyone is all buddy-buddy now. There have been more than a few conflicts throughout the 'peaceful' years like the Hyuga Affair, the Takigakure-Kusagakure Conflict, and the aforementioned Kiri Civil War. Each village is simply watching each other and even taunting their rival villages to present a reason to go to war. Even allied villages are distrustful of each other because everyone understands that it's only a matter of time before someone would initiate another war.
"Don't worry. He'll slip up one day." Naruto remarked. "To him, everything is going his way and his arrogance will be his downfall."
Hiruzen arched an eyebrow. "I hope you're not betting on that slim possibility. It'll take more than a slip up to take Danzo down."
"He's right. It'll take someone like me!"
A cloud of smoke suddenly erupted in the middle of the room, catching the attention of every occupant. Naruto rose from his seat immediately at the first sign of an intrusion, before relaxing after recognizing who it was. He felt the ANBU hiding in the corners tense up, but a flicker of chakra was enough for them to stand down. Light drum beats entered the area, as well as plucks of a shamisen. The smoke eventually faded away to reveal an orange toad sitting in the middle of the office and right on top of it, stood a tall and well-built man with spiky, cotton-white hair tied into a ponytail and a pair of red lines under his eyes which extended further down his face.
The man wore a colorful set of clothes, including a red haori and an olive-green kimono. A sizeable scroll swung from his lower back as the pale-haired individual leaped from the toad and proceeded to perform an intricate dance that only earned a series of sweatdrops and deadpans from the audience. Despite the lackluster reaction, he continued to swing his arms wildly and clap his geta against each other, creating a wooden drum-like beat, before striking one last pose that revealed his forehead protector engraved with the symbol for 'oil'.
An awkward beat followed as the audience stared at the aging man with equally unimpressed expressions.
"Ero-Sennin, want me to beat you up again?" Naruto drawled out.
A thunderstorm appeared over said sage as he flashed to the corner of the room, weeping false tears. The toad was nowhere to be seen while its summoner continued to wail. This only earned a few more facepalms and eyerolls from the ones inside.
"How could my godson be so mean to me?" He cried out with actual tears streaming down his face. Naruto could only wonder if his godfather actually created a jutsu that allowed the user to summon tears from their tear ducts.
Hiruzen heaved out a sigh of irritation. "What are you doing here, Jiraiya?"
In just the span of a few milliseconds, the toad summoner vanished from the corner and appeared in front of the desk with a wide grin. "Ah, just to report my recent findings!" He joyfully replied, before turning to the unamused blond. "And to catch up with my favorite godchildren!"
Naruto didn't even bother avoiding the hand that ruffled his hair, as well as messing up his ponytail. "Gee, I pity your other godchildren then. Don't you think Mito and I are good enough victims for your shenanigans?" He rolled his eyes.
Jiraiya let out a bellowing laugh. "Well, look who's using big boy words. Shenanigans? You sound like sensei!" Ignoring the glare from the Hokage, he continued. "By the way, how is the little spitfire? Missed me yet?"
"Total opposite actually. Apparently, Kurenai decided to share her distaste for perverts with Mito and told her all about your books." Naruto smirked upon seeing the cotton-haired man's paling face. "Romantic books, you said. To her, they're firewood."
Jiraiya clutched his heart. "The pain! We have lost another sister to the Cult of Prudes! If only I had gotten there on time, then maybe that wretched witch wouldn't have corrupted a future believer! Brothers and sisters, we must unite if we ever want to purge the world of these heretics. The reign of culture, breasts, and thighs will arise! For Icha Icha!"
All around the world, fans of the series stopped what they were doing and rose to the call, placing their fists over their hearts and crying out with vigor. It was a powerful moment. Despite the glares they received from the nonbelievers, they stood their ground and recited their favorite verse (line) from the books. Despite the hailing fists heading their way, they embraced it with acceptance, knowing they'd answered to the holy call.
Naruto's blank stare pierced through the cotton-haired man as the Hokage and some of the ANBU members returned to their seats and positions. "Dad, why him?" The blond pleaded upwards and he could almost hear his nervous chuckle, as well as his mother's fist whacking him in the head. After a sour sigh, he turned to sage with a pointed stare. "Now, what's the real reason you're here? You never leave your network before and when you do, it's never good."
Like flipping a switch, a grim frown darkened over Jiraiya's face. "You always see through me, kid." A rare moment of exhaustion appeared on the Sannin's face. "Sensei, this conversation needs to be blank."
Hiruzen's eyes furrowed but nodded nonetheless. He gestured for his ANBU protection detail to leave the room, who complied immediately before he dragged his hand down and activated the office's privacy seal. Nothing; not a soul nor sound will leave the room until the seal is lifted and those who will enter will receive a really nasty surprise.
Once he received a nod of confirmation, Jiraiya spoke. "Orochimaru. I found him. Well, kinda..." His words brought a sudden alarm in both shinobi. "My informant in Ta no Kuni hasn't contacted me for weeks and when I dropped by for a visit, I found her." Jiraiya's nose wrinkled in silent anger.
His hand dug into his pocket and pulled out a scroll. Without any warning, a puff of smoke emerged and suddenly, a dead body dropped to the floor. If these two weren't veteran shinobi, they would've at least flinched at the sight but after years in service, this is barely the worst thing they've ever seen and this particular body looked like she'd been through hell.
The woman's face and body were swamp green, her skin slowly decaying but the features of her face remained intact. Her once luscious lips crumpled into a thin line of dead flesh, revealing a crooked set of teeth that didn't look like they belonged to the woman. Fading green eyes stared lifelessly, any sign of life extinguished from her pupils. The shape of her skull had risen as her flesh sunk to close the gap between bone and skin. Cracks crawled all across her necrotic shell like a spiderweb extending down from her forehead before disappearing under her high-collared blouse.
Slowly, Naruto moved to examine the body further, only to slightly jolt back at the rancid stench of death. "How long has she been dead?" he inquired as he gingerly handle the woman's arms and noticed how incredibly brittle it felt, to the point that a simple thumb press would be able to break the frangible limb.
"That's the thing. According to the locals, she emerged from the Baipa Fields in that same state three days ago and collapsed after a few minutes. What caught my attention though was when they told me about hearing shrill screams and roars coming from the Baipa Fields on the same day." Jiraiya's words set off yet another blare of alarms in the two shinobi's heads. "Not only that, but I found this…" He bent forward and tugged the collar of her blouse down to reveal a black, necrotic symbol on the side of her neck.
Naruto instantly recognized it as a cursed seal. He would especially know since he's been searching for a cure for a dango-loving individual. But unlike the one on Anko, which had three tomoe formed in a triangle-like pattern, this one had four in a diamond position and a single red dot in the middle.
"Orochimaru…" the blond hissed out.
Hiruzen could only look on in sadness, while Jiraiya stood stonily with a blank expression. "I did my best to examine the seal. Just like Mitarashi's seal, it absorbs natural energy to increase one's chakra and physical abilities. However, the seal is supposed to siphon enough natural energy to sustain that state without overloading. Overloading it will result in a maniacal state, resembling a starving wild animal and would eventually result to death." the sage explained, his eyes hardening. "This one was designed to surpass the standard level. Orochimaru designed this seal to create monsters. Judging by how she was allowed to just roam free, I assume that she was a failed experiment and the seal has yet to be perfected. What worries me is that he used a civilian, which could possibly mean that both civilians and shinobi can be converted into this state."
"Kami…" Hiruzen whispered in horror. If Orochimaru succeeded in perfecting this seal, he could create an entire army of these maniacal monsters that this world isn't prepared for. Forget a Fourth Shinobi War, a possible apocalypse might happen.
Naruto's face scrunched up into a scowl. "Where did you say this was again?" he asked as he rose back up to this full height.
"Ta no Kuni," Jiraiya replied as he sealed the dead body back into the scroll. He intends to bury her, along with the rest of his employed spies,
Hiruzen hummed. "Ta no Kuni. Isn't there a new hidden village in that country? Otogakure, it's called. They were able to rise up quickly, even matching Kusagakure in terms of military power." He mentioned, his words laced in suspicion.
"Yes," the blond confirmed. "The daimyo even issued an official statement to change the name to Oto no Kuni. Now that we know Orochimaru is involved in the country, there's no doubt he has a hand in the creation of the village. I won't be surprised if he's an advisor or even the Kage himself. We should strike now before he makes a move."
"We can't do anything about it. We're allied with Ta no Kuni and changing their name doesn't affect the fact that we can't meddle with their shinobi business." Jiraiya shot back. "Besides, Orochimaru most likely allowed this information to be public. He isn't the type to hide for more than a decade and just randomly let one of his experiments roam around. He's taunting us…"
Hiruzen nodded in agreement, though the frown on his face showed that he didn't like it. "Jiraiya's right, Naruto. If we try to launch an assault on the village, we will be challenging the daimyo as well as the entire country. While we would likely have the advantage, attacking a country isn't part of our agenda, especially in times like this. A major hidden village invading a smaller country like Ta no Kuni will only spark another Shinobi War."
Naruto released a sigh of defeat. As much as he wants to recklessly charge into battle and rip the snake's head off its body, the consequences will be less than forgiving. "Then I guess all we can do is prepare for the eventual battle and if possible, keep an eye on Oto," he said, earning nods from both the Hokage and his godfather. He then turned to Jiraiya, a glimmer of concern flashing in his eyes. "Do you remember the request I asked of you the last time you were here? Any news?"
A frown formed on the white-haired man's face. "Not much except for their recent activities. No news of them attacking Jinchuriki or anything like you said."
A curse left Naruto's lips. "How about the members?" he asked.
"We have nothing on them. Our only source of information is the Bingo Book and there's not much on there." Jiraiya replied.
"What are you two talking about?" Hiruzen finally spoke up after watching the conversation go back and forth in confusion.
The two of them locked gazes, holding a silent conversation for a quick second before simultaneously turning to the old man. "The Akatsuki." Both of them replied in unison
Hiruzen's eyes widened. "The Akatsuki? That mercenary group?" he exclaimed, and with good reason.
The Akatsuki; no one knew what they were until reports of an entire village in Kusa being wiped out under the daimyo's orders. The ones responsible were found to be Ahma the Severer and Kakuzu, two notorious missing-nins who declared themselves as part of the Akatsuki. Later on, Juzo Biwa, Itachi Uchiha, Kisame Hoshikage, and Sasori of the Red Sands were also revealed to be part of the group. At one point, even Orochimaru joined the Akatsuki though he wasn't that active during his time with the organization. All of them wore a signature black cloak with imprinted red clouds, along with a straw kasa for concealment. It is speculated that there are more members who have yet to be revealed.
They labeled themselves as mercenaries for hire, just like a hidden village with the exception of their lack of limitations. Any jobs, from protection detail to a full-blown mass assassination will be accepted at the cost of a high price. There was a silent agreement among the hidden villages to not poke the sleeping dragon and allow them to deal with their business in peace, which only allowed them to grow after receiving jobs from minor hidden villages, and sometimes, even Iwa would frequently hire them.
One of their most famous accomplishments was during the Takigakure-Kusagakure War, where Kusa hired Kakuzu to assist them in battle and the result was a critically injured Jinchuriki, and an entire platoon of shinobi wiped out of existence. Fueled by his hate towards his former village, Kakuzu was looking to crush Taki, but much to his disappointment, Kusa ended their contract with him due to their arrogance and thought they would be able to win now that Taki's Jinchuriki was out of the war, only for it to backfire and Kusa ultimately lost the war. But Kakuzu's feat of power spread throughout the nations and how he wielded all five chakra natures at once, which in turn boosted the Akatsuki's reputation.
Hiruzen never really tried to reach out or hire one of the Akatsuki, mainly because he believes that his own shinobi can handle their problems by themselves. Kumo seems to share this sentiment when they proudly declared that the organization was a sad attempt to compete with the hidden villages.
"What about them?" the old man asked.
"Naruto has reasons to believe that the Akatsuki… are targeting Jinchuriki," Jiraiya said. Hiruzen immediately straightened at that, eyes hardening into a stern glare as he waited for the blond to explain himself.
A sigh was all Naruto breathed out before he complied. "Three years ago, I was sent on a lone mission to investigate some trouble in Tetsu no Kuni. There was a recent massacre of samurai and I was tasked to investigate it. I wrote in the mission report that it was a group of missing-nins that did it. But that wasn't the whole truth." He said. "Apparently, the Akatsuki were also hired to investigate the massacre and I ended up running into one of their members, Ahma the Severer. I was forced into a fight with her after she tried to mutilate me for quote-unquote, 'stealing her mission.'"
Hiruzen raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I see, so you were responsible for her disappearance. Did you have any trouble dealing with her?"
"The Bingo Book stated that she uses strings as her weapons." Naruto snorted. "Well, that didn't help much. Her strings were laced with wind chakra and they can practically cut through entire forests. It was like moving while trapped in a spiderweb but in the end, I was able to disable her completely. But in the process, I had to resort to… that."
Once again, a wide-eyed expression stretched across Hiruzen's face. "Was she really that strong?" he inquired. Not much is known about Ahma the Severer, except that she hails from Shimo no Kuni and was raised to be a shinobi in its own hidden village, Shimogakure. There was a rumor that she became a missing-nin after growing sick of the lack of missions available in her village and her thirst for battle eventually led her to become a notorious killer, which earned her the moniker, the Severer.
"She earned her place as an S-rank kunoichi, I'll leave it at that." Naruto grimaced while rubbing his abdomen. He could still feel whip-like strikes slashing across flesh from time to time and only the memory of her death could sate that feeling. "When she saw me use it, she said that she couldn't believe that she would be able to catch one so early. She said something about pain and bringing back a gift but I was too focused on keeping myself alive. Unfortunately, she died from her injuries before I could probe any more information out of her."
Hiruzen hummed. "I see. Your suspicions are warranted. I do find their existence rather troubling at the beginning, but the possibility that they intend to capture Jinchuriki makes me worry even more." he mused. All of a sudden, the air around them thickened and grew heavier as Hiruzen leveled a glare at the blond, who could help but allow a shiver to run down his body. Naruto sometimes would forget that the old man remains to be the most powerful shinobi in Konoha. "But why didn't you inform me of this? You know, if this were anyone else, I would've sent them to Ibiki by now. Keeping crucial information such as this to yourself would be considered treason against me and the village. Explain yourself." he thundered, flooding the entire room with his chakra.
Naruto nervously glanced at Jiraiya, who, as his godfather, did his best to comfort the blond by shrugging uncaringly. Subtly flipping the sage off, he turned back to the Hokage. "W- well, it's because I wasn't sure if my suspicions are confirmed or even warranted. I didn't want to feed you false information if I got something wrong." he stammered out. "I- I only told Ero-sennin because he can use his spy network to confirm it. But according to him, there's nothing on them."
The Hokage held the glare for a few more seconds to read Naruto's face, who chuckled nervously under his gaze. Eventually, his chakra receded and a sigh left his lips. "Don't do this again. I am within my right to take your suspicions seriously, both as the Hokage and your surrogate grandfather." He said. "But I also understand where you're coming from. This suspicion of yours can define the events in the future. What's more is that this puts your little sister in danger, and you're worried about that."
Naruto scoffed. "Obviously. If an organization full of S-rank missing-nins are going to be hunting down Mito, I'll be more than worried. But right now, I don't have that much information and it's worrying the fuck out of me."
"If you're that worried, then why didn't you take my suggestion?" the Toad Sannin finally spoke up. "At least we'll have another card in our arsenal."
"She's not a weapon, Jiraiya! She's my sister and I won't groom her into becoming the village's tool against the Akatsuki." Naruto shot back, a hint of irritation seeping into his voice—something that both occupants in the room didn't fail to miss.
"I didn't say she's a weapon. I'm saying that not utilizing Mito to our advantage will be a waste." the white-haired man exclaimed. "If the Akatsuki actually wants to capture all Jinchuriki, what do you intend to do?" Jiraiya raised a question, probing Naruto for an answer he's hoping to receive.
Much to his disappointment, the blond replied, "Then we fortify the village. We have the advantage of them not knowing who or where our Jinchuriki is. There's not much we can do with the amount of information we have right now. If they do come, then they'll be in for a surprise." A determined glare sharpened across Naruto's eyes.
Jiraiya shook his head. "We can't rely on that. If they've been planning on capturing Jinchuriki for a long time now, there's no doubt that they have a plan on tracking their targets down." He then laid a hand on Naruto's shoulder and squeezed it. "If what you say is true, then this is a threat that we need to take seriously and prepare for. We need to train Mito, kid. And don't give me that look!"
The scowl on Naruto's face only deepened as Jiraiya spoke. "I told you, we can protect Mito on our own. Not just me, but Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, Gai, and many more! Don't you think that's enough? She doesn't need to be involved in this. I've been training my whole life to protect her, whether it's from Madara Uchiha, Orochimaru, or the Akatsuki. I will not let them touch a single hair on my sister!"
"She's involved the moment she became a Jinchuriki, Naruto. It might not be the Akatsuki, but something else will target her and in her state right now, she can't defend herself. What if you aren't around? It's better if we involve her now and have her be prepared for an attack." Jiraiya tried to reason, but Naruto's concern for his sister clouded his judgment. "This is the best plan for her—"
Naruto rounded at Jiraiya with a glare so fierce that it had the legendary Toad Sannin faltering backward. "Best? How do you know what's best for her? You were absent for more than ten years of her life and you're telling me what's best for her?" the blond's voice raged on. "Do you even know that I almost considered killing her when Mito first lost control? When she unlocked her chakra, the Kyuubi's completely overwhelmed hers and she transformed almost instantaneously into the three-tailed form. She was nearing the six-tailed state when I was finally able to stop her. Do you know that? No! Because you weren't there when we needed you the most!"
If Naruto was a bit more clear-headed, he might've backed down after seeing the hurt flashing across Jiraiya's face. But it was already too late. All rationality was thrown out the window once the argument started. This was a topic both of them had been trying to avoid but now, there was no escape and Naruto's bottled emotions were released.
"Even after mom and dad died. You were there for barely a week. I never saw you again for two years! I had to raise Mito on my own, with the occasional help from the old man, Kakashi, and Kurenai! And you think you can just stand there and dictate what's best for her." Blood red flashed across Naruto's eyes. His pupils thinned into slits and caused both Jiraiya and Hiruzen to straighten in alarm. "My parents made me promise that night to protect Mito, to cherish her, and never leave her side. I'll be damned before I let her get hurt again and if I have to go through you to achieve that, then I'll—"
"That's enough."
Hiruzen's thundering voice sliced through the thick tension like a heated blade against ice. Naruto's eyes flickered back to his cerulean color, as well as allowing his cloud of anger to dissipate. He glanced around and noticed how he was literally leaning towards Jiraiya, their eyes settling on the same level before the blond backed off, gaze swerving away in an unreadable emotion
"Naruto, go home. You've had a long day. It's time for you to rest." The Hokage spoke as if it was an order, and Naruto isn't dense enough to ignore such a command.
Ever so silently, he walked past Jiraiya with a blank expression and headed for the doors, a storm of thoughts brewing in his head and a mixture of emotions churning in his stomach. He isn't one to get angry that often, but he always finds himself reverting back to his younger self when concerning his sister. A wisp of guilt seeped into his heart, causing his face to form a grimace but he crushed it by his lack of regret. Before his hands could touch the knobs, a rough voice spoke.
"You can't isolate Mito forever, Naruto. No matter how much you try, she'll eventually be a target; whether it's the Akatsuki or the masked man from the Kyuubi Attack. By keeping this from her, you'll only hurt her. What do you think she'll feel if she found out that everything you've done, all the trouble you've been through, was all for her sake? Make the right choice, Naruto, or else you'll lose her as well."
Silence settled across the room, clutching every person by the throat. Even the Hokage himself felt uncomfortable with the atmosphere in the office. A ticking time bomb is what one would describe the thick air of tension surrounding the two. Fortunately, everyone soon felt relief when the blond found the courage to answer calmly.
"Sorry for shouting at you." With those last words said, Naruto gripped the knob so hard that a dent in the shape of his hand was left after he walked out of the office. Jiraiya could only look at his godson's disappearing back in concern.
"I hope you see reason, Naruto."
A peaceful silence has enveloped the Namikaze household. But behind the concrete structure was a completely different story. A field of green blades swayed along with the wind, accompanying the beautiful, whistle-like tune that flowed across the air and showered the colorful blossoms sprouting from the fresh soil. Clumps of shrubs lined the corners of the garden and with the moon glowing above across the black blanket of the sky, rays of silver light pierced the gaps of the bushes and peppered the ground with patterned glows in the night.
Tayuya sat cross-legged in the middle of the garden, bathing herself in the low, vibrant glow of nature around her as she whispered through her flute. Songbirds perched up on the branches of trees sang along with her. The moonlight struck her velvet-red locks at just the right position and painted her locks with a silver glow. Unbeknownst to her, a fox kit had crawled up to her lap and curled up against her stomach, allowing the beautiful whistle to lull itself to sleep.
With her eyes closed, she continued to play the last song she heard from her mother. It had been a foggy night that day, so much so that the torches around her house barely lit up the porch. Ta no Kuni's weather had always been terrible, but that particular night was worse than before. Cool wisps of air had seeped through her window and made her six-year-old self shiver in her sleep. Not even the heat from the crackling fireplace warmed her up.
But suddenly, a voice had entered her sleep; one so beautiful that the freezing feeling on her body had melted away from the warmth of such a voice. The melody almost seemed to have rocked her body while the pitched whistle whispered the sweetest words to tempt her somnolence to return. A blanket of heat had soon fallen over her entire body and the night continued its quiet peace.
As the memories flashed across Tayuya's head, three smoky figures rose from the grass like ghosts. The tune she played seemed to have lured a somber tone as wisps of harsh voices were exchanged between the ghostly figures. The songbirds halted their songs. The wind blew softly across the garden. The blades of grass stood stiff across the field as the third figure suddenly let out a swirl of their fiery breath and consumed the other two figures.
Silent screams escaped their mouths. Their bodies twisted in agony, contorting inhumanely across the ground. The third figure watched in grim silence at the work they had done, but the damage was done before they could regret what they'd done. Throughout this exchange, Tayuya continued to play a horror-filled tune, almost whispering the screams of the dying figures through her flute. The fox kit squirmed in her lap, but the redhead continued to play the story.
A smaller figure rose from the grass, stumbling meekly across the invisible walls, only to jump back in fear at the burning figures in front of them. Trembles ran down their body upon seeing the horrific scene in front of them, making the mistake of ignoring the one responsible standing across the bodies. The third figure stalked slowly to the child-like figure as a powerful rumble of whistles entered the clearing. The air grew tense at each passing second—at each step made by the figure, death seemed to have crawled closer.
But before the figure could even touch a single hair on the child, a scream broke Tayuya out of her song.
"TAYUYA! NII-CHAN IS HOME!" a familiar voice screeched, one that the redhead is forced to be subjected to every single day. The figures in front of her exploded into a swirl of smoke. The songbirds perched up on the branches squawked unnaturally and fled the scene. The fox kit on her lap scurried away so fast that one would think a bear was hunting it.
A string of curses flowed out of her mouth, the same one she would always use to describe the hellion that is Mito Namikaze. "I'm going to kill that little shit one day." She growled to herself as she rose to her feet.
Meanwhile, said hellion is currently choking the life out of his brother and not in an affectionate way. Her arms were wrapped around the blond's chest, clutching them so tightly that she could almost hear his ribs creaking. Naruto is more than capable of throwing the redhead off, but he learned from last after he tried to detach the little spitfire. Who knew that an untrained, twelve-year-old girl could pack such a punch and have the knowledge of every man's weakness.
Mito eventually slid off of Naruto and flashed a scowl at him, though her puffed-up cheeks that resembled a lot of a hungry chipmunk made her less intimidating than she wanted it to be. "You're late… again." Disappointment is evident in her voice and Naruto couldn't help but slump down in exhaustion.
"Sorry, Mito-chan. I just had to report to the Hokage about the recent C-rank mission with my team." He explained as he maneuvered his way into the living room and unceremoniously collapsed onto the couch with a hoarse sigh.
At the mention of that, Mito's eyes lit up like torches. "You should introduce me to them! I want to see what kind of people my brother's teaching!" She exclaimed excitedly.
"They're brats," Naruto replied instantly. "And stop acting like they're not your age."
Mito harrumphed. "We may be the same age, but I obviously stand on a different plane than them. As your sister, I'm technically the second-in-command."
"Ah, yes. How could I forget such an important detail." The blond's monotone delivery only earned him a pout from the petite redhead.
But before she could call him out on it, Tayuya entered the living dressed in her normal attire, which consisted of a battle kimono with a few pieces of armor such as leather vambraces and shin guards. Her flute was sheathed right onto her hip as if it was a sword, not to confuse it with the ninjato strapped onto her back. If this were anyone else, they would've thought she was prepared for a mission.
"Welcome back, Naruto-sama." she bowed respectfully.
Naruto could only sigh at the redhead's devotion to her job. The only reason he assigned her as Mito's guardian was to protect her from being council. Being adopted by the Namikaze Clan wasn't enough to prevent her from being used as a catalyst to breed a new clan of genjutsu users. There's still a possibility that she could be forced into a marriage with a member from a different clan such as the Yamanaka or even the Fuma. By appointing her as Mito's guardian, her duty would prevent her from being forced into a loveless marriage until she's relieved from her job and Naruto would only do that if she desires to do so.
But Tayuya took it too seriously. Because he saved her from what she would consider lifelong torment, the redhead thought of the 'job' as repayment for everything he has done for her, other than her devotion to the lives of both Namikaze, despite her annoyance with the younger. Naruto tried convincing her that the guardian duty was just a front. but Tayuya had already accepted it as part of her life. Now, it's rarer to see her in civilian clothes than a combat-ready attire.
"Good to see you, Tayuya. You know, you both don't have to wait for me every single night." Naruto said with an arched eyebrow, but much to his exasperation and maybe a smidge of amusement, both girls shook their heads almost simultaneously.
"As the official guardian of this household, it's my duty to ensure that you arrive home safe and sound," Tayuya replied, ignoring Naruto's small protest about her job being completely different than what she said.
Mito nodded in approval. "I'm also your sister so it's my duty to wait here until you get home." she declared proudly, ignoring Tayuya's harsh whisper about how the smaller redhead just paraphrased what she just said.
Naruto allowed a soft smile to blossom at their antics. "Well, thank you for waiting for me. But you should be getting to sleep now."
"You should too, Nii-chan! Besides, I'm not that tired!" the tomato-haired girl shot back, but the yawn she so valiantly tried to fight betrayed her words. Her only response was to huff in indignation when Naruto raised an amused eyebrow.
"Alright, stop being in denial and go to sleep. I'll be going to bed in just a few minutes." He said, receiving a tentative nod from Mito. The blond then proceeded to head over to the dining room for a quick dinner. A simple cup of ramen would suffice. As much as he wants a warm bowl of miso ramen from Ichiraku's, he won't disturb the peaceful slumber of his favorite ramen owners.
But upon opening the cupboard, he was greeted with an empty space. Panic seeped into his veins as he rummaged across the entire kitchen for a single meal that won't take thirty minutes to prepare. All he found was a sad can of sardines that even the hungriest mongrel in the streets won't eat. "Tayuya, how is our food stock as of late?" he asked, already expecting the answer.
"Oh, I forgot to mention it to you, Naruto-sama. But everything we've been eating for the past few days is leftovers." Tayuya replied sheepishly.
Naruto's face contorted into one of contemplation until it twisted into a more conflicted expression. Tayuya watched about fifteen different emotions pass through the clan head's face like frames in a movie. One could even say that he looked a bit constipated and whatever he's thinking about, it's really making him use every brain cell.
Eventually, Naruto settled with a sigh of resignation. He turned to the two girls, who are both watching him in concern and curiosity. "How do you feel about eating out tomorrow?" he inquired.
Mito tilted her head. "What do you mean by that?" she replied. "We always eat out. Or at least, Tayuya-neechan buys takeout and we eat here together.
"I mean…" Naruto paused here to gather a shaky intake of air. "How about all three of us… eat out. Together. In the village square." The blond finally uttered out. When he failed to notice Mito's frozen expression of shock, he continued. "I mean, you're twelve years old already. It's about time you see the village for yourself. Spending your entire life cooped up in this house won't help you in the long run. But if you feel uncomfortable, that's fine! You're not used to many people in one area and if you don't want to… I mean, we can—"
The blond was soon interrupted by a scarlet missile that blasted off of the floor and slammed against his stomach. Only years of experience and skills being honed prepared him for the incoming projectile, but it nonetheless surprised him greatly that it still managed to knock the wind out of him.
"YEEEEES!" Mito squealed out in excitement, her arms practically squeezing the life out of Naruto.
Thankfully, Tayuya came to the rescue and peeled the redheaded spitfire off of his chest, only for her to escape her guardian's clutches and wrap her brother in yet another hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you…" her muffled voice repeated against his chest.
Naruto managed to get over his shock and return the embrace. "Y- you're welcome, Mito. You're pretty… excited?" he said tentatively, before breaking it and shooting the young girl a small smile. "But if you want to go, you better sleep now and get up early. I wouldn't want you to spend your first day in the village with your eyes half-closed and your brain barely functioning."
For a moment, a grimace appeared on her face but it vanished before Naruto could register it. He dismissed it as a trick on his mind and focused on the bright smile that lit up across her features.
"Sure thing, Nii-chan! Goodnight!" With that, the excitable rugrat disappeared from the scene and into her bedroom, all the while cackling like a witch as she looked forward to tomorrow's event.
Naruto shook his head. Sometimes, she acts so much like his mother that it scares him. One thing he inherited from his father is his weakness against redheaded spitfires. He shifted his gaze to Tayuya, who oddly has a soft smile directed at where Mito just ran in.
"You look a bit happy. Is it maybe you're happy for her?" Naruto remarked with an annoying grin, causing Tayuya's face to burn up in embarrassment.
She opened her mouth to deny the accusation in the most vulgar and brash way until she realized that she was talking to the head of the clan. Tayuya wisely closed her mouth but the steam rising from her red-filled face continued. "I'll be going to sleep now, Naruto-sama," she muttered quietly before trudging away.
The moment she left, Naruto's smile faded away. His gaze shifted to the table sitting in the corner, where a set of picture frames were displayed. It was an image before everything went to shit—before his life took a turn for the worst. His eyes traced over his mother's beautiful, tomato-red hair that Mito inherited, and the spike, sun-filled locks of his father's that he would always see in a mirror. The little boy standing in between was a perfect combination of two, capturing his father's hair and eyes, as well as his mother's face and personality. Their smiles told a story of pure joy that Naruto couldn't help but feel jealous of.
"Am I doing the right thing, Mom… Dad?"
I think I made a mistake.
Recently, I was reading a bunch of naruto fanfics just to pass the time. Then, I stumbled upon a fanfic that literally made me dislike Hinata. I've read a lot of Hinata bashing fics and not one of them has made me angrier than this Hinata. She was such a fucking bitch. Like she could be on the Insufferable Whores Hall of Fame. I could look at Myne from Shield Hero and Hinata from that fanfic, and not tell the difference. Amber Heard-type shit. I would never wish death upon someone, but I hope that that fanfic's Hinata would step on LEGOs with her bare feet for the rest of her life. Makes me want to play that Redo of Healer soundtrack and put the Chris Breezy moves on her.
I won't mention the name of the fanfic to preserve your image of Hinata or sumth. I don't even think this is the worst version. I'm not hating on the author or the fanfic. It's their story and if their purpose is to show how awful that version of Hinata is, then congrats. I hope it doesn't affect how I write Hinata because she's such a fucking cinnamon roll here but don't be surprised if she accidentally trips on a puddle of mud with Akamaru's doodoo in it. Maybe even Amber's, who knows.
I still like Hinata more than I dislike her though.
Oh yeah, thank you for the positive reviews guys. See ya next chapter.