As far as intelligence was painted, Hiruzen was postive there should be nothing out of the blue. No shocks from his former student or Konoha's enemies. Rasa would be smart enough to play it safe. It was in his best interest to keep this within the safe filters. The River country was also a good ally of the Sand – some of its goods came from here. The desert did not tolerate any form of living plants or even animals. It devoured them in its heat and dryness. This forced the Sand to rely on others for its food security. And something that compounded on its misery.

Hiruzen had debated internally even as Shikaku had laid out the options. What was best for the Hidden Leaf? It wasn't merely just about his ideals. While Danzo may have fanned the flames, Rasa had started it. Hiruzen had to stand firm. It was his weakness and allowing the likes of Kumo to bully him with threats of war that probably made Rasa believe he could get the better of him. In another time maybe.

But too many things had gone south. Minato died. The Uchiha massacre occurred, and he couldn't prevent it. The insult was that Danzo gave the order under his nose. Naruto was gone as well. It was merely a representation of his failures, but this test Hiruzen wouldn't fluff.

The meeting room was secured; an underground room that was used by the higher ups of the River Country. There was a huge rectangular table. The Anbu he came with stood silently behind him.

When Rasa came, he was with a shinobi. Hiruzen just smiled thinly as the Kazekage sat across him on the other end of the table. It wouldn't be a long meeting. Needless to spend hours arguing. Hs knew what he wanted and it was either that, or there was no resolution at all.

"The River country went out if its way to accommodate us in such a quick notice." Rasa said, breaking the ice in the room.

Rasa was a little confident the Third wouldn't demand much of him and would want the impasse to be resolved swiftly. He was after all, a man of peace. With another Kage, he wouldn't dare sit across them. People like the Tsuchikage would demand he strip, and offer subservient to Iwagakure or face destruction. He'd taunted the bees, and he had to face the sting.

"If there was to be war, they would suffer. This country would probably end up as a battlefield." Hiruzen replied quietly. "Sadly, small nations have always been battlefields when Great Nations fight."

"The grass suffers when giants wrestle." Rasa conceded with a slight shake of his head. Inwardly, he was amused by his pretense of sympathy to the sufferings of small nations. He gave no cents to it. "Thank you for making the effort to come here under such circumstances."

"Konoha wants to see an end to this." Hiruzen said firmly.

Of course, there was also pressure from the Daimyo. It was only smooth talking that pacified him. But if things continued for longer, the advisors would force the Leaf to crush the Wind for its disrespect. They would even fund the war if that was it took. For those people, Hidden Villages were nothing more than tools to be used for their petty fights. And the politicians in the Fire Capital had a chip on their shoulders, some form of superiority over all. He blamed the greatness of the Leaf. Their strength had made the Fire Nation stronger, and in turned strengthened the Feudal Lord. The consequence was that he grew too big for his shoes and the system of Hidden Villages meant they always had to listen to those fools.

A fatal flaw Hiruzen would set the path to correct before he relinquished power.

"So does Suna." Rasa replied, in the same tone as the Third. "I'll admit, I did not think things would get this far."

At the very least, the Wind Lord could have feared going into war with Konoha and start supporting them, but he still continued to be on the good books of the Leaf. A traitor to his own village but what else could the Sand do against the Feudal Lord?

"Life is not as predictable as we like to believe."

"Indeed." Rasa was silent. It appeared the Sandaime was waiting for him to talk. Then again, he was the one who called the meeting. "My objective for calling this meeting was so we can agree to end the hostilities. Of course, that doesn't end Suna's misery. But Konoha can help alleviate the burden."

"You have requests of us?" Hiruzen said with a raised eye brow. "But how do you suppose we go about ending hostilities?"

"I admit Suna was at fault for starting this. And I am willing to order my shinobi to end all hostilities for things to return to normal?"

"Is that all?"

"Should be there more?"

"Konoha has not made wrong moves against your village. We have been a partner, with understanding of your situation. But you chose to turn on us."

"We had no choice because you wouldn't stop receiving mission requests from the Wind Lord."

"Was there any rational person who would do such a thing? If we had stopped doing so, he would have just sent them to another village. The problem is that your rates are too high. Rejecting those requests without lowering your fees doesn't solve the problem."

"If we lowered the fees, would you stop?"

"Do you honestly expect me to answer that question?"

"I suppose not."

The Sandaime wasn't giving away anything. At least so far, he wasn't making any threats but has merely highlighted the damaged trust. It may never be regained as long as he was Kazekage and Hiruzen remained Hokage. For such an old man, he was really giving off a bad vibe. There would be no smooth sailing.

"I have already admitted this has been Suna's fault."

"Are you planning to atone for it?"

"I could, if Suna was in any position to do so."

Hiruzen sighed. Danzo would be handling things differently. If anything, he would have plotted to ensure nothing worked out here. There would be attacks. Just to ensure they went to war. He wouldn't force Suna to its knees. But he wouldn't allow anyone to walk over the Leaf. He wasn't here to do Rasa any favors.

"The end of hostilities is something I can agree on without any preconditions. It will make life easier for my shinobi. As long as you give your word that you will not suddenly make any moves that force more hostilities." Hiruzen paused. "At this point, your word doesn't even mean that much."

"What would be the point of this if you cannot trust my word?"

Hiruzen smiled. "I am willing to take your word. The missions, we will not stop taking. I do assume you want to discuss something else with me to make life easier for Suna."

"I was hoping we could enter into a trade agreement for the supply of certain goods. But with much lowered prices."

"Wouldn't it be best to speak to merchants?"

"They charge us a lot. Transporting food stuff through the desert takes a lot from them."

"Why does Konoha get in return?"

"Nothing really." Rasa admitted. "But I can share some information to show that I am honest in trying to get this to work. Iwagakure offered to support us if we went to war with you."

Whether he disclosed this information hardly mattered. Konoha wasn't going to confront Iwa. Even if they did, the village would still deny making the offer. It didn't stop him from working with Iwa even. It just made it a little tricky, but not impossible.

"That's unsurprisingly. I cannot make any assurances. I have to see how any agreement will affect Konoha. But if we agree on it, we can have farther engagements on the matter without meeting."

Rasa wasn't concerned with Feudal Lord sending missions to Konoha. He had a solution to that. He was reasonably going to be suspected, but there was no other option. The next Daimyo might even continue with his predecessors methods, but Rasa would have effective methods to keep him in line. Suna had nothing to lose at this rate.

"My daughter is a skilled wind user. I will send her to Konoha to handle negotiations. You can hold her hostage if we do something to compromise a non-aggression pact."

Throwing his daughter into the fire just like that. It was despicable but Hiruzen smiled. It was the choice of words that made him curious. It seemed like the daughter would not know she was a hostage. Perhaps he was afraid if she knew, she'd try to flee.

"We can work with that."


Uzushiogakure

Naruto stared at Haku's well written reports while within the office. He didn't do the leading but merely handled oversight duties. The project was his, but Haku was doing a good job and he was always occupied with other things. Even now, he would depart from the Elemental Nations for a couple of months. And upon his return, it would be a baptism of hellish flames.

"You haven't explained how you'll get the routes? You can't just build roads in other people's countries without their permission."

Naruto smiled in response. "And if you do?"

"You want to start troubles?"

"I'm not that careless. I have already spoken to the necessary people."

"And the protection of such routes?"

"Kiri shinobi of course. We must help the village grow and put more money into its coffers. Before I forget, Choujuro will come here… if he finds the village, of course. But Mei does have the secret route… I don't want him here… Send a message to Kiri; inform them I'm not around and I will fetch him when I return."

It was a little bit unusual for them to receive people from Kirigakure. Hell, people in this village didn't even know a way out.

"Why would he be coming here?"

"Mei said she wants him to tag along when we try to catch Kisame."

"And you agreed to it?"

"I think so. But something has come up."

Haku stared and then shook his head. "I'll right the letter to tell them he doesn't have to come. When are you going to Iwa? After or before?"

"After." He replied with indifference. "Don't be concerned with it. Nothing will go out of control. Even if there is conflict, it shouldn't lead to anything disastrous."

"You're accused of trying to kill the Tsuchikage!" It baffled Haku that Naruto didn't really see the magnitude of his actions. Perhaps it was because he has been hired to kill many people that he saw no difference.

"He is still just another human. He has hired me to kill others. He shouldn't cry if others try to kill him. And I didn't want to kill him, the fuss over it is just overblown." Naruto stood up. "Be careful out there. You're kind, but the world will not be kind to you."


Konoha

Shikaku was sitting in the room the Sandaime usually sat during day to issue mission assignments. This was his role today – sitting behind the Hokage desk would be a little disrespectful, considering the Sandaime was alive and his planned successor was also around.

Maybe it should've been Kakashi sitting here.

When a unique visitor entered the hall, he put on a smile. The Third had told him about this but he didn't expect this man in particular to show up. Hiashi was going to be boiling within the Hyuga compound. He expected the Clan head to pop up any time. This was a daring move from the Mizukage. Perhaps she wanted to see how the Leaf would react to this development. Shikaku wouldn't do anything if the decision rested on him. But he was certain the Hyuga clan would be more than willing to have Ao's eye gorged out and reclaim their beloved Byakugan.

"You must be Ao-san."

"I am." Ao nodded.

"I was someone from Kiri would be coming but not you. At any rate, the Sandaime isn't in the village at the moment. He will be back in a day or two. If you're not in a hurry, you can wait for him."

If he left, he wouldn't have completed his mission. This man didn't intend to speak to him.

"I will wait."

"Good." Shikaku paused before adding in a stern tone. "It would be best if you didn't move around the village that much. You will be protected but we'd rather not have incidents."

The Hyuga clan. Ao expected something but not a warning of this nature. He nodded.

"I'll keep that in mind."


Jiraiya was surprised to see his sensei return so quickly. He'd thought there would be much to talk about and the meeting would drag for hours. But Hiruzen was back – and they would be returning to Konoha. Maybe it was a record for the shortest meeting between Kage who'd been feuding close to war. But as long as things worked out, he wouldn't lose much sleep.

"You don't look happy."

"I am content."

"Things went well?"

"We agreed to stop the aggression. And shook on it. That is the most important thing. He admitted to have been the one on the wrong and offered to have us keep his daughter as hostage."

Jiraiya was surprised the man would go that far. But more so that his sensei accepted it. Then again, if he allowed himself to be pushed out and just accept apologies, Konoha would be continuously disrespected. They couldn't allow such incidents to keep happening without deterrence.

"Why would be go that far?"

"To show us that he will stick by his word. But we know him. If his daughter is to be sacrificed, then so be it. He won't shed a tear even if he must betray her."

Jiraiya shook his head. "He is a leader, but to sacrifice his own child like this… there could have been other methods."

"He deemed this the best option." Hiruzen said with a deep frown. "What concerned me was that even though he tried, he didn't try hard enough. We just shook hands, that's it. But he seems he has a plan to deal with Wind Lord."

"Should we keep an eye on it?"

"We'll see what will happen eventually." Hiruzen replied. "The important thing is there will be no aggression between the two."

"And if he breaks his word?"

"We will take appropriate action. But given what he said, if he breaks his word, it will be because he is ready for war. Iwagakure offered support."

Would there ever be peace in this damned world? Shinobi were always looking for conflict. Even when there was peace, it was merely for a short while, just to rebuild and recuperate until the next great battle. At this rate, Konoha was going to go back on default, to prepare to engage Iwagakure and Suna if the time ever came. With the losses they have suffered in recent years, to pull through such a war with major victories would be a miracle.

Konoha didn't have an ally that could back it in battle. Then again, Great Nations have always held their own interests. Nobody went into war for someone else.

"And he refused because?"

"Suna is in a bad state. If he went to war now, even if they pull through, the village would be left crippled. And worse, Iwa might take advantage of it."

"So he wants the peace just to give himself time to prepare his army."

"It would seem so." Hiruzen smiled. "We can never be at peace. It seems that shinobi only know how to fight."

They were military powers, but Hiruzen believed they didn't always have to be at war. Cooperation was possible. But history never gave anything to back that up. Great Nations only ever worked together to destroy another nation. The thirst for battle seemed to much. Fight and fight. And to think he would be born in battle and would die in battle. Death missed him a couple of times, and he'd come to naively believe that perhaps he would die a miserable death in his old age.

Kakashi was going to have it bad. He would be handed a farce for a truce.

"Other ways are possible." Jiraiya said in a firm tone. He didn't want to abandon his convictions. "Things can still change. We just have to find a way to work with Sunagakure. Great Nations have always fought easily because none of the Kage are friends."

"Friendship doesn't stop war."

"But it makes you hesitate. You're not easily going to war with a friend. You'll have thought it hard and long."

"When the interests of your village come first, nothing really matters." Hiruzen replied sharply. "But you're indeed right. Things can still be salvaged. If all fails, there is a plan to ensure we don't go to war."

"With Suna, at least."

"Yeah, we don't know what Iwagakure wants or what it will do next. But like us, it has no allies with the Great Nations. Our relationship with Kumo though not good, isn't something that could lead to war."


"Tsunade-sama."

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune shouted.

"What?!" Tsunade snapped, raising her head. She'd been resting, trying to calm her pounding head. A damn hangover, and she was too broke to buy something. No, they had something, but Shizune wouldn't give it to her.

"There is someone who wants to see you."

"Not a debt collector?"

"No." Shizune answered with a shake of her head.

"Who is it? Does he or she want to give me money?"

Shizune glared and then sighed with disappointment. Shodai ever saw this, he would also share her thoughts. But Tsunade was still her master. She had to look after her, clean after her, as she was unable to exercise any control.

"He said he is from the Whirlpools."

"Whirlpools?" Tsunade rubbed her temple. That village was long dead. There shouldn't be anything there. If there was, she'd heard something about it. "Are you sure?"

"My ears are just fine."

Tsunade rolled her eyes before asking. "What does he want?"

"He wants to speak to you."

"Bring him here."

"This is still a restaurant." Shizune reminded the Slug Princess. "If there is going to be trouble, please take it outside. This is the only place that still welcomes us in this town."

Shizune then walked away and out of the restaurant. Haku was still standing there, alone. He hadn't entered but had sent a message to her. He could have just walked to their table. He seemed like a good person. She'd have mistaken him for a woman, given his appearance.

"She will speak with you."

Haku smiled. Tracking down the Slug Princess was easy. Just navigating around was a little bothersome since he didn't know the shinobi world that well. Naruto probably walked with his eyes closed. The blond roamed the world whenever possible. He just never seemed to enjoy sitting still.

He followed Shizune into the restaurant and saw the Slug Princess. She looked a mess. No doubt drinking. The Intel Naruto gave was correct. She was a heavy drinker and gambler – one that was always in a losing streak.

He sat across the two and pet. Naruto would probably comment about roasting the pig. Who even took a pig for a pet? It was a waste of meat and stock. Haku shook his head – the life of a farmer was getting the best of him.

"Who are you?" Tsunade asked with a glare. "Saying you're from the Whirlpools got my attention."

"I am from the Whirlpools."

As far as the shinobi world was concerned, there was nothing in the Whirlpools. It was by design. Even in Kiri, only a few people knew about it.

Tsunade's right brow rose. He didn't seem like he was lying. He was young – but shinobi lie through their teeth with a wide smile. Yet, for someone to say he was from Uzu was something else.

"Any relation to the Uzumak?"

"My master is Uzumaki. He is the one who sent me to see you."

"A survivor?" Shocking. She didn't think there would be any Uzumaki still alive in this day. Was there some thought to revive the village? Was this person here because her grandmother was Uzumaki? "You want to recruit me?"

Haku shook his head with a smile. He wondered why Naruto never spoke of any other Uzumaki. He knew Tsunade had Uzumaki blood in her but he didn't seem to care much about it. Then again, there were not many things that Naruto cared about.

"No." Haku replied. "We have a medical shortage in Uzu. He wants you to train some if our medics on how to save lives. Just the basic things. He supposes even three months under you, they'll become better. We will pay of course."

Tsunade snorted. "I am not a mercenary."

"I cannot convince you otherwise?"

"No. If you wanted me to heal someone, maybe I could, but to pass on my knowledge? No."

Haku took out a small storage scroll. "There is gold in here. It should settle some of your debts in this town. In three days, around 12pm, I will come back again. I do not want your response, but I want you to come to me back to Uzu."

If she doesn't follow, Naruto was just going to come back and compel her. He shuddered at the thought of Naruto's tactics. There was just no coloring it nicely – Naruto was capable of anything.

"And if I just take the gold and walk away?"

"I'll take it you have declined to go back to Uzu with me. If that is the case, I will go back. My master will be displeased I didn't drag you. But it can't be helped. You're a Sannin."

"Will he come here if I refuse to go with you?

"Yes."

Tsunade snatched the scroll and then started releasing her killing intent. "Go fetch him."

Haku sighed. "He will come. But you'll wish you'd come with me. He isn't a kind person…" he stood up. And bowed slightly. "I apologize for whatever he'll do."

Tsunade was amused. "You seem earnest."

"I am."

"What exactly will he do?" Tsunade asked curiously.

"The student always cares deeply for the master." That was all Haku was willing to day. But it depended on Naruto's mood. If he really wanted, he could just force the issue if Tsunade didn't want to share some of her skills. "Shinobi train hard to gain their skills. I know this much. So, they are not easily passed on. However, we came here under the assumption that you held no loyalty to the Leaf. Your refusal perhaps has something to do with the village. After all, we're not asking you to teach our people your secrets. We just want them to be able to be able to save lives."

"I want to meet your master. Then I'll decide."

"I'll pass on the message." Haku said. "I'll leave my people with you. They'll just be observing, and maybe in case you decide to do something." He bowed slightly. "It was a pleasure meeting one of the Legendary Sannin."

Tsunade just waved her right hand and then watched Haku leave.

"Was it right to reject them like that?" Shizune asked.

"They are not the first ones to ask us of this favor."

"But they are not asking much. Just the basics."

Tsunade shrugged. "That one may be a good person but it sounds like his master isn't any good. He openly admits this much. My abilities are not to be used just for any cause. As I said, if they were asking that I heal someone, I could understand."

She was genuinely curious to see if there was really a survivor of her grandmother's clan.

"Besides, what do you think will happen when Konoha learns that I am teaching my jutsu to others?"

"Uzu and Konoha were allies."

"Were." Tsunade replied sharply. "But if there is an Uzumaki, I wouldn't mind. As long as there is nothing wrong with them. I am as Uzumaki as I am Senju."


Hiashi came in late, but he came. And Shikaku had been hopeful that maybe the Hyuga would not show his face before him. At least, for now, the clan head didn't go out to confront Ao. Had he done so, it would have made things difficult. Konoha needed an ally. And Kirigakure offered this much.

"I was hoping you would not make an issue out of things, Hiashi-san." Shikaku said in a serious tone, eyes firmly on the Hyuga.

"I am surprised you did not inform me. As a fellow clan head, you must know that clan secrets must be kept at all times."

Shikaku glanced around. There were still people. Shinobi he was handing out missions and others who assisted him in sorting out things. He should have brought Shikamaru to the room. Just to observe and questions would be dished out later at home.

"Leave us." He ordered.

Once the room became quiet, he let loose of a long breath. He'd hoped it would blow away the tension in the room, but it did not. Why did he even accept this job? Kakashi should have been doing this. The Feudal Lord has already given support to the Sandaime Hokage's succession plans.

There was no need to state what the issue was. After all, there was only one issue that would have the Hyuga clan feuding with Konoha. Hiashi's brother had already been sacrificed to protect the clan secrets.

"I'm aware of how important clan secrets are and that anyone in possession of them must be dealt with."

"Then we should not be having a discussion. He should be handed over to us."

"You want to cause conflict with Kirigakure?"

Hiashi didn't think it would go that far. Kiri was too weak to even think of trying anything. Hiashi wasn't going to kill the man, but just to take the Byakugan or disable it. Whatever worked best. That was the wish of the clan. Nobody who was not Hyuga ought to be using those eyes.

"It can be resolved."

"Will the Hyuga clan resolve it?"

"I am not making unreasonable demands. We just have to take that eye and send him back home. We won't have robbed him of anything but merely taken what belonged to us. Even if he were to argue, he took that eye from a member of our clan. Whether it was war or not, it doesn't matter."

Shikaku wanted to point out that this had only happened because a member of the main branch was defeated. But saying so would just cause problems. It was for the Sandaime to say, not him.

He was aware that Hiashi wasn't being irrational. One couldn't fault him. But Ao had the spoils of war. He was entitled to keep it. At the same time, Hiashi was entitled to demand something that belonged to his clan.

"I am not in a position to make any decision. You must wait for the Sandaime Hokage to return. But I do not think he will grant your wish."

"Are secrets of the clan going to be sacrificed for the good of Konoha? Have we not sacrificed much already?"

"You made a choice. And here, that man already has the Byakugan. Even if you kill him, Kirigakure already knows its secrets."

"That isn't the only issue. It offends us."

"You being unreasonable. But as I have said, wait for the Sandaime Hokage."


It was late it night when Hiruzen arrived at Konoha but even so, he'd decided to go to the office.

Hiruzen settled comfortably behind his desk – the weight of which he has carried for many years. Wars after wars. His men perished while he remained. His students abandoned him, his teachings and the Leaf, yet he remained. Maybe he was worthy of being remembered at the Hokage Monument. Surely, for generations he has been Hokage, there were good deeds he has done. The last one was to ensure there was no war.

Admittedly, the good struggled miserably to even float within the sea of regrets he had.

"Hokage-sama."

"Come in." Hiruzen said.

Shikaku entered the office, and smiled, seeing the Third in good condition and he seemed to be in a good mood.

"I trust everything went well."

"As much as one could hope. The only thing that was important was ensuring that the hostilities stopped."

"Any demand?"

"Nothing caved in. We will still receive them."

Shikaku settled in front of the Sandaime's desk before responding. "That doesn't change Suna's situation unless Wind Lord has decided to stop standing us missions."

"He has not. But Suna is going to do something."

"Like killing the Feudal Lord?"

"Yes."

That would be a first. Hell, if they did that, the people in the Wind Capital could even order for the village to be destroyed by hiring Iwagakure to carry out that job. They would also make sure that nobody entered the Sand. The Sand was after all built in the lands of the Wind Lord.

Even Iwa, with a stubborn Tsuchikage didn't plot such moves. When the Earth Lord wanted something, he got it. It was the same for the Konoha. Great Nations functioned with the support of the Feudal Lord. Otherwise, shinobi would struggle. Turn rogue or mercenary. Civilians had ordinary jobs and would be fine. But those dependent on shinobi for provision would suffer. People would migrate. And so, Great Nations always toed in line to the demands of their Daimyo.

"While I doubt he'd go that far, I believe he will do something."

"If he was to take that path, they'd have to completely destroy the capital and take over the country."

Well, that was one way of handling things. It would ensure that Suna controlled the borders of the Wind country and the nation. Suna would rise from the ashes and the other Great Nations wouldn't do anything. It was not in anyone's benefit to do anything. Things would be different if the other Feudal Lords got involved and pressured their Shinobi villages to destroy Suna.

Hiruzen hoped things wouldn't get to that stage. It was would be needless shed of blood. But if the Feudal Lords demanded it, there was nothing the Great Nations could do. There was a possibility that it might not even require The Daimyo to do anything. If Suna grew too powerful, others could act.

"That is one way to ensure Suna prospers. Either way, Konoha would stop receiving missions. Which may leave a gap on our finances."

"Not a huge dent, but a dent nonetheless." Hiruzen said in a thoughtful tone. "We'll have to move quickly to send shinobi to the Wave to help it rebuild, maybe even making it a territory under our control."

"Then have then agree to pay us for protection by way of taxes?" A cold strategy in the books of Iwagakure. But they would not be forcing the country to do anything. The Wave had nothing. If they offered, they would gladly accept their terms.

Hiruzen nodded his head. He had to think carefully in order to protect Konoha. "I trust you will carry this out with Kakashi once he has assumed his position. For now, you need to send people to convince them to receive help"

The Sandaime didn't want to force things. Shikaku got that much. Then the person who had to go there would be someone who had the power of words. Someone who could twist things. After all, Konoha did nothing when the country suffered.

"We'd have to give up something in order to get them to speak to us freely."

"That is why I said we must give them help. The country is in a mess. Without a quick help, it will take long for them to recover from their poverty. But if someone like you devised a strategy to help them, things become doable. There shouldn't be any genius in that country. Gato must have killed them already."

"I will make plans. I recommend sending my son."

Hiruzen raised an eye brow. The young Nara was truly a genius. He was someone who could surpass his father.

"This is important."

"I trust him."

"Failure is not an option."

"I understand."

"Good. You will discuss things with Kakashi." Hiruzen said sternly. "Suna is going to send the daughter of the Kazekage here to be the point of contact. But in reality, a mere hostage in case Suna decides to betray our agreement."

"I doubt he'll care."

"Either way, we must keep her. Just for a little while. Our people are already watching. We must keep them thinking we believe his daughter has that much value."

"Of course."

"That plan covers the situation were Rasa decides to work with Suna against us. There is the possibility that we could activate it and have Suna turn on us. If that is so, that plan must be executed perfectly and in turn have Suna in our grip. If Iwa decides to continue, then we know we only have Iwa do deal with."

"That as well could be a difficult task."

"Kiri's letter had some interesting points. If we do gain them as an ally. If we go to war, we can have their support."

"Their representative did come to the village. Though, it has caused an issue with the Hyuga clan as he has the Byakugan."

Hiruzen smiled. Not at the Hyuga clan's reaction. No, at the play Kiri was initiating here. Hiashi's reaction was predictable.

"Is she testing us?"

"The Mizukage?" When the Third nodded, the Nara spoke once more. "I believe so. It is a daring move on her side. We will pass the test I hope."

"Of course. I will deal with Hiashi. But after I have spoken with the representative. Return tomorrow at 10am. Kakashi will be present."

"Understood." Shikaku replied. "What of Jiraiya-sama?"

"He has gone to investigate Iwa and measure its strength, just in case."


The Following Day

Ao looked around the dimly lit room. There were four other people. He recognized the famous Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi. The other was a masked man, with little to no presence at all. Shikaku was also there and lastly, it was the Sandaime Hokage. A man famed as a God of Shinobi. Yet he looked so old. Strangely, not so frail.

These were renown shinobi who've made their names through wars. Kiri no longer had this much. He'd been staring to this people, with the Uchiha at the back. And maybe it would have been the Yellow Flash in place of the Sandaime. Really, the bad luck of Konoha has been a blessing to the others. They could now compete. If not him, who else could compete with Kakashi? There was also the legendary Toad Sage. And others.

Ao smiled inwardly, he counted the stars Naruto was for them. It would have been unfair if someone like him was also powering the Hidden Leaf.

"I'm sure you know everyone in this room, aside from the obvious." The Sandaime started with a smile, yet his voice came with strength that defied his body.

"Yes." Ao nodded. "I'll introduce myself anyhow." And he did so. "Thank you for allowing Kiri to come to meet with you."

"Not a problem. It came as a surprise. We don't meet other Kage unless there is war."

Perhaps that was why it was easy for conflicts to rise. The Kage did not regularly meet. Only in times of war. Everyone did their own thing, thinking not for the shinobi world but for their villages. Another flaw. If shinobi could start to care about the world they lived in, then it wouldn't be such a chaotic world.

Who was he kidding? As long as shinobi profited only from battles, then wars wouldn't stop.

"Mei-sama has different thoughts." Ao said. "But this was necessitated by circumstances that we find ourselves in. there is of course, a genuine desire to form a healthy relationship with the Leaf."

"I suppose it can only benefit both villages."

Ao had a feeling that Mei hadn't said anything about Naruto. She'd said she sent the word. But maybe she didn't and changed her mind. Instead, leaving it up to her to break the news to the Leaf.

He took in a huge breath but before he could speak, Shikaku spoke.

"You said it was circumstances that necessitated this meeting… what circumstances are those?" the Nara questioned calmly.

"It is not as much as a circumstance but rather a person who creates a circumstance." Ao smiled inwardly. It felt like he was beating around the bush. "Naruto Uzumaki has been in Kiri for a number of years."

He couldn't say he was a shinobi of the Mist – because he was not.

Ao prided himself in being a good sensor and being able to read people. The glory of the bloody mist but in the presence of these people, he could read nothing. They didn't even react to anything. That much was expected but the Sandaime's smile when he replied surprised him.

"Oh?" Hiruzen said with a smile. "But not your shinobi."

He was honestly glad that Naruto was in Kiri. Not any other Hidden Village. The relationship between the two nations wasn't great but Ao's earlier words meant things could change.

"Yes."

"The fact that you're here means you understand his relevance to this village."

"Yes. Mei-sama didn't want to create a situation where Kiri and Konoha would be in conflict because of the issue. Naruto doesn't even know I am here."

"That's rather considerate of her." Hiruzen replied. "What has Naruto been doing in Kiri and why have you only come in now?"

"We didn't know he was from this village until recently. He came at our village when he was just a kid. In short, he helped set our village in the path that it currently is. And for that, we're eternally grateful for his efforts."

Those words made Kakashi curious about just how strong Naruto was. The fact that he infiltrated the village and killed Danzo meant he was powerful. But the War Hawk couldn't be the measure of strength. It shouldn't be surprising, though, he was after all, the son of his sensei and trained by Itachi.

"What are your intentions then?" the Jonin asked.

"Mei-sama wishes for him to become a shinobi of the Hidden Mist. We understand he isn't rogue. But he is also a Jinchuriki of the Kyubi."

Ao didn't come here just for that, right? The Mizukage could have just sent a letter. Then again, maybe she wanted to let them know what she has no criminal intentions and recognizes that Naruto once belonged to them. But Ao's words of how grateful they are to him meant they weren't going to do anything to betray his trust. Sure, they were saying he didn't know about this but this was a calculated move.

Shikaku smiled – the Mizukage was a smart person. She made her moves. But how did Konoha react to this?

"How would you describe Naruto in your opinion?" Shikaku asked a question that was out of place. But he wanted to know this Naruto before deciding anything. The Sandaime only had a brief encounter and so, did Jiraiya. But Ao has seen more of the blond.

"He is…" Ao paused, wondering if he should be honest or lie a bit. "To us, he is a person who has helped us, and a friend. While many may not say it, he is a hero."

Hiruzen almost burst out in laughter. It was really ironic. Konoha rejected this hero and Kiri welcomed him. It was how things worked in this world. For certain, Minato would be proud of his son. Maybe this was good and has brought Konoha an ally for a lifetime. Or maybe not.

"Why not many to say he is?"

"He has been rather silent in the village. So not many people know his good deeds."

"There is no yearning for attention, huh?"

"He grew out of that." The masked man said. "People change."

"Indeed." Kakashi nodded his head. Naruto of today wasn't the same he last saw. "You said 'to us' does that mean he is something else to others?"

"Yes."

Shikaku smiled. "But that is true for all shinobi. You're one of our finest shinobi," he said to Kakashi. "But to others, you may be nothing but a killer of their loved ones. It is already evident, Naruto has already been here, after all."

Kakashi didn't need to be reminded of the Danzo incident. In all, Naruto was a capable shinobi. He wasn't afraid of doing what needed to be done. But if he was with Kiri, it just meant that there was a chance they could have a healthy relationship with him.

"I suppose the next thing is an alliance with Kiri."

"Yes." Ao nodded in his head. "Kirigakure does not have an alliance with any other Great Nations. But we want to have a working relationship with the Hidden Leaf. A mutually beneficial relationship."

"That can be arranged." Hiruzen said. "We'll talk more later on before you leave on that part. But we first need to resolve the Naruto issue on our part before we speak of an alliance."

"I understand."

"Good." Hiruzen snapped his fingers and an Anbu showed up. "Show our guest out of the room. We will call you soon."

Once Ao was out of the room, Hiruzen let loose a heavy sigh.

"That was unexpected."

"Indeed." The Anbu commander. "But being in Kiri explains why we couldn't find him. The Mist is remote and its troubles have made many turn away from it."

"It is now past its troubles it seems."

"There is something that bothers me slightly." Hiruzen said. "Naruto said he had a home. But it is now apparent it isn't Kiri."

"If they have hopes he can become their shinobi and actually came here, it means Kiri could be his next home. If he hates us, he wont want anything to do with Kiri after an alliance."

"Either way, if the alliance can be agreed upon, then we must sign it. It will only be good for Konoha," Hiruzen said in a firm tone. "But I hope that isn't the case."

"We could ask him how Naruto feels about us."

"If Ao-san was telling the truth about only finding out recently about Naruto's origins, then it is safe to assume he keeps his thoughts to himself," Shikaku said.

"Kakashi… you're going to be the one dealing with this… what do you think?"

"We can't hold Kiri for anything. Naruto has made it clear he isn't coming back here. We've decided not to force him. I can only be happy that he has done something good. And maybe if things didn't turn out the way they did, we wouldn't be having the possibility of an alliance with Kirigakure. In this important time where we could face Iwa in war, this is an opportunity we cannot miss."

"I'm glad you think that way." Hiruzen said. "Once you become Hokage, meet with the Mizukage in person. Even if no alliance is formed, that you met with her means both Suna and Iwa start thinking. You can hash out terms of the alliance with Shikaku."

"Understood."

"Good." Hiruzen said. "I will leave you three to discuss how you'd like for things to progress. Come back to my office to report. And I will speak with Ao."


"Hokage-sama."

"Please sit," Hiruzen said to Ao with a smile.

He was curious about the kind of relationship Naruto had with Ao. This man had seen Naruto grow from a boy into an adult. Someone like that would have insight to what kind of thoughts the blond held.

"Thank you."

"Tell me, what kind of relationship do you have with Naruto?"

"We are not that close." Ao admitted. "But I respect his strength. He is a shinobi and knows what needs to be done and does it without hesitation. Even in the old days in Kiri, he would have survived."

"He has been in your village for a while are you're still not close to him?"

"He keeps to himself. But Mei-sama is the one who is close to him."

"I see."

It seemed like Naruto did keep to himself a lot. Was it the effects of the training Itachi gave him? The Uchiha had noted the blond learned quickly. And Itachi must have tried to frame him in the same way he was framed.

"How powerful is Naruto?"

"He fought the Yondaime Mizukage and won without using the power of the Kyubi. To be honest, I've never seen him use that power. That battle was a couple of years ago."

"So, indeed incredibly powerful." Though, with the Sharingan, and those chakra pools, Naruto was bound to become a terrifying shinobi. "We have gone through the idea of allying with Kirigakure. We have no problem with it. We will not include Naruto. However, you understand why Hidden Villages no longer form alliances, yes?"

"Because they really mean nothing."

"Yes. There is that worry. If there is going to be an alliance, it has to be one that is strong and build on trust. I suppose your presence here is a mark of trust and your revelations about Naruto signify Kiri's intentions."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

"We will correspond through letters before agreeing to the terms. But I will no longer be Hokage when that happens. I will however act on behalf of the active Hokage to see this through." Hiruzen smiled. "Do not worry. Although we have had some issues, we are resolving it and will respond to Kiri."

Ao had already learned that Suna and Konoha were moving toward peace. It wasn't surprising since the former had no military power to fight Konoha. What surprised Ao was the news that the Sandaime was going to appoint a successor. Maybe it was Kakashi or Shikaku. Either way, it didn't seem like it was going to make much difference.


Sunagakure

"You look relieved."

Rasa glanced at Baki and then nodded. He was back home. His meeting with the Sandaime Hokage would give Suna more room to breathe. And Iwa didn't try anything in his absence. It had been a real fear. No Great Nation held the interests of another. They were all selfish hyenas who would pounce even on allies. On that fort, the Hidden Stone functioned to perfection. There was no other village that felt contempt for the borders of other nations than Iwagakure. Everything was competition to it. And that usually resulted in the destruction of the competition.

"We came out of it unscathed. We may be masters of the desert, but it doesn't mean Konoha doesn't have capable shinobi."

"Anyone daring to attack you and Gaara in the desert would have been suicidal."

"I wonder about that," Rasa said in thought. "We can't afford to think our power is absolute. We will get nailed easily." He added sharply. "Was there anything amiss?"

"No." Baki replied with a slight shake of his head. "How was Gaara?"

"Silent."

Maybe his relationship with his son would never improve. He wanted to test if his son would try to bury him in the desert. But he did not such thing. No, he'd never expressed such thoughts. But Rasa had thought it possible. After all, his youngest child didn't enjoy his company that much. Gaara would rather be absorbed in his thoughts than talk to him. Had his mind not been occupied by grand schemes of Suna's future, the journey would have been tense.

"But he serves Sunagakure with everything. And that is the important part." Rasa leaned back to his chair. "Start preparing him to succeed me. He has proved his value. And that I was wrong."

"Are you sure?"

"We do not know when I will die. It maybe tomorrow. If that is the case, you will take over but who succeeds you? Gaara is strong. As long as he is there, nobody is going to attack Sunagakure."

Baki wondered if Rasa saw Gaara as someone worthy to lead or he just saw the value in his power. If he was powerful, the village would bend around him. There would be stability. But someone weak won't be able to command the shinobi and the council would do everything to undermine him before eventually driving him out of position.

Gaara did want to do better. He loved this village despite his bloody past. Baki didn't think he would ever betray the Sand. Then, showing him the ropes would be better.

"I understand."

"We have managed to stop conflicts with Konoha. Our shinobi can freely enter the Fire country without any fear. There might be incidents of course, but we will deal with how they are dealt with in the coming days."

"It is only natural that there will be incidents. Some shinobi will have grown to hate us. And won't be pleased with us."

"Yes. At least, we will be able to do more missions now. Our shinobi won't have to be rogue."

"And the Feudal Lord?"

"You know the mercenary called Shinigami…"

"Yes… I have heard rumors of him. Nothing but destruction follows his path. Iwagakure has hired him many times."

"We are going to hire him to wipe out the Wind capital."

Baki was silent. That was a drastic move. And it could have devastating consequences if that man were to fail. He's not failed before – as far as he has heard. But it was the Wind capital. It was always guarded. There would be no other village that does anything. It was an internal matter. Yet, he worried this was way too much of stretch.

"Suna will be left for worse if it ends just like that."

"If the capital falls, the country will be in a dire state. We might have problems with those small nations who send their missions to us. They might choose to send them elsewhere. I am aware of this much. This is why we must he strategic about it.

"Mindless destruction won't do us good. We must act with caution. In the next months, we will plan on how we can execute this without making the Wind fall apart. If we don't want people to suspect us, it is either some of our shinobi die during the attack and I am there as well. Of course, I survive. We can plead our case to our allies that way."

The shinobi wouldn't know they were going to be sacrificed. But it was their role to die for the good of Sunagakure. Rasa had no problems in sacrificing a handful of shinobi. He just hoped someone would not try to pin the blame on Konoha or Iwagakure.

"Who takes the blame for the hit?"

"We won't blame anyone but the man who carried it out. We can let people think on who might have hired him."

"Won't Iwa get offended?"

"Doesn't matter. It isn't like they are going to do anything about it."

Baki stared. He had an uncomfortable feeling at the back of his head. "You're not thinking of trying to eliminate this Shinigami in the end to try to contain his knowledge about this incident, are you?"

"Loose ends must be cleaned. It serves no value to keep him alive. He may end up blackmailing us in the future."

"We do not know anything about his power. If you were to try that and fail, it could mean the end for Suna. You die, we get an enemy and our enemies will take advantage of the issue."

"I just have to make sure I don't fail."

"Or not carry out that plan. He is a mercenary. He has worked for Iwa for years. And they've never had problems. Small nations have been destroyed by him. Possibly on Iwa's orders but he hasn't done anything against them."

"Not that we know of…"

"You know how the Tsuchikage is like. If he did something like that, Onoki would put him in his bingo book and have him hunted down. I'm fine with hiring him to carry out the job. But we need to study the issue for a little longer."

Suna has already been dragged to the edge of a cliff. They had managed to push themselves from the danger of falling to death, but Baki would not drag the village backwards.


Konohagakure

Hiruzen stared at the bingo book entry from Iwagakure with an expressionless mask. The moment he'd seen it, he'd lost all color in his face. He'd already received word about Naruto from Iwa but they hadn't said anything. He could see Onoki demanding that they capture him for them. Of course, Hiruzen wouldn't go that far, but how was he going to get out of this situation?

He shook his head. It was worrying for Naruto but had nothing to do with them. Naruto wasn't a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. Kiri may have some trouble but that was Kiri's problems.

Still, who could have thought that Naruto would be accused of attempting to assassinate the Tsuchikage? It doesn't say when the incident happened, but they made the accusation. Given that Naruto has already infiltrated even the Leaf, Hiruzen wasn't sure he could say it was a wild accusation. He didn't know the blond that well.

"This might be problematic." Shikaku said to Hiruzen.

"It depends on how we play our cards. We know nothing about this and Naruto isn't our shinobi. Even if Onoki makes demands, we cannot offer any help because Naruto is not of the Hidden Leaf."

"But it may affect plans to form an alliance with Kirigakure."

"You're not forgetting what that man said, are you? He said Naruto was a hero to them and they were eternally grateful. It is likely their attitude won't change much even if they didn't know."

"Kiri has been secluded and has no relationship with any nations within the Elemental Nations. Even if Iwa threatened to invade it, they wouldn't budge. To invade Kiri, Iwa would need to ships. Kiri is adept to that and would watch them all the way and sink their ships. Earth Jutsu isn't going to be effective in the sea and against water jutsu, they'd be at a disadvantage." Shikaku reasoned, catching the flow of the Sandaime's thoughts. "But Naruto could be hunted down."

"I have a feeling Iwa has been doing just that. They just can't catch him." Hiruzen replied. "At any event, we know nothing and will do nothing."

"Even if Iwa ends up capturing him?"

"Yes."


Jiraiya's eyes had never deceived him. He was confident in their ability to tell reality from illusions but for a moment, as the frame of Nagato appeared in front of him, he questioned the visual. He would have tried to cancel the Genjutsu if it wasn't ridiculous thought. But a man he thought dead was standing in front of him, in a town at the Earth Country.

He was a man now. Not the boy he left behind in the Rain. Jiraiya glanced to the side to see if the others were with him but he was alone.

"Jiraiya-sensei; it has been a while."

Had it not been for the cold voice that welcomed him, Jiraiya would have grinned ear to ear. He noted this wasn't the same kind hearted Nagato he once knew. This was a different person, who still wielded the legendary Rinnegan.

Once Nagato had settled beside him in dango shop, Jiraiya replied. "I heard you were dead. It seems that these has been exaggerated greatly."

"We were forced to spread this false rumor when Hanzo tried to have us killed in his scheming with Danzo."

Jiraiya wasn't the least surprised. Their names were similar but they'd been nothing alike. Perhaps it was growing old that changed Hanzo or maybe the manipulation by Danzo.

"Why would Hanzo want you dead?"

"Danzo convinced him we were after his power."

Jiraiya snorted. Always up to shenanigans. That man had never rested in scheming. "Good thing he is dead." He said to himself.

"I know."

"Are the others alive as well?"

"Yes." Nagato replied. "I came to talk to you about the situation between Suna and Konoha. We are concerned about what might happen if Iwa got involved."

"That was just resolved a couple of days ago. Konoha and Suna are moving toward peace."

"Will it last?"

Instead of answering the question, Jiraiya turned to stare at his former student. "Don't you think we should be talking about how you have been over the past years? How is Yahiko? I'm sure Konan has grown info a fine woman." He added with a grin.

If Jiraiya was ignoring his question, then it meant the peace would not last long. Was the Hidden Rain going to become a battlefield again? Nagato wouldn't stand for it. And he wouldn't play the role Suna played – he would get involved to stop the war. There would be no sides to take. Even if it would mean going against his sensei. Yet, he hoped things would never come to that point. Because it would be sad. Yahiko would be sad.

They owed much to this man who taught them jutsu and shared his ideals with them.

"It seems you haven't changed, sensei."

"And you have, Nagato."

"A child cannot keep crawling forever. We grow. If we don't, we are nothing more than cripples."

"You really have changed." Jiraiya said with a stare. "Has it been bad for you?"

"It is always, sensei. There is much pain in suffering in this world. We lose people every day in the quest for peace. And yet we wonder if we will ever get there…" Nagato said in a thoughtful tone. "I suppose even you have not found the right answer to peace."

Jiraiya stared into the clear sky. It was always conflict after conflict. He sometimes wondered if he would really enjoy peace before he perished.

He smiled. "No," he said. "But I have not given up. Besides, I have students such as you. Have you found your path?"

Nagato shook his head. "I wonder if peace is even possible, sensei. You told me that killing to protect my loved ones wasn't wrong. But once we are able to justify killing, it becomes easy to justify the next and then killing becomes a habit. As long as we don't think twice before killing, there will always be conflict."

"Conflict is part of life. We are humans, our thoughts will always conflict because we think differently. If it is fine to kill to protect those you love, then there will always be hate. The cycle continues. At that time, I did not want you to be swallowed in regret. But the fact that you felt something meant you were still you. Once you lose that part of you, you cannot stop."

"I have seen many deaths of comrades, sensei. Even betrayal by those we once called friends. It makes me wonder if the cycle of hate will ever be broken. But at the same time, these experiences have also taught me that wars are not only started by hatred. There are fundamental issues that lie beneath."

"Principles of Shinobi. As long as we do not change, nothing will change." Jiraiya said. "But I still hope that things will change."

"That is my hope as well, sensei."


Hello! Been a while! Ya'll good?
The Omnipresent Sage