Cutting it a bit close with this one, but here's that double chapter I promised.
Thanks goes to ncpfan, as you all well know.
Also, I'd like to thank DragonPony022 for sharing with me some fanart they created for this story which can be found at anarchyhamster(dottt)deviantart(dottt)com/art/Sealkeeper-He-Who-Binds-596042438?ga_submit_new=10%253A1457747167
Not much more to say really, you know other than the fact that this chapter marks the 100,000 word milestone. Can I get a fuck yeah?
Now, enough celebrating, raise the curtains!
One almost couldn't hear the eternal rain as it cascaded from the heavens. It always rained in this place so aptly named Amegakure no Sato. The rain hid this place, and it hid it well. It was the perfect location for people such as these, for people like her.
The silk of her cloak was cool against her bare skin, sending small tingles down her spine. Her shirt had not survived her travels, reduced to tatters by the time she had arrived under the ever-grey skies. Her pants had not fared better, but they had been salvageable and now hugged her hips as a pair of shorts that only went to mid-thigh. Still, it had been better than nothing. She had started her journey with very little and had not yet had a chance to gain things of her own.
It had been two months now, but it took three weeks just for her to get here. There had been no opportunities as of this moment for her to obtain some money to spend on a new wardrobe. Luckily she had been given a generous amount of cloaks which she would be able to use well enough until proper clothing could be procured.
What little she had on her upon her departure was spent getting her here and that which she had found slipped into her shiruken pouch by a redhead that apparently couldn't take no as an answer when it came to helping her in her time of need was promptly spent on spare changes of undergarments.
She would definitely be giving the young man a piece of her mind for slipping the money into her pouch when she had already been hesitant to take from him but he would also be getting a great big hug for the help it had been.
Thinking of the boy brought a warmth to her chest, despite the cold fabric that rubbed across it with every breath. He had known of her only through his mother, a woman who had abandoned him, and yet he had not hesitated to aid her that night. Admittedly, she did not know much about the young man. She had seen him a handful of times when visiting Kushina, but never had she actually spoken to him.
It was a thought that brought with it pangs of regrets. Would she have gotten closer to him had they spent time together? Would she have been an aunt or even a second mother to the boy? It was a missed opportunity now, he was no longer the little boy who hid behind his mother's legs and yet refused to leave in fear of her safety. No, while he had always been quiet and reserved much like her own son Itachi, the Naruto that comforted her that night had matured greatly.
Considering the maturity that he had already displayed not long before Kushina had taken his sister and left Konohagakure no Sato, that was saying quite a bit. Of course, he had good reason for his maturity. He was, after all, the man of the house. It fell to him to make sure his mother and sister were taken care of, even if he really wasn't ready for such a task and his mother had been perfectly capable of taking care of the household.
In the end it hadn't been those actions, but that mentality, that view of the world already so burdened by duty and responsibility, that had brought such changes to the boy originally. Or, that's what Kushina had once told her as they sat in the back garden one lazy Sunday afternoon, watching as little Naruko ran about chasing butterflies. Naruto had instead been sitting nearby, close enough to be present but far enough not to overhear the adults' conversation. He had several books strewn about him that day, but his gaze rarely fell to them. No, he had not distracted himself with his reading but rather watched carefully over his sister as she enjoyed herself. His lips did not raise as he watched her, but were drawn down into a small frown by the burden he had placed upon himself.
She could still remember clearly the look in his eyes, the longing to join her in her carefree afternoon, but he had remained sitting near the table. The boy had practically lived for the sake of his family and wouldn't hesitate even a second before sacrificing his desires for the happiness and wellbeing of the two women in his life.
And that fact only served to make her more upset with Kushina. There were two things above all else that the Uzumaki treasured; their word and their family. And yet Uzumaki Kushina, head of the Uzumaki clan, had seen it fit to leave behind her son as she and her daughter gallivanted about the elemental nations.
Would it really have been so hard to bring him to the Uchiha compound to stay with her for a few years? She really didn't want to have to drag Naruto into her clan problems then, but Kushina would have noticed that something was wrong and may have been able to get her and her son out of there.
Okay, so perhaps some of her anger stemmed from bitterness, but she knew how hard it would have been for her to leave her sons behind. Even when Itachi had gone on standard patrol missions within the village she was worried until he returned. How could Kushina have possibly justified her actions?
She knew the woman had to have a reason though; she was not so ignorant as to immediately assume the worst of the woman. Kushina may have been rather impulsive and she may have had a tendency to overreact, but even Kushina wouldn't have left her son behind without a reason to do so.
For whatever reason, Kushina had left him, but perhaps that had actually been for the best. Had she not, he would not have been there to shelter and comfort her on the horrid night. Who knows if she would have managed to make it out of Konoha alive?
Even if she had managed to flee successfully, what reason would she have to live? Tension within her clan had strained her relationship with the Uzumaki head to the point where it was often hard for her to think of the two as friends anymore. Perhaps that's why Naruto hadn't been left with her, which turned out to be a very fortunate thing indeed. Itachi may have betrayed the clan and Sasuke may have been lost- and most likely killed- during the clan's eradication, but Naruto was still there.
She might not have been the boy's biological mother, and she had no intentions of attempting to replace the woman, but by the gods she would do what she could for the last person she had. And to think, she only actually spent a night with him, a single night of sobbing and sleeping. She didn't even know him, but that was still more than she could say about anyone else at this point.
She really had no one else left.
But at least she wasn't alone.
Well, not completely. Sure, he couldn't be here with her and she couldn't do anything to help him at the moment, but the warmth in her chest reminded her that he was still there and would always be there if she ever needed him. The feeling was pleasant and comforting, reassuring her that despite all that had happened, not all was lost. The feeling, this affection, reminded her much of what she had felt for her sons, what she had once felt for Kushina, and what she had felt for Fugaku before the stress and pressure of being the clan head of the Uchiha had broken the fun loving man and left him as nothing but a cold, power-hungry monster. She blamed the clan's recent problems, mostly their extermination, on the man her husband had become, but she blamed the creation of that man upon the clan itself. It truly was a vicious cycle that had brought about their own destruction.
And now there were only two left.
But what were the chances that with only two Uchiha remaining that both would end up being in the same country? The same village? The same building? What about across the fucking room? Peering over the shoulder of Zetsu, who she stood behind, she could see her eldest son standing across from her, staring at Pein in disinterest. The pleasant warmth in her chest turned into an inferno of white-hot rage every time she laid eyes on him. He had betrayed the clan but, more importantly, he had taken everything from her. The only thing about him that was even slightly redeemable was the fact that by taking away everything that she had and everything that she once was he had ended up driving her to Naruto. This man, no, this dog across from her was not her son, Naruto was. And for him she would remain here, watching, so that he might stay safe.
She didn't know exactly what they wanted yet, her backer had not fully elaborated, but when it involved so many S-rank Shinobi it was worth keeping an eye on.
Pein said something and Zetsu stepped aside, letting those of the circle see her, but she did not worry about being recognized. Uchiha Mikoto had died as far as the world was concerned and no one here could see her face, hidden as it was behind a mask.
"As the newest member of Akatsuki, under the guidance of Zetsu, is there anything you would like to say?" Questioned the leader of Ame, his purple eyes peering at her calmly. Pein was the only one in this room, sans Zetsu, that had any idea as to who she was. He may not have known her real name, but he did know who it had been who sent her here with the half-plant.
Tilting her head to the side for a moment in thought, she nodded in the affirmative. Hips shaking as she bounced on the balls of her feet like an excited child, the words she spoke rolled of her tongue and sprang fourth from her mouth like a song, clearly head despite the orange porcelain that concealed her features.
"Tobi is a good girl."
"Keigo and Ren have returned from their mission, they report it as a success."
Hidden behind stacks of paper, Naruto nodded at his desk.
"Thank you, Mai. Tell them to get some rest, they've been running missions back to back for two weeks now."
"Of course, Naruto-Sama. Is there anything you need before I leave?"
He rifled through piles of papers for a few moments before withdrawing a folder that quickly found itself in her hands.
"It's the updated mission list; post it in the assignment office. If you see Sai let him know that he's absolutely horrible with money and that I need to talk to him about going over budget- again."
"Yes, Naruto-Sama. Is that all?" He thought for a moment before giving her a charming smile.
"Would you mind having some food sent up? I've been stuck in here all day trying to fix Sai's mess." The young man was a highly skilled Shinobi and had a way with the troops, but he didn't understand money in the slightest. Had Mai not been running the shop with him it would have no doubt gone out of business within the first week.
From a dispassionate frown, the young girls lips quirked upwards into a small smile.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure you're fed. Next time, however, I expect you to take a break by telling me we're going out for some lunch."
Helplessly, Naruto looked up to the clock- Half past four- and back at the stacks before him. Struggling to make the decision for a minute, he eventually hung his head with a defeated sigh. There was just too much to be done at the moment.
"Yeah, next time." He nodded mournfully. She stifled a laugh behind her hand and went for the door.
"I'll be back in an hour or so, Naruto-Sama. Good luck with your work." Closing the door behind her, Naruto was left alone in his makeshift office. Giving another deep sigh, Naruto let his eyes wander over the room. Unfortunately there was little to see.
The walls were plain, barren of everything save a single clock, and there were no windows to gaze out of. A bookshelf was tucked into a corner next to which was a filing cabinet. The only light in the room was from a lamp near the door and one on his desk, casting most of his office into rather risky shadows. He'd have to see about fixing that, but they were already contemplating the merits of a proper building to house the pack. Maybe he'd hold off on that for now, it wasn't like they had a lot of money to throw around in whatever manner might strike their fancy. They needed to use what little resources they had sparingly, which was the reason he was so irritated by Sai's inability to keep to the rather generous budget he had provided.
Well, no use crying over spilt milk, he'd just have to make sure it didn't happen again and send Sai on a few missions to cover the extra expenses. Of course, saying that sounded far more simple than it actually was. They were trying to keep a low profile at the moment, which means they didn't have requests pouring in. No, they had to find the requests themselves, making cautious contact with those who were having troubles and contemplating going to a hidden village for help. One might even say that they were intercepting missions, and that was proving to be no easy task.
It was also paying far less than Naruto would have liked. Yes, the missions were being taken by Shinobi, but they were not of any village. That placed them below a village which could send backup and above a group of mercenaries. So, while the pay wasn't all that bad, they should have been getting a lot more, which would have made everything much easier.
Well, there was nothing he could do at the moment, not until they had firmly established themselves and were ready to defend against any would-be aggressors. Considering this was the Shinobi world, they would come crawling out from all around the second they got wind of another group trying to get a start. They were easy pickings right now, no point in tempting those who could rip out their throats.
It would be at least another year before they could really start anything, but that was fine. It would take some time to get used to this and properly arrange everything anyway. He was going to be a Shinobi, he wouldn't be able to have such an active role when he was focusing on his career. He did not have the luxury of being retired as Danzou did. Though, in all fairness, the warhawk had certainly earned it.
Fortunately, Naruto had people he could leave most of the managing to in his absence. Sai was horrible with money, but he was a competent leader when it came to the wolves and had a talent for knowing which missions would go well and which would end up requiring more Shinobi or ready backup.
They typically avoided those.
Mai, on the other hand, was brilliant at managing the budget and keeping track of everything that was going on. Sai was great, and he was glad that he had met the pale young man, but he appreciated Mai a hell of a lot more. If not for her, they wouldn't be doing nearly as well as they had been. That's not to say they'd be in serious trouble without her, but her presence had helped them progress at a tremendous rate.
They had both grown on him, showing themselves to be reliable and competent, but he could not deny that he favored Mai over Sai. She had become something of a personal assistant to him ever since he had formed this pack and he greatly enjoyed her company. This did not feel like Tatsuki or Mito had, but rather a friendly companionship in which two individuals simply shared the pleasant feeling of not being alone. And while like Hinata he felt a need to protect her, partly out of duty as her leader, he also knew that she was perfectly capable of looking after not only herself, but his pack in his absence.
It was a refreshing change, one that helped him greatly. For two people to be close and yet remain so separate made every conversation a relaxed affair in which he didn't have to tell her what thoughts might be bothering him and she didn't tell him of what bothered her. Just two people escaping their problems with some pleasant company, like cleansing the palate for a quick respite before life presented you with the next dish of problems to deal with.
Should she leave, as those he had grown close to before had, he would miss her, but he also felt as though it would be far easier for him to accept. There were no heavy emotions associated with her, just cheerful memories, and for that he was grateful. He didn't know if he could go through all of that again.
Of course, he also knew he wouldn't have to.
His wolves were loyal, some almost to the point of fanaticism, and they would not leave his side. He would never have to worry about them betraying him, their seals had been modified to ensure such. It was unnecessary, but the precaution helped put his mind to ease.
No, his wolves were the only people he could rely on, a strong foundation that would give him stable footing in this chaotic whirlwind of life. And just as they took care of him, he would look after them.
It was almost like having a family again.
The drink was poured quickly and downed even more swiftly. Placing the empty glass down, Hiruzen contemplated another drink. He'd had four this afternoon and was well aware that a drink or two more would mean he couldn't do anymore work and he really didn't want to deal with the last of today's paperwork when he'd no doubt have a mountain of new papers waiting for him in the morning. At the same time, after two drinks he really shouldn't have been doing anything concerning the running of Konohagakure no Sato.
Not that he'd been doing much of his work anyway, too lost in thought. He hadn't actually touched any of his work since after his lunchbreak, instead he had chosen to stare out at the village he loved so dearly.
It offered no answers to his problems.
Problems which primarily concerned the only redhead currently in the village. Sure, most of them were technically with the Yamanaka clan and their 'mysterious' assailants who identified themselves with the image of the wolf, but he was no fool. Had he made mistakes before? Lapses of judgement at crucial times? Absolutely, who hadn't? But he was old, not blind. Even he could see that the Yamanaka were perfectly fine even after Naruto had delivered the cold corpse of Inoichi's sister to the man.
It had not been until Naruto had renounced his Uzumaki name and declared the Yamanaka heiress his enemy that these Wolves had started wreaking havoc upon the clan of Mindwalkers. Could it be coincidence? Yes, it could be. Coincidence, poor timing, great timing, it could be all manner of things. He would not rule out the possibility that this group was taking advantage of the boy's declaration to keep people believing he was behind it, but he likewise couldn't rule out the idea that Naruto may have found himself some rather skilled allies to aid him in his little war against the Yamanaka.
He knew how foolish it was to underestimate Naruto's capabilities. Something along the lines of starting his own private army was not something Hiruzen needed to be convinced the boy could do. He was well aware that the boy had remarkable potential and something so basic was well within his capabilities.
He had learned the dark truth of one of Konoha's biggest secrets within a few hours of its happening for fuck's sake! Underestimating him, civilian or not, was not to be done. Then there was the matter of his ANBU, all of which seemed rather fond of the boy.
Some might even say too fond, considering they had allowed him entrance and free reign within the Uchiha district despite Hiruzen's direct order that no one was to enter. Gods above, they had defied his orders in a time of crisis because they approved of the young man's rather Shinobi mentality. That wasn't the end of it either. Ever since Naruto had become the sworn enemy of the Yamanaka the clan had been receiving hostility from the ANBU.
You did not want to be the subject of ire when it came to Konohagakure no Sato's Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai.
Luckily, things had remained rather mild.
Well, mild in the sense that no one had been grievously injured. There had been a few suspicious accidents during training, but there was no way for Hiruzen to know if some of them had been legitimate accidents or if ANBU agents were lashing out.
There were other ways they were lashing out, though, such as surprise reevaluations that more often than not ended careers and removed Yamanaka clan members from the ANBU forces. Passively, they had taken upon a blind eye policy to anything that happened around the clan compound or even involved one of their blood. In most cases they favored any non Yamanaka involved which usually resulted in a lot of Yamanaka receiving disciplinary action or even being forced to retire early.
The Mindwalkers were not pleased, but there was little Hiruzen could do about it. Usually situations such as these would have been taken care of by the Mindwalkers themselves, and therein laid the problem. Not only would the Mindwalker performing the interrogation be suspect of answering in favor of the clan, but even if they got one who was honest they wouldn't know if the one being interrogated was hiding things.
And because of that, he had to take the word of the ANBU agents, all of them would. It had not gone unnoticed, either. The civilian populace was well aware of the tension and seemed to side with the ANBU for the most part, straining the Yamanaka clan's ties to the village in a manner eerily reminiscent of the events leading up to the Uchiha Massacre. Hiruzen would have to see if Itachi's black ops team was behind this. He wouldn't be surprised if they were directing it in such a way.
Then again, it could be Naruto himself behind the similarities. Hiruzen shuddered at the thought. He knew Naruto was extremely capable, but the idea that he might be directing and maneuvering Hiruzen's forces in such a way that recreated the events of one of Konoha's great tragedies and risked letting the secret out was not a pleasant one. In fact, it was downright fucking terrifying.
That was just his ANBU, too. It said absolutely about what the wolves had been doing. It started rather harmlessly with members going missing for a few days before showing up again, completely unharmed. It had done little to disrupt their lives, but it had left all clanmembers rather paranoid and wondering if the next person to be taken would return injured, if they returned at all.
It was rather fortunate that Inoichi had explained everything to him, otherwise he may have become worried about such an outcome. But just because Naruto had given his word that things would be kept non-lethal didn't mean he couldn't cause some major damage.
The clan treasury, for example, had been completely emptied.
No one was sure how the Wolves had managed it, but they not only managed to take everything without being seen, but rotting boar carcasses had been dumped into the cleared vault and painted in red was a snarling wolf on the outside of the treasury door. Had it not been for that picture and the rather copious amounts of blood the wolves had poured over the boars seeping through under the door, the Yamanaka would likely have never known.
As it was, the village as a whole still didn't. In fact, most of the things the wolves did to the Yamanaka clan went unknown. The Mindwalkers were not about to admit what was happening to them and show weakness. Shinobi found it difficult to resist vulnerability. Ally or not, they would take advantage of you for as long as they possibly could.
And, were anyone to learn that the Yamanaka clan was currently fighting and loosing against a civilian child, child of Kushina or no, their reputation would be crushed. They were having trouble enough getting missions as it was and now had no treasury to fall back on. Were they to lose the few missions they managed to obtain they would have absolutely no income and the clan would become destitute. It was already well on its way and the fact that it was being run by a ten year-old girl wasn't helping.
Inoichi had mentioned it being part of his deal with Naruto, who may or may not have been in league with the Wolves, that she would lead the clan so that all his quarrel could be with her through the Yamanaka. There was something else about being a life lesson, but Hiruzen had been too occupied at the time by the fact that a ten year-old was in charge of one of Konoha's prominent clans to pay much attention after that.
But aside from those events and the occasional sabotaged utility, there was only one last event worth note known as the Renji rape. Rather ingeniously, the wolves abducted several women, knocked them out, stripped them nude and left them chained up within the basement of one Yamanaka Renji. They were found three days later after an anonymous tip was given to the ANBU. Naturally the women had no recollection of him doing anything to them or even of meeting him, but that was the beauty of it. Because the Yamanaka were so well known for the mind arts, it was easy for people to believe that their memories had just been altered. Because it was a Yamanaka in question, they couldn't have anything checked or, rather, could not believe anything any of the Mindwalkers claimed.
This event had not managed to stay within the clan, not when the women were Konoha civilians and the Yamanaka no longer had the funds to buy their silence on the matter. The only reason Hiruzen knew what had happened was because Yamanaka Ino, the clan heiress, had found a box in her room containing the undergarments of the women along with a rather detailed painting of a pack of wolves beneath the moon, each one glaring at the observer with wrathful red eyes.
Of course, that also helped but Hiruzen's mind at ease. While there was no definite proof, Renji had not raped the women and the wolves seemed to have no interest in such acts, more concerned with ruining what remained of the Yamanaka clan. And while Ino, Inoichi, and Hiruzen himself knew the truth, no one else would believe them. Even the Yamanaka clan believed Renji had done it and blamed him for the great loss of reputation that had befallen them.
The Nara and Akimichi who had thus far been aiding the Yamanaka as discreetly as possibly as to avoid becoming targets had promptly withdrawn support after that incident. There was no way they could let themselves be associated with such a thing. And so the Yamanaka were left with nothing and no one. There was only one way direction for them to go now, and that direction was, unfortunately, downwards. There was no way for things to improve at the moment which meant things would just get worse until they could no longer call themselves a Shinobi clan.
He had to wonder if that had been the plan all along or just a pleasant bonus for the Wolves.
If Naruto truly was involved, he suspected it had indeed been planned. And to think, this all may have been avoided if Hiruzen hadn't been so hasty when it came to retrieving the information he believed Naruto was in possession of. He had been in possession in some rather dangerous secrets, but it was not what they were looking for and Inoichi couldn't even properly make out the true extent of Naruto's classified knowledge.
It was for that reason that he blamed himself for this entire mess. They gained nothing from his actions and succeeded only in pushing Naruto away. He had been fostering a pretty good relationship with the boy before the event and now all of it was lost. No, not lost, just relocated. To Danzou.
The Sandaime Hokage still couldn't believe he had managed to drive the boy to Danzou of all people. There were various outcomes that played through his mind resulting from this development, most of them bad, but there were some possibilities that would be good for the boy. He'd have to simply sit back and let Naruto make his own decisions, any attempt at interfering in the boy's life at this point could produce absolutely horrid results.
And it was because of that, and partly out of guilt, that he had not attempted to end the war between the young man and the Yamanaka clan. It was mostly his fault that things came to this, that Naruto was pushed into this situation, who was he to try to step in when Naruto was handling it so well?
The Yamanaka would be a rather substantial loss, and one very soon after the loss of the Uchiha, but it, like the Uchiha Massacre, was necessary. He would surrender the clan like a sacrificial lamb in hopes that the wolf might eat it and move on, its hunger sated.
He just prayed that Naruto moved on to someone else's pastures and didn't turn his hungry gaze to the flocks of Konoha.
Most of them wouldn't stand a chance.
Danzou was waiting in the usual spot. Slipping into the seat across from him, Naruto was glad for this break from his work. It had been a year now and things were coming together nicely. It wouldn't be too long now before he could truly allow his pack into the world with confidence.
Unfortunately, the last of the work was a lot more strenuous than the work he had done getting everything set up. It was to be expected, though. He was organizing everything so that it would not require his attention often. The plan was to let Mai manage everything as Sai led the pack itself. The two were used to working with each other and had become used to working with him, they'd do well leading the pack while he was occupied with starting his Shinobi career.
"It's been a while, Naruto. Been busy?"
"I have." He answered with a nod. "Is retirement still treating you well?"
"You should know that I'm not really that retired."
Naruto pretended to be confused, despite knowing the old man across from him was an expert at reading people.
"Oh, do you mean because you serve as an advisor on the honorable council? Yes, I suppose that would be a lot of work and take away from the feeling of retirement."
"That's not what I was referring to."
"Isn't it? Whatever could it be that you speak of?"
"I know you've been in contact with them, their sudden change in movement told me something had happened. It was no hard to figure out it had to do with you. I don't know how you managed to convince them, but I do find myself rather impressed."
"I'm afraid I cannot take credit for something I don't know of."
"Do not think you can fool me, Naruto. You know very well what it is I speak of. After all, you have spent the past year turning them from a loose collection of soldiers into a professional organization. You may have used already prepared Shinobi, but it's still remarkable that someone as young as you managed such a feat. Not everyone has what it takes."
"Still a bit lost here. Who?"
Danzou's lips turned down into a deep frown. With the slightest of movements two figures dashed from behind the trees towards the former Uzumaki. Unlike the wolves he had expected to meet his men in defense of their leader two black chains intercepted them. Naruto wasted no time in executing them and within seconds his chains had wrapped around the men's necks and snapped them with violent jerks.
Danzou's frown increased in size. He had thought that the Wolves would have defended their leader instantly. Perhaps they knew how capable their lord was and deemed it unnecessary to guard him. It was a rather bold move, but it also ensured that they would not be caught and that anyone who met with him would immediately feel like they had the upper hand. The false security they felt would likely become the undoing of many men in the future. It was not wise to underestimate Naruto.
Much to Danzou's pleasant surprise, he felt a blade to his neck. Seeing as Naruto was still seated before him and, to the best of his knowledge, did not know any solid clone techniques, Danzou let his gaze move to the side. The snarling face of a wolf was next to his own, the person behind it paying very little attention to his 'captive' as they gazed towards their leader.
Moving his eyes back to Naruto, he lifted a single brow.
"So you still don't know what I'm talking about?"
"Absolutely not, that's just a pet. Surely you know a wolf when you see one."
Danzou gave a snort. "Yes, of course. Now, call of your mutt before I teach it the hierarchy."
The wolf-faced Shinobi growled in response but released his captive at Naruto's nod.
"Take care of the bodies and return to the den, I can take it from here." The wolf gave a nod and left with the bodies to obey.
"You know, I had left them as civilians for a reason."
"I'm well aware, but I also know you did that because you didn't have any use for them. I, on the other hand, did. Either way, their training gets put to good use, no?"
"Are you trying to say terrorizing the Yamanaka is a good use of the soldiers I poured valuable time and recourses into?"
"I'm not, but I won't deny that it's one of my uses for them."
"Quite. I've attempted to influence things outside of Konoha recently only to run into members of your pack that seemed quite lost. I'm not sure how they managed to become so separated."
"Damn, and here I was hoping to keep that a secret for a bit longer."
"It isn't often that plans work perfectly, Naruto. You should know that."
Naruto snorted in amusement. "The perfect plan was to never be known, I was just trying to get a firm grounding within a few minor countries before it was discovered that I intend to play on a global scale."
"A wise choice, but one that really doesn't matter now."
"Indeed, I'll just have to make due. I'm sure I can abandon a project or two to finish some of the others as soon as possible. I'll take the hit, but at least I'll be better prepared for any others that might come afterwards."
"Hm. Tell me Naruto, how does your pack fit into Konoha?"
"By prowling within the shade of the Great Tree, of course."
"And yet you have members of your pack far from the tree."
Shrugging, Naruto gave a grin.
"What can I say? From time to time we like to lie in the sun."
"The sun is no place for men like us." The disapproval within his voice was obvious. He had expected a better response from the boy.
"There are times when one must seek out prey; we find the sunlight to be most bountiful."
"And with that bounty, what will you do?"
A hardened seriousness came into Naruto's gaze as he stared into the older man's single eye.
"I will feed my pack."
"You will never be able to devour it all."
Venom spilled forth from his tongue, dripping to the floor like acid as he spat in defiance;
"Watch us."
The looks she received as she walked down the streets of Konoha's seedier district caused her to withdraw into her fluffy jacket. Men, drunk despite the early hour, jeered at her while the many soiled doves who could always be found sent her disapproving looks and scoffing sneers.
Looking down to the paper clutched tightly in her delicate hands, she once more reviewed the address. Normally she wouldn't be anywhere near this part of the village, but Naruto had instructed her to come here and she didn't like the thought of disappointing him.
She really liked Naruto, not in the sense of a crush, but more as her friend or maybe even brother. He had helped her when her family had branded her as a branch member and continued to look after her afterwards. He was the first person she could think of as a friend and she had to wonder if he was what Neji would have been if he didn't hate her.
Shaking her head at the thought, she glanced around to find her destination. Double checking with the paper in her hand, she headed towards the small, one-story building that looked rather out of place. With buildings three times its size flanking it and the walls painted a dark red it was hard not to take notice of it. There were no markings on the outside and no windows to peer into but the addresses of the buildings it sat between let her know this was the right place.
Moving towards the black double doors, she was aware of the leer of drunken men turning into an almost shocked horror as she drew near it. Sneers and scowls sent to her by women of pleasure vanished as they tried to retreat out of sight. The two doors opened and she made note of the wolf-masked shinobi standing before each one. Though their faces were hidden, she got the feeling that the snarling wolves were glaring at everybody in the street, almost if daring them to try something.
A young woman, perhaps fifteen years of age, came through the door next. Her skin was pale, exceedingly so, and long dark hair fell strait down her back in a long rectangle. Bangs on either side of a dispassionately frowning face went past her breasts to rest near her naval. While there were manyu who would be of the opinion that Hinata was more attractive, or would become more attractive than the girl when she reached the same age, the young girl couldn't help but be intimidated by the young woman.
That was put to rest when she bowed low in greeting.
"Welcome, Hinata-Sama. Our lord has been waiting."
Hinata was, admittedly, a little confused. She was aware that Naruto had allies within the village but never had he mentioned a lord of any sort. Was this how he had gotten the support he had, by befriending a lord?
"Please, if you would follow me." Hinata only hesitated for a second before following after the woman. If Naruto thought she should be here than she would trust him. As she fell into step behind the woman she could hear the doors shutting behind her and the two men take their positions ready for the next person who would attempt entrance.
Swallowing down her fear, she continued behind the young woman and was surprised when walking through a second door brought them to a room that contained only a large staircase. There were torches in each corner of the room and under those the face of a wolf. It took her a moment to realize that there were people below the masks, their bodies hidden in the blackness the dim torches could not penetrate.
Something warm and soft entwined with her fingers and the woman sent her a small smile. "Can't have you getting lost now, can we?" And with that Hinata was lead down the stairs and into the darkness.
She didn't know how long they walked or how many turns they had ended up taking and Hinata understood why the woman had deemed it necessary to hold her hand. Though, necessary or not, Hinata was unused to such physical contact and having the pretty young woman intertwining their fingers together had left her with a rather bright blush.
"Come on, we're almost there."
"Y-yeah." Hinata gave a timid nod and an "eep" of surprise when the woman pinched her blushing cheek.
"Well aren't you just the most adorable thing? No wonder he's taken you under his protection." She must have been talking about Naruto there and briefly Hinata wondered if Naruto thought she was adorable too.
"It's probably a good thing I'm escorting you, too. The Wolves would probably devour such a timid little lamb."
"R-really?"
"Oh, yeah. In fact, I'm thinking about it myself." Hinata blushed even brighter, causing the woman to giggle. "I think the two of us will get along well enough, Hinata-Sama. If you're ever feeling a bit lonely feel free to come find me."
"O-okay." The ex-heiress's face had gone completely red, much to the young woman's amusement. That look of amusement, however, was wiped off her face the instant they stopped before a large steel door flanked by four guards. Upon seeing her one of them entered the room while the other three saluted first to the woman and then proceeded to bow to Hinata, much to her confusion. When a loud knocking from the other side of the door was heard two of the guards stepped further away while the final one held the door for the two women, permitting them entry.
Entering, the last guard followed them in, shutting the door and taking his place beside it much like the first had done on the other side.
It was a familiar face, surrounded by stacks of paperwork, that greeted her.
"Naruto-Kun?"
The young man looked up from his work and shot her a smile.
"Good morning, Hinata. How have things been?"
For a second she liked to imagine that he had actually asked about her personal life, something that filled her heart with warmth, but she knew the reality was he wanted to know about the going-ons of the Hyuuga clan. She really couldn't blame him. Not only had he defied them by ruining the seal on her brow but he had risked their ire a year ago when he declared her under his protection and publically placed himself against the Yamanaka.
Thus far the Hyuuga had yet to do anything, which was usually a good sign. If they had a problem you would hear about it. Perhaps because it involved Hinata who was not just a branch member but one whom they had been unable to properly brand they didn't care or even hoped that something would happen to her due to the conflict. She really couldn't say for sure.
"They've been well. Are you doing okay?"
"The wolves and I have been doing wondrously, thank you. It's because of that I wanted you to come here. Seeing as we've finally managed to set ourselves up I wanted to meet them. You're under my protection, these are the people who will be insuring it."
"I don't think I understand."
"These are my Wolves, my guard, my shinobi, my own personal army." Hinata's wonder had obviously been noticed as he paused. She had obviously not expected him to have his own army and not many would.
"I'm giving you some of them."
"What? Why?" One of the guards gave a low growl at the fact that Naruto was being questioned but the redhead just smiled.
"As your own personal guard, of course. I promised you were under my protection and while you haven't been given any trouble by the Yamanaka yet and your clan still hasn't figured out what to do about your seal I would rather be safe than sorry."
With a snap of his fingers four masked individuals appeared. Each one was dressed in the dark grey uniform she had seen all the others wearing and bore the same snarling masks. But there was one difference that set them apart, a single green 'X' proudly displayed above the mask's brow. It reminded her of the cage bird seal and she knew that was probably the idea behind it.
"Come," Naruto stood, "Let me introduce you to your protectors."
Hinata had a feeling that things in her life were about to change-
And not in a bad way.
Had it really been almost four years already? She would ask where the time had gone, but she knew very well that it had disappeared into the countless bottles than no littered the Senju compound. Shizune had valiantly attempted to keep the grounds clean and her sober but it had all been for naught. Though she had, admittedly, kept the main house almost completely alcohol free.
Tsunade had stopped drinking there two weeks after they had moved to Konoha and moved her activities to the many guest houses and the gardens instead. Things had felt pretty slow as she lounged in the sun with her drink of choice, nowhere near as fast and hectic as her decade long gambling spree that had flown by in an instant, but they had still gone far more quickly than she had realized. It felt like only months ago that she had stepped back into Konoha and yet it had not been just a year or even two, but rather very close to four full years.
There were few in the world capable of keeping themselves drunk for outrageous amounts of time, especially if they planned on staying alive in this violent world, but Tsunade was, much to her own shame, one of them.
And now four years had been drunk away.
Guilt briefly flashed in her heart. There was no doubt in her mind that Kushina had been anxiously awaiting word on the wellbeing of her son and Tsunade hadn't even found the boy yet. Not that she had actually been searching, more concerned with studying the bottom of her bottles than locating the son of a famous shinobi within Konoha of all places. Who here would hurt him? The worst that could have happened was him being homeless for a few weeks before someone took him in.
There was Kurenai, too. Tsunade knew for a fact that the woman had been looking for the boy. He hadn't been brought here as far as she knew, so the chances of Kurenai having found him were pretty slim unless she had managed to get over whatever problems she had, but that was fine. Just because Kurenai hadn't found him didn't mean someone else hadn't. Hiruzen had admitted to knowing where the boy was living, though he refused to say in an attempt to respect the boy's privacy which was absolute bullshit.
Tsunade was his godmother, why wouldn't he just tell her where the brat lived so that she could take a look at his chakra coils and be done with it?
It really didn't matter at this point, though, did it? Even if there was something wrong he'd be starting to go through Chakra Maturity at this point. If the presence of the Kyuubi's chakra truly had been harmful then it was good that Kushina had left with Naruko and it would be safe for them to return on schedule. If it hadn't, well, she really wouldn't be able to tell at this point.
Nothing seemed to come up concerning him and his health either, as Hiruzen hadn't sent for her. If there had been a problem then she knew he'd want her, the world's greatest medic, to take care of it. So, for all she really knew, he was perfectly okay, now the only problem was finding some way to explain the fact that she had sent not one single letter to the worrying mother.
'It must have gotten lost' could only work so many times and she really couldn't use it to explain four years without updates on Naruto's health. If she told the woman that Naruto's network was fine and exposure to the Kyuubi's chakra would cause no damage then Kushina would be furious that she had not been notified earlier so that she could return. On the other hand, she had no real way to tell her that she had been right and had made the correct decision in separating herself from him and yet she had not told her that. It would have no doubt helped Kushina a lot to know that she had done the right thing and yet she had heard no word either way.
There really was no winning for Tsunade at this point. No matter what she said, the fact remained that she had kept the worried mother in the dark for all these years. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. But she wasn't just a woman, no, Kushina was a mother, an Uzumaki mother, and one that she, Tsunade, had kept from her child.
Maybe it was time for her to return to gambling her way across the elemental nations. It could buy her a few months at the very least, long enough to drop Shizune somewhere she'd be safe and find herself a nice little town to be buried in. Kushina would be out for blood.
Then again, would the woman leave her son again so soon after returning? She doubted it, and chances of him leaving when he was about to graduate the academy were slim, so he couldn't join his mother in her hunt. She might survive a bit longer then, maybe even escape the Uzumaki woman's rage completely.
She scoffed at her own thought, there was no escaping an Uzumaki's wrath, it just didn't happen.
And unfortunately, this was not a problem her beloved Sake could fix.
Well, not that she had any left. The stores of the Senju clan was vast but she had managed to completely empty them of everything alcoholic by herself in a mere four years. Had she not been the greatest medic in the world her liver would have failed ten times over.
"Oh, master, was there something you needed?" Tsunade hadn't even heard Shizune enter the house, how long had she been home?
"No, just thinking." Shizune sent her master a curious look but otherwise left it at that. It was odd for Tsunade to be in the kitchen seeing as she usually spent her time drinking in one of the guest houses. Actually, it was odd to simply see Tsunade not drinking, especially at this time of day. She should be at least a dozen and a half bottles in by now, and that was on slow days.
"Hey, Shizune." The silence was broken by Tsunade's voice as her apprentice looked up from her search of the fridge.
"Yes, Tsunade-Sama?"
"Have you heard anything about Naruto recently?" Unseen to her, Shizune frowned.
"You know, if you told me why you're looking for him I would know what things to listen for. You still haven't even told me why we came back to Konoha."
Tsunade paused for a moment, contemplating it, before giving a sigh.
"We moved here for him." She admitted. Her apprentice sent her an incredulous look.
"We moved here for him? What on earth does that mean?"
"I-I know his mother, she asked me to come keep an eye on his health while she was away."
"An eye on his health? She asked you, the greatest medic to ever live, to look after his health just because she knew you? Surely any trained medic would have worked. There aren't a lot of combat medics, but Konoha has plenty trained to work in the hospital." Shizune knew there was more to the story and Tsunade, realizing this, gave another resigned sigh.
"I'm the boy's godmother." Slowly, Shizune closed the fridge and went to the tale her master sat at.
"He doesn't know, does he?" Her voice was soft but carried a noticeable edge.
"Not unless Kushina told him."
"And you decided not to go looking for him? All he knows about you is that you're one of the Sannin, you don't mean to tell me you expected him to come to you, do you? Is he even aware that his mother is concerned for his health for whatever reason? Does he have a reason to seek you out?"
"I've looked and one of his mother's students is keeping an eye out. She was going to send him to live here at the compound if she managed to find him. Neither of us have been able to locate him yet, despite our best efforts." Tsunade looked up in confusion when Shizune scoffed at her.
"That's a load of bullshit and you know it. I saw him just last month at Ichiraku Ramen and the month before that at a Shinobi store buying Kunai. He's not that hard to find unless he's trying to hide from you."
"Wait, you saw him and didn't tell me?!"
Shizune scoffed at her again.
"Tell you what, that I ran into Naruto again, had a friendly chat, and continued on with my day?"
"Why didn't you bring him here? You know I've been looking for him."
"No, I know you've been waiting for him to show up while you spend your days getting drunk off your ass. What did you expect me to tell him? 'Come back to the Senju compound and meet Tsunade, I don't know why but she's been looking for you' isn't something you'd tell someone."
"That would have worked perfectly well, he doesn't need to know why I'm looking for him, I'm Senju Tsunade for fuck's sake. Just a chance to see my breasts should have had him coming back with you!"
"You really don't think highly of him do you, Tsunade-Sama?"
"What on earth are you talking about?"
"I told him you were looking for him. When I couldn't tell him why he scoffed at me. A legendary Kunoichi wanting to meet you for reasons unknown is beyond suspicious and only a fool would accept it at face value."
"He's eleven! He should have been jumping for a chance to meet me!"
"He was eight when I met him, and that was when he was just the Little Thief and not at war with the Yamanaka."
"He's what?!"
Shizune lifted a single eyebrow. "Have you left the compound within the past two years, Tsunade-Sama? He ended up declaring himself their enemy not too long after his tenth birthday. Renounced his Uzumaki name from what I hear, too."
"I don't believe this, how could it have happened?"
"The details are pretty fuzzy," Shrugged Shizune, "Surrounded by a lot of rumor and speculation. If you really want to know you'd have to ask Naruto himself."
"You know I can't find him."
"That's because you're not really looking." With that Shizune left the room.
She was right and Tsunade knew it. The Sannin had never wanted to find Naruto, perfectly content to let things sort themselves out. At first, she had wanted to avoid the boy who had just lost his mother. He'd have been confused, hurt, and emotional and she didn't want to deal with that or have him start thinking of her as a mother figure. As time went on she realized that it would have been easier then and explaining everything, including her absence up to that point, would be far more difficult for her to do.
The explanation was put off for the next day, and then the next, and then for weeks after that. As more and more time passed she knew it was less and less likely for him to accept any explanation she came up with. What a way that would have been for him to meet his godmother.
But now, having put it off for four years, she had probably lost all rights to call herself such.
And for reasons she could not explain, the loss of the godson she had never met hurt her just as much as every other loss she had ever suffered.
Perhaps being in his life would have helped her close the wounds of her past, the wounds she drank to forget. Maybe, just maybe, she could have found in her godson another reason to keep on living, one to give her life purpose after Shizune left her to start her own life.
Senju Tsunade would never know, and that doubt would haunt her for the rest of her life.
There was both excitement and hesitation with every step she took, each one bringing her closer to her village, her home-
Her son.
It had been four years now; four years, one month, six days, and ten hours since she had last seen her son. Next to her Naruko was practically dancing in excitement as they made their way closer to the village hidden in the leaves.
But each step Kushina took was slower than the last. She was happy to be coming back, to be able to see her son again after all this time, but she was worried. She had left a note explaining everything within the compound but Naruto wasn't able to access it. Hiruzen knew of her reasons or at least had a good understanding of them, but had Naruto been told by the old Kage?
The Sarutobi head had voiced his disagreement with her plans many times before she had left and she knew that his refusal to write any letters after the first was because his suggestion was the same.
'Come home.'
But she hadn't, couldn't. He should have known that. Then again, he wasn't the professor for nothing, perhaps he felt it better to risk exposing Naruto to more of the Kyuubi's chakra as she sorted everything out then to rely on what little of her plan remained.
Of course, one also had to realize that leaving behind her baby boy was the hardest thing she had ever done. If she had returned she knew she wouldn't have been able to leave again. She couldn't do that, couldn't risk damaging Naruto's coils with the presence of the Kyuubi's chakra and taking away his chances of ever being a Shinobi.
He had always wanted to be a Shinobi so he'd be able to protect her and his sister. She couldn't take that away from him. She just had to hope that he would understand why she had to leave and why she couldn't come back to take care of him. Naruko's training had gone well, and that meant she didn't have to worry about anything concerning her daughter. It also left her a lot of time for Naruto. In fact, it left all her time for Naruto.
She would make sure that Naruto had all the training he wanted and then some. Every second she had available would be devoted into making Naruto the Shinobi he wanted to be and making up for all the time she had spent away from him. The first thing she was going to do when she saw him was sweep him into a big hug and cover his face with kisses. She'd make sure he knew exactly how much she loved her baby boy and that she was never going to be leaving him like that again.
"Come on, Kaa-Chan, faster! I want to see Nii-Kun!" Naruko was just as excited as she was, if not more so, and had no worries making her hesitate. She hadn't been the one to leave Naruto, Kushina was. Naruko was simply taken with her.
It had been difficult at first for the girl to be separated from her brother. The two were often close by, Naruto keeping an eye on her to make sure she was safe, and to be so far away from him and know it was going to be years until she next saw him was hard on her. It had taken a little encouragement and a few mentions about how proud her brother would be, but once Naruko started training her skills grew by leaps and bounds.
Most curiously, however, it had been her ability to call upon the chakra of the Kyuubi no Kitsune and keep it under control that had gone by the fastest. It was almost as if the Kyuubi wasn't just letting her take the chakra, but was actively helping her control it, which was a ridiculous thought. Then again, Kushina knew little about the seal her husband had used all those years ago, few did. The Shiki Fuin was not something used often and as a result not much information was available. Perhaps it was the seal that allowed her daughter such control over the volatile energy that made up the strongest Biju.
Whatever the reason, Kushina was just glad to know her daughter was able to call upon such power should anything ever happen to her. Few could go against Jinchuriki, even fewer against one who could call upon large quantities of a Biju's chakra and retain their mind. It was not a power intended to be wielded by humans and the results were devastating.
Smiling, Kushina looked down at her daughter.
"Faster you say? I don't think you can handle faster." Naruko pouted.
"I can too, I bet I could get their faster than you."
"That sounds like a challenge." Stated Kushina as she raised a single brow.
"Heh, you're on!"
"A race it is, then. On the count of three. One, two, thr-" Before she could even finish counting her daughter had started running as quickly as she could towards the village they called home.
Home, where her family would be whole once more. Her heart leapt in joy at the thought. They were the Uzumaki and there was nothing more important to them than family.
Chasing after her daughter, Kushina let her thoughts drift to thoughts of her son's smiling face and sparkling purple eyes.
She couldn't wait to hold him again.
Hope you all enjoyed it. I look forward to seeing you all in my theater again next week for act XVI. And, if it's not too much trouble, please stop switching seats. It's already hard enough to keep track of you all.