Once again I ended up leaving corrections for the last minute which would have been fine if I had just gotten home by 10pm and been able to take care of them. Unfortunately, work had other plans and followed me home after keeping me late.
Managed to finish that up- only took an hour or so- and got to work looking for the red squiggly lines in the chapter about the same time I was supposed to be getting to bed. And speaking of bed, I need to get to it because I have work in the morning- I'll probably be there by the time you read this chapter- and I'm exhausted.
Reached 80% for chapter 77 today- Sunday- and should be able to finish before work in the morning while you're all enjoying this chapter. I'll see about getting an update written up too, but we'll see.
If you haven't already, follow me on Twitter at Eyazahrid and check out Eyazahrid-dot-net regularly for updates about Sealkeeper and all the things conspiring to keep me from writing it.
That should do it for the AN- I have an entire website for me to ramble on- so we'll end it here.
Let's get to the part of the chapter you've actually been waiting for.
The glares that followed their every move as they made their way through the Yamanaka compound were completely understandable and Naruto didn't mind receiving them in the slightest. He had, after all, completely ruined their reputation.
Well, that and they probably still blamed him for Tatsuki's death, but he couldn't fault them for that either. There were only two people who knew the complete truth of what happened that night and one of them was a Biju. Not exactly a credible source in the court of law.
While Naruto understood why he was getting such reactions and accepted them as inevitable, his Wolves were less understanding. Mai managed to restrain herself, simply glaring back and daring them to make a move so she could sic their guards on them. Said guards were busy growling deeply at anyone who dared to think they had any right to glare at their lord.
It was enough of a warning that most of the Yamanaka found other things that needed their attention. The Wolves had already established their dominance here and while the clan members felt secure enough sharing their opinions of the Wolves they had no desire to challenge them again.
The few Yamanaka who stayed further made their opinions known by spitting at the ground as Naruto passed. That alone would have been enough for the Wolves to take action had Naruto not raised a hand to stop them. He didn't bother reacting, however, the opinions of these people didn't matter in the slightest and if spitting on the ground helped them feel better they were welcome to spit to their heart's content.
Should any of them spit upon Mai, however, he would personally see the entire compound reduced to ashes tonight, even if he had to rely on his biological mother's status over the clan in order to get away with it.
No one- NO ONE – would get away with disrespecting his Mai.
Besides the occasional spitting Yamanaka, they had no trouble in reaching the home of the clan head. Rightfully, it belonged to Kushina but as she had her own room in the Uzumaki compound she had allowed the Yamanaka to continue using it as they had been. The heiress herself stood at this door, dressed in a pretty purple kimono Naruto remembered from the dinner he had here some time ago.
The clan members had seemed less hostile then, but perhaps that was because Kushina was present. As far as he knew, the Uzumaki head had no idea what was happening tonight.
"Welcome, Naruto-sama, Mai-sama, and Honored Wolves." She greeted with a deep bow. When she rose up again she received a questioning brow from Naruto that had her face flushing red. Naruto was in a pretty good mood tonight and with a small smirk decided it might be fun to tease her a bit more.
"Good evening, Yamanaka-hime, it's our pleasure to have been invited here tonight." The fact that it was a group working for him that had arranged this was completely disregarded. In fact, he had approved the request for the event before even the Yamanaka knew it would be happening. He was quite pleased to have immediately received an invitation from the Yamanaka heir. Whether it had been at the behest of his team, her father, or of her own volition he did not know, but the last two options meant they had learned their lesson well.
The Kunoichi blushed prettily at being called a princess- she hadn't felt like one for quite some time now- and Naruto returned her bow with one of his own to give her a moment to recover.
Mai also offered one, not to seem rude, though hers was noticeably shorter and more shallow.
The Yamanaka heir was still wearing a fetching shade of red on her cheeks when he straightened up. He thought it suited her well.
"This way, please, Tou-sama is expecting you." Ino opened the door for them, allowing them to enter the home first, before following them in and taking the lead. Idly he took note of the artwork on the walls as they walked to meet the others, wondering if they had been here the last few times he had paid a visit. Probably, their coffers hadn't recovered enough for them to be splurging like this so soon and 'priceless' works were usually something to save for last when you had to sell your belongings.
There was no telling who might be willing to spend outrageous sums of money on one, so you needed to make sure you got as much as possible for them.
Well, that and if you managed to recover getting them back would be a bitch and a half. Better to just keep them.
That was Naruto's opinion at least, who knew if it was anywhere close to the truth in this case. He certainly didn't own any priceless pieces of art. He had to amend that statement actually. He didn't own any priceless pieces of art that he knew of. Who knows what the Wolves may have collected in his name.
The group continued its walk, winding up a set of stairs and to the master bedroom where, presumably, Inoichi was awaiting them. Ino knocked on the door twice to warn the occupants of their arrival before opening it and standing to the side for Naruto and his Wolves to enter.
Naruto, still in a pretty good mood tonight- and he didn't actually know why, maybe he was just feeling good because he was dressed up- had other plans. Slipping his free arm around one of Ino's he pulled her through the door with him and Mai, pleased with the red that once again covered her cheeks.
He really couldn't help himself lately, all the young women around him just looked too cute when they were blushing. From his other arm Mai watched with her own soft smile, but whether she was enjoying the fact that he was being a bit playful tonight or she too simply appreciated how cute Ino looked he couldn't tell.
For being his favorite Wolf, he actually wasn't certain what her exact tastes were. He did, however, recognize that she spent a lot of time with Tsume and was also aware that the two had a tendency to share a bed recently. He tried not to dwell on the fact too much, but it wasn't' exactly something he could completely ignore.
They were both attractive women, after all, one of which he would consider himself quite close to.
And while part of him argued that Tsume might steal his Mai away, another part of him kind of wanted to see them together.
A smaller, more controlled part of him wanted to watch, but he was very careful to keep a tight leash on that one.
With a young woman on each arm, he wasn't too surprised by the strange looks the room's occupants gave him- especially considering one of them was Inoichi's daughter, who was clearly flustered at his actions- and he continued to walk up to the bed where the former clan head was resting without pause.
Inoichi, if anything, seemed amused by the sight of his blushing daughter but there was also a hopeful apprehension for what was to come. Naruto's team- not that they knew- had worked personally with Inoichi to ensure the prosthetics would be the right size and be capable of the daily tasks he used to perform without as second thought. The man wanted to believe he might finally be free of his personal prison, but at the same time he dared not hope lest it be taken away.
Sensible to be sure, but he should know better than to doubt Naruto. He was a man of his word, after all. Well, mostly, as Gato found out. There was also the fact that Naruto himself hadn't promised Inoichi anything and his team had simply gone to work. Inoichi's reserved hope was perfectly understandable in this case, he supposed.
Speaking of Inoichi, the man was laying atop the bed in nothing but a pair of grey shorts that came halfway down his thighs. A light blanket had been tossed over his torso but it was easy enough to see the shoulders where his arms had been severed. The body the had made for him should be simple enough to attach, thanks to the seals, and that was probably the only reason this was taking place semi-publicly rather than in a private operating room.
The only change Naruto could see was that the man's hair had been cut. Not completely off- it was a Yamanaka tradition to have long hair- but now it only came to the man's shoulder blades. Probably to make it easier for his family to take care of him.
After this, he would be able to reclaim it. In fact, after they had given him his body the only thing he wouldn't have back would be his speech. Compared to the rest of his body, it was a minor cost.
Still, maybe he'd fix that sometime in the future. Naruto had already acknowledged his actions as a mistake, but that doesn't mean anyone else had to know. Giving the things he had personally taken away back to the man- and the man's family- seemed more like a gift than an effort to make amends and Inoichi would probably be too grateful to look into it.
Considering how accepting the man had been with the situation in the first place, Naruto was sure his actions seemed like an impossible gesture of kindness. It almost made him feel guilty for the deception, but in the end Inoichi was still benefiting and Naruto would know the wrong had been made right. That seemed good enough to him.
Next to Inoichi stood the man's wife, nervously wringing her hands together as the young man who had crippled her husband walked in with her daughter on his arm. It occurred to Naruto that he didn't actually know her name. He'd have to remember to ask later.
Or not, he was sure the woman would like as little to do with him as possible.
Releasing Ino's arm- it looked, for a moment, as if she couldn't decide whether she should join her mother or remain by his side. In the end, she decided to stand by her family- he turned his attention to his team who stood anxiously by a small table covered in a plain white cloth. He assumed the parts of Inoichi's new body were sitting there covered more to make it a surprise than to protect them.
Shizune stood in front, a folder clutched to her chest, and her two teammates- Clicky and Rusted, he presumed- were more at ease behind her. In fact Rusted seemed about as excited as a puppy about to go on a walk- assuming that was Rusted- and Clicky- again, he was making assumptions- was leaning against the table looking like she'd rather be anywhere else.
Both she and Shizune also kept shooting him nervous glances for some reason. From Rusted's attitude Naruto felt safe to assume he was proud of his work, but that made the ladies' nervousness more strange, especially when he had personally provided the seals for them.
If Rusted was happy with the physical body he and the Puppeteer had managed to create, the seals were the only other component that came to mind. Then again, he was probably over-analyzing it. They were probably just nervous because they were about to show of their work before an audience and hadn't had a chance to fully test it out.
Perfectly understandable.
"Ah, Inoichi, it's good to see you again." Greeted Naruto with a nod in the man's direction. He received a nod in response, which was about as much as he could expect. He then turned to the mans' wife, giving a bow. "Oku-sama"*
She gave her own shallow bow, hesitant to take her eyes off him, and Naruto felt quite a bit of pity for the poor woman. Inoichi may have understood and accepted the consequences for his actions, but his wife had to deal with the consequences without understanding what had happened between the two at all.
He'd have to send her a gift later, even if she never learned who it was from. If anyone was deserving of one of Madara's bottles of wine it was probably her.
He greeted Ino again with a "Yamanaka-hime" and another bow. She blushed less this time, but there was still a dusting of red on her cheeks.
She bowed back, offering another "Naruto-sama." which her mother didn't seem to pleased with but certainly put Inoichi at ease. Disrespecting those with power over you is usually a bad idea, after all.
With the Yamanaka greeted he turned back to his team. "Kato-sensei, it's good to see you again. I'm eager to witness the work you and your team have done for Inoichi here."
"Of course, Naruto-san." She would probably consider them friends- though considering her overall lack of them here in Konoha it was just as likely he was just an acquaintance- but this was a professional environment. Or as professional an environment could be when she had brought Clicky around. She decided not to mention the fact that Mai seemed to be letting Naruto take the lead here even as a growing suspicion gnawed at her nervousness.
Had the Wolves actually taken her to someone above Mai the other day? She hoped not, because she and Clicky had been counting on Mai's support in case Naruto noticed anything wrong with the seals. Then again, he didn't seem to have much knowledge on the subject so maybe he'd just assume their success was his own. That was fine.
She shared a quick look with the Puppeteer, both sharing the same thoughts, and she could just barely see the way Clicky made a discreet show of crossing her fingers.
It was a morose sort of comradery, she supposed, but it was almost enough to make her laugh. Fortunately she managed to restrain herself- it would have looked quite unprofessional.
Turning to someone she knew for a fact was above her and her team, Shizune gave a bow to Mai much to the Wolves amusement and the Yamanaka's confusion. Only Clicky was in a position- and paying enough attention- to notice. Rusted just wanted to show off what he had helped create and was eager to get back to learning beside Kato-sensei.
"Mai-sama, I hope our work will impress you."
Mai gave a small giggle, one that had Shizune looking up in confusion, and gave a dismissive wave of hr hand. "I'm sure whatever you've created will be more than adequate."
From beside her, Naruto couldn't help but think Mai would do really well as the leader of the Wolves one day. He also, once again, made note of how cute her laugh was. He was noticing things like that more often lately, he realized, but he had no idea why.
Mai looked at Naruto for permission to continue taking the lead and he gave her a smile and a nod. The smile alone probably would have been enough and anyone who knew them could probably say she needn't even ask, but this way the Yamanaka were a little less confused. It did, however, serve to increase the suspicion of Shizune and Clicky. They were obviously missing something and they didn't like it.
"Well, I do believe this is everyone, isn't it?" Without waiting for a response Mai continued. "Kato-sensei, you and your team may proceed." Even if they were beginning to question the situation, they weren't going to question her orders. They got to work immediately.
As the limbs had already been assembled beneath the cloth, it was a simple matter to attach them to Inoichi. With receiving sockets larger than the man's missing body parts, it enveloped what had been left behind and was snapped around snugly.
It was not intended that he would ever remove them, but they had been designed to facilitate such an action just in case.
The slight bulges where wood met flesh would still be visible when he was dressed- unless he wore something incredibly loose- but it was a small price to pay to have full mobility again. His new arms were attached to his shoulder as soon as his legs were positioned beneath mangled knees.
Naruto had caused quite a bit of damage to the man's kneecaps on that fateful night, something that may have been hidden by his knew legs but could never be erased.
Still, even Naruto was impressed by the workmanship of the prosthetic limbs, so lifelike he had to wonder if they had been taken from a wood clone of the Shodaime. Obviously not, one of the man's clones wouldn't have seams and joints plainly visible, but the idea was the same.
It should not have been possible to make such incredible replicas. He could actually feel a bit of excitement bubbling up in his chest and couldn't wait to see how they moved with his seals.
With the new limbs attached, they gently rolled him over to attach the last, most crucial piece. The segmented wood looked rather snake-like but would be placed against Inoichi's spine and act as the main control of the man's prosthetics. Braided cord attached the arms to the top of the spine and the legs to his lower back, protecting the seal-covered ribbon that would bridge the gap between the two.
No point leaving it fully exposed.
Naruto wasn't fully certain how he felt about it, though. On one hand, this was the creation of Shizune's team and the design reflected such. On the other, he knew it wasn't even necessary and could easily be rendered redundant. Then again, redundancy wasn't' necessarily a bad thing when it was a system that allowed a man to control his own body.
Regardless of that particular design choice, he also had his doubts about the system they had chosen to employ. For such a crucial, permanent piece it made sense to have it attached, well, permanently. He was sure the operation was within Shizune's capabilities and that there couldn't be too many reasons not to make sure it couldn't' be taken from him.
Instead, they had decided to use what was more or less Chakra magnets. One seal would emit Chakra that the other pulled in, keeping the two from separating. What Chakra it pulled in would then travel to the other end of whatever was being attached to and expelled in the reverse seal. Again, that Chakra would be absorbed by a seal on the first piece and between the four a circuit of Chakra would have been established.
Depending on how much Chakra was used for the initial activation and assuming nothing compromised the seal's integrity, it could be close to impossible to actually break them apart if you didn't posses the seal's Master Key- which was more or less an emergency matrix designed to expel all the Chakra within the circuit away from the items being connected when finished.
It was actually a pretty basic technique, which was confirmed by the fact that Naruto was familiar with it. He had not found much time to study Fuinjutsu as of late.
Because it could use very little Chakra to produce its effect- albeit a very diminished effect- it was proposed as an entry-level sealing matrix, being relatively risk-free so long as you didn't put too much Chakra into it.
Theoretically, it was also believed that by forcing the two pieces- the seals, anyway, what they were attached to was actually pretty irrelevant- away from eachother would produce a small amount of Chakra from the emergency matrix- provided the two sets of seals were still connected to the emergency matrix- but it was such a small amount it was universally dismissed as useless.
He had actually contemplated testing this theory more because he had the power of Sealkeeper at his disposal, but remembering that Sealkeeper could probably do anything made the experiment rather useless. He could, you know, not use Sealkeeper but that seemed like such a waste.
He was lettin distracted, though, the last thing bothering him about how they utilized the magnet matrices was the fact that they had to apply seals on his flesh which would connect to the ones on the spine they had created. If they were already comfortable placing seals on him why not just place everything on his skin?
Alright, so he could understand why they wouldn't want the main controls there- the risk of a mistake was too high and in most cases irreversible and if something went wrong it was harder to troubleshoot when attached to a person- but surely they could have connected the controls to the limbs themselves through simple chain seals- also known as connecting seals, whose only purpose was to connect seals into larger matrices and allow them to interact- and forgone these cables that seemed so out of place on such lifelike prosthetics.
Of course, that only really mattered if they were using their own seals but he supposed they would take the same precautions with his because they wouldn't understand that his seals couldn't malfunction. With Hinata he had removed her seal at first, but the second time he had simply caused it to stop functioning despite the seal itself showing no changes.
When he edited Gaara's seal he modified the existing one as the Ichibi was moved into a new seal of his own- which, honestly, was a pretty risky thing to do now that he thought about it- but Gaara's seal hadn't changed externally. It was the function of the seal that changed to meet his needs and while he was sure he could change the look of a seal easily enough there was little point in doing so when it worked exactly as intended anyway.
A slight frown came to his lips as the room continued to watch the final matrices be powered up to connect the control module to Inoichi's spine. He didn't really change the look of his seals, chaining a few basic components together and letting Sealkeeper handle the rest, so what did it look like to others?
His suspicion rose to new heights and he was pretty sure he had figured out why Shizune and Clicky seemed so nervous.
No, no, he was jumping to conclusions too early. He had given very simple instructions, he had to have faith that they had been carried out properly. Besides, if they'd had doubts surely they'd voice them before inviting everyone to witness the final result, right?
Naruto took a deep breath, relaxing his face. Inoichi was getting a new body, that's what he needed to focus on. He had personally selected Shizune and Anko had sought out the best of Konoha's captives to secure Clicky and Rusted. It was a fine team and he had to have faith in their work.
There was still some measure of doubt, but he pushed it deep into the back of his thoughts.
He was simply overthinking things.
The wood they pressed against his spine was so light and smooth it almost felt soft and as Chakra was pumped into it to bind it to his flesh for the foreseeable future it warmed pleasantly. It was hard, but somehow Inoichi managed to keep a stupid grin off of his face.
He had accepted his punishment, made peace with the consequences of the actions he took against a young man with a borderline barbaric mindset and an army at his disposal. Naruto took some of the old traditions of the clan war era to new heights and he had known that fully when he made the decision to send spies into his territory. He hadn't expected them to end up killing some of the Wolves when they made an escape and then he had hoped it wouldn't be connected to him in the end, but ultimately the responsibility rested with him and he had thus shouldered the consequences alone.
He had been thankful for that, his clan had suffered enough from their own stupid decision to antagonize the same young man. The former Yamanaka head had even considered the fact that both his clan had been spared and that he was still able to spend time with his family as a mercy on Naruto's part rather than an element of his punishment.
But now he was getting back what had been taken from him. Maybe not all of it, and perhaps it wasn't exactly the same, but it was a huge improvement and one he was eagerly anticipating.
Four pairs of hands helped flip him onto his back once again- Kato-sensei and her team aided by his lovely wife- and he craned his neck to watch as the final connectors were paired to his limbs. There was a flash of light from each of them- the Chakra originally in the spine moving to infuse his new body-and almost immediately he could feel them.
Not like one did their own body, of course, but he could feel the weight of each of them even as they simply laid there. With a simple thought his right elbow bent and his wrist made basic rotations. With rising glee he opened and closed his hands, fingers moving slowly but surely.
It would take some time to get used to his body moving much more slowly than he could think of actions for it to complete but just the fact that he was able to perform any actions at all was a miracle. There was no way the Yamanaka clan would have been able to afford such replacements for his limbs, even before the trouble they had faced at Naruto's hands.
Speaking of the young man, after giving his wife and daughter a smile he turned his attention to the one who had both taken his original limbs and provided his new set. He was more than a little surprised- and understandably nervous- to see him scowling at him. It only lasted for a moment before Naruto turned to look at Kato-sensei with a suspicious glare but whatever it was seemed to displease him greatly.
Judging by how adamantly Kato-sensei was avoiding looking at him, Inoichi felt reasonable to assume she was aware of whatever problem Naruto had with the situation. Personally, he had no idea what that might be but he was more than a little relieved to know it wasn't because of him or his family.
He did feel quite a bit of pity for Shizune-sensei, though. He knew quite well the wrath of Naruto and he wouldn't wish it upon anyone.
They hadn't, they fucking hadn't.
They fucking did.
He had given them everything they needed, quite literally placing the solution in their hands, and they had disrespected all the work they had put into this masterpiece by using the same inferior seals they had come to him to improve.
A biting, bitter anger started to rise from his stomach like bile, his fists clenching tightly as rage overcame him. It would be so easy to explode in anger, lashing out at the team that had failed him, and he knew his chains were ready at a moments' notice to do his will.
It was a single thought, however, that restored clarity to his mind.
'Why am I so angry about this,' he asked himself. 'when the Yamanaka don't seem to care at all that it's nowhere close to its potential?'
Well, they didn't know for one, but it was enough for him to pause and consider why he would be angry.
The answer was not hard to find.
It wasn't about the team, it wasn't about Inoichi and his new body, it was about him and the fact that the solution he had given them had been so casually discarded.
In the end, it all boiled down to his own pride.
That same pride is the reason Inoichi needed these limbs in the first place, a valuable potential ally reduced to a neutralized enemy, and the disgust he felt for himself for allowing his pride to once again rise to the forefront was enough to smother his anger entirely.
It did not, however, improve his mood.
With a glare towards Shizune- one he was fairly confident she was purposefully ignoring- he decided that even if he was able to look past his pride he needed to make sure that they really had forgone his own seals.
There was a possibility- however minor- that he had just made a mistake in the creation of the seals.
He was positive he hadn't, but best to make sure before casting any blame, even if only in his mind.
"Fantastic, Inoichi." He spoke slowly, deliberately, and in a tone that did little to hide the fact that he was not entirely pleased at the moment. His daughter was instantly on guard, wondering what had gone wrong, but Inoichi's wife was simply too overjoyed to notice.
Mai, like Ino, was instantly alert and trying to figure out what had upset her lord as their Wolf escorts tensed by the door, ready to jump in at a moment's notice.
Shizune and Clicky, however, did not need to be told why he was displeased. Evidently, he had not mistaken their success as their own. It didn't make much sense to Clicky, who knew for a fact that the seals she had been given were useless, but she was also smart enough to know that she didn't want anyone with influence over the Wolves upset with her.
It was a little late for that.
"Come, let's see you get out of that bed so you can enjoy the world again." Naruto continued, amethyst eyes watching intently.
Inoichi didn't really have a reason not to try getting out of bed and while he was aware Naruto wasn't happy he was also confident that it wasn't anything he had done. With slow movements, Inoichi managed to push himself into a sitting position and using his core swung his legs over the side.
His wife was there almost immediately offering a hand to help pull him up but he waived her off. Not only had Naruto said that he wanted to see him get himself out of bed- and that was very important- but he too wanted to experience the freedom of being able to move again without aid.
It was clunky and somewhat awkward but eventually Inoichi manged to stand. He ended up having to lean on his wife for balance, however, because he was not so practiced with his new legs to properly distribute his weight.
Naruto's frown had only grown deeper while watching.
"It is as I feared, then." Commented the Daimyo. "I'm disappointed in you, Kato-sensei."
Shizune didn't respond and she didn't meet his gaze. Neither did Clicky. Rusted had retreated into a corner, hoping not to be noticed.
"Hold him up please," He asked of Inoichi's wife. "His back to me if you will. I need to fix this."
She was understandably hesitant but a nod from Inoichi had her complying.
He could have simply approached Inoichi and fixed the seal with Sealkeeper in a few moments, but that didn't hold the gravitas he felt the situation deserved. Perhaps his pride still held some sway, but he wanted them to know just how wrong they had been to doubt his capabilities.
This way, he figured, his pride was soothed without harming anyone else.
Shrugging off his coat he handed it to Mai before unbuttoning his shirt and freeing his torso. He allowed it to hang from his waist so he could put it back on later but at the moment it was blocking the sight of his seals.
Clicky's eyes widened considerably at seeing the complex matrices that covered his torso and both arms and Naruto was fairly certain it was at that moment that the woman realized that he did, perhaps, have some experience in Fuinjutsu.
He didn't, but it was the image he wanted to project at the moment.
Honestly, part of him realized they were right to question his seals because they didn't understand them and using seals they didn't know intimately was unwise.
The majority of him pointed out that despite questioning them, they had never actually questioned him. He would have had no issue alleviating their fears.
Now, however, he may just end up adding to them.
Unnecessarily, he started channeling extra Chakra through the seals- Sealkeeper, Karura's seal, and the seal that tied him to Mito- causing them to illuminate rather brilliantly. He was sure he was a sight to behold and was aware that he had most certainly caught the attention of everyone within the room.
Stepping up to Inoichi he placed his right hand on the emergency matrix and let the Sealkeeper know exactly what it was he wanted. The seals on his body flared once, twice, and then began burning more intensely than they ever had.
The standard blue of Chakra became white and then the three seals took upon colors that properly reflected their purpose. Mito's seal on the left half of his chest glowed an angry crimson, merging with the bright yellow of Karura's left arm to give an orangish glow. His right hand, the instrument of his will, began to instead suck in light, much like his own blackened Chakra, until the lack of light from the seal made the empty spaces between it seem to glow and swirl.
His Wolves were in awe, Mai included, and he was sure that the guards would be bringing this story back to the den to further convince his children that he was some sort of divine being. That was fine, he couldn't really convince them otherwise at this point.
Shizune and her group, while also awestruck, seemed absolutely horrified. Good. Served them right for doubting him. Maybe now they would understand exactly why he had been so confident in the seals they had provided and know what it was they had so casually discarded.
They would know their sins and maybe, just maybe, they would repent.
Look at him, the beliefs of his Wolves was already effecting his mentality. He'd have to have Mai slap some sense beck into him when they got home tonight.
He could see from the corner of his eye Ino, who looked on in amazement, and from behind Inoichi the man's wife looked more terrified of him than ever. He wasn't sure if Inoichi himself could see him- the way he had turned his head certainly indicated he was trying- but he wasn't sure if the man really needed to see this when his body was already on the line.
The color from Mito and Karura's seals faded away, adopting the same negative glow as Sealkeeper itself and he felt its work complete. The wooden spine and the cables coming from it dropped from Inoichi's back, no longer necessary, and as Naruto stepped back he commanded the man's wife to do the same.
"It's done, he should be more than capable of standing by himself now." What that really meant was for her to let go of her husband and some part of her managed to recognize that. He was willing to bet her compliance was more out of fear than anything else but that was fine. The important thing was that his will was carried out.
Unlike before, Inoichi didn't seem to have any trouble standing on his own now and began moving as if he had never lost his limbs. There was no delay to his movements, none of the characteristically jerky responses of puppet bodies. Each and every one of the joints that had been included in the limbs was used to its full potential in ways that had Clicky doubting her own proficiency in both Fuinjutsu and Puppeteering.
This was a masterpiece used to its full potential.
It was glorious.
As Sealkeeper returned to its resting state and Naruto stopped channeling extra Chakra into his seals he gave a look towards Shizune's team filled with scathing disappointment.
"I have taken and I have given." He said as Mai started buttoning his shirt back up. "Do not doubt my gifts or my willingness to steal them back."
It was directed towards the team that had disregarded his own contribution towards their task, but the present Yamanaka took careful note for Inoichi's sake, reminded that Naruto had already taken the man's limbs once.
"Take some time to get used to that body Inoichi." He commanded. "Learn it, take care of it, and make sure you enjoy it." Naruto paused, accepting his jacket back from Mai and throwing it around his shoulders "and if you ever want to talk, well, my door is open to you. I'll take my leave now."
"If I ever want to-" Inoichi's eyes widened in shock, as did the eyes of his family around him, but Naruto simply continued on.
He would give them time to enjoy this moment as a family and for Kato-sensei and her team to realize just how capable he was.
Naruto had a very good feeling none of them in that room would ever do something that might risk displeasing him again.
Just the thought was enough to erase his frustration with Shizune.
She had no doubt learned her lesson and he hadn't even needed to sic his Wolves on anyone.
A successful night, all around.
*Oku-sama (Madam) - an older married woman, usually of a higher class.
Huh, I think that's the first time I've done something like that. Found that term back when I was looking up terms of addresses to use for Tayuya's interaction with Naruto and it seemed appropriate. I'm tempted to dive further in and include even more, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum.
Until I next have your attention,
-Eyazahrid.