Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 89 – The Weight of Reality
Naruto idly twirled the brush as he walked back to his room, admitting that he had probably spent too much time going over the day's activities and the modifications to his plans made by Tsukiyomi. Why he didn't think about having them run underground he'd never know, most of their shit was already there anyway.
Hopefully Chizuru hadn't been waiting for him all this time. He did say to visit him tonight but she had seemed really, really excited at the idea of brushing her hair. Much more excited than Hinata had been, certainly, and his little bunny had been looking forward to it for quite some time.
When he eventually reached his door he opened it slowly, peering in to see if she was already waiting for him.
She was.
The lights were off except for a single lamp by his bed, keeping the room dim but allowing him to see Chizuru as she squirmed excitedly from a kneeling position on his bed. She was also staring right at him. Oh yes, more excited than his bunny by far.
It took him a moment, but he also realized that the woman bouncing excitedly on her knees was completely naked. That feeling he had earlier that he had missed something? It had returned with a vengeance.
As he lay in his bed, a content Chizuru snuggled into his side, Naruto idly noted that he had figured out why the brush had those little thorns poking out like studs. He still had no idea where she had managed to get such a thing, though.
He also wondered how on earth she had gotten into that sort of stuff.
For some reason, he had a strange feeling he should be blaming Anko.
Or maybe Tayuya.
Inoichi walked briskly through the early morning streets, ignoring the few scattered souls he passed on his way to the Wolves' Den. While he still didn't know what had bothered the young man that afternoon he was aware that he could be of service in confirming the identity of Hayate's killer.
Even if he didn't feel like he owed Naruto for giving him back his body he wouldn't have hesitated to offer his aid to such a cause. As semi-retired as he might have been due to his illness, Hayate had been a respected and well-loved Shinobi here in Konoha. Any Yamanaka would be honored to help find the man's killer, especially when the plan was to turn him over to the man's lover.
Bringing the killer to justice and giving Yugao closure? It was definitely something he could support.
Reaching the out of place building that served as the entrance to the Den he made note that the few people out and about scattered as he drew near, almost as if they were afraid they'd be dragged inside and devoured by the Wolves when the doors opened.
Not an unfounded fear, he supposed. They didn't possess the legendary reputation quite yet, but they were certainly on their way to becoming international boogeymen.
Knocking on the door, he only had to wait a moment before a snarling Wolf peered out at him.
"I heard you were in need of a Yamanaka." Inoichi didn't waste a second, already moving closer to the door as he spoke. The Wolf froze for a second- processing his words- before backing up to allow the man entry into their sanctum.
"Naruto-sama mentioned such," The Wolf admitted with a nod as he closed the door behind them. "Did you want me to get him or would you prefer me to take you to Mai? I believe she's already taking care of things in her office."
Inoichi waved off the suggestions. "Just take me to the prisoner. It should only take a few minutes to confirm he's the one we're looking for."
The Wolf considered it for a moment before giving a shrug. "I suppose that's fine, this way if you will."
Taking the lead, the Wolf guided them deep into the bowels of their lair, nodding towards the few remaining siblings as they walked. Mai had sent most of them to aid Sai with Mizu no Kuni and now only a skeleton crew remained to ensure security.
As soon as they reached the cells the Wolf made straight for the back. Well, as straight as they could. The pathway between the cells was a confusing serpentine labyrinth that Inoichi was fairly certain he would get lost in if he didn't have a Wolf to guide him.
It was probably just as efficient at keeping prisoners in as the cells themselves.
When they did get to the cell holding the suspected killer Inoichi made note that there were not one, not two, but four guards posted outside the cell. It spoke volumes about how important Naruto felt this was.
Two of the guards stepped aside at their approach as the other two opened the door to enter the cell. The door was closed behind them by the remaining two and twenty seconds later there were two sharp raps of the door. Stepping aside once again, Inoichi was invited to enter the cell where he found the first two Wolves flanking a Suna Jōnin rather tightly secured to a metal chair.
So, this was the one suspected of killing Hayate, huh? With three quick strides and a solid right hook, a much more relaxed Inoichi was ready to get to work.
When Inoichi left the cell ten minutes later he was pleased to have found Hayate's killer but quite irritated at having to watch the murder from the man's perspective. Another few solid punches helped offset that slightly.
Wiping his bloodied hands with the half-mask he took from the man- he wouldn't need it for long, anyway- the Wolf who escorted him there was waiting for him patiently.
"Is it him?" They asked. The Wolf had a pretty good idea but verbal confirmation was better.
Inoichi gave a deep grunt. "Yeah, that's the fucker. When you hand him over to Yugao let her know that if she needs any help with him she's free to call on me. I'm sure Ibiki has been bored lately too."
"We'll keep it in mind," The Wolf nodded. "But there's already quite the line of people looking to get a piece of him, you understand."
Inoichi gave another grunt, he believed it. At the very least he had been the one to ensure it was the right person- and he got the opportunity to get his own hits in. Not as many as he would have liked, but probably more than a lot of people would have the opportunity to. He was sure there wouldn't be much left when Yugao had finally tired herself out.
"You taking him over to her or bringing her here?" The Mindwalker asked as he tossed the bloodied fabric back into the cell behind him. He hoped he hit the man with it. Maybe one of the Wolves in there would be kind enough to place it back on the Suna Shinobi's head while it was still covered in blood. That would be fantastic.
"It would probably make more sense for her to be brought here, but one of the others mentioned their relationship seems a bit strained at the moment, so I think we'll be giving him to her and simply offering use of our...facilities."
Briefly Inoichi wondered if that was why Naruto seemed off the other day- or at least part of it- before he decided that it was really none of his business and he probably shouldn't pry.
Not on Naruto's side, at least. He might still ask Yugao when he saw her next.
"In either case, I suppose my part here is done." The Wolf nodded in agreement.
"Yes, I suppose it is. The House of Wolves thanks you for your aid. We will be sure to bring it to the attention of Naruto-sama."
That, Inoichi thought, was probably the greatest honor the Wolves could come up with. Having Naruto aware of your actions so he could praise and reward you himself was probably the goal of each and every one of these Shinobi. He didn't know how to feel about that really. On one hand, it was kind of sad, on the other it was incredibly impressive.
Either way, the loyalty of these Wolves was unquestionable. If other leaders knew even half the dedication the Wolves showed Naruto they would be most envious of the Konoha Genin.
"I'll leave you to it then." No point waiting around here if they no longer required his assistance. There were things to be picked up, dances to be had, and stairs to climb.
Gods above he loved his new body.
Kakashi had been busy as of late- which had absolutely nothing to do with the recent release of a new Icha-Icha, he was sure- so there still hadn't been any team meetings since the last mission. It was for that reason Naruto found himself sitting at his desk doing paperwork for the first time in days.
Only he had been doing paperwork over the past couple days, so it was a really weird feeling. It was going to take some time to get used to having two completely different sets of memories.
Fortunately the paperwork had been light – it had been ever since he and Tsukuyomi had knocked it out together, actually – and so he was more or less relaxing behind his desk and leisurely perusing some reports of little consequence.
The expense report did give him some insight as to where Chizuru had gotten the brush from, though, and at that price he might have to take some time to punish her again. He was sure she'd enjoy it.
He was just finishing his coffee – and a very interesting report about two Wolves and three Inuzuka who had somehow come into joint ownership of a local brothel – when there was a swift knock at his door.
"It's just me." He said softly. They used to just knock and then peak in but ever since he had started being intimate with those interested the other Wolves had been much more cautious. He supposed that was mostly his fault, he should have kept it to a more private location.
Then again, his bedroom was one of the busiest rooms in the entire house so it didn't really matter where he spent time with his girls.
He might say their place would be better but Anko was the only one who actually had a place in Konoha. Well, Mai had a room in the Den, he supposed.
Once they were sure they weren't interrupting anything one of the Wolves did poke their head into the room, taking a second to make sure he actually was alone, and told him something he very much wanted to hear.
"We've confirmed Baki as the killer, Naruto-sama."
While it was a reminder of his failure, it also meant that Yugao would have the closure she deserves. That alone was enough to bring a smile to his face.
"Perfect, excellent work." He praised them. "Shall I assume a Yamanaka stopped by the den, then?"
"Yes, Naruto-sama. Inoichi visited earlier this morning."
Naruto blinked in surprise, not having expected the former Head- well, technically he was still the Head, his daughter Ino was Acting Head, and Kushina was the Lording Head – to be the one to aid them. After a moment of thought he decided he probably should have expected that, really. He only knew two Yamanaka who didn't despise him and his House.
"Most excellent, I'll have to come up with a way to show our appreciation." He scribbled down a note on a nearby scrap of paper before a stray thought had him pausing in concern. He slowly turned his head back to the Wolf, aware that it was cocked to the side in a most curious manner, and gave the man a suspicious gaze.
"Where, exactly, is Baki at the moment?"
He knew he was onto something when the Wolf hesitated, a sudden realization settling on his child that they had, quite likely, done something wrong.
After a second they took a shaky look behind them into the hall and Naruto gave a deep sigh before pinching the bridge of his nose.
"You brought him here, didn't you?"
"Er, yes?"
"And you probably just marched him down the streets of Konoha too, didn't you?"
"Erm, maybe?"
"And I'm just going to take a wild guess that you didn't attempt to hide his identity at all either, right?"
"We, uh, took away his headband?"
"You were really excited about bringing him to me, weren't you?" The Wolf didn't miss a beat, vigorously nodding his head.
"Yes, Naruto-sama!"
Gods above, for a group of trained killers they turned into puppies around him. Giving another sigh Naruto beckoned the Wolf over to the desk. They were quick to comply, standing to the side with barely restrained excitement. He was sure that if they had a tail it would currently be slapping against his desk in a most irritating manner.
Reaching out his hand the Wolf happily lowered their head to allow him to pat is. "Good work," He assured them. "But do please be more careful in the future. It's very important that Yugao gets him, we don't want Konoha trying to take him into custody."
The Wolf cocked his head to the side.
"Wouldn't that be almost the same thing though?" He quickly added. "- Naruto-sama?"
"Almost," The young Daimyo admitted. "But if he's in Konoha custody she'll be limited by what they say she can do to them. They may even deny her access to him if they think she might go too far."
His Wolf seemed almost affronted by such a thought being proposed and Naruto fond himself smiling at them fondly as he continued to pat their head. With a final ruffle of their hair he brought back his hand- much to their disappointment- and turned towards the partially opened door. He could just barely see another Wolf standing there, probably guarding Baki.
"I suppose I should probably see to him, then." He mumbled. He could throw him in one of the guest rooms- gods above knew Ganju had made plenty of them- but they really weren't designed to be secure. He did not want Baki getting away right after they had managed to confirm he was the one they were after. He didn't know if Yugao was available at the moment, she could very well have been sent back to Suna to help with the occupation effort.
Maybe sending him back to the den was the best option, though it did seem strange to have him removed just to go right back. Then again, maybe having a confused prisoner was best. They didn't know what to expect and would be less likely to feel like they had an opportunity to escape.
Maybe.
Baki was a Jōnin, though, so it probably wouldn't help much if at all. Ah, fuck it, they'd just send him back. Better to keep him somewhere secure.
Before he could give that order, however, another Wolf peaked into the doorway.
"Naruto-sama, delivery from High-Captain Keigo."
"Ah, wonderful." He hadn't heard much about their efforts in Mizu- which, admittedly, was somewhat odd- but he figured they were simply trying to avoid drawing too much attention to their actions by constantly sending reports back. Sai might be getting them more frequently due his proximity and because he was their commander, but even if they were trying to keep a low profile he probably should have received reports from Sai.
Having managed to keep caught up on most of his paperwork, he was pretty sure that hadn't been the case. Knowing Sai, he may be trying to turn it into a limerick or something before sending the report off. As long as the report was positive- as he was sure it would be – then it didn't matter too much. He had absolute faith that Sai would not be so irresponsible if there was an issue.
Of course, if there was an issue he was also certain the report would mention what Sai was already doing to set things right. It's why he had been made the commander of the Wolves, after all.
Naruto really wasn't too worried though. He had sided with Yagura because the Kage had the largest chance of success and thus was the least risky person to have his children support. Appearing as though he was supporting a Kage's legitimate rule was a bonus, but the extra safety for his Wolves was certainly the most important part.
He did briefly wonder why the Wolf said "delivery" rather than "message" but his question was quickly answered when the Wolf entered the room with a small package. What on earth had his first High-Captain felt the need to send back? Some sort of tribute, no doubt, but that could quite literally be anything when it came from the Wolves.
The box didn't seem to be leaking, at least. That was usually a good sign.
Naruto waved lazily to his mostly clear desk. "Anywhere's fine, thank you." The package was released with a nod and the Wolf excused themselves from the room with a silent bow, probably to rest if they had come straight from Mizu. Well, if they had come from Nami, too. There was a good chance they had stopped to deliver reports to commander Sai on their way here, especially if what they had came directly from High-Captain Keigo.
Atop the package was a sealed folder, marked for the eyes of Tsukuyomi, and he went for that first. The papers within were more numerous than he had expected, which might explain why he hadn't received anything thus far.
Right as he was starting the other Wolf in the room cleared his throat. "Uh, your orders, Naruto-sama?"
"Oh, yes, just take him to an empty room for now. I'll probably have him sent back to the den as soon as I've gone over Keigos' report." He was going to want to take a moment to see the man who had caused such pain for Yugao before he condemned him to her mercy- or lack thereof.
While the Wolf bowed and retreated he returned his attention to the report, amethyst eyes quickly scanning over the words before narrowing in concern and returning to the beginning for a more detailed look.
Yes, he had read that correctly. Unknown forces supporting the Bloodline faction and displaying eerily familiar tactics. Now far less confident that the news he was receiving would be favorable he pressed on only to freeze halfway down the page.
It felt like he stared at that sentence for hours before he managed to process it.
'….my regrettable duty to inform you that three of my siblings have died in our first engagement with this unexpected complication. Jotu, Mesi, and Kenjo were lost at approximately...'
Heavily he leaned back into his chair, eyes unfocused, as he tried to come to terms with the news.
Three.
Three of his children were dead.
A sharp pain echoed out from his heart as the rest of his chest was filled with a cold emptiness that had his entire being aching. He had lost three of his children again, just as he had when Inoichi's spies had fled for their lives.
This time, however, there was no rage- only despair.
Could he even call himself their father?
Jotu, Mesi, Kenjo, he didn't even know those names. Desperately he tried to put faces to the names only to realize the majority of the Wolves he had seen without their masks he didn't know the names of either.
What kind of a father was he, sending off children to fight for him without even knowing their names?
They deserved better than that.
Better than him.
Hardening his resolve he pushed through the rest of the report, searing every word into his heart in an effort to stop the bleeding. The report, unfortunately, would not be the worst part. His eyes trailed from the pristine paper in his hand to the wooden box sitting innocently on his desk.
He already knew what was inside- Keigo made that clear -but there was a large difference between reading that something happened and seeing it yourself. It was a long few minutes he spent sitting there staring at the box before he managed to find the strength to set down Keigo's report and stand from his chair.
Looking down on it, the box seemed so simple, so plain. It was hard to believe the horrible truth it contained within.
Without looking away from the box he slipped his hand into his desk drawer to remove a thin knife which slipped easily between wooden panels. Thin as it may have been, the knife was also deceptively strong and had no trouble providing the necessary leverage to pry the top from the wooden box.
The knife was set gently onto his desk and he took a moment contemplating if he really wanted to finish opening that box to face his failure. In the end, he decided he owed them far more than that.
Hands shaking, he removed the top and set it next to the knife before peering into the box. The emptiness returned to his chest with a vengeance, bringing with it the crushing weight of reality.
Three Wolves stared up at him, eyes empty, and he couldn't pretend it wasn't his fault. Not just because he hadn't spent enough time with them, or because he had chosen sides poorly. Not even because he had sent them on a mission where there was a chance of death.
The cold porcelain of one of the masks pressed against his face, far more soothing than the cold taking root in his chest.
It was his fault because when the Wolves were first sent to Mizu no Kuni there had been no group supporting the rebels and certainly none who displayed Konoha tactics. But he had told someone, one single person in the entirety of Konoha, that his Wolves would be in Mizu no Kuni to support Yagura in the Bloodline War.
Uzuki Yugao.
He didn't know how direct her involvement had been, but he was absolutely certain that Konoha would have remained neutral as they had for years had he not told her.
Idly he traced his fingers along the mask as he collapsed back into his chair, lost in thought, and he didn't pay it any mind when the sharp edges around the broken eyehole cut his finger. He didn't know how long he sat there like that, pondering his failure and what his next action should be, but it felt like a lifetime.
"Naruto-sama a guest...Naruto-sama?" The Wolf that popped their head into the room paused, staring at the partially broken mask leaking a thin stream of blood from its shattered eye. Pulled from his thoughts Naruto turned to face them fully and the Wolf recoiled slightly from the look in his lord's one visible eye.
"...Yes, child?" His words were slow and heavy, carrying with them the guilty weight that had settled over his shoulders.
"I..." The Wolf found it hard to form the words under the gaze of his Daimyo, every combination of words seemed so insignificant against the swirling purple pool of loss and self loathing that saw right through him. "Well, I. My apologies, for interrupting, Tou-sama, but you have a guest."
Naruto's masked face tilted ever so slightly in a gesture his Wolves seemed so fond of. With his bleeding mask and piercing eye, however, it was an almost menacing gesture and the Wolf felt a shiver trail down his spine. This was his father, this was the lord of the House of Wolves.
It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
"Do I?" His mumble sounded more like a growl to the Wolf and for a moment he feared he had displeased his father. With a deep sigh Naruto slumped back into his seat -somehow making the boneless collapse seem elegant – and the Wolf's fears were assuaged. "Very well, I will see to them here."
Just because he was learning of his failings didn't mean he was allowed to neglect his other responsibilities. Rather, it meant he needed to pour more into all of them so this didn't happen again.
The Wolf had been paying very careful attention to his father and he was absolutely certain that entertaining a guest was not something the man wanted to be doing at this time. He was able to gather up enough courage to put voice to this question.
"If you wish to be undisturbed I will see it done, Tou-sama." He offered. Naruto stared at him for a few long seconds, contemplating, before expending just enough energy to give a dismissive wave of his hand.
"No, I will see to the matters of the Wolves and to the House of Wolves and to all those who seek Tsukuyomi."
Tsukuyomi, yes, he was Tsukuyomi. Not a Wolf but the moon they gazed at in adoration. It was time to take a more active role in watching over them from his throne in the midnight sea of stars. He would be the god they needed.
The Wolf perked up at that and gave a deep bow. "Hai, Tsukuyomi-sama! We'll have them brought to you at once."
Normally he'd thank them, perhaps taking the time to pat their heads for a job well done, but as he returned to his thoughts all he managed to offer was a weary grunt.
The Wolf didn't seem to mind.
As confident as her strides were, her heart was a much different story. Between hope that she might repair damages done, guilt for what she had done to him that he still didn't know about, and a fear that she wouldn't be able to mend their relationship her chest was aflutter with nerves.
But she was in ANBU, a high-ranking captain no less, and she was more than capable of masking that from the world around her.
The Wolf leading her to Naruto paused a good dozen strides from what she presumed was the room he was in, holding out an arm to tell her to stop. They peered at the doorway for a moment before turning to her. She was only vaguely aware that the Wolf behind her had also stopped next to her, their head cocked to the side in question.
"I would advise you to be careful with your words, Yugao-san. Naruto-sama has expressed that you're a friend of the Wolves but he does not seem to be in a very pleasant mood at the moment." They paused again before admitting. "For a moment earlier, I thought he might even lash out at me."
The Wolf next to her tensed and even with a mask over their face she could tell they wore an expression of shocked disbelief. It seemed to fade quickly as they growled at the first. "You dare-"
"He's back," The Wolf cut off their sibling before they could start. "And it's glorious. But I'm smart enough to know danger when I see it. Whatever happened, he is not pleased."
The Wolf to her side crossed their arms in a huff, obviously upset that anyone would say anything close to negative about Naruto but Yugao didn't really notice. A fear slowly started growing in her heart that what she had done had been discovered. It had to be a coincidence though right? The House of Wolves was international so it could have been anything. Yes, perhaps one of the other Wolves simply did something that had him in a bad mood or maybe he was in that mood because of their talk yesterday.
It could be her fault without it being that, couldn't it?
"Thank you, but I'll be fine." Her confident words didn't seem to impress either of the Wolves. The one standing before her shook his head.
"It's not you I'm worried about, I don't care what happens to you Yugao-san." He hesitated a moment, reflecting on what he had just said. "No offense of course, he has declared you a friend of the Wolves and we will respect that, but we care for him much more than we'll ever care for you. I don't want you making things worse for him."
She didn't think she could make things worse for him, actually, but she gave a nod nonetheless. " I understand, I'm not here to cause him any trouble." No, she was here to apologize about not telling him about Hayate's death and thank him for his show of support when she probably didn't deserve it.
"Good." The Wolf before her nodded in satisfaction. "he's been through enough. This way."
They continued to the room, the one in the lead knocking on the frame to announce their presence before stepping to the side so she could enter. The two Wolves, it would seem, were not entering the room with her instead favoring positions on either side of the door. The Wolf who had trailed behind her for the majority of the trip did take a moment to peek into the room, though, as if the chance to see him was one too great to resist.
Yugao did make note of the way they jumped slightly once they had stuck their head in, though, and also the way they turned to the other Wolf in awe- and she could swear there was a reverence to it- as she almost rejoicefully declared "He's back.".
The first Wolf looked very smug about that.
Now a bit more hesitant, Yugao nonetheless pressed onward and promptly froze not three steps into the office. It wasn't just the mask in his hand, stained in blood, that had her staring on in horror but the mask he was wearing.
She knew that mask.
How could she not? It was her blade that had gone through the previous wearer's head and been pulled out to the side. Her stomach churned as a pit of despair slowly grew within it. These were the masks of the Wolves killed because she had informed the Godaime of Naruto's plans. These were the Masks of the Wolves that she and her team had ended the lives of.
These masks were the physical evidence of her betrayal, something that couldn't be undone no matter how hard she might wish it. That knowledge was nothing compared to the feelings that tore through her when a single purple eye met hers. That look was all it took to tell her that her worst fears had come to pass.
Naruto knew.
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Until I next have your attention,
– Eyazahrid