Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 96 – Clear The Path
The deathly silence of the misty forests of Mizu no Kuni had become familiar to the Wolves during their stay in the country. It was nothing compared to those who had lived here their entire lives but any outsider would be hard-pressed to tell the difference.
With that familiarity on their side they were easily able to recognize that someone was cutting across Kirigakure- or as the rebels sometimes called it loyalist- territory. It was all Kirigakure territory, technically, they simply didn't have full control of it. With the additional support sent by Sai and Mai it shouldn't be too long now until that changed.
The Wolves shard a look with the forces of Yagura they were traveling with, nodding at eachother and heading to intercept. They were prepared for a lot of things; rebels, civilians, another imperial patrol being sloppy, or rouge Shinobi trying to hide from their village in the war-torn country of Mizu no Kuni. Even bounty hunters and mercenaries wouldn't have been too surprising with the way the country had been these past years.
What they had not expected was to stumble upon a company of Wolves tearing through the woods without the slightest care for stealth. It was far more surprising to see them traveling with someone not wearing one of their masks, her purple pineapple proudly on display.
There was not a single Wolf who didn't at least know of Mitarashi Anko and how to recognize her.
This was undeniably her.
They just had absolutely no idea why.
The confusion caused by her presence caused by the presence of fellow Wolves had those of the patrol coming to a stop as they shared glances in hopes that someone would have some idea of what was going on. Likewise Yagura's forces stopped, staring at the additional Wolves with confusion, slight suspicion, and a relieved sense of joy. The more people on their side the better, they certainly didn't mind a larger force of Wolves aiding them.
Anko was obviously able to see them sanding among the gnarled trees looking for some sort of clue to explain everything for them.
"Clear the path to Mizu no Kuni!" She hollered. "Sweep the woods!"
The Wolves and loyalists shared confused looks.
"Now!" She barked. "Tsukuyomi-sama is following us without escort, make sure he can get there without issue!"
As soon as they heard the magic word "Tsukuyomi" they leapt into action, splitting from their patrol without hesitation. Two of the loyalists nearly followed them before realizing what they were doing. With half of their patrol suddenly gone they shared another look among themselves before coming to the consensus that bringing this information back to Kirigakure was more important than their patrol.
If Tsukuyomi himself had traveled to Mizu no Kuni Yagura was going to want to know.
His office was usually dark- as he liked it- but today had brought with it a most peculiar gap in Mizu no Kuni's usual overcast sky. The sunlight from which had decided that directly through his office window was the most appropriate opportune location and resulted in a room more bright than it would have been if he had actually touched his lightswitch for the first time since becoming Mizukage.
He was less than pleased by that.
Despite that displeasure he remained in his office to see to his duties for the day. One of his subordinates had suggested closing the blinds or moving to a room on a different side of the building for the day.
They had quickly found themselves thrown through the window.
The Mizukage did their work in the Mizukage's office, as was proper, and just like the lightswitch he had never touched the blinds or curtains in his office. He would not be forced to do so because the sun decided it wanted him to have a bad day.
He was the Mizukage, he would not be defeated by some mere sunlight.
No matter how irritating it was.
Besides, he didn't have that much left today so once he finished he could just sit here in the sun until it was time for him to leave. It wouldn't do for the Mizukage not to be available to his subordinates during regular hours so he never left before four-thirty.
Yagura wouldn't allow the sunlight to change that, either. He was a man of strict planning and organization, rigid in his ways and iron in his fist. The sunlight was a mere annoyance- albeit one he had not planned for- and would do little to deter him from his routine. Even if it was really tempting.
Sharp knocks at his door earned both his attention and a deep frown. No one should be seeking him out for another twenty-three minutes, they knew he was working on his morning paperwork until exactly ten forty-five after which they had forty-five minutes to seek audience with him before his lunch at eleven-thirty.
It was posted next to the door, too, so there was no way someone could forget. Hell, it wasn't just some piece of paper either, he had it carved from black marble he bought from Iwa and filled the engravings with gold. It was impossible to miss and his secretary polished it five minutes before his arrival every day.
Well, this one did. His predecessor had failed to do so and quickly found himself boiled alive.
Yagura hated it when people interrupted his schedule, but it was worse when they failed to follow the one he gave them. Did they not understand the importance of time management?
He supposed there was a reason he had become Mizukage, no one else possessed the administrative skills necessary to do the job.
There was another knock at the door- more urgent than the last- that drew him from his thoughts. Whatever it was, they thought it was important. He supposed it very well could be, no one would dare interrupt him unless they had to.
"Enter." As soon as he spoke he set about organizing his desk, moving completed paperwork away and storing his ink for use after this interruption. From the corner of his eyes he could see three of his men file into the room, all of them looking nervous and out of breath. The nervousness he could understand, they knew better than to force themselves into his schedule, but he hadn't realized they were so out of shape that climbing the stairs to his office would leave them out of breath.
No wonder they were having such difficulty out-rooting the bloodline abominations.
The three of them stood before his desk at attention, awaiting his acknowledgment.
He took his time.
One by one the items on the desk were put carefully away until it was completely barren. When he was done he rested his elbows on the desk, intertwining his fingers and resting his chin against his hands. He gave them a look to convey just how much he appreciated this unplanned change to his schedule, taking a moment or two to watch them squirm uncomfortably.
It also gave him a chance to identify the fools who stood before him.
Unless he was mistaken- and he rarely was- this was Sango Patrol and, by his estimations, they should be exactly not here.
They also seemed to be missing half of their members, if he recalled. Sango Patrol was one of those he had assigned some of the Wolves to but he didn't see any in his office and he doubted they were that stealthy.
"Sango Patrol," He addressed them, making note of the way the they all tensed up. Good. "What, exactly, brings you to my office when I know for a fact you're supposed to be on duty right now?" He made no effort to disguise exactly how displeased he was to see them.
One of them stepped forward- fortunately it was the middle one because the lack of symmetry probably would have bothered him for the duration of their presence- and snapped back into attention.
"Mizugake-sama!" The man was very careful to keep his gaze slightly above and to the left of his Kage to avoid looking him in the eyes. "We bring important news from the field."
"Ah, yes the field where you're supposed to be patrolling, no?" Yagura rose an accusing brow. "And yet half of you- the half that's supposed to be loyal to me and Kirigakure- are instead standing in my office. Are we really leaving them to finish your patrol alone?"
The three shifted nervously, the one in front the most. "Y-yes, Mizukage-sama. The Wolves are currently combing through the woods to the south-west." It wasn't a lie, technically. The Wolves from their patrol were indeed going through those woods- and with an enhanced vigor, even!- to ensure their lord's safe passage. With that kind of dedication they were sure to find any rebels in the area, perhaps even better than Sango Patrol would have managed as a whole.
The fact that it wasn't a lie did little to keep Yagura from knowing he wasn't being told everything.
"Are they now? Interesting. Would you care to explain why our foreign allies are able to demonstrate a higher scene of duty to this country than you three?"
"We believed you would want to know of this immediately, Mizukage-sama. The Wolves do not know Mizu no Kuni as we do."
"And yet they've been left alone for their...patrol. How interesting..."
The two loyalists in the back shared nervous glances while their companion tried desperately to swallow his nerves.
They'd made a mistake, they would need to be able to able to defend their actions if they wanted any hope of getting out of this alive.
None of them had any delusions that they weren't about to find themselves on extra duty in the positions no one wanted.
"They were rather...excited...when we left them and knew you might desire more of your forces here when you heard what we've brought to you." Really they had just forgotten to leave at least one of them with the Wolves but no one really wanted to be alone with the Wolves. Sure, they had been helping and some had even died for the cause but these were the same Wolves who took over Nami.
They certainly hadn't hesitated to stab those allies in the back once it became convenient.
Yagura stared at him in silence for a long minute, the seconds slowly dragging on as the Mizukage contemplated the response he had been given.
He was very tempted to just have them all publicly flogged and leave it at that but he considered himself a fair, reasonable man.
He would listen to this news before determining how many lashes they had earned themselves.
"Will I now?" Yagura gave a thoughtful hum. "Please, then, enlighten me on what you deemed so important."
"It's Wolves, Mizukage-sama. More Wolves are coming to Mizu no Kuni. We encountered a group while on patrol."
Yagura was looking decidedly unimpressed.
"They've sent more Wolves?" He asked slowly. "They've decided to increase the numbers offering us aid and you've come running to my office and interrupting my work to let me know?"
"N-no, Mizukage-sama! It's not that at all."
"Well? Go on. You have one sentence to catch my attention and convince me that this isn't a waste of my precious time."
"Tsukuyomi of the House of Wolves has come to Mizu no Kuni personally."
That was enough to give Yagura pause. Not much was known about the Daimyo who had secured his position through treachery and the favor of a Greater Daimyo and even Yagura was slightly curious about the kind of individual this Moon-Reading Man was-
And why he would be coming to Yagura's country.
After a moment of silence Yagura gave a nod. "I see, that is in deed important news." The two in the back sighed in relief but the one who had stepped forward knew better. "As a reward, it will only be ten lashes a piece for completely abandoning your patrol."
"Thank you, Yagura-sama. You are most generous with your rewards." It was of some note that the loyalist wasn't being sarcastic in the slightest knowing full well that ten lashes was nothing compared to some of the other punishments his Kage had dealt out over the years. If he recalled, the last group to abandon their patrol was left hanging naked on fishhooks on the outer walls of Kirigakure until they died.
He probably should have remembered that before they had all decided to report their findings. Just sending one of them would have likely avoided all punishment completely, perhaps even earning further rewards.
But, he thought, ten lashes wasn't too bad. He'd earned over a hundred in his years of service, a few more wouldn't come close to having his wife angry at him for getting them in the first place.
"I am." Agreed the Mizukage. "But do not forget my benevolence on this day. The next time you fail me I may not be so merciful."
"We understand, Mizukage-sama. Are we to expect our punishment immediately or will we be resuming our patrol in the meantime?"
"Go back to your patrol, I have a feeling the rest of your patrol may be a bit...distracted...with everything that's going on."
"Understood, Mizukage-sama." He gave a bow and turned to leave, pulling his other patrol mates as they gave their own hasty bows. They didn't resist in the slightest, more than happy to spend as little time in Yagura's office as possible.
As soon as they were out of his office Yagura let out a deep sigh, massaging the bridge of his nose with one hand.
Tsukuyomi was coming to visit? As curious as he was, this was going to be absolute hell on his poor schedule. Couldn't that bastard have sent notice first?
How inconsiderate.
"Naruto-sama?" His attention was drawn from his teammates to the Wolf peaking through the doorway. "You have another guest."
Naruto blinked in surprise, wondering just how many people were going to end up stopping by today. "Oh? Who is it?"
"Elder Shimura, Naruto-sama."
He would have expected Kurenai, Shizune, or maybe even Tayuya with Hanabi but he had not expected Danzō to come knocking on his door.
He spared a glance at Sakura and Naruko, both of whom seemed equally- or perhaps even more- confused. Whatever Danzō was visiting for they probably didn't need to- and shouldn't- know, but he didn't think it would be entirely appropriate to make them leave.
"If you could show him to my office, please, I'll be there as soon as I can." He turned to address his teammates before pausing and returning his attention to the retreating Wolf. "See to it he's served whatever refreshments he'd care for."
"Of course, Naruto-sama."
The Wolf closed the door with a click and Naruto looked back to team seven's Kunoichi.
"It seems as though something has come up. If you would be so kind to excuse me for a time, I shouldn't be long."
Naruko gave a yawn, took a second to stretch, and pushed herself up from his couch. "Its' fine, I should probably get going anyway. Coming, Sakura?"
"Ah, um." The pinkette glanced between her fellow Kunoichi and her Senpai. "I think I'll stay here for a bit, actually. Naruto-senpai has a lot of books I'd like to check out." She shot Naruto a pleading look. "If that's okay with you, Senpai?"
"Of course." He shot her a small smile. "If you need anything please let one of the Wolves know."
"Did you need to be shown out Naruko?" She waved him off.
"Nah, I'm good. Go see the elder. It must be important if he's here." She tried not to show just how curious she was about his presence. Nosing into his business was just going to increase the distance she had been slowly closing between them. He already interacted with her easily enough as a teammate but she hoped to at least get to the point where she could call them friends. Well, to the point where she could call them friends and he wouldn't object to it, really.
He gave her a nod. "Thank you, I suppose I'll see you when we next have a training session though I suppose it will be at least a week until that happens." If he was able to finish up his business in Mizu no Kuni within a week Naruto would be a very, very happy man. Honestly he was expecting it to be more along the lines of a month, so he really needed to find a way to explain Kakashi's absence.
Or not.
Was it really so strange that Kakashi might vanish for a time without notice? He'd probably return with a bad excuse, too, and no one would think twice of it.
Still, it would hurt to have some explanations ready- just in case.
"Yeah, see you around, Naruto-nii." She gave a wave as she left the room, trying desperately not to think of Naruto and Sakura being left alone together in his home. The old Sakura? She wouldn't have thought twice. This new Sakura? She didn't even know what to think.
At least, she admitted wryly, the girl wasn't unarmed.
"Elder Shimura, my apologies for the wait."
Danzō finished his sip of tea as he waved off Naruto's apology. "It's fine, I had not realized you were entertaining guests. I won't keep you from them for too long."
"Naruko's gone home already and Sakura is busy enjoying my library, take all the time you need."
Danzō gave a grunt and set his cup down. "I think we should just cut to the chase. As much as I enjoy our chats, I have news I'm sure you will find to be quite urgent."
He had Naruto's attention immediately. There had been a lot of bad news lately and the Daimyo of Nami no Kuni was already dreading what this could be. Naruto all but collapsed into his chair with a deep sigh, looking up at the elder with tired gold eyes. "What else has gone wrong?"
Making note to investigate both the recent misfortunes of the Wolves and Naruto's strange eyes Danzō gave a frown. "I'm afraid our Godaime is not a fan of yours and has been actively acting against you recently. I understand most recently that he's sent forces to aid the rebels in Mizu no Kuni."
Naruto's shoulders slumped- which didn't surprise Danzō- before he let out a relieved sigh that caught the elder off guard.
"Is that all?" Naruto asked hopefully.
"Yes, that's all. Konoha, your home, is doing what they can against you and your Wolves." Danzō really couldn't figure out what part of that could possibly be considered good news.
"I was aware of Konoha forces aiding the rebels." Admitted Naruto. "So when you said you had bad news I thought for a moment something else may have happened. I'm quite relieved to learn this is not the case."
"Ah." That made much more sense. "Still, Asuma's actions are no small thing and should not be taken lightly. This could end up causing a lot of damage not only to the two of you but also to Konoha as a whole. Have you come up with a response to what he's done?"
"Asuma's involvement is troublesome, but by no means a priority at the moment." Answered Naruto as he leaned back into his chair. "I'll consider what the house of Wolves will do after our business is concluded in Mizu no Kuni."
On one hand Danzō could understand that, Mizu no Kuni was currently taking up a lot of the Wolves' resources. On the other; "Asuma will continue to move while you address Mizu no Kuni and there's no telling how long that may draw out for, which was his intention. Ignoring him would be grossly negligent."
"There's little he can do." Naruto shrugged. "We're packing up and preparing the Den for an evacuation and there are only a handful of us still in Konoha. He can't operate too overtly because while a lot of my resources are tied into Mizu no Kuni a lot of his are tied into Kaze no Kuni."
"And if his business in Kaze no Kuni concludes before your own you'll be at a major disadvantage." Pointed out Danzō.
"Quite." Naruto agreed with a nod. "But if we finish sooner than I have much more to work with. Should we finish at the same time, well, it will all be determined by who acts first."
"And you intend to be able to act first without having a plan ready?"
"I have several, they're simply dependent on the events of Mizu no Kuni."
"Which leaves you high and try if he finishes first."
"It will be fine."
Danzō took a breath to berate the young Daimyo before he paused and narrowed his eyes at him. "You have something in the works, don't you?"
"Not at all." Naruto denied. As far as Danzō could tell he was being entirely honest. "I am, however, in a position that would allow me to act should Asuma be ready before I've finished."
"You expect him to make it obvious? You won't know until his forces are busting down the door and as soon as you're out of the picture he should have little trouble aiding the rebels just to make sure no one takes your place."
Naruto gave him a sly smile. "Let's just say that capturing or killing me won't help him any. In fact, it would be more beneficial to me. As for my replacement, they've already been chosen and have plenty of experience- just in case."
"You're not going to tell me, are you?"
"I made that mistake recently, you know." The sly smile melted away, replaced by a small frown as he recalled his recent failings. "I trusted someone whose loyalty was not first to the Wolves and it cost me three of my children. I can't afford to make the same mistake."
"I see." While somewhat insulted that Naruto thought he might do somethign to harm the Wolves he could understand the caution in the face of recent events. But just because he didn't know Naruto's' plans didn't mean he couldn't help.
"You're forces are stretched thin, I understand." Danzō moved on from the subject of Naruto's recent misfortune. "And I so happen to have ROOT agents without assignments. Perhaps they may be of some use to you? I can have them sent to Mizu no Kuni to help overcome the stalemate Asuma was trying to create."
Naruto thought for a moment about the offer before shaking his head. "No, thank you. I've...taken steps to undo Asuma's meddling." He was also well aware that half of the ROOT agents' function would be to figure out what he was hiding from Danzō and he didn't particularly want to risk something getting out at the moment. At the same time, he didn't' think anything of Danzō's attempts. The elder hadn't said anything about their secondary purpose but both of them knew it was obvious enough.
One could not expect the private forces of Shimura Danzō to not report everything they could to him. It would be the cost of having them around.
He did, however, have some use for the offer. "If you are in need of something to occupy their time I suppose they are free to spend their time around our Den and my home. Our security has been greatly reduced due to the events in Mizu no Kuni."
It wouldn't – or at least wasn't likely to- give Danzō the insight he'd like but it did have a chance and the information hadn't been the sole reason anyway. He genuinely liked Naruto- which was probably as weird for people to think about as it was for him- and was hoping that one day the young man would fully take his own position in the Shinobi world.
Hopefully that would be for Konoha if Asuma didn't manage to fuck it up.
Danzō considered the counter offer with a thoughtful hum before he spoke. "It would be rather odd for my private security to be present when I am not. I would need to remain here for the duration of their stay."
"Certainly." Naruto replied without missing a beat. "I'll have a guestroom prepared." Gods above knew he had plenty of the damn things.
Danzō gave an amused snort as his lips twitched into a faint smile. "I suppose we've come to an agreement, then. I look forward to experiencing your hospitality."
Naruto's sly smirk returned. "Orochimaru never found it lacking."
Danzō nearly had a heart attack.
It was some time before Naruto returned to the guest room he had left Sakura reading in but she was in the exact same position she had been when he left. Her surroundings, however, had changed.
Several small stacks of books sat on the floor before her while teacups and empty plates covered his coffeetable. She was wrapped up in a blanket- that pink fluffy one he had never learned the origin of- with a brightly covered book in her hands and a noticeable tinge of red on her cheeks.
He had forgotten that Jiraiya had left copies of his Icha-Icha books when he visited, some of the Wolves must have put them away.
"Having fun, Sakura?"
The girl's head snapped up, mortified at being caught by her Senpai.
"N-naruto-senpai, this isn't what it looks like, I swear!" She hurriedly stashed the book into the blanket flushing furiously.
He raised a brow and smiled before taking a seat next to her and reaching down for one of the other books. He was not surprised to find himself looking at the green cover of one of Jiraiya's books. Brow still raised he looked over to Sakura. "Really?"
Snatching it from his hand it joined its sibling within the blanket.
"...Really." Her attempt at a stern glare was undermined by the redness in her face and he was half expecting her to puff out her cheeks.
Reaching over he ruffled her pink hair and her glare disappeared immediately.
"...So, are they any good?" He had never really had the time to read Jiraiya's work though he knew Anko had a few of them she liked to read for...inspiration. Based on what he had experienced thus far he figured they probably weren't too bad.
"Ah, y-yeah." She buried her face into his side to avoid looking at him. "I like them." Really she liked to read them and imagine her Naruto-senpai as the male protagonist but she didn't think he needed to hear that.
Yet, anyway.
"Then feel free to stop by and read them whenever you like."
"Really?" She peeked up at him, green eyes shimmering with hope and admiration.
"Of course, they aren't doing anyone any good just sitting in here."
She gave him a smile. "I'll stop by often, Naruto-senpai. I promise."
"Just whenever you want to, okay? I'll make sure the Wolves know to let you come in and read if I happen to be out."
"Thank you, Senpai." She buried her face back into his side for a few minutes and just when he was starting to wonder if she had fallen asleep she faintly addressed him.
"S-senpai?"
"Yes, Sakura?"
"When- when can we kill again?"
"Probably on the next-" He paused, her words fully processing. He gave her a curious look as a single emerald eye opened to peer up at him. "That's an interesting question, Sakura. May I ask why you want to know?"
"I-I liked it, Naruto-senpai. I want to see the flowers again."
"Flowers?" He didn't recall any flowers on that mission.
"The crimson flowers, they're so beautiful." She gave a giggle somewhere between alluring and disturbing reminding him a lot of Orochimaru's own. "Drip, drip, drip, it's so easy to make a bouquet."
Blood. She was talking about blood.
Had he really made a mini Anko? He didn't know whether to be proud or worried.
Probably both.
Two green eyes looked up at him, full of hope, and he realized it might be harder saying no to her than it was to deny Anko. He was going to be in some deep, deep trouble because of this in the future, he knew it.
But if blood was what she wanted, who was he to deny her? The prisoners weren't serving any use anyway.
"Would you like to kill someone today? I can arrange something for you."
"Would you?" Her arms wrapped around him tightly. "You're the best, Naruto-senpai!"
He patted her head, wondering if what he had done might be considered wrong.
"I'll have one of the Wolves show you to the den, you're free to chose a single prisoner and do as you like with them." It was a rule he had to impose after her let a stressed Anko go down there to blow off some steam and a good dozen of his prisoners ended up dead. He had helped relieve the rest of her stress in the shower and decided that there were better ways to help her wind down after a long day.
She reached into her blanket to pull out a single Kunai and he tried very hard not to think about where she had been keeping it.
Practically skipping she stopped at the door and turned back to him.
"N-naruto-senpai?"
"Yes Sakura?"
"When I visit next time can we- can we read one of those books? Together?"
"Sure, Sakura. We'll read some Icha-Icha."
She gave him a beaming smile. It wasn't exactly what he had done with Anko but getting to kill someone before reading Icha-Icha with him was close enough for now.
And maybe next time they could kill together.
Her heart was fluttering just thinking about it.
Sango ( 珊瑚 ) – Coral
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–Eyazahrid