Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 104-A "Dispel"
Yagura's broken body fell to the ground, more skin and fragmented bone than anything else. Arms and legs had shattered completely, his pelvis was gone, and his skull had caved in. Miraculously his chest managed to retain its shape and Tsukuyomi wasted no time using his chains to rip away the skin.
It was still intact.
Perfect.
He pulled out his prize, uncaring for what little remnants of tendons and sinew clung to it desperately. Yagura's ribcage was gently placed around Tsukiyomi's chestpiece, hugging it tightly. Karura's Chakra, carefully controlled, treated it as the rest of her beloved's attire.
A lethargicness began to settle over his body, a comforting weight that smothered him like the embrace of a lover and tempted him back to bed. It sounded like a lovely idea, he just needed to excuse himself to retire for the evening.
Beyond satisfied by what he had been able to accomplish today he turned to Mei, lazily observing her shocked expression mixed with both relief that the monster was slain and indignation at being robbed the opportunity to do it herself.
He spared a look back at what had once been Yagura before meeting her eyes. "My business here is done," He began walking toward the edge of the roof. "I want nothing more to do with this accursed country."
"You're leaving? Just like that?" Her arms crossed over her chest but she remained alert for any tricks, ready to continue fighting should it become necessary. "I don't believe it."
"Believe what you want, you're welcome to whatever remains."
"Remains?"
Tsukuyomi had enough time to spin on his heel, arms splayed out grandly, before the village behind him erupted in great gouts of flame. Shattered wood and stone shot through the air like Kunai, pelting what few buildings that had remained untouched. With the fire hungrily devouring the structures that had birthed it they weren't likely to stay that way for long.
Mei looked on in absolute horror, words running through her mind at rapid speed but unable to leave her lips.
"I hate this country. I hate everything it represents, everything it's ever done, and, most of all, I hate everything it has taken from me." One of his hands dropped to his side while the other reached up to gently grasp his crumbling mask. Even as he pulled it away from his face it turned to dust in his hand, unable to handle the stress of Karura's Chakra after the damage it had already taken with its original wearer. Golden eyes stared callously into green, pale skin making bloodied lips seem ever more vibrant. Hot wind from the explosions throughout the village whipped through his crimson hair while the Chakra around him seemed to bathe his body in the light of a vacant sun. "I may not have the time to burn the entire thing to ash, but reducing Kirigakure to rubble should sate the fire in my soul that longs to destroy everything that has ever dared to harm my children."
"Y-you..." Mei found her words, still shaky with shock, horror, and disbelief. "You monster."
"Monster?" He scoffed. "Why? Because I've laid waste to the very city you and your slaves attacked? Because I ended the suffering of those you forced to live in endless war? Because I put an end to Yagura's reign?"
Tsukuyomi threw his hands out to the side again, the fires behind him casting strange shadows over his face and reflecting off his golden armor. "What have you done to deserve Kirigakure? Nothing! Even now the majority of your forces are unable to make the final push into the city while your most trusted are beaten and sent back with their tails between their legs by my chosen. This village belongs to the House of Wolves and I, Tsukuyomi no Mikoto, the moon reading man, the Daimyo of Nami no Kuni, and the Father of Wolves have declared that it will be torn down!"
Golden eyes burned brighter than the fires around him before the heat began to seep from them.
"...But I am not unreasonable." Tsukuyomi declared quietly. "I am not without mercy or compassion. You have desired Kirigakure as your own for many years now so I will provide you an opportunity to obtain it."
"What, by fighting you for it?"
His look expressed all the disappointment he felt at her reply and for a second she felt like a child being lectured by her parents.
"Always to violence with you Rebels, its no wonder the war would not end." He shook his head sadly before raising it to catch her eyes. "No. If you want Kirigakure I will give you the chance to earn it. Take from the rubble all you can, flatten the ashes, and build the village that you have envisioned Kirigakure becoming for all these years. Then you will be worthy of calling it your own."
"You're insane, completely insane."
"Perhaps." He agreed. "It could be the recent deaths of my children, or maybe the power I'm drawing upon as we speak. I could simply be so exhausted that I'm speaking nonsense, who knows? Regardless, I'm done here."
The weight grew, a fuzzy warmth swarming through his head, and he finally surrendered to the temptation to close his eyes. Gravity overtook him as he fell smoothly from the roof of the Mizukage tower into the raging fires below.
Mei hoped it devoured him.
Dull yellow eyes continued to watch from high above Kirigakure, the flames of the village flickering across them. The High-Priest plummeted from the tallest tower, his body completely relaxed, and vanished behind the wall of reds and orange.
Koshi remained unmoving for a few minutes yet before his mouth fell open in a large, fanged grin.
"Kukukukuku." His laugh was deep, the rumbling of thunder across the burning village."Kukukukukukyuuuu." Wish a satisfied hiss his great length returned to coil under him.
"Good show, Tsukuyomi. Good show." Black tongue flickered out to taste the blood, sweat, and burning flesh all around him. It had been a long time since he had been able to enjoy the ashes of a dying city. A very long time.
He severed his connection to the physical plane, vanishing into a great cloud of smoke and leaving parting words he knew would not be heard by their intended recipient.
"Father will be pleased."
Two pairs of arms stopped his fall, wrapping tightly around his unconscious body and pulling him away from the flames. Landing gently Anko and Mikoto shared a brief nod before darting through the city with their precious cargo.
Behind them Kakashi followed closely, Sharingan spinning to cover their back. The shadows of a few straggling Wolves were visible through the fires, dragging supplies, allies, and the occasional body. Sparing a glace over his shoulder to the Mizukage tower Kakashi shook his head.
Really, of all the buildings to miss.
Part of him realized it might be some sort of symbolism or other such nonsense but a wiser part of him knew it was simply because Tsukuyomi had been standing on it.
What a shame.
Well, if nothing else it would almost be a giant middle finger to the entire country after the rest fo the village burned down. That or a massive phallic symbol. Both made Kakashi feel better.
Karura's bare feet padded down the deep blue carpets, their plush softness doing nothing to comfort her as she hurried to the borders of her private world. Carpet became cold marble of white that eventually joined with a similar pathway of black. As soon as her feet slapped against the darker floor she began calling for her sister.
"Kyuubi, Kyuubi!"
From her position slumped against the bars of her prison Mito didn't even look up, the murky water lapping gently around her.
"Kyuubi!" There was a panic in the Ichibi's voice but the Kyuubi couldn't really bring herself to care. The only thing she wanted was to see her Naruto-kun again.
"What is it you want, you damned racoo-" Mito's head had slowly risen with the intention of allowing her "sister" to see exactly how much she cared for whatever plight she had but her attention was immediately caught by the body resting in the Ichibi's arms, his red hair nearly dragging across the black marble pathway. "Naruto-kun?!" She was on her feet in an instant, leaning out of the bars as much as she could.
"Help, Kyuubi!"
"Wha-what happened?!" No, she was so much closer to having him back now that she had found the edge of her seal- he couldn't be taken from her now! "What did you do?" She didn't make any attempt to hide the accusation in her voice.
"He needed my Chakra, I did my best to protect him from it." His body was set down upon the cold marble, the black stone quickly painted red from the wound in his side. As horrible as it looked, Mito knew that it was probably the least of Naruto's worries at the moment if he had been drawing on Karura's Chakra for any significant length of time. Unlike Mito, Karura didn't have a way to heal her hosts- it's why she did her best to provide them with a solid defense.
Mito spared a glance behind her, an almost endless expanse of murky brown water only occasionally interrupted by chunks of ruble from the world Naruto had built for her. It was in no way suitable to provide care for Naruto but there was only so much she could do- and it was barely anything at all- separated like this.
"I-I'll get started but I can't do much like this. Grab a bed or a couch- even a table. Anything that will let us set him down within my seal so I can do more."
Karura gave a look into the seal behind Mito before giving a nod. "I'll be right back, don't let him die."
Not if it was in her power the Kyuubi promised as she looked down to the pained face of her Naruto. Gently-nearly to the point of reverence- she rested her hands over his chest, her red Chakra bubbling forth in an effort to soothe him.
Whatever she could do to ensure he never suffered again she would do gladly, even if he never took her back.
It was late morning when Tayuya stomped into his office, face ablaze with a blush that outshone her hair. The Wolves didn't do anything to stop her, simply watching as she marched right up next to him and grabbed his arm. Without a word she began pulling him away from his work and it didn't take a genius to figure out why.
"Was there something I can help you with, Tayuya-chan?" He asked bemusedly, following along without protest. From the corner of his eye he could see the Wolf in his office putting away his work, obviously considering him done for the foreseeable future.
He supposed he very well could be.
Tayuya didn't respond to his question- beyond blushing even more brightly and speeding up her pace- and Naruto soon found himself dragged into what he presumed was Tayuya's chosen room. He was not surprised to realize just how far Mai had placed her from his own quarters. He'd need to sit down and have a chat with the two of them at some point. Well, mostly Mai. She was very protective of him and that lead to her also being slightly possessive. She needed to realize that he wasn't going to neglect the needs of others just because she didn't like them.
Not that e blamed her at all, of course, and he wasn't actually bothered by it personally. He thought it was cute and gods knew he was far more possessive over her, the Wolves, and the other people in his life than she would ever be over him.
The door was thrown open and he was tossed towards the bed- as much as she could toss him, which was more of pulling him slightly in its direction while she stopped -while she closed the door- much more gently than she had opened it- and clicked all five of the locks into place.
He gave a small, amused snort when he realized they were new additions and he shook his head as she settled a crossbeam into place to further block the door from being opened until she was done.
"You've given this some thought, I see."
Victory, anticipation, and no small amount of nervousness swirled in her eyes. "Many nights worth, Denka-sama." She was doing her best to remain demure- as much as she could after dragging him to her bedroom- but he could see the excitement she was struggling to contain easily enough.
"Then I suppose you're about tired of waiting, then?"
She shot him an irritated look followed closely by her top and soon after her shorts.
"...I'll take that as a yes." Naruto wasn't in as much of a hurry, leisurely unbuttoning his shirt. Tayuya didn't take that very well and he soon he found a Kunoichi missile slamming into his side and knocking him into her bed.
Brown eyes stared down at him, filled with hunger and amusement, and he gave a short laugh. "Aren't we eager? I have to get my clothes of first, Tayuya-chan."
"Not all of them." She responded with a cheeky grin.
"No, I suppose not." He grabbed her hips and rolled her over so he was on top. "But it's going to be difficult to get my pants off if you're straddling me."
She gave a giggle that was as dangerous as it was alluring. "Well hurry up then." She leaned up to steal a quick kiss. "I don't want to wait anymore Den-Ka-sa-ma." She punctuated each syllable with a kiss to his face, moving from his neck to cheeks to lips.
"Well then, I'd best hurr-" In an explosion of smoke Naruto vanished, all traces of him quickly dissipating throughout the room.
Tayuya's brown eyes stared up at nothing for a moment, blinking in surprise. Pushing herself up she swept her gaze over the empty room. It took a moment to process what had happened.
"Motherfucker!"
Her shout echoed throughout the apartment sending the Wolves scurrying away to avoid her ire or, at the very least, her tongue.
A Tayuya Tongue-Lashing was no one's idea of a fun time.
Karura was back within minutes, a large blue couch pulled behind her. With a bit of maneuvering she managed to get it through the bars to Mito's cell where it landed in the murky water with a small splash. Fortunately the water wasn't very high and barely came above the legs of the couch.
As soon as it was down Karura scurried back to the other side of the bars to scoop Naruto into her arms and carry him through the seal. Mito maintained her contact with his chest, unwilling to pause her efforts for even a second, and Karura was aware enough of this that she walked straight towards her elder sister so he wouldn't be separated from her.
Mito backed up until her calves bumped into the couch. With a smooth moment she spun to the side while Karura continued so Naruto could be set down. As soon as his back made contact with the deep blue fabric the full extent of Mito's Chakra came to bear, washing over him like a crimson blanket.
With nothing more she could do and knowing that staying by his side as she waited to would only hinder her sisters' Chakra from fully reaching him Karura placed a brief kiss on his brow before retreating from the seal.
She was more than a little surprised to find Naruto standing there, golden eyes staring at her curiously.
"Did I miss something?"
Karura took a moment to sneak a peek over her shoulder, ensuring Mito was still distracted healing the Naruto in her care. Satisfied she was she turned back to the Naruto before her with a bright smile. "Don't worry," She assured him as she grabbed his hand and started leading him to her seal. "I'll tell you all about it somewhere more comfortable."
Naruto spared a look at Mito kneeling next to himself behind the large iron bars before giving a nod and following along after Karura. "Just don't leave anything out."
Karura gave him another smile. "Of course not, beloved."
She wouldn't dare consider trying to hide something from him but she'd certainly take full advantage of the opportunity to spend time with him while Mito was working.
Was it unfair? Perhaps.
But she wasn't the one to throw him away in the first place.
Naruko's sword came to rest against the grass of training ground seven, a sheen of sweat covering her body. Her orange top had been removed earlier, lying discarded by the edge of the field, leaving her in her orange skirt and a black sports top.
Her left hand came to rest over her stomach only to be pulled away with a pained hiss as it was burned by her glowing seal.
"What the-?" Despite her best efforts she couldn't feel any of the Kyuubi's Chakra within her own system and any attempt to reach the Biju or enter the seal failed completely, as if she didn't actually contain anything within her seal. It was a preposterous notion considering there was very much something running through it at the moment, she just didn't know why.
Sheathing her blade she quickly recovered her top and started back to the Uzumaki compound at a sprint without bothering to put it back on. Her mother might know more about what was happening and, if not, she would be able to track down Jiraiya for help too.
"I was. So. Fucking. Close!" Tayuya slammed her head onto the table with each word, leaving it against the cool wood as she finished. "Of all the times for it to dispel, why then?"
Mai ignored her, looking through the cabinets for her preferred tea, while Danzō enjoyed a cup of the pot he had brewed earlier. The warhawk raised a brow at the sulking redhead- not that she could see it- and took another sip before asking "For what to dispel?"
"His Kage-Bunshin, of course." Tayuya rolled her head to the side so she could give Danzō an incredulous look. "What else would I be talking about?"
Danzō blinked twice in surprise before gently setting down his tea and meeting her one visible eye. "A Kage-Bunshin." He repeated for clarification.
"Mmm-hmm." Tayuya nodded against the wood, regretting her choice to slam her head against it but enjoying the cooling sensation against her reddening forehead.
"His Kage-Bunshin."
"I said that already."
Danzō caught Mai's eyes, the young woman having paused her search to direct her attention to the suddenly very interesting conversation. It only took a second for the two of them to understand that both of the were equally out of the loop.
"Just to be perfectly clear," Danzō spoke slowly and carefully, watching Tayuya for any additional clues her body language might give away. "You're talking about Naruto's Kage-Bunshin, correct?"
She gave him another blank stare, making no effort to hide the fact that she was in the midst of questioning his intelligence. "Do you know anyone else who makes use of an S-ranked Bunshin Technique regularly?"
Honestly? Until now he hadn't realized he did in fact know anyone who did so.
"I had not been aware he knew that particular Kinjutsu." Where the hell had he gotten his hands on one of Konoha's forbidden techniques? Danzō had a pretty hefty suspicion that the culprit had a spiky top of silver hair and a tendency to read indecent material in public.
Tayuya rose a brow but sudden realization lit up her face. "That's right, you weren't around when I brought him Orochimaru-sama's gift, were you?" Even as Danzō began to shake his head she was jerking her own towards Mai. "The stingy bitch knew, though. She saw how pleased he was to receive it, too."
Danzō gave Mai another questioning look while she stared blankly ahead, recalling the event. It had been soon- very soon, in fact- before she and Tsume had...well, that. She hadn't even thought about it since then because she'd never seen him practice it, but if he managed to master it during her absence- and she knew just how hard he tended to work himself when she wasn't there to kick some sense into him- then she supposed she wouldn't have seen it at all.
If he really did master it before she had returned, though, how long had he been utilizing it?
A sudden, horrible thought suddenly struck her and her attention snapped to the redhead. "The Naruto here was just a Kage-Bunshin?" She asked. As Danzō's eyes widened she knew he had come to the same realization.
"Yeah," Tayuya turned her face from the cold wood to give Mai a stare that actually held some genuine concern to it. Not much, granted, but some. "Are you okay?" The stare was shared with Danzō too. "Both of you seem pretty slow. You're not getting sick or something, are you?"
"Where exactly is Naruto-kun right now?"
"Seriously?" Tayuya looked between the two before settling on Danzō and sending him a look that told him she couldn't believe she was actually being asked that. "He's been waging war in Mizu no Kuni for like two weeks now."
'I'll take it from here.'
Gods be damned, she should have realized he would have taken a more active role in Mizu no Kuni after he had learned of his children's deaths. There was no way he could sit patiently in his office waiting for the Wolves to deliver more news.
Understanding dawned in Tayuya's eyes and her disbelieving gaze swept back and forth between the kitchen's other two occupants. "You- you didn't know, did you?" Her voice was nearly in awe, unable to wrap her head around a thought so incomprehensible. "Neither of you knew? Oh, gods."
Mai was Mai- Naruto's right hand. She knew everything about him always, or, that's how Tayuya had seen it at least. The very idea that Mai had somehow been unaware that her lord was off fighting a war was simply unbelievable.
It was so unbelievable, in fact, that Tayuya's animosity towards Mai temporarily vanished. "He's not alone," Tayuya assured her. "He took Anko, the silver-haired one, and the rest of the Wolves with him. They'll keep him safe."
Mai gave a small smile that never reached her eyes. It certainly sounded nice but try as she might she just couldn't fool herself enough to believe it.
One could never underestimate Naruto's ability to get himself into trouble and the presence of two enablers wasn't going to lessen it any.
Even hours later Kirigakure was painted red and orange by the flames that danced through it. Teams of rebels had formed for the sole purpose of trying to put them out but with many of them being exhausted- and in most cases also heavily injured- progress was slow.
For the most part they were directing their attention to areas villagers were believed to be trapped. Knowing the end of the war was drawing near a majority of Kirigakure's civilians had evacuated before the southern wall was blown up and a good portion who hadn't joined them as soon as it did. Of those who stayed even after that at least half of them had lost their courage when the Wolves first turned their attention from the Rebels to the village they were 'aiding'.
Those who stayed after that? As callous as it might sound, they had really brought it upon themselves. Plenty of opportunities had presented themselves for them to get somewhere more safe but through stubbornness, idiocy, or some other fault had decided to take their chances.
Luck had not been on their side.
It hadn't been on anyone's, evidently. Anyone aside from those damn Wolves.
Reports were wishful thinking at best but they painted a dismal picture for recovering any significant part of the village of Kirigakure. It had been more than just fires that the Wolves had set in their departure and the explosive tags had been very carefully placed to cause as much structural damage as possible.
On the off-chance they managed to completely douse the flames in the next two minutes only a fifth of the village would remain. Considering their current manpower they were probably best off just evacuating what remained of the village and retreating to one of their old bases for the time being.
Assuming the Wolves hadn't finished their work destroying those before joining the fight.
Mei didn't think she was anywhere near that fortunate, especially with the way things had been going recently. The luckiest thing that had happened to her lately was Tsukuyomi attacking Yagura and she was hesitant to tempt her fortune any further.
"Mei-sama?"
They had taken positions behind her over the past few minutes but she'd been too busy staring at the village she had fought for years to reclaim being burned away to acknowledge them.
"Yes, Ao?"
"Have...well...are..." There were many questions Ao had at the moment and not only did he know what he wanted the answer to the most he also didn't know what would be the least likely to irritate her. "Is it over?"
Closing her eyes Mei dropped her head with a tired sigh.
"Yeah," Her green eyes opened again to reflect the flames of Kirigakure. "It's over."
After over a decade of fighting it was finally over. She couldn't have imagined a more bitter taste for those words.
"So..." Kisame's large frame sat awkwardly in the creaking cart, Samehada's handle on the floor and her head resting contently on his shoulder. "Where is it we're going?"
The cart's other occupants didn't seem keen to answer but that was understandable.
He had, after all, tried killing the young man laying on the bench across from him, his head resting in Tobi's lap while the purple-haired one applied her limited medical knowledge. Apparently- from what he'd gathered anyway- the damage had been done by himself. Having fought Tsukuyomi earlier he didn't have much trouble believing that the only one able to hurt him was himself.
Kabuto- the medic that had kept him wonderfully busy earlier- was apparently tending to the Wolves and some of the civilians they had taken a liking to. Kisame personally found that quite odd, he'd think the super-healer would be primarily focused on their leader but according to both the purple-haired woman- the Konoha ANBU had called her Anko if he recalled- and Tobi herself Tsukuyomi would want it this way.
He thought it was a bit early to be carrying out last wishes and that seeing to him first would prevent them in its entirety but at the same time he certainly understood that if he had the young Daimyo resting on his lap he certainly wouldn't want him to wake up angry either.
Knowing he probably wasn't going to get an answer Kisame's gaze began wandering over the makeshift caravan. Carts had been obtained and filled mostly with supplies aside from the one he was on, one filled with wounded, and one filled with, erm, 'ladies of the night' was a more proper term he believed. Anko had taken a liking to many of them- which of course only made her more attractive to Kisame- and some of them had taken a liking to the silver-haired one Zabuza wasn't too fond of.
Kaka-something or other.
Bastard was in their cart with them, probably having much more fun than Kisame was.
The rest had been filled with just about anything the Wolves could get their hands on from weapons to supplies, what few luxury goods still remained and, naturally, Kirigakure's treasury. As in all of it.
Honestly Kisame thought he'd actually fit in pretty well here but he also didn't really think he had much of a choice in the matter.
Tobi was a good girl- and a force of nature. He wasn't about to go against the woman to take down Itachi, thank you, even if she had done it in a rather underhanded way.
She was also a good looking woman and adding that to the fact that she was undoubtedly dangerous only made her more attractive in his eyes.
He was well aware of his weaknesses, damnit. It was a crucial step to overcoming them. Admittedly he hadn't exactly expanded any effort on that front but it was still a perfectly valid argument.
His own shortcomings aside, he really didn't' understand why they were taking so many noncombatants with them. The girls, yeah, he could understand that easily enough and even those who looked to be former Loyalists with the line coming down from their lips he could sort of see as part of the group but they had brought a sizable chunk of other civilians too and that was what he was having trouble with.
They could really speed up travel time and thusly minimize risks by cutting away the dead weight which made sense if they wanted to get their injured leader to safety and he highly doubted Tsukuyomi really cared about some random Kirigakure civilians so Kisame was at a loss for their purpose.
Unfortunately no one was really in the mood to answer such questions for him. Or any, for that matter. With a sigh he crossed his arms over his chest- which was made only slightly awkward by the presence of Samehada- and gave a bored huff.
Maybe he would have been better off staying in Amegakure.
Tobi removed her mask and placed a gentle kiss on Tsukuyomi's brow. She straightened back up, attention never leaving her son, but the mask didn't return.
No, paying a visit to Zabuza-chan was definitely the right move.
Idly Kisame wondered how the bastard was doing but knowing him he was probably just fine.
Wherever he was.
104-B "Desk"
Purple eyes cracked open blearily, staring unfocused at a vast ceiling the light didn't touch. After a few moments- or, perhaps, a few eternities – awareness began to seep back into them. A heavy weight blanketed his body, bringing with it a weariness that permeated his bones.
Just as soon as he became aware of the weariness he was greeted by a myriad of other sensations, primarily the feeling of fire burning through their every muscle.
The scream of pain he wanted to release was instead reduced to a muffled groan and as soon as the sound left him his vision of nothingness was instead replaced by vibrant reds and oranges. It wouldn't be until later that Naruto realized just how long he spent staring up into the crimson eyes of Mito before he realized what he was looking at.
"...Mito?" The pain he was in told him he was conscious but what his eyes were seeing told him he couldn't possibly be.
With tears streaming from her eyes she buried her face into his neck, arms pressed against his chest.
It was odd, he didn't recall removing his shirt.
"Gods. Oh, gods." With her warden now awake she allowed herself to revel in his presence, enjoying the heat of his body and the smell of his skin. "I've missed you so much, Warden."
That word was all it took to solidify reality around him. It really was her, then.
"...It's been a while, Mito." There was no trace of the past affection he had held for her in his voice, only a dry acknowledgment of her presence that sent sharp pains searing through her chest. "I did not expect to see you again."
"No, no, no, no," She shook her head against his neck. "I was always going to be back, Warden." She picked her head up to look him in the eyes. "I should never have left."
"...I see." A small part of him cried for joy at seeing her again, the part that reminded him of simpler days, but a larger part of him couldn't set aside her parting words from so long ago.
In the end, however, the largest part of him was simply too tired to care. Purple eyes closed and his breathing slowed as he wrapped his arms around her waist. In the moment she was warm and soft and that's all he had the energy to focus on.
Mito didn't mind at all.
She was only steps past the compound gate when a cooling sensation spread through her body-originating at her abdomen- and was quickly replaced by a soft, pleasant warmth. Peering down at her seal Naruko gave a slight frown. Whatever had been happening had obviously changed- and it seemed to be a change for the better- but she wasn't sure what it was at all.
'Mito?' She called into the seal hesitantly.
"Y-yes?" There was a sound to a crying person's words, something present as the Kyuubi no Kitsune spoke, but the sense of relief and joy in her words was unmistakable.
'Are- are you alright? Is everything okay?'
"Yes, yes." She could hear the Kyuubi's brilliant smile. "Everything's just fine."
'Oh, o-okay.' She wasn't completely sure just how much faith she should put in the words of the Kyuubi no Kitsune but as long as she had interacted with the Biju she had never tired to deceive or mislead her. That she realized, anyway. 'So what was going on with the seal?'
"...I took care of it, don't worry about it."
'O-kay.' Naruko frowned and continued into the house, setting her sword next to the door. Maybe it really was nothing to be concerned about but she would have a chat with Jiraiya later, just in case.
It was many hours before the fires had managed to burn themselves out with help from the few able Rebels. She supposed they weren't Rebels any longer, not with Yagura dead and Kirigakure more or less destroyed, but it had been a part of their identity for so long she wasn't sure what else to think of them as.
Mei gave a quiet sigh from within Yagura's- her- office, looking down through the window to what little remained of the once large village. There was room, perhaps, for the remaining Rebels to occupy the buildings around the Mizukage tower but there were still plenty of civilians who had fled for safety during the battle that needed homes.
More than that, they'd need supplies too.
Supplies Mei suddenly realized she didn't know how to provide.
Kirigakure's economy had suffered for longer then the rebellion had existed with little export aside from a pitiful number of weapons forged by civilian smiths in the village and surplus seafood sold to Udon no Kuni. Everything else they had was taken from the smaller towns within Mizu no Kuni who traded their own seafood with the closest countries to them.
The journey to sell what little surplus they could spare was, as one might imagine, not very profitable and the fishermen only had a day or two in foreign ports to sell their wares before it went bad and what they did make was spent on obtaining things that Mizu no Kuni just couldn't produce.
Which was just about everything, honestly. They had some deposits of metal and there were forests for wood, both used primarily to fill the needs of Mizu no Kuni's populace. Livestock didn't particularly care for the weather but larger towns pooled resources to have a community barn for wool, milks, and eggs.
All in all, Mizu no Kuni was- or had become- a very survival focused country where people did what they could to scrape by and nearly everything they produced went to supporting their families directly.
But as most people weren't trading- not regularly, anyway- there wasn't much to the economy outside Kirigakure or Mizu no Kuni's capital of Namihime. Namihime used the forests of Mizu no Kuni to construct some of the most exquisite ships in the world which were immediately sold to other countries at rather high prices.
Namihime, in fact, had a very strong economy because of it but as it didn't require anything the smaller towns could produce they did almost no trade with anyone in Mizu no Kuni aside from Kirigakure. Even then, the only reason Kirigakure's economy had been linked with Namihime's was because Yagura had assumed control of both.
Would...Would she have to do the same? With Yagura dead did she need to take up the mantle of Daimyo too? Mei fought for what she believed in, always had, and she would do her best for her people but she wasn't sure she could manage such responsibility.
She also wasn't sure how the rest of the world would take it.
What she did know was that she absolutely had to ensure that Tsukuyomi did not gain control of Namihime or somehow become Mizu no Kuni's Daimyo. That would be a complete disaster, though a part of her gave a morbid chuckle at the thought that she had been handed this bittersweet 'victory' only for it to be rendered completely meaningless days later by the one to give it to her.
It was incredibly fitting, a move she would expect from the House of Wolves, but she supposed it also depended on whether or not the bastard had survived. With her luck she thought it was pretty likely.
She'd have to send envoys to Namihime as her representatives soon, she just had to figure out who would be suited for such a role. Zabuza was definitely out, as was Chojiro. Ao would probably be good but she had a feeling she'd need his help putting Kirigakure back together.
That left her with Haku, really. There were only two problems with that;
She was inexperienced, though that didn't mean she was incapable.
And the real issue;
If Haku was going somewhere Zabuza would be there too, regardless of orders. As gruff as he was, it was obvious he cared for his daughter a great deal. Actually, with how personable he was it might be best to have him outside Kirigakure while they got returning civilians settled. Then again, there was a lot of havoc he could wreak in the capital.
She's probably find herself facing another war with someone ridiculous, like Kubi no Kuni. She had no idea how he would manage to start a war with a country lacking a hidden village but she was absolutely positive he could somehow pull it off.
"Mei! Mei!"
And think of the demon.
Mei turned her attention from the large windows of the Mizukage's office to watch as Zabuza hobbled into the room, the majority of his weight supported by Haku.
He looked weary, weak even, but he didn't seem especially injured. For Zabuza to be down she would expect far more cuts to cross his exposed flesh and for his entire form to be coated in blood. Admittedly he was getting there and his injuries seemed to have been recently tended to- likely by Haku- so it was possible it looked much worse until just recently.
He paused just within the doorway gasping for breath, sweat dripping down his forehead at the effort expended just to remain standing -mostly- upright, He probably shouldn't be standing at all if that was the case and Haku's face seemed to convey as much. She was not pleased to be dragging him here, evidently.
As soon as he saw her he slumped boneless against his daughter, relief easy to read on his face.
"I told you she'd be fine, Zabuza-sama."
He shot her an irritated look, something Mei hadn't seen often. "I would have been sure of that of someone hadn't lodged a pair of needles in my neck to take me out of the fight."
Haku gave an innocent shrug. "I'm not sure what you're implying Zabuza-sama.."
"Sure you don't." He turned his attention away from Haku and to the reason for his visit. "It's good to see you're okay, Mei."
"And it's flattering that you were so concerned, Zabuza, but shouldn't you be resting?"
The swordsman gave a grunt in agreement and shuffled with his human crutch over to the desk to take a seat on it.
"...I hadn't meant in my office, Zabuza. This is hardly the place for the injured to recover."
"I'm not injured," He countered. "I'm just mostly dead." He shot an irritated look to his daughter. "Isn't that right, Haku?"
"Again, I have no idea what you're implying Zabuza-sama."
"Riiight." He shook his head but dropped the matter. For now. "I've been...incapacitated...for more than a few hours now, what happened Mei?"
"...We won...I guess."
"You guess?"
"Yagura's dead and the Wolves are gone, that's a victory, right?" She met her eyes and he realized she was looking to reassure herself as much as she was trying to convince him of their victory.
Zabuza shared a look with Haku."...Sounds like it to me, Mei." Some of the tension left Mei's shoulder and she gave him the faintest of smiles.
"So, what happened with Tsukuyomi?"
The smile vanished.
"He killed Yagura, captured him with his chains and practically melted him from the inside with a touch." She turned to stare out at the ruined village. "And then he set everything we had worked so hard for alight. Some victory, huh?"
"..Yeah..." Zabuza agreed. "..Some victory..." There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments.
"Did you end up fighting him?"
It took Mei a minute to respond, her interactions with the young Daimyo running through her head.
"No, not at all."
"What, he just killed Yagura and walked off?" Zabuza scoffed. "Figures he'd beat the shit out of me only to just end up walking away in the end."
"He killed Yagura, spared some mocking words, and fell backwards off the Mizukage tower while the world burned around him – happy?"
"Well, no." Zabuza frowned for a second behind his bandages before a grin slowly spread across his lips. "But I can't say I don't believe someone like him would do that."
"..Yeah," A small smile twitched at her lips too. "I suppose you're right. What else should we expect from a man who calls himself a god?"
"That's the spirit, and if we're lucky the bastard's dead, too."
She shot him a wry, self-depreciating grin. "Come now, Zabuza, you know luck doesn't care for us."
"No, no it doesn't." Zabuza nodded. "That's why we make our own."
"Did you two need some privacy? I can leave you to it if you like, just be aware that Zabuza-sama isn't going to have much stamina...or the ability to use most of his muscles. You'll definitely have to take top for the next week or so, Mei-sama."
"...Haku..."
"My, I have no idea what you're implying Zabuza-sama."
Haku escaped the room with a giggle and a click, leaving the two to enjoy the awkward atmosphere.
"I don't know what kind of phase it is, but she's definitely going through something."
Mei gave a giggle, the first one he'd heard in some time, and Zabuza had a feeling that no matter what happened things were going to be okay.
Probably.
They had made it through over a decade of bloody civil war, after all, what more could the world possibly throw at them?
They fell into a comfortable silence for a while, just enjoying a few moments of not fighting for their lives or worrying about their enemies' plans.
"You know," Mei broke the silence. "Haku may be going through a phase, but her ideas aren't half-bad."
"Mei?"
"It's a victory, right?" She smirked, sauntering up to the desk and placing her hands to either side of him.
"Yeah, it is."
"Well then, I think that calls for some celebration, don't you?" Her pink tongue darted out to tease red lips. It did a better job of teasing the Demon of the Mist. "You also deserve a reward, but most of all I need a chance to unwind and the thought of having Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Mist at my mercy sounds pretty damn good to me."
Zabuza was of mixed feelings about this, he could admit that, but in the end his libido was always going to win in anything involving her. "You sure?"
He was answered by her pushing him back onto the desk and taking a spot straddling his waist. "Oh yes," She purred. "Very sure." Mei leaned down, peppering kisses across his jawline, and suddenly paused. She lifted her head back up and cocked it slightly to the side as she observed the desk.
"Wait, this isn't the Mizukage's desk."
Zabuza blinked in surprise and turned his head as much as he could to get a good look for himself. "No, it's not." He frowned in confusion. "This was the secretary's desk."
"Did you see a desk out there when you came in, Zabuza?"
"...I didn't, but I can probably guess where it is right now."
"The Wolves?"
"Who else?"
Mei's frown made Zabuza wish he still had the strength to move most of his body so that he could lean up and kiss it. "But what would they use it for?"
"Probably the same thing we're about to."
Mei paused for a second "Sex on a foreign Kage's desk? That's kind of kinky."
"It'd be more kinky if it was still here."
"That's true," She agreed before a sinful grin stretched across her face. "But do you know what this means?"
"That Tsukuyomi has some really kinky lovers?"
"Better, it means this desk needs to be broken in."
Yeah, that was much better.
Karura's body sprawled leisurely across Naruto's lap, quite content to rest her head against his chest as he lounged in the throne of her desert palace.
"And so I went to Kyuubi because I don't have the ability to heal you." She buried her head up into his neck. "I'm so sorry, beloved. I should have done more to protect you."
"From what you say you did exactly as I asked, Karura. Thank you. I 'm sure things would have been much worse without your help."
"Mmmm, maybe, but my help hurt you too."
"Then I guess you just have to help take care of me until I've recovered, how does that sound?"
She moved from siting on his lap to straddling it,staring down at his face with a hopeful- and unmistakably mischievous- expression. "Oh, I would be happy to do that for you, beloved." She grinned wickedly. "But do I get a reward for helping you, too?"
She was answered when Naruto's arms wrapped around her waist ans she found a pair of lip pressed against her own. Karura was more than happy to reciprocate, her arms slipping behind his neck and her hips beginning to rock back and forth. She thought he might at least pause at that but instead she found her mouth invaded by his tongue. Karura only met it for a few seconds in battle before surrendering with a pleased hum.
As much as she was enjoying it- and by the gods she was enjoying him being more forward- she was also too curious to not question about it. Regretfully separating from his lips and taking a few needed gasps of air she smiled down at him. "You're much more forward today." She leaned down to lay a trail of kisses across his jaw that ended by his ear. "I like it, beloved."
"You'll have Tayuya to thank for that, then." His hands moved from her hips to squeeze something even better, earning a surprised gasp from the Biju. "We were about to have some fun when I dispelled."
Karura knew it was mean but she couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up inside her and escaped her lips. "Oh, poor girl." She resumed rocking against his waist, pressing more forcefully than before and wishing there weren't any clothes delaying her from her prize. "I'll be sure to enjoy this on her behalf."
And oh was she going to enjoy it.
One of her hands came to rest on his chest and he reciprocated without a second thought, fingers sinking slightly into soft flesh.
"I'm not sure how much she'll appreciate the thought, Karura."
"She probably won't but I sure appreciate such a lovely gift."
It was Naruto's turn to go after her neck and he was more than willing to oblige."...A...Gift?" He kissed her neck between words. "Better...Unwrap me...Then..."
"Aahm...G-gladly." A solid tug to either side of his shirt made quick work of the buttons but no sooner than had Karura began unwrapping her prize were the last memories to separate him as an entity from the real Naruto absorbed into the mindscape and he ceased to exist.
Falling gently onto the soft cushions of Naruto's throne Karura's teal eyes blinked in surprise. It took her a moment to realize what had happened and a disappointed groan left her lips.
As she moved from kneeling to lounging in the chair, making herself more comfortable in perpetration of finishing what she had started, she admitted she probably deserved it for laughing about the same thing happening to Tayuya earlier.
If Naruto ever drew her back into the physical world for some reason she'd have to invite the girl to share a bed with her beloved.
And herself, of course.
It was a fantastic image and Karura had absolutely no qualms using it to satisfy the burning ache between her thighs. Hopefully Naruto would play with both of them soon.
This was the second time his eyes had opened to the sight of a darkened ceiling but unlike lest time he found his head resting on a soft lap, strands of orange hair in the corners of his eyes. A sudden rush of information slammed into him and he braced himself until it subsided. His Kage Bunshin had been busy and keeping it active for so long had been a poor decision on his part.
What did it really matter if people realized he had left the village for as while? What were they going to do, label him a rogue Shinobi? With Kakashi present spinning it as a training trip he forgot to get authorization for would be simple enough. Hell, if he had made Kakashi submit notice to the mission office before they left that would have made things much easier.
Anko probably could have used the same thing, but the only one she had to answer to was Ibiki and he was probably treating her absence as a vacation.
Well, no, he was too paranoid for that but Naruto was sure Anko was more than capable of dealing with him. And if not, well, she already had her place at his side. He'd make sure she was taken care of.
….Tayuya was going to be pissed he realized as the last of the memories flashed through his head, though he was slightly confused that the Kage Bunshin had somehow managed to create more memories within his sealscape after dispelling. There was probably a reason the Kage-Bunshin no Jutsu was kept hidden away in the Fūin no Sho. Unfortunately he couldn't think of a way to pacify her other than locking the two of them in a room for a week.
On second thought, that actually didn't sound too bad. He was about due for a vacation- No, he had already promised Mai a vacation, hadn't he? He needed to take care of...something...outside the village still. He was going to have to look through his personal files when he got back to remember exactly what he had intended to do.
The Kage-Bunshin really did give mixed results when used for absurd amounts of time.
Part of him wondered if he might be able to improve it.
Aware- mostly- of what he'd been up to while busy waging war his purple eyes opened once again, his vision filled by crimson eyes, pale skin, and curtains of orange hair. Painted red lips smiled softly down at him.
So it hadn't been a dream. He had known, of course, because "Tsukuyomi"- or had it been "Naruto" because he was busy being Tsukuyomi?- had both been told by Karura and saw it himself through the bars of the seal but there was still that little seed of doubt that told him he had imagined it all.
Things couldn't possibly be so simple.
"Thank you, Mito." He pushed himself up into a sitting position on the couch and her arms wrapped gently around his abdomen. "I should not have channeled so much of Karura's Chakra."
He could not see the way her face darkened slightly at the mention of using the Ichibi's Chakra over her own but it quickly vanished as she leaned her head on his shoulder. How he had become injured was inconsequential, all that mattered was that she was here for him and that- for the moment- he was here in her arms.
"Of course, Warden. I'll always be here for you."
"Will you?" Naruto turned his head to meet her crimson pools with cold amethyst. "You haven't been. It's been over four years, Mito. A lot has changed."
"Maybe," She agreed. "But a lot is still the same. You're still my warden and I still care for you, Naruto-kun. I'm sure you still care for me too."
"I have fond memories still, perhaps, but you are not a part of my life. I have a family now, Mito. Children and lovers. They're everything to me."
"C-children? L-lovers?"She pressed herself more tightly to his back, her arms squeezing his as if terrified he would simply disappear.
"Mai, Anko, Orochimaru, Chizuro, Katsuri, and many more awaiting their own opportunities like Karura and Tayuya." Naruto shook his head. "You lashed out at Tatsuki for occupying my time and she was only a single woman. I have at least five lovers now and many dozen children who all need my attention, a country to run, and plans to carry out."
"I am not a child any longer, Mito, and I don't need you."
A sharp pain shot through her chest spreading a sudden empty cold that sapped away all of her energy as it coursed through her veins.
He...didn't need her?
She almost couldn't believe his words but as they continued to spin through her head she realized that he was probably right. He had lasted this long without her, rising to heights that he had never achieved with her beside him, and the only thing she had been able to do was help heal the injuries he had obtained in some conflict she knew nothing about.
Why would he need her?
"T-there must be something, Naruto-kun, please." She buried her face into the back of his neck and he could feel the first tears run down his pale skin. "I can heal you, can't I? Or provide you with as much Chakra as you want. Even if you want to simply use me as a pillow or take out your frustrations on me, I can be something for you, anything."
"You are back, and so you are my responsibility once again." His words were not cruel, but the lack of the old affection they had once carried hurt more than his anger ever could. "I will see to your needs, but no more. You will have Karura to keep you company, at least. I suspect it will be good for both of you. Our son is caught up in the excitement of his vacation and I'm sure she's feeling a bit lonely as I see my other children."
She wasted to speak out, to voice her objection, but she also realized that angering him could forsake this opportunity to at least exist to him again. Maybe he had no need for her now but she would happily wait for the day he did need her. And then, when there was something she could do for him, she would prove her worth and regain his trust.
No matter how long it took.
"Thank you, Naruto-kun. Thank you." She briefly squeezed him again. "So long as you don't cast me away I will gladly accept whatever punishment you deem fit."
Naruto shook his head while the world around them became a simple sitting room, a kitchen set up in one back corner and a bed in the other. "...Mito..." His body quickly lost substance as he regained consciousness in the physical world. "I was never the one to cast you away, you left on your own."
Now holding nothing, Mito collapsed onto the blue couch. She wasn't sure if her tears were happy or sad but she did know one thing;
Making up for her mistakes was not going to be easy.
But it was definitely going to be worth it for the chance to hold him again.
When his eyes next opened it was in the physical world, the room filled with the golden light of sunset and an ocean breeze rolling through the open window. Naruto took a moment just enjoying the feeling of the cool white comforter covering him and the soft bed he was resting on.
The fact that his body was no longer screaming in agony was also something to savor and he spent many minutes doing so. It wasn't long until the golden light faded to a deep red and finally a light purple right before night fell. Lights flickered on through his window, illuminating homes and businesses in a town not yet ready to retire for the evening.
As more and more lights came into existence he realized he may have been wrong to call it a town, this was most certainly a city and not a small one either.
Where on earth was he?
His first thought was Namihime, the capital of Mizu no Kuni. It made sense, at least temporarily, but that was quickly eliminated as a possibility as his door creaked open and a woman entered the room. She made straight for the window, closing it and pulling the curtains closed without sparing him as much as a glance.
With her small lantern set on the windowsill he was able to make out her face easily enough despite only having seen it once.
"..You can leave it open, Tsunami." His voice croaked from disuse, dry and scratchy, and he had to wonder just how long he'd been out. "I was enjoying the breeze."
"Ah!" The woman spun around, hand on her chest and nearly knocking over her lantern in the process. "Tsukuyomi-sama! I'm so sorry, I didn't realize you were awake."
"It's fine, I haven't been awake long." Even as he spoke she was hurrying to undo what she had just done, tossing aside the curtains and nearly slamming the window open. "Those lights...are they Nami?"
"Yes, Tsukuyomi-sama." Window opened she hurried over to his side. Setting down her lantern on the table next to him she placed the back of her hand against his forehead and gave a satisfied nod at whatever results she had received. "Your mother and the others arrived with you not too long ago, they've all been terribly worried."
Slipping an arm behind his back she pulled him up into a sitting position, doing her best to arrange his pillows to support him with one hand. "I'll be right back with some water and whatever the kitchens have ready, please don't get out of bed until I'm back to help you."
"Of course not, Tsunami." While his body was no longer screaming at him it still felt heavy and sluggish. He didn't need an excuse to remain in bed for a bit longer. "But how long has it been?"
"Oh, not long at all." She smiled. "It's only been about a week."
If you haven't already, follow me on Twitter at Eyazahrid for notifications about chapter progress, streams, and posts on my website.
If you would like to see my responses to the feedback I received for the last chapter, Commentaries – Sealkeeper Chapter 103 is available at Eyazahrid-dot-net.
This chapter has been brought to you by my marvelous Patrons who are, at this very moment, enjoying the first half of chapter 105.
They also have access to a Patron-Only Discord server where they can discuss the chapters, share other stories they've enjoyed, reach me easily, and, well, we don't talk about what goes on in Slime's cave.
Most Generous Supporters
Michael Huber
B4NHAMM3R
Richard
Generous Supporters
Patrick Gleese
sedition
The Kevin
Greater Supporters
Elypsus
magicheart 0
Oscar Perez
Christopher pearson
Kurogane
marcothephoenix
Reaper Death
Konan
Tyler Koenig
Jamel McKinzie
Jeremy Webb
Alex Robb
Major Supporters
Christopher
Thomas Li
GenericReader_n
Daniel Witry
Liam Kearney
Nick Payne
Whatzzzzzzzup
FutaFan
Romulan
gabriel reynoso
Daron Smith
EagleE
Ashley Pfeiffer
Unique Supporter
Janus – Who decided to plop down right between Supporter and Major Supporter. Well done.
Supporters
Para
Angel de la torre
MortalSoulZ
Nekrull DeUmbrus
Trivium
Finn O'Callaghan
Jennifer carpenter
HKaz
kyoukou
Pantheras
Nekoron
MasterT941
Kyle Sweeney
J. G.
tyrell daniels
Raymond Saragian
Sabyasachi Shivkumar
Draku
Gobo
Theo McPherson
June Tai
james escobedo
Sebastiaan asselbergs
gary ross
ChaosFox
Perez
desertgem1
Jin
James
Keagan
hungerycow
TheGreatBubbaJ
Dylan Coltson
Nssheepster
Sivellan
MB
Brandon Romero
Moller
Vio
YGO
Aaron Chow
John123joe
Louis Lennin
Luke Malone
Magicdogchair21