Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 107-A "Inari"
One might think that the fact that all the flowers were always in bloom detract from the beauty of Karura's garden- because if it was always the same how could experiencing it ever be special? -but neither she nor Naruto seemed to mind in the slightest.
"I'm about ready for those explanations, Karura."
Under his arm the Ichibi snuggled further into his chest, a satisfied mewl escaping her lips.
"Now, beloved?"
"I think we've put it off long enough." She pouted – not that he could see it- but couldn't say he wasn't right. And not only had it been put off, it had been put off so that she could enjoy some alone time with her husband focused on more...pleasant...activities. It wouldn't be good for her to get too greedy, she might make a mistake like the Kyuubi had and she most definitely did not want that.
"As you wish, beloved. What do you want to know first?"
"You and Mito were, well, woman when I met you. Isobu is..."
"A little girl? Yes, she always was the least mature of us. So shy and demure, she didn't explore the world the way the rest of us did, never learned and grew. I think the most of humanity she ever saw were children on the beach."
"Not their parents?"
"They probably weren't as exciting as children laughing and having fun." Karura shrugged. "I doubt she paid them any attention at all. It's a pity too, all those women in bathing suits would have resulted in a fantastic body, I'd bet."
"That would explain why she's a little girl, then, but what made you decide to become her mother?"
Karura looked up from his chest just enough to give him an incredulous look. "Have you seen her, beloved? Shes' absolutely adorable. How could you ever expect me not to care for such a sweet little girl?"
"I was under the impression that you were all siblings, wouldn't that just make her your younger sister?"
"It would," Her incredulous look became mischievous. "But you became her daddy, beloved. That makes me her mommy."
"Are we ignoring the fact that you declared herself her mother first and are the one who told her I was her father?"
"I'd appreciate it if we did, beloved." She stretched up to steal a quick kiss. "I want to keep her."
"She's not a pet, love."
"Mmmm, she could be."
"Karura..."
She pouted again and, like before, he couldn't see it. He could, however, hear it in her voice just fine. "Aw, please beloved? She's such a cute little turtle."
"Its' too late for that, love. You've made us her parents already."
"So if I hadn't you would have let me keep her as a pet?"
"...Maybe... But now shes' our daughter. You'll have to introduce Gaara to his new sister sometime soon."
She looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "Oh! Do you know how cute that will be? I can't wait!"
"You can do it whenever you want, though I'm sure it would be better for Gaara during the night. Has he been visiting you regularly?"
"At least three times a week, he's such a sweet boy."
"Then you should have the perfect chance to introduce them soon. I should probably get going, there's a lot to be done still." No sooner had he said that then did the garden fill with the sound of bare feet slapping against marble and Isobu came into view running to them as fast as her little legs could carry her.
"Daddy!" She practically launched herself into his unoccupied side, crashing into him with a happy giggle and squeezing him tightly.
"There's my little princess." His left arm wrapped around her waist without hesitation, returning the hug until she pulled away enough to plop down into his lap. "How have you been?"
"Good." His name seemed to be just about the only thing she spoke above as whisper but there was some part of him that quite enjoyed that. She gave her "mother" a small smile before copying her and placing her head against her "father", earning herself a small kiss atop her head from the Ichibi.
"Mmm, didn't you need to get going, beloved?"
She didn't need to look at him to know his gaze had shot directly to little Isobu resting against him, she also didn't need to look to know that his purple eyes had softened considerably at the sight.
"I suppose it can wait a bit."
"She's already got you wrapped around her little finger, doesn't she?"
His only response was a grunt but they both knew it was true.
And if her smile was anything to go by, Isobu knew it too.
Gods help him.
Another skewer of some sort of spiced meat found itself relieved of its burden as he dragged it against his pointed teeth. He wasn't sure what it actually was but it was good and it had been cheap and that was what was important to one Hoshigaki Kisame.
Normally he would dispose of the now useless skewer by tossing it over his shoulder but Tobi had shoved the last one he tossed into his shoulder rather deeply- in fact, it was still there- to show that she didn't approve of him littering here in her son's country.
His argument that he was putting wood back into nature had not impressed her but it had been a longshot in the firstplace.
"These are pretty good, you know." He turned to his right where Tobi trailed slightly behind him and waved the remaining three...erm...whatever they were...in her fa- mask. "You sure you don't want to try one?"
"If there are any left by the time we get back I might. I told you I only take off my mask in private."
"We're almost back," Kisame countered. "And who's going to see you, the trees?"
"Anyone in the trees. Just because you don't know what stealth means doesn't mean everyone else oblivious."
"You know, I think I preferred it when you were acting all sweet and innocent."
"Because you were less aroused?"
"I don't know if I'm comfortable with the fact that you know me so well and I've only seen your face and know your last name."
"You just don't like how vulnerable it makes you feel."
"...I rest my case."
"Oh, Senpai, you're not that hard to read." She patted his cheek with her free hand and skipped ahead, back into her Tobi persona.
"...I wonder how much those prostitutes we brought back charge, I could use one about now."
Those thoughts were interrupted when he heard "Tsukuyomi-kun!" ahead of him in what was most definitely Tobi's voice and enthusiasm. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing. On one hand he would be able to actually meet him for the first time that wasn't locked in combat which could go either way, on the other it had just proved Tobi right that there were people out here that could have seen her without her mask.
He was not so foolish as to think that fact had escaped her, even in her excitement.
With a sigh he continued down the path towards the Daimyo's palace, taking the turn that brought him through the trees and within sight of the palace itself. It was tall enough that the people of Nami could see it above the trees but the first thing you saw when you entered the gate that had been constructed was a small forest and a winding path through it.
Probably wouldn't stop anyone who actually intended to do harm- or those able to do so, at that- but would act as a deterrent for those who didn't actually have business with Tsukuyomi. For privacy, in that sense, it was perfect. For intimidating presence, on the other hand, it was somewhat lacking. Separated from the main city as it was made him seem like a distant ruler- which Kisame supposed he very much was- but that would translate into an unseeing ruler down the line.
People would put his presence to the back of their minds without something to constantly remind them of his presence, but maybe that's why it was so tall. Hidden from you and your day to day lives yet always just within sight of his dominion? Kisame was no expert on, well, anything if you didn't consider killing one Daimyo expertice in that particular field, but certainly no expert on the sociological and psychological relationships between a lord and his subjects. Even so, he liked the statement of an always present lord who was simply above his subjects' daily lives and only made sure they didn't forget who was in charge.
It certainly fit the way Tsukuyomi had talked, though was a pretty big contrast to the way he had fought.
If nothing else he was going to see which of those represented the real Tsukuyomi.
Hopefully this time his neck would get out of it unscathed.
"Tsukuyomi-kun!" His attention was grabbed from Kabuto-sensei -who had been informing him of the recent operations of the Oto outpost here in Nami no Kuni – to the woman who exited the woods surrounding his palace and immediately shot towards him.
He had just enough time to brace himself before she crashed into him and he ended up spinning her around twice to bleed off the force of the impact.
"It's good to see you too, Mikoto-chan." He greeted her as her feet returned to the ground. Her arms had thrown themselves around his neck and he didn't bother removing his hands from their position resting on her hips. Off to the side Kabuto gave the mother and son a strange look but neither paid him any mind. "Staying out of trouble, I hope."
"Of course, Tsukuyomi-kun. Kisame-senpai was feeling a bit bored in his room so we went out to try some of the vendors by the docks." The 'man' in question emerged from the same path Mikoto had, though notably less exuberantly, and Naruto only spared a glance at him before returning his attention to the last Uchiha.
"I see, how did the villagers react to him?"
"Some of the adults looked twice, most kept to their own business." He could hear the smile behind her mask with her next words. "The kids seemed to be pretty enamored by the shark-man, though. We had a troupe following us until we reached the palace walls."
"Oh? Sounds amusing." Kisame stopped a good ten feet away from them awkwardly chewing on one of the skewers like an oversized toothpick and Naruto gave him another look, pausing at the scarred flesh around his neck. "And if it isn't our resident Daimyo-Slayer himself. We've met before, but I don't believe we've ever had a proper introduction." He gave the Rogue Kiri Shinobi an expectant look and after a second Tobi started glaring at him for whatever he was supposed to be doing.
They'd never had a proper introduction, but then he had just- oh.
He was the Daimyo, Kisame was supposed to introduce himself first.
That would explain both Tsukuyomi's look and Tobi's glare.
Whoops.
"Heh," Kisame gave the back of his head an awkward scratch and smiled as best he could with the skewer in his mouth. "Sorry, I'm Hoshigaki Kisame. S-ranked Rogue Kiri Shinobi, Daimyo-Slayer, and one of the senior members of Akatsuki...I think." He had never really left the Akatsuki, so he was still a member...probably. On that note, letting them know he was still alive was a good idea. Maybe just a letter letting them know that he was just going to be on an extended vacation until they needed him to catch the Yonbi?
Now that he thought about it, Itachi had been assigned the Kyuubi. He wondered who that would be now. He supposed it probably didn't matter too much considering it was the last one they were going after. Hell, maybe Pein himself would decide to do it, would save the rest of them a lot of trouble.
And it would spare Kisame from being given another partner, that sounded good to him.
"...You...Think..." From his tone Tsukuyomi was not impressed. Not the greatest second impression, then. Wasn't as if his first- trying to kill the young Daimyo- could really be made much worse, he guessed. Tobi would vouch for him at least...maybe. "I am Tsukuyomi, Daimyo of Nami no Kuni and the Head of the Imperial House of Wolves of Hi no Kuni. Welcome to my country."
Kisame had the strangest feeling he was being one-upped – though he was also some ninety percent sure it was just his imagination- but he really didn't have anything to contend with 'Daimyo', not when this Daimyo had managed to hold his own against him not too long ago at least.
And for some reason he didn't think "Walking freak of nature" would work as either a superior title or as a joke, so he refrained from trying it.
"Erm, good to be here?" Admittedly that wasn't much better if the two- three with Kabuto- flat stares he was getting said anything.
"...Quite." Tsukuyomi turned to Tobi and briefly squeezed her to him in a hasty hug. "With that I do think I'll take my leave, I have things to see to. Please do your best, Mikoto."
"Of course Tsukuyomi-kun. I'll keep him out of trouble."
"Thank you." Spinning on his heel Naruto continued his original trek towards the Oto outpost to inspect it for himself, Kabuto falling into step behind him and recognizing that Tsukuyomi had little desire to continue their previous conversation.
As he disappeared down one of the other paths through the surrounding woods Tobi spun towards Kisame with her hands planted firmly on her hips where she could still feel the lingering warmth of Naruto's hands.
"Heh, it didn't go too badly, did it?" Kisame asked hopefully.
With an exasperated sigh her arms folded over her chest and she rested the majority of her weight on one hip. "You're hopeless, you know that Senpai?"
The Sharkman gave a shrug. "Yeah, I figured. Was never very good at being a people-person."
"What are you good at?"
"Killing things? Pissing off attractive woman?" His eyes brightened considerably as he stuck one of his remaining skewers into his mouth, doing his best to talk around it. "Eating!"
"...I think I might have to disagree with that last one, Senpai."
His shoulders slumped but he didn't stop chewing.
"And weren't you going to save one for me?"
"...Yes." With a defeated sigh he handed over his last skewer- he really needed to figure out what was on it so he could get more at some point- which Tobi snatched away. He looked up just in time to see her remove the mask and start delicately nibbling at it.
That sight was much better than eating it himself, he decided, and it was only made better by the fact that he knew she was still irritated at him.
He needed a hobby.
Or a girlfriend.
Or to spend some time with those prostitutes.
Had they opened up their own brothel back in the city yet? Someone needed to put him down for two appointments.
Or just two girls.
Either worked for him.
The outpost wasn't very large and inspecting most of the basic rooms didn't take long at all. There was one room in particular, though, that had Tsukuyomi's attention- the training room.
Of their own volition Oto forces had extended the offer of training to any youth who wanted to better serve their country. Knowing Orochimaru he was sure it was one of her plans and he was twice as sure that her forces had some very specific orders for how to be training the malleable youth of Nami no Kuni.
Of course, it was inevitable that not everyone would accept the price of such training when they found out. It was understandable, really, everyone had their own goals in life and many were willing to make compromises to achieve them.
But not everyone was willing to sacrifice the integrity of their beliefs on their path to their goals.
It was almost admirable, if foolish.
"I don't care! You can take your stupid beliefs and take them out of our country with you!"
And speaking of that specific breed of individual...
Naruto shared a brief glance with Kabuto as they drew near the open double-doors of the training room.
"All those who join the forces of Oto are under the command of Denka-sama by the will of Orochimaru himself." The head instructor countered as Naruto stepped into the back of the room. The head instructor noticed immediately, taking a step back from the young man and snapping into Hi no Kuni's salute, the rest of the instructors noticing and following suit.
"Wave isn't his, it belongs to us. I'll teach this to everyone else in Wave so we can remove him and his Wolves from our country!"
The rest of the students realized the presence of strangers and quickly parted as he walked calmly towards the front of the room only to stop behind the only person there not to notice his entry.
"That's a very brave thing to announce, child." He looked down at the boy who spun around to look up at him with wide eyes. "But declaring your intentions so openly is also pretty foolish of you."
"Y-you...!" Inari fell back a step, taking in the appearance of Nami no Kuni's Daimyo in the flesh. Black pants in black boots, a shirt equally black left unbuttoned on his pale, seal-covered torso. The sleeves were rolled up, showing similar seals that covered his arms. Purple eyes, cold and observant, peered down from beneath a wreath of crimson hair that spilled almost carelessly down his shoulders. Despite the informal dress he still commanded a presence of majesty that far exceeded anything Inari had been exposed to in his lifetime. "W-what are you doing here?"
"Whatever I want, boy. This is my country." Naruto paused, examining the boy curiously before leaning down to the boy's level to look him straight in the eye. "But you're welcome to try taking it from me."
Almost casually his left hand caught Inari's, halting the Kunai that had been aimed in the general area of his kidney. Without breaking his gaze from Inari's horrified eyes he moved the Kunai to the correct location and angled it slightly upwards. "That's where you want to aim for, not that it will do you much good when you're so slow. Keep practicing, boy, and the poor instructors who have to suffer you might yet turn you into a half-decent Shinobi one day."
Naruto released the hand that fell boneless to Inari's side and stood back up, walking around Inari to greet the head instructor with a final comment. "But I'm not holding my breath."
"Go-gods above!" Panted Kidomaru, all of his hands resting on his knees as he gasped desperately for air. "Why are we in such a rush? Does it really matter if it takes us an extra day?" His question earned him a glare from Guren. Unlike the rest of the party she wasn't winded in the slightest, looking over her team with undisguised disdain.
"Let me put it this way, if Denka-sama sends any kind of message to Orochimar-sama by courier, bird, or even a summon and it gets to Orochimaru-sama before we've had a chance to report to him he's going to be furious."
"Well why couldn't we do the same? It would have been faster, we could have taken our time, and maybe he wanted us to stay with him, or something." The Kon twins shared a look.
"You just wanted-" Started one.
"To keep trying to convince those girls to-" Continued the other.
"Give you a free session." They chorused together.
"Hey! I guarantee you they've never been with a man with six arms before."
"Not only would that not have changed if they slept with you," Sakon's flat look was mirrored by Ukon who continued. "But I can hardly see a reason why they would want to, you grabby bastard."
"Knock it off, all three of you!" Her fists found her hips and all three of them immediately took a step back from her. "Like children, I swear." She focused her attention to Kidomaru. "There's an easy answer to that question, and I'll provide it in the form of more questions. Do you have a summon we could have sent that would be faster than us? Do you have trained birds in your pocket or the coin to hire one? And, assuming you managed to hire a courier were you really going to be giving them the location of Orochiamru's current active base?"
Kidomaru raised a hand, wanting to object but not having any counter. It dropped uselessly back to his side.
"That's what I thought. Now, break's over. Either get a move on or be ready for a special reception by Orochimaru when you show up late." Guren spun on her heel and continued, wondering why the hell she hadn't traded them in for some Wolves back in Nami. Hell, she probably would have got the better end of the deal trading them for a couple handsome civilians.
Oh, who was she kidding?
She would have come out on top trading all three of them for a single civilian, even if she had to carry his sweet ass all the way to Orochimaru's current base.
Hell, might have been fun.
She wondered, idly, if it was too late to make that sort of trade. Gods knew these fuckers were useless, they were about to drop and they still had a good quarter of Hi no Kuni to cross.
For the four of them having been friends for so long they certainly didn't see eachother very often anymore. Kurenai had to wonder if it was because Hana was gone but she had never really thought it had been up to the Inuzuka to gather them all together.
Then again, with everything else going on in their lives it might not have been Hana's absence at all. But with everythign going on the Genjutsu mistress thought this was probably the best time for them to be spending more time together.
And as much as she seemed fine, Kurenai had a suspicion that Yugao needed support the most.
Not that she or Anko really needed any support at the moment. Anko was still close to Naruto- and enjoying it very much- and Kurenai had been getting much better around him too. When she had time to visit, that is.
Yugao was the only one with any sort of significant problem in her life, unfortunately it wasn't something they could exactly remedy.
Regardless, Kurenai was resolute to at least make regular visits so Yugao was reminded that she had others if she ever wanted to admit to needing them.
Which is why Kurenai found herself standing outside Yugao's apartment, a bag of takeout in one hand and an excuse of wanting to catch up ready to explain her visit. Giving a gentle knock she resolved herself to waiting. Gods above knew how the woman had anything delivered to her apartment, for such a small space she seemed to take an eternity to reach the door.
Kurenai couldn't really blame her, Yugao's schedule could be pretty hectic because she was always 'on duty'. The work of the ANBU Commander never ends, only lately Kurenai knew it had been worse due to having so many troops in Kaze no Kuni. ANBU was being run ragged holding down Konoha's security and transporting orders from the Hokage to the commanders in Suna.
The locks of the door clicked open and one reddened eye peeked out, dark bags standing out beneath it. It took a second but recognition flashed in it and the door opened fully to reveal a Yugao who probably hadn't had more than a few hours of sleep in the past week.
"Kureani?"
"Gods, Yugao. Have you been getting any rest?"
"...Some."
"And eating?"
While the ANBU Commander tried to recall her last meal Kurenai pushed into the house, shutting the door behind her and dragging Yugao to her small table.
"Sit." She commanded as she pulled out one of the boxes from her bag and placed it before the exhausted woman. "Eat."
Yugao didn't hesitate for a second.
"And when you're done we're going to have a talk about taking care of yourself."
That did cause Yugao to pause for a second but in the end a need for sustenance won out and she returned her focus to her unexpected meal. Kurenai shook her head as she took her own seat and opened the other container. She didn't know what had been going on over the past week but it must have been bad.
What better way to relieve some of that stress than to vent about it?
She was going to learn how wrong she was soon enough.
It was quite later than it usually was when he got home that evening, the bottom of the sun nearly kissing the vast expanse of water his family's house had neighbored for his entire life. After the bastard had finished his inspection of the training room and speaking with the instructors the Oto Shinobi seemed much more motivated to ensure any future visits would impress the man who, obviously, had not been so this time.
Inari figured he was partly responsible for that and based on the way they seemed to focus on him the most during the rest of the day he had a feeling the instructors were of the same opinion. Not that they had gone any easier on anyone else, something his classmates had shown their appreciation about with glares throughout the class and as they all left.
He had a feeling it was only the watchful line of instructors observing their departure that had spared him from getting the shit beat out of him afterwards.
They were not pleased with him, fortunately his home was on the far outskirts of the island and despite Nami's recent growth nothing had encroached on their little sanctuary. Now that he thought about ti, it was kind of odd. It must have been because his grandfather built the bridge, he decided, because there was no other sensible reason for people to not want to build their homes near the waterfront.
At least, none that he could think of.
But that aside, he was looking forward to dropping off his pack, taking his first seat in the last ten hours, enjoying his mother's cooking, and collapsing into bed. He might not even find the strength to take a shower first, either.
Those hopes, however, were dashed as he drew closer to home where his wonderful mother stood outside talking to him.
Tsukuyomi himself was outside his house, quietly conversing with his mother as if she was a good friend he had stopped by for a quick visit and who would probably be invited to stay for dinner. That was exactly what Inari didn't want, more time around the bastard.
And to think, today had been his first time ever meeting him. He hated the idea of him before, the man who represented it was so much worse.
Despite being the one facing his general direction, Tsunami was not the first to notice Inari's presence, either too engrossed in conversation, too focused on Tsukuyomi's face, or simply not possessing the same awareness.
For Inaris' peace of mind, he preferred the latter option.
Tsukuyomi turned from Tsunami and his purple eyes locked onto Inari's without hesitation or surprise. He had known exactly where the young man had been.
"Ah, and the young man of the house returns." There was a smoothness to his voice that hadn't been present when he was speaking with Inari or the instructors but it only took a glance at his mother and her slightly pinked cheeks for even Inari to realize its purpose.
His mother gave him a soft smile and a small wave but didn't move from her spot. Normally Inary would rush up to her and give her a hug but he wasn't exactly comfortable doing so right next to Tsukuyomi.
"Tsunami," The familiar form of address was not lost on Inari, though he didn't know if that was just something Tsukuyomi did with all those he spoke to. "Would you mind if I had a few minutes to speak with your son?"
"Not at all, Tsukuyomi-sama. Will you be staying for dinner afterwards?"
Inaris' heart plummeted down to his empty stomach and he knew it was probably going to be the only thing he managed to fill it with tonight. His gaze returned to Tsukuyomi, finding those purple eyes staring straight at him once again.
Almost as if he knew what Inari was thinking he turned back to Tsunami with slight incline of his head. "As tempting an offer as that is, Tsunami, I'm afraid I must decline. There is still much I must see to at the palace and I have another trip soon approaching I must prepare for. Perhaps next time I can enjoy your cooking."
The pink on his mother's cheeks darkened slightly and she brought one hand up over her lips as a small giggle escaped her.
"I'll hold you to that, Tsukuyomi-sama." She turned to Inari as her hand lowered back to her side. "I'll have dinner ready when you're done speaking with Tsukuyomi-sama, Inari-chan. Make sure you wash up, I'm sure you've been training hard."
Giving her son another smile she retreated back into the house and through the front window both Inari and Tsukuyomi could see her throwing on her apron and getting to work. Tsukuyomi continued to watch her for a few moments before turning back to Inari.
"Come, we'll speak on the pier." Tsukuyomi started towards the side of the house, expecting Inari to follow, and the young man was tempted to simply ignore him. In the end, however, he followed anyway, though he couldn't really say why.
Maybe it was curiosity, maybe he didn't want his mother asking questions about his early retreat into the house, maybe he didn't want to anger Nami no Kuni's Daimyo while his family was so close by.
Or, perhaps, it was simply the commanding presence the man wielded so effortlessly.
The young Daimyo was already standing on the pier when Inari got there and without a glance pointed towards the weathered wood to his left. "Sit." As much as Inari wanted to defy him for the sheer principle of it- he was no dog to be commanded as this bastard saw fit- the ache in his legs one out and after a moment he grudgingly complied.
The relief was worth it, not that he would ever admit it.
"Tell me, Inari." Tsukuyomi asked after a few minutes of silence, staring out towards the sun slowly sinking into the sea. "Why do you hate my country so much?"
"Wha-?" Inari blinked in surprise before narrowing his eyes into a fierce glare. "I don't hate Nami, I love Nami!"
Naruto turned his head slightly to catch Inari's glare with a serious look of his own. "And with that deceleration you both admit that Nami belongs to me and that you're a hypocrite."
"What? No I didn't, I-"
"Silence." It was said softly, barely more than a whisper, but the word fell with the weight of the entire world. Only the gentle rustling of a nearby tree in the wind and the dull roar of the ocean in the background failed to heed his command.
"Nami belongs to me and look what she has become, under the care of my Wolves she flourishes once again and yet you would steal that away from her because you dispute my claim over her." He turned back to the sinking sun. "Is it because I was not born here that you hate me so, despite the good I have done?"
"N-nami belongs to us, you're just like Gato!"
"Am I?"
Inari paused at that, momentarily unsure how to answer. "You and your Wolves worked for him, they were just as bad as his thugs. They bought people!"
"From families willing to sell them." Naruto countered. "You can't expect me to believe they were better off with people who would use them like that."
"And where are they now? Gato's gone, what happened to them?"
Naruto turned his head again to catch Inari's accusing gaze.
"Fed, clothed, and provided for in my palace. They work there in exchange for room and board."
"That's slavery."
Naruto's expression didn't change in the slightest as he held Inari's glare. "It is." He agreed. "And yet they're still in a better situation than the rest of Nami was while Gato was here."
"That's wrong, you can't keep people like that!"
"Can't I?" One brow rose. "I bought them, they belong to me. Like Nami, I can do whatever I please with them."
Inari grit his teeth, his hands balled up into fists and shaking slightly as he tried to restrain himself from attacking someone he knew for a fact could kill him without a second's thought.
"You're a monster!"
"Then what does that make poor Tsunami?" That had Inari's attention and all anger vanished to be replaced with a cold confusion.
"W-wha-"
"Your mother is the woman in charge of those girls we bought, they are under her care and her command. She knows who they are, she knows who we are, she knows who I am and yet she agreed to work alongside us."
"S-she didn't have a choice!" Inari defended her. "She needed the job to support us, she wouldn't have it if she didn't have to!"
"Do you really believe that?" Inari wanted to answer yes to that but one look into those purple eyes showed a pitying disappointment that made him doubt his conviction. "Your grandfather built the bridge that connects Nami no Kuni to Hi no Kuni, do you think he went uncompensated for his work?"
"But- but your Wolves took over the bridge!"
"They defend the bridge and collect a toll for its use, part of each toll goes straight to your grandfather completely untaxed. It is no exorbitant amount but it is more than enough for a family of three to live comfortably on. While your mother is being paid handsomely for her work under us she's not doing it because she has to. She works for us because she chooses to."
"N-no."Inari shook his head as if it would somehow change the reality of the situation. "No, that's not true!"
Naruto remained silent for nearly a minute, as the last of the burning sun was quenched by the might of the ocean and the moon took its rightful place in the heavens.
"Then ask her."
"Wha-"
"If you don't believe me, believe her. See what she thinks of us, ask her if we're good for this country, and tell her what you wish to do to it. I guarantee you she'll support your dreams, she's a good woman, but I know for a fact she won't agree with them."
Naruto placed his hands in his pockets and turned from the sea, stepping around Inari only to pause between him and his family's house.
"If you really loved Nami no Kuni you'd support the Wolves and the decisions made by Governess Hana but I'm not really surprised you don't. You're just a child, after all, throwing tantrums is what you do. Leave protecting Nami to those who really care for her."
Nami no Kuni's Daimyo slipped away into the night as Inari looked out over the sea in thought, Tsukuyomi's words echoing in his head. Above him the crescent moon laughed merrily, two stars twinkling like amused eyes.
He considered following the man's advice and asking his mother but discarded the idea after only a second. Even he knew he wasn't in the right state of mind for that sort of conversation-
And he was terrified that the Moon Reading Man might be right.
107-B "Tour"
Kidomaru and the Kon twins had been excused to retire to their chambers as soon as they reached the base, more to stop their whining and spare Guren the embarrassment of reporting to Orochimaru with the three of them gasping for breath behind her than anything else.
And, you know, from saying something stupid in general.
With a sharp rap on the door she waited patiently for Orochimaru to do, though it did take her a second to realize it was him who had granted her permission to come in.
"Enter."
His voice, which had for a long time been that of a man and recently been that of a beautiful woman, was now that of a teen boy which, really, didn't fit him in the slightest.
Opening the door she strode in with all the confidence she could muster. Considering they had been successful and she was, well, Guren, that was quite a bit.
"Orochimaru-sama." She came to a stop just before his desk, doing her very best not to crack a grin at the image before her. Orochimaru had always favored larger desks, a workplace where he could spread out notes for multiple projects and still have room for his lunch and a stack of paperwork. It also tended to be rather intimidating when he made you take a seat before it- which was so rare that he didn't even keep chairs in his office, but that was because in most cases where you pissed him off that much you'd simply be dead- so until today Guren really hadn't thought it could be humorous in any way.
She had been rather mistaken, as it so happens, because the small body of a teenaged Uchiha sitting behind the massive desk, his feet not quite reaching the floor at the high they had to sit in order to utilize it was almost adorable.
The rather prominent scowl on his face hinted that Orochimaru was probably well aware of that fact, too.
She wondered how many bodies had already been dragged off for daring to laugh at the sight.
"Guren," The scowl lessened slightly at seeing who had entered his office, no doubt he was eager for reports involving his beloved prince. "I take it Naruto-kun no longer requires your assistance?" There was a slight, accusatory bite to the tone, speaking of the danger she'd be in if that wasn't the case.
"That is correct, Orochimaru-sama. Denka-sama released us from our task one week after he returned to Nami no Kuni."
It was, technically, true and if Orochimaru did learn that he had been unconscious for that week- which he would, probably from Guren herself, honestly- she still had the angle that she had stayed present to ensure his security even while he was in the center of his domain protected by the entirety of his forces.
She thought it sounded pretty good.
"Excellent, tell me everything."
"I was not completely privy to Denka-sama's actions, Orochimaru-sama, as he favored the company of those he had established relations with." She admitted. "But I will share everything I know, of course. Do you care to know the exploits of my team at this time or shall I focus only on Denka-sama for now?"
Orochimaru tried to look like they were seriously contemplating what they wanted when they both knew it was a lie. Predictably, they chose the later option.
"Naruto-kun was the reason I sent you, let's hear about him first. You can include everything else in your written report."
"Of course, Orochimaru-sama." Gave gave a shallow bow. "Again, I will recount events as best I can from what I've heard."
"Yes, yes," Orochimaru waved her on, impatient for news on his prince. "That's fine, give your report."
"We arrived to Kirigakure on the Great Elder Koshi. Denka-sama had obviously heard of our approach and was awaiting our arrival at the gate. He spoke with the serpent for a while, mainly introductions at first, and, well, apparently the snakes were not pleased that you didn't go yourself after being called. Koshi attempted to inform Denka-sama of the fact but Denka-sama mentioned that another had already told him him." Guren took a brief pause, trying to judge Orochimaru's thoughts from his scowling expression but aside from that spark of excitement dimming at the news his face looked the same as it had when she first entered his office.
"They spoke a bit about whether or not you could be trusted-" She continued, noting that Orochimaru's scowl became more of a frown, his brows furrowing in concern. "-And the serpents seemed very keen on the idea of punishing you for your failure."
"I see." Orochimaru drummed his fingers against the desk nervously. "And Naruto-kun? W-what did he say? How did he respond?" It was obvious they were desperately trying to maintain composure and part of Guren ws tempted to just let him sweat for a bit, drawing out this moment of power she held over him. Alas, her self preservation won out in the end and she realized that she did not want the anxious Orochimaru to become a furious Orochimaru when she was the only one in the room for the Snake Sage to take his anger out on.
"He said that he would be the one to take care of any punishments, Orochimaru-sama. He made it clear you have his confidence but that he would be looking into your failure."
Orochimaru nodded once- slowly- and then again, slightly faster, until their head was bobbing lightly in agreement. "Yes, yes. He should not ignore the lack of my presence so easily, Otogakure's prince is fair to investigate first."
"He is indeed a worthy prince, Oroshimaru-sama." Guren agreed, purely to pacify. Whether Orochimaru noticed she couldn't say but it made it much easier to continue with her report. "When he was finished speaking with Koshi he greeted Yakushi by name, he seemed surprised to see him in Mizu no Kuni. He then recognized me from a report, probably from when I encountered Wolves when we were obtaining your current body, and made a comment about my abilities." She paused again, a frown plainly evident on her face. "He was...not impressed...by Kidomaru or the Kon twins. In fact, he may have been more grateful had you not sent them."
Orochimaru's frown matched Guren's. "I was afraid of that." The frown turned into a hopeful look, one not really suited for the S-ranked traitor of Konoha. "They- they didn't cause him any trouble, did they?"
"Not that I am aware, Orochimaru-sama. To the best of my knowledge they were not in his presence for the duration of our assignment and they managed to not break anything or get in anyone's way by some miracle."
Orochimaru nodded at that, distracted by thoughts of what might have happened if they had fucked up .What the hell was he thinking sending those two- three- to aid with something so important? Retrieving his next body, delivering messages, using a specialized Jutsu he had developed for them? Fine, that was nothing, but when Naruto's life was possibly in danger?
What the hell had he been thinking?
On paper, of course, it looked better to have more able bodies sent to aid his prince but able bodies didn't exactly mean able minds or competence to any degree.
"Anything else?"
"He received the locations of your former bases in Mizu no Kuni and left with a good portion of his Wolves to clear them out. We were left with his most trusted to ensure Yagura didn't try anything that might harm him while he was away."
Orochimaru's frown was back, not liking the fact that the forces he sent to protect Naruto hadn't been with him but recognizing that they were still serving his intended purpose by keeping an eye out for any treachery from the Wolves' tentative allies.
"I don't have many details about that excursion, but with the rebels launching an attack not soon after I can only assume they were feeling pressured by his actions and were flushed out to try taking over Kirigakure before he reached them. We held them off until he returned, at which point he..." Guren stopped, hardly able to believe she was about to say what she was. "He summoned Manda and proceeded to use him as a mount."
"He summoned Manda?" Orochimaru's surprise was understandable. Manda was the boss summon of the serpent clan, supposedly only available to those who had signed the summoning contract and provided him with sacrifices every summon. Naruto had proven himself capable of summoning smaller snakes, all of them possessing the golden scales of Aū, but Orochimaru hadn't known that extended to an ability to summon any serpent as if he did in fact posses the summoning contract. It did make sense, though, considering how quickly Koshi had agreed to come to his aid.
He wore the amulet of Aū, what snake would dare disobey his summon?
"He did, he used him to travel across the battle for a bit before sending him off towards some of the rebels near Kirigakure's wall. He proceeded to cause damage within Kirigakure for some time before being dispelled."
"...I'll...have to ask Naruto-kun about that later, continue."
"I understand that after sending off Manda he faced Momoichi Zabuza and Hoshigaki Kisame, The former he proceeded to dominate until his apprentice whisked him away to safety and the later was tossed away by the neck and didn't return to the fight. Apparently Denka-sama's mother knew him and dragged him back to Nami no Kuni with us when we left."
"Kushina?"
"Uh, no, Orochimaru-sama. Kisame calls her 'Tobi' but Denka-sama calls her 'Mikoto'."
"Ah." Understanding dawned on Orochimaru. He and Naruto had discused the fact that the Uchiha matriarch was still alive before, including her role in Akatsuki. He had not been aware of the fact that she was apparently his new mother, though. Interesting.
He wondered what Kushina would think if she knew.
It was almost enough to bring a smile to his face – almost.
"Yes, her. So Kisame stands with him now?" It had been a while since he saw the Sharkman. Since he had been part of Akatsuki, in fact.
"With his mother, at least. He was not aware of Kisame's presence until the meeting in which I was dismissed to return. When I left they had not yet met since their encounter in Mizu no Kuni."
"Hmmmm." If Kisame managed to restrain himself- or Naruto managed to restrain him from doing something stupid- he'd be a good person to have around should something go wrong. The fact that he was apparently friends with Naruto's "mother" was a pretty good sign. "I'll bring that up as well when I next see him. Anything else of note?"
There was, she just didn't particularly want to mention it. Not mentioning it and having Orochimaru find out later, however, would be much worse for her wellbeing.
"Whatever Denka-sama used to match Kisame and Zabuza caused him to fall unconscious shorty after a confrontation with Terumi Mei. He was extracted safely and had almost fully recovered from the strain it put on his body at the time of my departure."
And that would be the very first thing Orochimaru needed to bring up, and soon too. As it was, Orochimaru was very much tempted to leave for Nami no Kuni immediately to make sure he was alright and see what could be done to improve whatever had put so much strain on his body. He didn't want his prince going through that again, especially if might put his life at danger during future conflicts.
As much as he'd like to keep Naruto safe, Orochimaru knew there would be more in the future. It was just within his prince's nature.
"Did he mention if he'd be staying long?"
Guren immediately knew exactly what Orochimaru wanted to know- 'will he be there if I leave now?'.
"As I understand it his absence from Konoha has gone on longer than he intended. I believe he may be returning soon."
Orochimaru's frown deepened but he understood that. His godson loved Konoha and would have to make an appearance to avoid drawing too much suspicion if he wanted t continue living there.
Either Orochimaru was going to have to find some more Wolves so smuggle him into Konoha- actually, he had done that himself before, he didn't really need anyone's help it just made it so much easier- or he was going to have to invite Naruto to stop by one of the outposts- one closer to Konoha, for his convenience of course- so that they could meet face to face again.
"I see." Orochimaru drummed his fingers against the desk again, considering what he had been told. "You're dismissed, Guren. Excellent work. I may call upon you soon for another task related to our prince."
"Of course, Orochimaru-sama." She gave a shallow bow. "I will be in my chambers when you have need of me."
Hopefully not until she had managed to snag a hot shower and a quick nap- dealing with those idiots had been exhausting.
When the gentle knock sounded at his door his first thought was that Anko had stopped by to visit him again and he was about to have yet another unproductive day.
Or morning, at least.
Two things, however, quickly came to his attention and assured him that it couldn't have possibly been here.
First, it was just past seven so there was no way in hell she would be up yet. Eight thirty was the earliest she ever got out of bed.
Next, she had knocked. Anko didn't knock. Well, she did, she just didn't normally wait afterwards. If Anko was knocking there was a very good chance she was also popping her head in immediately after rather than waiting to be invited.
Of course, it was Anko. When wasn't she welcome?
Aside from important political meeting and days he absolutely had to get shit done without being distracted, he supposed, but that wasn't too often.
Setting down his pen he quickly shuffled the papers on his desk into a neat(er) stack and locked his fingers together before him.
"Enter."
The door entered to reveal Governess Hana who gave him a soft, slightly unsure smile. "Sorry to bother you, Tsukuyomi-sama." She apologized. "I wasn't sure if you would be awake yet but one of the servants mentioned they had seen you."
"It's fine, Hana. I've been trying to finish going through the latest reports before I head back to Konoha."
"Ah, yeah, about that..." She held up a sealed envelope. "Since you're already on your way to Konoha, would it be too much trouble to ask you to deliver this to my mother?"
Naruto rose a brow but held out his hand for what he could only assume was a letter home, turning it over with an idle gaze despite both sides being completely blank.
"How do you normally send your letters?" He eventually asked, setting it down on his desk. "I think she'd be rather suspicious to receive it from me."
"I usually send it with Sai's paperwork and one of the Wolves delivers it."
"And they can't do the same this time?"
"T-they can." She admitted. "But I figure that you're already going and most of the Wolves would probably be staying here."
That was a good point, actually. Did he really need to bring a bunch of Wolves back to Konoha with him? A few, sure, they would help relieve those still in Konoha of their security duties and give them a well deserved rest, but there was little advantage to be had by bringing the majority with them.
"I'll have some Wolves with me, you know." He gave her a curious look. "You could have asked one of them to do so and I'm sure they would not have hesitated to agree."
"...I figured they'd be too busy ensuring your safety?"
His curious look became skeptical.
"...I wanted to help improve relations between the House of Wolves and the Inuzuka clan by having you personally interact with my mother more?" That had actually seemed more sincere but something about it was still off. Nevertheless Naruto gave another glance to the envelope before meeting Hana's brown eyes.
"Very well, I'll stop by and speak with your mother on my return."
She gave him a bright smile in response. "Thank you very much, Tsukuyomi-sama. I really appreciate it."
"Certainly." Despite using that word, his voice wasn't very certain, still filled with a tinge of cunfusion about the purpose of this request. "Was there anything else you needed?" He wasn't going to come up with any revelations on his own- not unless she wanted to help by giving some more insight- so it was better to push his confusion to the side for now.
Maybe it was simply in preparation of something bigger.
What, he had no idea.
Unless she and Sai were planning on getting married. Having inlaws already on good terms might prove beneficial then but try as he might he both couldn't picture Sai and Hna together- actually, he could, it just seemed kind of strange to him. Then again, he didn't see Sai very often. Maybe being Nami's commander had made him more serious or understanding or something. He doubted it, he had already found three more poems in this morning paperwork. Some things never changed- and he couldn't come up with any other situation in which he and Tsume spending more time together might be beneficial in the long run.
Other than, as she said, improved relations between their groups.
He knew for a fact that it wasn't her only purpose, though, and he also knew he would go crazy trying to figure it out with what limited knowledge he did have.
Besides, he needed to talk to Tsume about her relationship with Mai too. If she thought she could be Mai's first and then break her heart down the line she would have another thing coming. It was only fair that Naruto warn her beforehand, especially of it ended up saving Mai the heartbreak in the end.
"No, that was everything. When were you planning to leave?" Part of it was simple curiosity but another part wondered if there was some sort of send off the people of Nami could give him. It wouldn't be a parade, but it was better than having to watch him solemnly slip into a carriage and ride away without fanfare.
He was the Daimyo of Nami no Kuni, for gods' sake, it shouldn't feel like he was sneaking out of his own country.
"Tonight, I think. Possibly tomorrow." He frowned slightly in thought. "I want to finish up these reports, at least, and I've asked Katsuri to prepare for my departure." The frown deepened. "I'm not sure why I haven't heard from her, it shouldn't take too long to pick five Wolves and ensure the horses are in good health."
Hana had a good idea that Katsuri considered preparations for his departure a little more involved than that.
Maybe she should find her so they could plan something a bit more grand.
"Maybe something came up," She suggested. "Do you know where she is? If she needs help with something I might be able to arrange it for her."
"She was going to check the carriage first, I believe, and then stop by Sai's office to finish arrangements. I'm not completely sure where either of those is located now."
Oh, that's right, he hadn't even had a tour of his palace yet. That was far more strange than slipping away from his country quietly.
His travel preferences were one thing, but this palace had been built for him as his official residence in Nami no Kuni. For him to not even know the building besides his bed chambers and his office was unacceptable.
Hana bit her lip in thought, wondering if it was better to seek out Katsuri to see about arranging something for his upcoming departure or if she should take it upon herself to give him a tour.
She could always find Katsuri first and then return to give a tour- or find Tsunami and ask that she give him one- but she didn't know where Tsunami was and who could say how long it would take for her and Katsuri to finishing planning things for him.
In the end she decided that at the very least she would ensure he knew the palace he would be leaving behind, even if that meant his journey wouldn't be marked with any fanfare.
Honestly, she thought he'd probably prefer it that way anyway even if he did deserve some show of appreciation for what he had done for their country.
They could always do that on his next visit, or invite him to celebrate the anniversary of Nami coming under his rule. That wasn't a bad idea, actually, because it could be incorporated into a celebration of Gato's downfall which she knew the people of Nami would gleefully celebrate and wouldn't be too hard to dedicate a feast or a parade or something during the festival- even just having him attend and give a speech before fireworks that night- to remind them who their Daimyo was and give them a chance to thank him for the prosperity he had given them.
It also gave her much more time to plan- and another project to work on if she was ever bored- she just needed to figure out the best time for such a celebration. Around that time, naturally, but there was a period between Gato's downfall and Tsukuyomi being officially recognized as Nami's Daimyo.
…..Unless they wanted to mark that very period as a holiday. What was it, a week? Two? A month?
They were Nami, they pulled in so much that providing for the needs of their people for that period that unlike Sai's expense reports it wouldn't even come close to requiring a drop of red ink.
Hell, maybe she'd even manage to get the month named after him, too. And if not the month of "Tsukuyiomi" maybe something more along the lines of the month of the "moon". It would probably be easier to swing, really. And on that note, they could call the celebration the "Moon Festival", or the "New Moon Festival" both to honor Tsukuyomi's major part of Nami's new future and the fact that the celebration was for the anniversary that everything changed and the old lives under Gato were washed away.
More poetic than she was any good for, but she was sure she could get Sai to refine it for her later.
First she needed to get it in the works.
Correction – First she needed to give Tsukuyomi a tour of his palace.
"Tsukuyomi-sama, has anyone shown you around yet?"
"Completely? No, but I know where to find the things I need." He gave her a dismissive, negligent wave of his hand as he returned to the reports on his desk, an expression of his complete disregard for the fact that he hadn't been given a tour of his own house.
"Anything urgent?"
He rose a brow. "I'm sorry?"
"Are any of those reports urgent?"
"...Not particularly, no."
"Good." Hana strode up to the desk and grabbed Naruto's arm, gently tugging him out of his chair. "We're going to show you the palace we all spent so much effort preparing for you."
His curious brow turned into one of bemusement as she marched him out of his office and down the hall. "And I don't suppose I have any say in this, do I?"
"Nope."
Alright, so apparently FF also doesn't like Discord links so we'll have to write it out like this; Discord-dot-gg/ZBztx59 . Alternatively, you can take the easy route by just clicking the link in my Twitter at Eyazahrid or posted on my site Eyazahrid-dot-net.
I'll be honest, more people joined through those links than I was really expecting. There were only seven to join but I thought maybe three people would use the links. I'm not sure if more will use the address I've listed above- I wouldn't think so, I know you can't copy from the site on computers so you'd have tyo type it out manually - but let's welcome the first seven public members;
Suneater
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CNoFlaw
We have our list of lovely Patrons coming up next -including one who joined just in time to be included - but before that long list of text just a friendly reminder that the Mito x Naruto lemon is available on the Patre0n page if you want to check that out. It will not be posted here on FF to avoid breaking Terms of Service so if you're interested you'll have to visit the page.
And now our Patrons!
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