Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 108-A "Departure"
Patron Release 2020.01.06
The man's droning voice had lost all meaning long ago, his words slipping together into a hum in the back of the mind you knew was there but for the life of you couldn't be bothered to decipher. Asuma should have been listening, this was "important" business for Konoha and her future, but he simply couldn't drag himself out of his own thoughts enough to care.
What weight did the matter of road congestion hold against a threat that just kept growing?
The only thing that could really be argued was that the traffic on Konoha roads was currently a problem and causing trouble while the growing threat had not fully turned their eyes on them- yet.
Asuma, however, was not a complete moron and as stubborn as he could be even he was able to recognize that his recent attempts to cub this threat may have instead drawn their attention.
Attention they were still not ready for.
He had, he grudgingly admitted only to himself, made a mistake.
Even more grudgingly, he admitted that Danzō and his father had been correct.
At least about the Daimyo happily playing both sides, if nothing else. Asuma had sent a report to him as soon as Yugao's team had returned and Iroh's response had come right before the meeting. Flowery and excessively redundant as only letters form the Imperial Fire Court could be, its message had been simple enough;
The rebels had won their civil war without the aid of any of the other four great villages. He was free to offer them aid now, if he so wished.
This was, perhaps, the only result from that conflict that didn't immediately put the Daimyo in a favorable position despite playing both sides. Admittedly, Asuma took some satisfaction in that.
The Wolves were good for something, he supposed.
Naturally Asuma would be offering them support, especially knowing that nearly the entire village had been reduced to ashes in their conflict with the Wolves. It was evident the aid he had given them during that conflict hadn't been nearly enough if that was the result and both personal pride and sympathy for another enemy of the Wolves demanded nothing less of him.
The fact that the Wolves had done so much damage, however, both proved him right in treating them as a threat and simultaneously made him look like a fool for not taking them quite seriously enough.
They had reduced a hidden village to ash.
Kirigakure had been having problems for many years but it was still one of the five great villages and had been laid to waste by the forces of Nami no Kuni. As small as it was it was not lacking in power, evidently.
The Wolves were rapidly going from a potential threat within the walls of Konohagakure to a force that might actually rival Konoha's might.
Knowing that they were currently in Konoha just as they had been in Kirigakure did not bring him any comfort in the slightest. Konoha didn't need any extra vulnerabilities for them to exploit and Asuma knew they wouldn't hesitate to use them against him.
So, on one hand, it was a damn good idea to double down on his efforts to get them out of his village.
On the other, he probably didn't want to draw their ire while they were still in Konoha.
Especially not after what Danzō and his father had told him.
Targeting civilians? Not while he was Hokage, even if that meant holding back until he could ensure their safety. Placing his people in danger while he attempted to remove a potential threat that hadn't quite yet shown any hostility simply wasn't worth it.
Of course, that might not matter anymore.
The Wolves hadn't made any moves since their, well, he supposed he had to acknowledge it as a victory in Mizu no Kuni. The rebels, for being the ones to end up with the village in the end, certainly hadn't come out as the winner in that situation.
That said, he hadn't seen many around Konoha recently earlier so he could only assume the majority- including Tsukuyomi himself, according to his ANBU – were still out in the world doing gods know what. Preparing to go against him, unfortunately, was more likely than he cared to think about.
There was also the fact that Yugao, his ANBU commander, had to excuse herself from the mission due to her ties with Gennin Naruto who, in turn, had ties to the Wolves. Even if it wasn't a direct connection it was still troubling, especially when he knew Gennin Naruto had plenty of other connections, too.
He had Danzō and his father to thank for that knowledge.
And even with all that there was no telling what connections the various Wolves living in Konoha had. He didn't know their identities and, honestly, even some of his ANBU could be Wolves. He had checked them all- more than once- but he was a Shinobi and paranoia was a way of life.
Asuma was also smart enough not to assume his failed attempts to detect Wolves embedded within Konoha forces meant there weren't any. That was just a horrible mistake waiting to happen.
All in all, he was not in a favorable position and had probably bitten off more than he could chew. He would have to do what he could to make preparations and hope that the Wolves didn't take offence or, at least, not enough offence to move against Konoha as Konoha had moved against them.
Their one saving grace was that the Wolves seemed to like Konoha, so long as his recent actions hadn't outweighed that they should still want to preserve the first hidden village.
"...And as you see here, the final numbers come to approximately two hundred and twenty-seven percent capacity for our roads on weekends and one hundred and eighty-three percent on most weekdays. This doesn't just affect businesses who customers may have trouble reaching but will pose a significant danger during any emergency evacuation." The room fell silent and it was that lack of droning voice that pulled Asuma from his thoughts.
Fortunately he was already staring at the charts the council member had been using for his presentation. He took a few more moments staring at them, trying to recall what had been said and how he should respond.
"Excellent work, councilmember." He praised hardheartedly. "This does indeed pose quite a problem to the people of Konoha."
While most there- specifically the clan heads- were able to recognize how little Asuma actually cared – quite like themselves- the councilmember gave a beaming grin at the 'praise'.
"Because of the dedication and attention to detail you've shown, I want you to come up with various ways this issue might be addressed. Have them to me before the next meeting so I can look over them and they can be put to a vote."
"Ah! O-of course, Godaime-sama!" He hadn't been expecting that and grabbing his presentation and the eisil it had rested on under his arm he gave an enthusiastic bow to the active Hokage before scurrying back to his seat, satisfaction pouring out of him in almost visible waves.
"Did anyone have anything else for this meeting?" He inquired, hoping that no one would say anything. After ten seconds without anyone offering to speak he continued with much more enthusiasm. He didn't even try to hide the fact that he was eager to draw the meeting to a close, a sentiment mirrored within the clan heads and a good portion of the civilian councilmembers. "No? Excellent."
Asuma rose from his seat for his own announcements, quickly meeting the eyes of everyone present before speaking.
"As has come to our attention, Kirigakure's civil war has recently come to a close with the Bloodline Rebellion emerging victorious against the tyrannical Mizukage Yagura." There was some polite clapping from the council, more out of principle than any real excitement. "Their victory, however, has not been without cost and most of Kirigakure was destroyed in the final battle."
Asuma figured the first step to buying time to properly rid himself of the Wolves would start by avoiding drawing their ire for the time being, and that included keeping others with ties to Konoha from getting any bright ideas to provoke them. As such, he didn't mention their role in the fight – yet.
"Konohagakure, with the blessing of Hi no Kuni's Imperial Fire Court, will be offering her aid to help get Kirigakure back to its feet. We hope to foster good relations with Kirigakure and Mizu no Kuni to further solidify our rapidly growing global influence."
There was more scattered applause along with a few heads bobbing in agreement. With no one speaking against him- either because they agreed or because they knew they wouldn't have enough support if they did bring it up- Asuma gave a nod of his own. "I'll be handling the agreements between Kirigakure and Konoha personally, so I will expect all of you to remain vigilant in identifying and coming up with solutions for any problems that arise here in Konohagakure. This council meeting is now adjourned."
He struck the small bell at the corner of his desk, marking the conclusion of the meeting and the point in time the records would cease for the session. The scribes sitting to the side finished up their writing and sealed their scrolls before placing them in the three slots on the side of the desk right next to the bell, striking it once each as they surrendered the records and gave a shallow bow to the Hokage before retreating to a guarded door behind the Hokage's desk.
One of those scribes – as he knew from his time as one of the Twelve Guardians- was actually a scribe of the Imperial Fire Court but he was not privy to their identity. Those scribes were also the only individuals with the same clearance he had and were thus offered private protection from the Fire Daimyo himself to ensure the dealings of Konoha were known to the Imperial Court.
It wasn't too bad, really. They kept good records and generally only attended the council meetings unless either they or the Daimyo himself had reason to suspect the Village was trying to hide something that might put Hi no Kuni in danger.
Fair enough, they were a part of Hi no Kuni in the end. They weren't implemented until the Nidaime Hokage -who was generally organized enough that they didn't play a huge role- and only Asuma's father, the Sandaime, had really ever had issues with them. Mostly because so many of his actions had been above-board that some thought he was managing to hide his other activities.
Other than his failure to stop Orochimaru and the unfortunate business with the Uchiha clan- which he had, in fact, made transparent to the Daimyo- he really hadn't had to delve too deeply into the Shadows of the Shinobi world.
He was the professor, after all, he could find a way to defeat his opponents without sinking to their level. Typically it ended up adding insult to injury and was part of the reason he was so feared. Losing was bad enough, but losing to someone who didn't even bother to meet your efforts like a Shinobi before claiming victory was a crippling strike to one's pride.
The scribes hadn't even bothered trying to dig up anything on the Yondaime. He had been so damn feared and respected that nothing could convince them to look into his actions. It also helped that he had been on very good terms with Iroh- almost like a son to the man, if rumors were to be believed- so Iroh hadn't been concerned with keeping an eye on him.
As for Asuma, he had spent enough time in the Daimyo's court to not be bothered by the scribes going about their jobs. It was probably fortunate that they hadn't attended the meeting called by Kushina upon her return, though. As it wasn't a full council meeting and instead a gathering of the clans they had considered it no concern of theirs and remained in their private quarters going through reports new and old to ensure everything was being properly maintained.
Having the Daimyo know about that particular clusterfuck would not have reflected well on Konohagakure. Clans attempting to take each other over? A Genin declaring war against a major clan? The Imperial Court would have mocked them for months.
With the three last rings of the bell the majority of Konoha's council vacated the room, a few stragglers chatting among themselves for a minute or so until they too left. The guards behind Asuma had followed the scribes through the doorway and the only person in the room aside from the Godaime Hokage ended up being a sleeping pineapple in one of the back rows.
When the sound of others had grown faint the pineapple raised his head and locked eyes with Asuma from across the room. "Hokage-sama," Shikaku Nara addressed the Godaime. "If I might have a few minutes of your time?"
The brilliance of the Nara clan was well known and not something to be ignored, especially not when Asuma could use some advice in dealing with those damnable Wolves.
"Certainly, Shikaku." He entwined his fingers and set his hands before him on the desk. "I can spare a few minutes."
"So, if you're done inhaling your food," Kurenai began with false casualness, only halfway through her own. "Perhaps you'd like to explain your sudden inability to take care of yourself?"
"Lots of work, you know." Yugao gave a tired, sheepish smile. "I've been really busy with everything going on in Kaze no Kuni."
Kurenai gave her a flat look. "Even so, you should be able to find enough time to eat and sleep. You're not even in Kaze no Kuni which means there has to be time between reports for you to get some rest. What else is going on?"
"It- it's nothing, Kurenai, don't worry about it."
"Yugao." Her tone was warm but stern. "I'm still going to worry about you. What's wrong? Let me help you."
The ANBU commander looked away for a few moments, gathering her thoughts, before turning back with a sigh. "I've fucked up, Kurenai. Massively." She admitted. "And I have no idea how I can possibly fix it."
The Genjutsu mistress had half expected her friend to continue denying the existence of any issues and was caught aback by her admission. Blinking away the surprise, she perked up. "What happened? How can I help?"
A bitter laugh left Yugaos's lips. "I don't think you can, Kurenai, but I appreciate your eagerness to offer." She shook her head morosely. "It has to do with Naruto and Hayate and," Another bitter laugh escaped her. "It's just a massive mess."
"Start at the beginning, then, tell me what happened."
"Just promise not to hate me."
That caught Kurenai's attention and a feeling of dread began pooling in her stomach. What had happened that would ever make Yugao think she could possibly hate her? Whatever it was, she had an awful feeling it wasn't going to be good.
"Whatever it is, it can't be that bad, can it?" She gave a strained smile and a nervous laugh only to receive a smile in return that drained any and all false confidence she had managed to muster.
"Before the invasion," Yugao started. "The House of Wolves knew of it and started to take steps to support Konoha through it."
Kurenai gave a nod, that was pretty common knowledge.
"But the night before the exams and the invasion attempt Hayate was cut down by a Suna Shinobi. I – I was overcome with grief, I couldn't think straight and I-" She paused, taking a deep breath to gather her thoughts. "I blamed the Wolves for letting him die."
Oh.
Oh no.
Oh no.
Almost immediately Kurenai had a sinking suspicion as to what was going to follow and she began to dread that she might be proven right. Yugao was blaming the Wolves, the Wolves had close ties with Naruto, and Naruto had close ties to Yugao, Anko, and herself. If Yugao was asking her not to hate her it had to mean something happened between Yugao and Naruto.
It was probably a good thing she was learning this before Anko had a chance to.
Anko was...far less understanding...than Kurenai was. She was also much less patient and had a tendency to act without thinking.
"You don't really think they did, do you?" Kurenai asked carefully.
"No, no." Yugao's purple hair shook to either side. "The Wolves couldn't be everywhere and they weren't the only ones to know about the imminent invasion. But right after I lost him I didn't think about that, I just needed someone to blame." She gave another bitter laugh, a regretful smile pulling at her lips. "Of all the people I could have chosen, including the one to actually kill him, I suppose I chose pretty poorly, huh?"
"You know who did it?" That was the first Kurenai had heard about it and it would hopefully direct the conversation towards a more positive note. She didn't exactly hold out hope for it, though.
The laugh was hollow and humorless, "I do, thanks to Naruto. A last gift he had prepared before knowing what I did. When he discovered it he gave him to me anyway, maybe as a parting gift and maybe just so he didn't have anything around that would continue to tie him to me."
"And you're sure it's him?" Kurenai decided to focus on the more positive side, trying to avoid what she knew was coming.
"I wanted to make sure," A faint smile began tugging at Yugao's lips for the briefest of seconds. "So I went to Inoichi to see if he'd be willing to help me. The first thing he did when he saw me was ask if I needed any help making him regret his birth. I hadn't even had a chance to greet him." The smile disappeared. "He had been the one to confirm his identity for Naruto before he gave the bastard to me. I tried to take out my anger on him, Baki of the Sand, but while it would have helped me feel better about Hayate every time I struck him I thought about Naruto and how this was only possible because of him." Her smile returned, this time filled with a bitter amusement. "I think it was actually hurting me more than him and the worst part was that he even seemed to recognize it." Her brown eyes locked with Kurenai's crimson.
"He was feeling pity for me, even as I did my best to cause him pain." She shook her head. "I couldn't take it and handed him over to Inoichi. I know he's doing a better job than I was but I just can't seem to enjoy it. Compared to losing both Hayate and Naruto I just can't bring myself to care about some Suna Jōnin and his fate."
Losing Naruto? Gods, how bad was it? This sounded like more than just a little fallout between friends.
"M-maybe you should continue...?" Kurenai suggested.
"Yeah, I probably should." The tired smile she gave Kurenai only made the Genjutsu mistress' heart grow heavier with dread.
"I started to hate the Wolves and I started to resent Naruto for choosing them over me. When he trusted me with information about some of the Wolves' future plans I thought it was a perfect opportunity to get back at them."
"You- you didn't!"
Yugao hung her head in shame, a curtain of purple hiding her face.
"I did." She admitted. "I brought it to the attention of Asuma, knowing that he had no love for them. He ended up deploying me and my squad into Mizu no Kuni to disrupt their plans. I-" She swallowed heavily, trying to force the words through a tightening throat. "I killed a Wolf, drove a blade right through her mask." She had to pause, her entire body shaking lightly. "When I next visited Naruto he was wearing it and he knew. He looked right at me, the only person he had told about the Wolves plans, and knew I had betrayed his trust."
"Gods, Yugao. I don't know what to say."
"That's not even the worst part of it!" She exclaimed with yet another bitter laugh. "He came here after I had returned from Mizu no Kuni to express his condolences for Hayate's death. He hadn't even known until then and I had never bothered telling him. He asked about the service but it had already been held. Gods, Kurenai, he was my Kohai and I had simply cut him from my life. Is it any wonder he had sided with the Wolves? By the time he left I'm sure he thought I didn't care about him and yet he still sought out Hayate's killer for me."
"How the hell do I apologize for any of that when he doesn't even want to see me?"
"I don't know, Yugao, I just don't know." Kurenai shook her head in disbelief. "I've been trying to improve my relationship with him for years but I didn't...well..."
"Betray him? Slaughter members of his family? Make him feel as though all the affection he had held for someone was absolutely worthless and that he was nothing to them? I think Kushina has a better chance at getting back into his life than I do at this point."
Kurenai didn't want to say it, but she was probably right.
"You could try getting on her good side so she can vouch for you when she does?" It was possibly one of the lamest suggestions she could have offered but nothing else really came immediately to mind.
Yugao's flat look told Kurenai exactly what she thought about that suggestion.
"Oh! What about Kakashi? He's his Sensei, maybe he would have some suggestions."
That wasn't a bad idea, actually, though it left a sour taste in her mouth to think of Kakashi as his Sensei when she was Naruto's Senpai and had been training with him for years.
"He might." Yugao admitted. "And I think they're fairly close, maybe my old commander can help."
"See?" Kurenai did her best to give an enthusiastic grin. "You already have a great in to put in a good word for you so he gives you another chance."
"What, another chance to kill one of his family? I know those Wolves replaced Kushina and Naruko in his life."
Yugao wasn't wrong about that, not in the slightest. Kurenai was just fortunate that Anko had managed to crash into that new family of his with her usual Anko-Eccentricity and hadn't thought twice of pulling her along.
It also helped that Naruto had been willing to completely disregard any interactions they had before then and give her a fresh start. Otherwise she might have found herself in a very familiar situation as Yugao, albeit not nearly so deep.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Yugao's voice, though it took a second for her to recognize it. She wasn't used to such a subdued voice from the confident ANBU commander.
"W-when you next see him, if you, if you could-" She seemed like she was still mid-debate with herself even as she voiced her request. Evidently it managed to win out. "Please let him know how sorry I am, I wasn't thinking but I never wanted to hurt him"
Kurenai's face must have shown how troubling her request was and a sudden realization washed over Yugao.
"Oh! Kurenai, I'm so sorry." She shook her head vigorously as if it would erase the past few seconds. "I shouldn't have asked you to do that for me. Please, don't put your relationship with him at risk for mine, I've already royally fucked that. But..." She hesitated slightly. "If he does say anything about me, or if it comes up around him, please, at least suggest he speaks with me again- even if just for closure. I'd really appreciate being able to explain myself, I don't want him to just think I never cared."
"I can't make any promises, but I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you." The brief pause seemed to regain some measure of her usual confidence, though it was notably concerned by whatever thoughts had prompted her to ask. "And, Kurenai?"
"Yes?"
"Please don't tell Anko."
She really hadn't planned on it. It was going to be hard enough for Yugao to get back into Naruto's good graces- were that even possible- without a furious Anko going after her. Kurenai knew for a fact that if Anko learned of Yugoa's betrayal than it wouldn;t' matter how much the woman regretted it or how far she was willing to go to make things right.
Assuming Anko didn't just try to kill her immediately, she would devote her life to making Yugao's life absolute hell for the remainder of its duration.
Kurenai would spare her that much, though she wasn't sure how much she wanted to be around the ANBU commander now that she knew how Naruto and the Wolves felt about her. She did not want to lose the progress she had made just because she had been associating with Yugao.
She had a feeling Yugao understood that too, which made the Genjutsu mistress feel just a bit guilty. They had all been friends for years, was she really about to ignore that for something that hadn't even been done to her?
Normally? No. When it had been done to Naruto? Between the two, she valued her relationship with her former Sensei's son more than she did her friendship with Yugao. As freeing as that realization was, it still came with the ashy taste of guilt. It was not something Kurenai would like to admit to, fortunately it was a sentiment already understood and no words would need to be spoken of the matter.
She still felt guilty and really hoped Yugao might find some way to repair her relationship with Naruto.
Sooner rather than later, at that.
Their little group was already suffering the loss of Hana, after all, with this it was pretty much just her and Anko left.
"Don't worry, she won't hear any of this from me. I'll try to keep her in the dark as much as I can." She assured her before continuing with- what she hoped would be- something that might help Yugao repair her relationship before Anko managed to learn about the situation."I don;'t know what Naruto and the Wolves are up to, so I can't suggest anything that might help them, but it couldn't hurt for you to keep an eye out for anything that might become a problem for them later. I'm sure they'd appreciate any warnings that could keep Wolves out of danger."
That wasn't a bad idea at all and Yugapo gave Kurenai a small smile.
"Thanks, Kurenai, I really appreciate it." With a short exhale she glanced at the clock on her wall and shook her head. "You should probably get out of here. I doubt they care enough to be watching me but the less time you spend around me the better."
Again, Kurenai agreed completely and was immensely relieved to not have to be the one to say it out loud. Itr did go to show just how similarly they thought, though. There was a reason they had become such good friends.
Some friend she was in the end, cutting contact just so she didn't upset someone else.
Shoving that thought into the furthest recesses of her mind that she could Kurenai returned the smile. "It was good to see you again, Yugao. I'm sorry it wasn't during more fortunate times, take care of yourself okay?"
"I'll do my best, thanks for the food."
"It's no problem." It was, Kurenai thought, the least she owed the woman.
Cheap takeout, however, seemed a pale exchange for their years of friendship.
Just as the last time he had departed from Nami no Kuni- back then it had been on his way to meet with Hi no Kuni's Daimyo- there was little fanfare to it. The most that had been done this time, in fact, was preparing the same carriage from his last journey for this one.
It wasn't even necessary, really, but it was both proper for a Daimyo and allowed his Wolves to 'protect' him during the journey. And if that made them happy he didn't mind taking a bit longer to get back to Konoha.
A few of the Wolves had gathered near the carriage to see it off, as had a few curious young women from the palace hoping to get a look at the Daimyo most of Nami no Kuni had never seen.
Kisame- snacking on something that appeared to be more salted fat than meat- stood off to the side under the watchful eye of Mikoto. In the end Naruto really hadn't been able to come up with anything for him to do and Mikoto wasn't always going to be able to keep an eye on him. He'd be going back to the Akatsuki in the next week or so as Tobi's replacement spy and would stop by to visit every so often.
That's what he said, anyway. Naruto wasn't sure how trustworthy the sharkman was but Mikoto vouched for him so he'd be her responsibility. Should something happen it was no real loss to rid themselves of the S-ranked Swordsman. If he did prove trustworthy, however, it would be a great boon in the future.
Naruto himself stood next to the carriage dressed in a simple robe of black silk and a deep purple sash. He had been intending to simply wear his combat outfit on the way back to Konoha but Hana, Mikoto, Tsunami, and Katsuri had all quickly vetoed that.
They pointed out that it would both take a while to reach Konoha and that if anyone saw him in it they might become suspicious of where he had been for all this time.
He had a feeling that wasn't the only reason – for some of them, anyway- which was supported by the fact that being seen walking around in silk robes would also arouse suspicion. He kept his outfits simple, after all, and sometimes that went as far as not bothering to put on a shirt. Wearing needlessly extravagant robes- in his opinion, anyway. Why silk? - would be a much larger red flag than a Shinobi dressed as, well, a Shinobi.
Even so, he hadn't argued. Whatever their reasons, wearing it seemed to please them and it was a small price to pay to make them happy.
It was also, admittedly, quite comfortable.
His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Katsuri and the Wolves she had picked to escort him back to Konoha. He skimmed over them quickly and was halfway through an approving nod before he caught himself, looking back up at them again. One, two...No, he had counted properly. There were only four of them for some reason.
"Katsuri?"
"Yes, Tsukuyomi-sama?"
"I was under the impression you wanted five Wolves accompanying me. Has something changed?"
"No, Tsukuyomi-sama. The five of us will be accompanying you."
Naruto's purple eyes met hers curiously, as if the pools of black looking back at him would hold in their depths all the answers he sought.
They didn't hold any such answers, but they did hold other things.
There was hope and a tinge of fear but mostly there was determination. She wanted this. An almost defeated sigh left him as his will crumbled. He couldn't think of any possible reason to deny her and those eyes looking at him were practically pleading for him to allow her to join him. How could he say no to that?
It didn't help that as much as parents claimed otherwise, they had favorites. Katsuri happened to be one of his favorites, and not just because of that afternoon in Kirigakure.
Besides, he figured, if she wanted it this bad it could be her reward for her performance as High-Captain in Mizu no Kuni.
"Very well, Katsuri. I'll trust your judgment." Her eyes brightened immediately and it appeared to take all her will not to be more expressive of her joy. As it was, she seemed to be having trouble suppressing the grin that wanted to spread across her face. Remarkably, she managed to maintain a mostly straight face as she turned to the Wolves she had brought.
"Two of you up front, two on the back. Stay alert. If you encounter a threat do whatever you can to avoid it, we don't have the time to stop and I don't want Tsukuyomi-sama disturbed on his trip. Understood?"
"Hai, High-Captain." Four smart salutes were snapped off before they dispersed to take their positions.
Tasks done, she turned back to Naruto with a small smile. "We're ready when you are, Tsukuyomi-sama."
He gave her an amused look, one brow raised. "I suppose you'll be within the carriage with me to ensure I'm not disturbed, then."
"Of course, Tsukuyomi-sama." Something flashed in her eyes for the briefest of seconds. "I'll make sure you're taken care of during the trip."
He had a sudden suspicion that her reward was going to end up being more than just joining him on the journey back to Konoha.
"You are aware that Anko will be joining us, aren't you?"
She shifted slightly at that, either nervous or uncomfortable, but still did her best to continue giving him a smile. "I had hoped that I might be able to convince her to spend some time aiding the Wolves on their guard, but I'm prepared for her to refuse."
"I see." He might need to ask Anko to leave himself, then, just to make sure Katsuri had a chance to enjoy her reward. It was going to cost him later with Anko, he was sure, and it was probably a bad idea when he knew Tayuya was going to drag him away when he got home but good work deserved a reward.
He supposed he could give her some private time later, too, but it was going to be a long time to wait until both Tayuya had finally released him and he had managed to recover. She should at least have something to tide her over in the meantime.
That reminded him, he was going to have to make his Kage Bunshin before he left the carriage later, just to make sure he could get some work done while Tayuya had him hostage.
It also wouldn't be a bad idea to be the one to drag her off to the bedroom, either. If nothing else, it might slightly lessen the frustration she no doubt felt towards him at the moment. That could be the difference between walking out of the room in a week or being pulled out by concerned Wolves.
With a glance out to the small crowd of Wolves and palace staff that had gathered to watch his departure he grabbed hold of the carriage door and swung himself in. "All we should be waiting for is Anko, if she's not here in five minutes please have someone find her." The door shut, the closed curtains on the windows blocking him from view.
A few of the palace staff chose that time to leave, realizing that they wouldn't be seeing anything more, but most stayed to witness the actual departure. It wasn't like much else was going on in the palace at the moment, anyway, they might as well hoe for a show.
And a show they got.
"Nooo! Tsukuyomi-kun, don't leave without your Anko-chan!" Rushing towards the carriage it was evident Anko had been more tha na little pressed for time. With her trenchcoat grasped firmly in one hand she shoved a scroll- most likely containing the rest of her things- into it's inside pocket.
Among those things probably in her scroll were the rest of her clothes, as she was currently wearing only her fishnet, a corset, and a pair of lacy black panties.
She did her best to wrap the coat around herself as it flapped behind her but by the time she had reached the carriage it still hadn't done anything at all to maintain her modesty. Katsuri, standing next to the carriage, gave her a rather flat look before opening one of the doors to allow her in.
"...Anko? Wha- Nevermind, I won't ask."
Giving a sheepish smile and a nervous laugh Anko scratched the back of her head before clambering into the carriage and, if Katsuri had to guess, right into Naruto's lap.
The High-Captain struck the dark wood of the carriage twice with her palm before pulling herself in. "We've wasted enough time, Get Tsukuyomi-sama home." With her final orders given to the Wolves escorting them she closed the door and made sure the curtains were completely shut. If not for Naruto's sake, then to spare anyone he caught staring at Anko.
His possessiveness was well known- and adored- amongst the Wolves.
That taken care of she took her own seat across from her lord as the carriage began to move. Anko- who may have crawled into his lap- was not sitting next to him with her coat across her lap as she looked through her scroll, probably for her clothes.
Or at least some Kunai. It was strange to see her without any weapons.
"Ah!" Finding what she was looking for a brief burst of smoke marked the arrival of her skirt and sandals. For Anko, it was pretty average as far as modesty went and judging by the fact that she immediately threw them under her seat the carriages other occupants had a good idea that she didn't intend to actually put them on until they reached Konoha, which was a few days away depending on how hard they worked the horses.
"Is there a reason you had to run to the carriage half naked, Anko?"
"Heh, because I'm sexy?"
His flat look- and Katsuri's rolled eyes- indicated that even if that happened to be true- which it was- it was not going to suffice for an answer.
"Heh-heh, I overslept."
Katsutri gave a small snort while Naruto looked at the pouting Tokubetsu-Jonin with an amused smile.
"Yeah," He agreed. "That sounds like my Anko."
He quickly had a delighted Anko crashing into his side and squeezing herself to him as tightly as she could. "Mmmm" She agreed. "All yours."
Naruto's left arm wrapped around her waist and gave her a brief squeeze back. "That's right, just don't forget you have to share."
Her eyes opened and immediately locked onto Katsuri before she gave the High-Captain a sheepish grin. "Heh, yeah, I guess you're right. She hasn't had any Naruto time since Mizu no Kuni, has she? And we shared that, too." A wicked gleam entered her eye that Naruto wasn't in any position to see. "So, you up to sharing him again, Katsuri-chan? Anko Nee-chan could use some help taking care of Tou-sama's needs during the trip."
That was a lie, of course, but Katsuri wasn't about to point that out and lose this chance.
"I'd be delighted to, Nee-sama."
Naruto had a feeling that he was going to enjoy this trip much more than his last.
108-B
"Scars Are Sexy"
Patron Release 2020.01.13
The warm red wool wrapped around his neck once, twice, three times before Temari tucked it into his green jacket and zipped it up. His hands already covered in mittens he did his best to put on the hat she had picked up for him, earning a smile.
"Here, let me help." With ease she corrected his hat and placed a small kiss on his cheek.
Satisfied that her brother/son was properly bundled up for the cold weather she turned to inspect the other members in their little troupe. Kankurō had been perfectly capable of dressing himself in all black of suitable warmth and Sasori- who had some difficulty moving around the small cabin they rented in his larger puppet and sealed it away early into their stay- had claimed the cold didn't bother him.
He looked pretty similar to Gaara but it was probably better that way. With Rasa pretending to be the father and Deidera being mistaken as their mother people probably wouldn't look at the traveling family more than twice.
Because with such a cute little raccoon how could they not take a second look?
But speaking of Deidara the feminine looking man had found a beige sweater and a pair of tight brown pants that were tucked into boots with a fuzzy trim. Temari was almost positive it was women's' clothing but a lifetime with Kankurō had gotten her so used to it that she didn't pay it any real mind.
As long as he was warm, she really didn't care what he was wearing. She, personally, had gone for a purple jacket and thick black pants. She had boots suspiciously similar to Deidara's – Kankurō had to exert visible effort to keep from laughing when he first saw them, and that was saying something- that came up nearly to her knees.
Rasa, well, Rasa was wearing the exact same thing he had been wearing since they left Nami no Kuni a month ago. She wasn't even sure if he had changed outfits and, quite frankly, she was kind of scared to ask. If he was, it had to be getting some sort of wash simply because she would have smelt it in the cabin otherwise. That, too, she'd rather not dwell on.
What she did know was that he had frozen his ass off on the way here and was probably going to be doing again as they headed back. Desert nights could get damn cold, easily below freezing, but her father disliked the cold nearly as much as he hated the ocean and was home by sundown every evening without exception.
The night Gaara was born he ended up staying in the hospital not to make sure the sealing went well or to spend time with his son but because he didn't want to walk outside in the cold. The fact that he was also grieving for his wife also played a part in it and he really hadn't wanted to move anyway but Temari knew that if hr mother had survived he still would have stayed overnight if only to avoid the evening chill.
It was kind of pathetic, actually, but her father really had never been that impressive in the first place.
He had, however, been a fantastic leader. That couldn't be denied. He was no warrior god but he looked out for his people and they loved him for it. There was a reason so many had followed him to the safety of Nami no Kuni and there was a reason he had stepped onto a boat to make sure they got their safely when he'd much rather die in his beloved desert.
Even if he wasn't impressive, he always did his best.
Well, until now. The loss of his Kaze no Kuni was hitting harder than anything else ever had and he seemed to regularly fall into a catatonic state. Fortunately he snapped out of it often enough to at least eat and take basic care of himself because Temari probably would have forgotten to do so and would have a dead Kazekage by this point.
Part of her wondered if they should take a – rather large- detour to drop him off back in Kaze no Kuni so that he'd stop moping but she didn't particularly care to try the generosity of the Wolves that had provided for them thus far without at least telling them what they were doing and she also didn't want to be even partially responsible for anything stupid her father might do in his grief.
At least back in Nami they could either leave him there or ask that they send him back to Kaze no Kuni so she didn't have to deal with him anymore. It was a good thing he hadn't ruined their vacation because Temari would have damn well killed him for that. Instead he had moped around like a wet towel and generally sat out of the way in a corner where he was easily ignored.
It worked out best for everyone that way.
"Alright, everyone ready?" She didn't wait for an answer, though she was able to see Gaara obediently nodding his head beside her. "Good, let's go."
Grabbing Gaara's hand she marched out of the cabin and into a world of white that, until recently, Gaara hadn't ever seen. To be perfectly honest, neither she nor Kankurō had ever actually experienced it either, only ever seeing it on distant mountains.
It was nice, she supposed, but nowhere near as nice as Yu no Kuni.
She was half tempted to stop for a second vacation on the way back.
Naruto wouldn't mind too much-
Probably.
He finished putting his robes back on as the carriage rolled to a gentle stop along the side of the road a mile or two from Konoha's west gate. Katsuri was sleeping peacefully on the bench across from him- worn out by the journey- while two arms wrapped around his torso and tried to gently pull him back into a very naked Anko's embrace.
"Come on, Naruto-kun." She pleaded. "We can have another round or two while they rest the horses."
"We've arrived." He countered. "They aren't resting the horses."
"So? We've got the privacy of the carriage still, we can have some more fun before you sneak back in."
"I doubt your siblings will appreciate waiting around while we do and I know for a fact I still have a very needy Tayuya impatiently awaiting my return. Don't be greedy."
He didn't need to turn around to see the pout she was wearing but the hands dropped from his chest with a sigh as she gave up her attempts- for now.
"If I have to. Do you need help getting in? I can cause a distraction or something." He turned back to her just as her face lit up excitedly. "Oh! If I'm with you we can walk right in the front gates and I'll just claim that I stole you away this morning or something."
Naruto spared a glance towards the sleeping Katsuri before shaking his head. "No, stay in the carriage in case they try to stop you. I'd rather not wake her if I don't have to but there needs to be someone they can speak to in here if they get suspicious."
"And what would I tell them?" She started to retrieve her discarded clothing as she asked, frowning at the ripped fishnet that probably wouldn't be recoverable. Should have gone with the Shinobi Mesh instead of the civilian lingerie equivalent- or was that the other way around? - but the thinner fabric had been much more comfortable. "I don't have a mask."
"If anyone stops you it will probably be Izumo and Kotetsu, so I'm not too worried. You can let them know that the Wolves reached out to you to provide protection for a high-ranking commander in an under the table sort of mission. Feel free to mix in something about wanting a female guard so you could be around Commander Katsuri at all times."
She hummed in thought for a moment. "Yeah, I guess something like that will work. How are you getting in?"
"I'll go over the wall while the poor ANBU patrolling it are giving the carriage suspicious looks. With Konoha's recent actions I'm sure they have orders to observe Wolf activity more closely."
Anko gave him a rather prominent frown, her brows furrowing with worry. "You can't walk up the wall, there's Chakra in that wood that makes it damn near impossible without ridiculous Chakra control. It's too high to reasonably jump, scaling it would take too long and you'd be noticed, and the only parts that go over the wall are near the gates and well guarded."
"Don't worry about it, I have a way to get over quickly and even if I'm caught, well, I hear Anko's back in Konoha, it would be unfortunate if I was dragged off to K.I.T. for questioning and was handed off to someone like her….."
Her face brightened considerably at that. "Ooooh, that could be fun." She grinned. "Then I'll have you all to myself for a while."
Naruto gave her a flat look. "Anko."
She gave a sheepish grin at his warning. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Tayuya would be trying to break in as soon as she learned you were back." He could see the idea as it formed behind her eyes. "Hey, maybe when you end up in my care I can arrange for a 'visitor', huh? You'd have some time from the Wolves and she'd get caught up on her Naruto-time."
"And I'm sure that time could be better spent outside a cell."
Anko shrugged. "Well, yeah, probably." She admitted. "But a little bit of roleplay could make it plenty kinky, especially if the super-sexy warden catches you and joins in."
"Ibiki?" He offered teasingly, earning a sulky pout from the Tokubetsu Jōnin.
"No, me!" Her arms crossed over her still uncovered chest and her cheeks puffed out slightly like an irritated child denied her favorite toy. "I'm much sexier than he is."
"If you say so, Anko."
"W-wha?!" Her displeasure turned into aghast horror. "You- you don't actually mean that, do you, Naruto-kun?"
"I don't know," He shrugged. "Tall, dark, handsome. Always super serious, like a mountain of iron always there to support you. And those scars," He gave a mocking sigh. "Didn't you know, Anko? Scars are sexy."
He found an irritated Anko hungrily attacking his lips before he could blink and as soon as she broke away he found her Kunai slipped down the front of his robes to rest against his bare flesh. "I'm not losing you to Ibiki of all people, Naruto-kun, and if you ever say something like that again I'll give you a couple sexy scars of your own."
"Hmm, only if you promise to clean off the blood with your tongue again." He countered, grabbing her wrists and pulling them behind her back as he pressed into her to steal a kiss of his own. After a minute or so he pulled back from a very happy- but slightly disappointed- Anko. "But that's enough distractions from you, don't think I'm not aware of what you're trying."
"To get you to forget you're supposed to be infiltrating your home village and instead ravage my poor, innocent, body? Never, Naruto-kun, I resemble those accusations."
"You sure do." Naruto shook his head, an amused smirk playing at his lips. "Try not to cause too much trouble, Anko. Konoha's evidently not too fond of us already, no need to make it worse."
"You know me, Naruto-kun."
"I do, that's why I'm asking you to not cause trouble."
She gave another pout- which he gave a quick peck- and he reached for the door of the carriage. "Don't head directly for my apartment, stop by the office to speak with your boss or go visit your friends for a bit. I'll likely be indisposed, anyway, so it's a good chance for you to catch back up with what's happened while we're away."
"And it's less suspicious," She continued. "Don't worry, I understand."
He stared at her for a moment before asking plainly "You were going to head straight for the apartment, weren't you?"
"I was." She didn't even try to hide it.
Shaking his head he opened the door and stepped onto the grass that bordered the western road to Konoha. With a gentle click he closed it again and with a nod to the Wolves still guarding the carriage he slunk into the trees.
They were cut back a bit closer to the wall to provide visibility for the guards but that wasn't going to be too much of a problem. He waited until the sounds of the carriage to grow faint and then for the faint creek of it's wooden body as it was brought to a halt just outside Konoha's west gate. Moving slightly south two black chains crept out from within his robes and shot out at the wall.
He was sure they made more noise than he would have liked as they wrapped around the metal railing of the upper wall but he didn't have time to dwell on it. Retracting the chains he rocketed up to the top of the wall and flung himself over the railing as the chains dissipated.
Naruto didn't waste any time once he was on the wall, leaping onto the closest building and running for the first bit of cover he could find to break possible line of sight once they lost interest in the Wolves returning in a carriage.
With the grace of a predator he dropped from the roofs into the streets below, vanishing into the back alleyways of Konoha's market district.
Two pairs of eyes turned their attention from his last position and onto the carriage below, making no sign that they had seen him at all.
A single clink of metal and metal he might have ignored in favor of the activity closer to the gate but the second one forced him to turn around. Fully expecting to see that another piece of the guardrail had fallen off from the less than properly maintained upper wall he was momentarily stunned to see a figure in black appear from below.
With a flash of crimson they vaulted over the guardrail and dashed into the village. The ANBU's hand was halfway to his radio when a firm grasp settled on his shoulder. A quick glance to the side showed the lizard mask of his captain who shook his head.
His hand slowly lowered back to his side as his gaze returned to the figure darting across rooftops before dropping into one of the back streets.
"It's just Genin Naruto." Souji assured him. "No need to cause a panic."
"Yeah, but shouldn't we at least report it? I don't recall seeing him leave earlier."
"You saw his chains, don't you remember what the training grounds looked like when he last used them?" Souji turned away from him to return to his post. "I think it's rather considerate that he's training outside the village."
"...Yeah, suppose you're right." The ANBU agreed after a few uncertain seconds. "It's just training."
"Exactly." The lizard mask peeked over his shoulder to catch the ANBU's eyes. "No harm in it or in letting him back in. After all, we were the only two to see him." There was a sense of danger that accompanied that last sentence, clearly conveying that as the only two there Souji would immediately know who had reported it if it became known.
"Of course, Taicho."
If that's what the captain wanted that's what would happen. Besides, what was the harm in it, really? They let him into the Uchiha compound a few years ago, this wasn't too different.
He normally didn't have a problem with the water, being mostly shark and all, but there was a difference between enjoying a nice swing and being weighed down by wet clothes because Ame couldn't be considerate enough to stop fucking raining long enough for him to make it back to Akatsuki's main base.
And it couldn't be the big fucking tower in the middle of the goddamn city, either. No, that would be too bloody convenient. Instead Pein, in his infinite wisdom, had found a cave in a mountain on the other godsbedamned side of the city.
Seriously, he had a perfectly good tower in prime real estate, why the hell weren't they using that?
Pein's quirks aside, Kisame was not pleased to be returning. Not just because of the damnable rain- it should either be dry or one should be completely submerged in water, what was this uncommitted middle ground shit?- either, though it certainly didn't help.
No, the real reasons were two-fold;
He wasn't around Tobi anymore, which was a damn shame because even as she showed the side that wasn't Tobi she was still fun to be around, and he was going back to boring Akatsuki business.
He had been having fun in Mizu no Kuni and Nami no Kuni, some of the most fun he'd had in years. The only times that came close while he was in Akatsuki involved Tobi, who, again, he had to leave back in Nami no Kuni because she was taking care of things for her son...or something. He really hadn't paid too much attention outside the fact that she wouldn't be coming back for a while and it was his job to keep her informed about Akatsuki's movements from now on.
At least that would serve as something else for him to keep himself occupied with, he supposed. Even if it only alleviated his boredom slightly it would be far better that sitting around that fucking cave doing absolutely fuck-all.
Huh, maybe he was spending too much time around Hidan. The Jashinist's vocabulary was starting to bleed into his thoughts, it was only a matter of time before he spoke like the fanatic too.
Kisame was going to have to find a way to fix that, he was also going to have to see who he end up getting as a partner. With Itachi dead and Tobi otherwise occupied, he had no idea who he was going to have the "pleasure" of being teamed up with next.
Maybe if he was really lucky someone else's partner had died and he'd get paired with someone fun like Deidara or...actually, Deidara was probably the most "fun" Akatsuki member after Tobi and himself. That was kind of sad.
But, if he was really, really, really lucky Pein might pair him up with Konan. That could be fun, if only because no one had really had the chance to work with her yet. If nothing else, it would be a new experience and there was a certain charm in that.
That charm could quickly wear off if she wasn't actually any fun to work with, though, and that would just be a damn shame. She had been amused by his...erm...difficulties with that one festival though, so she at least had a sense of humor and while he was no professional comedian Kisame liked to consider himself a decently humorous man...shark...thing.
To be perfectly honest, even Kisame didn't have the slightest fucking clue what he actually was which his the main reason he never gave anybody a straight answer when they asked. If he fucking knew he would damn well tell him, but at this point he was waiting for someone else to tell him what the hell he was.
A few doctors he had run into and even Orochimaru of the Sannin had absolutely no idea and seeing as he hadn't had any family for as long as he could remember he didn't really have anyone he could ask.
No one in the world- thus far, anyway- seemed to have any recollection of there ever being bipedal shark people before and Kisame figured that would be something difficult to keep hidden if they were anything like him, so it was entirely possible that he was the only...whatever he was...in existence.
He liked to think one of his parents fucked a shark, personally, but he could never decide if he'd prefer having been born to a shark in the ocean or a shark-fucker on land.
Either way, it was a pretty badass origin story, if he did say so himself.
And he did, by the way. You know, in case there was any doubt.
Where he a more scientific man, Kisame may have tried forcing a woman to be impregnated by a shark and having a man fuck one - neither of which he knew if was actually physically possible- to see if it created anything at all even slightly resembling himself.
He supposed he could probably get Orochimaru to do it, if only because of how strange it was, which, honestly, would yield much better results than Kisame trying to do it himself.
Science-y Kisame was not.
He also wasn't very patient, so at least handing off the task to someone else would allow him to distract himself until the results were available.
Or Orochimaru could just sigh, shake his head, and tell Kisame how much of a fucking idiot he was. He was used to that, honestly, and it didn't really bother him at this point. Because, really, Kisame knew damn well he wasn't the smartest person around.
The Sharkman didn't want to be, either. What was the fun in knowing how everything worked? He'd much rather be surprised and delighted by what other people did, it was one of the only things that kept fights interesting.
Fights like that one he had with Tsukuyomi recently.
On one hand he really wanted to know what the fuck was going on there when none of the Biju were unaccounted for, on the other he'd like another opportunity to fight the young man so he could throw himself at that power once more and didn't want to be able to expect anything during the fight.
He had to say, of all the Daimyo he'd encountered Tsukuyomi was most definitely the strongest.
Kisame really wanted to figure out exactly how strong but he had a feeling Tobi might not like that.
And believe it or not, he didn't want to upset her. Well, no, he did, just because he found irritated women immensely attractive. Drawing her ire was fine, what he wanted to avoid was drawing her wrath or, worse, pushing her away.
Kisame considered Tobi to be a friend and he didn't have too many of those these days. He'd rather not lose those he had left.
And if those prostitutes from Mizu no Kuni were still hanging around Nami he wouldn't mind making some new friends, either.
It's a few hours later than usual because I'm just a bit behind- nothing new there, really- but there's chapter 108. The commentary will be up Sunday, as usual, but the easiest way to get questions answered or discuss the chapter with fellow fans is to join the Discord. Links are in the last chapter, on Eyazahrid-dot-net, and on my Twitter at Eyazahrid.
Thanks goes to my generous patrons for their support.
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