Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 139-A "Shin-Kirigakure no Sato"
Patron Release: 2021.06.15
A groan escaped her as Hana sunk into the heated waters of the Onsen, weeks of stress melting away almost instantly. This- this- is what she should have requested for her vacation.
It was, technically, but instead of the two- almost three- weeks of just this she had instead opted to also spend some time back in Konoha. It had been nice to see her friends and clan again but she had already been exhausted and adding excited clan members to that hadn't done her any favors.
It was probably a good thing Anko hadn't been there too because that probably would have killed her.
Of course, Anko happened to be back in Nami at the moment as far as Hana was aware and the governess was almost certain the (former) Tokubetsu-Jounin was probably wreaking havoc and preparing a headache for Hana's return- intentionally or not.
A feeling of dread trembled down her spine at the thought and she did her best to banish it into the mists of the Onsen. She was only mildly successful.
Next time she had the opportunity for a vacation maybe she needed to make sure the woman came with her. It would be good to spend time with one of her friends and it had the added bonus of keeping the woman from making a mess of her country in her absence.
Not that the idea of keeping Anko out of trouble while on vacation particularly appealed to the Inuzuka heiress. Perhaps if she brought her mother along next time too then she could watch Anko and Hana could spend her entire vacation in the Onsen here instead of sacrificing a week to visit Konoha.
Assuming, of course, she actually had the chance to go on vacation anytime soon. The fact that she was already trying to plan her next one before this one had finished probably wasn't a good sign.
Not that she would be holding it against herself- and she doubted Tsukuyomi would either- after the time she had spent at the Inuzuka compound- specifically the time she spent with her mother.
Tsume had plenty of questions about things like Hana's earlier suggestions of marrying Tsukuyomi which had only been partially in jest.
Her mother, apparently, hadn't taken any of it as a joke and had been quite insistent on some explanations Hana really didn't have. Well, she did, she just didn't think her mother was going to appreciate that she wanted her to remarry just so she could spend months on all expense paid vacations as the daughter of Tsukuyomi.
Understand, maybe, but probably not appreciate.
Hana wasn't sure if the fact that Tsume had never actually met Tsukuyomi- at least as Tsukuiyomi, anyway- hurt or helped her case at all. On second thought, it definitely helped. Naruto had been in the academy with her brother which put them at the same- or a very close- age. As far as the Inuzuka heiress knew her mother wasn't interested in anyone the same age as her youngest child.
Then again, Hana hadn't known her mother was into women, either, and Mai wasn't much older than Naruto as far as she was aware. Surely, Tsukuyomi's second in command was younger than Hana was so maybe age didn't have anything to do with it in the end.
Maybe that's part of the reason her mother had never been remarried? She'd been in the closet all these years and not realized it? No. Hana frowned at the thought. That was ridiculous. Her mother wasn't the type of woman to not know what she wanted nor was she the type who would have had any problems pursuing it.
If her mother had wanted to date young women Hana knew she would have been and considering the fact that her mother wasn't exactly one for subtlety there was a damn good chance Hana would have learned that long before Tsume ever met Mai.
Still, if age wasn't an issue maybe there was a chance - however slim- that she might eventually go for it. Besides, hadn't Sai mentioned that Mai had been interested in Naruto back when she first met him?
If getting her mother to marry Naruto and have Mai as a sort of joint consort was what it took to be able to get vacations like the prince then Hana would do what she could to make it happen.
Or, as Tsume had been very quick to point out after she had been able to give her a good answer, Hana could always marry him. She supposed there were probably worse prospects for her if it came down to it but that was definitely the sort of plan kept on the backburner rather than quickly implemented.
She didn't want to be some sort of queen- actually, they typically were just the "Daimyo's Wife" but if she were to marry him she was going to be a queen, damnit- though, Hana wanted to be a princess and that meant Tsume had to be the one to marry him.
Well, if Mai married her mother that would make Mai her mother-in-law, wouldn't it? And then if Mai became the Daimyo's consort Hana wouldn't exactly be a princess but she'd be something close, wouldn't she?
No, that wasn't quite right. Maybe if Mai and Tsume then divorced and Mai somehow won custody before marrying Naruto? The courts probably wouldn't go for any part of that, even if it would accomplish what Hana was after.
Damn. It was a shame Hana was too old to be adopted, otherwise this would be so much easier.
Not that Gaara had ever actually been adopted to the best of her knowledge. Hana frowned as she realized that. Maybe Tsume didn't need to marry Nami's Daimyo in order for Hana to become a princess after all.
Hana had no idea how to go about facilitating that- beyond just going up to him and asking to be his daughter- but maybe if she spoke to Gaara he would know. She had a feeling that changing from addressing him as Tsukuyomi-sama to "daddy" wouldn't have the desired effect, especially with how some of those girls who clung to him were.
Anko, in particular, probably already called him that and not in the sense of her being a part of the Wolves.
Hana's frown deepened. She was, technically, a part of the Wolves, wasn't she? If so, she was already Naruto's daughter- in a sense- so what separated Gaara as a prince from any of Naruto's other sons?
With a frustrated huff she let herself sink further down into the warm waters of the Onsen until the water gently ebbed between her chin and lower lip. This pack- this family- was far too complicated already. Her wanting to change her position- or perhaps 'requantify'? 'redefine?'- was only going to make it more so.
Did any of the Wolves even understand all the relationships going on amongst them?
Did Naruto?
Hana had a feeling that despite having a better grasp upon it than most, Naruto probably didn't even know all the various interrelationships between his Wolves and the other factions under his influence.
She didn't know if that was sad or amusing but it was definitely frustrating.
The door to one of the changing rooms slid open, breaking her from her thoughts, and while she couldn't make out any details she was able to see the newcomer's silhouette enough through the steam to know their general location.
The slapping of their bare feet against the heated stone helped with that too.
It was the sigh that escaped them as they slipped into the heated water that told Hana who it was. Gods knew she spent enough time around him to recognize his voice, even if he wasn't actually speaking.
"I thought you had an appointment for a massage, Sai." She still couldn't see him but she could have sworn she felt his brow raise.
"I did, it was a very relaxing hour and a half." She blinked in surprise as he continued. "You've just been in here that long."
Damn. Hana frowned. Time was going far too quickly now that she finally had some to herself. At this rate her vacation was already practically over. With a shake of her head she did her best to dismiss such thoughts- they weren't conductive to enjoying what vacation she did have left and she fully intended to make the most of her time away from her office.
"I hadn't even realized. What time is it?"
"Nearly noon." His silhouette shrugged through the steam. "I was planning on spending an hour or so here before finding a place for lunch."
"Mmm, sounds good. Mind if I join you?"
She could see him shrugging again. "Why not? It's not like I have to foot the bill."
Hana had to agree, though she briefly wondered if perhaps Tsukuyomi was being a bit too generous when it came to their vacations.
"Karura has nothing but praise for the way you handle Gaara and Isobu-Hime." Naruto's voice startled Mito from the book she'd been reading and she turned to look over the back of the couch she'd been draped across.
"Naruto-Kun!" It was equal parts reverent whisper and hopeful prayer as she scrambled up to her feet and stood next to the couch. At a glance it was obvious she wanted to run to the bars he stood behind but somehow she managed to refrain either because she was nervous or because she didn't want to drive him away.
Really it was a bit of both, not that she would ever admit that.
His purple eyes stared at her not coldly but certainly not with any of the fondness they'd once possessed. They betrayed nothing of his thoughts and she found herself fidgeting in nervous discomfort under their weight.
"Have you been enjoying the visits from your niece and nephew?"
"Ah, yes, Naruto-Kun. It's nice to have some company." He nodded at her answer.
"And Naruko?" He prompted. "Has she been making visits too?"
"Not often but yes, she's stopped by a few times." Again he just nodded and she wasn't sure if her answers were what he wanted to be hearing.
"I know when we...spent more time together...you often presented yourself as the oldest and most knowledgeable of the Biju." His statement quickly morphed into a question. "Is that true?"
She wasn't sure- not one hundred percent, anyway- if he was asking about her previous behaviour or about her knowing more than her siblings. She decided to play it safe with her answer, just in case. "I did present myself like that, yes, and I am reasonably confident in claiming it as the truth."
"Then perhaps you'll be able to help me with a problem I have."
Crimson eyes widened slightly. "Of course, Naruto-Kun!" A chance to help him? A chance to prove that there were still things she could do for him? Absolutely! This was the sort of opportunity she'd been waiting for, something to help her get back into his good graces so he could learn to trust her again. "Whatever you need, anything I can do for you I will."
"I'm looking for a way to allow Karura and Isobu out of the seal and into the physical world without allowing much-or any- of their Chakra to leave. Preferably a way that doesn't risk them being sealed elsewhere by someone else."
That was a rather tall order and for a few seconds Mito frowned in thought. She'd never heard of that being possible but she really doubted anyone had ever tried.
"I don't know of anything specifically that would allow that but I understand you're already using clones made up of their chakra, right?"
"That's correct."
"These clones- Kage-Bunshin- they are identical to the one using the technique and return memories to the user, yes?"
"Again, correct." He was beginning to think he knew where she was going with this but allowed her to continue to make sure.
"Clones made with their Chakra are still yours, but maybe we can find a way for them to use the technique to create their own clones in the physical realm? Then it won't matter if they're caught because the clone can be dispelled and they'll only have as much chakra as the clone needs. If you increase your reserves, maybe they could even use your chakra for them and no Biju Chakra would be necessary."
"I...I don't think I would have come up with such a solution." Naruto admitted after a moment's pause. "It certainly has merit, so we'll give it a try." His expression scrunched up with unpleasant memories and he brought up his next question softly, taking his time to convey as much with as little as possible. "..That night….you took control of my chakra chains, yes? The chains I shaped."
She knew immediately what he was talking about and could see where he was going with it. "Yes, I think that might serve as a viable solution for you."
He nodded, grateful for both the input and for her tactful avoidance of that night's events.
It was a sore spot that wasn't likely to vanish anytime soon.
"I'll see what we can do with that. Thank you, Mito, you've been a tremendous help."
"Of course, Naruto-Kun. I'm here for you." She gave him a soft smile, happy to have been able to assist him, before a nervousness set over her. "Do..will…"
"Yes, Mito?"
"When you figure out how to allow them out of their seals, will I be allowed out too?"
He took a moment to consider her..well, it was as much a request as it was a question he supposed. After nearly a minute he had an answer of sorts for her. "I believe," He started slowly. "That would be something best discussed between Naruko and yourself. Should she allow it I will share how we accomplished it."
"Yes," She gave a nod deeply and slowly enough that it nearly qualified as a bow. "Of course. Thank you for considering the matter, at least."
He replied with a brisk nod and turned to leave when her voice stopped him. "Naruto-Kun?"
"Yes, Mito?"
"Can I….Can I touch you?" She opened her arms slightly as if waiting for an embrace, eyes watering with tremulous hope. "Please?"
He deliberated for a second or two. He still had trouble trusting her completely but it was obvious she was intent on returning to his good graces and she had been helpful.
Surely that was deserving of so modest a reward?
With a soft sigh he relented, stepping between the bars and enveloping her in his arms. She practically collapsed into him, her torso shuddering with the desperate relief of hope fulfilled. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
They stood like that for a few minutes until Mito calmed down and had a chance to enjoy the closeness with her warden that she had missed so greatly. When Naruto pulled back he leaned in to press a brief kiss to the side of her mouth and the joy that shone in crimson eyes was unmistakable.
It should not be said that Tsukuyomi didn't reward those that aided him- especially in matters concerning those he loved.
Despite their 'victory'- or perhaps due to it- Kirigakure did not have an overabundance of Shinobi of any rank. With only a small handful of Jounin, two dozen or so Chunin, and some fifty Genin-level Shinobi they weren't in very good shape at all.
That was to say nothing of the fact that- aside from some of the Jounin and a single Chunin- none of them actually had any sort of formal Shinobi training. Kiri had an academy but those in the rebellion hadn't had such a luxury and either learned on the job or were coached- briefly- by some of the more skilled Shinobi.
Only Haku ever had the benefit of an apprenticeship, and that was mostly because she and Zabuza hadn't even been in Mizu no Kuni.
It was sad to admit but a majority of Mei's forces had been- before the final battle- only academy level and while E-Rank Shinobi might be able to overwhelm some foes through numbers- especially when they were grown men and women- they hadn't done nearly so well in a frontal assault against Kirigakure's trained forces and later the Wolves. It had cleared up the matter of getting them formal training but not in a way Mei was pleased with. The group already had experience, giving them some real training would have meant Kirikagure- the new Kirigakure- would have had plenty of new Genin to help bring it back to the global stage.
That being said, Mei knew they didn't have the resources to train them anyway and, as it turned out, they hadn't had any work for the Shinobi she did have.
Or, that's how it had been until she received word from the Hokage.
Glancing back down to the letter held loosely between slender fingers she couldn't help the smirk that tugged at painted lips. She had hoped he would find the arrangement acceptable and was pleased to see she had been right. Not only would this serve to help pay back Konoha but it would get her Shinobi much needed work and help Kirigakure move out of the Bloodline Wars and into the future.
Soon Shin-Kirigakure no Sato would reclaim its rightful spot as one of the five major world powers. Until then, however, she would need to speak with Ao.
Her Shinobi were going to need to prepare for the desert.
"One of these days I'll remember to request some Doton techniques-" Ganju grumbled. "-Or at least some Wolves who know any." He stepped to the side- pulling Isaribi along with him- to avoid another shovelful of dirt that had been carelessly tossed out of the hole he stood near.
The main portion of the base- the part that was out in the middle of the bay exposed to anything that wanted to poke its head under the water- had been salvageable- sort of.
With Guren's help it had been made viable but that didn't disguise the fact that it had practically been rebuilt- and so by Tsukuyomi's original orders it had been made usable.
For expansion, however, they were going to be making use of the land at the southern edge of the bay, the area Orochimaru had been planning on using for storage.
Well, not planning considering a structure had been present but the key word there happened to be 'was'. Either due to neglect or shoddy initial workmanship it had broken away from the rock face and been pulled to the bottom of the bay.
Fortunately it had been empty at the time and the enclosed bridge that connected it to the main lab had been torn apart before it dragged the whole lab down with it.
The redundant airlocks along the bridge and at the entrance to the laboratory itself had also proven their worth and had been single-handedly responsible for the fact that the lab had been recoverable at all.
Ganju almost wished that hadn't been the case. Creating a base from scratch probably would have been preferable even if his boys were more used to remodeling than constructing anything new.
"You know digging a massive hole here isn't exactly subtle, Ganju." Katsuri peered over said hole, one brow raising slightly as she realized just how far they'd already managed to dig. "And Tsukuyomi-Sama was very intent on this project not being discovered."
The man in question crossed his arms defensively and gave some mixture between a grunt and a huff. "It's not like I really had any other options. If the original storage area had remained we could have tried expanding from there but there's nothing to say all parts of the rock would have been structurally sound. Last thing we'd want is for it to be flooded, especially because the bridge to the laboratory would have to stay open both to provide oxygen and so we could move the rock we break away."
He kicked a rock that narrowly avoided falling down the hole and striking one of his boys. "Maybe with Doton things would have been possible but only because we could trust the results of the jutsu to solidify areas of the rock long enough to clear space for metal walls to be put in."
Katsuri hummed in understanding- or perhaps just to let him know she had heard him- and Ganju craned his neck to get the best view of Orochimaru's scientists he could without moving.
"Hey, Orochimaru must have had some really good Doton Jutsu for all his bases, right?"
"Doton?" The scientists shared confused glances. "Well, he knows many Jutsu but he's never used Doton to make his bases."
"Eh?!" Ganju abandoned his wide stance facing the hole to turn around. "But all his bases are underground. You're not telling me they were all dug out by hand, are you?!"
"Well, no." They frowned among themselves before ultimately deciding that since Ganju was doing this project for Tsukuyomi that Orochimaru-Sama would approve of sharing possible ways to ensure it was done as well as possible. "Orochimaru-Sama preferred to utilize Space-Time Ninjutsu for the creation of his bases."
"...What?" Ganju sincerely hoped Katsuri was as confused as he was but didn't take the time to glance back over his shoulder to check.
"Rather than create the bases underground Orochimaru-Sama has them created above ground normally and then moves them below. It's a vastly superior method which, of course, is why he does it that way."
"So he builds it up and then drops an entire base into a massive hole?"
The scientists looked affronted. "No, of course not! That would hardly represent the subtlety of Orochimaru-Sama. I said he used Space-Time Ninjutsu, didn't I?"
"Yeah, but you didn't exactly explain what that meant. How is he using Space-Time Ninjutsu for his bases? You're not going to try to tell me there's only one base and it's simply accessed from various locations around the world, are you?"
They opened their mouth to respond only to pause. "That's...that's not a bad idea, actually." His fellows nodded, one of them jotting it down before the idea was lost. "We'll have to present it to Orochimaru and see if it would be of any use to him in his projects." He shook his head. "But on the matter of Orochimaru-Sama's bases, Space-Time Ninjutsu are used to move the base from one location to the other. Kawarimi, Hiraishin, and the Kuchiyose no Jutsu are probably the most notable Space-Time techniques-" Whatever he was going to continue with was interrupted by Ganju who was waving his arms in a vaguely X-shaped pattern.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, are you trying to tell me Orochimaru has been summoning his bases to various locations?"
The scientist blinked, considering it. "Well, I suppose it could be looked at like that. It's a gross oversimplification, of course, but it is, essentially, how it works…"
"How does that even- do you understand how dumb that sounds?!" Ganju's fists planted themselves firmly on his hips. "You're telling me that Orochimaru is going about creating contracts for buildings, digging a hole several dozen feet down, and then summoning a completed base around him?"
"That's not what I said at all!"
"Don't even get me started on where the existing dirt and material would be going , do you just create hills and mountains every time he wants a new base?"
"I used the Kuchiyose no Jutsu as an example, it's not exactly the same!" They huffed. "It's probably closer to the Kawarimi anyway just...long distance." He paused. "And summoned."
"So, if I understand this, Orochimaru has a way to swap two things of massive volume with each other from across great distances in order to move precreated bases into position and dump the raw materials back where the base was built, yes?"
"...Yes…?"
"Then why the hell doesn't he use it to move messages between bases instantly? Has he even tried to see if it could be used for people yet?"
"That's...well…."
"And, most importantly, if he can do that, why, the fuck-" He spun around ninety degrees and pointed back to the hole that was still being dug. "Are we not using that to reduce the chances of us being discovered?"
"We don't have any bases ready at the moment…."
"He has abandoned bases! He has tons of them! Swap one of the abandoned bases into the ground here!"
The scientists shared another look. "We...uh...we need to send a message to Orochimaru-Sama."
Guren looked from the scientists to Ganju and then to Katsuri. "I think I'm starting to see why he was given this project."
Isaribi nodded in agreement.
Nervous glances flickered between those at the table, uncomfortable shifting in seats paired with twitchy fingers striking the backs of obfuscated cards. A general feeling of unease hung about the guests present and even the host seemed to be on edge.
Sai didn't notice or, if he did, he didn't show it. In fact, he didn't show much of anything at all which may or may not have been the reason everyone else was so put off. Five rounds in and the young man hadn't so much as twitched in reaction to anything else going on at the table.
It was wholly unnatural.
Hana, leaning over his shoulder, grinned with obvious amusement at everyone else's discomfort. She'd been playing earlier but had lost as much as she cared to before coming to bother Sai. His luck, she found, had held up much better than her own.
Or maybe his unblinking stare was simply creeping his competition out enough that he was bullying his way to victory. Either way, she was thoroughly entertained.
"...Does he even blink?" One man whispered to another as he leaned over. The man he spoke to was quick to pull his cards closer to his chest, shooting the first a glare before glancing back up to Sai as if he would choose that moment to blink.
He would remain disappointed.
"...Hell if I know." He mumbled back. "But there's no way that's natural. Maybe he's been possessed?"
"Must be some sort of devil, no other way he could have such luck."
Hana's grin widened as her sensitive hearing picked that part up. Luck? Sai had held onto some of the worst hands she'd ever seen, luck had absolutely nothing to do with it.
Well, probably.
Another pile of chips was pushed forward and Sai didn't hesitate to raise, pushing his own substantially larger pile of chips into the center. Greed continued to grow in his opponent's eyes but it was offset by pale, sweating faces that turned to each other in search of cues Sai wasn't willing- or perhaps just wasn't able- to surrender.
With a disgusted snear the next man in the circle folded, tossing his cards down on the table almost petulantly and crossing his arms with a huff. The next man did the same and the one after him only lasted half a minute at most- his eyes flickering between his shielded cards and the pot of chips- before he too realized he couldn't afford to keep going against someone so absolutely confident in their own hand- not when there was that much at stake, anyway, his wife would kill him.
When it got to the man before Sai his contemplative gaze moved between Sai's impassive face, the pile of chips in the pot, his own remaining chips, and his hand. Did he use the last of his chips to call and hope the creepy pale man's hand was as horrid as it had been the entirety of the night or had lady luck smiled down on him properly and given him something good?
He looked back down at his mediocre hand. Everyone else was out, he'd managed that much, and now all that was left was himself and the young man. The pot already held half his chips. If he called and lost he would be out of money completely but if he won he would more than double it.
If he played it safe, however, he would at least walk out of here with half the funds he'd set aside for this vacation and he could go find another table to try for a bit of better luck.
In the end, the fact that he still had a week left of his own vacation won out.
"...Damnit…" His cards slid smoothly towards the dealer as he folded. "...I'm out too…"
The other men shook their heads in disappointment but there was understanding in their eyes.
Her grin had grown to such proportions that Hana's face was starting to hurt but she didn't care as she gleefully pulled the pile over to Sai who had begun gathering them up, done for the night.
His cards were left carelessly at his seat and as the two made their retreat one of the men reached for them, flipping the cards over with a rathy filthy expletive.
Sai hadn't had a goddamned thing in his hand, absolutely nothing.
The final man to fold had a sudden desire to use the rest of his money to drink enough to forget.
He hoped he had enough.
"Damn, Sai, I didn't even know you played poker. That was amazing."
"Was it?" He peered over his shoulder looking genuinely curious.
"Well, yeah, of course it was. Do you know how much you won?"
"...What do you mean?" He paused in the hallway, turning slightly to better face her, and she realized he was still completely serious.
"...You do realize all those chips represented actual money, right?"
"Yeah, but it's sort of like getting tokens for an arcade or something, right? You pay for the tokens so you can play."
"...Sort of..." Her first question was where the hell he had found an arcade but she pushed that to the side for later. "But you then exchange them back for the money they represent when you're done playing."
"Oh." He blinked. "...Was I gambling?"
"The hell did you think we were doing in a casino?"
He peered behind her and was just able to make out the room with flashy machines and tables of people still playing. "I hadn't really been paying attention to where you dragged me but I guess that does look like a cassino, doesn't it?"
It was only knowing- roughly- just how much money was stuffed into her purse at the moment that kept her from trying to strangle him with it.
"Do you even know how to play poker?"
"...Is that what it was called? I just copied the other people at the table."
Okay, Hana admitted, maybe there had been more than a little luck involved when it came to Sai.
She'd still be taking him back here tomorrow, though, that sort of luck was something she was more than happy to take advantage of.
Hell, maybe she'd even pay for their meal tonight-
Okay, probably not, but maybe after tomorrow's winnings. Maybe.
Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 139-B "Complicated"
Release 2021.07.01
Ao would be the absolutely first person to tell you he had no place leading and that was because as experienced and used to command that he was he was most definitely not what you could consider a 'people-person'. He was used to commanding fellow Shinobi, forces that were dedicating their lives to their missions and would sacrifice their lives in a heartbeat to save their teammates and ensure victory.
When other Shinobi were off duty they might relax, blending back into a civilian lifestyle just slightly.
Ao's only mindset was mission mode and that never changed. Fortunately between Kiri Shinobi's understanding of this fact and the respect he commanded as such a high-ranking member of the former rebels this didn't pose too much of an issue among his comrades.
When it came to civilians, however, well, in those cases his people skills took another massive dive which was impressive in and of itself considering how low they had already been.
So why Mei thought it was prudent to send him on a small trip over to a nameless fishing village to see if they would be willing to begin trading with the Wolves' Nami no Kuni on behalf of Kirigakure Ao had absolutely no idea.
Zabuza may have been pants at negotiation- which is why he always seemed to get the short end of the stick when he was out doing missions to fund the rebels- but his gruff demeanor should have kept civilians from trying too much and would have distracted him from the fact that his Daughter was out taking care of a solo mission.
Chojiro, well, there wasn't much going for the stuttering boy but maybe the village would have taken pity on him and been more willing to help out of some strange sympathy. Like seeing a stray puppy they wanted to feed or something. Ao wouldn't know he probably would have killed the dog to make sure it wasn't trained or a summon and used its meat to supplement mission rations- who was he to understand how the mind of a civilian was supposed to work?
Still, Mei had given him his orders and after that it didn't matter if he understood why just that he saw them out to the absolute best of his abilities. Good Shinobi followed their Kage's orders, even when they were usually the one their Kage leaned on for advice leading a country. One wouldn't be entirely incorrect to say that Mei was the face of Kirigakure's Kage and Ao was the one making the decisions but in the end Ao still saw Mei as the Kage entirely- as it should be- and that meant he would follow her command.
He stopped at the end of the path, his escort of a single Genin-level Shinobi -more for appearances than any real need considering his Byakugan- standing respectfully behind him, and looked over the town he was, essentially, going to try convincing to become Mizu no Kuni's trading hub.
In hindsight, maybe instead of contemplating his situation the whole trip over he should have spent time coming up with suitable names for this town- well, it was more like a little village at the moment but it would grow- because he dreaded to imagine what the locals might want to call it.
He did not look forward to reporting to Mei that the village of 'Fisherville' or something equally stupid had agreed to her proposal.
He frowned for a second- which just meant an increased downturn to his already scowling lips- and turned to the more-or-less Genin. He might as well give him something to do. "Start thinking up names for this village. I don't know if they already have one but if it's to become directly involved with Kirigakure's future I'd rather it be something at least slightly dignified."
"Hai, Ao-Sama."
Technically Mei wanted them to call their own great village "Shin-Kirigakure no Sato" and he agreed with the sentiment but that would remain the one thing Ao disobeyed her on. He had always been a Kirigakure Shinobi- even as a rebel- and Kirigakure- destroyed or not- would forever be his home.
Besides, he was old. It was his right to be stubborn and set in his ways.
After spending weeks tackling a project that would be brought to life by a sealing masterpiece that did the majority of the heavy lifting- and defied all conventional Fuinjutsu rules at that- trying to come up with a way to solve a different problem without falling back onto the Sealkeeper his godson currently bore proved to be quite challenging.
It could change seals into anything, after all, and considering the fact that Fuinjutsu could already accomplish things completely impossible for any other Jutsu family and even Orochimaru's own -twisted- sciences that was a crutch far too easy to fall back on.
It was for that reason Orochimaru was doing everything he could to avoid coming up with a plan that involved Sealkeeper heavily or, preferably, at all.
Unfortunately he hadn't been having much luck.
Admittedly he suspected that was due to the fact that he was dealing directly with another seal already and, generally, the only proper way to interact with seals was to utilize other seals. Sure, that meant he could utilize Fuinjutsu but even if he was a Fuinjutsu master testing out a new seal on one that already contained two Biju was the sort of risk he wasn't about to take- especially when it was on his beloved godson.
If he was going to utilize Fuinjutsu for that they would be using Sealkeeper, damnit, because at least then he could be assured of Naruto's relative safety.
He would still have to plan out what, exactly, the seal would be doing to accomplish its goal, however, and that was something he'd toyed with already but he still wasn't really sure how to get the Biju outside of the seal without actually leaving the seal. If they were able to manifest themselves- their consciousnesses, at least- into smaller portions of Chakra it would be as simple as releasing small amounts of it from the seal and letting them mold it into their desired forms.
Beyond the fact that- as far as he knew- the amount of Chakra Biju required before they could take form was substantial it also did nothing to protect those partially released Biju from being captured and sealed away by someone- not something that would please Naruto in the slightest.
So how could he both expose them to the world they wanted to interact with while ensuring an innate protection that would keep them from being stolen away from his Naruto-Kun?
….Maybe some sort of puppet they could control? He could use seals on a corpse- something fresh, maybe a sacrifice, and he'd need to find a way to properly preserve the body unless they wanted to make a new sacrifice each and every time they extended their consciousness from the seal- to give them control and perhaps tie its nervous system to them so they could feel what it did.
Hmm. He had a few puppeteers who were very familiar with building bodies and Sasori himself had converted human bodies to puppets, hadn't he? Between himself, them, and Kato-San's medical team- including Tsunade- surely Orochimaru could find a way to make a custom body from scratch, couldn't he? And if the body he made was able to remain preserved between not being used and the fact that it would never really be alive then wouldn't it also make the perfect host body for him to use between acquiring useful traits with his Furō Fushi no Jutsu? Even better, if the body didn't need to eat or breath then wouldn't that make it an even better choice for his host? That wasn't even considering he could make himself fit any of Naruto's desires perfectly to make a body the young Daimyo couldn't keep his hands off.
Now that was a good reason to pursue this option.
Hopefully the fact that the bodies had never been 'owned' by anyone else would also mean they wouldn't reject him but on the off chance they did surely he, Orochimaru, the greatest scientist to ever live, could find a way to build a body that was already attuned to him, no?
This idea seemed to get better by the second, especially because it meant he could make a body for Naruto too. Their shared immortality was so close he could practically taste it.
Its flavor was exquisite.
"Tsunami-san?" The woman in question looked up from peering into a half-filled crate. She was sure it had been packed full just yesterday but they were missing enough to feed the entire top floor and she knew for a fact they had been served a spicy pork stir fry. Maybe some of it had been put away in the pantry improperly? She'd have to go through it and check again later if she could find the time.
"Hmm? Was there something you needed, Rikabe?" Tsunami asked. "I'm in the middle of counts."
"Ah, sorry, Tsunami-Sama, I was just curious about something." Of course, Rikabe had also recently become curious about the fact that Tsunami had seemingly disappeared the second she, Kiyake, and Ajirita had resolved to question the woman about the Daimyo and his family. It was almost as if she had known and was purposefully ignoring them to avoid them but that was absurd, right?
The mistress of the palace glanced down at the suspiciously empty crate and the clipboard she'd been tallying inventory on before shaking her head and setting it down. Technically this was the duty of the kitchen staff anyway, she just liked to double check to ensure everything was kept in order for Tsukuyomi-Sama. She could surely spare a few moments to help one of her girls and that would probably go further than puzzling over things that weren't hers to deal with anyway.
"I suppose I can spare a few seconds, what was your question?"
"It's just about Tsukuyomi-Sama and the prince." She started somewhat cautiously, keeping a careful eye on the older woman's expression to see if she ended up overstepping. The last thing she wanted was to end up getting on the bad side of her direct superior by asking the wrong thing. Well, no, the last thing she wanted was to catch Tsukuyomi's attention- be it positive or negative- but Tsunami's ire was a close second. "Well, his whole family, really. I'm just having some trouble understanding how certain people are related to each other and what it makes them here in the palace."
Hopefully Tsunami would interpret that as her wanting to make sure not to accidentally offend someone or something of that nature and not either curiosity from gossiping servants or the gathering of information for her eventual departure from Nami no Kuni. Rikabe would like to avoid suspicion, thank you.
Tsunami frowned slightly- whether because she didn't like the question or because she was in a similar position Rikabe really couldn't determine- before eventually choosing her answer. "Tsukuyomi-Sama's family is...complicated...from what I understand. The House of Wolves is the first noble house of Hi no Kuni-" Or any other country, really. "-To be made of individuals who are not blood related or otherwise legally tied together. I think it would be safe to say that Tsukuyomi-Sama and the Wolves don't worry about physical relation when it comes to determining their family."
"...So what you're saying is that the prince isn't actually Tsukuyomi-Sama's son?"
Tsunami blinked in surprise. "Well, no, of course not. Tsukuyomi-Sama is only a few years older than Gaara-Sama."
"Oh?" That was news to Rikabe. Of course, she hadn't actually had the chance to erven see the Daimyo yet- none of them had, as far as she was aware- so it was understandable. She had imagined him being older, though, it was hard to think that the Daimyo wasn't much older than the prince when that would put him somewhere in his mid to late teens. She didn't think they ascended to the position so young. Then again, it wasn't as if there had already been anyone else in the position so perhaps it was only natural he had to rise up and fill the vacancy despite his young age.
The fact that he had been the one to take over the country probably added to that too, she supposed. "I hadn't realized."
"Yes," Tsunami nodded. "They could probably be brothers, really, but Gaara looks up to him like a father." Pausing, Tsunami glanced around as if to make sure no one else had snuck into the pantry while they were speaking. "There is, well, I may have heard talk that Tsukuyomi-Sama is in some sort of relationship with Gaara's mother. It's just rumors, of course," She stressed. "But if it's true than Gaara may end up becoming Tsukuyomi's step-son."
"Ah, then I guess it's a good thing Gaara already sees him as a father."
Tsunami beamed. "Yes, exactly! It's sweet that they're already so close."
"...Yeah." Personally Rikabe thought it was more concerning than sweet- mostly the fact that Gaara's mother was possibly in a relationship with someone only a few years older than her own son- but she wasn't about to voice that. "So the blonde around Gaara is his sister, right?
"Hm? Oh, yes," Tsunami's lips dropped in thought. "I believe she is."
"So is she a princess?"
"Oh, well, I'm really not sure. Gaara-Sama is the prince, Tsukuyomi-Sama has been very clear about that but he hasn't said anything about Temari-San." Tsunami looked slightly uncomfortable as she answered, her eyes refusing to meet with Rikabe's, and it made it pretty obvious that the woman knew a tad more than she was sharing.
The fact that she was hiding anything was worth looking into- gently, of course. Tsunami was currently willing to share at least something with her; Rikabe didn't want to push too hard for what could be very little reward and lose that completely.
"Is he her father too, then?" Rikabe could have expected many responses to that question- Tsunami's rather bright blush had not been one of them.
Banishing less than innocent thoughts, Tsunami tried to focus on facts rather than an overactive- and rather inappropriate- imagination. "From what I understand if Temari-San is not also in a...relationship...of sorts...with Tsukuyomi-Sama then she desires to be."
...Eh?
"Wait, wait, wait..." Rikabe held up her hands as if warding off Tsunami's answer. "You're telling me Tsukuyomi-Sama is sleeping with the prince's mother and sister? Does he know?"
Tsunami looked briefly panicked. "I didn't tell you anything," She stressed. "I merely mentioned some common rumors that had been popping up within the palace." After another glance to reassure herself that they still retained their privacy she continued. "And yes, I'm fairly certain Gaara-Sama is more than aware. He already tends to call his sister 'mother' so he doesn't seem to have a problem with it."
Rikabe was silent for almost an entire minute.
"...This family...it's really messed up, isn't it?"
"It's not 'messed up'," The mistress of the house jumped to the defence of the royal family. "Just...complicated, like I said earlier. The Wolves don't put as much emphasis on blood relations so when you connect people who have decided their own relationships to others through blood things become...tangled."
"Like adding Gaara's brother to this?"
"Uh, yeah, exactl-"
"Or his actual father in Namihime?"
"...Yeah. Exactly like that. I'm not even sure if Tsukuyomi-Sama has met either or what their relationship is considered to be by him. You would have to ask him for those answers."
"Would he really be willing to give them, though?" Questioned Rikabe, tilting her head in curiosity. If it was really that easy then maybe she should have just walked up to the top floor, found his office, and knocked on his door. Well, maybe not. He probably wouldn't have appreciated the interruption. Maybe slipping her own letter into the pile brought up to him by the Wolves would have been a better method?
"...Willing? Yes, I don't see why not." Tsunami hesitated slightly. "Capable? Well, that's a different matter, I should think. I'm not sure even he knows all the relationships that he's become a part of in some way or another."
"...You mean it gets more complicated?"
Tsunami laughed. "Oh, much more, and I only know bits and pieces. We haven't even touched his blood relations or Mikoto-San and Kakashi-Kun fighting over being his parent and don't get me started on that pale boy. The Wolves say he's either the godfather or godmother but right now he seems no older than Tsukuyomi-Sama himself!"
The mistress really hadn't been kidding when she said things were complicated and Rikabe's oncoming headache had her rethinking whether sating her curiosity had really been worth it in the end.
She was already heavily leaning towards 'no'.
Gods, she was going to need a drink.
Did he have any of the Shodai's cells left from some of his previous experiments? Those had grown and adapted pretty well, perhaps they had the potential to be molded into growing an entire body? There was still the matter of controlling how that body formed but at this point any progress would be worthwhile progress. If some of those earlier experiments had been more fruitful he may have been able to have a Mokuton user Henge and then produce a wood clone, That may have worked pretty well….
Orochimaru's thoughts were interrupted by a knocking on his door from someone who didn't bother to wait before opening it. He spun around in his chair to lay into them only to bite his tongue when he saw the Wolf mask.
It wouldn't do to be yelling at Naruto's children- especially if they were here on his orders.
"A letter, Orochimaru-San." They held out the envelope and Orochimaru felt a brow rising in question. It was strange for Wolves to be the ones to deliver his mail to him. As if to answer his unasked question the Wolf spoke.
"It came from Yu no Kuni- Ganju's project."
Ah, that would explain it. If they needed to ask him something it meant it was important to the task they had been set by Naruto. Very well.
It did not go unnoticed, of course, that his mail had already been opened either by Naruto or one of the Wolves. His money was on the later but either way there was a good chance Naruto was aware of the letter's contents now.
He couldn't even be mad about that.
Plucking it from the Wolve's fingers with an absent "thank you" he pulled the letter from the envelope and quickly read through it, suddenly wondering why he hadn't thought of using his usual method of setting up bases to better serve his crimson prince.
He made a note to see about borrowing this 'Ganju' from Naruto later, too. Some of these other ideas his scientists mentioned were certainly worth looking into and if the man could pump out similar ideas for some of his other projects there was no telling the sort of progress Orochimaru could be making in the next few decades.
Maybe if he was really lucky this Wolf could come up with workable ideas for his little body problem, too, but perhaps that was being overly optimistic.
After all, Orochimaru couldn't solve all his problems using Naruto or his Wolves.
Just, you know, most of them.
Gazing over to his notes for his current project he let the barest of sighs escape his chest before packing them up. He was going to be needed personally for this as the last thing he wanted was to have subordinates capable of summoning one of his carefully prepared bases running off and setting one up in an effort to hide from him. He would find them in due time but the whole thing just ended up becoming irritating.
Which is why he'd only ever made that mistake once.
He was also going to have to determine which base he would be moving over to Yu no Kuni to serve as Naruto's initial base while work continued on his old underwater one there. Orochimaru didn't have any new, unplaced bases ready- that he knew of, anyway. He'd have to check that too- so one of his other less used bases would have to suffice.
It looked like a little trip was going to be in order so he could inspect several prospects but at least that would also give him a chance to see if he did indeed have any of the Shodai's cells stashed away somewhere so not a complete waste of time.
Not that anything that furthered Naruto's will could ever be a waste of time but looking through bases that wouldn't be suitable for his beloved prince certainly didn't do much to help his prince either. No, only actually moving a base would be accomplishing that.
Now the only question was whether he informed Narutro of where and what he was doing- just in case he had need of him in the next few days- or if he kept it a secret to surprise his prince with a base ready to be moved into?
He glanced back down at the letter he hadn't opened and the answer seemed pretty obvious. Naruto either knew or would know based on whether the Wolf had stopped at his room first or Naruto's office so trying to surprise him with it wasn't likely to be very successful anyway.
Plus it would give him another opportunity to be in the presence of his prince and that won out every time.
A look towards his door showed that the Wolf was still there, probably waiting to see what he would do, and he made a showing motion with his right hand. "I'll leave immediately to address this. Go locate the real Naruto so I can inform him of my departure."
Seemingly satisfied by that response the Wolf gave a nod and left, closing the door behind them with a soft click. Considering Naruto's office was just across the palace and his bedroom was only a bit further down the hall Orochimaru figured he had about a minute and a half to pack. Fortunately he was also a Sannin which meant he really didn't need much at all.
Then there was the fact that he hadn't exactly brought anything with him in the first place, either, and he had plenty of his things scattered across his various bases. That idea about using his modified Kawarimi no Jutsu for items would probably be valuable just for that reason. It always was a pain in the ass forgetting things at different bases because he was busy with various plots and projects.
The assumption that he might have one base existing in multiple physical locations was wrong but Orochimaru could certainly see the appeal in it. That would have to become one of his higher priority projects just for the sheer convenience of it. He really needed to pick Ganju's brain later.
Packing away only his most sensitive of notes- he trusted Naruto but couldn't say the same for everyone in the palace- he was contemplating whether or not he should take Naruto's furs with him when the Wolf returned.
"He's in his room, Orochimaru-San." Definitely not unexpected, Orochimaru would have been surprised if the answer was anything other than his room or his office. They should probably get him out of the palace more. Well, he said 'they' what he really meant was 'subordinates' or, more accurately, 'not himself'. He'd have to bring it up to Mai or one of the others at some point.
"Thank you."
"Of course, Orochimaru-San." With a nod the Wolf stepped back from the doorway and out of Orochimaru's immediate line of sight. By the time he reached the door himself the Wolf was nowhere to be seen, no doubt returning to whatever duties they were seeing to before the letter arrived.
Shorter strides than he preferred- Orochimaru couldn't wait to be in a larger body again- ate up the distance between Orochimaru and his godson's room and he carefully ducked around the Suna natives as they exited the Prince's room. He made careful note of the fact that Temari was with them, more than aware that she too had begun to share his prince's bed in Orochimaru's absence.
He tried to focus on the fact that Naruto's needs were being met over his own internal jealousy and usually succeeded. Fortunately her being out here reduced the chances that Naruto was currently...occupied.
As he entered Naruto's private sitting room and then opened the bedroom door he realized that the amount those chances had been reduced by were negligible in the grand scheme of things when he had two of his snakes- even if one was former- under the Daimyo's roof.
Brown eyes widened in surprise as Tayuya's head shot up from Naruto's bare chest and the sheets were pulled up to her chest. She didn't mind it when Orochimaru had been female- she had been quite attracted to that body, in fact- but Tayuya really wasn't comfortable being looked at by the form of Uchiha Sasuke.
Naruto, on the other hand, remained wholly unconcerned which, admittedly, could have been in part to the fact that his modesty had remained covered by his sheets- and a Tayuya draped over him- but even then Orochimaru had seen it all before. Not with the Sharingan, of course, but it wasn't active now either.
The chances that Orochimaru would activate his Sharingan- even unknowingly- at the sight of his exposed godson, however, was something carefully ignored. Naruto still had Wolves who crawled into his bed when it was vacant- rare as that was these days- at all hours and when he was in various states of dress. He'd lost any real need for modesty years ago.
"O-orochimaru-Sama!" Tayuya scrambled, eyes darting for the nearest escape- the window was across the room, unfortunately, and she was fairly certain Orochimaru was fast enough that she wouldn't make it there first- out of habit. The...man...had been a bit touchy about those around his beloved godson and while Tayuya originally had his blessing to see to Naruto's needs being trapped in the body of the Uchiha and unable to be as intimate as he'd like to be with the young Daimyo wasn't doing the Sannin any favors.
If she wasn't worried about the possibility of his hairpin trigger going off and becoming either his next experiment or, more likely, his immediate body she might have considered the irony that finally getting the thing he'd been after for so long had proved to be more of a curse than any sort of boon for the man.
She was smart- and self-preserving- enough to keep quiet about that.
"Tayuya." The name was practically purred which was more than a little disturbing for her to hear coming from the Uchiha. It had suited his last voice much, much better. "Hard at work, I see."
That...Tayuya paused. She didn't actually know how to respond to that. It wasn't really something she considered to be work- she enjoyed it far too much for that- but if she said it wasn't work she wasn't doing her duty and if she said it was work she would be practically speaking ill of Orochimaru's crimson prince right in front of the man.
Neither of those were in her best interest, honestly, and by the way Orochimaru's amused smirk spread across the Uchiha's lips- gods, she was almost as eager as Orochimaru for the man to move onto a new body, strange as that was to admit- she knew he was completely aware of her current predicament.
"She's been keeping me company." Naruto's voice came to her rescue. "Was there something that needed my attention, Orochimaru?"
An amused smirk became an almost petulant pout as the man's fun torturing his subordinates was cut short but he wasn't about to speak out against his beloved godson.
"I just wanted to let you know personally that I'll be away for a bit. There's something that requires my attention."
Naruto nodded. "Of course, see to your matters Orochimaru." He waved one hand in a lazy dismissal as if to say Orochimaru didn't need his permission to do what needed to be done. Which, of course, was completely accurate but all three of them know Orochimaru would be checking with Naruto before doing most things just to make sure they didn't work against something else the young Daimyo might have in the works. "How should I contact you should you be needed?"
That caused Orochimaru to pause as he realized he really didn't know anymore. Before it was easy as sending one of Au's children but now that the relationship between them and Naruto was on the rocks that wasn't really an option. He could propose having Naruto sign the Snake Contract but he had a feeling his prince wouldn't go for it.
The Sannin's pause- though brief- told Naruto all he needed to know. "I see. Very well, take care of what you need. We'll be here for some time yet."
Orochimaru very nearly called off his whole trip right there but in the end this was for Naruto and the project he'd ordered to be done. He would just have to make sure to be quick so he could return to the prince's side before he was actually needed.
His struggle was further relieved when Naruto gave him a knowing look and relieved him of his burden. "I can't imagine it's pleasant to be in a position of trying to fulfil your duties only for both answers to fall short." His gaze moved pointedly to Tayuya and Orochimaru understood he was being reprimanded for his earlier actions.
He was almost surprised at the relief he felt at that. Better a lesson that stung his pride than a test of devotion to his prince that he fails.
"I understand, Denka-Sama." The man in a boy's body folded at the waist in a deep bow. "You have my deepest apologies."
"I don't need your apologies." Of course he didn't, he hadn't been the one affected, but they both also knew Orochimaru couldn't apologize to one of his subordinates. Orochimaru offered the next best thing as he turned his attention to Tayuya, straightening back up.
"Your devotion to your duties has been admirable, Tayuya, you do Otogakure proud."
"O-of course, Orochimaru-Sama." She almost couldn't believe what she was seeing but knew for a fact she hadn't drifted back off to sleep.
Naruto gave a satisfied nod. It was good enough. "Go, Orochimaru, come back when things have been sufficiently handled."
"Yes, Denka-Sama, I'll be back as soon as I can."With a spin on his heel Orochimaru took his leave, silently resolving to torment subordinates who didn't have Naruto's favor. Or, at the very least, to do so when not in Naruto's immediate presence. That had been, in hindsight, a rather embarrassing mistake he was not keen on repeating.
Maybe they'd been too hasty getting rid of Zaku- that was someone he knew for a fact Naruto wouldn't mind him tormenting to his heart's desire though that fact might not be entirely worth the headaches Zaku tended to cause him.
Seeing as my memory is horrible and I forgot the majority of the Japanese I learned within a year of learning it I tend to rely on quick and dirty translations by Google when I need something. When writing this chapter it seemed very insistent that I utilize Shinchaku (新着) for "new".
From what I can tell Shin (新) by itself already means "new" and Shinchaku (新着) is literally "New Arrival". While I could see this for something genuinely new, I don't think it really suits a rebirth or revitalization and so I chopped it down to Shin and slap-dash chucked it on to "Kirigakure no Sato".
Is it right? Oh, hell no. I fucking butchered it but my primary languagfe is English which operates almost exclusively by breaking apart rules and words of other languages- and itself- to frankenstien together some rather crude excuses of communication that somehow works.
There were a few other words that came up in my search like Atara/Atarashi but "Shin" seemed the most appropriate so I just stuck to that and am awaiting the inevitable review that will correct me. If I do happen to be right, by some miracle, well, I'm sure my ego would love to hear it.
I expect to be resuming normal updates going forward so we'll see how this goes. Special gratitude, as always, goes to the Patrons who continue to support me.
Lord Generals
Cephalon Keeper, Michael Huber, B4NH4MM3R, Jacklefrackle
Lord Marshals
Ronji, MythicFool, EagleE, Pope Gregory Trivium III, Konan, Sedition, Luxano
Lord Majors
The SHARP fox, Malte Krain, StayFrosty, Noah, Alex Robb, Jeremy Webb, Jamel, McKinzie, Tjk9399, Raymond Saragian, Elypsus, magicheart 0, Gamer91, Marcothephoenix, DamnedThrice, Ben Peek, Nathan Carlson
Lord Commissars
Stan the Drunkard, Tim Keizer, Akira, Daron Smith, gabriel reynoso, Romulan, Shi_no_Kage, Whatzzzzzzzup, Nick Payne, Christopher, Desertgem1, Daniel Witry, Liam Kearney, TormisD92
Lord High-Inquisitor
Janus
Lord Inquisitors
Angel Morales, Haistos, Bob Ross, Brendon, Joe Schumacher, Michael Friede, Cameron Yourell, Nilzor, Chase, Maroner, Forseeti, Carlos Campbell, Thanyx, Chace Gannon, Slip123, Godfrey Kawi, Nicholas Hoover, Nicholas Liu, Supernowy, Milton Pereira, YGO, Louis Lennin, OldManCain, Sivellan, Brandon Romero, Vio, MB, Brandon, LoneSaiyan, Para, Angel de la torre, Nekrull DeUmbrus, Jennifer carpenter, HKaz, Pantheras, Marin Dimovski, MasterT941, J. G., Tyrell2000, Gobo, Theo McPherson, June Tai, james escobedo, Sebastiaan asselbergs, ChaosFox, Perez, Hentai Prince, James, TheGreatBubbaJ, TheAbsoluteMonarch, Polo Pannini, JonCotterill, Zack Crum, SMatatabi, Theepicslime, Matthew Smith, Wrex
Until I next have your attention, I remain,
-Eyazahrid