Shi was attempting to stay calm when all that surrounded him was a cascade of tension but he was failing. Failing at stilling his nerves. He wasn't the anxious sort, no one who was around Ay as much as he was could be. No, his fluctuating emotional state would be credited to Kirabi. The man was supposed to get himself checked for any seals, and for Shi to get a clear picture of how loyal Kumo's most powerful ninja was to the village, but he ran off as soon as Darui departed with the Uzumaki. There wasn't a ninja powerful enough to corral him so Shi had to get a second-hand report from Yugito.
"She's clean, as best we can tell," one of the village's fuinjutsu experts said. Shi broke from his thoughts and looked at the container as she pulled redressed, not allowing her any modesty.
"Yugito, what can you tell me?"
"Both Matatabi and Gyuki think attacking the Uzumaki is a grave mistake."
"If he wields the Mokuton with proficiency I could see why but what do you and Kirabi think?" Shi pressed.
"I… in Suna, he pinned me down with just his intent. I hadn't felt so weak ever before. He's powerful, more so than me. And worst still, Kirabi likes him."
"So, Kirabi may be compromised?" Shi asked. Yugito's initial response was a hard glare that bordered on murderous.
"Killing Ay-sama did that," she said in a clipped tone. Shit met her glare with a neutral look but said nothing about Ay's removal. He'd accepted his part and its necessity so he wouldn't debate it with her. Accepting he wouldn't respond, Yugito continued, "I don't know what Kirabi will do."
"We aren't in an "I don't know what Kirabi will do" situation, Yugito," Shi responded while the surrounding ninja became increasingly uncomfortable. "He owes-"
"He owes? What does he owe?" Yugito hissed as her fists clenched at her side. If Shi wanted to talk debts she'd happily engage.
"Loyalty?" she asked, rhetorically. "You overthrew his brother, you ingrate! The only reason any of you see us as more than unstable weapons of war was that Bee and Ay-sama willed it."
"We'll just have to trust Kirabi will do the right thing," Shi said, shutting the line of discussion down. He had no counter-arguments nor the time to create them. "How did you get here without alerting border security?"
"He flew us here in metal pods."
"Flew? How?" Flying was not something he was prepared to deal with.
"I don't know, I was in a metal pod. Then about a mile from the security gates, we landed and traveled on foot." Shi didn't respond, his mind desperate grasping for solutions it didn't have.
Kyoshiro was a proud ninja of Kumo. He made Jounin the hard way, grinding his skills, taking on missions that were often beyond his abilities, and fully committing himself to the work of being a shinobi. He wasn't a born prodigy, not like those churned out by Konoha. Not like the Sandaime Hokage nor the Copy Ninja. He was also a man that knew loss. Those losses connected him to the young man he was currently surveilling.
His paternal grandparents died during the sacking of Uzu, their bodies were never recovered and it left his father an orphan just as he became a genin. That very same man was struck down by the Yellow Flash himself. Kyoshiro never forgot what a Rasengan wound looked like nor the shock on his father's face. And lastly, his wife… killed by the son of the Yellow Flash and Uzu's legacy. The ambush planned by Ay-sama was to be her last mission. They wanted to start a family, they wanted to see their children grow into adulthood but they wouldn't. And Kyoshiro never even got her body back, wasn't able to give her a proper burial.
Now, he had to watch as the personification of every major loss he's ever endured strode through his village as if he were home. The bile in his throat and reddening of his eyes were ignored, along with his years of practiced control. The kunai was in his hand just as he decided to shunshin over to his target. His frizzled, platinum blond hair swayed in the wind and for the first time in months, he felt alive. He was going to get revenge.
He flooded his body with chakra, paying no mind to control. He wanted to blitz his target, to be the lightning his people wielded like no other ninja. Quick, piercing, powerful. One strike, one kill. And from his vantage point, he disappeared, reappearing right beside his target. Kyoshiro's swing neared its apex but was stopped by the Uzumaki's hand.
"This isn't a training ground, friend," the redhead informed him. Kyoshiro ignored the boy's words as the rage of having been stopped, easily, overtook him. He couldn't even remove his arm from the boy's grip. He swiftly looked to his new Raikage, the man's eyes filled with pure disbelief. He likely wanted to disavow him but it was too late. One broken man's action cascaded as several others swooped down to attack the Uzumaki. It confused him, how the boy remained motionless. That is, until he didn't. One flare of chakra and his figurative spiky mane became literal as the tendrils of chakra laced hair punctured five of his comrades.
Having no time to come to terms with the nonchalant slaying of five ninja, Kyoshiro was struck with a backfist while being relieved of his kunai. Sailing backward, eyes watering from the broken nose, the Kumo Jounin watched Darui-sama begin to perform a series of hand seals. He also saw his kunai become a kodachi as the Uzumaki swung it at the Raikage. The blade didn't make contact but, confusingly, Darui-sama stopped his hand signs and muffled a scream. An ANBU took him away, several others attempted to assault the foreign invader.
Kyoshiro speculated he had a concussion, in addition to everything else, but for some reason, it gave him a brief moment of clarity. The ANBU tried and even though he couldn't fully track the fight it was obvious they weren't up for the task. The Uzumaki was dismantling them. Two fell to his kodachi, their weapons having been cleaved through with little resistance. A third tried to sneak up from behind but was greeted with the flung blade sinking into his chest. The last two were dispatched with a brief exchange of taijutsu.
He was losing consciousness, had no hope he'd awaken if he did but Kyoshiro didn't fight it. As a pillar of water began to circle the Uzumaki, he resigned himself to the fact he'd unleashed this thing unto his village. No matter the result, his best-case scenario was to be forgotten but it was much more likely he'd be remembered as a fool. A no-talent lifer that barely made it and couldn't keep his composer when it counted. He closed his eyes so didn't see the liquid coming as it washed over the surroundings. He was mildly surprised as it wasn't water but oil.
"Inform everyone that they are not to use suiton jutsu to put out that fire," Darui commanded. Somehow the Uzumaki had frozen his hands right to the edge of frostbite and if the medics couldn't reverse the hyoton attack fast enough then he'd lose them. He'd watched the massive sea serpent created by the Jinchuuriki and saw the katon that followed it. If anyone used water to put out an oil fire… they'd just be making matters worse.
"We've lost track of him..." one of his ninja relayed. Darui said nothing as he awaited the rest of the report. The immediacy of the moment and the pain in his hands caused him to lose his patience.
"Out with it!" he commanded.
"We've got no eyes on Uzumaki proper but several clones henge'd as other ninja, grouped in various parts of the village." Darui looked at the man, wondering why he should care about the transformation of the clones. "The first pair were of the Shodai Hokage and Madara Uchiha, sir. The second reported group was the Ni and Sandaime Hokage. A third group was the Yondaime Hokage and… Ay-sama. The, we assume, clones haven't done anything and all are being actively surrounded."
Darui chuckled, now they are waiting for orders to attack when part of the village was on fire and an enemy was loose. He almost wanted to defect right there. "Deal with the clones but have all available sensors on the search for the real Uzumaki then send Kirabi and Yugito to his location."
"We don't know where Kirabi is, Raikage-sama," the man said after a moment's hesitation.
"THEN FIND HIM."
"Sir!"
"They look weak, Hashirama," the legendary Uchiha said, boredom imbuing every syllable. The Shodai laughed and slapped his friend and rival on the back.
"Don't be like that, Madara. I'm sure they'll defend their village valiantly," Hashirama defended, though hadn't denied they looked weak. As more and more ninja surrounded them, the duo continued to bicker until they saw the Kumo ninja tense; they were finally ready to attack. Madara wanted to instill the futility of such action promptly so appeared before a cluster of ninja, grabbing one by the throat and snapping her neck before any of the others could react.
The shock ended fast enough as the rest exploded upon whichever of the pair were nearest to them. Madara grinned as he dismantled the Kumo fodder, none comfortable in utilizing such large numbers for two targets. Their unease with using their full repertoire slowed them down and he capitalized, punishing every mistake his enemies made.
Holes in their defenses resulted in broken bones or unconsciousness. Those foolish enough to attack with weapons found themselves impaled with their own instrument. One enemy went for a poorly timed stab and found his throat slit, Madara used the arterial spray to blind several approaching ninja and stabbed each in a vital organ as he flowed through their broken formation. When the Kumo ninja became reluctant to near him he unleashed an inferno to punish their cowardice. Their pained screams a fitting soundtrack to Kumo's last dance.
While not as gleeful, Hashirama was just as merciless in his dispatching of the enemy nin. He unsealed his long sword and sliced through all so foolhardy as to get near him. When the close combat ended and they switched to long-range weapons and ninjutsu, the Shodai demonstrated why when it came to ninjutsu he was in a class of his own. The forest he manifested tore at the mountainous surface, ripping and removing all that would stand in opposition to their emergence. And then, Hashirama disappeared, instantly having altered the battleground to his liking. Konoha ninja were unparalleled when fighting in the trees and none more so than the Mokuton wielder.
Whatever reluctance the remaining ninja felt about following Hashirama into the uninviting trees, their decisions were made when the other option was Madara's fire jutsu. They rushed into the tree cover, not a single one believing they weren't running to their deaths, haunted by the darkness of the forest and Madara's menacing laugh.
"M-monsters," a dark-skinned man wheezed, his final act an admonishment of the figures who stood before him. Neither heard his soft condemnation and he succumbed to his injuries, his fellow ninja charging over his body as they clung to hope they could dispel the transformed clones. But it was difficult to continue to believe these were mere clones of Uzumaki Naruto. Not when the Senju Tobirama clone summoned tidal waves of water from the air. Voluminous enough to affect the Raton Users, none able to land their Laser Circus Jutsu.
Belief was further hampered with the Hiruzen Sarutobi shifting the ground in mud deep enough to undo the foundations of the surrounding buildings causing massive structural damage. When the man started merging elemental attacks, only the most ardent belief that both these men were dead kept them giving into the visual evidence in front of them. But the assault, both physically and mentally, didn't end with that. The Nidaime had taken to using his Edo Tensei and now the nin were being blown up by their former comrades.
As they fell, more and more charged forward. Desperate to land a single blow, desperate to protect their village. Desperate to survive and render support elsewhere. No one would say it but their eyes told the story of their hearts. Be it being torn apart by a water dragon or burned by ignited earth bullets the fear and the doubt were becoming palpable. The little voices in their heads got louder with each casualty. This was feeling like Kumo's last stand.
If the first group was stifled by disbelief at seeing two legends before them and the second group made desperate by two of the longest-reigning Hokage, then group three was stopped due to conditioning. Before them was the man they had been taught to never face in combat. To flee on sight as no amount of planning, no numerical advantage, nothing could stop this man from claiming your soul. To ninja old enough to remember the Third Shinobi War, Minato Namikaze was death incarnate. Not a myth like the Shodai, not someone they could brag about having slain like the Nidaime nor a person they watched wither away like the Sandaime.
Minato died defeating the Kyuubi. They'd seen the Hichibi's rampages and shuttered to think what a more powerful version could do; so to them, Minato's death was just short of an act of God AND the man forced a stalemate. Fear didn't begin to describe how they felt as legs grew wobbly and brows moist. Not even telling themselves these were just clones helped, not when they saw Minato Namikaze sitting before them utterly relaxed with a tri-pronged kunai twirling in his hand.
Training said to run but this was their village, where could they run? They had to fight. They had to fight as there was nowhere to go. Minato Namikaze was not known for an excess of mercy. Legend had it he spared Ay-sama and Bee-sama on a whim and nothing more. They were gripped by true terror.
"Ay, your ninja seem agitated, you should say something," Minato said and for many, it was the first time they'd heard his voice.
"These traitors? To hell with them," Ay grumbled, forcing their attention away from the Yellow Flash. The words, the tone, his body language… it was all so Ay-sama. If they were terrified of Minato, they were ashamed to be in front of Ay, most forgoing any belief these were mere clones.
"I'd normally think that cold but they were going to attempt to kill my son, grandson, and daughter-in-law. On your orders, I might add."
"I won't apologize, Minato."
"What are the apologies of deadmen anyway?" Minato asked.
Ay stood up and grunted, "You a philosopher now, Namikaze?"
"I am a sage," he said cheekily.
"Bastard," Ay responded before his features turned grim. "I learned a new trick while on the other side, I hope you traitorous cowards like it," he shouted as crimson lightning enveloped his body. Even with his enhanced speed, Minato managed to reach a ninja first, sinking a beach ball sized Rasengan in the shinobi's gut.
Standing over the man he just killed, seemingly indifferent to the violent execution Minato spoke to the crowd. "Don't blink, ninja-sans. This will be over in a flash," he warned and the true carnage began.
Naruto flicked the blood off his katana as he walked toward the exit of the R&D division. That he had to cut down so many researchers, put an end to so much accumulated knowledge wasn't something he'd ever be proud of but his mission parameters were clear; if Darui engaged in diplomatic talks he'd leave without incident. If he were attacked, he would cripple the infrastructure of Kumo and leave them in no position to endure a long term as a shinobi village.
When the sad man tried to stab him he was willing to overlook it as a lone actor but when the others joined in his choice was made. The first part of his attack was already set, his clones were doing untold damage to the structures no doubt. But this was left to him. And as he pulled moisture from the air, and no doubt the abundant sanguine life essence that pooled on the floor he performed a chain of hand signs; Dragon→Snake→Monkey→Rat→Dragon. The temperature didn't drop so much as it flipped, water particles compacted into diamond-hard ice and even he had to flash away after the Ice Style: Arctic Tomb was completed. The chakra cannon they'd been developing along with other advanced technology and weaponry would be lost to time.
Now outside the building, Naruto activated his cloaking jutsu, a mixture of nin and genjutsu. Unseen and unheard, he made his way out of the village. As he sped for the extraction point he came upon the clones transformed into his dad and Ay. It'd been a massacre and those that remained seemed broken. It was cruel but there were no kind wars. He didn't see any of the other clone pairs but did see the Wood Style: Advent of the World of Flowering Trees and knew all primary objectives had been reached.
In a blink, he was at the pre-arranged location, Kirabi and his team awaiting his arrival. They looked conflicted but as he dropped his jutsu he'd trust in their attachment to his Kumo counterpart. It hadn't been hard for Kirabi to defect. The man was an oddball but he loved Ay and couldn't serve a village that would kill him. Yugito took more time but ultimately came to a similar conclusion. True, they were treated about as well as any Jinchuriki had ever been but being labeled guardians kept them apart from most of the village. They were still seen as weapons just weapons the villagers liked. Ay gave them that human connection and whatever the man's faults (and they were numerous) he'd at least been more sincere in his relationship with Kirabi than the Hiruzen had been with him.
Kurama informed Naruto of the incoming, as he'd been hit with a wave of negative emotions so Naruto wasn't surprised when hundreds of Kumo ninja arrived with Shi and Yugito. He speculated she'd been unable to lose them so she'd need an opening. Even without Kurama's ability, Naruto would swear he could feel their hatred of him. He had to question their relationship with violence. Did they think they'd lose no one if the villages went to war? Or would it be acceptable so long as they won?
"You have one chance to surrender," Shi yelled though none of the ninja backing him seemed inclined to it. Naruto formed a ram sign, Kirabi and his team were cocooned in individual metal spheres and sent skyward. The Uzumaki then put his hand on the hilt of his sword. Shi, with a wave of his hand, ordered his people forward. Naruto met their charge, slowly at first but gaining speed with every step.
His blade tasted blood before the victim could fully process he was there. A smooth, clean-cut that rendered the shinobi a head shorter. They tried to surround him, the same tactics risen to the level of religious doctrine for the unyielding faith they placed into them. His hair sprung to life. What lives his sword didn't take, his red spikes claimed for themselves. He started appearing in random places, the swift release's speed superior to the lightning armor and with no visual nor auditory warnings. He was breaking their formations and their wills.
He had to keep himself from smiling as the village proud of its kenjutsu fell to the superior technique, speed, and power of a single ninja. He wondered if in their final moments if they realized their folly. If they understood that while ninjutsu would be his legacy it was not where his talent lied. He struggled with it early on, struggled to create a process that would allow him to invent more efficiently. That struggle meant when he succeeded it felt good. But not until he gripped a sword and gave it a clumsy swing had anything ever felt so right. If he were a prodigy of ninjutsu then he was a genius of the sword and if they knew the secret of this they'd take it to the Pure Land.
He continued apace, dancing through their attacks. He started applying his Illusion Art: Prison of False Enlightenment on some forcing them to mistake their allies for himself. It sowed discord and reduced morale even more. They had no solution for him and the last of Kumo's available attack force was trapped, faced with something they didn't understand.
Yugito waited patiently for her moment. Maybe it was cowardly but she wanted to depart without having to take the lives of any of her former comrades. She didn't hold lethal intent but she couldn't serve alongside them, not anymore. It was scary and exciting, the potential new chapter of her life but it came with a heavy toll. It was no small feat to see people she knew killed so effortlessly; the Uzumaki hadn't even stained his all-white clothes. He was as Matatabi warned, something wholly different than any living shinobi. So she watched and waited until she felt the ground shift.
She'd compare it to an earthquake for lack of any other examples but soon black smoke raced toward the sky and the sound of angry waves crashing against hapless rocks filled their ears. The heat came next. Searing even when they were so far from the source, which revealed itself. Lava. In the village, they could all see it. The reddish-orange, blistering hot material. All fighting stopped. Naruto chuckled, again becoming the center of attention. But none attacked.
Somehow he'd created a volcano within the village. Not even the most adept Yoton users could do that. She shook her head, with every act he proved Ay-sama both correct and foolish. No village could accept his existence and yet no village could do anything about it. But it was when he spoke that a new horror was introduced.
"Pollen is combustible," he said. "Those trees have been producing enough to rival a summer in Konoha and you have two uncontrolled sources of fire raging in your village. If my oil fire doesn't get to it, the lava will. You wanted war and you got one. I hope it was everything you wished." Yugito felt her wrist being grabbed, the sensation of being pulled registering before the grunt of Shi as he was flung back by Naruto's kick. She, too, found herself in a pod and sky-bound, not seeing daylight again until they landed.
"Ooh, you're smoking! I'm telling Kurenai-sensei!" Naruto threatened Shikamaru and for a brief moment, there was a look of deep and sincere fear in his eyes before it shifted to one of annoyance. Neither he nor Shino were shocked when Naruto appeared in their tent having gotten used to him abusing his teleportation jutsu and the others present in the makeshift command center were wise enough to react on instinct.
"Look here you troublesome," Shika said poking Naruto's chest, "vexing, all-around pain in the ass," he said as he continued to poke, "if I need this to calm my nerves because my teammate was sent to a hostile village with no back up then I will damn well have a smoke."
"I was concerned as well but I simply carried it because I'm a cool guy," Shino added.
"You're the very definition of class, Aburame," Naruto nodded in agreement. "And it's fine, I'm fine. There was no need to worry, Shika."
"So, you were able to discuss terms with Darui?" the Nara asked. Naruto shook his head.
"We didn't even make it to his office before they tried to kill me. Sad thing was, he hadn't ordered it but if they were willing to knife me in front of their Raikage absent his orders he didn't have enough control over his people for option A to work."
"How did option B go?" Shino questioned.
"If they were given the chance I'd be amazed if Kumo could recover inside a decade. Massive structural damage and numerous fatalities… it looked like the epicenter of a cataclysm," Naruto explained. When the pollen from his Mokuton jutsu was finally ignited the explosions rivaled one of his Rasenshurikens. "After that, I dropped Kirabi and company in Iron Country, did a quick change of clothes, and came here. How did you guys fair?"
"We're about two miles outside of Iwa, the joint effort with Suna, Oto, and Iron Country paid off. We couldn't catch the village proper off guard but their preparations have been hasty. Maybe if you'd been here and flex those metal arms," Shika said, calling attention to Naruto's Koton armor under his t-shirt and red flak vest, "they'd have surrendered."
"Or fallen madly in love," Shino inserted.
"Aburame with the dagger," Shika finished as Naruto rolled his eyes.
"I ever tell you two I hate you both?"
"All the time," Shika answered.
"I'm starting to doubt you're going to name your son after me," Shino provided.
"That was never on the table, Shino," Naruto stated dryly.
"It should be."
Naruto broke at Shino's equally deadpan response. First, it was a chuckle but soon bloomed into riotous laughter, hard enough to make his eyes water. He needed this. However necessary his actions were, whatever they did to bring it upon themselves it wasn't an easy task for him to be the cause of so much death and destruction but he'd never do less so his friends, brothers in every way that counts, would have to do more.
"I am glad someone is in good spirits given our current location," Gaara said as he entered the tent with Jiraiya and Guren.
"Kazekage-sama," Naruto greeted, pairing it with a head nod.
"Aburame-san, Nara-san, if you could excuse us," Gaara said and the two departed, Shikamaru giving Naruto's shoulder a quick squeeze as he did. "Kumo?" he asked.
"Several thousand Cloud Ninja against one utterly gutsy shinobi; they never stood a chance."
"Hoo hoo, is that right?" Jiraiya asked. Naruto nodded before becoming serious.
"Their infrastructure is next to non-existent and they've lost mostly Jounin and experienced Chunin. Even if half their forces were out of the village for missions, they have limited housing, food and water. They couldn't survive a siege nor another direct assault."
"Then I'll confer with Tsunade-sama but we'll likely starve them out moving forward. Once they relent, Kumo's days as a hidden village are over," Gaara informed him. "But that is a separate conversation. Are you ready to head toward the village?"
"Are we all set?" Naruto asked.
"Oto's deep cover agents have all reported back so we're ready for whatever Onoki chooses," Guren said, acting more like an extension of his wife's will than a village leader. He didn't pity what was in store for the Rock ninja, not after Onoki planned to send Han and Roshi to kill his pregnant wife. When Hiruzen confessed to being contacted about sneaking the two Jinchuuriki into the village when he revealed he'd done so because he believed she was back to her old tricks Naruto wanted to kill the old fool and introduce Iwa to his Jinton: Rasenshuriken.
Instead, he got to watch the horror on the man's face when Tsunade informed him she knew what Orochi had been working on and cleared it every step of the way. The poison his former teammates slipped him was a kindness he hadn't deserved. But there could be no hints of internal dissension, not when they were preparing for war. After she dealt with the old man, Tsunade was possessed by a quiet fury and no longer lamented the oncoming hostilities.
Getting Iron Country to ally with Konoha and Suna by promising them new recruits and territory was a masterstroke. Leaning on Naruto's reputation hadn't hurt matters either. The map, the state of the shinobi world was going to dramatically alter after today.
"You're mad if you think I'll accept this," Onoki spat, his ire attempting to seduce him into a hasty act of ordering the four people in front of him murdered. Even with enemies at their gates, they were Iwa, the rock, and wouldn't be dictated to. He glared at the individuals sitting across from him as his advisors poured over the document.
To prevent an attack Onoki would have to agree to this idiocy of a new federation between the hidden villages and samurai. Iwa wouldn't be a full member for ten years, a penalty for actively plotting to trash an existing treaty. A decade in thrall to Konoha and Suna, managing the number of ninja; selecting students to be trained outside the village. They would have final say over all major decisions regarding Iwa. He or Kuro-chan would be a Kage in name only.
"This way keeps you a working Hidden Village, Onoki-dono. Kumo chose war and was brought to their knees a mere few hours ago," Gaara explained.
"No, there's no way you managed this in two locations," Onoki denied.
"You're right, Naruto did it himself. He'd have a fellow jinchuuriki, a Sannin, and an army at his back this time."
"And a fuck ton of motivation," Naruto added under his breath but all heard.
"You expect us to believe that? One person, not even a Jinchuuriki could take down an entire Hidden Village," Kurotsuchi argued. Jiraiya silently thought two of his previous students could; Nagato had the raw power and Minato the technical proficiency even though he'd need to plan it well. He could still do it. So why this girl wanted to see what a mix of both could do was beyond him.
"Believe this," Gaara cut her off, "there is a standing army at your gates. Even if you manage to survive thousands of lives will be lost and we have more ninja and samurai to throw at you."
It was a fair point but Onoki had no desire to bend the knee to another. It would be difficult but they'd need to start building strength in secret. If Kumo had fallen, maybe entice some of their ninja and train a force in secret while he planted seeds of internal division. Maybe even rally a number of smaller hidden villages. It wouldn't take much to make them afraid of Konoha's power grab. He could make them believe the alleged peace-seekers really wanted to remove existing governing structures so all were a part of Konoha.
"We'll join," Onoki said, shocking his granddaughter. She still wasn't ready to lead, her reaction revealed as much to him. He'd let his advisors deal with the logistics of it all. He needed to get a sense of the big picture.
"I'm glad, Onoki-dono; sincerely," Gaara stated. "However, given your penchant for doublecrossing, we've taken measures to ensure your cooperation. Guren, if you would," Gaara requested, and a quick ram sign later, the village and even the very room were filled with a purple mist.
"What?" Onoki yelled. He wanted to say more but an extended coughing fit prevented it. It took mere moments for the mist to clear the room, it wouldn't take long for it to leave the village but the job had been done. Naruto smiled, leave it to his wife to fully weaponize the same poisonous flower that nearly did him in on Ishval. That she managed to make it react to chakra capacity meant most civilians and academy students would be left unharmed.
"The condition you've been inflicted with has a ten-year treatment plan. You try to betray us, we cut off treatment. You try to replicate the treatment and we invade. Either this is the last war between the Hidden Villages or you provoke it and Iwa is lost to history." Onoki glared at them. He hated being outmaneuvered but he crossed the Snake Sannin and however devious he thought he was she'd risen it to the level of art.
While most of the invading force stayed just outside of Iwa, Naruto got to return home. He needed it, the weight of the day was starting to get to him as he fully processed the memories of the clones and saw the silent horror in the faces of the slain. In each pair, there was a point when the ninja wanted to quit or flee but couldn't bring themselves to do it so they died in waves. To those that survived, Naruto would always be a monster. That very fear marred his childhood and he'd hoped to escape it as an adult but he just relocated it. It turned something in him bitter to think much of the village would praise him when they feared that very power when he had an infinitesimally small fraction of it.
He opened his door to find his sensei waiting and was being hugged an instant later. The amount of comfort of the simple gesture was immeasurable and not for the first time he was thankful he was placed on her team. The wall he'd built around the toll of the day crumbled and Naruto shook in Kurenai's arms. He laughed when he heard her murmur something about her problem child. They moved to the couch and Naruto ran down the events of the day, first informing her that Shino and Shika were fine. Kurenai didn't stay long, observing that her student looked exhausted and he was too tired to disagree.
Once she departed Naruto dragged himself upstairs but had to stop when he reached his son's room. There in her rocking chair and matching footstool, created by Naruto himself, was a sleeping Orochi-chan. She had both hands resting on her belly and Naruto smiled at the scene. She'd been spending more time in the room getting it organized and arranged. Tsunade-Obachan called it nesting and he'd guess she used up all her energy on whatever the day's project was.
Creeping away silently, Naruto made his way to his bedroom. He removed his clothes and took a shower, needing a ritual to remove the events of the day from him. Once dried off he didn't bother getting changed as he slipped into bed, asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Orochimaru swayed toward her bed, moving with an elegance befitting a decades-long kunoichi. Even in her current state, she demanded as much control over her body as she could; though she'd be the first to admit it was no small task. There were several changes she'd expected while being pregnant but actually experiencing them was something altogether different. She hadn't become more effusive but she did seem to feel more, not only in variance and rate of occurrence but depth too. She almost cried at some silly story Naruto-kun was reading Mirai-chan. What did she care about some overly generous tree?
And as she looked upon him, no one had managed to make her feel more than her husband; in that way, his name was fitting. She knew she could get obsessive about things but once she'd solved them, conquered them, or just grown bored she'd move on. And yet, she couldn't imagine doing so with him. It wasn't about the new and the novel, though that he managed to continually innovate was a turn on, she just wanted him. To feel his body heat at night, to hear his laugh. To share the quiet moments meant for only them, for that smile he had just for her. And for all the things he did for her, for all the emotions he could stir in her she wanted to do the same.
Once, during idle conversation, she mentioned as much to Koharu and Tsunade. Both women favored her with knowing looks and smug smiles but neither spoke until she demanded they explain. 'That's love, Orochi-chan' Koharu said. And then they moved on to other things. So, she loved him. But she hadn't told him yet. Not that she didn't want to, it just felt wrong to do it so plainly when he'd done so on the day he asked her to marry him. Besides, he'd been so tense these past months.
He's tried to hide it from her but she could tell. He'd been training more intensely, he didn't sleep through the night. She found him and his two teammates with their heads together quite often as if planning something. It was easy to forget that on the day he was born he'd lost almost everything and she could see the resolve in not allowing that fate to befall his child. She never offered him false promises, she was in a limited position to guarantee the safety of their child. But she could ground him.
Birthing classes, late-night runs for cravings she may or may not have been experiencing, and testing the limits of his Mokuton as she made him create several different kinds of cribs; she just needed things that tied him to the present. And it helped, she could tell. It wasn't her preferred method, however. She should have been there with him, on the battlefield engaging in the slaughter of those that dared threaten their child. At last, it was not to be. But next time, she promised, she'd show her husband a thing or two about wide-scale violence and mayhem.
As she slid into bed she felt him already getting up, already preparing to check on her. "Sshh, go back to sleep; everything is fine," she said as he readjusted to spoon her, his hand laying lightly on her belly. She smiled, everything was more than fine. She was well and truly happy.
The Big Day
"My water broke," she said and Naruto never knew three little words could send him into near panic. They had her go-bag ready, they had their plan in place, though he was having the damnedest time remembering it. It took no time for her detail, the Sound 7 or 8 at this point Naruto couldn't remember as it was a small miracle he hadn't murdered half of the so-called elite bodyguards for being weak and inept at protecting his wife.
Jiraiya said he'd been overreacting when he "tested" them. Naruto said they'd been left off easy with an overnight stay in the hospital. The two never came to terms on the matter and still, Naruto couldn't care to keep count. They made it to the hospital without incident, Shizune-nee awaiting their arrival and as soon as she was settled, they wheeled her off.
The test of Team 8 arrived at some point but Naruto couldn't recall how long he'd been there or much of anything. Suigetsu made a joke about walking a hole in the floor. Naruto streaked lightning across his body and Suigetsu remained silent after that. Though there was nothing he could do to shut up Anko. Oh, there were loads of tools and techniques available but she was in a protected class and loved abusing it.
"Don't stress, Naru-papa," she'd say and cause all present to snicker. Tayuya, protected by clan status, was much blunter.
"Sit the fuck down, Stump!" she demanded. But he couldn't. He was jacked. He had too much energy and it was hard to focus. It was like before he'd reined in his chakra. Just constantly overstimulated.
Kakashi was drug in by Asuma, the bearded Jounin complaining about the Hatake's plan to arrive late. Jiraiya said something about Kushina killing him if he'd been tardy to her grandchild's birth and Kakashi visibly shivered. He didn't get why people were so afraid of his mom, he'd met her. She was like the sweetest person ever. He thinks they were just overstating things. Naruto sensed Obito somewhere outside of the hospital. He smiled, the two had an unusual dynamic but he appreciated the man being there.
Tsunade walked into the waiting room and escorted him to the birthing suite. She asked some questions and he must have answered them but he wouldn't be able to repeat either side of the conversation if ever asked about it. When he walked into the room, Orochi-chan looked calm but there was a stainless steel tray embedded into the wall. He moved over to her and held her hand.
"People shouldn't be so chipper while I'm in this much pain," she said evenly but he could see the murder in her eyes.
"I agree," Naruto said in an attempt to placate her, "it's bad form."
"Yes, we'll see how she likes it when the tables are turned."
"Why don't you describe her to me and I'll handle it," Naruto assured her, lying through his teeth.
"Hmmm," she answered and he hoped that was enough but had a backup just in case. Naruto unsealed a cup out of a refrigerated scroll.
"Ice chip," he asked and she nodded. She initially responded to the cooling sensation, thankful for even minor relief. The next was surprise as she looked at her husband.
"Yuzu flavored?" she asked and he nodded.
Naruto wouldn't ever know how much he helped but he felt like an idiot as he "coached" Orochi-chan through her pregnancy. She, Shizune-nee, and the baby were doing the work. He was just breathing like an idiot and feeding her ice chips. He was certainly glad he had chakra and she didn't or he'd have a broken hand.
"Waahhhh" they heard the cry after Shizune commanded Orochi to her final push. The nurses took the baby off somewhere and Orochi-chan looked like she'd been at war and could use a rest. The two remained silent as they waited for the return of their son but there was another present who felt the need to offer his commentary.
'Your kid wasn't nearly as loud as you,' Kurama said.
'Well, Kurama-niichan was being mean to me and I was just a baby,' Naruto teased back knowing it'd fluster the fox.
'S-shut up, don't call me that!,' the bijuu ordered but Naruto could tell his real yelling from his performative one. The row was cut short as a freshly cleaned Uzumaki heir was returned to Oro-chan. Holding their child in her arms, Naruto almost felt overwhelmed. He kissed her softly on the cheek and whispered a quiet thanks. He didn't specify for what, the list was too long for someone that had changed his life, time and time again.
They sat in silence again as Naruto took in his son's features. A tuft of red hair made him pump his fist internally. Almond eyes like his mom, her complexion, with two whisker marks on each cheek. He blinked briefly and Naruto saw the yellow eyes. He grinned at that, it seemed his son was going to take more after his mother just like Naruto had. There were worse fates, he reasoned. So deep in thought he almost didn't hear Oroc-chan speak.
"Mitsuki," she said.
Naruto hummed, "I like it. Seems to fit," he said.
"Would you like to hold your son?" she asked and he nodded and then carefully took hold, supporting the babe's head and little body. Once secured he rocked him gently.
"You know, son, there are going to be a lot of people who expect a lot of things from you. Ignore them. I don't care if you want to be a baker or a librarian or a mason. Whatever choices you make, whichever path you choose I'll always have your back. And if you should decide you want to become a great man, I'll do everything in my power to show you how. Just don't forget to be a good one along the way. And that son, is a promise of a lifetime. Did you have anything to add, Orochi-chan?"
"Just one thing," she started...
Epilogue coming… eventually. Merry Christmas all!
