Well, based on traffic stats and reviews, it seems those of you reading this story prefer longer chapters. I personally like my chapters to be between 3-5K words, but that wasn't getting the kind of response I wanted, as opposed to the mammoth chapter before this one. That being said, longer chapters obviously take longer to write, so updates will be a bit more spaced out for this story, in order to meet the demand.
Now, one thing I need to clear up from the beginning of this chapter, to avoid the many, many frustrating headaches I got, from people telling me Naruto isn't 15 when I started this story.
Samui will be 19.
Samui is supposedly 29, which I find ridiculous. Karui and Omoi, her teammates, are both 17 and Atsui, her brother, is 19 so I'm making her 19 as well. It also doesn't make sense, when Bee is supposedly 36, but looks way older than Samui. It isn't a problem of age, since Mei is 30 in this and she is also paired with Naruto, I just don't buy Samui being 29.
Lastly, please help support me on pat reon (spaced, or FF removes it) if you can. It lets you see chapters well in advance for all my stories and I would greatly appreciate it.
Enjoy the chapter.
SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan.
Disclaimer – I don't own anything from the Naruto anime/manga. All I own are my original characters and plot twists.
'Talking'
"Thinking"
'Heavily demonic voice'
'Fox talking'
"Fox thinking"
*expression*
Jutsu
Flashback
Chapter 40 – The Sixth Hokage
'What do you mean Pein has betrayed us? Wasn't he the leader of Akatsuki?' Asked Kakuzu in suspicion.
'Oh believe me, he was, at least to the world. Pein, or rather, Nagato was merely my figurehead. I had neither the interest, nor the time to deal with the simple matters of Akatsuki, I'm only driven to achieving the end goal.' Said Tobi gruffly.
'Well, if that's the case, why did you have me retreat, when I could have easily captured the Nanabi?' Asked Kakuzu.
'The capture of the Jinchuuriki is no longer our primary goal. Your retrieval of numerous Jounin, as it were, is. I trust you were successful?' Asked Tobi.
'Hmph, easily. Two dozen Waterfall Jounin. How long they'll survive is a different story though, so whatever you want with them, you had best do it soon.' Said Kakuzu calmly.
'Well done, once everyone else arrives, we can get things underway.' Said Tobi.
'Mind telling me what we are doing for now? I mean, since we switched primarily from building our finances, I've been feeling quite restless.' Said Kakuzu.
'Danzo believes he has a method, which will enable us to harness the power of the Tailed Beasts, without the need for their current hosts.' Said Tobi disdainfully.
'So we're just going to ignore the Jinchuuriki from this point on?' Queried Kakuzu.
'Precisely.' Said Tobi.
-line break-
'So Kakashi, you seem to be in a bit of trouble now.' Said a silver haired man.
Kakashi opened his eyes, finding that he had two once again somehow. Looking to the sound of the voice, he saw a man who was long dead.
'Father…' Said Kakashi in shock, looking at the smiling visage of Sakumo Hatake.
'Hello Kakashi. As bad as it may sound, I wasn't hoping to see you so soon. Come sit, would you tell me about your life.' Said Sakumo, gesturing to a log by his side, in front of a fire.
Kakashi exhaled deeply and sat beside his father, clasping his two hands together once seated.
'Well, it has had its ups and downs… although, I don't think I'll be able to move on from what brought me here.' Said Kakashi tiredly.
'Hmm, how so?' Asked Sakumo.
'Well, I once had a friend who thought like you. He considered you a hero, also valuing his comrades over the mission.' Said Kakashi.
Sakumo smiled at this, turning back to the flames.
'I see.' Said Sakumo.
'In fact, thanks to him, I was able to appreciate what you did. Thanks to him, I was able to understand the sacrifice you made and felt immense pride, at being the son of the White Fang.' Said Kakashi, getting Sakumo's eyes to widen and look at his son in shock.
'Regardless of what happened, you did the best you could. I only wish I had done the same.' Continued Kakashi.
Sakumo patiently waited for Kakashi to continue. Kakashi was staring at the fire in contemplation, his two eyes watching the flames rise, before disappearing.
'This friend of mine died in the Third Great Ninja war. He sacrificed his life to save mine… or at least, that is what I thought at the time.' Said Kakashi, confusing Sakumo.
'As it turns out, he never died, he was alive, but we left him there. He was crushed beneath a boulder and gave me his left eye, to replace the eye I had just lost. With that eye, I became famous, however, it seems even with a Sharingan, I was still only seeing the world through one eye. Obito Uchiha. That was the name of my friend and also the one who sent me here.' Finished Kakashi, letting out a shameful sigh.
'I see… it seems you've led quite a difficult life too. We both died young as well, though not as young as your mother.' Commented Sakumo.
'Father, I truly understand what you did for us and am proud of you. I've made sure to instil the same beliefs within my own Genin and live my life every day, following the same code… or at least, I thought I was.' Said Kakashi, before a white light struck him.
'What's happening?' Asked Kakashi in surprise.
'It seems it isn't your time after all. Thank you though, Kakashi. I can move on now and be with your mother. However, before I go, know this and know it well. Your actions speak louder than your words. The fact that all your life, you've tried to right the wrongs of your past, those actions show this more, than any words ever could. However, if this friend of yours is truly the one who sent you here, he is no longer your friend and if he threatens the village and your students, you should abandon the idea that your actions led to this. True, my comrades that I saved turned on me, however, they never tried to harm me or the village. We are shinobi Kakashi, that means that today's enemies could very well be yesterday's friends. Don't let your past cloud your future.' Said Sakumo, before Kakashi disappeared.
-line break-
Kakashi awoke with a start, before coughing out blood. He was still bound by the roots Obito… no… Tobi, had impaled him with. Feeling his strength start to return to him, Kakashi noticed a miniature version of Katsuyu on his shoulder. Mustering the strength that he could, Kakashi pulled his left arm with all his strength, allowing it to escape the roots that had pierced it, before cutting the others off as well. Dropping to his knees from the effort, Kakashi carefully removed the roots impaling him, before he felt the healing chakra of the summon repair his damaged body.
'Katsuyu, what happened?' Asked Kakashi haggardly.
'Naruto has defeated Pein.' Said Katsuyu.
'Hah, that's good, I think I'll take a little nap for now though.' Said Kakashi, before slumping into unconsciousness.
-line break-
'There… all who were killed… have been revived.' Panted Nagato.
Naruto's eyes widened at this in surprise, while Jiraiya gave a small smile.
'Even as you approach death, you are still the kind boy I trained in Rain.' Commented Jiraiya.
'Thank you, Master Jiraiya, but I feel that the boy you found… so long ago, died with Yahiko. I'm not the same person I was… before… forgive me for using your teachings to sow the seeds of war.' Rasped Nagato, even as his fingers started to go numb.
Naruto, meanwhile, had been focusing intently, feeling the wind around him and expanding it across the village, searching.
'They're really all alive…' Said Naruto in surprise, opening his eyes and looking at Nagato.
'I won't ask for your forgiveness, but I hope that this will at least lessen your hate of me just that little.' Said Nagato, feeling his legs go cold.
'My role is over now, good luck, Naruto Uzumaki.' Said Nagato, before his head slumped forward.
-line break-
'You know, I always thought there was something wrong about what we were doing. I didn't realise it immediately, too caught up in my own grief, but when Nagato used Yahiko's corpse as one of his Paths… it wasn't right. We really did lose track of our true goal.' Commented Konan, standing outside.
Jiraiya had volunteered to remove the rods impaling Nagato, claiming it was his job as Sensei. Konan appreciated the sentiment.
'So does that mean Yahiko's body…' Started Naruto, trailing off at the end.
'Yes, it was one of the Paths you destroyed, the very last one in fact.' Said Konan, her amber eyes turning on Naruto.
'I'm sorry.' Said Naruto, after a minute.
'You shouldn't be. Yahiko's body had already been desecrated enough by us, at least this way he can finally rest in peace.' Said Konan calmly.
'Why'd it come to this? People killing the friends and comrades of others. Why is peace so hard to have?' Asked Naruto.
'In war, your side is always the right side. That's why people can never settle things peacefully. Why should someone give their enemy more, when they think themselves as good. In the same way that the Leaf thinks it is always right and just, so too did Rain. Villages protect their own and are inherently mistrustful of others.' Said Konan.
'But we are all shinobi… no, even beyond that, we are all people… why do we need to fight? Why do we need to kill each other?' Asked Naruto, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists in frustration.
Konan walked closer to Naruto and rested her right hand on his left shoulder.
'These things happen because we are flawed. We never want to admit we are in the wrong, as it means we have done terrible things for no good reason. A ninja doesn't think that assassinating someone is wrong, only that the target did something to make them worthy of being assassinated. If you think too deeply on things, you will be overwhelmed.' Said Konan.
Naruto didn't say anything to that, silently taking comfort in the warmth of Konan's hand. The two stood there for a few minutes, neither speaking, but both taking comfort in the presence of the other. Village, age, affiliations, pasts, none of that matter to the two right now, both united in a shared pain.
'Here, if you need my help, just throw this and I'll be there.' Said Naruto, after a moment, offering Konan a three pronged kunai.
'Why are you giving this to me, least of all when I just helped destroy your village?' Asked Konan in confusion, not taking the kunai.
'Villages aside, we're both students of Pervy Sage and that means we should help each other out.' Said Naruto.
Konan looked at the kunai for a moment, before looking at Naruto's earnest face.
'I see.' Said Konan, giving a small smile, before accepting the kunai.
Konan then walked back to her paper tree, while Jiraiya exited it. Konan gave a nod of the head to Jiraiya who returned with a smaller one of his own, before the two walked away from each other.
'Well kid, guess that's all of that settled.' Said Jiraiya, clasping Naruto on the shoulder, where Konan had previously.
'Yeah… Pervy Sage, is it wrong for ninja to try and have relationships with each other? Mum and dad did and they had me, but then both ended up dying to protect me. Hayate died leaving Yuugao behind. Gaara's whole family was a mess because their dad was Kazekage and focused on power… is there really no happy ending for ninja. Are we just supposed to fight and die?' Asked Naruto.
'Geez, what's got you so down?' Questioned Jiraiya.
'Pein… Nagato… no, Pein, he killed Tenten and Tayuya right in front of me. I mean, I know he brought them back, but they were only killed because of their relationship to me. I put them at risk. Isn't it better then that I forget about them, so they don't get targeted again?' Asked Naruto, showing just how vulnerable he currently was, to Jiraiya.
'Well kid, life as a ninja is tough, there's no denying that. Every day we head out on a mission, it could be our last. You have to decide for yourself if it is worth trying to find happiness, even though it could disappear in an instant.' Said Jiraiya tiredly, causing Naruto to bow his head slightly.
Naruto didn't say anything, turning on his heel and walking away from the village, needing some time alone to himself to think. Jiraiya let out a small sigh, as he watched Naruto's back slowly get smaller, before turning to the village and heading off for it.
-line break-
Konan had just finished covering Nagato's form in her paper, forming a makeshift coffin, so she could transport him back to Rain, where he would be laid to rest. Konan formed her paper wings, only to not take off, as she felt someone approaching her. Turning around slowly, Konan saw Naruto walking towards her, seemingly lost in thought. When Naruto finally reached Konan, he didn't say anything, instead, focusing his gaze on Nagato, or at least, that is what it looked like. To Konan, it looked like Naruto was looking through Nagato, staring off into the distance.
'Naruto, is there something you need?' Asked Konan, after a few minutes.
Naruto continued to stare at Nagato's paper covered corpse for a minute, before looking to Konan. Clenching his fist for a moment, Naruto opened his mouth partially, before closing it again. Licking his lips and deciding to try again, Naruto spoke to Konan about his worries.
'Tell me, why did Nagato specifically kill Tenten and Tayuya?' Asked Naruto, regretting the question even as he asked it.
'To demoralise you of course and make you easier to subjugate. That was the plan at least, but it clearly backfired spectacularly.' Said Konan honestly.
Naruto grit his teeth at hearing the answer he most feared.
'So because they were close to me, they were targeted, is that right?' Queried Naruto.
'Yes, it is as you say.' Said Konan.
Naruto clenched his fist again in anger, something which Konan noticed.
'Why do you ask? You seem irritated at hearing the truth.' Probed Konan.
'It isn't about whether it is the truth or not, it's what it means for me now. The fact that people close to me will be targeted, solely because of their connection to me… how am I supposed to handle that?' Lamented Naruto.
'Well, while people may specifically target those close to you, everyone is a target, the moment they put on their village's headband, no, even before that, simply being born into a certain country, makes you a target. That's a fact of life. That's what we fought to prevent. True, we may have lost sight of our original goal, but we always had the best interests of the people of Rain at heart.' Explained Konan.
'So someone like me, who has a giant target on his back for numerous reasons, am I not allowed the same experiences as others? Am I not allowed to have loved ones? I already came into this world without a family, do I have to leave it the same?' Asked Naruto bitterly.
Konan didn't like hearing this from Naruto. He was the one who Nagato had entrusted his will to, he couldn't be thinking like this. Pausing at that thought, Konan reflected on her musings and realised she was being selfish. Nagato was a fully grown man, while Naruto was still a teenager, with his whole life ahead of him.
'I too, was an orphan, like you. I didn't have a family in the conventional sense, but Yahiko, Nagato, Jiraiya and I, formed our own little family for a while. Yahiko… perhaps there may have been more with Yahiko, had he lived longer, survived Hanzo's treachery… but that is neither here nor there. This world is full of regrets, Nagato gave his life to try and remove the last of his, but I have no doubt he still held regrets, even as he passed.' Said Konan, glancing at the paper-coffin, which held her recently deceased friend.
'However, death is a part of life and it isn't worth sacrificing some parts of our life, in fear of death. Even if true peace is attained, death will still be the one constant in life, no one can change that.' Said Konan.
'So even though what could have been a happy life for you with Yahiko was cut short, you would still do it again if you could?' Asked Naruto.
Konan started at Naruto for a moment, glancing at Nagato's paper-wrapped body, before looking back at the blond again.
'Without any doubt.' Said Konan.
Naruto nodded to this, before turning on his heel and beginning to walk away. Konan started to rise into the air, levitating Nagato's coffin as she did so. Before she got out of hearing range though, she heard two words, which made her smile slightly.
'Thank you.' Whispered Naruto, as the Angel of Rain flew away.
-line break-
A few days later
-line break-
Shikaku, the ANBU commander and the two village elders, Koharu and Homura, sat in front of five officials of The Land of Fire, along with the Daimyo himself, discussing the future of the Leaf Village. The group had been discussing rerouting funds to help the Leaf Village be reconstructed, before Koharu brought up a certain issue.
'What about the Hokage? To make all these important decisions, we need a leader now. It is imperative for the stability of the village.' Said Koharu.
'Hmm, why not Jiraiya. He is also a Sannin and was the student of the Third and teacher of the Fourth?' Suggested the Daimyo.
'With all due respect, Jiraiya's spy network is crucial for the Leaf Village's safety. Relegating him to the position of Hokage would greatly reduce his effectiveness.' Said Shikaku.
'Why not Kakashi then?' Suggested the ANBU commander.
'Unfortunately, as harsh as it sounds, having lost the Sharingan now, Kakashi has lost a great deal of his power.' Spoke Shikaku, for a second time.
'Oh dear, this sounds most troubling, who then can take up the positon of Hokage?' Commented the Fire Daimyo, holding his fan up to his face.
'Well, pardon the intrusion, but since this conversation is concerning us, I figured it'd be a good idea for us to weigh in.' Said Jiraiya, as he arrived with Kakashi.
'Actually, we sent out a messenger to you, Jiraiya, requesting your presence here. That was a few hours ago now.' Said Koharu, with a displeased expression.
'I was taking care of important matters, however, if it is a Hokage you want, then I have the answer. Kakashi also agrees with me and after these past few days, I doubt anyone would disagree with us.' Said Jiraiya, with Kakashi nodding.
'Indeed, it is the only logical decision to make and I'm sure once the Fifth wakes up, she will fully support our decision as well.' Added Kakashi.
'Oh, do tell. Who is this candidate that all three of you will agree on?' Asked the Daimyo, a bit of excitement in his eyes.
'The one who the Will of Fire burns most strongly in.' Said Jiraiya.
-line break-
Naruto was walking around the village slowly. People were smiling at waving at him, a stark contrast to how things were a decade ago, but Naruto wasn't one to hold a grudge and merely smiled back and waved. Truth be told, he was trying to keep a low profile now, needing some time to think. He had remained hidden the day after the attack, taking the time to recompose his thoughts and grieve over what could have been, but what never came to fruition, both due to and thanks to Nagato. The next day, Naruto had set out to examine the village and help where he could. He had found out about Tsunade upon returning and couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. If he had taken Pein down quickly, or at least gotten him away from the village, perhaps Tsunade would not have needed to exhaust herself, but Naruto supposed it was best not to dwell on it. Naruto paused when he felt an ANBU watching him. It was odd for the ANBU to be out in the open, especially now, but Naruto noticed the ANBU was not being discreet at all, walking straight towards Naruto.
'Naruto Uzumaki, your presence is required for a meeting of the utmost importance.' Said the ANBU.
Naruto raised an eyebrow at this in confusion.
'What for?' Asked Naruto curiously.
'I was not given details, only that your presence was required.' Said the ANBU.
Naruto sighed, before forming his signature hand seal and nodding to his clone, who walked off further into the village.
'Lead the way.' Said Naruto, to which the ANBU nodded.
The two quickly took off, using the Body Flicker technique. Naruto was puzzled, as they seemed to be heading directly for the remains of the Hokage tower. Just before they would have reached it though, the ANBU branched off to the right, leading Naruto towards a tent, which looked fairly lavish, as far as tents go.
'In there?' Queried Naruto, getting a nod from the ANBU.
Naruto exhaled tiredly, at the sterile behaviour of the ANBU, before walking into the tent. Walking in, Naruto saw a lot of old people. Everyone in the tent was at least double his age, well, except for Kakashi, but only just.
'Come, Naruto, there is something we'd like to discuss with you.' Said Jiraiya, gesturing for Naruto to take a seat at the table, opposite a man who was wearing rather elegant, opulent clothes.
'What is it?' Asked Naruto, hesitantly sitting down. To Naruto's right was Shikamaru's dad, an ANBU and two very old people, while to his left, was four people Naruto had never seen before, but clearly weren't ninja. Standing to Naruto's left was Kakashi and to his right was Jiraiya, who Naruto was looking up at.
'Hmm, so this is the boy you both spoke so highly of.' Commented the man opposite Naruto.
'Yes, this is Naruto Uzumaki, my apprentice and Kakashi's former Genin student.' Said Jiraiya.
'Hmm, Uzumaki… ah, yes, I recall the Uzumaki, but I recall them being wiped out.' Commented the well-dressed man.
'We might have been scattered, but the Uzumaki won't ever be wiped out, not if I have anything to say about it.' Said Naruto, with fire in his eyes.
The man was taken aback slightly, before looking closer at Naruto.
'Oh, that is quite an intense gaze. You have good eyes young man.' Complimented the man.
'Naruto, quit glaring daggers at the Fire Country's Daimyo.' Said Kakashi lazily.
Naruto blinked at this for a moment, looking to Kakashi, before looking to the man in front of him and back to Kakashi.
'He's the Daimyo?' Asked Naruto in confusion.
'Yeah.' Said Kakashi nonchalantly.
'Ok then… why exactly do I need to be here with the Daimyo then? I doubt I'm that important.' Said Naruto.
'Kid, we both know that's not true for various reasons, but we're about to add another to the list.' Laughed Jiraiya.
'Uh…' Hummed Naruto in confusion.
'Yes, well, Naruto Uzumaki, it seems your two teachers speak very highly of you, however, I would like to gauge your worth for myself as well.' Said the Daimyo.
'Well go ahead then.' Said Naruto, staring fearlessly into the Daimyo's eyes.
"Hmm, I recall another man with eyes like those. Uzumaki… student of Jiraiya and Kakashi… yes, this is entirely too coincidentally for it to be an accident." Thought the Daimyo.
-line break-
Elsewhere, the clone of Naruto was walking around the village, however, he was making his way towards a more secluded area on the edge, where trees still grew, unharmed from Nagato's attack. The clone felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, before leaping backwards, avoiding a kunai burying into his skull.
'There you are!' Exclaimed Tenten, dropping down in front of Naruto.
'Uh hey.' Said Naruto flatly, only for his senses to scream at him again, as someone came flying over his head, trying to kick him.
'Finally found him huh?' Commented Tayuya.
'Sorry about this dickless, foul mouth and weapon fetish forced me into helping find you.' Said Sai, dropping down beside Naruto, having jumped off an ink bird.
'I'm going to shove my flute up your ass if you keep that up.' Growled Tayuya.
'Would anal enthusiast be a better nickname for you?' Queried Sai, with his fake smile, only for a kunai to fly through his chest, before he dissolved into ink.
'Such a temper.' Commented Sai, walking over to the group from the tree line.
'Uh, what do you all want?' Asked Naruto.
'How about we discuss why you've been avoiding us?' Suggested Tenten.
'Yeah, we're not actually dead… well anymore.' Growled Tayuya, trailing off at the end.
Naruto winced and dropped his gaze slightly.
'Yeah… sorry… I just needed some time to come to grips with it all. I mean, I did see the two of you die right in front of me.' Said Naruto sadly.
Whatever anger and annoyance Tenten and Tayuya may have been feeling, quickly evaporated at that.
'Well we're alive now.' Said Tenten softly.
'I know and I'm sorry for avoiding you guys… it's just… things have been a bit of a blur for these past few weeks. Gaara getting attacked by Akatsuki, Itachi killing himself, Sasuke getting taken by Akatsuki, then Akatsuki attacking the village and killing you two and Kakashi, along with a dozen others… even if everything worked out well… it's been rough is all.' Said Naruto.
Naruto looked up at Tenten and Tayuya again, seeing their understanding gazes, only to feel a sword being drawn in his direction. Naruto quickly pulled out a kunai to defend himself, but only found the sword was being used to get his attention.
'Hey, you there, you said Sasuke, do you mean Sasuke Uchiha?' Asked a dark skinned red head.
Her clothes were those of a Cloud ninja, along with her equally dark skinned companion, who had white hair.
'Firstly, before you intrude on a private conversation, how about you lower your sword when asking a question in a foreign village, or are you trying to start an international incident.' Said Naruto, with a scowl.
'Shut your mouth! Sasuke Uchiha is the one who is going to cause an international incident. Sasuke Uchiha attacked our village and kidnapped our master!' Shouted the redhead.
'What? Why would Sasuke do that?' Questioned Naruto in confusion, crinkling his brows and narrowing his eyes slightly.
'How should we know what Akatsuki wants?' Questioned the white haired man angrily.
'Look, Sasuke isn't part of the Akatsuki, he was kidnapped by the Akatsuki.' Said Naruto, speaking as though he was explaining math to a three-year-old.
'What the hell are you saying? We have sources that saw Sasuke Uchiha, wearing an Akatsuki cloak, attack our master. Are you trying to say we are lying?' Shouted the white haired man.
Naruto blinked at this in confusion.
'Wait, you're serious?' Stammered Naruto.
'Do you honestly think we would joke about this? Shouted the redhead.
'Are you sure?' Asked Naruto calmly.
'Yeah! We saw the Uchiha clan symbol and the description matched up too.' Said the redhead.
'Wait, you guys are from Cloud, right?' Asked Naruto calmly.
'Obviously!' Shouted the redhead in annoyance.
'Then who is your master, Yugito or Bee?' Asked Naruto.
'How do you know about those two?' Asked Omoi suspiciously, drawing his sword as well.
'Akatsuki is going after Tailed Beast holders like me, of course I know who the other Tailed Beast holders are.' Scoffed Naruto.
'In any case, Akatsuki need us alive, so there is no way either of them are dead, especially since I talked to Yugito a few days ago.' Continued Naruto before they could speak.
'Our master is Bee, what do you know about him?' Asked Omoi suspiciously.
'Enough to know that Sasuke isn't strong enough to beat him. Knowing Bee, he probably just took this as a chance to get away from the village for a while.' Sighed Naruto in exasperation.
'Just why should we believe you anyway? You could just be saying all this to protect Sasuke!' Shouted Karui.
'Why would I lie about all this?' Questioned Naruto in confusion.
'Because you know that Sasuke Uchiha is a traitor to this village and if word gets out that you guys are letting him roam free, it could mean war. That's why, even if you say you know Bee and Yugito and know Bee is safe, I won't leave here until you give me everything you know about Sasuke!' Declared Karui.
Naruto walked up to Karui, staying just outside arm's length.
'I'm not going to say a single word about Sasuke to you, but you're more than welcome to try and beat it out of me. You say you don't trust me, but you still want me to give you information on Sasuke. Are you stupid or something? Decide if you want to trust me or not, don't pick and choose what you want to believe.' Said Naruto sternly.
'Why you!' Growled Karui, before slugging Naruto in the face, only for him to take the hit and remaining standing.
'Oi, dumbass, don't just stand there!' Shouted Tayuya.
'Stay out of this.' Said Naruto firmly, sparing a glance to Tayuya, before shifting his gaze to Tenten and Sai.
'Besides, this won't even hurt the real me. I'm stronger than this.' Said Naruto, getting an understanding look from Tenten, before Karui slugged him in the gut, causing him to bend over slightly.
'Ready to talk?' Asked Karui angrily.
'I've already said what I wanted to say.' Said Naruto, before Karui slammed an uppercut into his jaw, staggering him slightly.
Tenten sighed and decided to sit down, watching the dark skinned girl beat up her love interest. It didn't sit well with the brunette, but she knew how stubborn Naruto could be.
'What are you sitting down for?' Asked Tayuya.
'You heard him and I know just how thick headed he can be. It's better we just wait it out, then we can talk with him.' Sighed Tenten, placing her hands behind her as she watched on.
'He's not a bloody masochist is he?' Asked Tayuya, squatting down beside the brunette.
'Hmm, maybe, he does tend to overdo things… but I don't think so.' Hummed Tenten.
'That's a shame for you, isn't it, anal enthusiast?' Quipped Sai.
'I will torture you if you keep calling me that, slowly and painfully.' Growled Tayuya.
'Hmm, how about fire crotch then? Considering your hair colour, I think it'd be an apt nickname.' Queried Sai with his signature smile, only for Tayuya to throw another kunai at him, causing him to dissolve into ink again.
'Fuck he's getting on my nerves.' Grumbled Tayuya, as Sai calmly strolled over to the two once again.
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A blonde woman, with a rather sizeable bust, was walking through the currently under construction Leaf Village. No, it wasn't the Fifth herself, rather, it was a much younger woman, one with blue eyes. The woman in question was fair skinned and of relatively tall stature. Her expression was aloof and her eyes were calm but focused. She had straight blond hair framing her face, cut in an asymmetrical bob style, with the front bangs reaching her shoulders. Her outfit was very low cut, displaying her sizeable cleavage and she wore mesh arm underneath and a short skirt. She also had red hand guards and a modified Cloud flak jacket, which covered her stomach, in a manner similar to a girdle. Lastly, she wore high boots and had a tanto strapped horizontally to her lower back.
Funnily enough, the blonde haired woman was looking for another blonde haired woman, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade Senju. Having attained the directions she needed, she headed straight for the location the Senju was being housed in. Entering the tent, Samui noticed a dark haired woman, in a black kimono. Shizune, the apprentice of the Slug Sannin no doubt. Looking around, Samui noticed the Fifth Hokage, only to find her unconscious.
'I am Samui of the Cloud and I come bearing a message from the Raikage that is for the Hokage's eyes only.' Said Samui formally.
'I'm sorry, but Lady Tsunade is unconscious.' Said Shizune sadly.
'She's unconscious?' Questioned Samui, with mild surprise.
'I'll take the letter. I'm her aide.' Offered Shizune calmly.
'If you don't know when she'll wake up, let me speak to whoever's in charge in the meantime. I need an answer right away, it's urgent.' Said Samui.
'I'm sorry, I don't…' Started Shizune, only for an ANBU to drop down beside her and quickly whisper something to her, causing her eyes to widen.
'Really?' Asked Shizune in shock, only to get a curt nod.
'I see.' Said Shizune, before turning back to Samui, who hadn't reacted at all to the ANBU's presence.
'It seems someone has been placed in charge, but they are currently in a very important meeting right now with the Daimyo, I'm sure you will be able to talk to them after the meeting concludes though.' Said Shizune.
'That would be acceptable I suppose. May I ask who has been placed in charge?' Asked Samui.
'Of course, you'll see him soon enough after all, since the meeting should conclude within an hour or so.' Said Shizune, before revealing the new information she had gained from the ANBU.
Samui nodded at the name, before giving a small bow and leaving, heading out to find her team.
Samui made her way out towards the edge of the village, trying to track down her teammates. A small pulse of chakra from Karui was all she needed, as she would no doubt be with Omoi. Samui sighed at this. Knowing Karui, Omoi probably rambled on again and caused her temper to flare. Sometimes, Samui honestly wondered how those two were only a little younger than her, they acted like squabbling children at times.
Arriving at the clearing she sensed the chakra from, she quickly took in the scene. Three Leaf ninja were sitting down, observing Karui slugging a blond haired boy. Orange, red and crimson soon caught Samui's eyes, causing her to sigh. Of course Karui picked a fight with one of the stubbornest people in the village. If it wasn't for her, Karui could be in a lot of trouble for what she was currently doing. Panning her gaze slightly, she noted Omoi looking on pensively. Disappearing in a Body Flicker, Samui caught Karui's latest punch, surprising the others who hadn't noticed her.
'Samui!' Exclaimed Karui in shock.
'Karui, are you getting into trouble again?' Asked Samui coldly, releasing her teammates fist, causing her teammate to stammer in nervousness.
Samui felt an arm snake itself around her waist.
'So, this is your team then.' Commented Naruto, sliding up next to Samui, much to Karui and Omoi's shock.
'Shit, don't tell me that's our competition as well.' Cursed Tayuya softly.
Tenten didn't say anything, but glanced at her chest for a moment, before crossing her arms under it.
'What the hell do you think you're doing, putting your hands on our team leader like that?' Spluttered Karui in anger.
'What, I'm just saying hi to an old friend?' Questioned Naruto.
'I'm one year older than you.' Said Samui coldly.
'I know, it's just fun to tease you about it. So why are you here?' Asked Naruto.
'The Akatsuki attacked Bee, so the Raikage sent us to get information on the one who attacked him.' Explained Samui calmly, much to the shock of her teammates.
'Why are you telling him all that?' Asked Karui in surprise.
'Hmm, what about Yugito?' Asked Naruto, with a frown.
'What about her?' Asked Samui, with a hint of curiosity.
'So he doesn't know that she was attacked by Akatsuki either?' Questioned Naruto in annoyance, with a hint of anger in his tone.
'Yugito was attacked?' Asked Samui, a small amount of surprise appearing on her face, showing just how surprised the normally stoic girl was.
'Yeah, I even had to help her out, we took out one of them in the process.' Said Naruto, with a frown.
'I see. Well, knowing the Raikage, he will call a meeting between the five Kage no doubt. He is fiercely overprotective of Bee after all. I take it Bee is fine then?' Asked Samui, regaining her calm expression.
'Yeah, knowing him, he just wanted to use the attack as an excuse to get out of the village.' Grumbled Naruto.
'I see. Well, I'll continue this discussion with the real you. Oh and this was for never visiting, Sixth Hokage.' Said Samui.
Naruto's eyes widened in surprise at Samui's words, before a sword was jabbed into his gut, causing him to disperse into a cloud of smoke.
'Oh God! Karui, you were just attacking the Sixth Hokage. Now he is going to want revenge and will ask for your head. Then, whether we give your head to him or not, the Leaf will go to war with Cloud. Sand will then get involved due to being allies with the Leaf and Rock will join in due to their enmity to both of them. That will force Mist to act and we will have the next Shinobi World Word on our hands.' Said Omoi nervously.
'None of that will happen, Omoi. Naruto isn't like that. However, I would appreciate you not trying to beat up my boyfriend again, even if it was just a clone of him. In any case, we will have an audience with him in an hour, as the Hokage, so I expect you to be on your best behaviour.' Said Samui, getting a hurried nod from Karui, before she turned to the others.
'Did you seriously just say whiskers is the next Hokage?' Asked Tayuya, jumping to her feet and approaching the woman. Tenten quickly stood up as well and followed after Tayuya, while Sai walked forwards at a more sedate pace.
'Yes, Naruto is the Sixth Hokage. At least, that is what Shizune has told me after an ANBU informed her. He is in a meeting with the Daimyo of the Land of Fire now.' Said Samui, causing Karui to pale even more behind her.
'Well, I guess there was never any doubt Naruto would do it, especially after how many times he's defended the village… I just didn't expect it to be so soon.' Commented Tenten in awe.
Samui looked at the two for a moment, before a hint of recognition lit up in her eyes.
'Would you two happen to be Tayuya and Tenten?' Asked Samui.
'Yeah, what's it to you?' Asked Tayuya.
'Nothing, I was just assessing my competition. It's nice to meet you. It is also cool that I'm bigger.' Said Samui, the barest of smirks gracing her face for a moment.
Tayuya and Tenten stared at the girl in shock for a moment.
'It means her chest is larger than the two of yours.' Commented Sai, only for Tayuya to launch her fist out at the pale skinned boy, causing him to burst into ink.
'I'm going to kick your pale white ass, Sai!' Roared Tayuya in anger.