Rise, Son Of Rome

Ch. 13- Quomodo vos coniecturam Caesar?

(How do you gauge Caesar?)

The members of the Konoha squad looked at the man in front of them with wide eyes. Was this really Naruto?

The blonde stood as tall as Jiraiya, towering over each of them; even Kakashi. His build, although mostly hidden away by his armor, was shown through his muscular arms that were folded across his chest. Naruto's face had matured as well; no longer were there traces of baby fat, he now stood chiseled and stern. The blondes hair was no longer wild and unkempt, rather, it was trimmed down and layered. Looking into the older Uzumaki's eyes they saw they had hardened from years of battle, they held a more calculating look than any of them remembered. Around his neck he still wore the necklace he'd won off of Tsunade.

"Well, you said Tsunade had an offer for me, so let's hear it. I have more important things to do than stand here talking to you lot." The sharp tone brought the ninja out of there mindless gawking and back to the present moment. Kakashi, being the one who brought it up, spoke for the squad.

"You're right, sorry, it's just that...well, can you blame us for being surprised? We haven't seen you in years and now here you are, looking nothing like we remember."

Naruto moved over to a table, filled a small cup with something and then said, "And what were you expecting if and when you saw me again Hatake? Did you expect me to remain the short, weak fool you took on as a student?"

Shikamaru saw that his superior had begun to back himself into a corner, so he stepped forward and said, "Naruto, we didn't come here to anger you. Like Kakashi said, Tsunade would like to ask for your assistance."

Naruto took a drink from his cup before he replied, "As any leading figure, I would expect you all to refer to me in a respectful manner, so I must ask that you do not use that name."

This time it was Anko who asked, "And what name should we call you by then?"

"Simple, you shall refer to me by the name of Caesar."

Each of the Jounin suddenly thought back to the information Tsunade had shown them involving Wave country; including the temple dedicated to a man named Caesar. For Kurenai, it put everything into perspective.

"The mission we went on...when you went off on your own, you found those ruins and that temple didn't you; Tazuna was the one who told you about them. And that's why you refused to take anybody with you, you didn't want it reported back to the Leaf."

Naruto smirked before he stalked over to stand in front of the raven-haired beauty, the height difference causing the Jounin to crane her neck to look into the young Roman's eyes.

"Yes, I could not risk having anyone snoop around and try to deny me the knowledge of my heritage; as you and the rest of the village would surely have done. Though it made little difference in the end; you peoples unfounded fear of me saw me cast out in the end anyway."

Kakashi looked down in shame at the harsh truth, while the two kunoichi looked uncertain how to feel; Anko not really knowing the kid, and Kurenai with her belief that the blonde was an unhealthy influence on her once favorite student.

"But that is all part of the past now, and what's done cannot be undone. Now, enough of that, tell me what your Hokage would have of me."

Kakashi had regained enough composer to speak and replied, "Lady-Tsunade asks that you invest in the village. Konoha was hit hard after you left and we haven't really been able to come back. Our major shipping contacts have been cut, so we aren't able to move nearly enough merchandise to cover our expenses and with so many villages wary of Konoha's integrity we don't pull in many missions either. The Hokage humbly asks that you supply us with clients, and allow us to use your ports."

Naruto stepped away from Kurenai and paced over to his strategy table, where he proceeded to take another drink from his cup before asking, "And what does honored Caesar gain from such an arrangement? From what I can see, there is no benefit for me or my people."

"Not true, you would receive military support during times of war and a cut from whatever profit we make using your ports."

"Yes, I already knew that, but beyond those your village really has nothing to give me that I cannot find elsewhere."

For a moment nobody said anything. While the Leaf Jounin feared the alliance was going to fail, Tayuya, who had remained silent, could see that her Imperator was planning something.

"Perhaps, if I were to return with you to Konoha, the Hokage and I could discuss more favorable terms and see this alliance to fruition."

Each of the Jounin let out a silent breath at the blondes proposal; they hadn't succeeded, but they hadn't failed. Shikamaru, on the other hand, had the same mind as Tayuya; Naruto was planning something. The Nara heir knew that his fellow Roman would sooner cut off his own hand than return to his former village of his own free will.

Deciding to put those thoughts aside for later, Shikamaru voiced a question he'd held on to, "Caesar, I heard that you wanted to speak with me specifically; would now be an appropriate time to do so?"

Upon hearing his new name Naruto smirked before replying, "We can, but only if your friends agree to give us some privacy. What I hoped to discuss does not involve them."

Although the trio of Jounin were curious about what it could be that the two men had to talk about, they also understood that Naruto had the home-field advantage, and that the alliance depended upon the blonde coming back with them. So, complying with Naruto's silent demand, the Jounin left the tent.

Once they were gone Naruto turned to Tayuya, "Go check on Gaara, and come back to me with a report on his state of health."

The red-head understood that this was her Imperator's nice way of saying 'get out', so Tayuya saluted her leader, and then she too exited the tent.

Seeing that all other ears had left them alone, Naruto returned to his table, filled two cups with liquid, and offering one to Shikamaru began to speak, "It's been a long time friend, I can see the years have been kind to you."

Taking the offered cup Shikamaru replied, "Yes, I made sure to take my training seriously in preparation for this day. I see that the rumors I heard were true, and you have indeed begun to Romanize the the Elemental Nations."

"Yes, many are unaware of what has truly begun. They have yet to understand that I'm not just creating a new Hidden Village, but a single empire that will soon replace the separate countries. And it is that subject that I was hoping to speak with you about."

The Nara heir took a sip from his drink, and discovered that it was wine. Although not much for drinking, Shikamaru chose to keep the cup and replied, "Is it time to reform the Triumvirate?"

"Regrettably, no, that day has not yet arrived. But it will be soon, in the coming days, and you can help hasten its arrival with this favor I intend to ask you." With his reasoning out in the open, Naruto polished off his drink, poured another, and waited for Shikamaru's response.

The pony-tailed chunin looked at his friend with a curious stare. While it was Shikamaru's hope to reform their ancestors empire, the Nara heir had yet to learn just how the newly named Caesar planned to do it. Letting his curiosity guide him Shikamaru asked, "And what would you need from me to hasten such a days arrival?"

When Naruto smiled, Shikamaru was reminded of a wolf getting ready to devour its prey.

oo0oo

As the two Romans conversed, the Jounin of Konoha followed Tayuya to the tent where she had ordered Gaara be taken.

"What do you think those two are talking about," questioned Anko.

Kakashi, who had refrained from pulling out his porn for fear of insulting the soldiers, replied, "I'm not sure. Although, considering they went to the academy together, and now are seeing each other for the first time in years I'm guessing Naru—Caesar is curious about how his classmates have handled themselves during his absents."

'More like plotting some manner of scheme', thought Kurenai to herself; the ruby-eyed beauty still held a particular distaste for the blonde. It wasn't that she thought Naruto was an enemy, she just didn't feel comfortable with the way he conducted himself. That and he had corrupted Hinata in Kurenai's eyes.

"The Imperator's discussion with the Nara heir are nothing any of you need concern yourselves with. When there's something you need to know, he'll tell you", came Tayuya's commentary from a few steps ahead.

As they passed by a gap between tent huddles the Leaf ninja noticed something out of the corner of their eyes. Turning to look, the trio were shocked by what they saw.

There, in the camp, was a man on his knees tied to a wooden cross that had been stuck in the ground. From the looks of it he was a soldier; if his lower-body attire was anything to go off of. He was surrounded by other soldiers, most likely those in his legion, and was having another solider speaking directly to those that were watching. But the thing that caught their attention was the fact that, this man had his torso bare, and was having his back flogged. The Jounin could see a series of open lacerations along his back that were bleeding, and multiple red spots that indicated more possible wounds if the flogging continued.

It was then the Leaf ninja realized...the man wasn't screaming in pain. The soldier was silent; as if he weren't in the middle of being whipped.

Tayuya had noticed that the trio of ninja had stopped following her, turned, and saw what they were staring at. "That man disobeyed a direct order from his Centurion during battle; the fact that he was drunk, and punched his superior in the face didn't help his case either. So, as punishment, he's being flogged."

Kakashi and his fellow Jounin listened in shock. Sure, there were some ninja that disobeyed orders, but they weren't flogged, they were suspended or docked mission pay!

"Is this a common occurrence around here," Kurenai questioned.

"No," Tayuya replied, "like I said, the soldier was drunk; and that's not normal either. But, I know that particular soldier, his name is Titus Pullo, and he has a knack for getting himself into this kind of trouble."

Kakashi turned away from the bizarre sight and asked, "But if this guy is a constant annoyance in your forces, why doesn't Naru- Caesar, just dismiss him?"

Tayuya snorted, "Feh, because Pullo is an honest and loyal soldier. That guy is a devoted Roman through and through, and has an exceptional amount of skill even by legionary standard; why would the Imperator get rid of him just because sometimes he likes to have a little fun?"

"So is flogging the punishment for a crime here in camp?"

"There are other punishments, it just depends on what you're being punished for. Now enough wasting time, I don't want to get into anymore trouble than I already am because you three idiots keep distracting me with all your ridiculous questions."

With that said Tayuya resumed her stride to Gaara's tent, and this time, the trio of Jounin stayed right behind her.

It didn't take them long to reach the tent and when they did the Leaf ninja noticed that, again, there were guards stationed around the perimeter; although given the occupant of the tent they weren't surprised. As they began to make their way to the entrance, Cassius stepped out of the tent and noticed them.

"What are they still doing here, I figured the Imperator would have shooed them away or killed them by now?"

Ignoring the Jounin's shocked look Tayuya replied, "Imperator Caesar has agreed to return to Konoha with them to discuss terms of forming an alliance. At the moment, the Imperator is speaking with the Nara heir so he commanded that I bring him word on the Kazekage's condition."

Cassius just sent the trio from Konoha a skeptical look and, never taking his eyes off them, said, "Very well, although I can't imagine what Caesar could gain from these...people."

The manner in which the Roman had referred to them, as if they were uncivilized, caused the three elite ninja to send him annoyed looks. But Kakashi pushed that aside to say, "You never know Cassius, we of the Leaf may have more to offer than you think."

The older man just scoffed and began to stride away, as he was passing them Cassius threw over his shoulder, "Of that, I highly doubt."

Once Cassius was out of earshot Kurenai looked over to Tayuya and asked, "What's his problem, does he have a low opinion of ninja?"

"No...he has a low opinion of Leaf ninja; as does the rest of the legions. Word carried fast about what your village did to Caesar, so you can't really blame all the people who think highly of him for not liking any of you." With that the red-head began to walk into the tent, silently dismissing any further questions.

Once inside, the quartet were greeted with the site of Gaara sitting up on a raised cot. The red-headed Kazekage's torso had been bared so that the medics could attend to the wounds he suffered during his battle with Deidara, and he had bandage wraps wound around his hands, right shoulder, and his upper-chest.

Noticing the new occupants of his tent Gaara turned and addressed them, "Thank you for rescuing me Tayuya, and I ask that you give my thanks to Caesar as well when you return to him, and inform him that I'm alright."

Tayuya bowed, "Your gratitude is much appreciated Lord Kazekage, but unnecessary, you are one of the Imperator's closest friends and we would all gladly risk our lives again to come to your aid."

Grunting in pain, Gaara lifted himself off the bed and to his feet. Slowly shuffling over to his fellow red-head Gaara asked, "Very well, if not gratitude, then perhaps you will accept and answer a question for me?"

"Of course."

Gaara turned his eyes to the trio of Leaf ninja, and the Jounin were shocked to see a hard stare greet them. "What are these ninja doing in Caesar's camp? Surely you remember how he feels about the people of...that village."

"Actually, Lord Kazekage, we aided your rescuers in your safe return. In fact, I personally ended the life of Akasuna no Sasori," came Kurenai's curt reply. The raven-haired beauty was becoming agitated by the constant disrespect; what had Naruto told these people?

"No doubt only after he was weakened and off-guard. Your in the bingo book Ms. Yuhi, I've read all about you, and I don't truly believe you alone have the skill to defeat an S-ranked criminal; I don't believe any of you do."

While Kakashi and the two kunoichi sent annoyed looks at the Kazekage, Tayuya just looked between them and the red-headed young man before replying, "The Imperator has agreed to return with them to Konoha to discuss terms of alliance."

"Alliance, with them?"

Tayuya shrugged her shoulders and said, "Unfortunately, that's all I know of the matter. If you wish to understand the Imperator's mind, you'll have to ask the man himself."

Gaara stood there for a moment in thought, he looked between the three Jounin and his savior, before sighing and saying, "No, there won't be any need for that. Knowing him, Caesar has his reasons for returning there, so I trust his judgment."

"Very good, now, return to bed and rest Lord Kazekage; you have to regain your strength so that you may return to your own home."

Heeding the words of the female officer Gaara shuffled back to his cot, and with another grunt from exertion, lifted himself and laid back down. Seeing that her task was finished, Tayuya turned, and exited the tent; the Jounin once again following her.

oo0oo

"...And once they move to intercept that legion there, we'll-"

"Imperator, I bring word of the Kazekage's health."

Tayuya walked into Naruto's tent and was met with the sight of the blonde and Shikamaru standing by a table to the right of the tent, huddled over a map. Naruto, having been interrupted mid-sentence, turned to address the new arrival.

"Very good, and that word would be?"

"The Kazekage is fairing well, he has been bandaged and is now resting, waiting until he his cleared to leave."

Naruto raised an eyebrow in thought and asked, "And he did not wonder about my guests?"

"He did sir, but I informed him of your reasoning, and although he questioned it at first, the Kazekage decided that you must have good reason for trusting the Leaf ninja."

Shikamaru watched the exchange with interest. Tayuya was a foul-mouthed woman, of that there was no doubt, and yet around the Imperator she became respectful and complacent; the pony-tailed young man found it amusing. Looking over to his fellow Roman, Shikamaru was unnerved by the cold look that now covered the blondes face.

Naruto stalked over to his female officer and hissed, "Trust? Tayuya I don't trust the ninja of the Leaf, I would sooner see them ground into dust before laying trust in any member of that village again. No, they are merely a means to an end; nothing more, nothing less."

This confused the red-head, "And yet you have men bring reports about -whap-" Tayuya never finished her statement, Naruto's hand found its way across her face, sending the young woman sprawling to the floor.

"Do not speak sound of her name, I ask for those reports solely in deciding what rank she will receive once she rejoins my ranks. As it stands, you may very well find yourself replaced should you question me in such a manner again." Turning to Shikamaru the blonde said, "Leave us." Needing not to be told twice, the Nara heir made his way out of the tent, leaving Imperator and soldier alone.

Down on the floor Tayuya held her bleeding mouth, quietly she mumbled an apology, "Forgive me, I overstep, I was only curious."

Naruto looked down at his soldier and his face softened, kneeling down, the blonde helped wipe the crimson rivulet from the side of Tayuya's lip, before cupping her cheek and saying, "While it is true you've stood by me with unwavering loyalty these past three years, you must remember that does not give you the authority to question me in front of guests."

Although the side of her face stung from the impact of Naruto's slap Tayuya reveled in the warm, gentle touch of her Imperator's hand. It was rough from years of training and battle, and much larger than her own, but through their time together Tayuya learned that those hands that could end a man's life, were also capable of great affection.

The red-head didn't get long to feel her leader's affection, because as soon as it appeared it was gone, and Naruto was standing tall waiting for Tayuya to do the same. Looking up, and seeing that he had become serious, Tayuya stood and asked, "Will there be anything else you require of me?"

"Yes, with all the unexpected guests I've failed to hear your report on the rescue mission."

"Right. We arrived at the entrance ahead of schedule and found, like our scouts said, that it was defended by a powerful seal. I was quick to recognize the seal, as it was a design created by Orochimaru, and informed Cassius that there were several other seals that needed to be removed in order to gain entrance into the Akatsuki's cave."

Naruto followed the story closely, taking particular interest in the seal design, before saying, " That's when you took the legions to destroy them, and it was during that time that the Leaf ninja arrived, correct?"

"Yes, we arrived to see they had just gotten to the scene. After a brief exchange of words we brought down the barrier and revealed the entrance to the Akatsuki's cave; soon after the battle started."

"Was there anything in particular about this battle you feel I should know?"

"This battle, Imperator, confirms that we will need to begin creation of an archery unit; we almost were unable to defeat Deidara. While aerial assaults are uncommon, they still exist, and I believe that we should have a special unit developed specifically for those select ninja."

The blonde Roman nodded in understanding. During his readings of Caesar's journals the man mentioned having archers, as well as catapults, that dealt devastating amounts of damage to the Roman's enemies. Naruto himself had thought archers unnecessary now, but then, he'd been wrong about the casting-off of ninjutsu...so maybe he should re-think this as well.

"Very well, we'll see what we can muster together for the time being, was their anything else?"

Tayuya though over what she'd seen and heard, and then remembered something, "Yes, one of the member's; Sasori, showcased an interesting level of fear towards his leader. Apparently, he would rather die in battle than return to the Akatsuki leader in failure."

"Hmm, whoever their leader is, he must be powerful then if even someone like Sasori fears him. What else?"

"Well, about that women, Anko..."

While Naruto received Tayuya's report, the Jounin of Konoha were waiting outside the tent, questioning Shikamaru.

"Did he show any indication that he might turn his army on the village," asked Kurenai.

"Hardly, Caesar showed very little interest in Konoha, his sights are set on heading into Kumo." This news interested Shikamaru's superiors.

Kakashi asked, "And what's in Cloud that's managed to catch his interest?"

"I don't see why it matters, Kumo and our village aren't exactly close Kakashi. Besides, even if we knew what he was after, what could we possibly do with the information?"

Kakashi saw the Nara heir's point. It wasn't like they could ask Kumo to hand over whatever it was Naruto was after, and telling the Raikage wouldn't lead anywhere because the man wouldn't believe them. "I see, was there anything else Naruto may have told you Shikamaru?"

"Caesar and I spent more time catching up than speaking about his plans for the future Kakashi. And why so curious, what are you so afraid of?"

This time it was Kurenai who responded, "Shikamaru you know what we're afraid of, if that man in there sets his army on the village there won't be much of it left standing, we aren't prepared for such an assault."

"-sigh- Let me ask you something; why would he be willing to come back to Konoha with us if he's just going to grind us into dust later, it's counter-productive."

Kurenai couldn't argue with that fact so she stepped down and closed her argument. Through it all Anko hadn't spoken, only watched, using the teaching of Orochimaru and her time in the I.T. division to gauge Shikamaru's words; and what she found interested her.

The young man had been lying, about what she couldn't tell, but he had lied to their faces.

Before anymore words could be broken, Naruto and Tayuya exited the man's tent; the blonde now donning his helmet and cloak . The ninja from the Leaf noticed the mark on Tayuya's face but said nothing; Shikamaru because he knew what happened, and the Jounin because they understood it wasn't their pace to say anything. Naruto looked to the ninja and said, "When you're ready we can leave."

Naruto sent Tayuya to fetch his personal guard before sending one of the men outside his tent to get his horse. When Kakashi heard this he spoke up, "Um, Caesar, wouldn't it be faster to travel through the trees?"

The blonde looked at him and said, "Not really, my horse is special, and besides I don't remember any leader ever arriving to another leader's village without proper form." As he said this the legionary he'd sent off returned with his horse. Naruto's horse was pure white, not a spot or discoloration anywhere, even the mane was pure as newly fallen snow. On its back it carried a saddle made from black leather. The animal was well built, showing that it was indeed specifically bred for speed, and had a pair of shockingly blue eyes.

Naruto walked over to his horse. The soldier who'd brought it got down on his hands and knees, and allowed is Imperator to step on him so as to place himself on the horse. The Jounin watched this and were a little put-off by the blondes treatment of his soldiers; only Shikamaru noticed that the legionary didn't mind. Once atop his horse, Naruto turned his head and just looked off. Finally the ninja got curious and looked also; they were met with another interesting sight.

The blondes personal guard consisted of a handful of men and Tayuya. Each man wore the plated armor, but each had a cloak hanging from their shoulders, and their chest-plates were each adorned with decorations of an eagle with extended wings in the middle of a strange reef and the letters S.P.Q.R written over-top. These men also had metal bracers that bore the same symbol, and their blade sheaths were etched with different decorations for each man. The ninja noticed that these men's helmets also had the red plume, but it stretched horizontally, rather than vertically. Each man also carried a shield.

"Ninja of the Leaf," Naruto spoke in pride, "it gives me great honor to introduce to you the Centurio Septem; my personal guard." Each Centurion moved into place so that three stood on either side of Naruto's horse and one stood directly in back, while Tayuya stood in front.

"Not that these men aren't impressive, but should they not be given horses as well, so that our journey doesn't take longer than necessary," asked Kurenai.

Naruto just smirked down at the raven-haired beauty and replied, "Oh, don't worry about them, worry more about being able to keep up." With that, the blonde directed his horse towards the entrance to the camp. As Naruto and his guard moved forward the ninja just shrugged and followed behind, once they got to the forest edge the blonde Roman spoke up again.

"Legionaries, formation!" The soldiers surrounding him spread out into a wider defense, so as to give his horse room to run. Looking behind him at the ninja he said, "Now, let us see who outruns who." Snapping the reigns for his horse, the white riding animal riled up on its back legs before it, and the soldiers, shot off into the forest.

The ninja looked on for a moment in surprise, no expecting what they just witnessed. It was Anko's loud, sudden laughter that brought them back to earth.

"Hahahaha that kid's too much, I love it. Well, no use standing around here, let's go!" And she too rocketed forward, chasing down the group that had just left. Once the Special-Jounin was out of site, the rest of the ninja followed soon after, wishing not to be left behind.

oo0oo

The trip had taken three days with the pace Naruto and his guard set. During the night when everyone would rest, the ninja were surprised when Naruto slept up against a tree while his guards took turns watching over their Imperator. Unfortunately for Kakashi and Kurenai, this meant that they were unable to discuss Naruto out in the open, for fear of a Centurion relaying the message to the blonde.

During the days the ninja were again astounded at the speed the Roman's could move, being able to keep up with even Kakashi's speed; although the silver-haired man guessed it was only certain soldiers capable of such a feat. There was also the matter of Naruto's horse, where had he managed to find such a creature, able to go for such a long period of time at such intense speed?

The Copy-Ninja had summarized that Naruto's Roman military was built much like the ninja villages. He had low ranked officers that were equal in title to genin, mid-ranked officers equal to chunin, and then soldiers like the ones in his guard that made up his Jounin; Kakashi wondered if the blonde also had a form of ANBU as well. The problem was, Kakashi couldn't really tell the overall skill-level of these soldiers, seeing as the only time he'd seen them in combat was in a large force. The elite ninja wondered how, individually, a single man would fare against one of the Leaf's ninja from each rank?

On the last day, during the final stretch of road, Naruto reigned in his horse to a slow trot. The riding animal gave a grateful whine before beginning its well deserved rest. Along with the horse Naruto's legionaries also slowed, tightening their defensive formation and walking alongside their commander. The Leaf ninja had ran past them, and were forced to halt and wait for the Romans to catch up.

Once both parties were in sync again Kakashi asked, "What's with the slow pace, the village it right up ahead?"

Naruto didn't even look at the man as he replied, "Remember what I said, about proper form? How would it look if I came barreling down the road like a madman; I would think you could understand why I've chosen to return to such a speed."

While it made sense, Kakashi and his fellow Jounin were anxious to return home. They didn't care much for how it looked to others, but remembered that this alliance was crucial for the villages survival, so they complied wit the blondes wishes.

At there pace it took another hour to reach the village gates. When they did, Izumo and Kotetsu were shocked to see the additions to the returning ninja's squad. Neither chunin had ever seen warriors like the ones that stood before them, the sun shined down on the soldiers armor, giving them an otherworldly glow. The man atop the horse was especially intimidating.

"Team Kakashi reporting in from the rescue mission. During the mission we also happened to run into an important guest I think the Hokage would be glad to meet." The former ANBU captain motioned to Naruto, who was sweeping the street in front of him with a calculating stare.

The two guards simply nodded dumbly before radioing Shizune and informing her of the Hokage's impending guests. Once they received the go-ahead, the two chunin gave Kakashi the nod, and watched as the group moved through the city.

As the ninja and the Romans moved through Konoha's streets the civilians were forced to move aside to make room for Naruto and his horse. While many were in awe of the Romans, there were some that got annoyed with how little regard they seemed to have for the "little guy".

Naruto saw this, but chose deliberately to ignore it, what did it matter to him if these people didn't like him? Soon, he'd be master of the entire continent, then they would either love him or die in defiance. Along the way to the Hokage's tower, the group passed by the Yamanaka flower shop. As Naruto strode passed he glanced over and briefly locked eyes with a blonde that was sweeping the front of the store.

The young woman had platinum-blonde hair pulled back into a pony-tail that reached past her behind, and a single bang that covered her right eye. She was garbed in civilian-style clothing, a brown tank-top and khaki pants, but Naruto could see the muscle that came from rigorous training when she moved the broom.

If not for the eyes, Naruto may not have recognized her; it was Ino. The young Roman could see that the girl who had once been a lowly pawn had become someone that may be capable of standing among his troops in battle. It was then his blue eyes caught a flash of pink.

Looking to Ino's left, Naruto noticed another young woman standing in front of the shop staring at him. This time the recognition was instant, but only because he only knew one kunoichi with pink hair; Sakura. However, with her drastic change in appearance, Naruto was left to wonder what had caused the Haruno girl to take her ninja career more seriously?

As fast as they reached the shop the group passed it by, and they continued on their way to the Hokage tower.

Back at the shop, Ino watched as the large group moved towards the Hokage Tower. She stood frozen in front of her family's store.

She'd been given time off from missions due to Shikamaru being sent out, so Ino picked up more time at the flower shop. Incidentally, Sakura too had been given time off because Kakashi had been sent on the same mission as Shikamaru, so the pinkette usually came to keep Ino company during her hours at the store.

The two had patched up their own rivalry with their mutual dislike of Hinata, and were quickly returning to their former level of friendship. At the time, Sakura had been telling Ino about a new technique she'd learned that allowed the user to effectively blind an opponent, when the platinum-blonde felt a strange pull. Following that pull, the young kunoichi locked eyes with a man who was moving through the street on a horse.

Although it had been years since she'd last laid eyes on him, Ino recognized her Master instantly. She noticed that his armor had been replaced, and from the dust and scrapes she could see that the blonde male had indeed been in many battles. Ino took notice that Naruto's face had chiseled out and his arms had gotten bigger. As soon as the spell took hold it was over, as her master continued forward.

Sakura, who had noticed her friends lack of attention, shook the girl's shoulder, "Ino, are you even listening to me anymore? What's gotten into-" then she too noticed the group. She vaguely remembered seeing armor like the one worn by the man on the horse, but couldn't place where. Instead, she turned to continue her conversation with Ino...only to find that the girl was no longer there.

oo0oo

The rest of the ride was uneventful for Naruto, and he soon found himself at the doors to the tower; the blonde threw his leg over the side of his horse and hopped down to the ground. With a quick hand signal, Tayuya was at is side and the rest of Naruto's guard loosened their formation. After getting the okay from the guards at the door to enter, Naruto's Centurions stayed behind, while the rest of the group moved inside.

They swiftly made their way up the stairs and were soon standing outside the Hokage's private office. Kakashi knocked gently on the door to alert Tsunade of their presence, when the woman called for them to enter Tayuya shoved the Jounin aside and pulled open the oak doors in a grandiose fashion before strolling forward.

Tayuya slapped her fist over her chest, then saluted into the air and said, "Introducing his Imperial Majesty, the undefeated son of Venus; Gaius Julius Caesar." As she finished her introduction the female warrior stepped to the side and snapped to attention, giving the sitting pig-tailed blonde a clear view of the man that strode in next.

Tsunade was in awe of the figure that stood before her. She could hardly believe that the shrimpy little blonde that had won her necklace had transformed into the powerful man that was now in her office. With shaky legs the female Hokage stood from her chair and made her way around her desk, until finally, Tsunade stood face-to-face with the blonde soldier.

With Naruto's new height Tsunade was also forced to look up as she said, "Naruto...is it really you?"

The young Roman turned his cobalt-blue eyes downward so as to look the woman in the eye and replied, "I ask that you refer to me in the professional sense Lady-Tsunade, as I no longer adhere to that name."

Hearing the professional tone threw Tsunade for a loop; Naruto's look obviously hadn't been the only thing that changed. Clearing her throat she said, "Forgive me, I...it's just been so long, and you've changed so much, that I just couldn't believe it."

"Your apology is accepted, and you're right, it has been years since we've seen each other Lady-Tsunade; and yet you still manage to look so radiant."

Tsunade's eyes widened in shock, but then narrowed when the blondes face broke into a slick grin. The buxom blonde slapped her hand across Naruto's cuirass and saying, "And you're still the same mischievous little twerp as always."

While it was nice to see his mother-figure again, Naruto had arrived in Konoha with a purpose, and it was time to begin his part. Clearing his throat the blonde said, "While it is great to see you again, I'm here strictly for business I'm afraid; I was told you wish to form an alliance with me?"

The pig-tailed blonde walked back behind her desk and sat down in her chair, "That's correct, I'm sure my squad has already informed you of the Leaf's struggles over the last three years, we're in desperate need of assistance."

"Yes, but, as I've already brought up; what do my people and I gain from this? The military power isn't enough to be significant in battle and the income from taxes amounts to lunch money, so while I'd like to help you Lady-Tsunade, I see no reason to."

Tsunade steepled her fingers in front o her face and sat for a moment. Her mind ran through every conceivable offer she could make, but none seemed good enough to draw in Naruto's aid. As Tsunade's mind raced, it suddenly ground to a halt at a certain thought, "What did those other countries have to offer that interested you?"

"They offered things I needed at the time; things such as soldiers, contracts, political influence. Every place I've annexed was a crucial building block for creating the Eagle."

The last offer sparked a thought in Tsunade's mind, "As one of the five major villages in the Elemental Country we have substantial political influence. Even with the hits we've taken, there are still those who see Konoha as a major power; and with your aid that number will grow, as will your benefit."

Naruto folded his arms across his chest and lowered his head in thought; after a moment he began to pace. It was a few minutes before he stopped and said, "I'd rather not make such a decision in haste, would it be possible for me to remain within the village for a few days and speak with you once I've sorted everything out?"

"W-Well, I suppose so, although I hope you understand that the village Council will need to be present during our meeting now don't you?"

"Yes, and while I don't prefer it, if policy dictates it must be so then who am I to argue?"

Tsunade scrambled through the papers on her desk until she found what she was looking for, a document that granted political asylum, she stamped it and handed it to Naruto while saying, "This will help you to avoid being given any trouble should anyone find out that it's you underneath that helmet. While you may be the leader of a massive political power, you're still an exiled ninja of the Leaf."

Naruto handed the paper to Tayuya before saying, "Very well, and am I correct in guessing I'll be staying in the village embassy?"

"Yes, I can call Shizune and-"

"That won't be necessary Lady-Hokage," Shikamaru's voice called from behind Naruto, "I can take him there myself; we didn't get a chance to finish catching up."

Tsunade looked over to the Nara heir, and after a moment of thinking, she nodded and dismissed the two men. Once the two Roman descendants and Tayuya exited the office, the buxom Hokage set her eyes on the three Jounin still present and said, "Now, what else do you have to report?"

Kakashi stepped forward as the leader of the squad and gave his report, "We've seen first hand some of what the Eagle's military is capable of Hokage-Sama, they were there before we'd arrived, and had been the ones to bring down the Akatsuki's defenses. Immediately afterwards they engaged the member known as Deidara in battle and defeated him."

"Can you describe anything specific you may have seen Kakashi?"

"They fight in groups ma'am. Although we none of us really got to see the battle against Deidara, we got glimpses of their style when the soldiers battled Sasori's puppet army. The men formed up into squares, and used their shields to direct the enemy into a position that was easier for them to defend against. From what I could see, they were each proficient in kenjutsu, and preferred stabbing to slashing when it came to their strikes."

Tsunade took all of this in. Although she trusted Naruto, she understood that it would look odd if she didn't ask for details surrounding his new group. "Was there anything else?"

"Yes, their shields ma'am, they were able to absorb attacks."

This was shocking to the female Hokage, because only Haru no Kuni had been said to have developed such technology; and even then it had only been speculation. But then Tsunade remembered sending Team 7 on the mission to Spring, and reading the report that they had indeed encountered such devices. 'It seemed that Naruto payed a visit to Princess Yuki during his three years away from the Leaf.'

"Explain," she said in a stern voice.

"From what I could glimpse with my sharingan, the shields were capable of absorbing all of the flames Sasori's puppets projected at them, they emitted a faint, blue glow while they were in use; other than that, I don't know anything else about the men Naruto has following him."

Tsunade let her Jounin's words sink in. Being not only the Elemental Nation's leading medical expert, but also a relative to the Uzumaki's, the buxom blonde had studied the ancient world. Tsunade understood that, if Naruto was gearing towards resurrecting the Roman empire, then his new brand of legionaries would have to live up to the standard set by those of the past; meaning his army was extremely deadly. While this didn't worry Tsunade herself, she knew that the village Council would be in a state of defensive aggression, and either try to bribe the young Uzumaki or attempt some foolish form of pre-emptive attack.

Deciding on her next course of action, Tsunade said, "Very well Kakashi, thank you. You three are dismissed."

With quick bows the three Jounin exited via body-flicker, leaving the Sannin to her thoughts.

oo0oo

While Tsunade was wondering about what to do with the information given to her, the man that was responsible for her deep thinking was riding through the streets below, with his friend walking along beside, and his guard circling them. Naruto was currently telling Shikamaru about one of the many battles he had been in.

"...so Ginta attempted to encircle me; his foot-soldiers coming at us from the front, and having his cavalry come at me from behind. It was a commendable effort but the tactic was too obvious, it was amateurish, and I'd been expecting it. So what I had done, before the battle had started, was pull one of my legions and form them into an entire fleet of new cavalry to combat this. I ordered them to advance the moment Ginta executed his maneuver. From there, it was simply a matter of turning my rear soldiers around, and beating Ginta's men back from both sides."

"So I was right, you were the one who lead the revolt in Bird Country," Shikamaru said in realization.

Tayuya turned her head to address the Nara male and said, "Why are you so surprised fool, did you think the Imperator was just going to sit on his ass after this backwater village cut him loose?"

Shikamaru sent the red-head a scowl and replied, "Obviously not, but to be able to defeat someone like Ginta when you're outnumbered 3;1 is impressive."

"Feh, if you think that's impressive, just wait until you see what he has planned next."

After that the group fell into silence for a time. While they walked, Naruto looked around him to take in the sites of the village he once called home;he was thoroughly unimpressed.

He saw that the village, while still in good repair, was less lively than he remembered. The people in the streets weren't walking at a hurried pace to make it to the next store, and many of them were devoid of joy. Those with children weren't calling out or chasing after their young, instead, the kids were shuffling along beside their parents; most likely, they knew their parents weren't going to be able to afford whatever they begged them for, so they didn't even bother. Store owners that Naruto remembered used to stand in their doorways and shout sales or seasonal items were instead, sitting at their counters, with their hands over their heads in sorrow.

As he looked upon the people of Konoha the young descendant of Caesar felt no form of sorrow or remorse for them. Instead, he felt a sense of ruthless elation at seeing the once proud village reduced to a hollow shell of its former glory. Through his years of exile, Naruto never forgave the Leaf for abandoning him out of petty fear, but also thanked the village for it. The Council's actions, coupled with his treatment as a child, opened up the blondes eyes to the truth that the image of Konoha in his mind wasn't the one that really existed; it wasn't a shining kingdom of compassion and greatness, but a breeding ground for greed and self-centeredness. Naruto realized that many in Konoha cared only for their own well-being.

This lead Naruto to the decision that, when he was re-establishing his empire, that the young Roman would grind Konoha into the ground and leave it as a warning for any who would dare follow in its footsteps. There would be no place in his empire for people like the citizens of Konoha!

xxxxxxxx

A/N: And there it is, the next chapter in Rise. I tried to stretch this one out after Naruto's thoughts on what the Leaf had become, but it just felt so...forced, and I didn't want to give you guys mediocre work. This one felt a little lack luster to me after the last one, but then I guess they can't all be filled with battle, some must be used as set-up for later. You didn't really get to see anybody here, but I'll be making the next chapter longer to make use of Naruto's handful of days in Konoha. During which, he'll be reunited with certain characters that will begin to play a larger role.