Yeah, yeah, it's late. I'm well aware. I didn't have it finished it until...Tuesday, I think...and after that I needed to go over it with ncpfan and our schedules are less than compatible as of late.
Even so, it's being posted now and I'm working on this week's update which- should it follow the plan I have set- will hopefully be up by Monday.
I'm also aware that I still need to make up the chapter lost in the disrupted update schedule recently. I WILL make it up to you all- just not now.
Definitely not looking forward to the double length chapter, I'll likely be working on that one from the minute I get home every day to right before I retire to bed for the evening. That will be fun. Luckily, that's not this week so I don't have to worry about it quite yet.
This chapter was supposed to include Inoichi's fate or at lease Naruto hearing from Tsume about his atempt at an alliance, but it ended up far from what I intended- which, really, is nothing new.
Never the less, I hope you all enjoy it.
Thanks goes to ncp for his help.
Let's begin, yeah?
"This is mother crow, she was just leaving." Explained Sai, one hand lightly gesturing towards the guest he had just finished speaking to.
"Mother crow?" Hana's head tilted- most appropriately- much like a canine's might, showing a mixture of curiosity and slight confusion.
"Mother crow." He nodded in confirmation. "She's a friend of Tsukiyomi-Sama's, I suppose."
"You suppose?" She asked suspiciously. How does one 'suppose' something, most of all when it related to Tsukiyomi-Sama, he whom they both- to some degree- served?
"Well, I admit I don't know exactly what her relation is with him, but I do know she met with him on his way back from visiting the Daimyo and she came here today bearing a letter from him." He turned to look at what had been a soon to depart quest with obvious inquiry in his eyes, prompting her to speak.
She decided there was really no point not to.
"He's my son." Mikoto declared. That caught them off guard, Sai more than Hana.
"Your son?" Hana voiced the question while Sai ran through everything he knew about Naruto and everything he knew about the woman claiming to be his mother. The only thing he really did know about her was that behind the mask wasn't Kushina- not exactly much to go on.
"As far as I'm concerned." She clarified, shifting her weight to one hip and crossing her arms over a chest her cloak didn't do much to hide.
Ah, so not actually his mother, that made things noticeably easier to understand.
"So are you really his mother then?" Questioned Hana. Inuzuka really were a blunt sort and though Hana was capable of being more subtle she didn't often employ those skills- it just wasn't in her nature.
Still, that knowledge didn't make the statement sound any less rude and Sai flinched ever so slightly hearing it. He was pretty straightforward himself but tact was just one of the things Mai was trying to beat into him.
She'd be focusing more on budgeting ,as he was worse there, but Naruto had taken control of that matter.
Honestly, he probably preferred it that way. At least Naruto was more likely to simply go to Mai for one of her massages if he became too stressed with the monumental task of dealing with Sai's financial failings. Mai would just keep getting more angry at him.
"I'm the closest thing in his life to one." Despite how rude the question came across, she still answered.
Or, the closest she knew of, really. Yugao, his Sensei, nearly took that spot from her and Mai herself tended to take care of Naruto like a mother might do- she tended to be a bit too intimate about it, yes, but not so much that it could be completely dismissed.
That said, if he stayed longer in Wave the position could easily be filled by Tsunami. Kurenai, too, could easily take up such a role, had she not been so set on being seen as an elder sister.
In fact, Mikoto was only the closest thing he had to a mother because she was the only one who had declared herself such and he saw no reason in arguing against it when it made her happy and didn't inconvenience him in the slightest.
Not that Mikoto knew any of that.
No, as far as she was concerned no one else came close. And that was fine- because that's what she needed, a solid role in which she felt her presence was necessary.
In this case, however, it also helped quite a bit with any lingering distrust Sai might have for the still widely unknown person and it immediately put her in a rather good light with the Inuzuka, which was good because Mikoto was rather curious as to the girl's presence.
"Oh, I see. It's good that he has you, then." Hana couldn't actually mean this fully, not actually knowing anything about the leader of the Wolves but what she had managed to observe for the short time she had been in his presence.
Still, if she was the closest thing he had to a mother it meant he didn't have anyone else in that role before her, right? In that case, perhaps it was good that she had managed to fill it for him.
Then again, who was she to claim to know anything about that? His personal life was hidden from her- if he had one- and there didn't seem to be any hints forthwith coming about his past.
She was curious, yes, but even she knew that she would receive no answer should she inquire.
It also seemed a bit rude- both to ask and to admit she knew nothing about him.
There really was no winning, as far as she could tell.
Sai didn't make a comment about it, choosing instead to offer a simple nod of agreement as he turned back to his work. He'd let the two of them talk, though he would be- admittedly- paying just a bit of attention to whatever they said.
There was no telling what he might learn.
Whether or not that was a good thing, however, he wasn't quite sure about. He'd just have to take that chance-
Take that chance and hope it wasn't too bad.
With his luck they'd stat going over Naruto's best qualities here in his office and he'd have no choice but to work through it.
Now that would be absolutely horrible.
"Someone needs to look out for him." Declared Mikoto. She was quick to amend that sentence before anyone could take offence. Naruto was rather fond of his Wolves, after all. "And while you have all been doing well keeping him safe and provided for he needs someone a bit more personal."
Sai absentmindedly nodded, his eyes not leaving his desk. He was of much the same opinion, though he personally thought Naruto needed a more personal relation of a different kind- one that would most likely be filled by Mai. In the end, however, it didn't matter that much and, hey, the position still wasn't filled. There was no harm in Naruto having a surrogate mother and a close relationship with Mai.
In fact, that was probably even better for all of them, as Naruto would have more people to offer him support and to keep him from working himself to death. He didn't do much now, as he and Mai had taken over most of it, but Sai wasn't ignorant enough to think Naruto didn't spend most of his time trying to find ways to improve things for the Wolves.
He simply cared too much about them to not do so, and the fact that he really had nothing to distract himself from his self-appointed task of WolfFather certainly only added to the problem. The young man had mentioned it once before and Sai agreed- Naruto needed a hobby.
Not that Sai could suggest one, all he did was work, train, and sleep.
Kind of like Naruto, actually.
He used to paint, of course, but there really wasn't much time for that anymore. Maybe Naruto taking on a bit more work wouldn't be such a bad thing-
No, who was he kidding? The red-haired youth would run the country and the organization by himself if he could, giving him more work wouldn't do any good.
More administrative staff, then, could very well be in order.
Sai would have to look into it.
But that was something for another time and so he returned his attention to his work, only slightly paying attention to whatever might be spoken next.
"Of course," She continued. "There are some in his life that I don't even know about, you being a prime example." She gestured lightly to Hana to indicate who it was she spoke of. "So, While I do fill a rather important role I can't help but wonder if I might not be the only one with a close relation with him."
Raised brows clearly indicated an implied inquiry.
"Ah, I actually don't know him all that well, we only met briefly before he left for Hi no Kuni."
I see," Mikoto commented lightly, pondering. " So you aren't close then? I'd think that with you being an Inuzuka you must be pretty close to be trusted with any information pertaining to his actions."
Hana was about to speak when she caught herself, eyeing Mikoto critically.
"How much do you know about his projects, anyway? I've not heard of you until now and yet to claim to have such an important role in Tsukiyomi-Sama's life…" She trailed off, eyes narrowed at the cloaked form of the woman across from her.
"Almost nothing." Admitted Mikoto. These people were trusted by her surrogate son, it was best to be as open and honest as she could lest she end up driving a wedge between them and her son. The young man needed all the help he could get to ensure his safety, happiness, and wellbeing. She wasn't going to risk any of that just because the girl was suspicious of her.
'As she should be.' The last female Uchiha thought wryly. She was a spy, after all, and one that was just now being introduced to the group she was providing information for. It was understandable, really-
Even if she didn't like it.
Who were any of them to question her?
It was only because they did so for Naruto's sake that she allowed it.
She had to constantly remind herself that he would be upset with her should any wedge be driven between them by her hand. Him being upset was just about the last thing she wanted- right after losing him completely.
There was nothing that could possibly be worse than that.
Even so, it took monumental effort on her part to remain civil with those he had chosen to surround himself with. As far as she was concerned they would never be worthy of even the barest scraps of his attention. Not that she was about to say anything- either to them or to him. If he wanted them around that was completely up to him- even if she didn't feel they were good enough. Then again, who, besides herself, could ever be?
Worthy or not, she had no choice but to play nice for Naruto.
Still, she wondered how long she'd actually manage before she started to let them know exactly what she thought of them.
Breaking from those thoughts her voice flowed clearly despite her mask.
"My position does not provide a suitable environment for a backwards exchange of information." She continued. "Dare I saw should information travel both ways it would risk rendering my own role rather pointless."
It didn't take long for Hana to understand what it was the woman was alluding to.
"You're a spy." It was both question and accusing declaration.
"Maybe." Mikoto gave a lazy shrug but it was rather pointless. Both Sai and Hana now knew of what she did for Naruto even if she wasn't going to come out and declare such in any situation. It didn't matter all that much, but it was hard to think yourself a spy when you go about releasing such information freely.
"That would certainly explain the ravens." Sai mumbled quietly. It made sense, sort of, though he couldn't fathom why she'd go by 'Mother Crow' if she used a different bird. They were similar, perhaps, but still different species.
Hana, with her exceptional hearing, was able to hear him clearly enough, the reason he always had to be very careful about what he said lest he give away something she was not yet permitted to know.
"Ravens?"
"I train them." Offered Mikoto. "They make good messengers."
"Then why 'Mother Crow'?" She asked the question a thankful Sai and been unwilling to.
"Because I made it up on the spot when I went to see Tsukiyomi and it flowed better than 'Mother Raven." A shrug ended the sentence before she continued. "It's fitting, in its own way, but I'd rather not talk about it. Honestly I'm not too fond of the name but it helped Tsukiyomi identify me in Hi no Kuni."
Oh, I see." It made sense- sort of, but she still found it kind of odd. Still, wasn't really the point. The important detail was that Sai had personally born witness to communication between this woman and Tsukiyomi. Claiming to be his mother was one thing but being able to back that up with the fact you were acting as a spy for him helped.
Though that did bring up the question-
"Why is his surrogate mother acting as a spy for him?" She questioned with a slight tilt of her head. "He seems to take great care in ensuring those close to him are properly protected."
"I can't divulge that information; not to you." Mikoto continued before Hana could object. "It's linked too closely to my identity. Suffice to say I had the opportunity to join an organization that may have posed a threat to Tsukiyomi in the future and joined to keep him informed."
"I guess I can understand that." Hana didn't like it, but she could accept it.
"How long have you been doing this for him?" Sai spoke up from his desk, only briefly looking up from his work to meet her eyes as he asked his question.
"Since before he had you Wolves." That was all she was saying there- rather than risk giving more clues about her identity- but it was enough. With a nod Sai accepted her answer, it would explain why he had never heard of her before as Naruto still had a terrible habit of keeping things to himself instead of letting others help him.
Mai was still working on fixing that.
Unfortunately she wasn't making nearly as much progress as any of them would like.
"Now, if you're done questioning me, I'm still rather curious as to the presence of an Inuzuka. I know your clan members are loyal which would make them an attractive choice for Tsukiyomi to work with," She really didn't like using that name for him. "But you look far too much like Tsume for her not to be your mother. I can't see you being here without the clan itself being involved."
Hana blinked twice, caught off guard by how accurate that was. The woman was not a spy for no reason, evidently.
Even Sai, still trying to focus on his work enough to actually do something more than listen in on their conversation rose a brow in a silent sign of being impressed. It wasn't too large a leap of logic to be difficult for people to figure out but the fact that few outside the Wolves knew- and most of those were the Inuzuka themselves- remained.
Now there was one more.
Of course, it was never going to stay secret for long, or even for as long as any of them would have liked. Global operations noticed by Danzou previously had spoken of as much and the likelihood of someone discovering more than they were ready to be released to the world only increased now that they were out in the open.
If they were lucky, however, being in the open would give anyone looking plenty to see and, perhaps, distract them from some of the more sensitive aspects.
You know, like the alliance with a Konoha clan.
That was a pretty big one they would much rather save until after the Hyuuga had been sorted out.
One clan at a time was plenty, thank you very much.
Or, that was Sai's opinion, at least. If Naruto thought he could take on that much- which wouldn't actually surprise him all that much- then he might be alright taking it on, but Sai would much rather focus on one task at a time.
Then again, even if Naruto didn't think they could do more at the time he would never let anyone- perhaps save those closest to him- know. It would be bad for morale, after all. No, he'd much rather drown in work than risk putting them in a worse spot. Instead he would stand tall and proud, a symbol of hope for his children to rally around.
And if that was the case then, well, they might just be able to manage both clans at once.
It was amazing what the Wolves would do for Naruto and his confidence would only increase how hard they would fight for him.
Admittedly, he, also a Wolf, was no exception.
Though he certainly didn't mind.
His attention was pulled from his thoughts- which had equally pulled his attention from his work, the pile of which was not growing any smaller- when Hana began her own explanation. He already knew this, naturally, so there was no point in listening in, but it was distracting nonetheless and with a sigh he surrendered to the fact that he wasn't going to be able to get any work done with the two of them in his office.
Unfortunately, asking them to leave now would just seem rude and Naruto apparently held the cloaked woman in high regard.
Lovely.
"Mother is aware of my current role, we've decided to ally ourselves with the Wolves when they reached out to us."
"You say that almost as if you had a choice." The voice didn't change but the words themselves were almost barbed- not quite in contempt or pity but something more akin to scornful amusement.
Evidently she would not manage to remain civil for long. Besides the thought that this might upset Naruto she didn't much care or, rather, she was exceedingly pleased to be able to let the girl know exactly how well she thought of her any any others who belived themselves worthy of her son's attention. And if Naruto did hear of this? Well, she tried, didn't she?
Sai found his eyes moving from his desk where he had forgone any attempts at his work to the two woman standing near it. She wasn't' wrong, he realized, and doubtless Hana recognized the same, but to hear it was new. It had been, since the arrangement was first offered, an unspoken truth.
No, that wasn't quite right. Mai had- she claimed- mentioned that the Wolves would find someone else, but at the same time the deal offered had been one that couldn't be passed up.
Not by any Shinobi worth their headband, at least.
So while there had been the light threat of missed opportunity, never had it been spun to sound as if the Inuzuka themselves were not the ones to decide.
Sai would be the first to admit he wasn't one for the games played and plots laid within the political world- to any degree, really. He much preferred the cut and dry hierarchy of a military group. Well, make that Para-military, there were politics involved with regular militaries.
Actually, now that he thought about it, a lot of para-military groups were deep in politics to keep themselves operating, too. Damn, what were they then? The House of Wolves to which they belonged was undoubtedly political, but the organization itself was really just set up where people were chosen by either Naruto or himself and then did their assigned tasks simply for the sake of obeying Naruto.
And while that did seem a bit odd to some, it was a very easy setup, one where you simply did as you were expected and were thus part of the group that served Naruto- who In turn was doing what he could to serve them.
Huh, maybe things weren't as simple as they first seemed, but at least they weren't directly dealing with other groups or inter-organization politics that would distract from the rather hard to understand purpose of their group.
It was like being part of a machine, he mused, where they were each a single part working as a whole to accomplish Naruto's will- when that was, for whatever reason, to help themselves, he guessed.
They didn't worry about other clocks, that was Naruto's business, and no part could take the place of another so they really didn't try. It was complex and yet simple, an operation that had many parts but that was straight forward in the fact that in continued onward with its task.
And that, he thought, was much preferable to any of the politics Naruto and Mai tended to mess with.
It also meant he really didn't make attempts to know how regular people worked. He dealt with Wolves, a group that- for the most part- thought like him.
They had all gone through the same training, after all.
Because of that it was easy for the Wolves to operate smoothly together, but when it came to outsiders they could be a bit lost. So it was understandable that now Sai was, to a very small degree, regretting his inexperience in both fields, for even a bit of insight to this situation would be helpful beyond measure.
As he had said previously, that unspoken truth had been known but never put into such words and now that it had he wondered what reaction it might pull forth from the heiress of the Inuzuka.
Would the idea that they had been forced into this arrangement anger them somehow? Would it breed resentment to the point that they started to separate or, worse, stand against them?
They would never last, but it would still be a loss for the Wolves- one Sai was loathe to accept. They made great allies and fit in well to their own pack, it would be an absolute shame to lose them and Naruto would be rather upset that he'd need to start over in obtaining worthy allies.
Considering the progress they'd already made with the canine clan it would be a major setback- especially when they had to change everything to avoid any damage the Inuzuka may be able to inflict with the knowledge they had on their operations.
It wasn't all that much, but it was enough to make things difficult.
They would like to avoid that, if at all possible, thank you.
Hana stared at the woman across from her, blinking.
Once.
Twice.
The words were processed and eyes narrowed, the barest of growls escaping her throat.
Idly, Sai wondered who he was supposed to support should the two of them come to blows. One claimed to be both the mother figure of his boss and a spy in another organization but the other happened to have been granted control over the civilian matters of an entire country by that same man. Truly, they were both favored, but was there one he favored more?
Perhaps it would be best to simply separate the two of them, though he did realize he'd be needing to call for backup if he wanted any chance of keeping them from tearing each other's throats out.
Most curiously, he really couldn't understand what was going on. They would go from friendly enough to this as if it was natural- maybe it was?
It could be a human thing, he supposed, or maybe just a female thing, but either way he was at a loss.
If nothing else, it could certainly be said that Naruto surrounded himself with an interesting bunch.
"Of course we had a choice!" Protested Hana. "We didn't even need this! We decided to go along with Tsukiyomi-Sama's offer because we wanted to, not because we were forced into it!"
"And still I say there was no choice. There will soon enough be two sides in this world- those with him and those who are not. You may not have known it at the moment, but that threat has existed over your head since he came into power. Fortunately you seem to have chosen correctly."
Now that didn't sound right at all- Naruto wasn't planning world domination as far as he was aware, that was just asking to be a target and would cost the lives of far too many Wolves to achieve. How well, he had to wonder, did this woman actually know Naruto?
Then again, how well did he?
Was it possible that she actually knew him better than he did?
The very thought made him uneasy for some reason, but he couldn't quite identify why.
"We joined Tsukiyomi-Sama because we recognized the benefits, not because of some threat that has never hung over us and never will."
"Because you chose correctly."
"Because if we had been threatened we wouldn't have joined. We are with him completely of our own free will, it was our choice to accept his offer simply because we recognized its worth. Don't you dare try to claim we joined him for the wrong reasons, I won't hear it."
"That so?" Mother Crow almost seemed amused now, much to Sai's confusion.
"Damn right that's so, the more you try to say differently the more you're saying he may have chosen poorly. Neither I nor the other Inuzuka will stand for that and while I can't speak for the Wolves I'm certain they would support us against your words."
Mikoto froze, her entire body noticeably tensing, and what little amusement had been seeping into her voice at the goading of the Inuzuka heiress vanished without a trace.
"Watch yourself." She all but hissed. "I'm questioning you, not Tsukiyomi-Sama."
"And my presence was by his decision, you question his judgement by suggesting anything against the truth of the matter- the Inuzuka joined with his pack willingly and we will stand by that decision regardless of what you claim."
"You don't even know his name."
"I don't need to." Hana declared. "We will call him by whatever name he wishes of us and if he should one day choose to share with me his name so be it. Until then he is Tsukiyomi-Sama, Father of the Wolves and leader of this great pack."
For truly this combination of Inuzuka and Wolf was great, a pack they had never dreamed of being possible. The Inuzuka had always been small and mobile, even back in the days of the Clan Wars, but with the boosting of the Wolves the combined clan was easily triple the size.
And they were growing.
That was to say nothing of how their territory crossed borders or that the leader of this pack was allowed to sit amongst the Imperial Fire Court. The Inuzuka, one had to admit, would never have accomplished something like that on their own.
Mikoto thought a moment before giving a shallow nod.
"Very well." She admitted. "You had a choice and chose correctly, just remember that once made this can't be undone. I expect you to give your all for him."
"I don't need you to tell me what I- what the Inuzuka pack- was already intending to do. My mother might rule the clan but even she has accepted him as the current Alpha of the combined pack. We will serve him as if he were of Inuzuka blood."
"I don't want you to serve him as if he were of your clan." Declared Mikoto, turning to leave. "I want you to serve him as if he was your entire world- your very reason for living. He should be the cause of every breath you draw." She paused as she neared the door, peering her mask over her shoulder to face the young Inuzuka woman. "I want you to serve him as if he was your god."
"He is Tsukiyomi no Mikoto." Hana proclaimed. "Lord of Wolves and god of the moon. No one would dare claim otherwise."
"Good."
Before Mikoto could leave Hana managed to fire off one more sentence that had her freezing in her tracks.
"Safe travels, Baa-chan."
"What?!" it was half hiss half outraged cry. Hana just shrugged.
"You are the mother of Tsukiyomi, are you not? If he is our father, you are our grandmother. Try not to frown so much, you can't afford any more wrinkles."
Clenching her fists Mikoto- just barely- managed to bite her tongue and storm off. A rather remarkable show of control, really. As she left to hunt down Tsunami to be shown the supply rooms of the Wolves to leave as soon as possible, Sai and Hana shared a look.
There was something…off…about that woman. Maybe it was because of her role as a spy and the stress that could bring, maybe it was just her. Either way, she didn't exactly seem normal- not with the way she seemed to go between pleasantly curious and hostile like that.
Then again, they weren't exactly the most normal themselves, were they? A young man commanding armies for an even younger lord and the heiress of a Konoha clan acting as the public ruling figure for the sole settlement within what had almost always been one of the wealthiest countries of the world.
And, with just a peak out one of the office windows one could- if only just- make out the scaffolding that was part of the outpost being constructed by another hidden village.
The Village hidden in Sound-
The village of Orochi-fucking-maru.
No, they were certainly not the most normal of individuals and that lead to them being a rather abnormal group, but that woman seemed to be more off than the rest of them.
Of course, we already mentioned the fact that Orochimaru was working with their Godson in fortifying a country- was it that out of place for the woman who believed herself to be the boy's mother to have more issues than the rest of them?
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to fit.
In the end he merely shrugged and returned to his work.
Naruto attracted the oddest people, and that was good enough an explanation for him.
Hana, on the other hand, was having a harder time getting her head around it, but that was understandable-
After all, Inuzuka Hana was far more normal than Sai.
Not that such a statement actually said much, though. One might be forced to admit he was a rather average Wolf but the Wolves themselves- twisted through training and attempts at conditioning- were only normal enough to pass as being rather strange to the public. Not a suspicious strange, but at the very least eccentric.
That hadn't exactly helped them blend in when they were living amongst the populace of Konoha as sleeper agents.
It was a miracle they managed to avoid being discovered, honestly.
So, to say Sai was an average Wolf meant he was quite odd, and therefore saying Hana was more normal than him really didn't say anything at all.
Personally, she liked to think of herself as rather normal but then again, she had joined a growing organization that had just taken over a country and set their leader up as a Daimyo welcomed into the Imperial Fire Court and she hadn't even spent a day contemplating that decision.
Perhaps she was less normal that she'd like to think.
Oh well, at least things with the Wolves involved were interesting.
That had to be worth something, no?
I'll see you all for the next act.