Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 90 –Call of the Moon
Of all the people to walk through his door now, she had been the very last on his list of expected visitors. He had not known she possessed the sheer gall to show her face around here after what she had done. Of course, she probably had no idea that he knew.
He watched from the corner of his eye as she froze, her gaze flicking between the mask in his hands and the mask covering his face. He saw the recognition in her eyes and his belief in her involvement was solidified.
There was an anger at first, even as he turned to face her fully, but he couldn't find the energy to delude himself that it belonged to anyone but himself. It did not lessen the anger he felt, in fact it probably only magnified it, but with a molten core of rage and hatred tightly contained within he remained cold and collected on the outside.
Naruto gave her an accusing glare but it quickly faded to be replaced by a deep sigh.
"Uzuki," His tired voice seemed more gravely than she remembered. "You would still come here? After what you've done?" Naruto sighed again before shaking his head. "I guess it doesn't really matter, I should have known better."
"N-naru-" He held a hand up to stop her and she fell silent under the weight of his gaze.
"Go, Uzuki. Just go." He ordered, turning his chair away from her. "You are not welcome among the Wolves."
As soon as they heard that the two Wolves outside the room rushed in to grab an arm each. She didn't fight as they started to pull her out the door but she did make one last attempt to explain herself.
"Naruto, please, I-"
"We found him, you know, Hayate's killer." Yugao froze and the Wolves, seeing that Naruto was still speaking to her, paused in escorting her from the building. "Baki of the Sand."
For a moment Yugao feared that he might be telling her this just to deny her but he quickly proved her doubt in him misplaced.
"You are welcome to him, he is of no use to us."
"T-thank you, Naruto. Please, you have to know-"
"With this I consider my debt repaid, Yugao. You have shown me exactly where we stand, do not return."
"Naru-"
"Go." Even if she had been capable of defying the burning rage swirling in his one visible eye the Wolves on either side of her didn't give her the chance, dragging her out of the room at their father's command.
As the three left the room he took a moment to breathe deeply, trying valiantly to contain his rage. He had regretted every other time he let his pride and anger get the best of him, he would not make that mistake again.
It helped that he found it so easy to aim at himself. Gods knew his Wolves didn't deserve having his rage aimed at them, even unintentionally.
Emotion wasn't what he needed right now, either. Action was. Drawing strength from his furnace of self-loathing even as he put up walls of iron he rose from his desk with all the grace of a prowling predator. His children were going to be fine in Mizu no Kuni before he ruined it by bringing in an entirely unanticipated fourth party, it was up to him to make up for his failure.
And that meant bringing the Mizu no Kuni situation under control.
Personally.
Quick strides ate up the distance between his desk and the door to his office and a single step outside allowed him to see some of the Wolves still here in Konoha had moved closer to him as soon as they received a whiff of commotion.
"To me." The command was said calmly and quietly but even without his status possessed enough power to draw the attention of nearby Wolves. They were at his side in seconds.
"As of this moment Uzuki Yugao is no longer a friend of the pack, nor is she associated with any other domain under my command. She is to be treated as her position dictates, an ANBU captain, and neither more nor less." He paused to meet their eyes, only vaguely aware that he was still wearing the mask. "Am I understood?"
"Hai, Tsukuyomi-sama!" They chorused back. They were terribly curious but they would carry out his orders regardless of reasons. Hopefully one of the girls would be able to relax him soon because he did not seem to be in the mood for questions.
"Furthermore," Naruto continued swiftly. "I am ordering the suppression of all information regarding the House of Wolves. What has happened today and what will happen is to be considered restricted until I authorize its release. Informing anyone, including your siblings, without my express command will be considered treason." That caught their attention. Some of the younger Wolves seemed a bit confused but the more experienced ones seemed almost giddy at the announcement.
Naruto turned to one female wolf in particular. "This includes your reports to Mai." The Wolf froze at that, their entire body going tense with fear. "I will not risk further leaks when my children are already dying because of one. Your reports may resume as normal after we've re-established control of the situation."
They still didn't have any idea what was going on but he received a series of serious nods and a few scattered- nearly reverent- murmurs of "Hai, Tou-sama."
"You" He addressed a Wolf at random. "Are to fetch Hatake Kakashi and return immediately to my office. And you," He turned back to one of Mai's favored "You are to do the same with Mitarashi Anko. Tell them to be prepared with a full combat loadout."
"How full?" One of the more experienced Wolves asked from the pack, desperately seeking any scraps of information that might give them a clue as to what they would be taken oFf their leashes for. Naruto's eye met theirs and they shrunk back slightly.
"Full. Loadout." He repeated slowly. "Three months worth of equipment, wartime status. We're going in heavy and hitting harder."
The Wolves started silently for a moment, trying to process what they had just heard before one of them let out a long whistle. A standard Shinobi loadout in wartime was usually enough for three days, a week if you managed to make room for more rations and were good at scavenging from corpses without becoming one.
Three months worth of wartime equipment was quite literally an entire arsenal- each. Hundreds of Kunai and Shuriken, kilometers of Shinobi Wire, and enough explosive notes to level a small country- twice.
Incidentally, it was also the maximum amount of gear a Shinobi could reasonably carry without being weighed down while still allowing them to access most of it. When he had said full he had meant it.
Whatever had their lord calling for that much gear had really angered him and the thought- one shared by almost all of the present Wolves- had many of them becoming angry themselves. Whoever had gone against Tsukuyomi would be torn apart and turned to ash by his children, they swore it.
"The rest of you," Their attention snapped back to him, eyes alight with righteous fury. "Are to find any of your siblings still in Konoha and direct them to my office. I expect you all to be there in 20 minutes in full gear and ready to go. Do not bother Mai with this, it's my mistake to clean up."
Mai, like him, was overseeing more than just the Wolves. With him turning his attention firmly to matters concerning the House of Wolves she needed to be available to the Inuzuka and to Hinata's flock. His Kage-Bunshin would be here, of course, but she was the one he trusted to assume his responsibilities in his absence and his Kage-Bunshin would dispel if something was to go wrong in Mizu no Kuni.
There was also no way in hell she'd ever let him march off to war without her, so this solved that little issue quite nicely. There was a nagging feeling in the back of his head telling him he was forgetting something important he needed to tell her but he couldn't quite recall.
Maybe when he wasn't so focused on burning Mizu no Kuni to the ground he'd be able to better remember it.
"Go."
A series of salutes were snapped off as the Wolves rushed to carry out his orders. When they were gone he turned towards his chambers ans made his way slowly down the hall.
He had a war to prepare for.
"Hmm?" Kakashi looked up from his book lazily, tilting his head curiously at the Wolf who had crawled in his window. "Did you get lost, little Wolf?"
The Wolf didn't bother wasting time on playfulness or pleasantries. "Naruto-sama has ordered your presence in his office in-" They paused to check their watch. "18 minutes and 45 seconds. You are to arrive in full loadout."
"Full kit, hmm? How full did he want it?" Even as he asked Kakashi was marking his place in his book and setting it down on the table next to him.
The Wolf shifted a bit in the window. "He wants three months of equipment."
Kakashi blinked in surprise before shrugging. That was quite a lot of time to be absent from Konoha but if that's what Naruto needed from him he was sure he could figure it out. He was caught by surprise when the Wolf continued.
"Wartime supplies."
Kakashi paused. "He wants three months...of wartime supplies?"
"Correct."
The son of the White Fang gave a long, thoughtful hum. "Did he say why?"
"He did not, but-" The Wolf shifted again, somewhere between nervousness and excitement. "he's ordered an information blackout. Whatever's going to happen he doesn't want the world to know."
Could it be? Did he dare hope? A warm feeling of pride filled Kakashi's chest. Three months of wartime equipment and activities he wanted to keep secret? Sounded like a war to him, or at least another hostile takeover.
Naruto was the best son a retired ANBU captain could ever hope for.
"I'll be over immediately but I'm going to need something."
"If it's within my power."
"I'm going to need a mask."
"Of course, Inu-oji."
He'd have to work on getting them to call him Inu-jiji, but he supposed that could wait until after Naruto's war.
"Mmmm, yes. Right there, Naruto-sama. Right there."
An uncomfortable clearing of the throat drew Anko's attentions from her fantasies to the Wolf crouched in her bedroom window. Naruto's Fang was not amused.
"Unless you're planning on joining me here in bed, scram. You're interrupting my Naruto-time."
Briefly the Wolf considered the benefits of telling the woman that it really wasn't "Naruto-time" if Naruto wasn't here but quickly decided there weren't any.
"You have more important things to do."
Anko looked at the Wolf as if some scandalous thing had just left her lips and even the Wolf realized her words would have had more than a few zealots declaring her a heretical blasphemer. Luckily, her purpose here provided an easy recovery.
"Naruto-sama-" She paused to clarify. "The one you aren't imagining- has ordered you to be in his office in the next seventeen minutes. He expects you to be kitted out for three months of wartime activity."
"Naruto-kun wants me?"
Not incorrect, but the Wolf wasn't foolish enough to say such. The last thing the woman needed was encouragement for her behavior.
"He's called upon all of his forces still in Konoha."
The Tokubetsu-Joinin went from playful to serious in an instant. "All of them?"
"He's left out the Inuzuka, but he's rallying nearly the entire House of Wolves."
Anko let out a long whistle before her lips twitched into a wicked grin. "I guess that means he's planned an exciting outing for us, doesn't it?"
The Wolf stared at her for a moment before slowly nodding. "I suppose it does."
"Oh, don't be so down. Naruto-kun is spoiling us, you should be more happy about it."
"I am happy."
"Really?" Anko tilted her head to the side. "You don't look very happy."
"...I'm wearing a mask."
"Masks can be happy."
The Wolf was about to respond when she caught herself and instead simply exhaled slowly to center herself. The small smirk Anko was wearing helped remind her that she was speaking with someone who played with emotions for a living and enjoyed it. Well, mostly with pain, but despite her usual avoidance of the more mental parts of the discipline Mitarashi Anko was still a damn good interrogator.
It's why she got away with so much.
Well, that and because Ibiki liked to keep the crazies where he could see them- prisoners and employees alike. Paranoid bastard.
Not a bad idea, though. It was generally a bad idea to leave them to their own devices, especially when they were Shinobi. Actually, all Shinobi were crazy, but there were some a little more eccentric than others- even by Konoha standards- and those were the ones you had to watch out for.
Anko had more or less dominated the top of that list- one Ibiki kept carefully tucked in his bandanna- for the last decade or so. She had been on the list itself since the academy. Ibiki was many things but bad at reading people was not one of them. He saw her chaotic potential long before Orochimaru took her under his- her- wing.
"Regardless of how happy my mask is, Naruto is expecting you. Don't keep him waiting."
That had Anko moving. Jumping from her bed- and giving quite a show- she hurried to her closet to grab everything she needed.
"I trust we'll see you in Naruto-sama's office in..." She checked her watch. " fifteen minutes and thirty-seven seconds, then?"
"Yeah, yeah." Anko waved her off, a pair of lacy panties in her hand. "If Naruto-kun wants Anko then Naruto-kun will get Anko, I could never say no to those eyes of his."
"...Quite." Naruto-sama really did attract the strangest people. "Just don't be late."
"Don't get those panties in a punch unless your planning to take them off, I always come before him."
The Wolf took that as her cue to leave, Anko laughing merrily at her retreating back.
"Oh, some of your pets are just too cute, Naruto-kun." Anko giggled before returning to her closet.
Did she take the corset or the fishnet? With a shrug she decided she'd just bring both. Three months was plenty of time.
When he returned to his office he was still wearing the broken mask. Something about wearing it while he did this simply felt right. As expected his office was packed with Wolves. It wasn't saying too much considering his office wasn't exactly large but seeing them all together ready to avenge their siblings certainly pleased him.
What perhaps pleased him even more was seeing the heads of purple and white hair near his desk.
He pressed between the first few Wolves without breaking stride, those he passed quickly pulling back their fellows to provide an easy path to his desk. He was a little surprised to see a head of red hair pressed firmly into Anko's breasts but figured he simply hadn't seen Tayuya because she, well, wasn't exactly tall. He also didn't recall calling for her, so either Anko had crossed her path and dragged her along- rather likely- or she had heard the commotion and came to check it out.
Excellent, he had a task for her too.
Rather than sit behind his desk he stood before it, taking a few silent moments to observe the force he had mustered. It wasn't much, but they had sent a vast majority of the Wolves to ensure they had a foothold in Mizu no Kuni. Still, there should have been more than he was seeing. Either they had been given other tasks by Mai or they had already been sent to support those in Mizu.
He'd ask Mai when he returned, but taking care of something like this was exactly the kind of thing she did as his second in command. That she wouldn't at least inform him that it had happened and that she was seeing to it, however, is something he didn't quite understand.
Unless, of course, she had been hoping to avoid this exact situation. Kind of her, really, to look out for him, but if he didn't know how much he had failed his children he'd never be able to be the father they deserved.
Besides, he had been feeling a bit restless anyway. With his paperwork always caught up on and getting the taste of a real mission again he had been in need of something to occupy his time. A war sounded like it would fulfill that purpose quite well.
It would also give him a chance to vent his recent frustrations, which he definitely needed.
He was sure his Wolves would enjoy it too.
Gods, why weren't they working towards world domination? Well, besides the fact that they might accidentally end world conflict and have nothing to throw themselves at.
Half-world domination, then.
They just needed a suitable advisory but that could wait.
Naruto turned his attention from thoughts of starting the next Shinobi War back to his children- and associates. The entire group seemed to vibrate in eager anticipation- save for a reading Kakashi and a curious Tayuya – and he was certain that this opportunity was something they probably needed as much as- and perhaps more than- himself.
He rose a single hand and they all fell still, Kakashi closing his book with a snap and placing it not in his pocket but on Naruto's desk. So it would seem even Konoha's Copy Ninja was taking this seriously. Good.
Well, most of them went still. Anko was still bouncing in place with barely restrained excitement. Tayuya- still pressed firmly into the Tokubetsu-Jōnin's breasts - didn't seem to mind at all.
"Anko..." His tone possessed only enough warning to get his message across. She gave a pout- oh, if he wasn't busy that pout would have her in his lap already- but settled down. He did make note that she started squeezing Tayuya more closely to herself, though, and her hands seemed to be wandering in an effort to occupy themselves. Again, Tayuya didn't seem to have any issues with it, even if her face quite nicely matched her hair.
It was like the two of them were trying to distract him.
He still needed to spend some time with Tayuya now that he thought about it. He'd have to make note to do that when they got back from Mizu no Kuni.
He shook the thought from his head, as difficult as that proved to be, and resumed his observations of the Wolves. The signs weren't as obvious as Anko's but they were all just as excited as the woman. A few of them were going to have to stay, unfortunately, but he could make it up to them later.
"We have little time to waste, children." There was no need to raise his voice, they had all been as silent as the grave since his entrance. "I have just learned that your brothers and sisters in Mizu no Kuni have faced unexpected complications, complications that cost three of them their lives."
The Wolves bristled at this, their need to stretch their legs quickly replaced by a desire to spill the blood of those who would harm the pack.
"Yes, I can see you're as pleased by this news as I was." He traced the broken edges of his mask. "Any loss to the pack in unacceptable, but unfortunately unavoidable. For three of your siblings to fall in combat at once, however, is far too many for us to sit idly by. Last time this happened one man was responsible and the pack consumed his flesh, this time we owe their deaths to the conflict in Mizu no Kuni."
Naruto took a moment to sweep his gaze over the Wolves, pleased to see they were barely keeping themselves from charging towards Mizu no Kuni on their own.
"We did not start this conflict, but we will end it- even if we have to burn the entire country to the ground." That earned a round of cheers from the room, none of which were loader than those coming from Anko.
"Unfortunately I will require five of you to remain here to ensure the safety of our den and myself." Before they could question that he tapped into Karura's Chakra and brought forth Tsukuyomi. The ironic part was that Tsukuyomi was actually going to be Naruto while he was gone. "Tayuya, I will need you to watch over Hanabi in our absence. She's shown no signs that she might try to run and she seems to be content learning from Shizune-sensei but I'd rather have someone I trust with her when she's not in Shizune-sensei's company."
Tayuya gave a cheeky salute- had she been spending time with Anko?- which no one could take seriously considering her face was still bright red. She seemed to be enjoying herself in Anko's grasp.
"You got it, Denka-sama. You want me to watch that Shizune-sensei and her flunkies?"
"No, there's no need. Shizune is trustworthy and the other two are replaceable."
He pointed to two Wolves at random, one of which happened to be the same one to retrieve Anko.
"You two will remain here and guard Naruto. Protect the apartment as best you can but if it becomes compromised reduce it to rubble and retreat to the den."
Naruto pointed to three more, all of which were trying to press themselves back into the group to not be chosen. As he picked them they hung their heads in disappointed defeat but didn't object.
"I need you three to lock down the den. Accept no visitors and if anyone gets in save our records and supplies. None of the prisoners are sufficiently valuable and if you can't save something make sure no one else can take it either. As soon as you're dismissed one of you should seek out Hinata to see if she'd be willing to spare one of her guards for Mai while we're gone."
The way he said that made it sound like there was an opportunity for choice but not only was he confident that Hinata wouldn't deny him but her guards were Wolves before all else. Even if she didn't agree they'd see his will carried out.
Naruto reached pulled out a golden amulet from his pouch and placed it gently on the desk while 'Tsukuyomi' pulled out a small dish from one of the desk drawers.
"Those of you to whom I've assigned a task are dismissed. Remember, no information about our activities is to be shared with anyone not in this room. I will not risk this getting out."
"Hai, Tou-sama." The five Wolves and a Tayuya very much reluctant to surrender her position as Anko's current plaything left the room to see to their duties. While he waited for them to vacate Naruto cut a thin line on his arm, holding it above the dish Tsukuyomi had. When it had been sufficiently filled he wrapped a piece of cloth aroudn it tightly and resumed his address of the Wolves.
"We are heading straight for Mizu no Kuni. We will not be stopping in Nami, we will not be pausing for any reason, and when we get there I expect you to gather up your siblings while I speak with Yagura. I want this situation under control within the week, am I understood?"
"Hai, Tou-sama!"
Naruto gave a satisfied nod. "Good, let's go."
Behind him Tsukuyomi took his seat behind the desk, staring proudly as the Wolves bounded from the room. Naruto gave him a nod before following after them, Anko and a wolf-masked Kakashi trailing to either side of him.
It was time to set things right.
At a comfortable pace she probably could have returned to her apartment in ten minutes, fifteen if the roads were busy and she didn't feel like taking the rooftops.
She had been escorted from his presence twenty minutes ago and hadn't even made it halfway back. Hell, Yugao could still see the top of his apartment building from where she was.
It was fortunate that a passing ANBU had dropped down to check on her when they noticed her being escorted out of Naruto's apartment by two less than pleased Wolves, otherwise she might have accidentally let Baki slip away.
She had him, actually had Hayate's killer in her possession. Well, he'd be in ANBU possession officially but she was sure she'd have plenty of opportunities to vent her frustrations out on him in the coming weeks. If he managed to last that long.
Rather, if her restraint managed to last that long.
She had dreamed of having those responsible at her mercy for nearly a month now, so why was it that achieving her dream tasted so bitter and hollow?
Perhaps it was because all those times she imagined having them at her mercy it was the face of a Wolf staring up at her, begging her to stop, or because she hadn't been the one to capture them, being handed her quarry on a silver platter.
Maybe it was because avenging the loss of someone important to her wasn't worth losing another.
But that's what she had done, isn't it? She had traded Naruto for Hayate's killer and no matter what she did to them she had still lost Naruto and Hayate.
What a terrible deal.
It was almost like Baki was serving as a consolation prize, she mussed bitterly, only she'd have much more use for a plastic trophy that said 'well done'.
Like as vessel for the alcohol she'd need to dull the fresh pain of Naruto's loss.
It was just her luck that she'd realize she had been wrong before her actions were discovered but too late to make them right.
She wondered for a moment if it would have been better to have never learned the Wolves weren't behind Hayate's death before Naruto discovered her treachery but what would she be? Satisfied, vindicated, smug? About hurting those important to a dear friend? The thought alone was enough to make her sick.
Because that's what he had been, even if she hadn't been much of a friend to him. Gods knew she wasn't much of a socializer- much like her old captain Inu- and it was only Anko dragging Hana and Kurenai over to her table all those years ago that had given her any friends in the village at all.
Finding Hayate had been a miracle and being able to take someone like Naruto under her wing- no matter how briefly- was doubly so.
And now what did she have? A captured Suna Shinobi who's home had already been invaded by her village and an empty apartment to look forward to. She didn't even know if she'd have her other friends after this, either.
Hana was gone on that clan business of hers and the other two were still close to Naruto. Even if they didn't have to choose between the two of them the wedge that her betrayal would drive between them might sever the friendships entirely. And if the did have to choose, who would they pick?
Yugao gave a sharp exhale of dark amusement. What kind of question was that? Of course they would pick Naruto over her, she would too.
She wouldn't be able to blame them, either.
Yugao shook her head of the thought with a sigh. There was no point worrying about it now, she supposed. She'd find out soon enough if she had managed to throw away everyone important to her.
There were better places to regret her choices, too, might as well be comfortable at home instead of shuffling through the streets of Konoha. If she was really lucky she might have missed a stack of reports that could distract her for the rest of the morning.
It didn't even take any thought to make her way onto the Konoha rooftops and out of the busy streets, having done it too many times in the past to count. The way back to her apartment, likewise, was so familiar that it had become second nature. She'd have been at her apartment before she realized it if a sudden commotion behind her hadn't caught her attention.
Civilians rushed out of the way as a dozen or so Wolves tore down the streets towards the village gates, a head of crimson hair trailing along behind them. She was momentarily torn between wishing him good hunting and praying for her team. Hopefully her team had enough sense to retreat when they saw his chains.
She had seen what they were capable of, they would tear through her team in seconds if they weren't careful. Considering how quickly he could materialize them, she already knew at least one of them would be taken by surprise and pay the price.
Turning back towards her apartment she managed a single step before realizing that she was better off heading towards the Hokage tower. There were going to be questions and not only had she just stepped down from leading Konoha's efforts to halt the rapid advancement of the Wolves by delaying them in Mizu no Kuni but she had been seen leaving their territory by a fellow ANBU agent not an hour before they all rushed out of Konoha.
It didn't take a genius to know people would find that suspicious.
Might as well get the questioning over with.
We've broken 600k words with this chapter but the story may be going into a soft hiatus. Updates will be irregular until I sort everything out. For more details you can read the 2019.07.21 Update on Eyazahrid-dot-net and to stay updated follow me on Twitter at Eyazahrid.