Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 95 – Contrast
Sakura looked at the nondescript apartment complex only slightly dubious. Did Naruto really live somewhere so...plain? Something about it felt off, as if he would be more at home in some grand residence, but at the same time the more she thought about it the more a practical, plain dwelling made sense.
He was a Shinobi, why would he want to draw attention to himself?
With that in mind, however, Sakura decided that the interior of the apartment must be something spectacular. The outside of his residence might be kept plain to avoid attention and suspicion but Naruto was not the kind to live a spartan lifestyle.
Well, he was. She had no trouble picturing him in a small, one room apartment with only enough floorspace to have thither his table out or his futon down. He would probably be perfectly content with it, too. Despite that, he deserved better and she had a feeling that those in his life had ensured he was living a lifestyle more appropriate.
And by that she meant rather lavish, bordering on decadent.
Only the best for Naruto-senpai.
She kept those thoughts to herself as she followed behind an unhurried Naruko. She would find out soon enough, there was no point in pestering her fellow Kunoichi with questions. Besides, Naruko didn't seem all to comfortable whenever she started to bring up Naruto. That wasn't anything too new, Kakashi brought him up all the time before he was part of the team, but the somewhat suspicious glances Sakura was noticing sent her way meant Naruko had probably come to her own conclusions about her recent...interest...in Senpai.
The Haruno heiress knew it would be useless trying to reassure her teammate that it wasn't like that and would probably only solidify her assumption if she attempted it.
There was no helping it, she supposed, she'd just have to deal with her teammate's suspicion.
They reached the door and Naruko seemed almost confused by that, as if she had been expecting something to stop her from doing do. She gave Sakura a confused glance but the Haruno heir didn't even know what she was supposed to be confused about. With nothing more to offer, Sakura gave a shrug and gestured to the door.
Naruko frowned for a moment before giving her own shrug and knocking. Again, Naruko seemed confused when twenty seconds passed without response. Sakura supposed it was probably a reasonable amount of time for someone in the apartment to make it to the front door but that assumed he was up or even present in the house. Maybe there actually was training today or he had left to pick up groceries.
Like Naruko said earlier, it wasn't like he knew their plan to visit him today.
Naruko knocked on the door again- noticeably more forcefully this time- and another twenty seconds passed before the sound of locks being turned reached their ears.
Ten seconds of locks being turned later and the door cracked open just enough for them to see the white porcelain of a Wolf mask.
It examined them for a second before seeming to recognize Naruko. "Ah, Gennin Uzumaki. Was there something you needed?"
"We were hoping to see my brother, is he in?"
The Wolf seemed a bit uncomfortable with the question, shifting nervously and looking between the two Kunoichi. "One-" he looked over his shoulder and despite the mask both girls had a feeling he was biting his lip in thought. "One moment please, I need to check."
Naruko thought that was odd because the Wolves seemed to always know Naruto's whereabouts.
Sakura thought it was odd because he should be able to see the other end of the apartment from the door. What would it have, a maximum of three rooms? Shouldn't have been that hard to know who else was home.
Regardless of their thoughts the Wolf closed the door- making sure to redo all the locks- and they could just barely hear a few of his footsteps as he moved from the door.
It was almost a minute later that he returned, locks clicking away and the door opening fully. "Naruto-sama is currently in his office but has instructed that I show you both to a sitting room. He will join you shortly."
"If he's busy," Sakura gave her an odd look when she said that. What on earth would he be busy on in his apartment? She could understand he'd be busy in a training ground or even out and about doing errands but she hadn't heard anything about Naruto having any hobbies he might be enjoying in his apartment. "Please let him know that we're fine waiting until he's done. We don't have anything else planned for the day and our visit isn't urgent or anything."
"He'll join you shortly." The Wolf repeated, which could mean either he wasn't busy or it didn't matter at this point. "Please, follow me." He beckoned them into the apartment, clocking it behind them as Sakura blinked in surprise. She was in the entryway with a main room to her left and a kitchen opening up to her right but she could quite clearly see down a hall that went on far longer than should be possible in an apartment. She could also see other doors and hallways along it, which meant that this place was even bigger.
Well, she hadn't been wrong to assume that the interior would be more grand than the outside.
She just hadn't expected...this.
"Did either of you have a preferred seating room?" The Wolf asked. Naruko shook her head but Sakura's confused gaze prompted him to explain.
"Naruto-sama currently has..." He did a quick count. "Seven...? Seven sitting rooms here, most have been decorated differently by Mai. I know Genin Uzumaki here has been here previously but was unsure if she had a preferred sitting room.
The Uzumaki heiress gave a shrug. "When I was hear last we all just sat in the dining room, I don't think I've seen any sitting room except for the one near the door."
"Ah, I understand. Which dining room? There's probably a matching sitting room in here somewhere."
Naruko paused, blinking. "There's more than one dining room?"
Again, the Wolf had to stop to count. "Three- no. My apologies. There are five that I am aware of at this time."
"Urm, it was a dark grey and had black furniture?"
"With the white ivy painted on the walls?" The Wolf sought clarification. "Or the one with the red flowers on the table?"
"Ivy."
With a satisfied nod the Wolf made an abrupt turn down a hallway, narrowly avoiding smashing himself into the corner. "The matching sitting room will be this way, then. Please follow me." He didn't even look behind himself to make sure they were following.
"Um...Wolf-san?" Sakura had been prepared – well, as much as she could be – for meeting with her Naruto-senpai today but she had not expected to be in such a strange dwelling nor had she expected to be interacting with a Wolf. She had not really been aware they had ties to Naruto at all. "Why does Naruto-senpai have so many rooms here? I thought this was supposed to be an apartment."
The Wolf paused mid-step, squirming nervously as he checked both ends of the hall for signs of his lord. "Erm, Naruto-sama didn't necessarily need these additional rooms-" the Wolf quietly whispered "and he's not exactly pleased that we made them" under his breath. The girls were barely able to hear him. "-but...some of us...went ahead and made sure to provide it, just in case."
"In case of what?" Now Naruko was curious. She had known the place was pretty large but she hadn't really asked why. She had been far more interested last visit to know more about how her brother had been over the years she was absent, though they had spent most of it listening to Jiraiya's stories.
"Guests and...the like..." The Wolf trailed off a bit, not really having anything else.
"Guests?" Naruko cocked an eyebrow he wasn't able to see but could certainly feel. "How many guests would he have to have in order to make use of five dining rooms?"
She hadn't actually been expecting an answer but thew Wolf had one for her anyway.
"Sixty." he said without missing a beat. "The dinning rooms seat twelve. He could have more in the kitchen if he needed to, there are small tables there."
The Kunoichi shared a look but instead of asking when he would have so many people over- which Naruko had been very close to doing- Sakura posed her own question.
"Wouldn't it be rude for him not to be seated with his guests? How is he supposed to be a good host if he has all sixty of his guests in different dining rooms?"
That didn't just give the Wolf a pause in his thoughts, he actually came to a complete stop in the middle of the hallway and slowly turned to face the pinkette.
"That...is an excellent question." His head tilted to the side like a curious dog. "I'll have to bring it up with Mai." And oh-so quietly he added. "And Ganju, we'll need a bigger room for sixty guests."
The Kunoichi shared another look but kept quiet. If Naruto hadn't been too fond of having all of these rooms he probably wouldn't appreciate them making him some grand dininr oom fit for sixty guests. Because really, when would he have sixty guests? Or even really important guests? As far as Naruko was aware Jiraiya was probably the only one, and he was just a perverted letch. As far as Sakura knew the only person who hung out with him was Anko, and they probably more likely to spend time on a couch or a bed than in a dining room intended for so many people.
Then again, it was Anko. She might invite sixty people just to watch her and Naruto go at it on the table. Sakura didn't know how Naruto would feel about that but she couldn't imagine too many young men his age would mind it for the chance to be with the Tokubetsu-Jōnin.
And if anyone would be unfazed by having sixty people watching him have sex with an older woman it would be her Naruto-senpai. She was sure he had nothing to be embarrassed about.
Otherwise Anko probably wouldn't have been so excited about getting her reward the other night.
Sakura was broken from her- rather vivid- imaginings as they reached a plain door that the Wolf held open for them. Compared to the sort of bland hallways- maybe they just hadn't had a chance to redecorate them- the room had been done quite nicely.
Following the color scheme of the room Naruko was familiar with the walls were painted a dark grey and all the furniture was black wood with equally dark leather. Unlike Naruko's description there weren't any vines painted onto the wall- from what she could see- which may have been due to the bookcases that took up a majority of the wallspace. Three black couches- black wooden trim with black leather seats, naturally – faced a simple coffee table – also black- and it seemed the only real splash of color aside from some of the books was a vase of white lilies on the coffee table.
The entirety of the room held consistent dim lighting, soft enough to promote relaxation but bright enough that someone could actually make use of all the books here. Naruko took a seat on one of the couches, splaying herself over the dark leather without hesitation, while Sakura began browsing the bookshelves.
Sakura had only managed to trail her finger over the spines of half a wall- and Naruko only managed to fall half-asleep- when the door opened again and Naruto entered the room. The deep frown he wore managed to become a faint smile but his golden eyes remained troubled and there was a sense of weight that followed him, a burden too large to remain confined to his shoulders.
"Naruko," Her head snapped up, drowsiness vanishing in an instant as her brother said her name. "Sakura," Just seeing her Senpai was enough to light up her heart and give her cheeks an adorable dusting of pink, hearing him say her name in such a familiar manner had her half convinced she could fly. "What brings you here this morning?"
"You haven't been showing up for training," Naruko started. "But neither has Kakashi. We figured we'd check with you before going all the way out to field seven and standing around for a couple hours."
Sakura gave a nod of agreement before adding "If Kakashi was going to tell anyone about there not being a meeting it would be you, Naruto-senpai."
"Ah! I knew I had forgotten something." He hadn't forgotten to do it so much as he hadn't even considered it was going to be necessary. He had been so preoccupied worried about his children and wanting to get them out of a bad spot that he hadn't even considered the consequences of his actions.
Oh, gods above. How the hell was he going to cover up Anko and Kakashi being out of the village? Their tear through the front gate hadn't exactly been stealthy or secretive and he was sure someone they had passed managed to recognize their rather distinctive hair.
Rather than release the large groan he waned to he managed to bite it back and give an apologetic smile. "I hope you were not too inconvenienced, Kakashi told me the other day that he wouldn't be available for a while." Hopefully they didn't need any specifics because he hadn't come up with anything yet.
"Yeah," Naruko gave a nod from the couch. "I had kind of figured as much when I saw the Icha-Icha billboard."
Or perhaps one of them would provide it for him. Perfect.
His smile tightened slightly, somewhere between disapproving, amused, and exasperated. "Well, he didn't give me the specifics but..."
He'd have to find some way to have the rest of Konoha believe Kakashi was simply holed up in his home reading the newest of Jiraiya's books. Then again, if that was the conclusion they had drawn on their own and he only needed to reinforce the idea than it might not be too hard at all.
Anko, on the other hand, well, he would have to find a was to get Ibiki to overlook her absence.
Or maybe he'd just leave that for her. She'd been dealing with him for this long and he was probably so desensitized to her antics that he wouldn't even blink at whatever ridiculous story she told him. Hell, she might juts tell him the truth and they might be fine regardless of whether or not he believes it.
In fact, it might be better for him if Konoha discovered their absence and wasn't okay with it. It wouldn't really be fair to them but he would make sure they were provided for and he had a country they could escape to should Konoha try to act against them. He couldn't really guarantee Konoha would back off fully but his alliance with Iroh should at least limit their attempts. And it wasn't like the two of them weren't capable and didn't have friends who would help them should Konoha turn against her children.
Kakashi was known to most ANBU as Inu Taicho, after all. There were very few of them who would actually try anything against him. Likewise, Anko was known well in K.I.T and they- and the general Shinobi population- did not want to be on her bad side.
Then again, they wanted to be on Ibiki's bad side less, so they might go through with it depending on his orders.
Even then, were he to take over Ookami no Kuni- which he had most definitely not been considering- then the distance alone would deter Konoha from sending out too many of her children to try bring them back or taking them out. There would be some of course, especially if Konoha herself placed them in the BINGO book, and that didn't even consider that other villages might want to take a shot at them when they were no longer behind Konoha's protection.
Maybe Ume no Kuni really would be better, it was much farther away and had no neighbors. Not direct neighbors, anyway. Taro Island, Jiro Island, and Kiko Island were all within a hundren miles and both Red State Island and the southernmost tip of Cha no Kuni were both a under two hundred miles away.
Still, it might be better than having a border that a toddler could stumble over.
The distance was going to make operations pretty difficult to perform quickly, though. He probably wouldn't be able to move Nami's success over to Ume no Kuni but he could try a shipping business of his own to increase revenue. Eh, wasn't a big fan of that idea. He supposed he could always make a fortress on Ume no Kuni for his Wolves to return to and simply stage operations in Nami no Kuni.
That would work. Probably. Kind of defeated the idea of keeping them somewhere they could be safe but they were Shinobi and more than that they were Wolves. Most unfortunately he couldn't keep them napping comfortably by the fireplace warm and fed until the day he died.
Or passed them on to Mai, whichever came first.
He knew his favorite Wolf would never let his children waste away out of the field and for as much as they would enjoy being around him they would absolutely hate being cooped up safely. They were Wolves, they needed to run, hunt, and kill.
Ensuring they had a safe place to return to, though, should be well within his power and it was something he was happy to provide. He couldn't always protect them but he would take advantage of every opportunity that he could.
Ume no Kuni was looking really good for that.
Any plans would have to wait however because he had two Kunoichi to see to at the moment.
"While there's no team training I'd assume both of you have things you'll be using the free time to work on, no?"
Sakura blushed deeply, looking down in shame, while Naruko rubbed the back of her head with an embarrassed grin.
"Heh, heh. Well, that is a pretty good idea-" and what they should have been doing for the past few days instead of just standing around the training field. "-But we didn't really bring our equipment today." Sakura blushed even deeper. "I figured we'd just spend some time with you today." A deep red suddenly colored the tops of her cheeks. "I-if that's okay with you, of course."
He hadn't really planned on guests- and he certainly wasn't in the best of moods while worrying about his children- but they were his teammates, the Kunoichi that would be watching his back on missions. He could set aside his obsessive worrying for a day to strengthen those bonds.
One of them also happened to be his biological sister, he probably should be spending some time with her even if he was no longer an Uzumaki.
Right? He was pretty sure that was how it was supposed to work.
"Certainly, certainly." He gave them both a small smile. "I don't mind at all."
He took a seat on the couch directly across from the door, Naruko to his right. Sakura hurriedly grabbed a book- she didn't even bother checking which one it was- and moved to join him. Before she reached him he blinked twice, golden eyes trailing over her- or, specifically, her new outfit- and she ended up pausing before him with burning cheeks. It was hard for her to look into those pools of molten sun but even as she turned her head down and to the side almost demurely she was pleased to know her Senpai was taking note of her.
It was almost as good as the attention he gave her that night. She could still remember the heat of his strong hands as they guided her own and were married in the blood of their enemies.
They had made so many beautiful flowers together that night, she couldn't wait to see more.
"We've changed our outfit, haven't we?" He asked. He had spent way too much time around Anko to not recognize the outfit that looked best scattered around his bedroom floor. "I think Anko would be absolutely flattered to see you've taken some inspiration from her." In fact, she might actually be jealous. Sakura's current outfit would probably look absolutely fantastic on the Tokubetsu-Jōnin. And, again, scattered all over his floor. He really did hope she was taking care of the original on the way to Mizu no Kuni, he didn't need to be distracted as he waged war.
Oh, who was he kidding? They were probably bothering the whole ship with their activities. It was really hard to say no to Anko and she knew exactly what she wanted.
Sakura gave a small spin, aware that her short skirt had probably lifted up far enough to show things she was only comfortable with her Senpai seeing. The hint of surprise on his face gave her a pretty good idea that he had indeed received a good glimpse. A quick glance to Naruko indicated that she had as well. At least, that's how Sakura was understanding the blush on the Uzumaki Heiress, anyway.
That was fine, her fellow Kunoichi was a teammate. According to Iruka they were supposed to be able to trust their team implicitly. As he had told her one day after class, they would be closer to her than her parents. The Haruno clan wouldn't be able to understand her Shinobi lifestyle but her teammates would be the family and support she needed.
He had stressed the importance of maintaining ties with her parents, of course, but when it came to deciding between her team and her clan the team would always come first. He had mentioned that would become 'comrade' when she became a Chūnin or Jōnin because she might not be with her original team but she wouldn't ever leave her Naruto-senpai so it didn't matter.
Was this what having siblings was like? She liked it.
Now she'd just have to figure out of Naruko was her older sister or younger sister. It didn't really matter too much, though, all that really mattered was that Naruto-senpai was also Naruto-nii.
Or maybe just Onii-chan.
She really liked that, she hoped he did too.
She'd stick to Senpai for now, though. Just in case.
"She looked good-" And Sakura had really wanted Naruto to look at her the way he looked at the older Jōnin, warm eyes full of fondness and a carefully restrained hunger. "and you seemed to like it on her." She gave another spin, making sure her skirt rose even higher this time. "What do you think?"
Naruto was silent for a moment, much to her worry, before he spoke slowly and carefully. "I have worried about that woman creating mini-me's before." He admitted. "I think she would absolutely adore you."
The Sakura before him was nothing like the Sakura he had known in the academy or the Sakura he had met when joining team seven. What on earth had- Oh. He had taken steps to turn her into a proper Kunoichi, hadn't he? Anko might not be his first thought to describe a proper Kunoichi- that would go to Kurenai and then...Yugao...- but she was certainly not the worst thing for a young Kunoichi to aspire to be.
No, he was being biased. Kunoichi should not be trying to emulate that woman.
But gods above did he love her. If this was the result of his attempts than he was going to consider it a massive success.
He was also positive Anko would take one look at the girl and reward him most pleasurably for what he achieved. Hopefully she'd leave Sakura out of it, the girl probably wasn't ready to become that much like Anko so soon. He'd have to try convincing her to give her at least three years, preferably four.
Sakura gave him an absolutely adorable pout- on second thought maybe he shouldn't let Anko know of her existence. He didn't need to give to Tokubetsu-Jōnin any more firepower in her arsenal to use against him – rested her fists on a cocked hips. "But what do you think of it, Naruto-senpai?"
"It's very cute, Sakura-chan." She seemed very pleased on how he had addressed her but somewhat disappointing by his response.
"Just cute?" She asked as she sashayed- as best she could, anyway- to the couch and practically melted into his side. "I'll have to ask Anko-san how to fix that."
Oh.
That wasn't good. He took a glance at his sister who looked to be somewhere between amused, pitying, and mildly uncomfortable.
Yeah, he was in trouble.
What was it about him that attracted crazy, dangerous woman and those aspiring to be such?
He wasn't sure if it was a blessing or a curse.
He knocked on the door with his cane, as was his preference. His rival had been invited along but, for whatever reason, had declined. Something about finding some way to do damage control or other such nonsense. The only real damage being risked was damage to Asuma himself and while he was a good man and a decent Jōnin he certainly wasn't the most insightful Hokage nor a terrible loss.
Maybe Hiruzen had simply needed to change his will?
He didn't have much time to think about it before the door cracked open and a Wolf peered out at him. They remained staring at eachother for a few minutes, neither saying anything, before the Wolf cocked his head to the side.
"Is Naruto available?"
The Wolf stared at him for a moment longer. "He's seeing to guests."
"I see."
The silence returned.
"Can you tell him I need to speak with him? It's of some importance."
"To you?"
"To Tsukuyomi."
The Wolf continued to stare, debating, before he asked "How important?"
"It's about Mizu no Kuni and what's happening there."
"Ah, important."
He gave a slight snort, the smallest of smiles threatening at his lips. "Quite."
"Naruto-sama will want to see you." The Wolf opened the door fully and stood to the side so he could enter.
"Excellent, where can I find him?" His cane clicked across the ground three times before the Wolf managed to answer.
"He's in sitting room number six, the grey one with white flowers."
Danzō paused, looking back to the Wolf closing the door. "He has six seating rooms?"
"Seven, and five dining rooms."
"I didn't ask about dining rooms." And he really didn't know why Naruto would have so many. What on earth was he doing in these apartments?
The Wolf just shrugged. "His last guests did."
Click, click, click, click.
Shifting chains moved so slowly it was almost painful, links clinking together in a morbid rhythm. It should have been easy, simple. He was going to speak with them and remind them who they were dealing with, nothing more nothing less.
Apparently he had been too late, one of them had already forgotten who the Wolves were.
Who Tsukuyomi was.
Who Tsukuyomi needed to be.
He did not have the luxury of being Naruto, not any longer.
It would serve as a painful lesson and a powerful example, wasteful as it might be. Every human life had value, a use fullness that was lost when they became nothing more than a sack of meat.
That process had value too, and he was milking it for all it was worth.
It would be a shame to let their life be completely wasted when a slow death could serve his purposes better than quick, brutal violence ever could.
It would be slow, it would be painful, and it would ensure the rest of the crew did not forget who stood before them.
If the world wanted to see Wolves then he would show the world their god.
Ship Master Yokida stood as still as he could, face kept carefully blank even as fists shook at his sides. He couldn't do anything but he wouldn't look away. He owed his men at least that much. The rest of his crew was much the same, staring in shock and horror but unable to look away or force their bodies to move.
"Gyah! Gahhn, gaa!" Aside from the steady clicking of black chains only one of Yokida's men made a sound in the wheelhouse. When Tsukuyomi had told the crew to gather together and informed them in no uncertain terms that they were not to speak of this trip and that punishment for disobeying his orders would be dealt with strictly and harshly Dento had made the mistake of laughing.
Apparently he didn't feel threatened when only the Daimyo remained present on the ship, especially when the Daimyo was "No Daimyo of mine, we're free men.". Perhaps he wouldn't have had too much to fear from a normal Daimyo, a civilian raised in the lap of luxury.
Tsukuyomi was not a normal Daimyo.
Dento would die as he lived, a free man.
His death would bind the rest of the crew under the Wolves through fear.
Black chains continued to click, suspending Dento in the air of the wheelhouse and slowly pulling his limbs to the walls. The chain around his neck did not move but two more slashed over his torso cutting away clothing, tearing flesh, and breaking bone.
"Gyagaaa!" The two chains struck him through the chest before he was ripped apart with a final tug. Tsukuyomi had not looked at him the entire time, his broken mask staring straight into the eyes of Ship Master Yokida. When the pieces thudded to the ground he spared them but a glance, scoffing as the blood began staining into the wooden floors.
Compared to some of the impossible things high-level Shinobi could accomplish he wasn't all that impressive but compared to civilians without Chakra he was the deity his children believed him to be.
"...Did anyone else have something they would like to add?" Black chains vanished into wisps of Chakra leaving only the bloodied remains of a man.
The crew didn't make a sound.
"No?" Naruto gave a thoughtful hum. "Then you all understand my orders?" When they remained silent a single thick chain materialized in his hand, falling to the floor with a heavy thud. Almost with a life of its own it began slithering across the ground like a snake inching closer to the rest of the crew with smooth movements.
"Y-yes." Yokida's Shaky words tumbled from trembling lips. "Yes, T-tsukuyomi-sama. We h-hear and o-obey."
"Good." The chain vanished. "Do not forget the cost of defiance. We are Wolves, you are meat." He stooped down and collected some of Dento's blood on two of his fingers before smearing it against the snarling maw of his mask. "We will not hesitate to devour you."
"W-we understand, Tsukuyomi-sama."
He stared at the Ship Master for a moment more before locking his one visible eye with every remaining member of the crew. "Go home to your families." He commanded. "And ensure his share goes to his. Think of them should you be tempted to do something...less than wise."
With those parting words he spun on his heal and walked through the mess that had once been Dento without hesitation.
Tsukuyomi's children needed him. They would not be kept waiting.
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If you would like to see my responses to the feedback I received for the last chapter, Commentaries – Sealkeeper Chapter 94 will be available at Eyazahrid-dot-net later today due to scheduling issues. I plan to try something new and start talking about what I intended for the next chapter in commentaries but that may find itself becoming its own weekly post or wrapped into the Weekly Update.
Until I next have your attention,
–Eyazahrid