And here we are, a hundred and thirty-two chapters in and over five years of writing and we're breaking the threshold - 'Sealkeeper: He Who Binds' has just exceeded one million words. Gods above, I have no idea how we've made it this far but thank you all for helping me reach this point. I have an idea for something I'd like to do to celebrate this milestone and am going to try to get it done on my days off here so hopefully it will be ready by the next chapter.
Until it is ready, however, I leave you with this chapter. Enjoy.
Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 132-A "Preventative Therapy"
Patron Release 2020.01.19
Tsume's forehead connected to her desk with a solid thump before rising an inch and falling back down. After her third strike she looked up at the Inuzuka in her office- her forehead an angry red- and shot him a look that was almost pleading.
"This is a joke, right?"
"N-no, Tsume-sama."
She groaned. "Tsukuyomi I could understand- hell, I would expect it- and I wouldn't have any problems with that, but you're telling me that some of the most senior and respected members of the pack are now terrified of Genin Naruto?" She made sure to stress his Konoha Shinobi rank for emphasis on how unthreatened they should be. Three of them had reached Jounin, for fuck's sake, they should not be scared of a Genin.
Even if she was aware he was probably much more than that, his extra status was among the Wolves. Tsume wasn't so foolish as to disregard the power and influence she was certain Naruto wielded within the Imperial House but she was also pretty sure that didn't translate into a physical sort of power- ignoring the Wolves he could sic on anyone who got on his bad side- that trained Jounin should be trembling at.
Don't get her wrong, she was incredibly impressed that he had managed it- her respect for him going up a few notches without question- but she couldn't ignore how disappointed in her own clan members that made her. Sure, Naruto could be a bit off-putting and he had a presence about him that made you feel like you were a naughty child called before parents that had discovered your latest misbehaviour but that was no excuse for her family to be trembling in their Shinobi Sandals at the thought of him.
She considered calling them to her office to get the story from them directly but quickly shelved the idea. She could just pay Naruto a visit and get the events from him. She doubted Naruto would have any reason to try stretching the truth at all considering he wasn't the one scared of himself. Her Inuzuka, on the other hand, had their pride to cover and would probably embellish the story quite a bit to avoid further embarrassment.
The real question, though, was whether or not she felt like stopping by now and feeling like a child again.
No, Tsume decided. She really didn't.
Maybe later.
"Yes, exactly." Sasuke-maru nodded as he looked down at Naruto's pseudo-seals. It had taken a bit for him to understand the thought process each one represented rather than actual functions or seal elements but that had been aided by the similar manner of thinking the two shared.
The Sharingan helped a bit, too.
"You've translated the concepts just fine for the application and for the building of the secondary Chakra System of the original Ten no Juin and it looks like you've managed to eliminate the drawbacks-" Orochimaru frowned. "But something about the activation and deactivation seems off, I'm not sure you'll be able to properly control it that way."
"I see," A similar frown pulled at Naruto's lips. Things had seemed like they were going a bit too smoothly around that part, like they were fitting together perfectly. He supposed he should have realized that would indicate he didn't really understand how it was supposed to function even if he did understand the function itself. "You'll need to explain those parts to me again, then, obviously I'm missing something.
"Of course, of course." From the indulgent smile that crossed his face Orochimaru was more than happy to spend more time around his godson explaining the subtleties of his greatest masterpiece. "Let's start here, at this part." A pale finger pressed down towards one ofthe pseudo-seals and the part of the actual seal it was to replace. "As I've said before-"
A knock at the door interrupted him, drawing the attention of both the room's occupants.
"Expecting someone?" Orochimaru asked with raised brow.
"Rarely," Was Naruto's dry response. "Appointments seem to just make themselves more often than not." Scooping the papers from his desk into their folder he slipped it into his desk drawer for safe keeping.
The knock sounded again, strangely wooden, and Naruto blinked in surprise as he realized his visitor.
"Come in, Danzō."
Orochimaru's brows rose in interest as the door creaked open and the man in question took a step into the room. Danzō's exposed eye did a quick sweep of the room- as he was want to do in every room he entered- only to freeze at the sight of the missing Uchiha Sasuke standing next to Naruto's desk dressed in one of Naruto's outfits.
He paused for only half a second before turning his attention to someone just out of sight of the doorframe. "I do believe he might need a minute more."
The voice of the Sandaime Hokage answered him. "He's already invited you in, Danzō."
Naruto and Orochimaru shared a glance and Orochimaru moved to the window with a sigh, slipping out to the surprise of the two Wolves standing guard.
"It's fine." Naruto's statement was both to Danzō and to the startled Wolves, folding his hands over his desk and waiting for his new guests to make their way more fully into his office.
Danzō continued in, stopping near the left corner of Naruto's desk, and was followed by Hiruzen who spared the room a curious glance. It was much more...plain… than his own office and he briefly wondered if that was something to do with the upcoming exodus or simply a matter of personal taste.
As strange as it seemed, his bet was on the latter.
"Gentlemen, welcome." Naruto stood in greeting, gesturing towards the chairs that sat before his desk. If it weren't for regular cleanings of his office by the Wolves they would no doubt have quite a layer of dust from their disuse. "Please, help yourselves to a seat." He took his own as soon as he had said that and waited another few seconds for the two to get comfortable.
Well, as comfortable as one could get on those chairs which, from experience, he knew was not much.
When they were settled he steepled his fingers together and, resting his elbows on his desk, tapped the tips of his fingers against his lips. "Not that I'm at all perturbed by this sudden, unexpected visitation-" The fact that they arrived by themselves and no Wolf had come to warn him of their presence was beyond strange. Oh, no, Danzō had stayed here for a while, hadn't he? That was probably why the Wolves had just let him and the Saindaime through without escort or warning. That made sense. "-But I would most certainly like to know what has prompted it."
"You're leaving, Naruto." Was Danzō's response. "We've decided to pay you a visit before you're gone. I hardly expect you planned on visiting either of us before you departed."
Naruto frowned at that but conceded his point with a bob of his head. He hadn't planned on visiting either of them, the thought had never crossed his mind.
"I expected as much."
"No offence, Danzō, but you hardly strike me as the sentimental type. At most I might expect to send you a card to let you know we've left." A sudden thought struck him. "..You're not in need of any more undergrounded bases, are you? I appear to have one I'm not going to be needing soon."
"Oh?" The warhawk's brow rose but before he could anser Hiruzen cleared his throat, drawing attention towards him.
"Perhaps the two of you could discuss such business when I am not present?" He suggested.
Danzō and Naruto shared a quick glance.
"I don't know what you could mean, Sandaime-sama." Naruto gave him a faux-inquisitive look. "We're simply discussing realty, nothing wrong with that."
"As much as I'd rather not be, I'm well aware of what that realty would be used for and as much as he'd like to claim 'private security'-" He shot Danzō a dirty look. "We all know that's not the case."
"Shimura-san," Naruto returned to Danzō. "Have you considered branching out to provide private security to others?"
"Hmmm," The man in question stroked his chin in thought. "I hadn't, but that's not a terrible idea…"
"You'd of course have to be slightly more open about whose company was providing such security to yourself and others, but that shouldn't be too much trouble."
"Again, when I am not here, please." Hiruzen sighed. "We're here to say goodbye, not discuss ways to defeat my orders to disband ROOT."
"ROOT?" Danzō questioned.
Naruto scoffed. "There's no such thing, Sandaime-sama."
"...I regret the fact that you two ever met."
"Noted." Danzō nodded.
With a shake of his head Hiruzen turned his attention to Naruto. "I heard you and your...friends...are leaving Konoha. You know you don't have to, right? Even if my son doesn't like it, the Imperial House of Wolves has been sanctioned by Iroh. Only he has the authority to order you out."
"I'm aware, Sandaime-sama, but I thank you for your concern." Naruto leaned back into his seat. "We had already been contemplating moving on, you see, so now was as good a time as any."
"To avoid conflict?"
"...Sure." Naruto very pointedly turned his chair to more fully face Danzō instead,his attention moving with it. "So about that realty I have in my possession, are you already familiar with the property or should we perhaps arrange for a tour? I'm fairly certain it's already mostly cleared out."
"I think a tour might be in order, I can't say I really remember what that building was like and I'm sure your Wolves probably took similar liberties there as they did here."
"A fair point," Naruto nodded in agreement. "Are you available tomorrow afternoon? I do believe my schedule is clear then." It was all clear, technically, because he never bothered to write anything down but that was another matter entirely.
"I should be. I'll have to review my own schedule to see if I had arranged for any meetings with my...security personnel. It's never wise to maintain the same shifts and patrols over long periods of time, after all, I like to mix things up regularly."
"A sound idea indeed."
"I'm going to take a wild stab in the dark here and say this somehow works into your hand in other ways, Naruto." Hiruzen gave him a shrewd look. "I'm not sure what else I should have expected of you."
"I'm not sure either, Saindaime-sama, but this would hardly be the first time you've underestimated me or my character."
"Ah." Yes, it would seem that time hadn't completely washed that away, had it? Naruto certainly didn't seem hostile or spiteful but Hiruzen could definitely understand why their interactions may end up being perhaps a bit more terse than he would have liked. "Yes, I dare say you're right about that." He paused for a second. "Still, I'd like to wish you the best in your endeavours as you move on from Konoha. I do think I'll take my leave now."
"Thank you, Sandaime-sama. Do make sure to enjoy that retirement of yours. It's long overdue."
"Yes," Hiruzen gave him a small grin before turning to leave. "I'll be sure to do that."
It could, Hiruzen supposed, be worse. A professional relationship was better than nothing and while he regretted some of the decisions he'd made when it came to the young man he was still pleased to know he seemed to be doing quite well for himself.
He hoped that didn't change, though he was aware that with whatever was going on between Naruto and his son that would mean he was, perhaps, rooting against Asuma.
Did that make him a bad parent?
Well, if it did he at least got it right with the other two. Two out of three wasn't too bad, was it?
There was silence for several long seconds after Hiruzen had closed the door after himself before Danzō spoke. "Realty, huh?" He asked with a raised brow. "Was that genuine or were you that desperate for a topic to avoid telling him anything important?"
Naruto's own brow rose up in challenge. "Desperate?" He scoffed. "Not at all, it was simply an easy way to show him I had no intention of continuing on that path of conversation."
"Not anymore."
"Not anymore." Naruto agreed. "Once, perhaps, but not these days. He lost that trust some time ago." The young Daimyo shook his head. "I prefer not to dwell on it, doesn't do anyone any good."
"And yet you brought it up today." Danzō pointed out, earning a mild glare from the young man.
"I'm more than aware, thank you." His expression said he was anything but grateful for the older man's insight on the matter. "It served its purpose well enough."
"And that would be…?" Danzō knew of course, or, he thought he did, but he'd long ago realized that assuming was always a bad move when it came to Naruto. Just because everything he was seeing pointed to something didn't mean the young man was going in that direction at all- a fact that was as frustrating as it was fascinating.
It always made him pity the young man's assistant, he couldn't imagine how difficult it must have been trying to keep track of everything as it happened day in and day out.
"To get him to leave." Was Naruto's answer. "I hadn't exactly planned on having a Hokage- former or not- paying me a visit today. Heads up from either you or the Wolves still here would have been nice."
"Surely it wasn't that much of an inconvenience?" The look Naruto shot him told him he may soon be eating his words, but he couldn't fathom why that would be.
"...Orochimaru." It wasn't said very loud but as soon as the name came from his lips the man in question slipped back in through the window and Danzō understood perfectly why including Hiruzen in the visit may have posed an issue.
"...Ah."
"Yes, 'ah'." Naruto agreed. "I'd rather not have to deal with that can of worms anytime soon." A frown pulled at his lips and his gaze drifted over to his door as realization struck him. Orochimaru was the first to notice, naturally.
"Something wrong, Naruto-kun?"
"I just realized Hiruzen is now in my apartment unescorted." He admitted. "I can't say I'm exactly comfortable with that fact."
"You think he might snoop around?" Asked Danzō. That didn't exactly sound like his old rival.
"Not as much as I think he might end up running into people talking about things they shouldn't or guests I'd rather he not met." Naruto answered with a sigh. "At least the godling is gone."
Danzō blinked in surprise. "Excuse me, the what?"
"Just the daughter of a sun god," Naruto waved off the man's question. "It's of no consequence."
"...The fact that I don't immediately think you're lying about having some sort of divine being in here at some point terrifies me beyond belief, Naruto."
The Daimyo shrugged. "Well, I guess it's a good thing she wasn't here when you stopped for a visit then, isn't it?" He retrieved the papers he was working through with Orochimaru earlier. "Don't worry, I sent her off to take over a country for me, you probably won't be running into her anytime soon."
As much as Naruto seemed to think him bringing Hiruzen here was cause for a headache, Danzō was becoming of the opinion that he was receiving one that was substantially larger.
Spending too much time around Naruto and his Wolves was probably not good for his health.
There was another knock at Tsume's office rather than down at her front door and Tsume found herself wondering if perhaps someone had stolen the front door and that was why everyone seemed perfectly at ease allowing themselves into her house lately.
She couldn't really think of any other explanations that made any more sense, so that had to be it.
"Come in." She was sure if she waited any longer they would just see themselves in that door too so Tsume was quick to exercise what little control she seemed to have left in her own damn house.
She was pleasantly surprised by the identity of her guest.
"Mai?"
"Tsume," The young woman smiled. "How was everything with the Inuzuka?"
"F-fine, just fine." Tsume shot her a quizzical gaze. "Should you be here? I would think setting things right among the Wolves would have taken longer."
A dusting of pink spread across the top of Mai's cheeks. "Everything was under control, actually."
Tsume blinked a few times, running the words through her head to make sure she had heard them correctly. "...Really?"
"Yeah, you're as surprised as I am." She admitted, quickly adding; "And Naruto, too. He was apparently expecting there to be many more complications than he's run into so far."
"I'd bet," Shaking her head Tsume shot her a grin. "If anyone knows trouble it would be that boy." Pausing, she remembered the last time she found herself discussing the young man. "In fact, from what I hear he's managed to terrify some of the senior Inuzuka while we were gone. They practically jump at just his name."
The sound that left Mai was somewhere between a defeated sigh and a hopeless moan and even she wasn't sure which it had been intended to be. "I'm so sorry, did you need me to speak with him?"
Tsume shook her head and let out a quick bark of laughter. "No, no. While I'm sort of disappointed that they are terrified, it's certainly an impressive feat on his end. Might have appreciated him telling me what Tsukuyomi wanted the Inuzuka clan doing while the Wolves were out of Konoha but I'm pretty sure he hadn't expected us back soon enough to pass it on personally."
"Oh?" This was the first she'd heard of him giving the Inuzuka instructions. She supposed she probably should have expected it to be something of that nature when Hanabi mentioned he'd been seeing to other groups before their departure but she wasn't sure what sort of instructions might have been intended for the Inuzuka. Last she'd heard, there weren't any real plans for them, everything Naruto had intended had already been implemented to his satisfaction. "What did Tsukuyomi want done?"
"I should probably check with Naruto to make sure I get the original instructions rather than just what they've managed to remember but the gist of it is that with the Wolves gone they'll need us to be your eyes, ears, and hands within the village. To that end, he wanted us to ensure we have strong ties to the village and integrate ourselves enough that the thought of losing us should terrify the councils."
"That doesn't seem like a bad thing to do even if you weren't associated with the Wolves." Mai noted. "A lot of the clans are pretty separate from the majority of Konoha and just rely on their status, if you were to become a part of the average shinobi's life the clans standing would shoot up tremendously and if you get the civilians enamoured with the clan you might become the first Shinobi Clan in Konoha to actually have the support of the civilian council since the Senju at founding."
That would be a very good place to be considering they controlled a lot of the economy and were the makers of Konoha's more mundane laws. Well, no, they were Konoha's lawmakers, it was just that the Shinobi council then needed to make exceptions and modifications for Shinobi and then the whole thing would have to be approved by the acting Hokage or- technically- the Daimyo himself.
Having merchants liking you enough to cut you deals on goods was already a huge boon, the possibility of exclusive trade deals even better, and then to bring in the thought that you might have the favor of lawmakers who could help you elevate your own clan or box in your competition? That was absolutely priceless.
That sort of thinking did make Mai slightly worried about what Naruto might have planned for the near future but she did her best to set that to the side. Everything was under control at the moment and moving forward smoothly. She'd get more details for all his plans when they got to Nami no Kuni.
And, more importantly, when she had a chance to forget all about the divine beings he may or may not have been having dealings with. She technically wasn't paid anyway but there was no way in hell she was paid enough for that sort of mess.
She'd leave the whole godhood bundle to Naruto, he seemed to find it perfectly mundane which, if she was honest, was probably some cause for concern. First he's presenting himself and others as deities and now he was apparently consorting with other- true- divine beings? If he really was that brought up questions she wasn't comfortable even considering and if he was mistaken, well, she liked what that pointed to even less.
"No," Tsume agreed. "It's not a bad idea at all. With our ties to you and Nami, well, we- I- hadn't really considered how the village would see us. They didn't matter anymore. Sort of a dumb way to look at it, I suppose, but I guess that's why he's the Daimyo and I'm just a clan head."
"That's a bad comparison to make, Tsume. You don't even want to be a Daimyo."
"You're damn right about that, but that still goes to show the difference in ambition and, well, vision, I suppose. I hadn't even considered how we could use our connections to Nami to improve things in Konoha beyond financially. Just because Konoha doesn't really think that highly of us in anything other than tracking doesn't mean we can't use those new funds to build ourselves up to something more here."
"No, it doesn't. Do you have an idea what you'd like to do to raise the Inuzuka clan?"
"Me? No. Luckily Naruto had such an impression on my clanmates that they've gone ahead and come up with a list of things we can do to further expand our influence." Tsume frowned at that. "No, that's not quite right. 'Gain more favor' might be more fitting. Perhaps 'with the populace'?" Her expression was pleading and questioning both and Mai thought it made her look like a confused puppy. "I'm really not good with this stuff."
"Well in that case what do you think about a crash course somewhere a bit more comfortable?"
"Oh?" Tsume perked up immediately at the suggestion. "What did you have in mind?"
"Well we never did finish that vacation and with everything here in Konoha going just fine, maybe you'd care to join me in finishing it?"
"It's not much of a vacation if we're here, though." Tsume frowned. "The Inuzuka compound isn't exactly a resort and it would be really weird to be back with the Wolves- no offence."
"None taken, I'd feel weird trying to relax so close to work anyway. I was thinking more along the lines of a nice hotel and some time in Konoha's hotsprings."
"Mmmm, that does sound pretty good." She looked down at what work remained on her desk. Yeah, Mai's proposal definitely sounded better than sorting through that. "Guess I should get packed."
"Naruto says check in's at two, so there's no rush."
Tsume raised a brow. "Did he arrange it again?"
"He offered when we got home early," Mai admitted. "Said it was understandable that I would worry but that he and…" Actually, Hanabi being under Wolf protection wasn't something known to the public and was definitely more a Hyuuga matter than an Inuzuka matter in any case. "..My assistant..still had everything under control so I was free to finish up here in Konoha before we left."
"No offence, Mai, but sometimes I really do wonder if you need to work at all. You could have yourself set up like a princess for the rest of your days with a single request, you know that right?"
"I do, I just think it would be terribly boring."
"Yeah," Tsume agreed with a grin. "It probably would be. But I think I could handle being bored if it also meant I didn't have anything to stress over anymore."
"Now that I can agree with you on, but when there's nothing to stress over I get worried I've missed something important I should be stressing over."
"And that," Tsume declared, throwing one arm over Mai's shoulders as she stood up from her desk. "Is exactly why we're finishing this vacation."
"That's it?" Hanabi asked, torn between disbelief and hope. She wanted to believe it but it just sounded too good, they must have missed something. "Really?"
The Wolves gathered before her shared a glance, not sure what she meant. They said they had finished, that seemed pretty self-explanatory to them.
After a few seconds of silence one of them spoke up. "Yes, Hanabi-sama. We've finished packing the Den and the apartment. We've left this office and Naruto's office alone for the most part but that's only an hour or so of work maximum that we can do before departure or even after everyone else leaves. Naruto's bedroom is the most full still, but most of his belongings are packed."
"If his belongings are packed how is it the most full still?"
"Naruto's room has...quite a lot of blankets and pillows." Was the explanation she received. Certainly not a very satisfying one, it just left her with even more questions.
"Okay…? Why does it have so many? If there are extra we should be packing those up. He only needs enough to make him through the next few days and that's only assuming he actually sleeps in that time." A very valid point to raise, actually. He had slept recently- they were pretty sure, anyway- so who could say when he'd next feel like he had the time or- much more likely- collapse from exhaustion and sleep just long enough to become conscious again.
He was going to end up killing himself if he didn't drive one of them to kill him first.
Mayube that was his plan- suicide by assistant.
No, couldn't be, otherwise he'd have a dedicated assistant of his own by now. He could still be trying with Mai, she supposed, but with how busy she was with her own duties- or how busy she would be once she returned to them- it would be a horribly inefficient way to attempt suicide.
Unless that was the point.
Probably best to drop that train of thought there.
"Uh…" The Wolves shared another- much more nervous- glance among themselves, trying to figure out what should be said to explain it. "Because he likes it?" It was more question than answer and they hadn't even attempted to disguise it otherwise as if he was asking the group rather than telling her.
He changed his tone as the Wolf to his left gave him a swift punch in the arm.
"Oh, uh, because he likes it, Hanabi-sama."
"It's a little late for that," She commented dryly. "But I appreciate the effort. Now." She folded her hands together and rested them on Mai's desk. "Who would like to explain to me the real reason?"
It wasn't even that important she realized as she asked, just a bunch of blankets and pillows, but between how hesitant the Wolves were to answer and a mild curiosity about something that seemed out of character for Naruto- he liked to keep his furnishings very simple and functional, excess was not his style in the slightest- she now found herself fairly invested in obtaining an accurate answer.
"It's for his guests, Hanabi-sama."
"Guests?" Why on earth would guest blankets and pillows be on his bed, that completely defeated the purpose. They'd also already packed up guest rooms, if he needed accommodations for them it would have made more sense to keep one or two of those prepared to serve that purpose not throw extra on his own bed. "If they're for guests, why are they being used on a bed? They should be stored clean and ready to be used."
"...For guests...in his bed….Hanabi-sama."
That still didn't make sense and the former Hyuuga heir found herself beginning to grow frustrated with the Wolves and their answers. "Whomever he decides to sleep with I'm sure could make use of the regular dressing of the bed, I'm assuming the excess you mentioned is more than two pillows on his bed and a few blankets for the winter."
"Twelve pillows and seven blankets." One of the others chimed in helpfully.
"I didn't need the specifi-" She dropped her sentence with a sigh. "Could someone please just explain what sort of guests would require extra pillows and blankets on his bed?"
"Oh, it's for us, Hanabi-sama, for when we join him."
Okay.
O-kay.
Yep, and this was why Mai had needed a vacation. Hanabi saw it now. She thought she had been fully exposed to the Wolves and how strange they were but apparently there was even more. She was scared to consider just how much more there could be to this iceberg she had just crashed into.
"I...don't think I want to know." She admitted. "I really don't think I do." Hanabi shook her head as if it would dislodge the strange fact that had just taken residence there. "Are any of you planning to do so in the next few days?"
"Uh, no, not really Hanabi-sama."
"Good," She gave a single nod of her head. "In that case pack it up. In the meantime I'm going to go find Shizune-sensei and hope I can start using her as a therapist before I actually reach the point where I need one."
At this rate she was going to be lucky to hit twenty before losing her mind.
That's what she got for trying to stave off the boredom, she supposed, she certainly wasn't bored anymore these days.
She wasn't sure if that was a good thing.
Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 132-B "Imagine"
Patron Release 2021.01.26
"...I'm surprised you were actually serious." Danzō admitted honestly, glancing down the hallways of one of the Den's lower levels. "I really did think you were just trying to change the topic with Hiruzen around."
He had not expected for a Wolf to show up at his primary ROOT base to remind him he was supposed to meet Naruto to tour the Den that afternoon.
"Nonsense," Naruto scoffed. "Why would I change the topic to something that didn't exist when I have a very real base that's going to be going vacant for the foreseeable future on my hands? It wouldn't help any and, honestly, it would be horribly inefficient. I have plenty of work to talk about if I need to steer away from certain conversations."
"Like what?"
Naruto shot him an amused look, one brow rising slowly. "If I told you now I won't be able to use it to avoid sensitive topics in the future."
"You don't really expect that sort of work to stay around long enough to still be relevant then, do you?"
"I'm usually pretty good at keeping up with my duties and responsibilities as of late," Naruto claimed. "But considering how many things seem to have landed on my plate at once? Well, I wouldn't be too surprised. Besides, my track record isn't exactly stellar in that area now, is it?"
"I wouldn't know." Was Danzō's dry response. "Maybe that should be a question for an assistant you don't have."
Naruto paused mid-step, slowly lowering his foot to the ground and turning around to fully face the old warhawk. After a few seconds of scrutinizing the man he shook his head ruefully. "I'm not even going to ask how it is you've come to know about that incomplete task and simply wonder why you're giving me flak for it too. I have enough people getting after me for that, you know."
"I didn't, actually," The man chuckled. "I thought it was obvious enough by how tired you always look and the fact that Mai's always seemed so busy with her own work, but the thought that there are more people doing so is greatly amusing."
"I'll get an assistant when someone suitable is found, not sooner. Pestering me about it isn't going to speed up the process any."
"If you were searching, no, it wouldn't." Danzō nodded in agreement. "But you're not searching, are you?"
Naruto's response was silence.
"I thought as much, any reason?"
"...I have absolutely no idea how to find one."
"You found Mai, didn't you?"
"Sai and Mai fell into my lap." Answered Naruto flatly. "It was dumb luck."
"And Mai's assistant?"
"Made a deal with the Wolves for her safety during the branch revolt and got bored sitting around doing nothing each day. Also luck."
"...How many people within your House did you actually go out and recruit yourself?"
"...Two, three if you count my governess in Nami."
"...Really?" Danzō seemed more than a little off put by his answer. "The rest just fell into place I suppose?"
"Exactly. I have no idea how I managed to bring them all together."
"...I do not think there are words in existence to describe just how envious of you I am right now."
Naruto shrugged. "Have you tried being more charismatic? They're probably drawn in by my charm or something."
"...You don't seriously believe that, do you?"
"If you have a better suggestion I'm all ears."
"...Perhaps there might be….some...merit to your...theory." Danzō cleared his throat to break away from the subject. "Who was it?"
"Hmm?"
"Who did you reach out and bring into your House on purpose?"
"Ah, my head physician Kato Shizune and her assistant, Senju Tsunade."
"Her...assistant….?" Danzō's eye screwed shut to block off the impending onslaught of a headache he knew was building. There wasn't a person alive who shouldn't know of Senju Tsunade and while Kato Shizune was definitely a more local name to know the very thought that the legendary medic might be someone else's assistant was beyond ludacris.
"As I said, Kato-Sensei is the head physician of the House of Wolves. I recently reached out to Tsunade and secured her as Kato-Sensei's assistant." A cheeky smirk pulled at his lips, one Danzō could barely see on the side of his face from that angle. "She came highly recommended, you know."
"Nothing around you is ever right, Naruto. Nothing at all."
"And yet it continues to work. Maybe you should try it one of these days."
Yes, Danzō thought, maybe he would.
"You're leaving?" Emerald eyes widened in equal parts horror and heartbreak, with only the faintest hints of a hope that this was some sort of cruel joke.
Naruto, unfortunately for her, was not joking.
"Yes, Sakura-chan, I'm leaving." He reached over and placed his hand on her head, gently ruffling her pink hair. "Or, to be more accurate, the Wolves are leaving Konoha and I'm going with them."
"But...can't you stay?" Just because the Wolves were going didn't mean he had to too, did it? What was she supposed to do without her Naruto-senpai?
" Well," He frowned. "I could, but I think it might be a bit improper for me to stay while they left."
"Why?" The initial surprise of his declaration had faded and acceptance had started to take root but now curiosity entered the stage, tugging at her attention and momentarily distracting her.
"Because I'm their Daimyo, Sakura-chan. It's only right I go with them."
Her eyes, if anything, grew even more wide. "You're-"
He held a finger up to his lips and gave her a wink. "While it's not really a secret that needs to be guarded I'd rather that not get spread around just yet, yeah? Let's try to make it outside Konoha's walls before people realize there's been a second Daimyo here, they tend to make a huge fuss about it and that just sounds like more trouble than I feel like dealing with."
She nodded, more in her surprise than in conscious agreement to his words. He knew she'd heard him but she probably wouldn't even have a chance to process what he'd said until later.
"Sure you don't want to just hire team seven for an indefinite escort mission?" Asked Kakashi, only briefly glancing up from his book to inquire. "Though as part of team seven maybe it would be more efficient to just have one of the Wolves hire all of us. At least that way some of the money gets back to your pockets."
"Nice try, Kakashi," Lauded Naruto. "But I'm not taking you with me. We've discussed this."
The man shrugged. "Worth a shot."
Shaking his head Naruto returned his focus to Sakura. She was the only one on Team Seven that hadn't known any of this when the sun rose this morning so this entire team meeting was more or less for her benefit.
"I'll probably stop by for visits periodically," He assured her. That was...possibly true. Mostly if he remembered and wasn't behind on his work. Konoha wasn't going to be that far away from him so stopping by wasn't too much trouble unless he wanted to make official visits as a Daimyo. That's where things could become troublesome. "But in the meantime I do have a parting gift for you to remember me by."
Turning to the trees that surrounded the training field he waved over a wolf who emerged with a box large enough to obscure his torso.
"Technically," He proceeded to explain. "This might be considered regifting but I'm confident you'll enjoy these much more than I ever will."
Kakashi's Icha-Icha dropped from his hand into the grass as he instantly realized what would have to be in the box. Gods knew he had spent enough time helping himself to that collection.
While not wrong, he also didn't know the true value of its contents.
He was aware that his jaw had fallen slack but, like his book, he couldn't find it in him to pick it up as he watched the box grow nearer with near reverence.
The wolf set the box down at Naruto's feet and- after a quick bow- retreated back to the woods.
"Here, take a look. I think you'll like this." Naruto knelt down and opened the box, revealing its treasure to the young Haruno.
"That's…."
"Mm," He gave a nod of his head. "The entire Icha-Icha collection, all special editions and signed by Jiriaya himself." Just hearing that had Kakashi practically drooling and Sakura was pretty sure her heartbeat had become so fast that it had turned into a constant hum instead. "Each one is one of the first prints, I think the latest I have in there is the eighth of a book to be printed."
"You-" She looked up at him, tearing away her gaze from the trove that had been presented to her, with a mixture of disbelief and hope. "You're giving this to me? Really?"
He ruffled her hair again.
"Absolutely."
"T-thank you."
"You're very welcome. Maybe when I visit we can find some time to arrange bouquets, hmm?"
That was, perhaps, an even greater treasure and she found her eyes widening once more.
"I'd really like that, Naruto-Senpai."
Kakashi cleared his throat, unable to hold back this question any longer. "Naruto, where did you come across something so…..magnificent?" While the young man seemed to have all the Icha-Icha in his library he hadn't realized another of his students- his very son- was a fan of the series and to have such a collection- Kakashi justy couldn't believe something like this had escaped him and, more importantly, been hidden from him. He wasn't sure to be proud or disappointed that this had been kept secret. How long had he spent under the same roof as this holy grail without knowing of its existence?
"Jiraiya gave it to me, I had it packed away because I wasn't interested in reading them. Sakura seemed to enjoy going through Yashe's collection so I thought she might appreciate them as a reminder of her Senpai."
Sakura nodded in silent agreement, green eyes glued again to the open box.
"And you didn't give them to me?" Kakashi nearly sounded genuinely hurt at that, which would otherwise be strange but should have been expected in matters such as this.
Naruto shrugged. "Sakura-Chan is cuter."
Not for the first time, Kakashi wondered if he would have been better off being born a girl.
The horses would have probably appreciated it but Tsunade might have felt threatened.
Naruko watched her team interact with a soft smile, glad Sakura had gotten the chance to say goodbye to her brother before he vanished. She'd already lost one teammate like that, she didn't need it to happen again- especially when she seemed far more infatuated with Naruto than she ever had with Sasuke.
She tried not to think about that too much, it was a subject that never failed to make her uncomfortable.
After a few seconds, however, that smile faded to be replaced by a light frown. While it was great the team got the chance to say goodbye to him Naruko knew someone else who would probably like to know he was leaving and, more than that, would very much appreciate a chance to see him again- quite possibly for the last time.
With Naruto's attention on Sakura and Kakashi and the two of them hypnotized by the presence of Jiriaya's books, Naruko slipped away from the training grounds. In the unlikely event anyone actually noticed she wasn't likely to be missed and, if she did this quickly enough, they would probably still be here ogling those books when she got back.
And that one went there to cover that and- done. Naruto gave a satisfied nod as he looked down at his latest interpretation of the seal. This part should cover the activation and control just fine and- he spared a glance across his desk where he sat working on the other parts- the other elements should have already been combined for the main body of the seal.
As if knowing his thoughts- which wasn't such an absurd assumption to make considering it was himself- he looked up and gave himself a thumbs-up.
"We're done here," He declared. "Is the trigger ready to be integrated?"
Naruto sparead another few precious seconds to double check before giving himself an affirming nod. "Yes, it's all set." He agreed. "Did you want to handle this part too or would you prefer to leave that to me?"
"No," Naruto shook his head. "I think I'll let you have the honor of finishing it. Besides, with you having just finished it and my experience putting this together, things will go more smoothly this way."
"The last time things went smoothly we were wrong." He was quick to point out to himself. "But I can see your point, you're free to dismiss yourself."
His clone didn't need to be told twice and in a small cloud of wispy smoke he vanished, quickly dispersing throughout the room.
Taking a moment, Naruto applied his limited Iryojutsu knowledge to sooth the influx of memories that crashed over him. Fortunately he'd only been at this for a few hours now, so this shouldn't be too bad. He spared a glance to his clock and momentarily lost control of his Jutsu in surprise.
Okay, maybe it had been just a tiny bit longer than he had realized.
Only like eight hours or so more than he'd expected, but that shouldn't make too much of a difference.
At least he hadn't managed to knock himself out again, that had become very old very quickly and he was really not in the mood to wake up under a glaring Shizune before their trip- especially when it would be easy for the woman to drag Mai to help her welcome him back to the land of the living.
No, thank you.
With oncoming headache averted- for the most part, anyway- he reached for the work his clone had finished, looking over it with a critical eye and memories of its creation fresh in his mind.
As he'd said, it was done and now he just had to add the last part.
Of course, it couldn't be a day of nothing but progress- none of the gods would ever allow something like that. No, there always had to be something to interrupt his work.
A knocking sounded from his office door- a noise that he had begun to hate as of late- notifying him of another guest and the arrival of a distraction that would steal him away from his current project.
Hopefully it was just a Wolf checking something and they would only need a moment or two of his time.
Knowing his luck he wasn't about to bet on that, though.
"Enter." Naruto commanded, stacking the papers together. If it was a Wolf he would leave it out but if it was someone else he was ready to slide them into his desk for the time being. It may not have been the Ten no Juin exactly and there were few people who should have been able to recognize it even if that was what was depicted on this set of notes but it was always better safe than sorry- when he had those sort of options, naturally.
Some days it felt like those opportunities presented themselves less and less, but that was probably just the weariness talking.
The door creaked open, a young Chunin on the other side peaking in.
"Ah, Chunin…" It took a moment to remember their name, though if they noticed that fact they made no indication of it. "Nara. Come in, what brings you to my office today? Another letter from the Hokage, perhaps, or has yet another Konoha Genin run away?"
"No, Naruto. This matter is," The young man hesitated, searching for words, and Naruto immediately wondered if this was some sort of act or if they were simply having difficulties coming up with a tactful way to respond. Nara were always quick thinkers but much like the Inuzuka they had a tendency to let you know exactly what those thoughts were. Complaining was a skill that had been perfected by the Nara, after all. "...Of a more personal nature."
Shikamaru frowned. "No, that's not right either. I'm here as Nara, not as a Chunin."
"Ah," Naruto nodded. "I understand. Konoha does not see this room, you don't need to worry about disguising your words here."
While his expression remained as bored and uninterested as any Nara worth his naptime, Shikamaru's black eyes sharpened shrewdly, making note of how quickly Naruto appeared to know the nature of his visit.
He was probably just imagining things but Nara were too insightful to dismiss that sort of feeling just on the chance they were wrong.
"Very well, I'll try to cut to the chase then-" He straightened slightly and started. "The Nara clan has been aware of your involvement with the Inuzuka and Yamanaka clans for quite some time and have been observing both them and the Wolves."
He paused to make sure Naruto was following along but could see no traces of even mild interest on the young man's face.
"It's..troublesome.." The first bit of Shikamaru shone through there, past whatever speech he'd probably been instructed to memorize, and Naruto wondered if this was the first time he'd been required to conduct clan business. "But I've been sent to see if the Imperial House of Wolves would be open to negotiating an alliance with the Nara clan too."
"Mmm," Naruto hummed in acknowledgement of the presented question- well, not question. The question was there but it had been said, not asked, but he wasn't going to hold that against someone as inexperienced as the Nara heir. He probably wouldn't even recognize his mistakes if Naruto did, so there was no point in wasting both of their time even if it had been a long time since Naruto had been given the chance to play one of his favorite games- but then proceeded to sit in silence for nearly a minute more simply staring at Shikamaru.
Just when Shikamaru was beginning to think Naruto had either not actually heard, had forgotten he was there, or had decided not to answer the young Daimyo's voice filled the room again.
"It's...an interesting thought, surely." Naruto's head bobbed for a few seconds. "But…" He fixed the Nara heir with a serious stare. "What makes you think there was any sort of negotiation with the other clans?"
Shikamaru didn't know what to say to that, blinking in stunned surprise as he turned over the words in his head. He hadn't been the one to come up with this proposal in the first place and he hadn't been sent as the one intended to make any sort of deals or arrangements but now that the question had been brought to him what had the others been thinking? Naruto and his allies had more or less crushed the Yamanaka before his father had seen them speaking in secret with the Inuzuka, the chances that they'd had any leg to stand on for negotiation was absolutely laughable.
But what about the Inuzuka? Surely they would have been in a much better position when they partnered themselves with the Wolves, there would have been some sort of agreement reached between the two groups- right?
"That's typically how two groups would come together as allies, I understand." Was Shikamaru's eventual answer, avoiding both the obvious question he suddenly realized he needed answered and Naruto's original question.
"The House of Wolves is not a typical sort of group, Nara, that should be the very first thing you understand long before proposing any sort of alliance." Naruto's expression showed he was not impressed but soon softened significantly. "Of course, that's also not the sort of thing you should be completely responsible for. It's your clan that sent you, isn't it? They've decided to try for this. I can't blame you as a messenger now, can I?"
Naruto shook his head. "No, that just wouldn't be proper." He went silent after that, thinking, and with a slowly raising brow inquired; "How informed are you of recent House of Wolves happenings?"
"...There are...rumors…" The Nara heir admitted. "That may have made their way back to the clan from a Nara within the ANBU."
"And what do those rumors say?"
"The House of Wolves will be leaving Konoha soon, won't it?"
"Exactly. So, tell me, why does the Nara clan think now, of all times, would be suitable to approach us?"
"Because you'll soon be gone, I suppose. They might be worried they'll miss their chance to reach out to you." Shikamaru gave his best educated guess, hoping it would be enough to satisfy Naruto. He wasn't sure what it was about his former classmate but he always felt very small when talking to him and it wasn't a sensation Shikamaru particularly enjoyed experiencing.
Naruto nodded easily, accepting the answer. "Yes, I suppose that's fair." He paused to give Shikamaru a pointed look. "They should know we're quite busy, though. That much should be obvious. I doubt we'll have any time to meet with them before our departure."
"They- we- understand." Shikamaru assured him. "I'm not sure if they intend it to be my father or maybe one of the other senior members of the clan but we're more than happy to send someone out of the village to meet with one of your representatives about this."
"I see." Naruto stroked his chin a few times in thought. "We could probably arrange something for that, yes, I think that will be suitable."
"You can tell your clan to expect word from the House of Wolves in the coming weeks, probably through one of our allies or some of our other agents in the area." Naruto's look turned grave. "Be warned, however, that if the Nara expect to be negotiating anything they'd best come to the table prepared with what they can offer in this arrangement. The House of Wolves is far from being a charity."
"Of course, we understand completely." The Nara heir gave a quick bow, more to hide the nervous expression he was sure had spread across his face than anything else. "If that was all? I should be getting back to the clan to inform them of our...discussion."
"You may leave." Naruto gave a lazy wave of his hand towards the door, inviting him to vacate the office. The fact that he was both being dismissed and had been given permission to excuse himself did not escape Shikamaru and he wondered if there was another message sandwiched between those two simultaneous implications of control.
Shikamaru was already wondering what the hell his father had been thinking, maybe his old man really had finally lost it.
Hopefully his mother and her frying pan would be able to knock some sense back into him-
Assuming that's not what caused this in the first place.
With a sigh of relief Naruto finished reading the last of the reports, signing off that he had received and reviewed the document before setting it aside with its fellows.
It hadn't been just the last of the reports but also represented the last of the paperwork he would be doing here in this office. The feeling was...beyond strange, entering into the surreal even, and as relieving as it was to be done the thought that he could sit here knowing there would be no more work coming his way made him beyond uncomfortable.
The sooner they managed to set up in their new base the better but even time spent in Nami would be better than remaining here for too much longer. He could rest assured there would be plenty of work coming his way at the palace to make him feel at home.
The fact that he should no longer receive bad news here in this office, however, was definitely something he could savor- even if only for a bit. He was sure things would still pop up plenty once he got to Nami but it would be nice for a few day's break from having to worry about it.
Bah, who was he kidding? He would still be worrying, he just wouldn't receive word until he reached Hanahime unless something catastrophic happened.
He was, then, very much hoping not to hear anything for the duration of the trip.
Flesh met wood outside his office.
And he was really looking forward to a guaranteed period of no more knocks at his office door. Maybe he needed to get a bell or something? Perhaps just a letter slot for people to request his attention, inform him of things, or otherwise communicate with him when he's working? He'd have to look into that later.
For now, it looks like he was needed in some capacity.
"Enter." Maybe what he really needed was just a Wolf to stand outside and screen everything to determine what actually needed his attention and how urgent it truly was. At least then he could rest assured it was important and wouldn't be wondering what sort of situation was awaiting him behind that wooden barrier.
A Wolf- was it strange that they'd been the most rare sort of visitor he'd had lately? Usually the majority of people interrupting him were his children. - peaked their head in and, upon determining they weren't interrupting anything that might put them in the line of fire- such as Tayuya stealing away some Naruto-time- they entered the office fully.
"This just came in, Tou-sama, I thought you might want it." The Wolf set a letter down on his desk and even without picking it up he could tell it made use of quality stationary.
So much for nothing important coming in.
"Thank you." He stood up and reached over to ruffle the Wolf's hair and picked up the letter as he sat back down. Grabbing his knife he flipped over the letter and stopped short, purple eyes affixed to the crimson spiral that stared back at him.
He had a pretty good idea who this was from and if he was right he also had a pretty good idea what it said. Nevertheless he proceeded to open the letter to confirm his suspicions.
Yes, of course it was. He was going to have to blame his sister for this, that much was obvious.
Noting his displeasure the Wolf tried to get a look at the letter without being too obvious. "Is something wrong, Tou-sama?"
"No, no." Naruto waved off his concern. "It would seem I've been invited to the Uzumaki compound."
"Ah." There was a slight pause. "So that's good?"
"I really don't want to go."
"Ah."
Silence returned for several long seconds. "So did you want to send a rejection back or….."
"No," Naruto stood up from the desk, tossing the letter onto it carelessly. "I'll be going anyway. I should be back within the hour, I suspect, I really don't have much to say to that woman."
"That...woman…?"
Naruto paused in the doorway to look back at the Wolf.
"Uzumaki Kushina- my mother."
Between his surprise at receiving the letter and her surprise that he actually showed up, Kushina was fairly certain hers was the greater of the two.
"Kushina." His voice was plain and even, not the slightest hint of familiarity leaking through, and she -not for the first time- wondered if it would have been easier to deal with a Naruto that hated her instead.
"Naruto-" She debated which suffix would be the most proper for a solid second, a most notable of pauses, before proceeding with the one she liked more. If this was possibly the last time she would be able to see him- at least for the foreseeable future- she wasn't going to taint those memories by calling him 'san' the whole time. This was her son, damnit. "Kun, I see you received my letter. Thank you for coming."
If he was at all bothered by her choice he didn't show it.
He didn't seem to be showing much of anything.
Kushina stepped to the side, opening the door further and making room so he could enter the house. "Please, come in."
With a nod he did just that, crossing the Engawa and stepping into the house proper.
"We can speak in the living room if you like," She offered. "Or perhaps the kitchen, if you'd prefer."
"The living room is fine."
"Of course," She gave a nod. "The living room is this- well, you know where it is." Of course he would know, she'd raised him for the first eight years of his life in this very house.
It felt like a lifetime ago.
He moved past her, just out of reach, and made his way to the room in question while she changed direction to retrieve tea from the kitchen. She'd put some on not long after sending the letter but that had been more to help her calm her own nerves while she waited. Shed' half expected not to hear from him at all, let alone for him to actually agree to visit the compound.
When she made her way to the living room a minute later Naruto had made himself comfortable in his father's chair. His hair might have been different but for the barest of seconds she could have sworn she saw Minato in his expression.
Perhaps not the laughing Minato she had loved so much, but certainly the calm seriousness he'd worn so well in his role of Hokage.
If only he'd found some other way to stop the Kyuubi's rampage all those years ago how different everything would have turned out.
She could only imagine what a family they would have been.
A special thanks goes to my continued Patrons for their support.
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