Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 145-A "Spicy Barbeque"
Patron Release 2021.09.22
"Tou-Sama!" Katsuri tried to sit up more from her position in bed but lacked the strength to do so. While her intention had been to take things at a moderate pace so she was still fit for duty when she reached Nami her excitement had gotten the better of her and she had ended up rushing most of the way here. It was very fortunate that High-Captain Keigo had assigned himself to a patrol out of boredom and found her shortly after she collapsed near Hi no Kuni's borders.
It was also rather unfortunate because High-Captain Keigo had the admirable habit of immediately reporting everything directly to Tsukuyomi bypassing all other channels it would have otherwise been delayed through.
Naruto had known before she had been placed in a bed and, Katsuri expected, had been waiting outside the door until Kato-Sensei was done checking her over.
But just because she couldn't stand- or sit- up to show him due respect didn't mean she couldn't provide the report he'd been waiting for. "I bring news from-"
One hand, silently raised, stopped her completely. The hard look he shot her didn't invite her to continue, either.
Silence settled in one of the few rooms Shizune had reserved within the Palace for medical emergencies. Normally the Wolves would have been put up in the barracks or Nami's established medical facility- a place well used to individuals such as High-Captain Keigo trying to sneak out of it before being cleared- but Naruto had been very clear that she was to be kept as close as possible and Shizune hadn't been about to question him.
"There are...no words...to properly convey the gravity of the disappointment I currently feel, Katsuri." He started. His tone was even and his words slow and soft but they still stuck her like a whip.
"T-tou-Sama?"
He ignored her question. "Your report, is it critical?"
"...No."
A questioning brow rose pointedly. "No one's dying? There are no emergencies? We haven't declared war against another country?"
"No, Tou-Sama."
"Then why do I currently have someone I trusted enough to assign the role of High-Captain lying in a bed, completely unable to move?"
"I- I wanted to-"
He held up his hand. "Don't. Whatever your reasons, they're unacceptable. I expect more from my High-Captains, Katsuri, and I especially expected more from you." There was a warmth to knowing he held her above even some of the other High-Captains but it was infinitely dwarfed by the freezing cold of his obvious disappointment
"You will remain here, in Kato-Sensei's care, within the same building I spend the majority of my time in. You will hold onto your report, disclosing it to none but myself, and I will not be receiving it from you until you are fully recovered and have been cleared by Kato-Sensei." He fixed her with a hard look. "Am I clear, High-Captain Katsuri?"
"Y-yes, Tsukuyomi-Sama." She turned away from him in her shame, staring down at the white sheets that covered her. She was surprised when she felt a hand slip over hers and looked up to meet the purple gaze of her lord.
"Good." His expression softened. "Don't worry me like this again."
"I won't, Tou-Sama. I promise."
"I'll hold you to that." He leaned down to place a kiss on her forehead and suddenly everything was alright.
"If I had a dick still," Sasori's gravely voice commented, tinged with awe. "It would be uncomfortably erect."
Shizune just rolled her eyes but she could see both Clicky and Kankuro nodding in agreement. "Oh, I can confirm that." Kankuro mumbled, shifting slightly. Shizune didn't miss where Clicky's gaze immediately wandered, nor did the slight tinge on her cheeks go unnoticed.
It was hard to tell if that was from Kankuro or simply her own arousal at the sight the boys were drooling over.
Honestly, it was probably a bit of both.
It was impressive, Shizune could readily admit, but it wasn't that impressive.
Yet.
"Come on, take another step for us!" Tsunade cheered. The woman had been surprisingly invested in the project but Shizune could chalk that up to boredom. There really wasn't much else for her to be doing around the palace at the moment so the project to make suitable armor for the Wolves served as a worthwhile distraction.
That didn't explain the looks her pseudo-mother- and that was a strained title considering the other night- kept shooting her with that strange glint in her eye or knowing smile but that was probably another matter entirely.
She was almost afraid to find out what Tsunade thought she knew.
Following the Sannin's instructions Rusty took another step, the thick armor slowing his movements considerably but moving so smoothly one could be excused thinking it was a being of flesh and bone rather than inanimate material draped over a Suna medic far from his desert home.
"It's beautiful." Clicky whispered and Shizune found herself rolling her eyes again.
"If this is how you react to just the armor, I worry about your reactions when we get the Fuinjutsu matrixes working it at full speed."
She was pretty sure Clicky and Kankuro both started drooling at the idea and the only reason Sasori didn't was because he wasn't physically capable of doing so.
"Hey, we gonna test out the weapons now too?" That was the part Deidara had been waiting for. He hadn't been much help in other aspects- though he had been able to mold that clay of his into various designs as they tried to visualize the final appearance- but he'd had a lot to say on the matter of weapons being shoved into it.
Mainly the ones that resulted in fire, explosions, or both. He prefered that last one the most, to no one's surprise.
"Yeah, sure, why not." Tsunade shrugged. "Okay, Rusty-"
"No." Shizune immediately shot that idea down. "We are not testing out any sort of weapon-" and she was pretty sure she had managed to stop them from adding any into this prototype but maybe she had missed a few. "-In the middle of Tsukuyomi's palace."
The looks of understanding that crossed their faces was only dwarfed by the disappointment plainly visible. She barely managed to stop herself from rolling her eyes again.
When did "S-Rank babysitter" become a part of her job title?
And why hadn't her salary increased to match the added responsibilities? She was going to have to take that up with Naruto soon.
With a shake of her head Shizune moved to take over the rest of the trial run, shooing a pouting Tsunade away. "Alright, Rusty, I'm not concerned with the leg movement at the moment. Go over to the table and make sure you can still pick up and use the items there. If the Wolves lose their finer motor controls then there's no point sticking to this design."
The Suna native offered a slow salute and did as instructed, sweat dripping down his exposed head at the effort it took to move the armor manually. At over two hundred kilograms total and having been ordered not to utilize any Chakra- they didn't want to risk breaking anything if he tried to force a movement they hadn't properly accounted for- to aid his movements it wasn't the easiest thing to wear at the moment but that would be sorted as soon as they were happy with the design.
"It's a little difficult." He admitted. "The hands move fine but some of the things are pretty small in comparison."
Shizune frowned, she had been afraid of that possibility.
The armor wasn't too bulky- they had kept it as thin as possible around the hands where a large amount of flexibility had been essential- but it was still like wearing large gloves. Even if they continued to move well, some of the things she had laid out- like the pen he was currently fighting with- just didn't sit right in his grasp anymore.
"How's the Kunai?" She asked, looking towards the far end of the table.
He paused his struggles with the pen- he'd managed about half his name, though his handwriting would have made any Konoha doctor proud. Actually, he was already a medical…'professional'...maybe that was just his normal handwriting?- and dropped it in favor of trying out the Kunai.
"I can grab it by the ring." He reported. "So throwing would be feasible but I can't get a good grasp on the handle. I don't think I can use this as a knife."
Damnit. They were either going to have to keep working on those hands or come up with a new set of weapons specifically for the Wolves. That second option- even with any training the Wolves would need to become proficient with them- was probably the easier of the two, honestly.
"Suggestions?" She prodded the rest of the team.
"Bigger Kunai." Kankuro shrugged, expectedly. He was followed by Sasori.
"Stronger, thinner material for the armor. If cost becomes an issue we can just use that material for the hands and keep the rest the same."
Shizune nodded, writing that one down too. Not a bad idea, really.
"Don't have them use Kunai?" Deidara shrugged. "I know we're aiming for being capable of stealth and all but the armor sort of cuts an imposing figure. I can't imagine not using them in more prominent locations to maintain Wolf presence. You know, guards and stuff. In those positions they don't really need Kunai, just give 'em tanto or wakizashi or something. Bigger blades they could still use inside."
Not the best suggestion but not entirely without merit. Shizune hesitated for a second before writing that down. Might as well keep it for now, it could always be discarded later.
She wasn't expecting Tsunade to have any real solutions- the woman, upon learning that Narutos' seals would control the movement, kept insisting they make the armor even bigger until the Wolves would simply be encapsulated in the torso controlling massive mechanical bodies- so she didn't bother asking for her input. A glance to Clicky showed the woman to be frowning in deep thought as she stared at Rusty's attempts to manage his larger than normal hands.
"Clicky?" She prompted the Suna Puppeteer. Actually, that referred to three of the individuals in this room. "Did you have an idea?"
"...We don't specifically have to have actual armor on their arms, do we?"
"I think that's what was intended by 'making armor for the Wolves'," Tsunade shrugged. "But I'm curious to know where your thoughts are."
"I mean if we go more along your idea of having limbs without their limbs within them we can make larger arms that protect them and can work regular sized blades and their actual arms can stick out of the armor. Maybe an additional matrix so that the large arms copy the movements of their own arms? That lets them do delicate work with normal hands but keeps the overall structure more proportional."
That was..certainly something. Shizune had a pretty good idea that's not what Naruto had been after but could admit having a few specialized armors like that might catch his attention and, more importantly, his approval. Considering the looks Clicky, Kankuro, and Sasori were sharing and the growing excitement in both Tsunade and Deidara it seemed a forgone conclusion that at the very least they would be creating a working prototype.
She really should run the idea by Naruto before then but she could hardly bring herself to yank the project away from them when they were so excited and it would continue to keep them occupied. Naruto would probably appreciate that. Besides, what was the harm in building one prototype and using that to show Naruto their idea? Some concepts were just more easily visualized anyway.
"Fine," She relented without too much resistance. "You can create one prototype that we'll use to display the idea to Naruto. You can start drawing up some plans, I'll see what materials we still have on hand for you to use."
Deidara and Tsunade shared a victory high-five- not that it had been hard won in the slightest- while the puppeteers just continued to grin at each other.
"Hey," Kankuro broke the grins but his attention remained on Sasori and Clicky. "What say we go get something to eat?" He proposed.
Sasori caught on to his line of thought immediately. It might have helped that he couldn't actually eat anyway so there had to be more than just dinner on Kankuro's mind. "We can go over ideas and draw up some initial blueprints at the restaurant?" He added.
"Naturally." Kankuro scoffed. "What else?"
Clicky beamed at the two. "And that's why you two are my boys, we're always on the same page." She threw one arm over their shoulders and the three headed for the door, never actually confirming that they were leaving. Tsunade and Deidara watched curiously before sharing a look.
"Say, you don't think…." Deidara started.
"That we just witnessed the start of a very strange relationship?" Tsunade shrugged at her own question. "I sort of figured they were already a thrupple, honestly."
Deidara shuddered. "Ew, I did not need that image in my head."
"It gets even worse when you consider how similar Sasori looks to Kankuro's little brother." Tsunade grinned, taking entirely too much enjoyment out of this.
"Oh gods, I think I'm going to be sick."
Shizune rolled her eyes once more- they were liable to roll out of her head at this rate- at her Master's antics. She was definitely going to be talking to Naruto about a raise. Her pay now was generous but for dealing with all of this she deserved more, damnit.
"Oh aren't you just the cutest?" Asked Karura, nuzzling her face. "Oh yes you are, and mommy's going to take very good care of you, isn't she? Yes she is! We're going to prove to Shujin* that we can take care of living things."
The rabbit simply looked back at her, understanding exactly none of the strange noises the woman- Biju- was making at it.
"She is pretty cute." Temari agreed, watching the two. As Karura didn't have her own room and Naruto didn't exactly want any sort of pet in his own bedroom or office, Temari had offered to keep it in her- Gaara's, really- room.
Naruto had been very clear that as this was Karura's pet they were only to step in and help her with it should the rabbit be in dire need of care, in which case Karura would have proven herself unable to care for it.
Just because Naruto didn't think she'd succeed didn't mean he wanted to torment or kill the poor thing but he also didn't want Karura 'caring' for it by leaving it with Temari all the time. Temari, Naruto knew, was responsible enough to look after a living creature. Leaving it with her would simply be cheating.
He was pretty sure that had been Karura's plan, too, but he'd refrained from accusing her of it. The nervous expression she wore when he brought up the possibility was enough to let him know he was probably right.
"I know!" The Biju beamed excitedly. "I'm surprised no one had already scooped her up, how could anyone enter the store and not leave with her?"
"I don't know, maybe they knew she was supposed to go to someone else so they left ehr for you." Temari shrugged.
"Really? You think so?"
"I don't know," Temari carefully restated. "But it's possible. Perhaps they simply knew they wouldn't be able to give her the attention she so obviously deserves."
Sure, the dark black- or maybe it was a dark blue, it was really hard for Temari to tell either way- bunny was cute enough and it was exceptionally fluffy with excellent fur but in the end it was still just a rabbit. She'd eaten plenty of rabbit on missions, this one probably didn't taste any different and she was sure she could make a wonderful pair of mittens from her fur.
She was careful to keep those thoughts to herself, however, as Karura didn't need to hear her opinions on how edible her new pet was- especially if it was going to be staying here in her room.
Temari was going to have to pop down to the kitchens and see if they could have rabbit sometime soon, though. Seeing Karura's new pet was making her hungry.
"I think you're right." Karura agreed. "No one else could give Hinata-Chan the attention she deserves."
….Wait.
What?
"...Sorry," Temari gave the Biju a strange look. "What did you say her name was?"
"It's Hinata-Chan, of course." Yeah, that's what Temari thought she'd heard. She was also fairly certain that was the name of a Hyuuga girl Naruto had influence over, so she was having trouble understanding why that had been the name chosen.
"...Is there any reason for that name?"
"Of course!" Karura seemed scandalized that it was even a question. "She's cute and cuddly and soft and she has fur in almost the exact same shade as her hair."
"...And by 'her hair' you're referring to the hair of Hyuuga Hinata?"
"That's right. She's absolutely adorable just like little Hinata-Chan here."
"...I see." Why, Temari wondered, did it feel like this was all but guaranteed to cause confusion in the not so distant future?
"...Wait, when did you meet Hyuuga Hinata?"
"Well, I haven't. Not really. But Naruto's spent some time around her."
She named it after a girl she had never actually met? That sounded like Karura alright. She just wondered how things would go when they did end up meeting.
Actually, on that topic-
Wasn't Hyuuga Hinata currently here in Nami? In fact, Temari was fairly certain she was in the palace.
Oh, this was going to be interesting.
Only briefly did Temari contemplate putting in the effort to keep the Biju away from the visiting Hyuuga before discarding the idea entirely. Not only was it not her job but, if nothing else, it should prove to be entertaining.
Stay away from Naruto longer or drag disposable test subjects all the way back to Nami where he didn't actually have a proper laboratory to hold them in? The face of Uchiha Sasuke frowned as Orochimaru tried to decide what would be less trouble in the long run.
Naruto had- technically- given him all the time he needed but Orochimaru wanted to be spending more time in his presence. At the same time, dragging people back would be a pain in the ass and he'd have to rely on Naruto to store them until he could utilize them in some of his experiments.
He could just put off this specific set of experiments. He hadn't even intended to focus on them during this trip, prioritising his ability to create a new body and sort out the issue in Yu no Kuni instead, but while visiting one of his labs had remembered that he really needed to be working on this one too.
It was, after all, the one he had planned to find a way to defeat a god.
You know, the one with the jars.
On that note, he needed to find out where he stashed his copy of the Shiki Fujin. It had to be in one of his libraries, the only problem was narrowing it down to the one it was actually in. He was pretty sure he only had one copy of that technique which, in hindsight, was probably a bit unwise. He just hadn't been thinking of creating backups of the Kinjutsu when he originally stole it from Konoha all those years ago and had simply never gotten around to learning it himself.
Why would he when it would all but guarantee his death?
Actually, that was probably as good a reason as any to learn and find a way to defeat the technique. A Jutsu that guaranteed the death of both the user and target- more or less- was a very quick way for him to lose whatever sort of immortality he managed to obtain and that would really be disappointing.
Of course if his experiments went in any sort of positive direction he'd probably end up getting rid of the Shinigami anyway so maybe there was no real need to worry about the technique for much longer.
It did reinforce the fact that these experiments really couldn't wait, though, and so with a heavy sigh Orochimaru headed deeper into the laboratory to find the more disposable individuals he would be requiring.
He was almost tempted to just use the people up on these levels to save himself the time but reminded himself that the competent ones- or even just the semi-competent ones- took far too much time to replace.
Good help could just be so hard to find these days.
Especially when he kept using experiment participation as the first disciplinary step. Maybe he needed to come up with a point system? Strikes? A warning, at least.
It would save him so much trouble trying to replace them so often.
"...Tsukuyomi-Sama?" A Wolf peeked into his private library, eyes darting around to ensure she had caught him alone and wasn't interrupting anything.
"It's safe." He tried not to sound too amused because he couldn't exactly fault them for being cautious. Anko and Tayuya were hardly about to hesitate long enough to consider where they were before engaging in activities better kept private.
Then again, he was fairly certain Anko did it in the hopes of bringing others to join them. He hadn't been able to confirm that yet and he dare not actually ask Anko lest he give her any ideas.
Nodding, she slipped through the door and came to stand next to the couch he was currently occupying. It wasn't hard for him to identify her, the reddish black mark that went from her lower lip down her chin had first been placed there by his own hand, after all, and she remained the only Wolf he had personally marked in that manner.
"Akunaki-Chan," He greeted her, smiling softly. "Was there something you needed?"
"I- we-" She corrected herself. "Were wondering if we might have another opportunity to hunt soon."
A crimson brow rose. "Hunt?" He asked. "Or eat?"
"...Yes."
"Kaminari or Tsuchi"
"Tsukuyomi-Sama?"
"You can do some hunting in Kaminari no Kuni or Tsuchi no Kuni. I don't need you hunting in Hi no Kuni or her allies and if I let you hunt in a smaller country there probably won't be a smaller country by the time you're sated." He explained easily. "I'm almost tempted to let you hunt down bandits in Hi no Kuni but the chance of you running into Konoha Shinobi is a bit high for my liking and I'd like to avoid any conflict with them at the moment."
Naruto thought for a moment before adding. "Well, and chances are you'd be stealing a mission from them, too, and that would just be a bit rude."
"Really?" She tried not to sound too hopeful or disbelieving that it was so easy to get permission for….that. "All of us?"
He actually had to hesitate there and after a few moments of staring at her hopeful expression he finally dared to ask; "How many of you are there?"
"Uh…" He watched as she tried to go over the members in her head and he wondered if maybe he should have been keeping a closer eye on them. Or, at least, been seeing Akunaki on a more regular basis as he did other leaders of the various sub-groups the Wolves seemed to be made of these days. "Two dozen?" She didn't sound completely sure. "In the Wolves." She added. "I don't remember how many Kirigakure members we have."
That...was a very good point. Her group- and he called it hers because she was the first to ever act as their voice- was made up of more than just fellow Wolves.
….Did….did that mean he currently had active agents- or potential agents- in Kirigakure? Like, right now? He hadn't even realized. And, now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure Kiri was helping Konoha with Kaze no Kuni so he might have potential agents there, too.
He'd have to keep that in mind.
And, somehow, resist the temptation to use their presence to continue tormenting Mei. It wasn't her fault Asuma was a bastard or that Mizu no Kuni was a shit country.
He would have to use their presence to keep tabs on Haku once she got back to Kirigakure, though, that way he could include mentions of her daily life when they discussed anything to do with the mission he was funding. She was sure to bring up the strangely personal and specific details about her actions in Kiri to Mei and that would let them both know that the Moon-Reading Man did in fact see everything beneath the sky.
….And now he was wondering how well the man-eaters - he probably needed a better name for them- in Kirigakure were doing. If his Wolves were coming to him asking for the opportunity to hunt….
He currently had potential agents in Kirigakure. If they started eating Kirigakure Shinobi or Mizu no Kuni civilians that might end up changing.
It would be a real pity to lose those agents before he had a chance to make use of them.
There was someone else who could probably use the opportunity to hunt, too. Or, at least, the chance to kill.
"I'm going to have to ask a few favors from you on this hunt, Akunaki." She straightened to attention immediately.
"Anything, my lord."
"Stop through Konoha on your way and pick up Haruno Sakura. I'm sure she's eager for the chance to spill blood again."
Akunaki tried to put a face to the name for a second. "She's...a Gennin, yes?" She asked for confirmation.
"Team seven," Was his answer. "On a team with my sister under your Inu-Oji."
That was a bit more than just a Gennin Akunaki determined with a nod. "It will be done, Tsukuyomi-Sama." She hesitated briefly before continuing. More than just an average Gennin didn't exactly mean they were anywhere close to the Wolves "I'm, I'm not sure if our prey is suitable for a Gennin, even one under the guidance of Inu-Oji."
"I didn't say she needed to hunt." He smiled, amused. "If you can catch your prey alive, simply provide her with the opportunity to kill them before you eat. Consider it a test of your skills if you need to. I trust that's not outside your capabilities?" One questioning brow rose and she very quickly rose to the bait.
"It won't be a problem at all, Tsukuyomi-Sama."
"Good, because that leads us to the rest of what I need."
"Tsukuyomi-Sama?"
"Catch a few extra on your hunt, will you? Try to keep them alive. I'm sure they stay fresher longer that way."
She still hadn't caught on but that was to be expected. "...Tsukuyomi-Sama?" She repeated.
"Your siblings in Kiri, I don't know how often they get a chance to eat these days. I thought it might be nice for you to pay them a visit and it's only polite to bring gifts."
Understanding dawned. "Of course, Tsukuyomi-sama! Did you have any orders for them?"
"They aren't Wolves, Akunaki."
"...But…"
"They're your group." He stressed. "If they listen to you, you're free to give whatever orders you feel appropriate and, maybe, one day I might have orders for you that they can assist you in fulfilling." His fingers danced over the wood of the side table. "Well, I'm not actually sure if they're your group but they are still your siblings, Wolves or no. While in Kirigakure you may want to look into whether or not they've picked their own leader. I would prefer it if the two of you were, at the very least, on good terms with another. Family shouldn't be fighting."
"I'll find out how they've been and where they stand, Tsukuyomi-Sama." She promised. "Did...did you want us to bring Haruno-San to Kirigakure or escort her back to Konoha before we went?"
He had been just going to have the bloodthirsty mini-Anko join them for the opportunity to be the one killing their meals but would it really hurt any for her to join them for the entire time? It's not like Kakashi had the intention of training her any. "If she would like, she may join you for the entire trip." He eventually decided. "I expect you and your siblings to look after her if she does."
"We'll take very good care of her, Tsukuyomi-Sama, I promise."
"Good. You're free to leave as soon as your siblings get their positions covered by some of the other Wolves. You may need to work with Keigo or Sai to arrange things properly. If they ask, this is a mission I've sanctioned and they can come to me for details. All they need to know otherwise is that you'll be away from Nami for the next week or so." He gave her a pointed look. "I expect to have either you standing before me or a report with a damn good explanation of why you aren't within two weeks at the latest. Understood?"
Akunaki snapped into a salute. "Hai, Tsukuyomi-Sama." She continued after an uncertain moment. "...T-thank you, Tou-Sama."
"You're very welcome, child." His look became expectant. "In the future, however, I would prefer it if you brought such...needs...to my attention earlier. I'm sure you spent a long time debating coming to me about this." A sudden tinge of pink along her cheekbones confirmed his suspicion.
"As I thought. I'm here for all my children, Akunaki," He gently reminded her. "Do not hesitate to come to me with your needs. I will do everything in my power to see them met."
"Yes, Tsukuyomi-Sama. It won't happen again."
"Good." He gave her one last smile and his blessing. "Have fun."
The grin she returned was positively vicious. "We will, Tsukuyomi-Sama. We will."
She could practically taste her favorite meal already, now she only had to decide if they wanted to pair it with the spices of Tsuchi no Kuni or Kaminari no Kuni's infamous barbeque techniques.
...Maybe they could manage both?
Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 145-B "Waste"
Patron Release 2021.10.02
The Hyuuga goddess paused outside the doorway, head tilting slightly, as her name reached her ears. It was slightly muffled by the heavy wood of the doors but as one voice seemed to say it calmly another confirmed much more excitedly.
Behind her Hanabi also came to a halt, having heard the same. Unlike her sister, however, she didn't feel the need to investigate the matter. If it was important it would undoubtedly cross her own desk at some point or be brought to her attention directly by one of the other Wolves or even Naruto himself.
She really had no need to pry and was perfectly content to continue on their way. Her sister, however, was a different matter entirely.
Interest peaked, Hinata wondered what about her they were talking of. It didn't sound like she was being called but that's what she'd claim if someone called her out on it. She had spent enough time around her Wolves to know the sort of excuses Naruto expected from them and as this was his office she had a pretty good idea who the first voice belonged to.
Hanabi watched her older sister quietly make her way to the door and after a moment of hesitation reach for the freshly polished handle. It would seem Tsunami had been through here recently. With nothing needing her immediate attention Hanabi shrugged to herself and decided to observe. Just because it wasn't any of her business didn't mean it couldn't prove entertaining.
The Hyuuga head opened the door slowly, making sure to provide enough time for the room's current occupants to take notice and ask her to come back later if they were in the middle of something important. It would seem, however, that was completely unnecessary.
The three individuals currently within Narutos' office were too occupied to notice her entry, each of them looking down at the small black- no, wait, dark blue- rabbit currently sitting on Naruto's desk.
There was a bright pink ribbon wrapped gently around its neck and tied into a bow so Hinata was fairly certain it wasn't a stray found near the palace. Or, at least, if it had been a stray someone had at least had the chance to wash the thing.
She hoped, anyway.
"Isn't she just the cutest?" One of the….woman? Young woman? She looked mature to Hinata but she was only about the same height as the Suna Kunoichi next to her that Hinata recognized from the Chunin exams.
Subaku no something, Hinata thought. She couldn't quite remember. She did know that while a few years older than some of the fresh Gennin teams she could hardly be considered an adult by civilian standards.
The other one really did seem like a woman but it was hard for Hinata to tell when they were both of similar figure, height, and, well, just general appearance. If she didn't know better she might say she was looking at a mother and daughter.
"Yes, Karura-" Hinata had a name for her now as Naruto spoke up again. "...Hinata is very cute." Hinata could feel her face turn red. "I'm simply trying to understand why you've decided to name her that."
….Ah.
They were talking about the rabbit.
She didn't know if she should feel belittled or flattered but she did know she didn't feel any less embarrassed by the situation.
"Because like Hinata, Hinata is cute and soft and fluffy and adorable and you just want to pick her up and snuggle her." Karura proceed to demonstrate that with...Hinata….pressing her into a modest bosom. The rabbit didn't seem at all bothered.
Hinata didn't think she would be either.
"I can't say you're wrong on those accounts." Naruto admitted and Hinata didn't think her face could possibly go more red than it already was. She was proven wrong. "But you've never even met Hinata, Love."
"That's what I said." Agreed the young woman. She promptly followed it up with a second perspective. "On the other hand," SHe proposed. "Maybe it would be more strange to name a rabbit after someone you do know." The thought was finished with a contemplative hum, as if she was really considering her own question. Hinata felt it was just for effect.
"It would be like Sai getting a pet turtle and naming her Isobu. He's never met Isobu but he knows she's like a turtle." She was a turtle, in fact, but Hinata didn't know that.
Karura looked scandalized. "What? No! He can't have any Isobu, Isobu is ours."
"And there you have it. Naming your pet after someone you've never met is strange."
Karrua disagreed, as evident by her shaking head and following words. "But it wouldn't be weird if we named one of our pets Isobu because they would be our pet."
One of Temari's brows rose. "I don't know, I think it could be taken as pretty demeaning if you gave your child's name to your pet."
Looking thoughtful for a full second, Karura tilted her head to the side. "Maybe as their parents, but you could name a pet Isobu without it being 's your niece and part of the family but she's not your daughter. It would be like having something around to remind you of her all the time when you can;t be around her."
"That's what family pictures are for, Karura."
"But you can't love a family picture." Was her protest. Hinata found herself in agreement with the woman- and she'd be sticking with that, she supposed, nothing else really seemed to fit- though it failed to make the situation any less strange.
"You can love your pet and have it remind you of someone else without naming it after them." Also a very good point.
"I'm sure she'd be flattered to learn I think so highly of her adorably cuddliness that I named Hinata-Usagi after her without even meeting her."
"I don't think 'adorable cuddliness' is something Hinata really prides herself on." His eyes moved from Karura to lock with Hinata's and he raised a brow. "Is it, Hinata?" Three more sets of eyes- two on their own and one through the merits of still being pressed into Karuras' breasts as the Biju turned- fell on Hinata no Mikoto and her embarrassment peaked yet again.
"Uh, well, um….no?" She sounded unsure but shook her head rather definitively. "Not really. I just, uh, try to take care of clan maters and spend time with those I care about."
Karura gave a firm nod. "See? It's absolutely adorable." Not even a second later eyes widened with realization. "Oh! You're here!" Shoving the fluffy Hinata into Temari's chest- and it seemed just as content there- the Ichibi hurried over to replace her with the real Hinata.
"Oh you're just as soft and cuddly as I imagined!"
Pressed into the woman's breasts- certainly a memorable first impression for a woman she was only now meeting- Hinata did her best to formulate some sort of response. "Uh...thank you?" Itedonly seems to make the Tanuki squeeze her even more tightly.
"Let us know if you need a rescue," Temari smirked, cradling the rabbit with one arm and gently scratching behind its ears with her other hand. "I'm sure we can cause some sort of distraction to get her off you."
No longer just holding her, Karura had started running one hand through long bluish hair and both Hanabi and Naruto were able to appreciate the similarities between the Suna women at the moment.
Naruto just happened to be much more fond of the Hinata Karura was currently in possession of, he had really been hoping that when she had ducked into that pet shop she would have come out with a fish but she had wanted to keep it a surprise.
It had been a bit much for a fish, admittedly, he had just hoped it had been an especially colorful, exotic fish. For the sake of Hinata- both, at the moment- he really did hope she was able to prove herself capable of taking care of living things.
Gods knew he didn't have the time to be taking care of the poor rabbit too, though he had a distinct feeling that's what he was going to end up having to do.
Taking care of a fish would have been so much easier, he could have just had a Wolf feed it every day. Unfortunately, like Karura, he didn't actually have confidence that his beloved Wolves could care for a rabbit. They were a competent bunch but preserving life was not something they really had experience in.
They were also not the most responsible bunch in their free time. On a mission they were focused and committed but lazing about the den, the palace, or their barracks? They could hardly be bothered to fully dress themselves half the time and don't get him started on the mischief they caused.
Ganju's was the most noticeable- because it was hard to hide physical changes to his apartment- but they all possessed the same sort of energy while off duty. If they didn't have something to focus their attention on they would come up with something themselves. That was usually not a good thing.
He loved them, he really did, but they were absolutely a handful and he didn't even have to manage their day to day operations. Thank the gods that fell to Sai. The young man might not be able to budget worth a damn- though Naruto still suspected that might be the fault of the desk- but he could hold together the insanity that was the Imperial House of Wolves and keep them ready for when he or Mai had something for them to do.
Then again, caring for a rabbit was something that could occupy their time, wasn't it? And it might just take quite a few Wolves working together to pull it off. He might have to keep that in mind.
"I, uh, I don't really mind." Hinata admitted. While she didn't like the attention of large groups Hinata had nonetheless become fond of being lavished with attention by Naruto and Mai. Karura wasn't either of them but the attention she was being given was very much the same.
She would also be lying if she said she didn't enjoy the way the woman's fingers were brushing through her hair-
Or being pressed tightly to her chest. Karura was only as tall as the other Suna Kunoichi but that still put her above Hinata and ensured Hinata's position was plenty comfortable.
Unseen by either Karura or Hinata, Naruto shared an amused look with Temari who rolled her eyes at the Biju. It looked like Karura may have managed to get two bunnies instead of just the one. If Karrua was distracted by two bunnies, though, maybe she could sneak off with Naruto…
She shot the young man in question a suggestive look and with visible amusement he realized exactly where her mind had gone. He offered a noncommittal shrug. They would have to see how long Hinata- both of them, really- held Karura's attention first otherwise they risked having Karura trying to join them which wouldn't be an issue if Naruto thought she wouldn't drag poor Hinata- either of them- with her.
He thought it was almost certain she'd try to bring both with her-
Well, assuming she could find them, that the only way to get some distance would involve utilizing her seal which she would undoubtedly feel and Naruto couldn't seriously entertain the idea of using little Isobu to keep her out of that seal, either.
Not just because it would feel weird but because Karura could probably convince Isobu to let her through anyway.
Of course, the biggest issue of all would be if Karura couldn't find them and tried to pull poor, innocent Hinata into some fun of their own.
That would be far too much for his little lamb to handle.
Standing in the doorway Hanabi looked to be as amused as Naruto, folding her arms across her chest as she watched her elder sister- a young woman the entirety of her family considered to be a living deity- treated very much like the rabbit that had been named after her.
When Karura looked up to see a third Hinata she did what was to be expected-
Holding Hinata to her with one arm she spread her other out invitingly. "Oh, did you want to join too?"
"I'm good." Was Hanabi's dry reply. "And I'd better not catch word of any pets running around the palace with my name, either."
Karura's smile turned sly. "I don't think I can promise that if you're not going to give me a hug. I'm going to need my own little Hanabi that will let me hold her."
With a roll of her eyes Hanabi relented, surrendering to the group hug. In the end it was better than having a dozen or so pets named after her and, with her luck, Hanabi just knew it would have been a troupe of ducklings to share her namesake.
This was much more dignified, even if the obvious amusement Naruto was showing at the scene caused her cheeks to burn.
And, she had to admit, it did feel pretty good.
As she allowed herself to slip into just enjoying the moment she briefly hoped that name promise extended to kids, too. A troupe of ducklings was already a bad prospect but having one of Naruto's children- because she couldn't imagine Karrua wanted them with anyone else- sharing her name would be beyond strange.
Unfortunately she didn't think it would and she couldn't ask because it would just give the woman ideas.
Ahije shifted coils, their brilliant gold scraping against the stained wood of the bookcase and nearly touching the ceiling in Tsukuyomi's office. It wasn't the most comfortable of spots he had chosen but it remained undisturbed and provided a great vantage point to keeping track of everything in the room.
Tsukuyomi- which seemed to be the young man's preferred form of address- didn't spend all of his time here in his office but he- or a clone- did spend significant time here and Ahije was of the personal belief that if he was going to need to reach Great Elder Akishi, Blessed Ak'Gyun of Au then it would be after learning of something here.
Missions and reports flowed through this room, plans made and abandoned. If there was anywhere that was going to give a child of Au an idea of when the High-Priest was going to need them without being called upon or asking him directly it was this room.
So far, however, it didn't seem like they had been needed at all. On one hand that was good. Akishi and the others were off seeing to the High-Priest's will at the moment so anything that required them was bound to be delayed.
On the other, it really didn't sit right with Ahije that the High-Priest didn't actually need them at all. He shouldn't, he supposed, considering that the High-Priest was, well, the High-Priest. They had been chosen for a reason. Not being able to serve them, however, simply felt wrong. The children of Au supported the High-Priest with their needs so that the High-Priest could focus on the will of Au.
Or that's how it had always been said. Ahije was no elder but he was also no hatchling. He had been a hatchling, in fact, back when Akya-Jin was still tended to by human servants of the Father. That was….a long, long time ago. Nothing really compared to the elders- it was said they had been around since before humanity entirely- but there was no denying he was old.
Ancient was actually more appropriate but he tried not to associate himself with that word.
Of course living as long as he had he'd grown quite substantially- another easy way to compare his own age to that of the Elders. He had been around for a long time but they still very much dwarfed his form- so his chosen perch had been filled to capacity and then some.
To be perfectly honest, it could be said that his body was still more off the bookcase than it was on it. Ahije shifted again, trying to find a comfortable position. The first third of his body- just over three and a half meters- had been left up there but that left the majority of his body to be shoved behind and below the bookcase as much as possible.
The curtains had been an Au-send for that, making it much easier to hide his length and fortunately the curtain rod had been able to handle his weign being draped from it.
There were some days he genuinely debated trying to support himself along the curtain rod to reach the bookcase on the other side of the window. If he didn't think it might look so painfully obvious and out of place he might have gone for it.
Not because they were trying to hide from the High-Priest, of course, but because Ak'Gyun-Sama had been very clear that she wanted him to be as unobtrusive and out of the way as possible while she was gone.
Why Ahije didn't quite know but with the number of people he seemed to entertain in his office perhaps there were some he wouldn't want to know his connection to the Golden Serpent God of the Sun. It was hard for Ajihe to truly understand that but from a practical standpoint he realized that there could be times where secrecy would work to the High-Priest's benefit.
Perhaps he was working to court some of the followers of the younger gods so he could more easily cripple their power bases? It wasn't really necessary- he was the High-Priest of Au- but maybe this was how he preferred to do it.
Ahije was old enough to know that it wasn't always about the goal, there was still satisfaction to be found in the work itself and, so long as Great Au's will was still done, Ahije didn't see why the Golden Serpent wouldn't humor the High-Priest and allow him to do things his own way.
It was also a credit to the cunning of a serpent, so perhaps doing it this way in some way honored Great Au even more. That Ahije thought he could wrap his head around well enough.
Still, even if he was wrong it wasn't his place to be questioning the motives ro methods of Father's High-Priest, he was just here so that the two groups could keep track of each other.
Speaking of which….
Ahije's ruby eyes scanned the room, looking for the flash of gold that would tell him Aato had slithered into her own spot. She was much younger and her smaller size meant she had few shortages of places to choose from. Recently she had delighted in picking a new one each day, probably to mock him for being limited to just the one.
The joke was on her, though, because she would be here ready to assist the High-Priest if needed while he would be leaving for his own rest. That was nothing new but the rabbit very much was. It wasn't going to be in here indefinitely, he was certain, and that meant it would be taken out- most likely before he had to switch off with Aato again.
And that meant he was going to have the better chance of eating it. Black tongue flickered out into the air.
It tasted delicious and the High-Priest didn't seem overly fond of it when the woman had presented it to him, so hopefully he wouldn't mind were it to go missing.
….But the woman might. Ahije frowned as much as a snake could. He couldn't care less about the woman but the High-Priest obviously humored her and if she had his favor he probably wouldn't be too pleased should she become upset.
Maybe just a nibble, then? He was sure he could restrain himself to that much.
That was, of course, a joke. Snakes weren't capable of nibbling.
...But maybe if they got a second- male- rabbit they would start mating and then Ahije could pick off a child or two every now and then. With how fast they reproduced a few young rabbits wouldn't be missed-
Hopefully.
An old snake could certainly dream, it had been so long since he'd had a rabbit.
Katsuri gave Naruto's personal physician- not officially, of course, but they thought of her as that anyway- a shrewd glance as the woman made notes in Katsuri's file. "So," She started, failing spectacularly at sounding the slightest bit casual. "What sort of bribe are we talking about for you to clear me so I can report to Tsukuyomi-Sama?"
Shizune raised a brow and allowed a small, amused snort to escape her. "You lasted longer than he thought you would," She credited her. "But you're not going to be able to bribe me to lie to Naruto."
"I could just leave." Katsuri countered. "It would be much easier on you if I didn't have to be constantly retrieved until I get the all-clear."
Shizune's brow rose higher. "I tie Naruto to the bed-" Tsunade, too, but the Wolf before her didn't necessarily need to know that. "" and he's my employer." Her look went from amused to strict. "I don't have to worry about angering him and being fired when he's specifically ordered me to keep you resting until you're fully recovered."
Kasturi went silent and after a minute Shizune thought the matter was closed.
She was proven quite mistaken.
"Does he read those reports you write on my progress?" Was she kidding? Shizune had to fight to restrain herself from rolling her eyes or shooting the woman an incredulous expression. Naruto halted whatever else he was on in order to look over the daily report on his High-Captain's progress. Shizune had taken to utilizing Wolves to determine if he was busy before going up to deliver them so she wouldn't interrupt anything actually important.
Katsuri was simply overexhausted, she would be fine with a bit of rest.
Naruto, however, obviously didn't see it in such simple terms. Or, perhaps, it was more accurate to say he saw it in even more simple terms. 'Wolf hurt is bad' or something similar. It wouldn't surprise Shizune in the slightest and, really, was kind of cute.
She just wished he wouldn't worry so damn much over it.
"I wouldn't bring them to him if he never got around to reading them." Was Shizune's even reply.
"...How much for you to put my report in with it so he gets the information I brought back for him?"
An interesting idea to be sure but not something Shizune was about to go for.
"I'm sure he'd much rather hear it from you in person." It was, in fact, what he had ordered and Shizune was very much aware of that.
Katsuri did her best to shrug and managed something vaguely resembling one. "It's more important that he gets it."
"It's not urgent." Shizune stressed. Naruto had been clear about that fact too. Nothing Katsuri had to tell him could justify how hard she had pushed her body and that told Shizune that it probably wasn't important enough to ignore Naruto's orders. "And I would think that as a High-Captain you would be aware that there's very little more important than Naruto's orders."
Katsuri looked away in shame and SHizune sighed. "Look, I get it, you were excited at the opportunity to serve him and want to be able to complete the objective you set out with but I'm not about to go lying to naruto just so you can be released less than recovered."
"...The message wasn't the important part." The Wolf admitted.
"What?"
"It wasn't the message. I was just hoping that the news he would receive with his report would cheer him up enough that he would allow me out."
Something didn't quite add up about that. Shizune was very confident that as much as the Wolves seemed to dislike the hospital they would never be able to dislike it to the same degree they loved being able to serve their father.
"...So why were you so determined to bring him your report?" As soon as she asked Shizune realized the answer. She rolled her eyes and sighed with an almost fond exasperation. "You just wanted to spend time with Naruto, didn't you?"
Katsuri flushed and nodded, unable to meet Shizune's eyes.
"And that's why he's not visiting either, isn't it?" Shizune was pretty sure she understood everything now. "That's part of your punishment for pushing yourself too hard."
Again, Katsuri nodded.
"If you had just gone at a normal pace you would have been back and in his presence already, you know."
"I know."
"So why didn't you?"
"I was too excited." Admitted the Wolf. "I tried but the more I thought about getting back…." She trailed off for a second before her flush rapidly spread across her face. Shizune found herself blinking in surprise at the sight. After a second her eyes narrowed.
"What, exactly, were you so excited about?" Because it sure as hell wasn't just seeing Naruto that was causing the current reaction.
"I...uh…"
Shizune gave her an expectant look, arms crossing, and Katsuri made the mistake of glancing at her.
"Inevergottotryoutthatuniform." She mumbled.
…..What?
"Come again?"
"I never got to try out that uniform."
"What uniform?" Shizune had a feeling she probably didn't want to be asking that question but she was too curious to resist.
"...I was able to get Guren to surrender one of the nurse outfits she stole from Kirigakure's hospital. I haven't had a chance to….put it to use."
It wasn't hard for Shizune to put things together from there.
"And I bet you were quite eager to show it off to Naruto, huh?"
"I forgot it here in Nami when we left for Konoha. I haven't had a chance to show it to him yet."
"You think he'll like it?" With both herself and her master recruited and brought along wherever Naruto was and Katsuri's plans with the nurse outfit the House of Wolves' lead physician found herself wondering if Tsukuyomi had a thing for nurses- or at least medical personnel.
"If you clear me we can go find out."
Shizune's look was rather flat. "Katsuri, dear, that's a horribly weak attempt at freedom. I already have Tsunade somewhere around here, we don't need you to get our answer."
"...if you let me out we can put Tsunade in the nurse's outfit?"
That….was actually a tempting offer.
Biting her lower lip Shizune turned away for a few seconds to think.
"...No promises, but I'll consider it." Maybe she didn't have to be completely recovered, just mostly.
That should be okay, right? And, if not, well, Shuizune could hardly think of a better way of apologizing to Naruto than letting him see Tsunade dressed in a stolen uniform that Shizune was absolutely certain wouldn't be suited to fully containing her master's...assets.
She was really justy hoping it could fit her master at all, an outfit like that would be a terrible thing to waste.
...Though she supposed there was nothing stopping her from ordering some custom outfits for Tsunade...and maybe herself.
And if Katsuri's wasn't as good a fit as she hoped then she supposed she could get one for her too. Just claim it was the official uniform for Naruto's medical team or something and she would probably get away with it, just not without a substantial number of raised eyebrows.
These thoughts were hardly appropriate when it concerned her boss but considering she had already slept with what was essentially her mother in the young man's bed, well, perhaps they were a bit past that by this point.
Well, the fact that the young man had been there and seen what she was doing to Tsunade- for a time, anyway. If she remembered correctly he retreated with the others at some point but Shizune had been too...occupied...to notice when it happened- most definitely made this seem tame in comparison.
She wondered if that spoke poorly of herself and her actions or of the sort of Imperial House Naruto was heading here.
Katsuri's voice broke her from her thoughts. "If we had more uniforms…" She started but never quite finished before moving onto her next thought. "You've already tied him to your bed before, haven't you?"
Shizune blinked in surprise, still somehow caught off guard by Katsuri's train of thought. What a naughty little Wolf she had been charged with watching over.
"And his." Probably not the professional sort of response she should have offered but professionalism had been abandoned the second Katsuri mentioned shoving Tsunade into a nurse uniform.
Anything beyond that hardly seemed to matter at the moment.
The look she received from the Wolf was filled with a reverent awe- and no small amount of lust.
This was probably a bad idea but it sure did sound like fun.
And, again, Shizune was not going to miss out on the opportunity to dress up- or down- Tsunade.
A nurse's uniform was a hell of a thing to waste.
*Shujin - One form of referring to one's husband. Means "Master" but can be interpreted more along the lines of "master of the house" if you tilt your head, squint really hard, and hope no one corrects you.
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-Eyazahrid