Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 109-A "Workaholic"
Patron Release 2020.01.20
It didn't take long to reach his apartment and he slipped quietly through the door to find the first Wolf he could. Fortunately they were close, sitting in his original kitchen with a cup of tea with their mask hanging from the back of the chair and a lazy gaze blankly staring out the window.
Those green eyes turned slightly to see who had entered the room only to widen significantly when they recognized their lord. "T-tsukuyomi-sama!" They scrambled out of the chair to give a hasty salute. "My apologies, I hadn't noti-"
Naruto raised a single finger to his lips, halting the man immediately. "Calm yourself, child. I've only just returned."
"Of course, Tsukuyomi-sama. Welcome home."
"Thank you, child. I trust there have been no issues in my absence?"
"None, Tsukuyomi-sama."
"Good, where is Tayuya?"
The Wolf gave him a funny look, having completely expected him to ask after Mai first, but answered to the best of his ability regardless.
"I think she was in Mai's office trying to keep herself entertained, but they might have moved when Shizune and her team stopped by earlier."
That didn't surprise Naruto too much - that she would be annoying Mai to amuse herself, anyway- but he was slightly surprised that SHizune and her team would be stopping by for a visit. He supposed they might have been bored of each other and looking for others to speak with, he hadn't really given them any projects to be working on which meant only Shizune had anything to do if she was still teaching Hanabi.
"Excellent." With a small burst of smoke his Kage-Bunshin came into existence beside him. "Naruto here is in charge but may need to make some public appearances soon to reduce suspicion. When he's gone continue directing reports and questions to Mai."
"Of course. Ah, where will you be, Tsukuyomi-sama?"
"I owe Tayuya for what happened the other week, don't disturb us unless it's an emergency."
"As you command, I'll pass it on to the others."
"Good luck, Tsukuyomi-sama," His Kage-Bunshin bid him. "You'll probably need it. Don't forget some bandages."
Yeah, he was going to need those too, probably. "Find me some, please." He commanded himself. "It'll be a few minutes as I find Tayuya. If you can have them ready in her room I would appreciate it."
His clone gave him a sharp salute. "Of course, Tsukuyomi-sama. I'll see to it at once."
"Thank you." Giving them both a slight nod of his head he passed through the kitchen to go find the leader of the Sound Four.
He really needed to come up with a new name for his Kage-Bunshin. It worked fine when they both stuck to one representation of his self but now that they were switching back and forth as necessary he needed something more consistent, even if only for his own sanity.
Unfortunately nothing really came to mind. Maybe he'd ask Mai for suggestions later.
Until then, he had an apology to make.
"Hmm?" Kakashi's exposed eye drifted up from the glory of Jiraiya's written word to the treeline that marked the edges of training ground seven. One slow blink became two, then three, and by the fifth their guest had become visible.
Naruko paused only to immediately regret the decision as she narrowly ducked under one of Sakura's Kunai. They were supposed to be blunted but lately the pinkette had been "forgetful" about which of her Kunai were for training and typically at least one of the Kunai she was using at any given time was meticulously sharpened.
Had it not been for the fact that she aimed at non-vital areas Naruko might honestly suspect that the girl was trying to kill her.
Sakura, well, unless it was her idol Anko or her Senpai Naruto she really couldn't give a damn about a visitor they may or might not have and so without sparing them even a glance she continued to do her damndest to draw blood from her opponent. She had done it before and it had a unique taste that she sort of liked. She wondered if Naruto's might taste similar considering they were siblings and, more importantly, whether he'd let he try it.
Kakashi raised a curious brow as the obviously off-duty Yugao began making her way to him.
"Not One, Not Two." Kakashi called as she crossed the grass. Naruko didn't take her eyes off Sakura this time, waiting until the girl stopped and turned to look at her Sensei before stopping herself. Even then she kept one eye on the recently violent Pinkette. "I think that's enough for today, go home and get some rest. Maybe you won't suck so much tomorrow if you get a good night's sleep."
Naruko narrowed her eyes at that but Sakura just gave a brief, shallow bow and a "Hai, Sensei" before spinning away and heading towards the trees Yugao had just left. The Uzumaki heiress gave a frown and a curious glance to Yugao but eventually gave Kakashi a small nod before doing the same. It's not like he'd explain himself anyway if they asked, might as well use the time he was giving them.
When the two young women were away- Kakashi didn't know whether to be proud or disappointed when neither bothered to try eavesdropping - he closed his book with a snap and set it safely within his back pouch. It was the only thing that went in that pouch and would resist just about anything it was subjected to. Only the best to safeguard Jiraiya's masterpieces.
"Kakashi…" The ANBU commander trailed off.
"Yes, Yugao?"
She took a moment to gather her courage, swallowing her nervousness. She forced herself to meet his mildly interested gaze as she told him why she had come. "I- I need your help, Kakashi-Taicho." His brow rocketed up his forehead.
"Oh?" There was both genuine surprise and genuine curiosity in his voice, neither of which came from the fact that she still called him captain. "How can I help?"
"I'm not sure if you can, honestly." She smiled but it was a sad little thing, almost as sad as the humor she tried and failed to inflict into her voice. "It's about Naruto."
She had his attention when she first asked for help, not now she had his seriousness too. "What's going on?"
I made a mistake and…" She couldn't maintain his gaze. "I'm the one who told Asuma that the Wolves were in Mizu no Kuni supporting Yagura."
Kakashi didn't say anything for several long minutes, long enough that she eventually managed to try meeting his gaze. She couldn't hold it. As cold and blank as he was evidently trying to keep it she could already see the fires of hatred raging behind his eye.
"...And he knows this?" He did a remarkable job of keeping his voice perfectly even as he spoke.
"He knows." She nodded. "He found out right before he left."
"And what...exactly...do you expect me to do, Yugao? You caused the death of Wolves."
She still couldn't meet that one burning eye but her voice dropped to almost a whisper as she corrected him. "Me and my team….I…..I killed those Wolves."
Kakashi fell silent again and it felt like an eternity before his voice- also a whisper- escaped his lips.
"You killed Wolves and you think I can help you?" He asked with a scoff. "You think I would help you?"
"I- I don't know who else could help me, Taicho." She admitted. "I want to make things right but….."
"You have no idea how?" He suggested with a grimace. "That would make two of us. You probably have no idea just how badly you've fucked up, either, do you?"
She shook her head, not trusting her ability to answer that question.
"They aren't Wolves to him, Yugao, they're his children"
Any shred of hope she had to get back in his good graces were immediately ripped to shreds by the Copy-Cat's words. She hadn't killed his friends or his soldiers, but children. There was no coming back from that.
"I-" She took a moment to both gather herself and choke down the lump in her throat as the true weight of her mistakes fell onto her already heavy heart. "I didn't know."
Kakashi's eye softened slightly at that. "No," He agreed. "I suppose you wouldn't have. It's not going to do much to satisfy Naruto, though. He gathered the Wolves and hunted down each and every rebel base to ensure his children could return home safely. They're the new family he's built himself and he'll do whatever he can to keep them safe."
"...From people like me."
He wasn't going to say anything but she wasn't wrong.
"Look, Uzuki," She flinched as he switched to a more formal address. "I'll talk to him about it, but I can't promise anything. Hell, reminding him might end up making things worse for you."
"That's- that's fine. Thank you, Taicho." She turned to leave but paused and looked over her shoulder to meet his gaze again. "Is- is there anything I can do to help him?"
"I think you've done enough, Uzuki." She noticeably flinched at that. "But I suppose keeping an eye out for the Wolves as the ANBU commander would be a good place to start."
That was something she could actually be doing and that small amount of hope that had been lost started to return. She gave her former captain a small smile, "Thanks, Taicho. I'll do everything I can."
Yes, he was sure she would.
But would it be enough?
Mai's office had been empty so he continued through the apartment checking the various sitting rooms that had sprung up over the past few years. The first three were empty but as he drew closer to the fourth he was able to hear the low murmur of conversation.
Most importantly, he could hear Tayuya's dirty mouth as she insulted the genitalia of who he could only assume was Rusty. He wondered what the poor bastard had done to draw her ire but knew in the next few moments it wasn't going to matter anymore.
He entered the room without breaking his stride, bent down to scoop Tayuya from her place on the floor resting against the couch, and threw the redhead over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
"Who in the He-" She paused as she noticed the red hair down her assailant's back. "D-denka-sama?"
"Who else?" He continued through the room, bending down enough to give a bemused, relieved, and gently smiling Mai a kiss on her cheek. "Sorry I can't visit more," He apologised to the room as he turned around to leave. "But I have some urgent matters to attend to. I'll see you in a week or so."
"R-really? Now, Denka-sama?" Tayuya didn't try to hide the anticipation in her voice and those who could see her face watched as it lit up spectacularly.
"I'd say you're long overdue by now, Tayuya, unless you'd like to put it off longer?"
The door closed behind them and voices faded as Naruto continued down the hall but the room's occupants were able to hear one last sentence from Tayuya before they vanished completely.
"No, no, Now's good, Denka-sama. We don't even have to make it back to one of our rooms."
Narutos' response was too muffled to make out but Mai was still able to make out the flat tone he would have used and could guess his response to her suggestion well enough.
"Tayuya," He would have started. "We're not fucking in the hallway."
Narutos' favorite was also pretty confident that Tayuya's response would have been something along the lines of "Please, Denka-sama? Just this once?"
As amusing as it was, Mai was also somewhat irritated.
Where was her Naruto-time, damnit? She had long accepted that he would be with other women but the fact that Tayuya was getting first pick sort of rubbed her the wrong way.
To be fair, though, she did remember Tayuya mentioning his clone disappearing right before they got busy, so she could grudgingly admit it was only fair that she finally get to finish what she had started.
Didn't mean she had to like it.
Before the conversation could resume the door opened again and in walked ...Naruto?
Just like with Tayuya he walked straight into the room and bent down to scoop up his target and Mai quickly found herself slung over his shoulder.
"The original said I was to take care of things while he was busy," The now identified Kage-Bunshin explained as he left the room. "So I figure the first thing I need to take care of is you."
Mai didn't think she'd ever been quite so please that Nartuo was a workaholic than in that instant right there, though she would go on to amend that statement several times in the following hours.
His work for the day had been finished an hour prior but despite the rare instance of having it complete at a decent time Asuma made no move to vacate his office. The other day he had turned around his desk so he could look out over the village while he worked and now he sat behind it watching as the light of the sun disappeared between the green ocean of dancing leaves.
His talk with Shikaku was still fresh in his mind and Asuma found himself rolling them over in his head as the village he loved grew in activity to welcome the first few hours of night.
Unsurprisingly, the man had been well aware of the Wolves for quite some time now. That, by itself, was nothing special. Most of them had heard of them after the Yamanaaka fiasco. No, what stood out about Shikaku and his knowledge stand out was the fact that he had known about a completely different side of the growing threat.
Specifically, he had known about clans allying themselves with the Wolves. Asuma had been made aware of this by his father and Danzo but the Nara clan head knew about the Inuzuka and suspected the Yamanaka of, if nothing else, trying to join them.
Despite knowing, Shikaku had kept quiet about this for some time now, waiting and watching to see what would become of it. Shikaku had...not been given much to work with, honestly. Matters of the Wolves were generally kept quiet and Asuma himself hadn't shared anything he knew with anyone else.
Which is what prompted the conversation after the last council meeting. Shikaku needed more information and knew Asuma would have it. Asuma needed a fresh perspective and advice which the Nara clan could provide. It only made sense for them to work together.
And so Asuma had told Shikaku everything he knew about the Wolves, including their recent interactions in Mizu no Kuni and what he had learned from Hiruzen and Danzo. Shikaku was, understandably, concerned with the news. After a few minutes of silent contemplation he met Asuma's gaze and told him, very plainly, exactly what would be best for Konoha.
"We need them on our side," He said. "Not as our enemies. They already have too many of our people to be safely removed from Konoha."
The man was right, unfortunately. The Wolves were a cancer so deeply entwined with the powers of Konoha that any attempt to rip them away would cause more damage than good. The problem with that was he had already made moves against them and he still had no idea what the results of it were going to be.
Which lead to Shikaku's other suggestion - meeting the Wolves.
It left a bad taste in his mouth but he couldn't deny the sense in the man's words. If nothing else, it would help him know who he was up against which he had to admit he was woefully lacking information about.
It would also let him know just how much he had fucked up. He could think about how poorly he had acted all he liked, supported by what he was told by both Danzō and Hiruzen, but he wouldn't know for sure until he actually met this "Tsukuyomi".
Reaching out to the man would be through one of two ways. Either he could entrust Genin Naruto to deliver it to his friends in the Wolves or he could send it to the capital addressed to the House of Wolves of The Imperial Courts of Hi no Kuni which could take upwards of a month to actually go through the proper channels and make it to Tsukuyomi's hand.
Considering that Asuma didn't actually know where Tsukuyomi was- though he'd suspect either Nami no Kuni or in Hi no Kuni's capital- there was no telling how long it would take for Genin Naruto to get it to the Lord of the House of Wolves.
He was probably better off sending it through the courts, then. Especially because then they'd have records that he had at least attempted to reach out to the House before relationships further deteriorated. It was good for covering his own ass and keeping him from losing too much face in the eyes of the Imperial Courts which, honestly, was more important than most people realized.
When your village operated by the grace of the Fire Daimyo and it was his pocketbook ensuring financial stability when work was sparse you typically wanted to make sure the people who had his ear liked you lest you find yourself deemed an unnecessary expense.
There were only so many conflicts a village could start to maintain regular employment of its Shinobi before the common people became too suspicious, after all. A village needed a patron to prosper.
Well, that or some other way to generate the necessary cashflow but when so much of Hi no Kuni was covered in forests the lumber industry wasn't exactly pulling in any fortunes. Really, it just saved them a bit of money on repairs.
So a village like Konoha was dependant on the favor of its patron to ensure its citizens- Shinobi and otherwise- were able to lead relatively comfortable existences. They could survive without a patron, of course, that was easy enough, but the quality of living would decrease dramatically and the number of Shinobi going rouge would increase exponentially.
You can't buy a man's life with a pebble, after all.
With a sigh Asuma reached over for a piece of clean paper and quickly jotted down a first draft of his formal invitation. He'd refine it a few dozen times- it would undoubtedly be looked at by the nosey nobles of the courts, after all- over the next few days as his workload permitted.
The sooner he had this taken care of the sooner he could return his attention to the really important things- like trying to bring stability to Kaze no Kuni.
Sand, it so happened, was not the most solid of materials and grains of dissidence kept slipping through their fingers. That was going to cause some major problems in the future unless they managed to take care of it soon, but it wouldn't matter at all if they were being ripped apart from the inside.
Wolves first, Sand after. Retreating from that wasteland wouldn't really cost them anything but perhaps Iroh's irritation, but when he had sent his own Samurai to aid them he couldn't be too upset when everything fell apart. No one had been prepared to conquer a country, they had simply seized the opportunity and were doing their best to make it work.
Time would tell how well they managed to pull it off.
Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 109-B "Visitation"
Patron Release 2020.01.27
The soft bed beneath her was almost a dream compared to the years she had spent in the damp rubble despite how simple and plain it was. The single bed was tucked into the corner of her new space covered with a few thick red blankets and two pillows of the same but she couldn't tell if her appreciation was caused more by the time she was without or because it represented Naruto being some part of her life again.
Like the bed, the rest of her home was also plain. Wooden floors reflected the dim, orangish light giving everything a cozy glow and the middle of her space contained a black couch flanked by a pair of armchairs. The wall they faced was dominated by a bookshelf for her to keep herself occupied with and a small, ever-burning fireplace right in the middle.
On the left side of her space, directly opposite of her bed, was a small kitchenette that she thought was probably more for show than anything. She didn't need to eat food, though she did enjoy it, but she also couldn't cook worth a damn.
There were a few books in the bookshelves and a few more on the kitchen counter she could attempt, but she thought that might end up being something to do for the sake of staving off boredom more than anything. She had lost her ability to control any part of this world with the sole exception of being able to create any food she was able to envision. Even then she could only pull it from the oven or the fridge, as if someone else had placed it here anticipating her needs.
She liked to think that Naruto was paying that much attention to her but she was well aware his focus was elsewhere.
Between that kitchenette and the bars of her cage sat a sturdy wooden table. There were chairs for three people but she knew only one would ever be used at a time. Unless Karura came to visit but that was unlikely. Well, not the visit, gods knew Karura would enjoy taking the opportunity to gloat while she still could but Mito highly doubted the woman would be staying for dinner.
Not when she had a palace of her own.
That was another thing she tried not to dwell on too much, the fact that while she was here in this simple one-room house her younger "sibling" was living in a sprawling palace. Mito could only see a sliver of it, but what she could see far exceeded even what she had before her catastrophic mistake.
Her jealousy tended to flare up when she thought about it- especially if she entertained the thought that it was representative of how much he loved them- but she was usually able to beat it back down with the rationing that Karura had earned her palace by being there for him when Mito had not.
It also helped to remind herself that she had been given an exquisite realm of her own when she first met him and Karura was simply receiving the same treatment. Naruto's skill and imagination had certainly grown tremendously while she was gone to be able to create something even more grand.
Of course, the bitter thought that she could be enjoying his increased skill had she simply stayed all those years ago cropped up regularly and had to be smothered often by the simple fact that there was no way for her to change the past.
The biggest thing keeping her raging jealousy smothered, however, was that she didn't even deserve what Narutro had been so generous in providing her. If she didn't even deserve this small, cozy little home, why on earth should she be getting jealous of those who had more? She should be- and she was- beyond grateful that she had even this much.
What she really wanted, however, was just Naruto. She could live wet and naked, covered in cold and filth, at the bottom of a deep, dark hole and she would be the happiest woman in the world if Naruto only stopped by once a day to peer down at her to offer an honest smile.
That would be a heaven far greater than any realm she could ever be gifted.
And if she ever wanted anything even close to such an existence she was going to have to regain Naruto's trust, his favor, and eventually his affection.
It was not going to be easy now that she had lost it all once, but if she could find a way to be of use- any use, really- she would have somewhere to start. Karura was supporting him through wars with her power and her company and all Mito had managed was healing him from the consequences of such chakra coursing through his body.
He wouldn't have needed to rely on Karura's chakra if Mito had simply been there. Hell, his body was already used to her own Chakra, he'd been conceived practically swimming in it after all. Combined with the fact that she possessed a healing that none of her siblings had meant there was a good chance he could use her Chakra almost indefinitely with little to no consequences.
He'd have been many times safer during his recent war if he had something like that at his disposal but after what she'd done she knew it wasn't likely he'd ever willingly draw from her Chakra regardless of the benefits.
She couldn't blame him in the slightest, nor could she blame Karura for being drawn to him.
The only one she had to blame was herself, though she wasn't doing him any good with that either.
With a sigh Mito did her best to chase away those thoughts, shaking her head lightly as if they would be physically dislodged by the action. It worked, slightly, but when all she really had to do in her prison was think to herself it was inevitable those thoughts would be drawn to Naruto and how horribly she had failed him all because of her childish jealousy.
Really, if she had simply left him alone with that Yamanaka woman she would have been the only one Mito had to share him with. Instead she had left him and he had- apparently- found himself with several lovers and a child.
Now that she thought about it, she would have been perfectly content with him having more lovers- particularly in the physical realm where she couldn't take care of him- so long as she came before them. In fact, her ego would have enjoyed that immensely.
So rather than Naruto just having multiple lovers vying for his attention she had to accept that each one of them had an established relationship with him and would come before her every time until she managed to regain her rightful place as his favorite.
Fuck, she'd take second favorite at this point so long as it was only Karura above her. The Ichibi would be insufferably smug about it, no doubt, but she honestly deserved it more.
That did not mean, however, that Mito wouldn't be striving to become Naruto's favorite, it was just coming to terms with the fact that her ultimate goal may very well be impossible. Her goal of having more of his favor than any of the other women in his life was still very much attainable if she just managed to get the right chance to start getting into his good graces.
And then, when she was so close to the top- well, it would be a shame if Karura ended up doing something to lose his favor and raise Mito up as his favorite. She still needed to figure out what, but she'd have plenty of time after she managed to get that far.
Despite wanting to set them aside, Mito's thoughts had her so wrapped up in them that she didn't even notice her visitor until the ringing of one of her prison's bars drew her from them.
Crimson eyes turned their attention to the world beyond her cage and she was greeted by the less than welcome sight of her youngest sibling standing by one of the iron pillars with a faint smirk playing at her lips. What was most interesting, though, was the little girl on Karura's hip.
She was what, five? Six? Whatever her age she was dressed in a light blue sundress with a white ribbon around her waist and her dark green hair- Mito almost mistook it for black in the dim light near her home- had been done into a thick braid that was currently tossed over one shoulder.
There was something eerily familiar about her, especially those eyes. One yellow and one blue, she had seen them before long, long ago. It could bed coincidence, but there was a nagging voice in the back of her head that told her it was important.
It was a miracle she had been able to see those eyes at all, really, considering the fact that the girl seemed more interested in hiding her face in Karura's neck than actually facing the eldest Biju. Her curiosity had her taking frequent enough peeks- with all the subtlety of the Hachibi in the middle of a city in his giant Ox-topus form- that Mito was able to get a good look at her too.
She was….cute.
Maybe adorable was more appropriate but Mito wouldn't be admitting to either. The fact that she was in the seal wasn't a good sign for the Kyuubi. Normal beings didn't end up in here.
Or, they hadn't yet. She was sure that if Naruto wanted it he could find a way- and she didn't doubt that for a second- but she had yet to hear of any reason he would ever want such a result or whatever benefits it might provide - whatever those would be. She didn't really see any good that could come of it.
The child aside, Mito had to wonder what brought Karura to her domain. The Ichibi stood there for a minute or so, peering through the bars to observe the Kyuubi's realm, probably comparing it to her own with relish, but she eventually broke the growing silence.
"Mito," She greeted.
"Karura." Was returned.
A small pout weighed down the Ichibi's lips. "Oh, is that any way to greet your beloved sister, Kyuubi?"
"I think I'd favor that bitch Nibi with such a title before you, Ichibi."
"She's not a bitch, you just don't like that she beat you to claiming fire as her domain."
"I was creating fire and earthquakes and storms long before any of you even existed, choosing one to call your own means nothing to me especially with how you all squabbled over who would get what. Fools, you all had elements you couldn't change already."
"We were young."
"You still are."
"Oh-ho? So you're really just jealous that we're young and beautiful while you're here getting old." Karura teased with a smirk.
"The difference in maturity was never a question, Karura, but I'm as gorgeous as ever."
"Oh dear, I think you might have gone senile already."
That earned a glare from Mito which put a broad smile on Karura's face. "Hit a nerve, did I?"
"What did you want, Karura?"
"What, can't I come visit my poor, aging Nee-chan?"
"Only when you want something."
Karura gave a pout. "Just because I want something doesn't mean it's bad. You could want it too."
"So you've come to announce that you're giving up on Naruto-kun and sending him back into my loving arms?
"Haha- Funny." The pout disappeared as she shook her head. "I'm not foolish enough to make such a mistake, I just thought you might like some company."
"Is that why you brought her?" Mito gestured towards the girl with her chin. "How kind of you to bring me a pet."
"That's a pretty mean thing to call your niece, Mito, but I suppose you can't help it. She is just an adorable little thing, isn't she?"
"Niece?"
"Yes, Mito. You do know what a niece is, don't you?"
"I know what they are, I'm questioning how it's possible."
"Well, I suppose I'll have to teach you, then. Of all people to not know I'd never suspect you. So, when a mommy and daddy love each other very much and the daddy takes the mommy into the dungeon he hid in her palace…"
"I know how it works, Karura." Mito gave a deep frown. It didn't take a genius to realize she had been taking the opportunity to insinuate that she and Naruto had been up to some raunchy activities. Even if it did happen- which Mito very much prefered to not be the case- Mito wanted to hear about it even less.
If Naruto did end up using Karura she would just have to accept it. Mito had been gone for some time, after all, and Naruto would certainly have needs. She couldn't blame him for using what he had available to take care of them. "I'm wondering how you apparently have a six year old daughter already." The 'with Naruto-kun' end of that sentence went unsaid but they both knew she had avoided it on purpose.
"I've taken her in as my own, adoption if you like. I just couldn't let such a sweet little girl be left all alone, you know."
"Then should I instead be wondering how you managed to get her into the seal?"
"I didn't." She admittedly plainly. "Naruto-kun brought her into the seal and when I saw her she simply had to be mine." Karrua paused for a second, a thoughtful look on her face. "I suppose I wasn't completely accurate when I said she was your niece."
"Oh?" One of Mito's delicate brows arched in as much curiosity as she'd allow her countenance to display.
"Mito, meet my daughter Isobu, your niece and younger sister."
The second brow quickly joined the first and Mito found herself blinking a few times as she tried to process what she had just been told.
"The Sanbi?" She eventually managed. "You're calling the Sanbi your daughter?"
"Of course, I am, I've adopted her. She already calls Naruto-kun daddy so it's only appropriate."
That made a certain amount of sense, not that she'd admit it, but Mito had a feeling that Isobu believing Naruto to be her father was not the start of this odd little arrangement. The result? Probably. The cause? Not in the slightest.
Mito didn't end up voicing any of that outloud, however, instead settling for something completely unrelated to any relationships that may or may not exist.
"She's smaller than I would have expected."
"She's a child, Mito. They're small." Karura's comment earned a flat look from the Kyuubi. "...Though I suppose it might be surprising she identified with such a form." Karura continued. "I think it's because she hasn't spent much time around humans like the rest of us," She gave a shrug. "But maybe she just really liked the look. It certainly suits her, though."
"...Quite."
"Your first time meeting your niece and all you can say is 'quite'? I'm disappointed in you Nee-chan." She gave Mito a teasing smile before turning her attention to her daughter. "Come on, Isobu-chan. Don't be shy. It's just your Auntie Mito."
Karura stepped through the bars, entering Mito's domain as little Isobu looked up from her mother's neck to give the human form of the Kyuubi no Kitsune an inquisitive stare.
"She was gone for a while because she hurt daddy," Karura continued, the smallest of smiles playing wickedly on her lips. "But she's back now."
The curiosity in those mismatched eyes drained in an instant, replaced by a respectable glare for something that didn't look to have reached double-digits yet. Really, the attempt was just...cute. Adorable, even. Mito was starting to like her, though she didn't see any need to admit that to either of them- or herself.
It wasn't quite as adorable as three tails of bright green bubbled up to take form behind the child, small trails of it leaking from her eyes as she did her damndest to melt the Kyuubi with her stare alone. That did have Mito moderately worried, not because she wasn't strong enough to take her on- because both Isobu and Karura together were nowhere near a match for her might- but because if Isobu called Naruto "Daddy" it stood to reason that he let her call him that which, in turn, meant there was a damn good chance he considered her his daughter. Mito would not be making the mistake of raising her hand against one of his loved ones again, even if that did mean allowing an angry Sanbi to inflict damage onto her human form until she had calmed down.
It was just an image she had picked for herself, after all, Biju couldn't really die- or, no one Biju or otherwise had found a way to facilitate it yet, rather- so it would be a simple matter of repairing her current body. What wouldn't be repaired was any damage to her pride for allowing herself to be helpless against something so much weaker than her. She was sure Karura would never let her forget about it, either.
But, if that's what she had to do to keep Naruto from tossing her aside before she had a chance to regain his favor it's what she would do. She just really hoped it wouldn't come to that.
The Ichibi seemed rather amused at her daughter's reaction but- perhaps also feeling that Naruto wouldn't be pleased with them fighting- was quick to put a stop to it.
"Don't be rude, Isobu-chan." Karura chided her. "She's here as daddy's guest. I think he'd be pretty upset if you started to fight with her, don't you?"
Isobu continued to glare- still strangely cute- for a few more seconds as her tails vanished. Giving her mother a small nod she returned to hiding her head back into Karura's neck, though she continued to shoot a one-eyed glare at her new aunt. If Karura was aware- and Mito had a feeling she was- she paid it no mind.
"So, he's decided to keep you, huh?" Karura changed the subject with a small smile. "I suppose that would make you the pet then, wouldn't it? That's good, I asked him for one earlier."
Mito shot her a glare that could turn a desert into a bowl of glass. "I'm not a pet."
"Oh?" Karura's hand came up to her lips in fake embarrassment, her smirk visible even from behind it. "My bad, I just couldn't think of any other reason for him to keep you around."
"Maybe because one of us can actually heal him?" Mito practically growled back.
That had Karura's smirk vanishing.
"You did, didn't you?" She mumbled. "Thank you."
"I didn't do it for you, raccoon." Glared Mito.
"No, but I still appreciate it."
The Kyuubi's arms crossed with a huff as she turned slightly from her 'sister'. "You're welcome, then." She offered grudgingly. "Someone has to make sure Naruto-kun is safe."
Because Mito had been the one to save him Karura let that one slide with a faint smile. "All that really matters is that he's happy and healthy." Karura declared. "I'm sure everyone here can agree."
Isobu gave a small nod into her mother's neck and after a second Mito gave one of her own.
"I'm still going to steal him away from you."
Karura's smile didn't so much as twitch. "You may try." She invited almost smugly. "But my place at his side is secure."
"For now, maybe." Mito conceded. "But is that why you came? To gloat while you still can?"
It was really hard for Karura to be bothered by Mito's words between the fact that Mito saved Naruto and that despite that fact Karura was still the one with his favor. "I'm going to be introducing little Isobu-chan here to her brother later but thinking about it I decided it was only right I introduce her to all of her family." Almost as an afterthought she added "And you to her, I suppose."
A twitch in Mito's brow was all Karura needed to know it had the desired effect. Perfect.
"And who exactly is this 'brother' of hers?" Mito's brow rose slightly. As much as she didn't want to be, she was still curious. She had missed quite a lot these past few years and there was only so much to do in her prison- even if it was far nicer than it was just a short while ago.
"My son, Gaara." Karura's smile grew even larger. "Such a sweet boy."
Isobu Mito knew...of, at least. She hadn't really cared for her 'siblings' or what they got up to since their creation so Isobus' appearance and personality had certainly been a surprise but she was absolutely positive none of the other Biju were named Gaara.
Though, to be fair, she had only started going by Mito recently herself, so it was entirely possible Gyuuki or Son Goku, or someone else had found a name they liked better.
But the way Karura spoke of this Gaara made it seem like he had been her son for quite some time now and she certainly didn't recall Naruto sealing any other Biju into himself.
Unless it had happened after she left. That was entirely possible but not something she really cared to think about.
Almost as if she knew the questions running through her sister's head Karura continued. "He should be turning thirteen soon and I have him to thank for introducing me to Naruto-kun. I would have already introduced him to his new sister but he's currently vacationing with his siblings and I'd hate to interrupt their bonding."
"So he's...human...?"
A sharp look entered Karura's eyes. "Is there something wrong with humans, Mito?"
"I don't really care for them one way or the other," Mito shrugged. "I just wasn't sure if one of the others had taken a new name."
Karura understood that immediately. "Oh, no, he was my Jinchuriki."
"And now he's your son."
"He was always my son, he just has a proper father now."
"You mean-"
"Naruto-kun, yes. We have two beautiful children together, Gaara and Isobu. That's why I know my place is secure." She gave a wicked grin. "I'm the mother of his children, after all."
"...Quite." It certainly explained her confidence and elevated her far past anything Mito had ever achieved in her relationship with him. That was going to be a damn tall order to beat, especially when he didn't trust her anymore. But it did bring up an interesting question. "So how are they going to meet?"
"What do you mean?"
"She's" Mito lazily pointed towards Isobu who was still glaring at her. It was starting to grow on the Kyuubi, honestly, and she wasn't sure how to feel about that. "Sealed within Naruto-kun. I'm assuming your former Jinchuriki hasn't also been sealed in here unless that's how Naruto-kun ended up with you."
"Oh, it's fine, we'll just move into his seal for a bit."
Mito was positive the look of confusion on her face must have looked absolutely ridiculous but couldn't bring herself to care. "...What?" Karura noticed the expression and a confused frown of her own pulled at her lips.
"I'll just go into Gaara's seal. Naruto-kun never removed it and it's still connected. We visit pretty often."
"H-how? How does that even work?"
"I don't know." And her shrug told Mito exactly how much she cared, too. "It just does."
"You- you don't have any idea how impossible that should be, do you?" Mito would like to claim that her knowledge was because she was the eldest and smarter than her siblings but the truth was simply that she had been sealed within three uzumaki now, two of which spent a lot of time around others who also enjoyed the sealing arts.
Really, though, just the fact that she had been in one Uzumaki was reason enough. Half of their existence seemed to consist of Fuinjutsu and the other half was just pure chakra and a love of salty foods.
"No." Karura's answer was short and sweet. Technically the youngest- though with Isobu she was evidently not the youngest-acting – she hadn't had quite as much time out in the world as most of her siblings and so her experiences were a bit more limited. She also just didn't' care for the art of sealing. One couldn't really blame her, considering how it was used against her, but one might also argue that it was a good idea to have some measure of knowledge about the only thing capable of defeating you. "But isn't that how your seal works anyway?"
Oh? Apparently she wasn't completely oblivious.
"Well, yes. I'm technically still sealed within his sister at the moment but as their seals are connected in order to fully contain my greatness which means I overlap slightly into here."
"See? Same thing." Karura gave a dismissine shake of her head and rested her unoccupied left hand on her hip. "Only Naruto-Kun holds me and there's an overlap that allows me to access Gaara's empty seal to visit."
"Yes," Acknowledged Mito. "That's the same, but what you're talking about is way more complicated than that." A delicate finger pointed towards Isobu who had grown tired of glaring and was instead amusing herself with her mother's hair. "She is also sealed within Naruto, but your son doesn't have a seal for her on him- I'm assuming, anyway- which means she would be leaving Naruto's seal and going into what remains of your seal within your son."
"Oh." Karura frowned in thought. "That does sound like it might be a problem." She brightened up almost instantly. "That's fine, I'll just bring him in here."
"And in that case you are practically sealing away a human, who is not a mass of Chakra like ourselves. How the hell would that even work? There's no telling how seals might react, not to mention the consequences that his physical body might suffer."
"Well, his physical body wouldn't matter too much if he was in here with his family." Pointed out the Ichibi. "But I suppose Naruto-kun probably wouldn't be too pleased by it." Karura bit her lip in thought for a few seconds before Mito could practically see the enlightenment that struck her.
"Ah! Isobu-chan's seal already manifests within mine, so she's technically in my seal already. It shouldn't be any different to move her into Gaara's for a bit."
"That- " Mito paused, frowning. "That might work, actually." She gave Karura a confused look. "Why is her seal within yours? How is it in yours?"
"Who knows?" Karura shrugged. "Maybe Naruto-kun does but I sure don't, don't care either."
"You're not concerned that Isobu was somehow sealed within your seal? Seals within seals are supposed to breakdown and collapse, it should have undone her seal, your seal, and possibly even mine and you're not the least bit curious as to why it didn't?"
"No. Naruto-kun saw it and wasn't concerned so I'm not either."
"Has he been learning sealing?" Mito asked. "Because that should have been one of the first lessons."
"Again, I have no idea. What Naruto-kun learns and occupies his time with is his business. I'm simply ready to answer his call and offer him support in any way I can. I don't need to be constantly in his focus, I'm satisfied by what affection he chooses to shower me with because it's a hell of a lot more than I ever expected to be given."
That jab actually struck pretty deep and Mito came very close to actually wincing at the sudden stabbing pain in her heart. Her younger sister did have a point, though. Who but her precious Naruto-kun would ever show them affection? Most people just saw them as mindless masses of Chakra but even if they didn't the Biju tended to be sealed away which meant contact with anyone was rather limited.
Just the fact that she was able to talk with the Ichibi despite being sealed should have been considered an amazing blessing. For their host to actually provide for them? Compared to the others they were living in paradise.
"...Well..." Mito was momentarily lost for words and when she did find them had some difficulty forcing them past a growing lump in her throat. "Perhaps I could suggest checking with him before you try anything? Just in case?"
"….Yeah." Karura frowned slightly, thinking that perhaps her words had been a bit too harsh. "I'll probably do that, just in case." An uncomfortable silence descended for a long minute.
"Thanks, Mito."
The Kyuubi just gave a sad, slightly bitter smile.
"Anything for Naruto-kun."
"We'll- we'll visit soon, Mito. If Naruto-kun knows a way I'll introduce you to your nephew, too."
"...Thank you, Karura. I think I'd like that."
The Ichibi gave her a small but genuine smile.
"It's no problem, Mito. Families have to stick together don't they?"
As Karura left Mito's prison- and Isobu had decided she was okay enough for a parting wave over her mother's shoulder- Mito gave a small wave back with a deep, thoughtful frown claiming it's place on her face.
Families have to stick together, huh?
The frown melded into a small smile of her own.
She supposed they did, and the thought of it brought a strange warmth to her chest only Naruto had been able to cause. Was this what it was like to have a family?
Mito thought she might be able to get used to this.
So it wasn't a week, but Naruto was fairly certain that had been the most exhausting four days he had ever had. Staggering out from her room he grabbed the towel offered to him by a lightly smirking- though slightly concerned- Katsuri and wiped down his face. It wasn't going to do much to help and was no substitute for a proper shower but at least it removed the sweat from his eyes.
He rested the towel around his neck and was handed a glass of water he greedily downed.
Wolves- probably Katsuri- had slipped some food and drink through the door over the past few days and he had managed to snag some between rounds- when not collapsed unconscious in Tayuya's bed- but he was still in desperate need of sustenance-
And a very long nap.
"Thank you, Katsuri." He handed back the glass and she presented her cheek. Bemusedly he gave it a quick kiss and reached up to pat her head to earn a beaming smile from the woman. "Did I miss anything important?"
She thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Nothing important. Your Bunshin spent some time with Mai for the remainder of the first day -" And that night, and a good portion of the next morning but he didn't need to hear that from her. "- but has been looking over reports from the Wolves who remained and any paperwork that hadn't been finished upon your departure."
Ah, yes, he had forgotten about that. Anything he hadn't done and anything the Wolves may have sent before he left would have simply sat here for about a month now.
Actually, now that he thought about it he didn't even know what day it was. He'd probably have it on one of the Wolves' reports soon enough assuming his Bunshin didn't already know, so he guessed it wasn't too important at the moment.
"Good, good." He started down the hall towards his personal chambers. Tayuya's room had an attached bathroom but he wasn't going to risk her waking up again while he was still naked in her room. He had to make his escape while he could because that young woman was insatiable. He used to think the Uuzmaki were gifted with stamina but they had nothing on a horny Tayuya.
Or maybe it was just an attention-starved Tayuya?
Sexually frustrated?
They were probably all correct, really. Regardless, he had a feeling he may have needed some help from Karura in order to go on any longer. He wasn't sure how the Biju - his wife? - would have felt about that, honestly. They really hadn't spoken about the other women in his life- or her role in it at that.
He was her lord, he knew, and she had taken the position of mother to two of his children - though he was a father to both of them because of her anyway- but he really didn't have a name for their relationship. Lovers fit just about everyone else very well, maybe friends with benefits, but things with Karura just felt a lot more serious than his other relationships.
Probably because, as mentioned, she was acting as the mother to his children. None of the others could claim anything close to that. On that note, did he- no. He needed to stop those thoughts now or he'd be spending way too much time on them. He could do that later, after he ensured everything else was in order.
Might be a good way to occupy his mind on his next trip, but standing naked in the hallway was not an appropriate time to consider whether or not he would like to have biological kids of his own with any of the women in his life.
Oh, yeah, he was naked, wasn't he? To be completely honest, he had no idea what happened to any of his clothes after he entered her room- or hers, for that matter- and when he made his escape he didn't even try searching for them. He'd need to pick up a change for his shower...No, he didn't. If there was anyone waiting in his room after his shower they had probably already seen him naked and unless he was going to shower- or perhaps bathe- somewhere else he would just be in his room anyway.
Ooh, on that note a hot bath did sound really good about now, though it would run a very high risk of him falling asleep in it. For what was probably the first time Naruto found himself actually wishing the Wolves had made modifications to his apartment while he was away but he figured wishing to have a hotspring in it was a bit much, even for the Wolves.
Why'd Ganju waste his time making the apartment bigger when he could have instead built a hotspring? Was there a suggestion box he could drop that idea into anonymously? He didn't want to encourage that, of course, but if Ganju was just going to do it anyway, well, might as well be something he wanted in the first place, right?
Well, couldn't hurt to ask. Pausing in the hallway he looked over his shoulder to Katsuri who had followed him without prompting. He'd ignore the fact that she had to look up in order to meet his gaze, though the dusting of pink that sprang across her cheeks suited her well.
"Any chance Ganju and pals have built a hotsprings somewhere in here?"
Her embarrassment turned to confusion and she cocked her head to the side slightly. "Not that I know of, why?"
Naruto shook his head and dismissed the matter with a negligent wave oif his hand as he turned his attention forward and resumed his walk. "Nothing important," He shrugged. "Don't worry about it. A warm bath just sounded pretty good about now."
"Ah." There was a slight hitch in her voice, one he had become quite familiar with on the journey back to Konoha. "D-don't you have a bath in your room?"
"The apartment I rented only had a shower, I'm not sure if the other's might have more."
She was quiet for a few steps before making a suggestion. "The room I claimed has a bath, I could draw one for you." He didn't even need to turn around to see the hope in her eyes, he could hear enough of it in her voice. It could have just been from the opportunity to serve, most of the Wolves loved doing so, but Naruto had a feeling it was for an entirely different reason entirely.
"If you wouldn't mind I would appreciate it."
"Of course, Tsukuyomi-sama." Her voice cheered up a bit at his acceptance and he could practically feel the confidence returning to her as she followed.
That confidence dipped ever so slightly as she asked another question. "D-do you need any help washing? I could join you….."
"I appreciate the offer, Katsuri, I really do-" And he probably did need help at this point. "But Tayuya's worn me out completely." That would have settled the matter completely but Naruto made the fatal mistake of turning back around to glance at the High-Captain.
She did her best to hide it but it was obvious she was disappointed. Unlike the blush, disappointment was not something that suited her.
"Fine." He sighed. "You can join me. One round if I'm still awake at the end."
The light that grew in her eyes made it worth it, even if his sore body would have him cursing this decision later.
"You'll be doing most of the work, too." He added as a warning. "Because there's no way in hell I'm going to be able to move once I'm in that water."
The light in her eyes became mischievous and Naruto realized that saying that was a bad idea. True, of course, but not beneficial to him in the long run.
"That's fine, Tsukuyomi-sama." It wasn't a purr but for Katsuri it came damn close. "I understand perfectly."
He should probably run but he also had a feeling he might end up exciting her more.
Well, that or upsetting her.
Neither was an acceptable option. He really needed to find a way to make more clones or come up with some sort of schedule because there was no way in hell he'd be able to get anything done without neglecting these girls.
Or maybe he just needed to suggest that they get themselves another lover or two so it wasn't all on him. He'd have to be careful who he suggested that to, though, because some of them probably wouldn't like that too much. Katsuri was one of them and again, upsetting her wasn't something he was keen on doing.
He'd think something along the lines of "He didn't like it when his daughter cried" but considering what they were about to do, well, maybe that was less than appropriate.
"Gaara."
The former Ichibi Jinchuriki's eyes widened slightly as the voice of his mother whispered softly through his head. He did his best to visit with her whenever possible, though he did still have some trouble even getting to his mindscape let alone calling her from his father's seal to his, but it was pretty rare for her to call on him.
Especially when he was awake, usually she just dragged him from his dreams into his sealscape which, really, was better than any dream he could possibly have.
He looked around the small camp they were preparing where Kankuro and Sasori were spending more time debating the potential in each piece of firewood than actually starting a proper fire. Temari, who was quite disappointed they hadn't made it to the next town for even a subpar hotspring, was setting up the tents and Deidara was pulling out supplies for the evening meal.
"Gaara." The sound of his mother returned and Gaara realized he was keeping her waiting. Heading straight for the tent Temari was finishing- her own, naturally - he dropped his gourd near the entrance and slipped into it without hesitation.
"Gaara?" Temari asked, peeking her head through the flaps.
"Mother's calling me." Was his simple response as he curled into her blankets.
"Oh," If she was calling for him then Temari wouldn't try to interfere, though she couldn't help but be a bit nervous. It was the Ichibi, after all, and for the majority of her life her brother had been driven to be a sleepless, bloodthirsty monster by his 'mother'. The introduction of Naruto seemed to have calmed down her brother tremendously and she could only assume it was the same with the Ichibi. Still, she did her best to offer a supporting smile. "Best not keep her waiting then. Goodnight Gaara."
"Goodnight, Kaa-sama."
Temari closed the tent, a genuine smile stretching over her lips.
Even if she had to compete with a Biju, she was still his mother and that was worth more than any trouble the Ichibi might cause.
And thanks to my lovely Patrons whose financial support is probably going to be used towards commissioning Smol Isobu. Well, that or new front tires. We'll see.
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