Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 117-A "Hanahime"
Release: 2020.05.11
As promised, Naruto was exactly where he said he'd be when Orochimaru returned to his office. Besides the stacks of paper that had shifted just enough to be noticeable the scene was nearly identical to the one Orochimaru had walked into upon his arrival.
The Prince's work was never done.
Naruto's pace didn't change but his movements gained an energy as Orochimaru returned making it plain to see he was either glad for the break or eager to be able to focus on the Ten no Juin. Honestly it was probably both but that was understandable.
Diligent as ever he finished the report he was currently going through- scratching anything of note onto a seperate page for easy reference later- and then placed it and its siblings into a manila folder marked and dated as "finished reports". Orochimaru raised a brow at that and it didn't go unnoticed as Naruto's eyes moved from the folder to his godfather.
He didn't need any explanation to know exactly what the sannin was curious about and didn't see any harm in providing answers for the silent inquiry. "It's part of a new system we're moving towards. It hasn't been fully developed because we've had to re-prioritize tasks while Mai's away but it should make the full transition much easier."
"It does seem more organized." Orochimaru admitted with a sly smile. "I just didn't want to say anything."
"It's fine." Naruto returned his smile with a small one of his own. "Our previous system was rather slap-dash, I can admit that. It developed as we grew and we never sat down to plan it out. Fortunately Hanabi had been learning to take over the Hyuuga clan and is familiar with more...practical systems."
There was only a modicum of surprise Orochimaru showed at learning that the girl was, in fact, who she had claimed to be. He hadn't really thought she was lying- what would it have served?- but it was still strange to know someone so young was holding such a position. Though considering who she was doing it for, perhaps it wasnt' that young at all. Naruto had gathered his Wolves when he was only a few years older, hadn't he? Head of admin was impressive but it couldn't really compare to founding an organization, taking over a country, and establishing yourself as a Daimyo.
She was still young though, there was nothing saying she couldn't do the same.
Well, other than the fact that she wasn't Naruto, that is.
"I hear she's also Mai's assistant." He did his best to suppress a smirk as Naruto's narrowed eyes focused on him as though he'd be able to gleam all the answers to the questions in his head through sight alone. If anyone was capable of it Orochimaru had no doubt it would be his Crimson Prince but he hadn't heard anything to suggest that was within his capabilities.
He was well aware the Daimyo of Nami no Kuni could have many secrets hidden away from even his godfather though so he didn't completely discount the possibility that it was indeed within his capabilities and exactly what he was doing at that very moment.
"That she is." Naruto's voice was even and plain, reflecting none of the suspicious curiosity Orochimaru could read in his eyes. "I take it you ran into her earlier then? How did she take the body?"
His prince's insight didn't disappoint and Orochimaru could feel his grin grow. "She was certain I was Sasuke-kun but she didn't seem to care about anything except the fact I was inside your apartment when I was supposed to have been abducted."
"She can be very to the point, it's one of the reasons I feel comfortable allowing her to direct our reorganization efforts."
"A lot like Mai, isn't she? Like a little mini-me."
"Yes, they seem to work well together."
"They look similar, too. They could almost be sisters." Pointed out the Sannin.
Beyond poth having dark hair and pale skin Naruto really didn't see it and so offered only a half-hearted shrug.
"No? Maybe it's just me then." Orochimaru meandered over to his bag and started digging through it until he'd collected a fistfull of papers. His Wolf escort had advised packing a bit better but he had grown impatient about halfway through and decided it was good enough for travel. He knew she was rolling her eyes at him when he declared he was done but she had seemed as eager to complete her task from Tsukuyomi as he had been to visit his godson again. "Do you have time to go over the Ten no Juin now?" The papers were dropped on the only clear part of his desk- directly before Naruto- and Orochimaru was nearly bouncing in Sasukes' body with giddy excitement.
He really wanted to dive into his masterpiece. Orochimaru had trouble remembering the last time he had been so excited.
About research, that is. His night with Naruto sat undeniably at the top of his experiences and he highly doubted anything would ever come close to replacing it.
"Yes, now is fine." More than fine, actually. He was in desperate need of a break.
"Perfect, so where would you like to star-"
Interrupting the Sannin was the solid rapping at the door, earning a glare sharper than any dagger's edge could ever manage.
Naruto was too used to his work being interrupted to be fazed. "Enter."
Ganju stuck his head in first and grinned nervously under Orochimaru's fierce gaze. Even in Sasuke's body it hadn't lost any of its potency. Before the man could offer so much as an apology for interrupting or ask forgiveness for his timing he was pushed fully into the room by Katsuri who didn't even flinch under the Sannin's withering glare, more concerned with answering the summon from her lord. A third head peaked in from the hallway, wary of actually stepping foot into Naruto's office in the present company.
"My apologies for the delay, Tsukuyomi-sama. I've gathered those you requested."
"Yes, yes. Very good. You are dismissed." With visible gratitude the man scurried off, happy to be out of the line of fire.
"Yes, Tsukuyomi-sama, thank you Tsukuyomi-sama."
Orochimaru grit Sasuke's teeth but tried to remain as neutral as possible as Naruto's attention was stolen away right before they could get to the seal, moving off to the side of the desk to stay out of the way for the time being.
He could be patient, he could.
He just didn't like it.
He wanted his Naruto-time, damnit.
"You wanted to see us, Tsukuyomi-sama?" Asked Katsuri, sparing only a single glance at the smaller than usual Sannin.
"Yeah, boss-man! Did you need something?" Had Ganju been...no, that seemed unlikely. Still, it was a very strange coincidence just how much that sentence reminded Naruto of something Anko might say. The last thing he needed was Anko encouraging his Wolves to perform additional renovations while his back was turned. If they knocked down any more walls the second floor would soon be ground level. He would like to avoid that, preferably indefinitely.
He wasn't completely convinced he'd have such a luxury.
"I did. Katsuri, you'll be in charge of this mission," He turned towards Ganju as he continued. "But Ganju will be the one performign it." The two shared a look before shooting Naruto inquisitive expressions but they didn't actually voice any questions about their lord's desires. "Orochimaru has a base in Yu no Kuni that I hope to use as a starting point for our own. Your job will be to inspect the location to ensure its' viable and to begin making plans for the construction of our newest base. Orochimaru will be sending for his own subordinates to meet you there, including the current results of...'Aquatic Shinobi'." They didn't miss the way he paused to glance at the snake Sannin as he said that, making it clear he had more than a few questions about that detail.
"We don't have an ETA on their arrival so you may be finished with preliminary inspections before they arrive if it's still in good condition or you could be delayed from even entering the existing structure until one or both groups arrive."
"Both groups, Tsukuyomi-sama? " Katsuri asked.
"Yes, the group most likely to reach you first are some of Orochimaru's personal lab assistants from Otogakure. Their general knowledge should prove valuable as we plan the construction of our base. The second group is the results of the Aquatic Shinobi Program based in Ume no Kuni. Due to its distance I don't expect them to arrive first but as I don't know much about the program and they'll most likely be arriving by sea I could be wrong." Naruto gave Orochimaru a prompting look.
"While I do believe they could make the trip slightly faster than by boat based on the latest reports I've received-" Not completely accurate, those were the last reports he'd read but he was still receiving them sporadically. His own interest in the project having been lost some time ago he was only allowing its continuation because he didn't have any other projects that needed that specific lab space. It was only when it had possible use for Naruto's goals that Orochimaru started to care again. "- I would advise against it so that they can be of use as soon as they arrive. Even for them it would be quite the trip and the experiments have been focused on...very different physical aspects. Strength and stamina were much lower priorities."
"Eh?" Ganju scratched his head. "Lower priorities than what?" They seemed like some pretty damn important focuses to him.
"Than breathing underwater indefinitely as naturally as we breathe air." Orochimaru's response was dry enough to drain the oceans and make that research irrelevant. "Or being able to detect everything in the water around them in 360 degrees to compensate for the much more three-dimensional environment."
"...Arent' fights already three dimensional?"
Naruto didn't think Orochimaru's look could get more dry. He was wrong.
"I assure you, it's much easier to move in any direction underwater than it is through the air."
"Well yeah, I can see that, but why would they fight underwater?" Ganju's scratching moved from his head to the slight scruff on his chin. He was overdue for a shave but was contemplating growing it out to see how it looked. "The only reason you underwater Shinobi would be fighting is if someone else made underwater Shinobi, which they would only make because you had them."
Orochimaru's face went from blank to irritated. "Underwater fights weren't the goal, you buffoon. It was to see if it could be done and in hopes of developing modifications that could be useful normally."
"You could have said that," Shrugged Ganju. "You're the one who mentioned fights."
"Because being able to detect enemies in that environment is more important than strength and stamina at the moment."
"Saying it was for navigational purposes probably would have fit better." Katsuri chimed in earning a scowl from Orochimaru and a grin from Ganju.
"Yeah, that would have made much more sense."
"I'm a scientist." From the sound of his words they were being forced out through clenched teeth. "Not a teacher. I tried to explain it in a way you would understand."
Ganju gave another shrug. "Sure, sure. So they're coming by boat and will be the last to arrive. I think we've got it."
Only the serious look Naruto gave him kept Orochimaru from attacking the Wolf that was so casually dismissing him. Naruto wasn't sure if it was because Ganju was brave, ignorant, or simply felt safer in Naruto's presence. Probably a combination of the three.
"You're dismissed to prepare for the trip. Orochimaru will inform Katsuri about locating and entering the base."
"You got it!" Ganju gave a casual salute and spun on his heel to leave before pausing to glance over his shoulder. "Oh, can I bring my boys?"
"...Your...boys…?" Naruto was reasonably certain his expression was nearing Orochimaru-levels of dry unimpressedness. He was half convinced already that he didn't want to know but felt at the same time that knowing was probably very much his responsibility.
"Yeah, my bros help me with the bigger projects." The Wolf happily announced, fists coming to rest on his hips as he turned his body back to his father in a confident stance. Of all his children Ganju took the cake for being boisterous and unrightfully confident.
On one hand sending that much chaos on a mission that was supposed to be very stealthy was probably ill advised but on the other they would be useful for the actual work that was going to need to be done. This was supposed to just be the preliminary inspection but if they could start it would be beneficial to do so as early as possible with everyone they needed.
It would also keep a group he could only imagine as mini-Ganju's from being aimless here in the apartment.
Yeah, that last part was enough to make up his mind.
"It's a stealth mission, Ganju. Stealth." He couldn't possibly stretch that enough. "Make sure they understand that. No one can know what we're doing in Yu no Kuni. Am I clear?"
"Perfectly, Tsukuyomi-sama." The seriousness with which he said that was quickly betrayed by his following boast. Puffing out his chest like some sort of over-muscled rooster he proudly announced "You still didn't know we built a hotsprings in here last week."
"You…" Naruto caught himself and massaging his temples dismissed Ganju from the room with a wave of his hand. "Just...go...I'll deal with that later."
Or not. That might just end up being something else he ignored for the sake of his sanity. It explained what he had caught Ganju and those other Wolves with materials for, though. They must have been "Ganju's Boys".
Sheepishly Katsuri raised one of her hands about chest-level. "That was mostly my fault, Tsukuyomi-sama. You asked if we had one the other day so I figured I'd give Ganju a project that you might have been interested in before he came up with one on his own."
He had asked about that, hadn't he? He'd even asked specifically if Ganju had built one. If anything he had brought it upon himself so he couldn't' really be mad about it.
"That was very...thoughtful..of you, Katsuri. I appreciate your attempt to direct his enthusiasm in a more...beneficial direction."
"Of course, Tsukuyomi-sama. I had planned on it being a surprise to help you relax but you've been so busy I didn't have a chance to bring it up yet."
Naruto gave a nod to show he'd heard but otherwise left that subject alone, moving back to the reason he'd called for them before he uncovered more sources for his mounting headache. "Orochimaru, if you could fill in Katsuri please."
With brisk steps Orochimaru returned to his bag and pulled out a file labeled "Yu no Kuni" from which he pulled out one of three folders, handing it to Katsuri. "That's everything I have on the base, from construction to my order to cease all operations in it several years ago." Katusri opened the folder and began flipping through its contents to familiarize herself with the mission destination. "As you can see it's almost completely underwater with only a single access above sea level."
One pale finger pointed to a rough sketch of a rocky outcropping on the northernmost curve of the cove. "Normally ships with supplies and subordinates would pass here in the night, leaving what was needed for the base to collect and picking up any marked drops from within the water. I didn't want them spending more than an hour on any given exchange and they were to do everything in their power to limit it to 20 minutes or less. Sometimes that meant delays but it was better than being detected by Yu no Kuni or any vessels from Kaminari no Kuni."
"I see," It was hidden by her mask but from voice alone naruto could see the thoughtful frown that tugged at her lips. "The main base appears to be directly in the center and spread south into the cove, correct?"
"That is correct."
"Is there a reason you didn't build towards the area that already housed the access? Surely that would have been easier."
"The materials there were less than cooperative and the conditions were not optimal for building any sort of lasting structure at the time. Aquatic Shinobi would have been useful in that regard." His pointed look conveyed the fact that he was still displeased by earlier comments but he quickly moved on. "It also kept the entrance as far away from the base itself as possible to further reduce the chances of discovery. It would only delay at best, but that time would have been crucial in salvaging as much as we could and ensuring the rest was destroyed."
"Makes sense." Katsuri glanced up to her lord. "Would you prefer us to use the base as it is or did you want to build around the entrance now that we'll be joined by Aquatic Shinobi?"
"If most of the base is usable proceed to expand from storage. No point letting it go to waste. If not expand there. I'd rather be mostly within solid rock than in the ocean, we're not doing any sort of research that would require it."
"Understood, I'll ensure Ganju knows when he's making plans." She paused, ready to dismiss herself. "He really is quite good at this, you can trust him to do a good job- especially with help from people skilled enough to work directly with Orochimaru."
"Yes, of course. I wouldn't have assigned him to the task if I didn't think he was capable." Even if that "capable" was far more towards giving him a headache than any reference to his construction skills or architectural ability.
Katsuri gave an agreeing nod. "Was there anything else?"
Naruto didn't have anything so he looked towards Orochimaru to see if the man had anything else to add.
"The badge attached to the back of the file is the access badge of the last head scientist assigned there. It should get you past just about everything in the base assuming its retained power and the sensors are still functional." It would be his luck that all the hardware was good but that the computer systems had frozen in their absence and would be unresponsive. Fortunately it was Naruto's mission so it would be taking into consideration his luck instead of Orochimaru's. "There will be files you won't have access to but I doubt they'd be of much interest to you anyway. When you have everything up and running I can visit to hand over the override biometrics to you, Naruto." He turned to his godson as he said his name. "You'll need to be present for that but the process is rather quick and it will grant you full control of the base."
"...Yes…" Did he need to have control over the base? Was he going to be spending the most time there? It was supposed to become the main location for Wolf operations but he intended for that position to be handled by Mai eventually while he continued with some of their other facets. "We'll hold off on that for now, Orochimaru. I might not be spending the most time in the base so it may be more prudent for the highest ranking individual there on the most permanent basis to have such control."
It was clear Orochmaru didn't like that idea, but even he knew that was mostly because he wouldn't trust his subordinates not to use those overrides to cut off all connections and go rogue with their experimentations. Once was a fluke, twice was not. Orochimaru wouldn't be making that mistake ever again.
"...I may be able to split the overrides to fit two profiles, if that would work better." It would take some effort to make things work- mostly a lot of rewriting to the security scripts and a way for it to differentiate the biometric data of two individuals when he had been very careful to ensure it would only match a very small amount of his own that he kept from his original body- but it was doable. Less secure, less reliable, and still possible for the other person to do a lot of damage if they so desired but it wasn't his role to interfere in his godson's desires, only to indulge them.
"That would work better, yes. Thank you."
"It's my pleasure. You'll still need to pay the base a visit so I can give you those permissions. Whoever else you intend to have them, too." Orochimaru made a mental note to skew the permissions ever so slightly so that in the end Naruto would still be able to override anything the person he intended to station there might do. Better safe than sorry and it wasn't like that extra layer of security would do him any harm- he didn't even have to know about it and if his subordinates proved trustworthy he wouldn't ever find out because he wouldn't have any need to regain control of the base. That was the outcome Orochimaru would prefer, he just couldn't allow himself to be so trusting and hopeful to put any substantial amount of faith in it.
Of course, his subordinates didn't worship him like a diety given flesh so maybe Naruto's faith in his "children's" loyalty wasn't misplaced at all. Only time would be able to tell.
"I'll make sure to plan a trip to Yu no Kuni in the coming weeks to do so," Naruto nodded. "Until the base is complete there's no hurry and I expect to be rather busy for the foreseeable future."
"Whenever you like, Naruto-kun. Just let me know so I can be there to do it."
"Assuming you're not still in my company when that time comes." His words were accompanied by a knowing look and he gave him a sheepish smile he instantly recognized. So that was where Anko had learned it, was it? It looked much better on a woman's face. "Anything else Katsuri should be aware of?"
"Aside from ensuring no fishermen have wandered into the area as they enter the base, no. I think that covers everything."
Naruto nodded, accepting the answer, and his purple eyes traveled to Katsuri. "Study that file before you go and make sure to approach Orochimaru with any questions that arise. I don't want any complications arising from misunderstanding, clear?"
"Perfectly, Tsukuyomi-sama. I'll begin at once unless you have further need for me."
"No, not now. You are dismissed." With a sharp salute she made her way to the door without delay and was halfway through it when Narutos' voice immediately drained her momentum. "Katsuri."
"Yes, Tsukuyomi-sama?"
"The future of the Wolves rests on this, both my well being and the lives of your siblings. Do not fail your pack."
"Tsukuyomi-sama!" She gave another salute in the doorway. "I hear and obey!"
"Good." His voice dropped to a mutter as she spun around and marched off to complete her task. "Good." It had been a while since he had heard them utter that particular phrase, so long in fact that he couldn't actually recall the last time those words had reached his ears. Had someone said something like that during one of the Wolves' more recent operations or was that from back before they had even gained control of Nami no Kuni?
Either way it was nostalgic and brought with it faint memories of simpler times filled with hope and potential. It was now his job to make sure that returned permanently, starting with addressing a problem he'd had for far too long now.
How was he supposed to protect his children if the only chakra he could call upon in any significant amount damaged him as much as their enemies?
"So where are we going, boss?" A small bag was slung over the shoulder of one of the Wolves as he watched Ganju inspect a pile of material they had been gathering over the past weeks for any future projects.
"Yu no Kuni, Tsukuyomi-sama wants a base." With a satisfied nod Ganju pointed to the building material. "This should do for a start, let's get it packed up."
"We're just going to build a base?" One of the others asked as they moved to start sealing away as much as they could. "I don't think we've done anything that important before." He wasn't saying no, he just wasn't confident they could fulfil Tsukuyomi's desires. They didn't want to disappoint him but telling him they could only to be unable to deliver was arguably worse. Better let him know now so he could find people who did know how to construct a suitable base from scratch.
"Well, no. First we're going to be inspecting one of Orochimaru's old labs and if it's still in working order we'll start expanding it into the base Tsukuyomi wants."
"Oh? So we're still just remodeling, then."
Ganju paused, blinking slowly as he processed the leap in logic. A massive grin split his face as he realized they were right- in a sense. It was a bit more complicated than that but technically…
"Yeah? You know, I think you're absolutely right." And if there was anything Ganju and his boys were familiar with it was remodeling bases.
This would be a walk in the park.
No one had really understood why it had been done but there wasn't a single person in Nami no Kuni who was going to pass up an opportunity to celebrate at the expense of the House of Wolves. When they announced food and festivities for the day suspicion was drowned out by the sights, sounds, and smells of a traveling circus and whatever else Sai had managed to arrange over the past few weeks.
Why he did so, however, not even the Wolves really knew. In fact, no one except Sai seemed to have any idea what was going inside that head of his which is exactly what had brought an irritated Hana storming into the room.
He had hoped the fact that he wasn't within his own office- or even the building that served as their operational headquarters- might have delayed her a bit longer but he wasn't quite so fortunate.
The glare she leveled at him as the double doors crashed into the walls could have set alight the fistfull of papers she clutched as if she were trying to suffocate them. With how angry she seemed she may have even been able to pull it off.
"Explain, now." It wasn't a question and it wasn't a request, it was an order from Nami no Kuni's governess. Fortunately she didn't outrank him, even if her forceful presence was far more intimidating than anything he could pull off.
"You know if you wait just a bit longer you can find out with everyone else. That's more exciting, isn't it?" That question wasn't completely rhetorical, he was fairly certain he was correct but there was still a tinge of doubt that kept him from being able to commit to those words completely.
"I should have known before you even did anything!" Her fists found themselves resting solidly on her hips. "Do you have any idea how much you spent on this? I'm going to be trying to balance out Nami's budget for months to correct this!"
"...Oh." While he was undoubtedly an excellent commander he was still very much the last person you wanted in charge of finances. If it didn't add an extra point of possible failure she would have insisted that he have an assistant who all financial decisions had to go through for approval. Unfortunately that would limit his ability to make immediate decisions for the good of Nami and would hinder his ability to protect their country.
It was a shame those same immediate decisions happen to be the source of this mess. What the hell had he been thinking? If it was a special date she might have been able to accept it but unless it was Tsukuyomi's birthday and no one had told her she was reasonably certain it was a day like any other.
You know, ignoring the fact that the area immediately outside Tsukuyomi's palace had been turned into a city of colorful tents, excited people, and laughing children. She didn't know how he would feel about that- Sai had been the one the went to when designing the palace due to his closer relationship with the Daimyo and he was the one who said they needed both walls and a miniature forest to separate the palace from the rest of Nami no Kuni, so she assumed he liked his privacy- so it was probably for the best that he was away at the moment.
"I didn't realize it had been so much," He admitted. Part of Hana wished she could suspect he was lying so she could be even more angry at him but she knew he was being genuine. Damn him for it, too. "But it will be worth it" Sai promised with a small but honest smile. "Today's a special day, after all."
….Was it Tsukuyomi's birthday? She was really starting to suspect that was the case. Sure wish someone had told her.
"...What's special about today?" She eventually gave in and asked because it didn't look like he was going to be volunteering anything else until she did. Gods, she hoped he wasn't developing a sense of humor- it would probably end up being worse than his sense of finances.
Somehow.
"You'll see." He glanced at the clock on the wall and gave a satisfied nod before tucking on his shirt to make sure it rested properly against him. Now that her attention was drawn to it, she didn't think kshe could remember him ever being concerned with his appearance before. Sai was the sort to go for function and it just didn't seem right to be seeing him with an ironed shirt, pants carefully bloused around the top of his boots, and...was his hair slicked back?
Hana had a sudden realization that she was probably asking the wrong questions earlier.
Sai wasn't concerned with her thought though and made his way to the other side of the room where a smaller set of double doors were framed by thick red curtains. The handle clicked softly and the serenity of the room vanished as the single barrier from the festivities was swung smoothly open.
Hana moved closer for a better look but made sure to stay far back enough that anyone on the palace grounds would be unable to see her on the balcony Sai was striding confidently onto. He gave a nod to a Wolf she wasn't able to see and the beat of a drum reverberated through the air.
It started slowly, a beat every twelve seconds or so but as it continued it grew faster until there was a beat every second. It sped up one last time as the people of Nami no Kuni were no doubt looking up to the figure standing high above them and then finished with a final strike that was drawn out until it faded naturally. The following silence was more deafening than the drums and the earlier noises of the festivities combined.
She was able to see Sai take a single calming breath, his head already swiveling slightly to let him inspect the crowds. "People of Nami!" His voice wasn't a shout or a yell but it was loud and clear. In the silence that the drums had prepared for him carried it easily across the palace grounds. "I thank you for joining us on this day, the House of Wolves is happy to see that despite what you have endured your spirits still sing and revel among the waves."
A few scattered cheers were subdued by the quiet of the crowds who waited with bated breath to hear why the House of Wolves had done this in the first place.
"Over the weeks and months we have grown from a community on its last legs to a thriving city that can proudly declare itself the shipping capital of the world." There were more cheers this time but they too quickly died out, the silence only interrupted by faint mumbling of those who had started to speculate about the day's true purpose. "This has been no small feat for Nami no Kuni but as this great city of ours continues to grow and swell with prosperity we must turn our attention to giving it a proper name."
Noise erupted immediately, some speaking out in agreement and others in vehement denial. Sai held up a single hand to quiet the masses and after a few long seconds they obliged.
"Do not misunderstand me, Nami no Kuni is the name of a country that has become my home and I understand that this village, the village of Nami, has always been its heart. But Nami is a village no longer and Nami means more than the work that has been done to appoint her with well-deserved glory."
The disagreement lessened significantly but the sea of people beneath him didn't seem entirely convinced by his words yet. Hana couldn't say she was either but that was more because she was starting to realize what the bastard was doing. By Tsukuyomi, if she was right she was going to be making his life hell until Nami's budget was back on track.
"Nami is the land, Nami is the sea, Nami is the spirit of her people new and old!" Sai proclaimed. "So what do we call this great city of ours? This crowning gem Nami wears upon her brow? The place we work, dream, grow, and live?"
The crowd was silent but as acceptance settled excitement began to bubble within so paliablely it neared an audible buzzing in the air. He seemed to have the right idea, but what name would suit Nami as a city? To them it had always been Nami and they had never dreamed of giving it another name but his words sparked something, a need for something more, something greater.
What would tell the world that Nami no Kuni wasn't just Nami, but had flourished in ways unimaginable?
"Who do we honor now, with this name? Who has guided you to this prosperity with the blessing of Tsukuyomi-sama himself? Who has become Nami no Kuni's favorite daughter?"
A murmuring began in the crowd as people realized who Sai was talking about, the excitement growing close to bursting.
"There is only one name that honors your leader, your magnificent city, and this country that we all call home- I hereby name Nami no Kuni's capital city Hanahime!"
"That motherfucker…!" Hana's words were drowned out by a cheering crowd.
He had actually done it. Sure, he had brought it up before as a threat but she didn't think he would ever dream of actually going through with it. She had a feeling Tsukuyomi hadn't been consulted on the matter either but that hardly mattered now.
The people had accepted the name of the new capital, there wouldn't be any changing their minds now.
She was going to get him back for this. With Tsukuyomi as her witness she would get him back, mark her words.
Sai was going to regret making this a thing.
Sealkeeper: He Who Binds
Chapter 117-B "Ten no Juin"
Patron Release: 2020.05.18
The second Katsuri's foot took a step from the office Orochimaru hurried to the door and none too subtly locked it behind her. There would be no further interruptions if he could help it and while locking the door didn't guarantee they'd be left alone it did lessen the chances of someone popping in.
At least, that's what Orochimaru was telling himself. If someone ended up knocking on the door they'd have to open it to make sure it wasn't important so the closed door was more a deterrent for casual visits than anything else.
The Snake Sage didn't suspect many of Naruto's visitors stopped by without some sort of official purpose which meant that closing the door had done absolutely nothing except make him feel mildly better and possibly delay the next person who needed to see the Daimyo of Nami no Kuni.
That wasn't something he wanted to focus on at the moment, however, and the more time he delayed the more likely they would be interrupted before they could properly start again. Orochimaru wanted to talk about his seal, damnit, why was the universe so adamant about preventing him from doing so?
Turning from the door to see the light amusement playing on his prince's face made him forget all about the recent interruptions and with a smile of his own he clasped his hands together. "Alright, where were we?"
"The beginning." Naruto offered a wry smile that was somehow both unabashedly amused and slightly apologetic. Orochimaru had no idea how the hell that was possible. "You were asking me where I wanted to start."
"Yes," Orochimaru gave a nod, that sounded right to him. "Yes I was. Perhaps if you told me what it is you hoped to be able to achieve with the Ten no Juin we could focus on the more pertinent parts?"
"I want it."
...What? Orochimaru was momentarily taken aback, did that mean what he thought it did. Before he could voice his question Naruto continued.
"I have a basic idea of what the seal does and the benefits it provides can be used to negate some of the areas I'm lacking in. I want a Ten no Juin of my own."
"O-of course!" His prince wearing his mark? Absolutely! The fact that he would be benefiting from it only made it that much better, Orochimaru would be more than happy to place a Ten no Juin upon Naruto's neck. There were, however, some problems.
Mainly that the Ten no Juin was still far from perfect.
It was with a rather serious frown that Orochimaru brought this fact up. "The Ten no Juin, in its current state, still has a low rate of survival. Breaking the initial limiter to achieve the full benefits of the seal- and that came with its own drawbacks, too- is even more risky. The chance of actually surviving both is less than one percent.
He really had acted far too hastily with the Uchiha, he hadn't needed a second stage Ten no Juin to take over the boy's body- what the hell had he been thinking? Naruto's luck must have rubbed off on him that day because he had brushed very closely to leaving Itachi as the last male Uchiha and he'd already failed to obtain that particular body.
He also doubted Mikoto would have been willing- and that Naruto would have allowed it even on the off-chance she had been- to donate her body to the cause.
"Even if you do survive, there's still a seventeen and a half-" Seventeen point three seven to be exact, but he doubted Naruto was going to be that picky when the survival chance was so low. "-Chance that you'll suffer substantial neurological damage." It was such a fine mind, too. It would be a crying shame to lose it.
Though if he was being perfectly honest, Orochimaru was presenting the numbers slightly misleadingly. There was indeed a seventeen and a half(ish) percent chance of coming out of the process with mental damage but that was part of an eighteen and a half chance to survive period. The one percent he mentioned was both surviving and remaining unchanged by the process.
As far as Orochimaru was concerned anything less than the Crimson Prince being the same person in the end was as good as him dying because the person to come out wouldn't be Naruto any longer. Naturally that only applied to this case, he couldn't give half a damn about anyone else who went through the process.
A one percent chance was far too low for Orochimaru to comfortably risk.
"Then we need to change that." The way those words left Naruto's lips made it seem as easy to do as it was to say. Unfortunately Orochimaru wasn't able to ignore the facts to be so hopeful. The Ten no Juin was an accumulation of nearly a decade of research and experimentation. Changing it was not going to be without a huge amount of effort.
"I don't even know where we'd start." Orochimaru admitted. "I haven't been able to improve it at all in the last three years." Something that could be testified by the hundreds of captives who had died in his efforts to do exactly that.
Purple eyes met black and Naruto slowly tapped two fingers against his right arm. "We'll start from the beginning."
Oh. Oh! Orochimaru's lips slowly spread into a wide smile as a spark of hope quickly ignited a fire within his chest. Of course, Minato's sealing masterpiece was so far above Orochimaru's that it was like comparing a single drop of rain to the vastness of the ocean- no- to the infinite expanse of the heavens themself stretching far beyond this world and any to come after.
If anything was going to be able to perfect his Ten no Juin it was the Sealkeeper, Orochimaru had absolutely no doubts.
"I'll be perfectly honest, Orochimaru. I know next to nothing about seals." Naruto had already started to remove the white wrappings he wore over the seal, exposing it to the world once again. Aside from bathing and changing, his father's last creation was rarely left uncovered more out of habit than any real need. "But if we can figure out exactly what we need it to do and how we intend for it to be accomplished Sealkeeper should be able to handle the rest."
"We're going to need to be careful." Orochimaru stated the obvious as he eyed the slightly shimmering seals that covered the entirety of Narutos' right arm and then some. "The changes we need wil have to be planned out perfectly or there's no telling what the new Ten no Juin will do to its user."
"Yes, which means we need to start by breaking down every single function of your seal."
Orochimaru bobbed his head slightly, mind racing with all the things they were going to need to do to make this work and- most importantly- work safely. There were no excuses for risking Naruto's life. None.
Orochimaru went back towards the door but this time instead of reaching into the bag he simply grabbed it and brought it over to the desk. They were going to need everything he had on his creation which meant he was about to go through all his notes for over a decade to make sure they didn't miss anything even remotely related to the Ten no Juin.
"Let's start with a basic rundown before getting into the technicals." Orochimaru suggested. He continued before Naruto had a chance to object, not that the young Daimyo had any intention of doing so. "The seal, in its resting state, has only one function- to spread across the body. This is not an aesthetic choice nor is it some sort of side affect. Each marking serves as a pseudo-Tenketsu for the artificial Chakra Network the seal operates through. In its starting stage there is actually very little chakra within the seal, only upon activation does it begin creating it."
Orochimaru paused to ensure Naruto was following along. It wasn't really necessary but it was polite. He also really liked to see his Prince with a look of concentration and focus on his face.
He was going to have to have a new painting commissioned soon, the old ones no longer properly reflected the young man sitting before him.
"How is it the seal creates chakra at all? Our bodies naturally create it the more balanced our physical and mental energies are, does the seal rely on our bodies for the creation of it's chakra?" It would cause quite the drain on the user's body, a toll none too light if it was pumping out masses of chakra that would normally take much longer to manifest within someone's tenketsu. The exhaustion after using the seal should theoretically- if that was indeed the case- leave the user completely vulnerable afterwards. Not the greatest design and an oversight Naruto doubted Orochimaru had tolerated.
So either that wasn't the case or Orochimaru had figured out a way to negate it. A failsafe, maybe? A shuttoff that limited how much could be produced and then stopped the seal's effects at a certain point to return the created chakra to the original system might do it, especially a slow release of that chakra to keep you energized for a bit longer. You'd still crash, just not so immediately afterwards. Much, much safer.
"Technically it doesn't." One of Naruto's brows rose. "The Ten no Juin actually converts an energy most commonly called 'Nature Chakra' into something more readily usable by humans. Essentially it's taking the physical and mental balance of the world and pushing it through a single Tenketsu modeled after my own resulting in a bastardized mix of Nature Chakra and my Chakra. A watered down version of me using Nature Chakra, in a sense."
Ignoring the fact that 'Nature Chakra'- which Naruto had never heard of- was supposed to be the common name for it, the fact that the world would have to have some sort of mental awareness for that energy to be produced as they understood Chakra to be produced, and the fact that Orochimaru could apparently harness this power without the seal normally, there was a part that stood out to the father of the Wolves.
"Our bodies require an entire network of Tenketsu, gates, and Chakra pathways in order to create and harness Chakra normally- how does a single Tenkesu single handedly convert the physical and mental energies of the planet into Chakra in order to create more Tenketsu for the user to access that same Chakra from?"
"Well, it doesn't really make the Nature Chakra, those energies naturally combine and can be found anywhere though in greater quantities in locations with more flora. That Nature Chakra is much more potent than our own- on par or even exceeding that of the Biju- and is more than enough for the seal to spread across someone. That's when it starts to dilute it by making it more like my own. It more or less corrupts the energy so it's not as potent but as the user's body isn't actually the one creating it any amount of extra Chakra is to their benefit. The fact that it's lessened by the conversion doesn't negate the fact that it's still more potent than regular Chakra and shouldn't normally be available to them."
That sounded...really good, actually. A second Chakra System- even temporary- would allow him to make use of more costly techniques and perform without worrying too much about conserving his reserves. It opened a lot more possibilities.
But when something sounded that good there had to be drawbacks and not just the low initial survival rates.
"What's wrong with it, then? What's the cost?"
"The conversion isn't perfect and in changing the Nature Chakra to resemble my own it creates an imbalance of 'my' physical and mental energies. The physical aspect is completely used up in the process- which helps adjust the body to my presence in case I ever need to use them as my next vessel- but the remaining mental energies spill into the user's natural system and end up tainting the Chakra they produce. The more this happens the more my mental energies remain within them- even when the Ten no Juin is inactive- and the more their own mental energies start to resemble mine. There's direct correlation between those energies and one's mind and the street goes both ways."
That made sense, it also explained why all the women Naruto met who had- or had had- the Ten no Juin possessed such similar personalities.
"The Chakra, being more potent, also causes some damage to the user's body. In small doses it can be passed off as soreness and exhaustion but using it for too long can actually destroy your muscle both because it's corroding them and because it's pushing them past their limits."
"Past their limits?" Orochimaru hadn't touched on that aspect yet.
"Ah, yes. While the pseudo-Tenketsu convert the Chakra and work to accomplish the same thing they aren't actually connected by a Chakra System so the resulting Chakra seeps into the user's body as if they were enhancing themselves physically with it. It's not controlled by the user so it continues without limit. Usually you'd be too distracted by a battle to actually care to think about it, but when we look at the results it's not pretty. One test subject liquified fifty-seven percent of his muscle mass and the Ten no Juin's Chakra ate through his skin in several locations. He died after three weeks despite our best efforts."
Those efforts were no doubt because Orochimaru wanted to be able to further study the results but reasoning aside when he said best efforts he meant it completely. The fact that he still ended up dying spoke of just how dangerous it could be messing about with Chakra humans weren't really designed to handle.
But if the seal already diluted the chakra, couldn't they just do that more?
"Is there a way to corrupt the Nature Chakra to the point where it's no more potent than regular Chakra?" Even as he asked Naruto realized that if they could somehow make it even less potent than Chakra should be it would be much easier to control for delicate techniques providing more reserves without sacrificing finesse. It was a Genjutsu user and medic-nin's wet dreams come true. If it was possible.
"Is there a way?" Orochimaru repeated with a thoughtful frown. "Yes, there should be. I didn't find one during my research." Partially because it hadn't been the focus. The boost of stronger Chakra is what gave Ten no Juin users their edge, though he could see now the benefits of a more mild variant. That had been a wasted opportunity. Black eyes continued to take in the glory of Sealkeeper. "But that might not be a problem anymore." He knew how he had done the initial conversion, Sealkeeper would be able to replicate it and modify it to the degree Naruto desired.
It was unfortunate Sealkeeper didn't actually create seals and simply converted the functions of those that already existed. He would have learned alot from seeing what it came up with to achieve a more perfect Nature to Human Chakra conversion.
Naruto scratched something across a blank sheet of paper, Orochimaru didn't need to look to know it was a list of all the things they were going to need to figure out to get things working properly. It was going to be impressively long by the time they were done, he was sure.
"A more complete conversion will remove its drawbacks, so we don't have to worry about that as much. You mentioned that the Ten no Juin triggers during periods of high stress, didn't you?" Naruto frowned in thought before correcting himself. "No, you said that it was too hard to judge stress levels of the user, the trigger was anger to make it more reliable. Naturally one would be angered during combat, if not by the opponent then by the fact you're losing."
That was assuming they became angry at losing and had the fight response rather than flight. Most Shinobi were inclined- and conditioned- to fight but they were also very much interested in preserving their own lives. There would have to be a certain amount of aggression in the user to ensure anger was a viable trigger.
"Did the Ten no Juin increase aggression? I can't quite recall." Orochimaru was still surprised he had remembered their conversation from back when they had first met in person and it took a second to process the question.
"It does increase it somewhat, a side effect of the sudden power rush. Senses are also dulled slightly because of the amount of Chakra raging through the user's body. It doesn't help that you have to be angry to trigger it, your mindset is already primed for further aggression."
Yes, that seemed to add up as far as Naruto could tell. Now that he was thinking about it, though, hadn't he mentioned that the application of the Ten no Juin was due to the creation of a second Chakra Network?
"The Ten no Juin's application- what is it, exactly, that makes it so dangerous?"
"The initial gathering of Nature Chakra, without a doubt." Was Orochimaru's immediate answer. "It has a tendency to run awry and start mutations within the body- specifically with one's Chakra Network- that are more often than not fatal. After that a major issue is the first activation, in which the temporary Tenketsu is created. The spreading of the seal marks their location but the Nature Chakra first burns a basic path through the body that following activations will use to spread more easily."
"It's not connected, but there are still technically pathways, then."
"Yes. No connection but it removes any obstacles. If the path it chooses cuts through something vital there's a high chance of, again, fatal damage. The pattern it takes is often random, though you'll notice on surviving users it's quite similar- that's because those patterns managed to avoid killing them."
"And the second stage? I know there's a state beyond the normal Ten no Juin."
"The second stage guarantees the user's death because it requires them to die and then be resuscitated with what is almost pure Nature Chakra. This failure and kickstart better conditions their body to withstand a far greater amount of Nature Chakra which will also cause mutations that are more beneficial than danger. It's essentially a rebirth and the results, well, I would hesitate to actually consider them human."
"Oh?" That caught Naruto's attention. Orochimaru was a name synonymous with human experimentation, there was actually a point he wouldn't call the results human?
"They are, mostly, human still -don't get me wrong. But they're also more and...less." Orochimaru frowned, trying to find a good way to convey this idea. "Humans aren't designed to handle Nature Chakra though they can with enough discipline and training. The mutations that force their bodies to handle it lifts them up above humans in that regard but it also causes them to take on additional traits. These are, like I said, usually a benefit to the user in some way, especially in combat, but just as in the first stage where my mental energies bleed over, the mental energies of the planet bleed over to the user in stage two."
"To be perfectly honest no one even knows exactly how Nature Chakra works, it's all conjecture and philosophy at this point." Naruto nodded in agreement. He'd been trying to figure out how the hell the planet could possibly have mental energies. He first suspected the combined mental faculties of animals but remembered they had their own chakra too, so they mixed that with their physical energy already. Unless someone wanted to tell him the plants had mental energy somehow. That's the only real solution to it he could find, though it left the question of how plants managed it. "But what we do know-" Orochimaru continued. "Is that stage two users typically take on both traits and the mentality of certain always, of course, we get those whose traits are more in line with superstition and myths-" Tayuya was a prime example of that, gaining demonic horns and not much else, though Orochimaru had wondered if she was supposed to be some sort of bull. Gods knew she was stubborn enough. "-On occasion too. In every case the user is more prone to following instinct than logic. Good in a fight, not so good for critical thinking. It doesn't mix well with the aggression either."
Those were all problems with the Nature Chakra so far, Naruto noted. Something he didn't even necessarily need to suit his purposes. He made a reminder to see if there was some way he could make that safer in case he ever wanted a second stage to the seal but for now a modified level one already held the potential to get around his current limitations.
"Is there anything that would make the level two necessary or could one stay with the initial Ten no Juin forever?"
"Just the strain of the Nature Chakra. It's beneficial to move onto level two because it stops doing so much harm to the body. If we're to remove that element entirely, however, then I don't believe a second state would be necessary." Orochimaru paused, sudden realization dawning. "You mentioned it could make up for some areas you were having trouble with but you never explained what was going on. What are we making the Ten no Juin do?"
"Chakra. I need more Chakra. A major case of Chakra withdrawal a few years ago did a number on my system. It's been rather limited since it healed which has been severely affecting my ability to use anything with serious Chakra requirements. There's only so much I can do without Jutsu." Maito Gai had managed to build himself around Taijutsu but Naruto didn't have that amount of time to dedicate to getting his body to such a point. He would much rather spread the time he did have across all Shinobi disciplines so he always had something to fall back on. It was always a good idea to have at least passible skills in all areas, though you would inevitably have a superior skill. Specialization was the way to go, you just couldn't neglect the rest of them.
Not that he had been with any significant amount of time to dedicate to building his own skills lately. Hopefully Hanabi's restructuring would give him more time to return to the Shinobi lifestyle.
"So we just need to focus on drawing in Natural Chakra and the conversion to something less dangerous?" That was much easier, though he suspected Nartuo would also want that Chakra into his Chakra System as normal rather than potentially wasted by flooding his body without direction. Even then, it was easier than redoing the entire seal and would have the benefit of removing a lot of the determinants.
It would also remove any future temptations Orochimaru might have of taking Naruto's body for himself. He thought he'd be able to control himself but better safe than sorry.
"Yes, that's what I'm after."
"Perfect, I know just how to start." Despite the purpose of this being to give Naruto back his full Chakra capabilities it was obvious to see that Orochimaru was the more eager of the two. It had been far too long since he last had a project like this.
"You have it?" Mei asked, cutting straight to the chase. Haku hadn't even stepped into the room and her unimpressed expression spoke of just how much she appreciated it.
"Sorry, sorry. How was your trip? Did you have a chance to see your little friend?" That was arguably a worse topic of discussion to have in the presence of Mei and Haku wasted no time tossing the desired file on the Mizukage's desk. She knew that was probably the point but just Mei talking about Naruko would have been bad enough, that said nothing of Zabuza who was leaning against the wall and looking down at the file with the same curiosity as Mei.
Ao was also in the room, but he was probably the only one there who couldn't care less about Haku and any relationships she may or may not have.
"It was fine, I did, her mother is a lovely woman." Haku answered blandly. "There's your file."
Despite the way she was speaking she was also terribly curious to know if this "Naruto" was really Tsukuyomi and she took her own position right before Mei's desk so she could lean over and see when it was opened.
Painted nails broke the file's seal and with little ceremony the contents within were revealed. There, on the very first page, was a picture of a redheaded young man with pale skin and purple eyes that almost glowed with the flash of the camera that had been used. He cut a striking figure and Haku could immediately see the resemblance to both Kushina and Naruko.
If she had to guess, Naruko took after their father and this Naruto from Kushina.
So this was indeed Naruko's brother, a Genin formerly associated with the Uzumaki clan, but was it him?
It only took a look at Mei's face to get her answer but the name to slip from painted red lips only confirmed it.
"...Tsukuyomi..."
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