Chapter eleven picks up five years after the last chapter, something I mentioned beforehand. This puts Naruto and the rest of the rookies at the age of thirteen. A lot of developments have taken place regarding the story in that blank period and at times I'll probably have flashbacks to showcase certain parts if they are relevant to the story. I've had time to think about the direction of the story and it's pretty lengthy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Over the period of five years, the darkest catalogues of humanity had been rewritten, replaced by a menace far greater and infinitely more ominous. Word had travelled throughout the East, for rumor was a fast traveler and the bulletin soon slipped through to other parts of the Elemental nations. Kirigakure no Sato had conquered nearly every part of the Eastern Elemental nations, their grip on the continent like a vice. All that remained untouched were the two lands of Sky country and Demon country. The rest had fallen, succumbing to the vast military might of the men in blue. There was no denying it, the East was a Kiri dominated continent.
The greatest mystery still troubled all those that remained in hiding, continuing the losing fight. Why had assistance not come yet? Why had the other great shinobi nations not intervened? Perhaps not to help them, but in fear of the power Kiri had amassed. Either was a good enough reason. Wars had been started over less in the past. The reason remained unfathomable to them and with each passing day, their hopes of rescue dwindled. They were more likely to die before help came to their aid.
The East had undergone a massive remake to fit the eyes of the Kiri regime, to better suit the needs of their masters. No longer did borders divide the land. It had become one territory, a vast ocean of earth marking Kiri's success. Unification had been achieved and with it, control over all those under Kiri's oppression.
Kimiko sat in her study room aboard a vessel sailing the sea to Kiri, her eyes skimming over the map laid before her eyes. It was a beautiful sight to behold, her lips tugging upward at what she could see. The continent had been painted blue, a sign of all her successes. The young woman had not aged in all those five years, the perks of having an ability that tampered with the organ systems of the body. She had maintained her youthful appearance and practiced charm, her eyes still containing the same gleam they had five years ago. No, nothing had changed about her, yet so many things had suffered drastic alterations due to her.
She crossed one leg over the other and leaned back to relax and stretch her muscles. The smile faded a bit as she thought a bit more about the current situation she was in and what it could mean for Kiri as a whole, as a nation. Kiri's warranted success could not solely be attributed to skill, intelligence or raw power alone. In the end, it came down to chance and Kiri repeatedly chancing her arm. In the beginning, Kimiko had recognized the weakness within the Kiri ranks, yet it was not something she could correct overnight. She needed time, a kind of lengthy period she could not afford. She had been impatient, the one and only time she could recall herself doing anything like that. She had been set on rewriting all of Kiri's grievances and correcting the wrongs of the past against her nation, keen on getting back the land that currently belonged to her immediate neighbors. That had been the original motive of her actions and for the better part, she had achieved it. Honey Country, along with the land of Wolves had fallen to them. But success and the absence of resistance had tempted her to reach out further and take bigger risks. She was indirectly entertaining the thought of allowing herself to be discovered by the other great shinobi villages.
Thus, her goals had shifted and her true nature shone. Yes, she was an opportunist-it was after all how she came to power-but at her very core, she was a manipulative individual, intelligent and calculating, her nature stemming from her inborn ability. Kimiko had long since decided that while Kiri may have forgotten Iwa's treachery, she had not. Yet she reminded herself to be patient, to wait for the right moment. Iwa was not a primary focus as of that moment.
She had two underlying problems that required specific attention; Orochimaru and the acquisition of Sky Country.
Kimiko shifted in her seat and stood up, her hand reaching for the Mizukage's robe that hung off her personal chair. Right now, Orochimaru was a less concerning matter.
The snake knew of her background and was secretly amassing his own army via experimentation. He had approached her hoping for a concession of sorts and she had agreed, though only to prevent any hostile confrontations. In truth, she wanted nothing to do with him. He had alerted her that things were bound to spread and that it was bound to reach the Western and North-western regions. He was right, for word had reached Lightning country, the direct protectorate of Sky country and she doubted they would allow that piece of land to go for free. The Raikage was a proud and stubborn man. They would have to come to a compromise of sorts.
Kimiko adorned the attire in her hands as the ship came to a halt. The thick mist was suddenly visible and the young woman wondered how long it had been since she had been home. She pursed her lips as the ship neared the shore, her mind knowing what had to be done next. "Bring me the location of Utakata,"
Location: Konohagakure no Sato
"Two bowls, one miso, the other pork," Naruto's voice rang out in the Ichiraku establishment. Ayame looked back at him with a soft smile. She did not write down the order, it being so simple and easy to remember this time around.
"Since when did you start eating just one bowl, what with all your training?" The girl asked and the boy looked sheepish in his defense. It was odd for him to eat so little.
"Actually, could you make it to go, the other isn't for me," He rubbed the back of his head as he laughed a little. Realization seemed to dawn on Ayame's face.
"For Himika," it was not poised as a question and the blonde simply nodded at her. Ayame moved to collect the order, for she was sure that her father had started to prepare it the moment it left Naruto's lips. Naruto did not have to wait long for his order and he was soon on his way.
He walked out and whistled a low tune, hoping to ignore the things that he could hear from the villagers. Their hostile words had lessened over the years, though only because they had gotten bored of bad mouthing him and he had not really done much to gain their attention. Their distain was still present and that was a fact that very little could change.
Five years was a lot of time, yet it would never be enough to change how they felt about him. His words could never convince them. It was disheartening, but if words would not work, he would have to prove himself with his actions when the time came.
Naruto soon found the orphanage building within sight and he sped up a little, knowing how Himika did not like to be kept waiting. She had not invited him in the first place, but she would be expecting him either way.
He found the gate to the orphanage locked and in the early days of escapades, it had given him problems. He ignored it this time and walked over to the wall before he planted his feet on the brick surface and walked over the vertical structure. With years of practice, the task had become easy and instinctual. He did not take much time after that to find Himika sitting by the window of her room, eyes firmly set on the moon in the sky.
"Naruto," She uttered out the name that had become so constant on her lips. It no longer took any effort to pronounce it. The boy hopped in through the window, the movement causing her hair to jolt a bit. She looked back to see him make himself at home on her bed. She did not say much about it, having long gotten used to that kind of behavior. He had no recognition of personal boundaries, that much she knew.
"Hey," He placed the food down and unwrapped the items. Himika looked at the items before her and she decided she wanted something different this time.
"I want the miso this time," She told him as she looked at him. She watched him adopt a look of confusion, but he slid the miso to her even though it was his favorite. He had no problem sharing with her, just this once of course.
"It's tomorrow isn't it?" She spoke softly as she sucked on the strands of ramen. Naruto nodded as he slurped on his own.
"Yeah, the graduation exam. Worried?" he cast his eyes upon her to gauge her reaction, something he had gotten better at over time, though it was still pretty hard. Himika knew he was looking at her, but she had no intention of lying to him about it.
"No, just thinking of how they may test us. There'll most likely be different portions of the exam for the written test and the practical exams," She closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the hot broth on her tongue. Miso was not too bad, she decided and she could see why the blonde liked it. "Either way, all we can do is speculate amongst ourselves,"
"I'd rather not think about it really, we'll see it when the time comes," he shoveled more food into his mouth as he spoke, and Himika almost did not hear it. She expected that kind of answer though when it came to him.
"I prefer to worry, to be certain of things. You're too relaxed," she told him and the blonde waved off her concern in favor of slurping down what was left of his soup.
"You worry too much about a lot of stuff Himika, it's actually ridiculous," He did not mean it in a horrible way, but Himika still liked to consider the possibility of such a thing. That did not mean she had to like it though.
"Thanks," she said as she stood to throw out her empty container, along with his. He rose with her and absently, she noted that he was the same height as her. Naruto noticed it too, among other things. Himika was still pale, her skin white and porcelain. Her hair was nearly at her shoulders, neatly swept down one side. She preferred it that way, simple and neat.
"Don't mention it," he offered his usual smile as she turned her back to go over to the trash can in the corner of the room. As he watched her walk away, the nagging feeling was back in his head. It was the ice telling him something, but he ignored it. He did not care much about what it had to say, if it was really speaking. Still, it only acted up around Himika, which was something he still yearned to understand. That in itself was concerning enough. The time would eventually come though, when he would have all the answers.
Himika had a lot to think about, much more than she cared to let Naruto know. She had been watching him, studying him since the first time she knew him.
He was unpredictable, the ice only serving to make him even more unstable. She had tried her best to ignore it, but there was this ominous feeling to his chakra, one so familiar she could not shake it off no matter how much she tried. She pursed her lips in thought before turning back, only to see Naruto sprawled across her bed, his breathing becoming even. He had fallen asleep on her bed, but this was not the first time and she was sure it would not be the last. Himika looked at him a bit longer to make sure he was really asleep. This was the chance she needed and she did not want to have to explain things to him should she be caught.
She took a seat by the side of the bed and closed her eyes to concentrate on the task at hand. Over the years it had become much easier for her to sense chakra and she had embraced her powers tenfold. She had not done much active training, but her passive probing of the entire village was enough to develop her powers to an extent, though she knew she was sitting on her potential. Himika felt no need to rush the process, the time for training would eventually come.
Himika felt herself relax as her reach extended into Naruto's presence, her range becoming larger. She could feel the chakra seeping out of her and tugging at anything nearby. She felt herself get encompassed by the warmth of the blonde's chakra. The feeling was not something new to her but she still could not get used to it no matter how much she willed it. The balminess of it all seemed endless and his chakra coils had grown immensely over time, but she had no problem searching through the sea of chakra. For a moment, it all seemed fine and then she suddenly felt cold, the icy edge of Naruto's chakra causing her shiver.
Himika did not pull back or recoil, instead standing her ground but she knew it was pretty hopeless. Each time she probed the blonde, she always came up to some roadblock. Either this chilling and ominous presence or the burning hatred that Naruto held within. She was unsure where either came from, but she honestly preferred the latter.
Her eyes flew open before she fully lost herself. She could not afford to get fully immersed in such an activity, not at such a time. Another opportunity would present itself given time and she could always be patient. There was no rush.
Hiruzen could not be considered a peace-lover, not by those that truly knew him. Those that had fought alongside him during the third great shinobi war could testify for such a thing. He was seen as a man that ruled with an iron-fist in times of trouble, in situations that seemed hopeless. That was only when the occasion demanded such a thing and the situation had been forced upon his shoulders.
It had always been Hiruzen's hope that the new generation would be kept out war and never be ravaged by the losses incurred during such times. That seemed to an illusion, a dream that was never to materialize, not if he did not get a grip on the situation developing in the elemental nations. Thus, he had called forth a meeting of with his advisors, Kakashi and Shikaku Nara.
"Kirigakure no Sato, a land shrouded in an eternal mist and cloak of darkness. No longer can the benefit of the doubt be given to our fellow nations, not when their intentions can no longer be trusted. Not when their leader continues to take advantage of the peace brought on by years of strive and her words have no merit. No evidence can be presented against their actions, yet the words of others cannot be ignored. It's time we pay closer attention to this situation before it catches us unaware,"
All those present in the Hokage's office were silent as they listened to the old man give his verdict, leaving it out in the open to be discussed. Danzo closed his eyes and stepped forward, ready to voice his opinion on the matter. Hiruzen felt he had a bit of an understanding of where Danzo's opinion might lay.
"It's safe to say that Kiri can no longer be trusted. Granted, they could never be trusted and we were never on the best of terms. But this time, things are different. This is at a time where Konoha has only just recovered from the incident regarding the nine tails. If we do not act now, we won't be able to in the near future, not to the best of our ability,"
"Then what do you propose?" Hiruzen folded his arms and leaned into his chair. From the corner of his eye he noted the other individuals in the room beside Danzo and himself. Four in total. He had called them all so very late in the night and he was truly sorry, but the situation had him needing their input.
"I propose we simply send an envoy to Kiri under the pretext of proposing an alliance. Only then can we get what we require form them, be it information or otherwise,"
"What you're suggesting is liable as a war crime should such an activity be performed and uncovered by Kiri. It's far too early for such an action to be considered," The Hokage shook his head at the other man and Danzo bit his tongue. Perhaps the old man was right for now.
"If I may ask Hokage-sama, what is it exactly that has you concerned about Kiri amongst other things?" The question was needed and the others would be lying if they said they were not curious.
Hiruzen was silent for a while as he pondered on how much to share, on how much the others truly needed to know. Danzo, Ibiki and a few anbu members were the only ones that were informed of everything.
"It is unfortunate, but a spy was uncovered within the midst of our ranks and I have a feeling that they won't be the last. This spy was linked with Orochimaru," Hiruzen sounded grave as he said it and the situation was fitting.
"Then how does the Mist factor in to this particular incident?" Shikaku finally voiced his thoughts, having felt he had heard enough.
"There have been rumors that they have been affiliated with him and his activities, whatever they may be," Hiruzen sighed and tried to comfort himself with the thought that they were worried about a situation that would never materialize but that was wishful thinking.
"This situation is rather concerning," Homura stated in a hushed voice.
"Indeed," Koharu seconded, her thoughts along the same lines as her fellow advisor.
Things were not looking too good and Konoha's position in the matter did them no favors.
"I say we alert the other nations, hostile or not. It's most likely that they're more in the dark than we are," Shikaku suggested and Hiruzen considered it for a moment, but Danzo thought otherwise.
"I think our concerns should lie solely on the East. The likes of Suna and Iwa can protect themselves at the moment and I have no intention of babysitting either of them. Kiri would be more likely to side with those nations than seek anything from us," the man reasoned.
"Wouldn't it better to have every party concerned informed about this developing situation?" Koharu voiced her input and once more Hiruzen was inclined to side with the idea.
"Perhaps our concerns should be solely focused on us and the internal affairs of our people. Rumors are bound to reach everyone's ears and we can't have the people living in fear," Homura told them and they were all in agreement with that point.
"While we may all agree with that statement; our people would not need to live in fear of such trivialities if we simply dealt with them while conditions were still favorable. My interests are those that are best for the village and Kiri threatens the integrity we've all worked so hard to maintain," Danzo disputed once more.
"What the people need isn't a war," The cool calm voice of Kakashi cut through the tense atmosphere. Hiruzen realized only then how quiet the copy-ninja had been after he had finished posing his first and only question. "What they need is the reassurance that all things are well. I think it would be best if we were on Kiri's good side," It was silent while they all tried to digest what the man had said and what it could imply.
"I've heard all that each of you has had to say and I'll need some time to think on it. I'll reach my verdict in due time by the end of tomorrow's graduation exams. Meeting adjourned,"
Kimiko's pale lavender orifices slid open, the ominous glint in her eyes causing most of those present in the room to shiver. Her lips curved upwards a bit and she slowly stood up from her seat. The room had been silent for a while as they watched their leader simply sit in one position, her back inclined. So rarely did she ever take a moment to relax, yet they were unaware that what she had been doing was of the utmost importance. Now that she was done listening to the meeting that Kakashi had been participating in, she was a bit more knowledgeable about Konoha's current position and their thoughts on recent developments.
"Mangetsu," her voice rang out like silk and the man followed, dragging his blade along with him. He fell into step with her. She preferred it rather than having them behind her, especially when she was speaking to them.
"How have things progressed while I was comatose?" That was a particular flaw in the design of her jutsu. With Kakashi being so far away, it required her to focus without disturbance and it left her vulnerable. She had no way to circumvent such an err in her technique though, but it was all necessary.
"Utakata has been found, but he isn't on the continent. He was last spotted around Modoroki shrine, Naoi island. That was a few hours ago, our people are still searching for them as of this moment," The swordsman told her and she nodded as they walked down the lengthy dim corridors of the building. Kimiko ignored the way he had referred to her men as theirs. For now, that kind of mentality was one she did not mind.
"Tell them to get my office ready. There's a message I need to send to Konohagakure. I want it there by tomorrow at nightfall and tell them to ready a ship to Kumo. Tell the Raikage I'd like an audience at a place of convenience, find a way to rush his decision gently," With that, she left him to his duty.