Tsunade stood stone faced at the gates of the village her grandfather founded: she was waiting for A, the Yondaime Raikage – a man she knew. She did know a couple of people. But that isn't what has brought her into this position of leadership. This position of danger. There was always something everyday. Always a threat. If she had truly known that she was coming back for this, Tsunade might not have returned to the village. But if she hadn't returned, who would have become Hokage?
Kakashi? She snorted at the thought. The lazy Jonin wouldn't have been selected. But the Daimyo wouldn't have been against the idea. Kakashi was after all a famous shinobi. He was powerful. But he had lazy tendencies. A bit of annoyance about him. It was no wonder he didn't want another genin team. Then again, from what she has heard, Naruto was basically the sensei of Team 7.
If she hadn't come back, this village would have fallen under the cold and brutal rule of Shimura Danzo. He would have worked his tricks. There would have been at war already. The war hawk did love wars after all. He always wanted to dominate. He wanted the Hidden Leaf to rule. Anything that was suspected to be a threat would be eliminated.
Tsunade told herself: coming back had been a right decision. She was here. She was leading this village and if she could avoid a war, then she would do it. She would work any means necessary to avoid going into war. She had fought many wars; she didn't want to fight another one.
She braced herself when A marched closer. His guards shielding him from any attack. He looked menacing. She wasn't going to be apologetic either. She had done nothing wrong. Her shinobi had done nothing wrong.
The slug princess stared when A stopped in front of her, stern faced. There was a lot in his eyes. Anger. A questioning look. A searching look. Good: he wasn't ready to jump on her. She looked at Kakashi and nodded to him. The Jonin got the message and made himself scarce.
"This is some welcome, Hokage." A said sternly.
Tsunade shrugged. "You came unannounced…" she said a bit carelessly. "You did not walk around tearing the forest, did you?" She asked, leading the man toward the Hokage tower.
A glared at Tsunade for the remark. He was angry. He had been angry. He had cried when he learned his brother was gone as well. But he wasn't a stupid person. He could still control himself. He had his moments, but it would have been somehow if he had ended up destroying things on his path. Well, it wasn't like he hasn't destroyed things in fits of anger. Thinking of it, he could have done it.
"Where is your Jinchuriki?"
"Out doing mission…" Tsunade said. Naruto was in… she shook her head. He was out of the village with a certain Yamanaka girl. She didn't know where he was but she figured it was either the Rain or Sunagakure. He had important things to do in both villages.
A didn't say anything. They marched towards the Hokage tower in silence. He didn't wish to start an argument with Tsunade in the middle of the streets with people watching. It would create unnecessary tensions within the villagers. He wasn't here for that anyway.
Once they arrived in the office, Tsunade settled behind her desk and leaned back to her chair. She gave the Raikage a stare, her hands folded across her bust. She wasn't going to say anything to the man until he went on what he came to say to her.
She was nevertheless glad that she was dealing with someone she was familiar with. Someone who knew her and Jiraiya. The fact that he was here could mean he wanted to hear her denials and stare into her eyes when she says her village had nothing to do with the kidnapping of his Jinchuriki.
Naruto had said he could be thrown under the bus, but there was no need at this time. She wouldn't even do it. Naruto was a lot more dangerous than the Raikage. He was needed in this village. He could prove very useful given his intelligence and resourcefulness.
"You have a lot of explaining to do, Tsunade." A started. His glare stern, unflinching.
Tsunade returned the glare but managed to be somehow nonchalant about her response. "I'm not sure I do."
A slammed his fist on the desk. His glare hardened. But there was no hint of his killing intent being directed at Tsunade. "I don't have time to fool around, Hokage!"
"Neither do I." Tsunade said.
"Then start explaining things to me before I declare war on Konoha!"
"I don't think you want to go that far, A. War is a bit excessive."
"I don't care. My brother is missing. I want answers. If you don't give me answers that satisfy me, we will fight until my brother is returned!" And A meant it. If something has happened. His father would forgive him, but he would turn this world upside down. He would not forgive anyone.
Tsunade sighed. This job was stressing at times. "What do you want me to explain, A?" She asked calmly.
"Tell me the information I received that Jiraiya has connections with the Akatsuki is false. Tell me it isn't true that Naruto also has connections with the people who took my brother!"
Tsunade blinked. Well, it was as Naruto and Jiraiya had feared. This had indeed come back to them. She should have figured it was the case when this man decided to come here. He was here because there was information that suggested her shinobi were aligned with a group of terrorists.
"Unfortunately, I cannot deny that. Jiraiya has connections to the Akatsuki."
A stared. He wanted to lunge at Tsunade. But the woman's body language bothered him. She was way too calm. She didn't even make it sound as if being associated with the Akatsuki was wrong.
"Isn't this the same group Jiraiya warned me about? From being threats to allies? What is happening? Is it Konoha's motives?"
"Don't insult me." Tsunade said firmly.
"I'm merely asking questions and you are not helping things. You have acknowledged the connection. I was hoping this would be false information. I am truly shocked to learn that it is true, especially, Jiraiya's connection."
Tsunade raised an eye brow. "Just Jiraiya?"
"Minato's son… your Jinchuriki… ever since he insulted me, I have tried to learn what I can about him but he has been riddled by mysteries. Much is apparent though, he is nothing like Minato…" A said. He had seen the look on the blond's eyes. The eyes might have the same colour as Minato, but what was inside of them was different.
"So you kept thinking that Naruto could be connected to the group. But Naruto is still a Jinchuriki. If there is a group hunting down Jinchurikis, wouldn't he be a target as well?"
"I considered that but that would depend on the purpose of the group." The Raikage said.
Tsunade nodded. "During the Second shinobi world war, on our way back to this village, we came across some orphans in Amegakure. Orochimaru wanted to kill them but for some reason Jiraiya decided to stay with them. I came home with Orochimaru and Jiraiya stayed with them to train them. He said he wanted to give them tools to survive. He stayed with them for a couple of years before leaving.
"These orphans are what is the Akatsuki. Some time ago, he and Naruto visited a place where the Akatsuki leader was thought to be. They found the orphans, fought them. Jiraiya was shocked to learn that his students had changed. Once more he didn't come home with Naruto, he stayed to try to change them and be good people as he had taught them.
"It turned out that they were being manipulated by someone. This person was behind the Akatsuki is the one who came with the idea of collecting Bijuus. We believe that this person is the one who took your Jinchuriki and possible gave you that information. He wants to sow discord."
Listening, A nodded. He was certain Tsunade wasn't lying to him. He had dealt with her before. Besides that, it did sound like something Jiraiya would do. The Toad sage was hardly even home after all.
"Who is this person?"
"We don't know his name but he calls himself Uchiha Madara. We know it isn't him but his real identity isn't something we know."
A sneered. "Another Konoha shinobi…" he said distastefully. "This village is certainly a home of rogue shinobi."
"Every other village…" Tsunade said with a shrug.
"But yours are a problem." A said. "What is Minato's son role in all these?"
"This Uchiha was the one responsible for the Kyubi incident years ago. So, naturally, there is no love lost between Naruto and him…" Tsunade said calmly. "I am sorry that you lost your Jinchuriki, A, but we had nothing to do with it."
A frowned. "I didn't think you did but even if you did, you wouldn't say you did it."
"Maybe…" Tsunade responded with a shrug. "This is turning out to be a troublesome situation. I really hope other Jinchurikis are not taken and blamed on us."
"Given the Leaf's history, it might not even be hard for some people to believe it."
Tsunade frowned deeply at those words. The village's actions in the past hadn't been all just. She was disgusted by some of the actions. But the Leaf has paid. It has paid dearly. How many lives has it lost in the wars? Its Kages. It's people. It has lost.
She really hoped that they were able to stop this before any other Jinchuriki was stolen again by this Uchiha. It would be a problem. Konoha might find itself under attack from many corners. It would be a massive problem if that happens in Iwagakure. Given their history, it would be war. And she had managed to avoid one with Kumogakure.
"Yes… but I hope we are able to act quickly to apprehend this Uchiha before he does more damage…" Tsunade said.
"Where is he? I want all the information you have on him."
"I don't know where is and I don't know much about him."
"But you said Jiraiya's students were working for him. Surely, they learned something from him." A said with narrowed eyes. "You're not trying to hide information, are you, Hokage?"
"Don't be ridiculous…" Tsunade was quick to say with a glare. "They don't even know what he looks like because he wears a mask. He uses a space/time jutsu… so he comes in and goes when he pleases. That's about it… If you want to kill him, you will have competition from Naruto."
"No one is going to stand in my way. I will remove anything that stands in my way."
"Good luck with removing Naruto. If you end up fighting him, don't come complaining to me…" Tsunade said.
"Why are you even letting your Jinchuriki do missions when someone is after him? Don't you think that is careless?"
Tsunade shrugged nonchalantly. "Naruto can take care of himself…" she said. "My promise to you is that we will bring your Jinchuriki back. But you will not get Madara's head. I cannot promise that."
Tsunade only understood that Naruto was strong. He was confident in his abilities that he could walk into any trap or any battlefield. He certainly didn't fear fighting. But he wasn't involved in much of it. If he had been Sasuke, she would have dismissed this as nothing but arrogance, but Naruto was a rational person. He was intelligent. Dangerously so.
"If you fail?"
"We will not."
"Two weeks, Tsunade. Two weeks. But I want cooperation between our nations on this matter. If another Jinchuriki is taken, we will have to call a Kage summit…" A frowned at the thought. "I avoided Iwa because they have a past with the Akatsuki. Before I received intel that led me here, I had thought it might be them."
Tsunade merely shook her head. "Let us keep open minds. We don't want to do anything that will lead to war."
A shrugged carelessly. "There will be war if I don't get my brother…" he said standing up. "I expect to hear from you in the next couple of days."
"You really didn't have to come here. Jiraiya was coming to see you."
"I had to make sure. I would not have been satisfied if I didn't speak to you in person…"
Tsunade said nothing. She didn't walk the man out. He was hurrying back to his village. She was glad he didn't ask anything about Amegakure. It would have been a problem if he had asked. But the fact that he didn't go there in the first place meant that he wasn't told that Nagato was based in Ame. The last thing she needed was A charging into the Rain. There was no telling what the village would do to protect itself.
The Godaime Hokage released a long breath. She was relieved though. Relieved that she had dodged a bullet with A.
"Everything went well it seems…" Shizune said as she walked into the office.
Tsunade nodded. "Much better than expected. But the problem still remains. Prepare letters for invitation to a Kage Summit… we may need to have one soon."
"Venue?"
Tsunade blinked. She hadn't thought of it. "Write to the Land of Iron and see if they would be available to host the Kages. They have always played neutral to shinobi matters."
"Shouldn't you be the one doing such a letter?"
Tsunade shrugged. "It isn't like you haven't been sitting on my desk, doing my work and signing things while I am sleeping somewhere…" she smiled. "How has it been like playing Hokage?"
A bit embarrassed that Tsunade knew her little 'missions' Shizune looked away for a moment before responding. "If you took your job seriously all the time, I wouldn't have to pretend to be you."
Tsunade shrugged carelessly. "I'm allowed a break. No one even thanks me for doing this burdensome job…" she paused. "Which does remind me; even though I will still lead for the foreseeable future, we must start narrowing down candidates who will replace me."
Shizune looked thoughtful for a moment before responding. "The list won't be long." She said.
Amegakure
looking at this land, Ino thought that travelling was perhaps something she should consider doing in the near future. She had just been in Sunagakure and now she was in the Rain. The villages were truly different from each other. They were unique. Seeing different places, cultures, it was truly fascinating and gave you a bit of knowledge about the things that were around in the Elemental Nations. Perhaps sticking with Naruto had been the right choice after all.
Then again, when had she thought it was the wrong choice?
Oh right, back in Suna when he had her running around. And when they came into this village, he had her learn what she could learn about the village. He was following her around. He didn't say much, just intervened when things got out of hand. He was watching her like a hawk. He watched her body language, her expression, his eyes never left her. Ino had never felt exposed, so naked under a simple gaze.
The Hidden Rain: the village ruled by a god and his Angel. Yes, she hadn't misspoke. The people said that much and they truly believed so. They loved their angel. They were fiercely loyal to their leaders. It was remarkably but there more she learned about the leaders, there curious she got. Ino wanted to see these people. The people have seen the angel, but never the god. They only knew that he lived at the tallest tower.
"This village is seriously huge…" Ino said. She had walked around the village. Looked around. she had seen it. Not everything but enough to tell that the village was massive. "I think it is even bigger than Sunagakure."
Naruto didn't offer a response to Ino. She hadn't asked him anything. He had taken her through the streets to gather Intel for herself because she would end up doing it. He wasn't going to be running around the Elemental Nations. But Ino would have to be safe. He couldn't have her doing the same things as Sai. She was too precious to be thrown into that world. The possibility of death was a little too much. He didn't want to be responsible for her death. She had to know things nevertheless.
If she worked with Sai long enough and then handle his Intelligence services before moving to Konoha's services, Naruto wouldn't complain. He would have Konoha's Intelligence working for him. She had the potential to work with her father and replace him in his duties, just as Shikamaru could possibly become the next Jonin commander with his intelligence, replacing Shikaku. Hinata would become the next politically powerful person leading the Hyuga.
The future looked bright.
"This village is huge, as you say, why do you think its leader isn't recognized as a Kage?"
"Well, it isn't exactly as big as Konoha…"
"Unsatisfactory…" Naruto said with a shake of his head. "I know you can do better than that." He said. "Amegakure's former leader, Hanzo was so powerful than all three Sannin's couldn't defeat him. Well, that was before they were called Sannins. He was at the level of a Kage in terms of power, and yet he was never acknowledged as a Kage. Why?"
"Politics?"
"That could be the case…" Naruto said. "But the main reason is that Amegakure's population is mainly civilian. It terms of Military strength, it is like those small villages you see. This village doesn't have a lot of shinobi within it that is why it isn't recognized as a major power. But even if does grow powerfully, it is unlikely that the other Kages will acknowledge the leader as a Kage because of politics."
"This world, isn't fair, is it?"
"You realize that now?" Naruto asked with a raised eye brow.
Ino shook her head. "It is just something you never talk about. But it is truly unfair. Those with power get to do what they want. We don't think about this kind of things at our age. We don't even see it because we aren't exposed to it." Once more, she shook her head. "I can see why you can never get along with those in our age group. Your world is different from ours. You don't see the same things that we see."
"That is because you live sheltered lives. You think you know what the shinobi world is all about, but you don't. You don't know its ugliness." Naruto said before coming to a halt. They were at the highest tower. "Not everything is as it looks. It might seem good, but when you take a bite, it's bitter. Sometimes it is exactly as it looks. You never know. But understanding of the world, of how people think, of its systems, that is what makes it easier for you to live and make reasonable choices. If you close your mind to new thoughts, you will make blunders. You remain stuck in the past."
"Are you that open minded as you want to paint, Naruto Uzumaki?" Ino asked, her yes glancing around as they walked into the eerily silent tower. A long way up, but Naruto didn't look like he was in a hurry.
"Maybe not but I am always open to changing my mind. I see things, judge them and live. My way of life has done me good for so…"
Ino nearly snorted but she held herself. She shouldn't be doing that. A delicate young lady ought not to be behaving in such a manner. She stayed silent until they reached their destination. There were two people. They looked normal. Well, except for the orange haired man. One thing that stood out the most was that they looked cold. But certainly nothing like the god and angel she had been told about by the villagers. Where were the wings?
Nagato glanced at Naruto for a moment before looking at the streets from the balcony. Certainly the blond was here about Madara's actions in Kumogakure. Those actions were going to destabilize things and it wouldn't make things peaceful if the man went on to attack other villages with Jinchurikis. This wasn't exactly as step closer to peace. But Nagato was still certain that Madara couldn't do what he wanted with the Jinchurikis unless he gets the Rinnegan. This was why he had been vital to the plans.
Without the Rinnegan, the man's dreams would not come to pass.
This only meant that the man would eventually come here. He could deal with that. In fact, if he knew where the man hid, he would go out now and hunt him down. He wasn't making things easy for peace. How he would go about this peace was something else entirely. Jiraiya was still happy to be with his students. But admittedly, the bigger threat to everything was Madara. They had to remove the man from the picture before anything happens.
When Naruto was settled, he looked down at the streets, following Nagato's gaze. He wasn't sure he would really get along with these people. They were Jiraiya's people, Nagato was Uzumaki. That was something but he didn't put a whole lot value in that name. "Madara's proclamation to me was that he was going to start war. The actions in Kumo are merely just the beginning. If he is truly serious, there will be more on what we can expect."
"If?" Konan asked with a raised eye brow.
There shouldn't be a question of 'if' when it concerned the man. They had to know he was going to do anything to destabilize the nations. Konan was sure of it. He wasn't the kind of person who was going to quit just like that. With how he hounded them, patient as he was since long ago, he wasn't simply going to stop with what he wanted to do.
"I misspoke…" Naruto said with a slight shake of his head. "He will continue to do things that are troublesome. But it isn't anything to worry about because it's not a situation that we cannot handle. For obvious reasons, we just have to kill him."
Ino shivered. There was nothing but coldness in the atmosphere. All these people were like emotionless emos. It was disturbing. Not slightly, but very. She was uncomfortable being around here. Both these people still acted as if they couldn't even see if. Neither had even looked at her. It was as if she was an insignificant existence.
"I have already made preparations for his death. That is assuming you don't end up going after him." Konan said.
Naruto shook his head. "I could have done that long time ago if I could but no. He will come here for Nagato. That is without question." He said. "What kind of preparations have you made?"
"Full proof to kill him," Konan said.
Naruto turned to Nagato. "Well, I agree to you not facing Madara. We are best situated to deal with the danger when he isn't facing what he wants. I assume you have planned something in the form of a trap. Since he isn't stupid, he won't be falling for anything easily. If Nagato is here, he isn't going to face you."
"That did come across." Konan acknowledged. "Nagato still wants to take him."
To this, Naruto shook his head. "We can't let that happen. You should use this time trying to free a bit of your mobility somewhere Madara doesn't know." Naruto said. "If you are confident that your plan will work, Nagato's location must be somewhere only you know. This leaves him with little choice but to come after you to get the answers."
"Are you suggesting that I run?"
Naruto shook his head. "We are simply playing safe." He said. "On the bright side of things, you will be getting treated. That should work out. If Madara comes here, he won't be alone. He will come with the Jinchuriki he has." Naruto took out a three pronged kunai and flashed it towards Konan who caught it. "When he does come, you summon me and I will speedily disable the Jinchuriki before any damage is done."
"What happens after we have dealt with him?"
Ah, this talk to peace. Naruto had hoped that he would be able to avoid it. But it was apparent that he could not. He didn't allow any of his emotions to show. "A troubled world opens the door for people to connect, to handle a common problem. The Five Kages have always acted differently, they have always acted separately. If what Madara does, brings them to a point where they can work together, there is a chance for an 'intervention' in which they get to be united to act not as separate individuals but as one. I have ideas; we will discuss them after we have handled this problem."
Nagato was silent for a couple of moments before nodding.
"We will talk soon. At least I believe that Madara will show up soon."
Naruto turned over to Ino and took her. He jumped over the balcony, heading down from the tower in speed. For a moment, Ino thought of screaming, but she composed herself and glared at Naruto. "If you'd screamed, I was going to let you go and see if you can survive on your own… crashing down I mean."
Ino's glare didn't break. But Naruto wasn't looking at her – he was staring down the incoming ground. She waited until they landed. It was a gentle land. She had felt wind move around them as Naruto positioned his body carefully while carrying her like a bride. Ino felt like protesting when she was put down.
"Those were Nagato and Konan… Amegakure's leaders. They are Jiraiya's students from the second shinobi war…" Naruto explained lightly. "They also once headed an organization that wanted to capture all Jinchurikis…"
"People like you…" Ino said. "How many are there?"
"There are eight Jinchurikis but before, there were nine. One of the Bijuus currently doesn't have a host. But it is fine that way…" Naruto said.
Ino looked thoughtful for a moment before asking. "Neh, Naruto… what is going to happen when you are old? To the Bijuu inside of you?"
"The seal will become weak over time. But in the end, I will likely free the Bijuu inside of me…" Naruto responded with indifference. What it would do once free wouldn't concern him much. As long as he wasn't threatened. "It isn't something to concern myself with at this stage. I still have a very long life ahead of me."
A very long life indeed.
Konohagakure
Hokage Office
"We have a bit of a problem."
This was the greeting Tsunade received from Sasuke. They'd just returned from Iwagakure. She wasn't expecting their return. It was likely that they didn't reach the village. And given the grim look on the Mizukage's face, she suspected that it was more than just a bit of a problem. She really didn't want to hear any more problems. Not at this time. She'd just solved one. Another couldn't come down on her. If she had a choice, Tsunade would simply shut her ears and tell them she doesn't want to hear it. But she was the Godaime Hokage. She had to hear it. Especially if it does affect Konohagakure.
Tsunade still hesitated to say anything. She tapped her finger on her desk, glancing between the Mizukage and Sasuke. The latter looked like he wanted to be somewhere. He seemed to be running out of patience with her silence.
Finally, the slug princess opened her mouth and spoke. Her voice was very low. "I assume so." She said. "Did you even reach Iwagakure?"
Mei shook her head "We could not. We came across something unexpected that is gravely serious…"
Yeah, perhaps Konoha could weather the storm but Kiri was in a delicate position. She really didn't want to be faced with this kind of situation. It was bad for her. It was bad for her image and Kiri's image. It was going to cause some problem with people who are influential in her village. But she would have to deal with it. She had no other choice. She couldn't depend on anyone to deal with internal politics.
But that was just internal matters. The serious problem that threatened her security and that of Kirigakure was that Iwa was mad. Iwa thought she had something to do with the death of their Tsuchikage, Onoki. It was a problem. They were going to make demands. Perhaps her head or they go to war. Mei couldn't do that to her village. She couldn't afford to lead her village into war.
At the same time, dying for something she didn't wasn't ideal. She wasn't even thinking about it. She doubted her people would even allow it. Not to mention there was no guarantee that Iwa would stop after their demands were met. They were likely to make more demands thinking they could get way with it. It would be easy for them to do so, especially if they thought they were in a strong position to do so.
"Unexpected? Perhaps to so…" Sasuke said coldly. "But someone certainly expected something to happen." Perhaps if Naruto had gone, this wouldn't have happened. Certainly, Naruto would have handled things differently. Then again, had it been Naruto, it might not have occurred exactly as it did with them. He told himself that he handled the situation in the best way possible.
Tsunade looked at Sasuke for a moment before looking back at Mei. "Just tell me what happened."
"On our way, there was a soft attack by Madara. He said some things and we decided to hurry to Iwa but minutes later, he appeared before us, carrying Onoki's body, hundreds of Iwagakure shinobi chasing after him. He threw the body towards us and told us we could explain what happened. He told us they had seen Sasuke taking their Tsuchikage. When he disappeared… the Iwa group appeared and found us with their Tsuchikage. We had to flee."
"Whaaat!?" It came. Tsunade bit her lip and slammed her fist on her desk, nearly shattering it. She held herself from any other action or screaming contest.
"Iwagakure believes that both Sasuke and killed Onoki, their Tsuchikage." Mei finally stated without emotion.
Tsunade stared, speechless for a second. Once she found her speech, she cursed loudly. It was unbecoming of her but it couldn't be helped. This was trouble. This could spell war. There was no doubt about that. Iwa was going to come after them and they would be demanding blood. Tsunade wasn't going to be surprised if they demanded Sasuke's head. For Mei, they would also demand her head. That would not be it of course. No, It would just be the opening round.
She couldn't have that kind of situation. Not at this time. She wasn't going to sacrifice Sasuke. She was certain that he wouldn't accept it either. Yes, there was no need to even suspect his innocence in the matter. This was that Madara's fault. He had planned this. It was another of his effort to start a war.
Tsunade breathed in and out a couple of times to calm her nerves. She didn't want another Kumogakure situation. She knew the incident with the Hyuga. She wasn't going to act like her sensei. She needed to find a way to solve the issue. She had to solve it without igniting a war but how did she prove that they had nothing to do with it? It wasn't like Kumo. They had 'seen' Sasuke and wouldn't believe her word.
"You can leave, Sasuke." Tsunade said to the young Uchiha.
Sasuke didn't linger around much. He didn't even say anything to both Tsunade and the Mizukage, he merely nodded and stalked away from the office.
Once he was gone, Tsunade sighed deeply. She was conflicted but had to face the situation head on. "A was here. He departed earlier… It was about our apparent connection to the person who took his Jinchuriki. I managed to avoid a bloody situation with him and we have resolved to work together. But I did promise him that I would bring him his Jinchuriki. I thought now we would only have to worry about hunting down Madara.
"It seems not. Iwagakure and Konoha don't have the greatest history. They won't question our motives or anything. They will just be quick to believe things as they are and demand things from us. Of course, we will try to work through things peacefully but I will not be bending over things I did not do. I am sorry Onoki is gone, but we will not bow down to pressure. We are still in a strong position."
"You don't think they will declare war?"
"They might but whether it will be fought or not is another matter. We have allies and are still the strongest village. If Iwa declares war on you, it declares war on us. We are together in this situation. We have Suna with us. Unless they have lost it, they cannot seek to fight us in an all out battle. They would be slaughtered. I want to avoid that nevertheless. Kumo isn't likely to join. They don't have an issue with us…"
The only positive here was that Tsunade had said they were in this situation together. At least she has an ally. A powerful ally. She wasn't alone. Kirigakure wasn't alone in this mess. This was only going to deepen her relationship with the Hidden Leaf. Perhaps she would even form an alliance with the Sand. In this mess, she was gaining allies yet still making enemies. It was something, wasn't it?
"We are together but it doesn't solve the issue at hand…" Mei stressed those words.
Tsunade nodded in agreement. "No, it doesn't. Even if we do avoid war, the problem will still be there and it won't stop Iwagakure from taking underhanded measures like assassination attempts."
"Those would be problematic."
"Yes. We just have to deal with the situation quickly. For now, if they are thoughtful, they won't do anything ridiculous. We have to use this opportunity to come up with a way to prove our innocence." Tsunade said. "Which is easier said than done."
"Although it is the same culprit in Iwagakure, as in Kumo, it will still be our word against what they saw. They might not believe a word we way even if we present them the person who did it."
Tsunade was silent for a couple of moments. "Against someone who refuses to accept the truth when it is before them, what do you do?"
"I don't know… but you certainly can't allow them to do as they please."
Tsunade nodded. "I agree with you. But how do we find irrefutable evidence to back up our claim?"
"That is the question we have to ask…" Mei said. "Is Naruto around? I have to leave for my village to inform them of this situation."
Tsunade shook her head. "He's out but knowing him, he will be back soon." She said. "We will call a Kage summit once we have captured Madara. All Kages need to gather so we can discuss this matter."
"That is the best solution. Perhaps we will even be able to discuss how we can avoid similar situations in the future."
"I hope so…" Tsunade said. "What do you say for a drink? I really need one."
Mei smiled. "I need one as well."
Later that day
Uchiha Compound
Mikoto: the woman who made him experience pleasure. Bodily pleasures hadn't been a thing that existed in his mind but when this woman came, Naruto had experienced it. He had learned to enjoy it. He had learned to know what it is to lust over someone. Of course, he didn't obsess over it that he was willing to take a woman by force just to get some like some scum living in this world. Thinking of such pigs really turned on his contempt for some human behaviour.
He'd only just returned to the village and dropped Ino at her house. He didn't go home. He wanted to speak to Mikoto. He wanted to speak to the woman who would become the mother of his child. He hadn't been with her lately. He could not deny that his body sometimes longed for her warmth, for her touch. It was ridiculous. Yes, but that was what this body of his sometimes felt. He reigned on those feelings of course, but they were persistent.
Mikoto smiled seeing Naruto stare at her so intensively. He rarely allowed himself to get lost in thought before her. "If you keep staring like that, I will start thinking something is wrong."
Naruto blinked before shaking his head. "I was just thinking of how strange it is that I feel I miss having you in my arms."
Mikoto giggled. "There is nothing strange about that, but you'd think it is strange."
"I have never really been focused on listening to what my body says or feels. My mind has always been the leader. But emotions and feelings can truly be powerful at times. Sometimes they are just intoxicating, you can't help yourself but move."
Mikoto smiled. "So you're admitting that feelings do get the better of you at times…"
"I never said, I might have suggested it…" Naruto wasn't going to admit something like that. It was beyond what he preached. Then again, he was at times a hypocrite, wasn't he? "But I am getting to see that such feelings are normal."
"They are normal… you experience them when you live, when you are alive." Mikoto said. "I never said you couldn't come to me when you miss me. I have to say so myself, I do miss you."
There was something in her eyes that said it wasn't just seeing him that she missed. Well, they were talking about their bodies. "I have been busy and Yugao watches me like a hawk."
To this, the Uchiha laughed. "I thought you were the one who was supposed to do that…" she said. "But I don't think I have to explain to you what jealousy means. You know the feeling all too well. But I am certain you might feel Yugao doesn't have a reason to be jealous."
Naruto shrugged. "We have been together for a while… and it isn't like I am going anywhere."
"You say that because you don't invest your emotions heavily on other people." Mikoto said in a firm tone. "When you do, you will understand. But I am glad that you are here with me. Are you going to stay?"
Naruto shook his head. "I am timing dinner as things stand. We always have dinner at time same time everyday. My mother is conscious about that."
Mikoto frowned. "I was thinking that perhaps you'd stay. You have the comfort of Yugao, I don't have anyone."
Naruto almost said she had Sasuke but the Uchiha wasn't like that with his mother and he kind of assumed what she meant by those words. "Does it mean my mother also gets lonely?"
Mikoto blinked. "I didn't think you'd think like that when it comes to your mother."
"I'm just curious."
"Who knows? She never says anything to me." Mikoto said. She wasn't going speak her thoughts about the matter. Not to Naruto. "You really have been busy, haven't you?"
Naruto nodded. "I am planning to leave Konoha duties. You know, I have your kids to train, my clan to look after. And I have to think about you. I can't neglect you. Once the child is born, I have to be by your side."
He just had to make sure he had things completed or he had people in the right positions to move for him when he has to take on those roles. It would be soon. Once Madara was dead, things would clear up. He would be free. He wouldn't have to worry about a person who could threaten his family.
Mikoto smiled happily. She was ecstatic. "Speaking of which, there is something I wanted to talk to you about."
"What?"
"Once our child is born, you will have to decide where you spend your time the most. It will be problematic to those around you. I was thinking that I could move in with you. The child is yours. Your mother will want be close to it and I think it will be good for you to be able to see and hold your child any moment you want. I haven't spoken to anyone about this, but I think it will be a good option."
Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment. "It is reasonable. I don't have any objections."
Mikoto smiled. "I thought as much." She said. "We will talk more about it once the child is born. In the mean time, I have to give Sasuke as much duties as I can so that he can be prepared when I leave. It won't be permanent…"
"Why can't it be? The child will need its mother close."
"That is something we will think about when the time comes."
Naruto nodded. "You know, but Sasuke will marry one day." The blond shook his head. "How is your relationship with other clan heads going?"
"Getting better. I don't have enemies…" Mikoto said. "Thinking of entering the fray soon?"
"I don't know. We will have to work out things at the compound and finish how we are going to restore the clan."
"You are the only male in the clan, it is your duty." Mikoto said. "You'll have to have many kids. To ensure that the Uzumaki blood doesn't die out, you'll have to have kids with Karin. That is the only way. For someone who wants to restore a clan, that is the only acceptable way to do things. On the bright side of things, you already have one."
Naruto frowned. He had thought this would be the case. But Karin was going to be difficult. She sure as hell didn't care about clan politics. But he had to do it. Naruto would find a way to do things. Who knows, if he was able to do it, he could end up taking them back to Uzu to restart once more.
"I have considered this…" Naruto said in thought. "But let us see how it goes with our child first before anything else. I want to see if I can really be a father."
"I am sure you will be a good father…" Mikoto said firmly. She then smiled slyly. "Who knows, if my womb still allows me, we can have another one."
Naruto stared at the woman for a long minute trying to see if she was serious or not. Answer didn't particularly please him. "Where is Sasuke?"
"Sleeping." Mikoto said. "Something happened today and when he came back, he went on to destroy things at the forest of death. Came back drained."
Naruto nodded. "I will return later. Tell him I wish to speak to him." Naruto stood up. "If you want to join me, we can go together."
"I'd love to that but I can't leave Sasuke as things are… you are coming back… leave some room, we'll eat something together."
Naruto merely nodded before disappearing in a flash.
Uzumaki Compound
Dinner had been silent but enjoyable – as it was always. It had been just been him, mother and Karin. Just the three of them with Uzumaki blood running wild within them. Once done, Karin had washed her plate and then disappeared quickly. The peace had been pleasant. It wasn't to say it wasn't when Yugao was present. The Anbu added another dynamic to the family. She was also part of the family but according to his mother, was becoming a bit scarce.
It was something that would need for them to get used to. Yugao wasn't always going to be around. She had returned to her job. Her Anbu duties. It was going to take much of her time. Naruto wasn't complaining that she wasn't around this night. It would have been a bother trying explain to her that he was going to sleep in the Uchiha Compound for the night.
With Karin gone, it was just Naruto and his mother. The woman was rather quiet. It was a bit odd. But Naruto didn't question it. He was also silent, trying to figure out a way to tell her that he was going to leave for the night.
"Naruto…"
The blond looked up to his mother: she was staring at him. "Hinata was here in the morning. She dropped an invite from the Hyuga clan. Hiashi wants to speak with you."
Naruto raised an eye brow: he was surprised. The man was the one who didn't want to talk to him and had nearly been dragged into a smearing campaign against him by the Sandaime's old advisors. The fools believed that he was too dangerous to be left alone. A mad campaign would force him off the streets and lead him into the cold embrace of Konoha's dark arts. They wanted him there because they believed he could do well there.
Everyone had a thought.
Still, something had to have happened for Hiashi to come to this level. The man wasn't stupid. He was stern and cautious. Perhaps that was why he didn't want him close to Hinata. Naruto wasn't exactly an innocent person and the high ups in Konoha knew too well. But it was how they understood him that determined their attitudes towards him.
"That is an interesting development…" Naruto said. "Did she say what it is about?"
Kushina shook her head. "She doesn't seem to know either but Hiashi just wants to talk to you." She said. "Isn't it a good opportunity?"
"It is…" Naruto said with a nod. "To survive as a clan, we will need to play along with the others. Hiashi is also a very powerful person… politically at least. If he is willing to talk to me, then there is a chance to clear the air around us."
"You are gonna have to play nice…"
"I've never been known for being charming…" Naruto said with a shrug of his shoulders. "But for the Uzumaki, I will try to work something out." He said with a nod.
Kushina smiled. "For the Uzumaki…" she said. "We have come this far, haven't we? It was just the two of us… now we are four… we are soon going to be five."
She was counting Mikoto's child. Yes, they were growing in numbers. It was a good progress. But this brought him back to the conversation he was having with Mikoto. "Mother, you do understand what I have to do if I am going to restore the clan, right?"
Kushina was silent for a couple of moments before finally nodding. "I know…" she said. "Which is why I think you should consider patching up things with Temari. But I don't want us to be just thinking about the clan. People have to be happy. You have to be happy."
"Happiness is fundamental for a strong family. We don't want divisions that will cripple us…" Naruto said. "I will consider things… what of Karin?"
"That will depend on her. We are not forcing anyone to do anything. Anyone who comes here will come by choice." Kushina said in a firm tone. "If she wants to, then I have no complains. If she doesn't want to, we can't force her."
Naruto merely nodded. Those were his mother's thoughts not his. He had methods of doing things. When he didn't think his mother would agree, he didn't bring it up.
"I have also given her money to buy some equipment she needed. They cost a lot of money so we might have to be careful soon." Kushina said.
A lot of money was used to renovate this place and Naruto wasn't exactly doing high paying jobs. He really needed a way to bring in money to the clan even when he wasn't doing missions. "You said you'd be willing to teach fuinjutsu. It is our trade and no one does it better, we should start reminding people that much. We will have to offer our sealing services to other clans and shinobi shops to sustain ourselves. As the experienced one, you will have to do most of the work. I have a couple of ideas and know what Konoha also needs our skills. We will sit down and discuss it before drawing the seals."
Kushina smiled at this. "You have neglected your training though…" she said. "But I am glad I will be working with you on seals…" she paused, frowning. "Will you have time?"
Naruto nodded. "Once we have sorted things out with Konoha and other villages, I will focus on the clan. So I will have the time…" he said. "We can make this work."
"We can…" Kushina said. "No one even does it better than Uzumaki. Well, it was why our home was destroyed in the first place."
A dark chapter. The actions of men. Perhaps their skills were indeed dangerous. Villages value Jinchurikis heavily, but his mother can disable one regardless of power in a minute. If Karin was trained well, she could have this ability as well. "Karin does have a ray of special abilities, doesn't she?"
Kushina nodded. "Healing chakra, she can use chakra chains and she is a sensory type of shinobi…" she paused, and pursed her lips. "Tsunade doesn't know about this, does she?"
Naruto merely smiled. "She received what she wanted from Karin about Orochimaru and that is enough. We don't want her knocking here for what is Uzumaki."
Kushina merely shook her head. "She is bound to find out."
"I will handle it…" Naruto said with a shrug. He faced his mother. "I am going to the Uchiha Compound."
"Oh…" Kushina blinked but didn't say anything until Naruto closed the distance between them. He leaned over and kissed her before saying good night.
A couple of minutes later
Naruto was walking in the streets of the Leaf, hands inside his pockets. It was night. He rarely did this. He couldn't feel Yugao. Perhaps she wasn't around. But the breeze was cool. It was refreshing being out here. The night lights decorated the streets. Some places were dark, some brightly lit. it depended on the section you walked. To some people, the night was still very young. Some were already in the dreamland.
Naruto halted when he saw Jiraiya at the corner of his eyes. The Sannin was standing by a wall, hands folded across his chest. "Have you become a man whore, Jiraiya?" He asked quietly.
The Sannin walked over to Naruto. "It wouldn't be so bad…" he said. "Going to see someone?" he asked with a grin.
Naruto stared.
"Don't be like that Naruto…" Jiraiya said. "I do need some inspiration for my next book. So tell me, who is it? Is it the delightful Mizukage? I can imagine her waiting for you in a bath tub, bubbles… the steam…"
Naruto started walking away from the Toad Sage. "You have an interesting imagination, Jiraiya. Then again, the Sandaime wasn't exactly different. He just never expressed himself as you."
"At least someone knows sensei was a pervert…" Jiraiya said following Naruto. "So, are you going to tell me who you are going to see?"
"I'm sure you want to discuss something with me, Jiraiya. If not, leave me alone: you are disturbing my peace…"
"Ouch…" the Sannin said before turning serious. "We do need to talk…" he said. He touched Naruto on his shoulder and they vanished. They appeared atop of a building. "I'm sure you've heard what happened with Sasuke and the Mizukage."
Naruto nodded. "Yes… but I have not spoken to either Tsunade or Mei…" he said. "I will talk to the latter tomorrow. Rushing into it isn't going to solve it anyway."
"But we do need to start working on a plan to solve it quickly. We can't let this situation get out of hand. We don't know how Iwagakure is going to react when we say we won't agree to their demands. Things could blow out of proportion very soon." Jiraiya said.
Naruto sighed. That masked man was truly something else. To kill Onoki and frame Sasuke and Mei. It was an evil plan. It was nevertheless very effective. Naruto wasn't sad Onoki was dead. He was actually happy about it. Of course, he would not discuss it with anyone. It was a dangerous thing. But the truth was that he had been relieved of something he would have done soon.
The issue now was that they had to stop Iwa from thinking that Kiri and Konoha had killed Onoki. It would be much of a problem to Mei than it would be for the Leaf.
"This situation can be solved. There is no need to panic…"
Jiraiya stared at Naruto. "You don't sound very concerned about this. You do understand that if things are not handled carefully, we can go to war with Iwagakure."
"That isn't much of a worry." Naruto said. "If there is war. I won't mind cutting through them by myself. Konoha wouldn't even have to send anyone."
Jiriaya narrowed his eyes. "You are talking about a massacre."
"I am talking about stopping enemies from reaching the Leaf." Naruto said with a shrug. "I spoke to Nagato and Konan. They have a way to deal with Madara. I Will also be there if he does go there for the Rinnegan. If we deal with him, we can prove that Konoha had nothing to do with Onoki's death."
"I don't follow…"
"We just need to get into his head. If we get into his head, we can show the people in Iwagakure that we didn't do it. Inoichi is very capable. But this depends on whether we can capture him…" Naruto explained lightly. "I will head to Iwagakure just to see the kind of person we will be dealing with."
"It's probably Onoki's granddaughter."
"Yes… but I want to see her state of mind…" Naruto said. "Will she accept what we offer or will she refuse?"
"What if she refuses?" Jiriaya said. "I don't want you going out for a massacre. I want to avoid bloodshed if possible. If they cannot accept what we offer, I will offer myself."
Naruto stared at the Sannin for a moment before shaking his head. "How heroic of you…" he said. "Unfortunately, I have no desire for it…" he started walking away from the Sannin.
Jiraiya smiled bitterly. He should have expected Naruto react in such a manner. He didn't have good memories about people sacrificing themselves and it was always for this village. Minato's sacrifice left him with hatred and suffering in the hands of the villagers. The Sandaime died protecting Konoha as well.
Jiraiya saw the bravery in those deaths. He saw them as people who died without regrets. He had regrets. He had many regrets. He hasn't been able to do anything. He should have been the one to sacrifice himself, not Minato. His student had been young and a family ahead of him. But he hadn't been around. Minato had died. He could only watch when Orochimaru forced the third to do the same.
This time around, Jiraiya wasn't going to just watch. He would do something. His life that has been full of regrets would eventually mean something.
"I hope it doesn't come to that, Naruto." Jiriaya said in a sad tone.
"You should have a drink and get some sleep, Jiriaya." Naruto said before disappearing from the building.
Those words had been spoken coldly. Jiraiya wondered if Naruto would be sad if he died.
Uchiha Compound
Naruto was standing in a training ground in the compound when heard the sound of lightning crackling. He didn't even bother moving when Sasuke suddenly flashed in front of him, sharingan blazing in the night light. A burst of his chakra blew the Uchiha away from him. Sasuke recovered quickly and landed to the ground gracefully.
"Even when you look like you have your guard down, you still react impressively…" Sasuke said to Naruto. The blond was in a relaxed pose, hands inside his pockets. He was casual. A rare appearance.
Naruto didn't look at Sasuke. He stared into the sky before responding. "Every shinobi with instincts will respond to danger. It matters how you have trained them. I heard you had a pleasant journey."
Sasuke glared but Naruto wasn't looking at him. He was certain that was said on purpose. "You must be happy. You wanted the Tsuchikage to die. I have to say, if it wasn't that Madara caused the Kyubi rampage, I would have suspected that you colluded with him."
"Well, I'm not crying he is dead." Naruto said. He didn't respond to the other nonsense the Uchiha had spoken. "We are going to sacrifice you to stop a war from occurring. Your mother won't be sad. She is going to have another child, we'll name him Sasuke."
"You have to be kidding me!" Sasuke shouted. "Who said I was going to agree with that!?"
"Your reactions are always over the top." Naruto said. He glanced at the Uchiha with an expressionless mask. "Yes, am kidding you…" he looked back into the heavens. "You'd rather let loose in a battlefield, right?"
"Do you even have to ask?"
"No… I would do the same." Naruto said. "You are not supposed to leave the village until this matter is handled. I suggest you focus on working with clan matters. Familiarize yourself with the laws. If you don't feel you can sit for it, you can get people to do the admin duties for you. You'll only handle the decision making on important things and sensitive matters…"
"What are you going to do about Madara?"
"Kill him obviously…" Naruto said before disappearing.
With Mikoto
Mikoto smiled seeing Naruto walk into her room. "I thought you were going to ditch me…" she said. "And I had prepared some snacks for you. Since we have the whole night, thought we might need them because I want to talk to you until sleep consumes me."
Naruto blinked. "That sounds like there will be some talking…" he said.
End of chapter
Okay, I'm keeping up with my updates.
Onto the story, what can I say? Not really much… but thank you for the reviews.
The Omnipresent Sage
