150 Sendai no Jin

Chapter 4

Hokage Tatsunjin

Naruto let Sasuke and Sakura go ahead of him to the memorial field as he saw Kushino standing with some of his engineers in conversation before the ceremony. He caught up to him as they broke…

"Sensei? I….I heard you were chosen as the new Hokage."

Kushino nodded. "Only temporary Naruto-kun. I wish there was a better venue to make the announcement but the situation demands the position be filled swiftly."

Naruto rubbed his arm. "Well…it….it might cause some trouble Sensei. Konohamaru is heartbroken over the old man and…"

Kushino nodded. "I understand. What do you suggest?"

Naruto shook his hands. "Oh I don't wanna…"

"What do you suggest?" Kushino asked again. "We should be caring towards the honorable Grandson should we not?"

"Well…don't move into the old man's office or his house? Please….just understand him if he….well if he blows up or gets pissy?"

Kushino smiled. "Done." He started to walk away but stopped. "Naruto?"

"Yes Sir?"

"You're going with Jiraiyah Sannin to retrieve Tsunade Sannin…get back here as swiftly as you can. The village is counting on you."

Naruto bowed deeply. "I will Hokage-Sama. Believe it!"

Kushino huffed. "Hokage-Sama…you don't know how foreign that sounds."

The village was assembled before the raised concrete square upon which the beloved lost were arranged in order of precedence. Sitting higher and larger on the bier was the 3rd Hokage. To his left and right were two Jonnin and four Chunnin ninja and behind them were smaller pictures of the 89 citizens, the 25 of Sendai battalion at the head who died.

Naruto looked at Konohamaru and though the kid looked stoic and tough, he knew that whatever Kushino might say in the moment ahead might cause Konohamaru to blow up. Naruto leaned towards Sakura…

"I may need a little help from you if you don't mind."

"Naruto! Quiet and be respectful!" Sakura warned him.

Kushino wore the same black outfit as others as he walked onto the concrete platform and stood between Koharu and Kushino. They bowed deeply three times to the honorable dead, each time followed by the heavy sound of a struck temple bell. They then about faced and looked over the assembled villagers with a long pause before Kushino stepped forwards to speak…

"We gather today in shared pain and grief, hand embracing hand and friend embracing friend over this terrible disaster. Let us for the moment reside intentional emotions and feelings of vengeance and the personal quest for retribution to the wayside of memory. This place is not appropriate at this time."

"Look to your friends, look to your side, your front, your back, around you and beyond you to those who need your strength, those who need your smile, those who need your hands…those who need your love. To those whom you have disagreement, put aside argument for embrace. To those whom you hold affection, put aside yourself and give full attention. To those who lie heart broken, put aside your tools and give faith."

"Though this is not a venue afit pomp and trappings, I have been requested and do receive the immediate appointment as Lord Hokage Pro Tem, guided by those before me and bound to turn over to those who will succeed me, to care for our people, bind up the wounds that afflict them and secure the safety and future of them. This appointment I shalt carry out with faithful diligence unto my death and under your faith."

Naruto winced when he saw Konohamaru's fists turn red and a look of anger building in his face. "Konohamaru! Stop it!" Naruto warmed and whispered. "What would your Grandfather think!"

The youngster looked up and saw Naruto's seriousness and felt the hand holding his shoulder. "Show strength Konohamaru…make your Grandfather proud of you today."

The quivering boy slackened, much to Naruto's relief.

Kushino was the first up to lay a flower at the base of the 3rd's statue. He paused for a moment to reflect and think…"Give me a boost Sarutobi-Sensei…I'll need it."

The villagers filed one by one with their flowers and tributes. Are' walked with Tsume but they were stopped short by a runner who took Are' hand. "Honorable teacher…you…

You must come at once! Seiichi has taken with the fever suddenly!"

Inuzuka House

Kazumi met Are' at the front door. "Quickly, I fear there is an infection in the wound Are'-Chan, we must get him to the hospital at once!"

Tsume grabbed her cousin Osetsu.."Get the cart and harness Guri, she is our fastest horse."

Are' tended to Seiichi, wipping cool water on his face and whispering to him. "Hold on my child, please…"

Tsume and Kiba came in with a stretcher and carefully carried the boy to the cart and off to the hospital. "We'll be back for you in a minute!" Screamed Kiba.

Hokage House

Kushino pointed at the upstairs and shook his head. "No….don't start moving anything out, have you no respect?"

"Sir we were just moving it so your carpenters could start repairing the damage." One of the men said as he pointed to the broken desk. "The upstairs office is destroyed and the…"

Kushino raised a hand. "I understand. Make sure if the young grandson of Sarutobi no Hokage comes by that this is all explained to him in detail. I don't want it too look as if I'm disrespecting the 3rd's memory so quickly."

Kushino turned around and looked down to see Konohamaru standing with a katana strapped to his back that dwarfed him in size.

"Honorable Grandson?" Kushino said softly with a bow.

Konohamaru was stone faced. "Hokage…I request to join any party and help slay the enemies of our people and find the killer of my Grandfather."

Kushino pursed his lips. "So….quick to have a volunteer. I have not even completed a strategy yet…isn't that the first thing young Grandson?"

Konohamaru thought. "I guess…"

"You guess?" Kushino replied as he knelt down. "Perhaps honorable grandson could allow time for a proper strategy to form? In the meantime he can perform those pursuits expected of him? Such as helping the village or attending to the proper training of his fellow school mates? I will need leaders I can assure you."

Kushino pulled the Katana off Konohamaru and placed it with care into his hands. "When I am ready, I assure you…you'll be first to know Tora-Sama."

Konohamaru stood ridged and saluted with purpose to his swing. "Yes Hokage-Sama!"

Ebisu came up and watched Konohamaru walk away erect and stiff armed. "I thank you honorable Tatsunjin. I couldn't have handled him better."

"Glad I did…I would have left the spanking to you." Kushino said as he and Ebisu walked around the Hokage House.

"About strategy?" Ebisu asked. "Many of the Jonnin are asking when you will present a mode of operations? I know it's so short a time…"

Kushino snorted. "Trust me, I've been broiling the last 24 hours over the idea. We will meet tonight at the engineer workshop to discuss my planning…I trust more than a few Jonnin won't like what I'm thinking."

Konohagukure Hosptial

Evening

Are' stood playing with her lips nervously as she looked every few moments at the light atop the emergency surgery room. She turned her attention to Tsume and slowly took her by the hand…

"Tsume…I don't know how to repay you for your kindness…your…"

The tough Inuzuka woman grasped Are' by her shoulders. "It is my service Are'-chan. Consider it just returns for how well you tutored my son in the classics. Kiba has grown a well rounded young man thanks to you and your service to the Inuzuka."

Just then the light went off and a medical nin came out of the room. Her face however was not punctuated by hope…but by sorrow…

"There has been a terrible spread of infection. He is conscious but…I am sorry."

Are' shivered and for a while lost herself as she was led to a chair by Tsume, who knelt to console her and bade her not to lose strength.

Evening

Engineer's school, main workshop

The assembled Jonnin, Chunnin and a select few elite Gennin stood or sat in a wide semi-circle before Kushino. Already he'd released a fraction of his complete strategy and was taking rough barbs back from some of the ninja…

A short cropped black haired Chunin named Nobukai was rubbing his temple in frustration. "I don't understand…you want to release the captured Shinobi of the Sand.."

Gui snorted out. "Nobukai! Watch how you address yourself!"

The Chunin shook. "…Lord Hokage…the Sand are the enemy, what possible reason could there be in releasing these Shinobi killers back to them so they can come back and kill more of us?"

Kushino moved the fingers of his right hand around. "How many of their Shinobi did we capture? A Chunin and 4 Gennin out of 24 attackers? You should understand the size of the Sand village Nobukai, This venture for them was a disaster."

"Well…" Nobukai replied trying to console his composure. "Perhaps Honorable Hokage should remember the disaster of the past days? The villagers who died, the shinobi of the leaf who gave their lives, the way these scum violated us with their sneak attack treachery?"

Kushino looked back deeply. "I have considered…trust me I've had to consider 25 times and consider 33 times more and more than that, oh yes…I have considered and pondered as deeply equal to you the measure of revenge."

"Then we shouldn't be so magnanimous Hokage, we should strike back against the Sand and crush them! Sweep em aside like refuse as a warning to our enemies!"

"You wish to go to war then?" Kushino asked sternly. "That's the danger of blind rage, the mark of a walking dead man."

The floor erupted in snarling back and fourths as Kushino predicted. He sat patiently waiting for it to run its course.

Konohagukure Hosptial

Diary of Are' Akimoto

My darling grandson suffered so. Consciousness had returned but the medical nin informed me that an infection had begun to course through Seiichi's brain and his time with us was growing short with each breath. He looked at peace as he reached for my face and touched it lovingly. His face was as I always saw it in the mornings before he would follow the others off to work. A light smile shown as he pressed my head to his chest and calmly ran his hand through my hair. I could feel him trembling, perhaps a last fight to remain among the living. He closed his eyes as he looked at me and uttered…"I see them." He passed not long after.

Tsume guided Kiba out of the room as she left Are' to grieve in silence.

Engineer's school, main workshop

The back and forth squabbling continued among the Jonnin and Chunin as Kushino still sat patiently silent. He was suddenly interrupted by a messenger who placed a small scrap of paper into his hand. He fumbled to get it open and squinted in the dim lighting to read it…

Seiichi Akimoto has passed away. Honorable Grandmother was with him.

The news hit Kushino like a fist. He crumpled the paper in his hand and winced noticeably enough for Gui Sensei to shut down the commotion around him. "Enough! Quiet all of you!"

Kushino rocked back and forth rubbing his lips into his fist and scowling at Nobukai. "I have just been informed that Are' Akimoto has lost the last of her Grandchildren. All five of them….all…..five…."

He gazed at Nobukai. "You wish for war am I right? You wish a return blood letting? Perhaps running a sword through a crying child in the sand village will appease your rage?"

Kushino stood up and walked up to Nobukai with heavy breaths and a shaking head. "You do it alone. I will not commit our people to a senseless bloodletting no matter what your reasons are."

"Go ahead Nobukai? Go….you won't get a foot past the main gate before I have you killed. You have my word."

"Quash these thoughts the rest of you. I refuse to send more of our children out to die in a haphazard war when there is but a single object of our attention. The Sand villagers didn't invent this madness. Rest assured we've crippled the Sound Village, oh the numbers we've killed and taken prisoner have the Sound pissing their pants. Oh no….the object of our rage is clear…those two wretched pieces of shit…Orochimaru-Sannin and his bedside slug Yakushi Kabuto conspired this madness…"

Kushino snarled. "I want that snake pervert dead. I want Yakushi Kabuto's head mounted on a pike at the gateway. And those who dare stand between us and that objective?...they can beg for mercy from hell…if they have the tongue and eyes and arms and limbs "TO BEG FOR IT!"

The assembly went silent as Kushino stared a hole in Nobuki's face. "Are we in agreement?"

"Yes….."

"Yes what? And you better answer correctly."

"Yes…..Lord Hokage."

Kushino snapped his fingers. "Anko?"

Anko walked up and bowed. "Send a message to the Sand Village. All the Shinobi in our hands will go home at once. We will not attack if you agree to the same."

Kushino paused. "Send a message to the prison. Chose one Sound Jonin at random. Cut his damned head off and send it to the Sound with a warning. You attack us and the rest of the Shinobi in our hands will suffer his fate….only slower and without mercy regardless of age."

Anko bowed.

"The rest of you except for Gui-Sensei, Kakashi-Sensei, Azuna-Sensei, Anko, Ebisu-sensei and Kurenai-Sensei may leave."

Kushino sat rubbing his nose and trying to quell a bad headache.

"Do you need anything Hokage?" Kakashi asked.

"A drink of water."

"You handled that well." Azuna remarked.

"I did not." Kushino replied. "I should have never let the bitching go on like that." He took a sip of the water and leaned forwards. "The Sand is no longer a threat to us and I seriously doubt the Sound will be easily persuaded by Orochimaru to act stupidly for the time being."

Gui raised a hand. "The 3rd Hokage was successful in crippling Orochimaru seriously. He has lost the use of his arms for making signs and seals. How long that remains is unclear."

Kushino scratched his head. "He still has Kabuto which makes him dangerous. I'm not going to wait around though…we start going on the offensive tomorrow."

Kushino looked at Kurenai. "How many top students do you have at the academy with ranking over 90 percent?"

"5 Juniors and 7 Senior classmen."

"Graduate them to Genin at once How many Chunin do we have?"

Anko thought…"3 top Chunin…Omaru Noda, Chiba Nondoreiko and Ebi Nagaoka."

"They're now Jonin. Attach 4 of the new Genin to each new Jonin, have them report to me tomorrow morning."

"Raidou? Everything's ok, you can stop hiding."

The Anbu Leader dropped from lying over the vent ducting in the ceiling and landed by Kushino's chair. "Lord Hokage."

"I want an able operator from your unit. Someone good in tight spaces, quick reactions and a focused mind. Think on that."

Raidou bowed and vanished back into the shadows. "Also? I want 3 Anbu to run a circular wheel 5 miles out from the village. Have them see me first light tomorrow."

"Yes Lord Hokage!" Raidou replied. He signaled Azuma. "You and Anko will assume control of four field squads. They will circle the village ten miles out. Everyone will meet here first light tomorrow morning. I will have assignments drafted by then."

"Gui? Kurenai? I want the Genin under your commands to go out from the village 15 miles. From here to there I want a fast sweep of the ground. We're looking for caves, excavations, any hole in the mud where there may be weapons caches or suspect places where Orochimaru may have taken residence."

Kakashi sat brooding. "I don't think Orochimaru would be crazy enough to stay near the village after getting so roundly kicked in the face."

Kushino closed his fist. "Assurance is the daughter of caution. Maybe not him but perhaps one of his troublemakers he leaves behind to cause some commotion and keep us unbalanced. I will get with the elders to plan a Hokage ascension ceremony the day after tomorrow for Orochimaru's delectation, just to give the bastard a moment of pause."

"You'll make yourself a tempting target." Kakashi said pointing.

"That's the idea." Kushino replied. "Let's see if we can pull a sucker punch and draw him out to play. All it takes is one opening."

Kushino looked at the time and yawned. "If you'll excuse me friends? The day has been tiring, round two coming up."