Chapter 3
One Large Headache
"Kitten, wake up!"
She groaned as something was forcing her tired and mentally exhausted mind to reality. The first sign that she was coming too was a continuous, painful pounding in her skull, like someone was using her head as a drum. It was worse than any headache she had ever felt in her life and that included the day after her sixteenth birthday binge drinking session with Kirabi.
"Damn it, wake up! They're about too-"
Any words her prisoner was about to express was suddenly flushed out of her mind, like someone had closed and locked a soundproof door between her and the Nekomata. She felt her body weaken and, slowly forcing herself awake she felt something flutter against her stomach, below her navel, where the seal that kept the Nibi imprisoned was. Then a hand slammed into her abdomen, not hard, and a voice called out a series of words.
"Yokuatsu Fūin; Dai Reberu!"
Her seal began to burn, her skin began to burn. It was like being struck by that overpowered lightning clone again, only ten times worse. She screamed a stifled cry before passing out.
Before the darkness took her she heard a voice, angry "Damn it, I thought you guys put her under!!!"
Slowly Yugito opened her eyes; blinking a few times to remove the gum which threatened to glue shut. She was lying in a comfortable bed, her form covered by white linen. The room was barren, only white walls, the smell of disinfectant, a bedside table with a lamp, no window, probably underground. Looking down Yugito saw that she wasn't in her ANBU attire anymore; instead she was wearing a simple hospital gown, and to her growing horror she found that her hands and legs were secured by leather straps.
Immediately she was alert, trying to gather some chakra into her hands, but nothing came. She tried her legs, nothing. Yugito reached deep within herself, looking for the flaming azure chakra of her partner, only for her mind to hit an invisible barrier, which gave no quarter despite her best mental efforts.
The armoured door at the other end of the room opened with an ominous creak, and the former Kumo-nin found herself at the mercy of whoever walked through that door. Who would it be? This was Konoha, and she was an enemy Shinobi caught in their territory so it would likely be a member of the villages ANBU, the Torture and Interrogation squad. She frowned, trying to remember who the head of this village's interrogation department was. Her blood froze. Morino Ibiki, the man was something of a legend, rumoured to have broken a Raikage candidate in under an hour during their little series of border skirmishes four years ago.
Her thoughts suddenly shifted; the mental image of a smiling eight year old invading her head. She fought an urge to panic. Where was Naruto? Was he alright? If these bastards hurt him Yugito didn't care what kind of seal they placed on her, she would, as her adopted son would say, go wild.
The door opened, and too the recently made Nuke-nin's surprise it was not the towering form of Morino Ibiki, instead it was someone else. He was an old man, maybe in his mid sixties with tanned skin blotched with liver spots, a well kept white goatee and a lit pipe in his mouth. He wore the formal robes of a Kage with the hat nestled on his head. She knew who he was, the Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, the legendary professor.
Another stepped into the room, and by the unkempt mane of spiked white hair she knew it was the Toad Sage. Two of the most well decorated and powerful Shinobi that the village of Konohagakure no Sato had ever had, and here she was, tied down and defenceless.
Yugito cursed her stupidity, her arrogance. All she wanted was to get Naruto away from Kumo, from Konoha, from anywhere where Shinobi ruled. Her plans were too make a run for the Land of Iron, and disappear into the domains protected by the Samurai, where no Ninja would dare tread and where their identities would remain hidden. It was a fool's gambit, and she berated herself for it.
She looked up to see Jiraiya frown, then turn to Sarutobi "Did you order the restraints?"
Said man took a long puff of his pipe, his look completely serious "No, I did not" he said before turning to two young nurses standing by the door "Who ordered the restraints?"
"It was a message from the palace, Hokage-sama" the taller one piped up, a little worriedly.
Both student and teacher looked to each other in quiet alarm, albeit well hidden. Who in the Hokage tower would know of this woman's existence in the village? "Well, remove them"
The two nurses nodded before hurrying to Yugito's bed, each one removing her legs and arms from the bindings before hurrying back to their positions at the back of the room, and being quickly dismissed by the Hokage. When the door closed again both men were starring intently at her as she rose up to a sitting position, absently rubbing her wrists.
"I'm sure introductions are unnecessary" the Sandaime said, taking a puff of his pipe.
Yugito nodded, but did not give any other reply. Her mind was already going through methods of getting out of this room, finding Naruto and escaping this village before they went on full alert. She needed to find where her charge was, after that everything else would fall into place. Slowly she tried once again to draw chakra, only to come up blank.
"Oh, by the way, and I can't believe we didn't tell you this" the Toad Sage said with a slightly embarrassed grin, hand reaching to scratch the back of his head "For purposes of national security and all we kind of sealed your chakra away, sorry about that"
"You…sealed it?" she asked blankly, the information taking several moments to filter into her tired brain, her eyes widened "YOU SEALED IT!!?"
Jiraiya frowned "Well off course we sealed it. You're a foreign Ninja found and captured in our territory. It's standard procedure"
Yugito starred in complete surprise at the pair, before falling back into bed with a feral feline growl. It was all supposed to be rather simple. Break Naruto out of Sakamoto's ANBU torture department. Get out of Kumogakure. Get out of Kamimari no Kuni. Traverse to Hi no Kuni. Avoid all Shinobi contingents and patrols. Move through Hi no Kuni to Tetsu no Kuni.
In her mind, Yugito Nii had royally fucked up.
Instantly her thoughts went to her training under such circumstances, and that was to say nothing but her name, rank and Shinobi identification number. But she stopped herself. She wasn't a Ninja of Kumogakure no Sato anymore, now she was just a Nuke-nin.
"What were you doing in Hi no Kuni?" it was Jiraiya's voice "And why were you being attacked by your fellow Ninja?"
She sighed, an arm over her face, then the images of a certain eight year old boy once again cut into her memories "Naruto" she gasped, sitting stark upright in bed, only to whimper as her sore body protested the movement "Where is Naruto, is he alright!?"
The two elder Shinobi seemed slightly taken aback by her sudden outburst, though it only took the form of their eyes widening. What got them was not the question. It was the pleading tone in her voice, plus the look of worry in her eyes. Sarutobi took another puff of his pipe before he answered her "He is fine, getting some sleep in one of the empty ANBU rooms"
She seemed to deflate in relief.
The Sandaime saw her reaction, and besides the situation a small smile threatened to form across his aging features "So you gained a friend, Naruto?" "From what Naruto has told me he see's you as a mother figure"
A smile crept across her face, a genuine smile "I suppose so. I was only supposed to be his guardian. But the little pup got to me"
"He has a habit of doing that" Hiruzen replied with a chuckle "The kid has a gift" he grabbed a chair, and sat down. His movements mirrored by Jiraiya "I want you to relax. From what my former pupil has told me you were protecting Naruto from a group of Kumo-nin, so you will not be perceived as a threat or a prisoner. I am curious as to why you had Naruto and why you were fighting Kumo-nin in our territory. Can you elaborate for us?"
The Nibi Jinchuriki thought for a moment, before sighing in defeat. She wasn't a Ninja of Kumo anymore, no matter how she tried to delude herself, that and the way the old man talked to her made her feel like she was before her own grandfather, before he died.
"I was fleeing from Kumogakure to protect Naruto" she began, eyes closed and head bowed in submission "A powerful elder was able to overturn the Raikage and place Naruto in a questionable training program to try and control his beast. The council was unhappy about his lack of progress, and were willing to agree to any proposal" her eyes opened, revealing orbs of pure steel "I kidnapped him from the bastard, betrayed my village and my Kage to get him out. I am now a Nuke-nin because of my actions"
The Sandaime nodded "That coincides with our reports from Kumogakure. You were declared a Nuke-nin roughly four days ago, and had a fifty million Ryō bounty placed on your head"
"Four days" she asked, slightly surprised "How long was I out?"
"Five days" Jiraiya answered, ignoring her surprise "Your wounds were quite severe, if you weren't a Jinchuriki then you would have probably died"
She froze, blood running cold at the very mention of that word, or the fact that they knew of her condition. Her being one of the sacrificed was considered an S-class secret in Kumogakure. Only the Raikage, clan heads, Jonin commanders and elders knew of it. In fact the effort that went into keeping her and Kirabi's condition secret was almost fanatical.
When she looked back at the Sannin he just smirked in reply "I have a very good intelligence network"
"The best I hear" was her reply.
"You can relax" Hiruzen cut in lightly "We do not plan on handing either you or Naruto back to Kumo"
She blinked "Then what do you plan to do with us?"
The old man sighed "At the moment nothing. For know both you and Naruto are to be placed in protective custody, only ANBU loyal to me and a few Jonin level Shinobi will be given clearance to your rooms, and you will have a full guard around the clock"
"I want to see him" she said after a moment, and at their looks she reiterated "Just to make sure he's alright"
Once again the old man sighed. He seemed to do that a lot "I'll see to it. For now get some rest. You look a little worse for wear"
With that both Jiraiya and the Hiruzen left the room, leaving a bewildered former Kumo-nin in their wake. As the steel door closed and the pressure locks were activated Jiraiya spoke up "She may not be loyal to Kumo anymore, but I doubt we'll get anything from her"
Sarutobi nodded "Hmm, I agree" he was silent for a handful of seconds "Jiraiya, I'll leave both her and Naruto in your care. The first chance you get take him to her"
"You sure that's a good idea?"
The old man shrugged "She knows we won't let Naruto go again. I think with a little coaxing she will consider joining the village as a Shinobi"
"You plan on recruiting her?" the Sannin asked, before turning thoughtful "True she would be a valuable asset to the village and a possible ace to scare the Uchiha into submission, but she still has ties with her old home, most likely family"
"And her relationship with Naruto" the Sandaime added "After speaking to the two of them there is little doubt in my mind that their relationship is similar to that of a mother and child, or at least that of siblings. Trying to separate them would most likely be an ugly affair"
A Ninja fell from the rafters, landing in a crouch before them, kneeling and awaiting their word "What is it?" Jiraiya asked.
"My apologies for disturbing you Hokage-sama, Jiraiya-sama" the ANBU replied, reaching into his flak jacket and pulling out a small scroll "But I was ordered to present this to Hokage-sama, another meeting of the council has been called"
Sarutobi frowned as he took the scroll, dismissing the Ninja before opening it. His eyes shot from right to left as he read it, and his frown grew. Jiraiya, seeing his former teacher's annoyance nudged him "What?"
"Danzo has called for another meeting of the council" Sarutobi explained "I must go, I trust you to look after the two"
Jiraiya grinned "Off course"
"And no funny business"
The Sannin actually made a good show of looking offended "Do you honestly think I would take advantage of a helpless female?"
"Yes" the Hokage replied dryly, without hesitation.
"I am offended, nay, insulted that you think as such!"
Sarutobi just frowned, finding that he did that a lot today.
------
The Council of Fire was the designated name given to the ruling committee of Konohagakure no Sato, an assembly made up off the heads of the major Shinobi clans, as well as elder Ninja whose experience and knowledge were in themselves valuable assets. However the Council of Fire was an advisory body. It was the Hokage who made the final decisions. Something that Hiruzen had made a priority since his reinstatement, making sure that while the councils had their say it was he who was in charge.
In truth there were two councils in Konohagakure, the Council of Fire, who presided as the advisors to the Hokage in all Shinobi matters, and a Civilian Council who dealt with the day to day running of the village. The second council was made of merchants and business owners, and was mostly responsible for trade, finance and the running of non-military industries.
They were not the problem. All of their activities were monitored by the ANBU in case of any abuse of power. They were simply there to run the numbers and keep the village running smoothly. The problem was in his advisory council, and as he entered he saw that a heated argument was already underway.
All of the clan heads were present and accounted for. Tsume Inuzuka, head of the infamous Inuzuka clan was snarling like a feral wolf, looking ready to jump over the table and maul her opponent, Danzo. The Sandaime was not surprised. The Inuzuka were one of his strongest supporters. Their pack mentality, born from their close bonds with wolves and dogs, meant that they saw the Hokage as the Alpha male of the pack which was Konoha. In truth he was glad he had the Inuzuka on his side, their clan was considered one of the largest with over three hundred members, two hundred and five of which were Ninja.
If the Inuzuka represented his more zealous followers then the Hyuga were his quiet and calm advisors. The current clan head, Hiashi Hyuga, rose from his seat and asked Tsume to calm down, and Danzo to stop antagonising her. The woman listened, falling into her chair with a huff and a murderous glare.
It was Shikaku Nara, head of the shadow manipulating Nara clan who noticed him, and abruptly stood, bowing his head in respect "Hokage-sama"
All bickering was forgotten as the other clan heads and elders rose from their chairs, mirroring the Nara clan heads motions "Hokage-sama" they said in unison.
The Sandaime nodded as he walked towards his seat, noticing that the Uchiha chair was vacant. The meeting chamber of the clan was deep beneath the surface, within one of the mid levels of the underground ANBU headquarters. It was a darkened chamber of gray stone, a large round table and chairs of marble adorning its centre, the symbol of the Leaf village engraved onto the core of the table. At the backs of each chair were the carved symbols of Konoha's major clans. Both the Namikaze and Uchiha chairs were empty, the Namikaze because of their supposed extinction and the Uchiha because they were boycotting all council meetings.
"I trust there is a reason for bringing us all together, Danzo?" Sarutobi asked, fixing his ex-archrival with a patient stare.
"There is, Hokage-sama" the old man replied in his usual stoic manner "As you know peace talks with the Uchiha have so far ended in failure. It is only a matter of time before they make their move against the village"
Many of the council members frowned, this was common knowledge among the assembly, and they had gathered their clans in preparation for such a conflict if it ever occurred. Sarutobi nodded, taking a puff of his pipe. He knew it better than anyone "This is common knowledge, Danzo, and we are preparing ourselves in case the Uchiha turn hostile"
"Not if Sarutobi, the question is when" the bandaged councilman replied "From my Root's reports the Uchiha are making secret preparations with the Chunin under their command. We expect them to move within a week, two at the most"
"This would never have happened if you hadn't have crashed the negotiations Danzo" Tsume growled.
"Indeed" Inoichi Yamanaka added in agreement "Your actions and words were reckless"
The former ANBU commander looked at both in turn "The Village Hidden in the Leaves will never give all of our power to a single clan, lest of all a clan who considers themselves superior to everyone else. We are not Iwa. Those were not negotiations they were demands, and I simply made my feelings known"
Silence reined, for as much as they hated to admit it the old warhawk was correct. The negotiations would have never been fruitful. The Uchiha would accept nothing more than full surrender of all other Leaf Shinobi. The rumours of a Sharingan wielder being behind the Kyubi no Yoko's attack was an idea that refused to go away. The clan knew this, and found themselves driven into a corner, and a cornered animal would lash out if provoked.
"Is there more to this than stating the obvious, Danzo?" Hiruzen asked. He also knew of the Uchiha movements, and implemented the suitable countermeasures.
"I propose a pre-emptive strike against the Uchiha clan before they can attack us, and end this insurrection before it even begins" Danzo answered, rising from his chair so that all could see him "I already have agents within their ranks. All that is needed is the word and the hammer will fall"
Murmuring broke out among the council at this statement. A chance to end this war before it even began? The idea was one which many among the clans had wished for. A war with the Uchiha would cost them the lives of their kin. Many mothers, father, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents would die by the Sharingan users hands unless they moved to stop them.
"No" all looked at Sarutobi in surprise, the old man looking unflinchingly into the dark orbs of his rival "I refuse to just give up on the chance of a diplomatic solution not being found. The Sharingan is one of our main advantages against the other villages"
"Sarutobi" Danzo said, warning in his tone "One clan can not be held more important than the entire village. Yes if we lose the Uchiha then we lose one of our bloodlines, but they are not worth the entire village"
"All I am asking for is more time Danzo" Hiruzen replied "Three days, give me three days. If the Uchiha do not capitulate then I will give you permission to go along with this plan"
"Damn you, Sautobi. We may not have three days" the aging warhawk thought with a growl, about to say as much before stopping himself. Further attempts to convince his old rival would end with failure. If nothing else Hiruzen was stubborn in his goals once he set his mind to them. With a dramatic sigh he bowed his head in defeat "As you wish, Hokage-sama"
But already a contingency plan was forming in his mind. The agent in the Uchiha ranks was one of Sarutobi's own ANBU, the prodigy of the entire clan, Uchiha Itachi. If he could forge the needed documents and present them to the young ANBU captain then he was certain the kid would act. He had found that Itachi had more loyalty to the village than his family, mostly because of their actions during the last war with Kumo.
Then there was his knowledge of one Uzumaki Naruto, perhaps he could use that to his advantage. Tell Hiruzen that he knew the child was back in Konoha and threaten to bring it before the council, Uchiha included, if he did not yield and order the strike. Danzo knew for a fact how protective the aging Hokage was of the blonde. But the retired ANBU commander quickly dispelled such a notion. The Uchiha would use the knowledge to declare war, to destroy the council and to kill the boy.
When it came down to it there was a choice of either the power of the Kyubi no Yoko, or the Sharingan. Both had the possibility of becoming potent weapons. He would rather have both if he could. Whether the Sandaime liked it or not, if he failed the Uchiha clan would die.
Before he knew it the council had adjourned, all other topics dealt with quickly and precisely. The clan heads slowly began to file out of the chamber, and slowly Danzo rose to his feet, finding Hiruzen still seated in his chair. The old warhawk strolled over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder to gain his attention "A moment of your time, Hiruzen"
The Sandaime frowned, but nodded, waiting until the last of the council left before allowing him to speak "What is it, Danzo?"
"A simple matter of security is all" the retired commander responded "It has come to my attention that you have a Kumo-nin in the medical wing of ANBU headquarters, and a certain child"
It was hard to rattle Hiruzen Sarutobi, but the Root leader could say with a fair degree of smugness that he had done just that. Even if the only visible change was a slight widening of the Professors eyes "I see" was his reply "And what do you plan to do with this information?"
"For now, nothing" Danzo answered "For now we should focus on the threat the Uchiha pose. Imagine what would happen if they gained such information?" It was a bluff, but Hiruzen didn't know that.
"So my suspicions were correct" the Hokage muttered, causing the old warhawk to narrow his eyes "I had a feeling you had someone in my ANBU squads. Only a few knew of the arrival of those two. Jiraiya is immediately out, as are Suki and Mei considering they have not left the boys side since he arrived…Misaki and her medical team are fiercely loyal to me, so that leaves…Yuji"
It was hard to rattle Danzo, but by the sudden widening of his eyes, followed by a dangerous narrowing, the legendary professor had just achieved that "What have you done with my ANBU, Danzo?"
"I have done nothing" the old man replied, sighing in defeat "He is in his apartment, with suppression and capture seals in place to keep him out of trouble"
"I see" Hiruzen replied, before looking to the ceiling "Kakashi"
There was a blur of movement in front of them, and a single ANBU dropped into a kneeling position. Dressed in full ANBU attire with a dog mask covering his face, spiked silver hair, a katana sheathed to his back, full armour and kunai holsters "Hai, Hokage-sama"
"Go to Yuji's apartment and release him from the seals, then take him to the hospital for a full medical"
"Hai, Hokage-sama" the Copy-Nin replied before vanishing in a blur of wind and leaves.
When his chakra signature vanished Sarutobi turned to his old rival "Anything else Danzo?"
"No, Hokage-sama" the bandaged councilman replied through gritted teeth before spinning on his heel and stalking towards the entrance, leaving the Professor alone with his thoughts. If Danzo knew then he would have to step up his security, Suki and Mei were capable, but they were B-rank Ninja. It was time he sent in an elite.
Danzo walked with a purpose through the low lit tunnels of the ANBU headquarters, ignoring his own personal guard who were following him along the rafters above, as silent as the grave. Eventually the dreary tunnels began to brighten, the drab, meters thick concrete walls giving way to timber furnishings and rays of midmorning sun as he ascended to the Hokake Palace, his feet instinctively moving through the well lit corridors to his destination.
Two loyal Chunin guards stood at the door, nodding respectfully as he entered. The room was a small meeting hall, barely two meters by two meters with two large, plush sofas and a mahogany table, a closed window allowing just the right amount of light to enter. In this room, sitting on the sofas, drinking herbal tea and waiting patiently were the other two elders of the council.
They were Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, both former teammates and close friends of Hiruzen. Both, like Hiruzen, were trained by the Nidaime Hokage, and over the years before their retirement they were considered some of the strongest and smartest Ninja. The respect they held with the Shinobi of the village had gained them places of authority as elders.
"You saw" it wasn't a question, Danzo knew that he could never side them permanently against Sarutobi, their friendship went beyond such disputes "The Sandaime wants to bid his time a little while longer, but we all know that such a decision could be our downfall"
Koharu nodded "As much as I hate to admit it. You are right, Danzo"
Homura sighed, taking his glasses off to massage his temple "We will support your mission when the vote comes"
The scarred elder raised a brow "And what of Sarutobi?"
"The village comes first" the elderly woman said firmly "If Hiruzen fails then give the order to strike"
------
Sometimes the advantages of having a homicidal demon sealed within you outweighed the problems, even when said demon was locked away by a seal designed to make Kage level Ninja as weak as newborn kittens. Yugito looked at her arm, once broken, now healed and breathed a sigh of relief. The moment the bones had been reset her healing ability had set to work, and within an hour the fractures forearm had knitted itself back together. It still hurt when she moved it too fast, but it was a definite improvement. The burn marks were nearly gone, with nothing more than a few blemishes which would vanish in another half hour or so, and her cracked ribs had knitted themselves back together before she had woke up.
Her cat-like eyes darted to the side, scanning the large form of her bodyguard. Jiraiya was leaning against the wall, arms folded, head bowed and eyes closed. Trying to look cool or asleep on his feet, Yugito couldn't be sure.
"The Kanji on your headband"
Jiraiya looked up at the woman "Yeah?"
Trying to look cool wins "It stands for oil, doesn't it?"
"Yeah"
Her nose crinkled slightly, it was actually pretty cute "Why would you put oil on your headband?"
The old man chuckled "I'm a sage of the toad's, hot stuff. Haven't you ever heard of toad oil?"
She shook her head, seemingly ignoring the hot stuff part "Never fought against a Toad summoner before, so no"
It was obvious she was bored out of her mind, and just wanted to talk to someone to pass the time. It was the most he had gotten out of her since she woke up "I heard a rumour I want you to ratify for me"
She looked at him, and the Sannin could have sworn that her expression would perfectly suit a curious cat "If it's a matter of village security, then forget it. I'm not comfortable to divulge my homes secrets just yet"
"Fair enough" Jiraiya replied "But the rumour is more about you, Azure Cat. Is it true you can summon cats?"
She smiled at that "Now that would be divulging my clan's secrets, Jiraiya-sama"
He laughed "I guess it would"
"To answer your question" Yugito replied "No I can't summon cats, but I can summon one of their bigger cousins"
"Ho ho" the Sannin hummed, leaning in closer "Well, what is it?" this would be perfect for his research, he already had a character outline of her for his new book, maybe add a few cat ears, a tail and a little familiar.
"Can you keep a secret" she asked, and at his bobbing nod smiled teasingly "So can I"
"Cute" the Sannin replied dryly.
She gave off a Cheshire cats grin, before the latch to the armoured door turned, catching her attention. Jiraiya noticed how her ears seemed to perk up, and guessed she had augmented senses as well. The door opened, and a little blonde bundle blurred into the room, jumping into the air and landing in Yugito's arms. She smiled as she hugged him, glad he was alright more than anything.
Jiraiya blinked, one moment she was a teasing teenager, and now she had the soft look of a caring mother, and he had to admit it was damn sexy. Then he looked down at the blonde, and sighed, he had been driven right into her considerable cleavage by the embrace "I would kill for that"
"Are you alright" she asked, and once again the Sannin was amazed by the softness of her voice.
"Yeah, I'm fine" Naruto replied "Stop worrying about me and worry about your self for once. How are your injuries? Are they healing okay? Are they treating you well?"
She smiled a genuine smile "I'll be fine, a couple of days and I'll be right as rain" a teasing smile graced her lips "Are they keeping that bottomless pit full?"
"The hospital food here stinks" Naruto replied with a pout "I'd rather have some of your cooking"
"I'm not that good"
"Yes, you are" the younger blonde replied without hesitation "I said so, Samui-neechan said so, Kirabi-niisan said so…heck, even Raikage-sama says so!"
For a moment he saw sadness in her eyes, but it was just for a moment. It appeared Naruto noticed this too, for he burrowed his face into her chest "It's my fault your hurt"
"Never say that" she admonished lightly, ruffling his spiky hair "I did what I did because I wanted too. Nothing was more important to me than getting you out of that hell"
"But because of me you were forced to leave the village, leave Samui-neesan and the others"
She bopped him on the head, leading to a slight yelp "Don't you dare think this mess was your fault, for it wasn't. It's all on Sakamoto's head, do you understand me?"
The firmness in her voice was surprising, and at his nod she held him close again. Jiraiya shook his head in amusement, for all intents and purposes they really looked like a mother and son, and deep down he was thankful the little brat had found someone to become the mother figure he needed, even if she was barely an adult herself. With a sigh he realised they had forgotten his presence and cleared his throat, stirring the two from their reunion.
"I'm guessing you guys are hungry" he spoke up "And you might need to stretch your legs, so I've been authorised to escort you through ANBU headquarters"
Yugito looked down at the hospital gown she was wearing "And you expect me to wear this?"
The gown truly did not deserve the name clothing, considering its opening at the back, and the lack of undergarments underneath them. Jiraiya had actually hoped for at least a flash of some skin for his novel, but by her look he guessed it would never happen.
"Never fear" the Sannin roared boisterously, pulling out a small storage scroll and, biting off the seal spread it across the floor. Making a couple of hand signs before slamming his hand against the paper. A small explosion followed, and once it cleared she saw a black shirt with dark purple trim, a pair of dark blue jeans and a pair of sandals.
Yugito unconsciously whistled, she was no fashion snob but it was pretty good. Then she glared at Jiraiya, who had a look of perverted glee on his face "Do you mind?"
"Not at all" he replied "By all means you may begin anytime"
With a venomous stare she pointed to the door, her eyes refusing to leave his "Out"
"Someone needs to make sure you don't try to escape" he explained, although she could have sworn he was about to froth, damn she had no idea the legendary Jiraiya was such a pervert.
"And how am I going to do that" she asked blandly "That door is the only way in or out"
"Um" she had him there. With a sigh of defeat he turned and left, barely hearing her ask Naruto, considerably more nicely, if she could have some privacy. The blonde nodded before following the Sannin out. With a sigh Yugito got out of bed and quickly undid the cords at the back of her gown, allowing the clothing to pool at her feet.
She put on the jeans first, the trousers were skin tight but otherwise the right size. Next was the shirt, a little baggy but it would suffice. No panties or bra had been left out, so she guessed she was going to go without. Knocking on the door as she finished slipping on the sandals, she was greeted by a wide eyed Naruto and a strangely giddy Jiraiya.
"What?" she asked, hands subconsciously going through the motions of tying her hair into a ponytail. Jiraiya tried not to drool as she held a piece of white cloth in her mouth.
"Nothing at all" the Sannin replied, blushing and trying not to drool, before nudging the blonde "Right brat"
The boy just nodded, quickly yet mechanically, causing the Nibi Jinchuriki to openly glare at the Toad Sages back as he walked down the corridor. She didn't know of the observation room, and its one way viewing mechanism hidden behind the western wall, or the fact that she was officially one of the main characters in Jiraiya's next book.
All he needed to think of was a name…how about Yukiko?
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Norimasa Sakamoto was considered by many to be one of the smartest individuals in Kumogakure. He was a man who prided himself on his patience and willingness to adapt to any situation or scenario. It was the reason why he was still alive at the age of sixty eight while many of his comrades and rivals had perished on the field of battle.
But Norimasa Sakamoto was also a man who did not like to have his well laid plans derailed from under him, not when he was so close to reaching his target. He had put so much work into gaining a Jinchuriki, bribing, blackmailing and sweet talking clan leaders and elders to vote his way. He had even made sure that the brats conditioning through normal methods be sabotaged, and for what? The Neko-bitch had derailed everything. All his plans turned to ash because she had suddenly grown a conscience.
What was worse was that the Raikage waited until the pursuit team returned before marking her as a Nuke-nin, and the bumbling fools had failed miserably. Despite his subtle attempts to try and gain the councils vote in sending half the Hunter-nin corps into the Land of Fire to look for the renegade and her charge the Raikage had quickly shut it down. Sending half the corps into Hi no Kuni would provoke both Konoha and the armies of the Fire Daimyo into declaring open war, and Kumo was not ready to face the sleeping giant which was Hi no Kuni.
Sakamoto had capitulated after hearing this, calming down and reminding himself that although the loss of both Jinchuriki was a massive blow war with their Leaf rivals would make the blow fatal. He needed to find another way to drag the whore and the little bastard back to Kumo, but how?
Using Kumo Shinobi was immediately out of the question; even those from his own clan would not wish to incur the Raikage's wrath if they failed. Threatening Hi no Kuni would not work either, although the two villages weren't exactly the worst-of-enemies anymore there was still a lot of residual resentment from the skirmishes and the Hyuga incident four years ago.
Then it hit him. There was a way to do this without starting a war, and it was so simple it was almost funny. Hiring independents or Nuke-nin to retake the Kyubi and Nibi was his only option. Even though most clans had joined a Village or Country by now there were still several dozen traveller Ninja clans in existence. He needed to hire a descent group, not some bunch of castoffs who couldn't make the grade.
He quickly found the ideal group, a small unit of Kiri Shinobi who had recently deserted their village because of the recent civil war. He had heard of a couple of them, all either A or B-rank Shinobi renowned as trackers and hunters. Sakamoto had sent out one of his couriers with the contract, along with the promise that they keep the full bounty on the whores head, plus an extra million if they took the boy; both still breathing of course, though he would accept crippled or comatose.
There was only one problem. The leader of this small group wanted a meeting with the employer. Apparently the man was fairly paranoid, and wanted to meet the client face to face rather than rely on information from a middle man. His couriers head was returned in a basket, along with a note on where to meet, a small village on the border in three days time.
Excusing himself from the village was an easy dilemma, and the Raikage seemed pleased that he would be gone for a few days. He took with him a small honour guard of his fellow clansmen, all Jonin level Shinobi, and travelled to the rendezvous point. The rendezvous, Shimane Village was a small fishing settlement located ten kilometres from the border, and right on the beach of the eastern sea. It was quiet and tranquil, with a modest population of a hundred and fifty by the last consensus.
A small, homey bar was the exact spot, and without a word the retired Jonin walked in, flanked by two of his senior clansmen, both able bodied Ninja. All wore simple civilian attire, plain tunics, pants and sandals though each had a kunai holster under their trouser legs. They took a seat, ordered a couple of drinks, and waited. They did not have to wait long.
Four figures entered the bar, all hidden behind worn light gray cowls and cloaks. They saw them and the leader, easily the largest man of the small group, took a seat across from Sakamoto, his three other compatriots, one of which looked like a child, walked over to the bar and took stools, ordering a couple of drinks themselves.
The mans eyes were beady and a dark brown, the lower half of his face covered in bandages, his skin was tanned, which was odd considering that by the climate of Mizu no Kuni the people were usually pale, a large protrusion stuck out of the back of his cloak, most likely a large sword. Not surprising, considering large body sized swords were normal equipment, it was the signature of a Kiri Jonin.
"You know who I am" the man said in a low tone, his voice gritty.
Sakamoto nodded "I expected able bodied Ninja. I did not expect a member of the infamous Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shū. The civil war in Kirigakure no Sato must be brutal if even their most powerful warriors are deserting the Mizukage"
"Do you have a point, old man?" the towering Shinobi asked, his voice a growl.
"No, no point" the scientist replied "Simple curiosity is all" He reached into his tunic and pulled out two small photographs, tossing them over to the Kiri-nin and watched as he caught them deftly. The man studied the pictures, and snorted disbelievingly.
"A woman and a kid" he muttered.
"That woman is an S-class Ninja, and the child is of great interest to us" Norimasa explained, but did not go beyond that. The hired dog didn't need to know all the details, even though the dog was more like a wolf.
"Where are they?"
"Our trackers lost them after they entered Hi no Kuni" was the reply "Although the reports are sketchy, we believe them to be somewhere in Konohagakure no Sato"
"You want me and my boys to go into one of the five Great Shinobi Villages, kidnap an S-class Ninja and her charge, and bring them back to you?"
"Forgive me" Norimasa said in a conversational tone "I thought this type of mission was right up the alley for a former member of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shū. Perhaps I was – mistaken?"
His quip got the needed response, and the feral growl from the man was just barely audible "Fine we'll do this mission for you" he looked up, and Sakamoto knew that, even with the bandages, the man was smiling "Fifty one million Ryō isn't going to cut it though, not for such a mission. Double the reward, and you've got a deal"
The retired Kumo commander frowned "I think we're done here" and made to stand.
"It would be such a shame if Konoha were informed that Kumo was planning an infiltration mission right into their heart" the swordsmen replied nonchalantly, causing Sakamoto to stop, stooped over the table "Might make them up their security some"
"You wouldn't dare" the aging elder snarled.
Mirth danced in the Kiri-nins eyes "Oh but I would. See I figure the reason you're hiring me and my boys and not just sending in your own Hunter-nin teams is because you don't want to spark an international incident if you fail. That or the Raikage doesn't know of your little backroom deals" the former swordsmen leaned forward, his breath barely a whisper "Double the price, or we warn Konoha"
Sakamoto snarled, before bowing his head "Very well. Eighty million Ryō for the woman, three million for the boy"
The Kiri-nin nodded, before rising from his chair "Pleasure doing business"
He was stopped by a hand, shooting up with impressive speed to grab his arm. The man turned to come face to face with the Chief Scientist "But know this. If you double-cross me I will send my entire clan out to hunt you down, and not even you, Demon of the Bloody Mist would be able to survive"
Zabuza Momochi snatched his hand away and turned to leave, motioning to his three associates as he went. When they left the head of the Sakamoto clan openly spat at the door "If he survives this I will kill him for such disrespect"
Omake: Unintended
Most people would have this little voice in the back of their mind which would tell them right from wrong, and try and steer them in the direction of good. This was called a conscious, and sadly Jiraiya had lost his years ago, either that or it had gone senile.
When the Kumo-nin had forcefully pushed him out of her room so that she could change, most honorable human males would have just waited in silence. Sadly the Toad Sage knew that the room had a viewing cell beside it, and in the name of research he just had to use this golden opportunity.
He walked down the corridor, fishing into his jacket for his trusty notebook and a pencil as he opened the side door and entered the little observation chamber. It was small and dimly lit with a series of tables and viewing chairs. He looked out the viewing window, and froze.
If his jaw were elasticized it would have hit the floor.
Yugito had removed her hospital robe, and by god it was worth coming in for a look. Immediately his pencil hit paper and began moving rapidly, taking in everything he saw with a fluidity born from years of peeping. He had seen few female forms as curvaceous and well endowed as what he saw in those few minutes. Last time was with Tsunade, and he had been beaten to within an inch of his life.
Sadly all good things came to an end, and as she pulled on her shirt and reached down for her sandals he knew he had to leave, quickly. Turning around to make his exit and commit the most perfect peeping session he had ever achieved he found himself stopping dead in his tracks.
He saw a small mess of spiked blonde hair, and taking a dry gulp he looked down to see his other charge, starring at the viewing window in something akin to shock. After a second of trying to wake him up, shaking him and snapping his fingers in front of Naruto's face. The Toad Sage realized the younger blonde was in a catatonic state, and soon Jiraiya would be in a near-death state if the blonde Tsunade lookalike caught wind of this.
Whether it was coincidence or not, the Nibi Jinchuriki and the Slug Princess looked very much alike, probably could pass off as sisters, and the Sage wondered if this woman had even a fraction of his former teammates bone crunching strength.
If she did he was royally screwed.
Naturally he said the only thing he felt was appropriate for the situation "Oh, shit"
Shinobi – Ninja
Nuke-nin – Missing Nin
Kumo-nin – Cloud Ninja
Kirinin – Mist Ninja
Chunin – Middle Ninja
Tukubetsu Jonin – Special High Ninja
Jonin – High Ninja
Sannin – Three Ninja
Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shū – Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist
Hi no Kuni – Land of Fire
Mizu no Kuni – Land of Water
Kaminara no Kuni – Land of Lightning
Tetsu no Kuni – Land of Iron
Konohagakure no Sato – Village Hidden in the Leaves
Kumogakure no Sato – Village Hidden in the Clouds
Kirigakure no Sato – Village Hidden in the Mist
Hokage – Fire Shadow
Raikage – Lightning Shadow
Mizukage – Water Shadow
Sandaime – Third
Jinchuriki – Power of the Human Sacrifice
Nibi no Nekomata – Two Tailed Monster Cat
Kyubi no Yoko – Nine Tailed Demon Fox
Yokuatsu Fūin; Dai Reberu – Suppression Seal: Fifth Level
Naruto and everything to do with it are the property of the author, Masashi Kishimoto, I think that's the guy, but to tell you the truth I couldn't be bothered to look it up.
Any-who this is mostly a plot chapter, dealing with Yugito's questioning, her reunion with Naruto and the politics of Konohagakure, I think I got the general mood down, but if I'm lacking in any way don't hesitate to say.