Chapter 9
Division within the ranks
Yugito stood awkwardly in the hospital room, eyes glancing at the spotless white walls, through the open window and back to the still form lying in the bed. Samui looked pale, eyes closed; pale blonde hair seemed drained of colour. The white sheets of the hospital bed reached up to her neck, covering her body.
She stood stock still, unable to even discern what she was supposed to do. Her baby sister, who she promised to protect when she was little, was lying in a hospital bed, poisons slowly being neutralised by the anti-toxins of the antidote. The medics said that she would recover, but that still didn't cure the waves of guilt.
Finally she moved, fell to her knees and took her sisters limp hand in hers. She leaned forward, burying her face in her sister's hand. She shouldn't have gone running into the fight. She should have stayed behind, guarded her charge, and if she had then this whole scenario wouldn't have happened.
She forced all of her guilt and feelings of failure to the back of her mind, "I'm going to get him back. I promise."
Taking a deep, cleansing breath she rose to her feet, shook her head, and brought her hands together in a basic set of seals. Yugito's entire form was suddenly covered in static, lances of electricity covering her frame before she vanished in a puff of smoke, courtesy of a Shunshin no Jutsu.
She reappeared in the courtyard, looking around her in awe. No less than fifty Shinobi had gathered in the courtyard, all either wearing the specialised garb of the ANBU or the vests of Jonin. Yugito was surprised that the Sandaime was able to gather so many Ninja so quickly.
"He was kidnapped barely a half hour ago," Sarutobi spoke with conviction, "So they couldn't have gone far. It is hereby an S-ranked retrieval mission. Bring the boy back alive, the rest you can do as you like. Is that clear!"
"Hai, Hokage-sama!" they all roared in unison.
The aging Kage nodded, before sweeping his hand before him. All fifty ANBU and Jonin exploded into motion, becoming nothing more than blurs as they disappeared over the rooftops of buildings to the expanse beyond.
Only a handful of figures remained. She saw Kakashi and the two Uchiha, Shisui and Itachi. Yugito kept a wary eye on them as she approached. The two Uchiha hadn't done anything to broker her mistrust, but after her run in with their clan head she was just cautious with them on principle.
"Ah, Yugito-san," the Hokage greeted with a nod, "How is your sister?"
"She is recovering Hokage-sama. Thank you for asking."
The old man nodded, before turning to talk to them as a group. "As you are all aware Naruto has been taken captive by A-ranked criminal Momoichi Zabuza and his group of Nukenin. I have called you all here because I am going to place you all in a team."
"I move faster alone." Yugito growled, already taking a couple of steps away from the group.
"You do not know the terrain as we do Nii-san." Shisui stated simply, ignoring her glare.
"Individually you are all deadly Shinobi," Sarutobi broke in before an argument could begin. "But together you are perhaps the deadliest group of Shinobi this side of the continent. Kakashi can summon a pack of dogs to pick up their trail. Itachi and Shisui each possess advanced Sharingan, and you know enough about Naruto to pick up any trail he leaves."
She couldn't refute his choice, as much as it pained her to admit it. It was Itachi who asked the question. "When do we leave?"
"Immediately," Kakashi replied.
Kakashi bit down on his thumb with enough force to draw blood, coating his other fingers in the life fluid before making the hand signs of the boar, dog, bird, monkey and ram. He slammed his hand into the ground, circles of runes engraving themselves on the rock. An explosion of smoke, followed by a chorus of barks and growls signalled the arrival of his summons. Eight Nindogs of different breeds stood before them, barking continuously.
"Hey Kakashi," Yugito looked up to the source of the deep, gravelly voice to see a pug, a small dog with a Konoha Hatai-ite on his forehead and a blue jacket on his back. "What do you need us for?"
The Copynin stood, taking the small jacket from Yugito and presenting it before the small pack of Ninken. "They took Naruto. Follow this scent, and when you find them relay the information back to me. Got it?"
They all nodded, barking ceased. As one they bent in, sniffing the small orange jacket in his grip. "We got it Kakashi, they won't escape us!"
"Glad to hear it," the Copynin replied with a smile which curved his eyes. "Now scatter!"
They did scatter, vanishing in eight blurs of motion into the surrounding trees.
"Okay," Kakashi said as he stood and patted his slacks, "Now all we have to do is…um, what are you doing?"
Yugito looked at him pointedly, but finished her last hand sign and slammed her bloodied hand into the ground, circles of runes stretching across the dirt, "Lending a hand."
There was an explosion of white smoke, followed by a deep, throaty growl. It seemed like an eternity before the smoke cleared, showing her summons to her new team. Kakashi's eyes widened slightly at the site. There were three of them. Their bodies were long, sleek and agile, fur as black as night and eyes which shone a beautiful light blue in the low light. Panthers, she had summoned a trio of fully grown Panthers.
The three of them advanced, looking up at the four humans with an unnatural intelligence in their eyes. Then they looked at Yugito and the middle one spoke. "Hey, it's Nee-chan."
"Burakku, Kuroi and Kuro," Yugito smiled at seeing them, "Hey guys."
The Konoha-nin visibly relaxed when she crouched and scratched behind the ears of the central Panther, Kuroi. The creature purring in elation, then pounced on top of her, licking her face in greeting. Yugito fell on her back; stifling a giggle as all three Panthers crowded around her and greeted her in a similar fashion.
"Where have you been?" the one on the right, Kuro, asked.
"You don't phone, you don't write. I was starting to think you forgot about us." The one on the left, Burakku, added. They were all male by their voices. "Mom's been getting sulky because you don't visit no more."
"Sorry guys," she apologised, "But I've run into a problem. It's Naruto."
They stopped, seeing the seriousness of her features. This apparently made them worry. "What about the kid? Is he alright?"
She shook her head, and presented them with the jacket, Naruto's jacket. "He's been kidnapped. I need you guys to follow the trail and report back to me. Do not engage the Shinobi until we arrive."
"Are they that bad?"
"Yes,"
The three looked at each other, and then leaned forward to pick up the scent. It wasn't like they needed it. They always kept Naruto company when Yugito or Samui couldn't be there. The three of them had all but adopted him into their little sup-pack as a foster brother.
"Don't worry Nee-chan," Kuroi growled, "We'll get him back."
She smiled, "I know you will. There's a group of Nindogs helping in the pursuit, so no eating okay?"
"Pfft," Burakku snorted, "Ninken don't taste all that good anyway."
"Alright then," Yugito rose to her feet, "Step to it." They were gone in a trio of black blurs, taking to the rooftops with enough speed to rival Kakashi's Ninken.
"What do you mean by 'no eating'?"
Before the blonde could respond there was barking in the air, drowned out by a throaty felines roar a few seconds later. Both the Ninken and the Panthers had picked up the trail. Yugito and Kakashi looked at each other for a moment, before the Copynin's one visible eye curled up, "I win."
Yugito frowned at him, before breaking out in a bemused smirk, "Only by a second."
"Three and a half actually," Kakashi clarified as he took to the trees, leaving the blonde and the two Uchiha behind.
Yugito growled low in her throat, before taking off after the Ninja. Both Itachi and Shisui looked at each other for a moment, before taking off after them in a chakra propelled leap. The huge expanse of trees and ground blurred beneath their feet as the four Jonin level Shinobi dashed above the ground of the grand forest of fire country.
"Keep moving you slugs. The Konoha-nin will be right on our tail!"
They had knocked out the kid when they took him, and the child was now hung over the former swordsman's left shoulder as he flew across the high branches. His grand sword, the Executioners Blade, was sheathed with chakra to his back, unmoving even with the high speed movements.
Haku easily kept pace with his mentor, flying with enough speed to seem like a blur to any person lacking the blessing of chakra. The two Demon Brothers were right behind them, keeping an eye out for any Konoha-nin who had been sent after them. Haku knew that Konoha would send out units of Shinobi to pursue, but unless they were capable of picking up their trail they would not be able to find them.
That could be a problem. The Inuzuka clan were notorious in the Shinobi world as trackers and scouts, and if Sarutobi was able to gain Hatake Kakashi and his famous Ninken then it was an undeniable certainty that they would be chased all the way to the border, and beyond to the Land of Lightning if they were determined enough. Then there were the rumours of the Azure Cat herself, that she could summon some sort of big cat, and big cats usually had keen senses of smell and hearing.
What was worse was the proposed meeting place. Based in the Land of Fangs, the small abandoned village chosen for the rendezvous point was the perfect place for an ambush. Dozens of Shinobi could hide in the ruined buildings surrounding the central village square.
Then there was the employer himself. He did not like Norimasa, nor did he trust him. The man was old, easily in his late sixties to early seventies, and a Shinobi didn't make it to that age unless certain conditions were met. Many of which were only met with the deaths of all of his rivals and enemies.
He knew that Norimasa Sakamoto would not live up to his side of the bargain. Zabuza-sama, Haku and the brothers were witnesses to Sakamoto's plans. Haku fully expected the old Kumo Commander to back out of the deal, and kill them for their trouble. It was obvious the old man was doing this not for the current Raikage, but to prepare for a coup d'état with a battle ready Naruto as his centrepiece. Such a thing could possibly take years, but the old man definitely had the patience.
He increased his speed until he came side by side with his mentor and master. Zabuza flew at full speed, seemingly completely unaware of his younger associate's presence. That was the farthest thing from the truth, Zabuza knew he was there. He just needed to sort through his own thoughts before he recognised his student.
"What is it Haku?"
The ice wielder pursed his lips for a moment, "Norimasa will not follow through with his promise. You know that."
It took a while for the former swordsman to respond, "I do."
"Then why are you going through with this?" Haku was near desperate to know. If they cancelled the contract then they would be hunted by Kumo as well as Kiri. That he could live with, but if they failed they would be hunted by Konoha as well. Even if they succeeded they would be swapping being hunted by Kumo to being hunted by the most powerful of the five Ninja Villages. "Norimasa will have half his clan in that village, and Konoha will be right behind us with several units of ANBU black ops-"
He stopped there, and really thought on his words for a handful of heartbeats. Then it dawned on him. "Oh."
"Right on the money," Zabuza nodded his head. "I'm no fool, I know for a fact that Norimasa and the current Raikage hate each other, and that this op was done without his knowledge or consent. If word reaches him of a battle taking place at the border between Konoha Shinobi and the Norimasa clan he will either declare a new border war or capitulate and give them the old bastards head."
Haku digested this information for a moment, "And the boy?"
"We give him back to the Konohanin once this is done, and hope they're in a giving mood."
"This is a very risky plan Zabuza-sama."
"You don't get what you want without a little risk involved my boy."
"Six full ANBU squads have been dispatched to give chase, and every settlement to the border has been placed on level two alerts."
Hiruzen nodded his head, before giving his secretary a smile. "Thank you Nemu, give me full updates of anything new."
"Of course Hokage-sama," Nemu replied with a nod, but she lingered for a moment, eyeing the Sandaime worriedly. "He is going to be alright, isn't he?"
The old man took a puff of his lit pipe, "I cannot say my dear, I hope so but that's all I can do."
The young Yamanaka Chūnin nodded her head, before walking out the door to her desk. Sarutobi knew that being around Naruto these past few weeks had really changed her opinion of him, from the host to the Nine Tails to a normal child.
Hiruzen sat back in his chair, and closed his eyes. If the Nukenin were able to make it too the border then all hell would break lose. He wasn't sure how Kumo would react to an intrusion in the border lands. As long as they didn't enter their territory outright then they could do nothing more than send him a formal complaint with the usual threats.
Then there was sending Yugito herself into the fray. It had been a spur of the moment decision, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to stop her from going. She wasn't one of his Shinobi, at least not yet, and he couldn't order her. But something began to worry him. What if she was a spy from Kumo all along? What if this whole thing was a ploy to gain intelligence on Konoha's strengths and weaknesses?
The aging Hokage breathed out a mouthful of tobacco smoke, and sent a silent prayer that everything would work out.
The village wasn't anything spectacular, just a small border settlement with a population of around two hundred men and women. It was a small collection of huts and wooden buildings, the highest being simply two stories. A simple wooden wall was erected around the settlement with ditches dug around it for defensive purposes. It wouldn't be enough to stop a unit of seasoned Shinobi, but most border villages had this setup for nothing more than peace of mind.
What worried Zabuza was that there was no one within the village, not a single person. The small settlement was nothing more than a ghost town, yet there were no obvious signs of battle. No bodies on the ground, no blood, any discarded weapons and very little if any damage to the structures. It was almost as if the whole population had just upped and disappeared.
They entered through the main gate, which was ominously left open. There were no guards at the checkpoint, and no signs of life. The quiet was making the veteran Shinobi uneasy. "Gozu, Meizu, rooftops."
The Demon Brothers nodded their head before vanishing in blurs of motion, reappearing on the wooden rooftops and continuing on at the same sedate pace as the two below them. Naruto was still unconscious, bound and held under the Kirigakure no Kaijin's left arm. Haku flanked his right, senbon ready to be released.
Finally they reached the centre of the village, a simple square where one would usually expect a market of shops and stands to be. The place was barren, save for the six men standing in the centre. They were all obviously Ninja of Kumogakure by their Hidden Cloud headbands and white armoured Shinobi vests, at least Chūnin with a couple of Jōnin overseers. Standing in the middle of this small honour guard was the old man himself, also dressed in full Shinobi attire, headband worn over his forehead.
"Do you have the boy?" Sakamoto called from across the square.
"Do you have the cash?"
The old man nodded to one of his subordinates, this one carrying a black case. He brought it up, undid the restraints and opened it up to show that it was full of ryō notes. The Kirinin wasn't sure, but he guessed that the full sum was within that one black case. Norimasa nodded again, and the Jōnin closed the briefcase.
"Now give me the boy!"
Zabuza and Haku began to walk into the square, fully aware that the brothers were watching them, and just as aware of the additional ten Kumonin hiding on the rooftops at the other end of the square. They stopped within five steps of the six Kumonin, where Zabuza nodded to the case. "Simple exchange, I takes the case, you get the boy."
Norimasa nodded his head, before taking a step to the side to allow the Shinobi forward with the case. He handed it to Zabuza, who quickly took it and undid the clasps, opening the briefcase to inspect the money before nodding to Haku, who placed Naruto on the ground between the two Shinobi contingents.
The same Shinobi bent over to pick the comatose boy up off the ground. "Alright, if that is all then we'll be on our way."
Both Zabuza and Haku turned in unison, only to see a kunai whip past their heads, imbedding itself into the ground at his feet. Norimasa spoke without remorse or emotion. "I'm afraid I cannot allow that. Now that we have the child we need to tie up any loose ends, and you're considered one such loose end."
"Oh, is that a fact." Zabuza asked, turning to find all six men drawing kunai and shuriken from their thigh holsters. "You might want to take a step back, Norimasa."
"And why is that?"
"Because several units of Konoha ANBU were right on our tail last time I checked." The Kiri Swordsmen replied as he reached for the huge meat cleaver sheathed to his back. "And they should be here right about… now."
A storm of kunai and shuriken fell from the sky, and the Shinobi in the square were quick to react. Norimasa and his kinsmen ducked and jumped back to one side of the square, Zabuza and Haku went in the opposite direction, but not before the swordsmen slammed the flat of his sword into the Kumonin's face, sending him falling back. The Kirigakure no Kaijin grabbed the boy and jumped away with a chakra propelled leap, skidding to a halt at the other end of the clearing. Smoke bombs were going off in the square now, disorienting the Kumonin more.
A cold blade was held against his throat, just enough to prick his toughened skin, and he turned to come face to face with the Copynin himself. Kakashi's one visible eye was glaring daggers at the Kirigakure no Kaijin. "Hello Zabuza."
"Kakashi, what a surprise," the swordsmen said with calm serenity he shouldn't have had. Another blade found itself on the other side of his throat, and the Kirinin saw the elder blonde demon host glaring at him. The Kirinin heard a growl, and looked down to see a trio of black furred Panthers encircling him, pale blue orbs eyeing him cautiously.
"I'll be taking him back," she growled, carefully taking the eight year old in her free arm.
"Be my guest, I was about to return him to you anyway."
"Yugito, get him out of here. A squad of ANBU will escort the two of you back to the village." Kakashi ordered. "We'll take care of things here."
Nii hesitated for a moment, kunai shaking slightly in her grip, but after a moment the jinchūriki nodded her head before taking off with a chakra propelled leap, her three Panthers flanking her as she took to the rooftops with Naruto in her arms. She didn't even spare Norimasa or any of his henchmen a glance as she left. Kakashi saw a Kumonin make a chase after them, but was quickly stopped as an ANBU fired a handful of flaming shuriken in his direction.
"Well this is a surprise." Kakashi turned his head to see Norimasa a few meters away from them, glaring at both the Kaijin and the Copynin. "I expected Konoha to respond, but I didn't expect them to send the infamous Hatake Kakashi."
"Norimasa Sakamoto," Kakashi greeted coolly. "Did you really believe that we'd just let you kidnap him a second time?"
"Hmm, I suppose not." Sakamoto clicked his tongue in response. "I must admit Zabuza I underestimated you, thought you were a simple grunt who liked getting over his head."
"What can I say?" the Demon of the Hidden Mist replied with a shrug. "I'm good at reading people."
An explosion symbolised that the fight was beginning to get out of hand. It was a three way brawl between the Konohanin and Kumonin with the Nukenin stuck in the middle. Norimasa's men had taken to the rooftops in an attempt to drive off the enemy Shinobi. It was a lost cause though, the Konohanin had them outnumbered at least two to one.
"You may want to leave Sakamoto-san." Kakashi interjected, well aware that three more ANBU agents fell from their perches, flanking the Copynin with weapons drawn. "We don't want another incident, now do we?"
The Chief of the Science and Research Bureau grit his teeth. "What makes you think I'll withdraw young pup?"
"Simple, what you are doing isn't cleared by either the Council of Lightning or the Raikage, and I think he would be less than pleased when he finds out that you've started a war with us without his consent." Kakashi explained. "Neither Kumo nor Konoha are ready for another round of border disputes, would you agree with me?"
"I suppose not. Very well, I'll withdraw. Now call off your dogs."
Kakashi nodded and raised his hand, immediately the ANBU under his command ceased firing, followed closely by Norimasa's kinsmen. "One question, what happened to the villagers?"
"Oh not to worry about them, they're safe and sound, locked up in the village hall over there." the Kumo commander replied as he turned to leave, but stopped to caste a glare upon Zabuza. "I am a man with a long memory Momoichi Zabuza, just remember that I will catch up with you one day, and that day will be the day you die."
He and his men vanished in a mass of blurs, leaving behind over twenty Konoha ANBU, and four captured Nukenin. Itachi was beside Kakashi in an instant, looking at him with onyx eyes. "He will try this again you know."
Zabuza gave a chuckle, gaining their attention. "I wouldn't be so sure about that… if I may?"
Kakashi eyed him wearily for a moment, before nodding his head. Zabuza reached down with his hand and pulled up his sleeveless shirt, revealing a circular creation of black runes and seals. The Copynin studied them idly, before his eyes widened. "That's a listening seal. Someone else heard the entire conversation."
"Much more than that," the Kaijin replied.
"Who were you working for?"
The Nukenin chuckled. "You have to ask?"
Uchiha Itachi sat on his perch, observing the village below. Like the Kumonin said the villagers were all imprisoned in the village hall, several ANBU were herding the traumatised men, women and children into the sunlight. They were scared, and a few of them were sporting cuts and bruises, but other than that they all seemed fine.
News also reached them that both jinchūriki had been successfully escorted back to the village, and were being kept under watch by a full unit of ANBU while a couple of the Hokage's personal physicians looked them over. The mission seemed to be an unbridled success. The boy had been retrieved with minimal casualties, no one had died or been killed, though a few had received mild injuries.
The mission had been a success, but why did he feel like he had failed. The mission had kept his mind away from more worrying things. He still had another, more sinister mission to accomplish. He had to wipe out the clan before the clan irreversibly destroyed Konoha. He was a Shinobi of the village. His loyalty lay undeniably with them. The people he would be killing were another matter. He would be killing his mother, his father, his baby brother, his best friend, his lover.
He was so into his thoughts that he didn't notice Shisui until the elder Uchiha tapped him on the shoulder. Itachi's instincts took over and he instinctively threw a punch in that direction, only for Shisui to block it with an open hand. "Wow Itachi, you seem to be pretty deep in thought there."
"Sorry, Shisui," the younger apologised.
"What are you so forlorn about?" the Body Flicker asked with a smile. "We got the mission done, and the kids back in safe hands."
"Yes, it is a day for celebration." Itachi replied, once again looking out into space.
Shisui looked at him for what seemed like an eternity, before looking out over the small village. The two friends were silent for what seemed like an eternity before Shisui decided to speak. "Is something else on your mind Shisui, something about the clan and the village maybe?"
Itachi looked over at his friend, able to keep his face perfectly neutral. "I don't know what you mean?"
"Do not take me for a fool, Itachi." Shisui said nonchalantly. "I know a lot more about what's going on than many people think."
This time the younger Uchiha couldn't help the slight widening of his eyes, but Shisui didn't seem to notice, still looking over the small village. "What if I told you that the clan wasn't as united in this endeavour than the village thinks, and many of the younger Shinobi are utterly against the councils… way of thinking."
Itachi remained quiet for a moment, studying his best friend for any sign of a trap. "Suppose I believe you, suppose I'm not alone in my opinions of this… predicament. How will we advance from here?"
"I need you to contact the Hokage, tell him that the Uchiha will take care of this by ourselves. By daybreak tomorrow morning the council should be deposed, once that happens our new clan head will appear in the Hokage's office and tell him that the danger has passed." Shisui didn't look at Itachi as he spoke. "We need you Itachi, the loyalists outnumber us by at least three to one, and if things get ugly we may need all of the big guns we can get, and that includes ANBU."
"Now many of you are there, and who?"
"There's at least fifty of us, as for who well I can't tell you, not until the operation begins. Do you understand?"
"You're planning this soon."
"Tonight, my friend," Shisui answered, locking eyes with the strongest of the Uchiha. "If we do this right then by tomorrow morning the war will be over before it even begins. Many lives will be lost from both us and the village if we don't act soon."
Itachi was deep in thought, "I will need to bring the Hokage up to speed if I'm to be able to assemble the ANBU needed to back you."
"Then do it. Fill the Hokage in on the details, but let him know that time is of the essence. Your father and the elders will be moving soon, by the end of the week at most." There was no lie in the elder Uchiha's eyes, if anything there was sadness in his gaze. "We need to move now, now or never."
The Kirinin had dosed him with a strong tranquiliser, which was lucky, considering that he would eventually wake. Yugito leaned against the wall at the other side of the small hospital room, her dark orbs watching the child she now considered a son. In one day she had almost lost him, both him and Samui. They were all she had left in the world, and she didn't know what she would be able to do if they weren't there.
For the hundredth time the Azure Cat made herself go over everything she had done in the last month, wondering if she had made the right decision. Naruto had nearly ended up in Norimasa's hands, even though she had done all this to avoid just that. Samui had left the village and followed her, getting herself hurt in the process. Konoha seemed to be a more dangerous place than Kumo could ever be.
Did she regret her decision? The only good news of this whole fiasco was that the worst case had not happened. Samui didn't die from the poison. Naruto hadn't been handed over to the man who would turn him into a mindless, emotionless killing machine. There was still the Uchiha thought, but even then there seemed to be a few who didn't want to kill them on sight, in fact two of them had helped retrieve him.
"He's going to be alright you know."
She turned to see Samui by the open door. She still looked pale and tired, but she was awake and walking about, with a couple of ANBU guards watching her mind you. "You shouldn't be out of bed, you're not invincible you know."
"I know," the younger Nii replied as she walked across the room and took a seat beside Naruto's bed, watching him for a few moments before speaking. "Why didn't you take me with you, Onee-chan?"
She looked across the room at her little sister. There was no anger in her words, no bitterness, just sadness. Like she had just found out that the one she cherished the most didn't trust her. "I did what I did because I didn't want to get you involved. I wanted you to be happy, and I didn't want you to become a traitor to the village like I was going to be."
"Naruto is my little brother too." Samui replied, looking over at her with a weak smile. "You two are my family, and I wish that you would have taken me with you. But now we are two Shinobi of different villages, and I hope that we never meet on the battlefield."
"You're going back?"
She nodded, "You were told the mission. My part in it is done and I've been asked to return to Kumogakure to give my report."
Yugito nodded her head. She had been given a full brief in what had occurred, and she didn't know whether she was surprised or angry, Zabuza and his team being double agents hired by the Raikage to help incriminate Norimasa and his contemporaries, and sending Samui to unwittingly help them on their mission. She was angry at the Raikage for using Naruto like he did, but she was also relieved that it ended the way it did. With the evidence the Raikage could remove Sakamoto from the council and even imprison him for conspiracy to start a war neither side were ready for.
They would never need to worry about Norimasa ever again.
She was brought from her reverie as she heard Naruto stir, and looked over with relief when he opened his azure eyes. The young child blinked a few times, before looking around the room owlishly, settling on Samui, then on Yugito. "Samui Nee, Mom… what happened?"
Samui smiled thankfully, and watched as Yugito stood stock still, looking at her little boy with a trembling lip. He was there, and he was alright. She walked over to him with a purpose and enveloped him in a strong embrace, planting a kiss atop his blond spikes. "It's all going to be okay Naruto. It's going to be alright."
Naruto's little hands reached up to return her embrace, gripping onto her arms and burying his face into her chest. He was completely unaware that his mom was crying. Tears slipping from her orbs as she gently stroked his hair.
Somehow everything that happened to them didn't seem all that important anymore.
Sarutobi looked at the two Uchiha, his eyes completely serious as they finished their report. To say he was surprised that the clan was so divided was an understatement, maybe a few being against the councils schemes was possible, but a quarter of their Shinobi forces being not only against their movements but willing to plan a coup d'état to stop them was beyond his wildest imagination.
"I see," Sarutobi said as he took a puff of his pipe. He found he was smoking a lot more than he would have liked these days. "How reliable is this information."
Shusui stiffened slightly, but nodded his head. "It is completely reliable Hokage-sama. There are roughly fifty of us, and while we are loyal to the clan we believe going to war against our own village is perhaps the biggest military blunder in the history of Hi no Kuni. Besides myself there are a few of the older Shinobi who agree with this course of action."
Hiruzen nodded, before turning to Itachi. "Do you think the loyalists will be ready to move?"
"I do, Hokage-sama. Shisui is my best friend, he taught me a great deal of what I know." He looked to his friend with a nod. "I trust him with my life."
"And there is no other option?"
"You have exhausted all other forms of diplomacy Hokage-sama." Itachi reminded. "And my father is hell bent on this. He will have his war, even if he destroys both the clan and the village in the process."
"There are a few conditions we would like to make, Hokage-sama." Shisui spoke up suddenly, surprising Itachi. The Sandaime looked at the elder Uchiha with a weary gaze, but gave his permission to speak.
"We will deal with the council personally, and any Shinobi who do not see reason will likewise be dealt with." Shisui explained. "Our terms are that the civilian population is not to be harmed in any way, shape or form. They have nothing to do with this unpleasant business. The second condition is that we want our old estate back and our basic clan rights restored. I don't know how you think we were involved with the Kyubi incident, but we were not."
"And do you want these conditions met immediately?" Hiruzen asked with a frown, only to be surprised when the young man shook his head.
"Not right away no," Shisui explained. "I understand that you will not trust us once this night is out. So we will prove to you that we are worthy of our old estate and rights. We are willing to wait until your faith in our clan is restored before moving forward."
Hiruzen smiled, pleasantly surprised. "Very well, I will trust in Itachi's judgement in this matter. One hundred ANBU will be filtered into position to assist in your assault. We will be ready by dusk today."
Shisui nodded his head, and bowed lightly. "Thank you, Sandaime-sama."
"I also have a question to put to you, Shisui-san. Who is your leader?"
"I cannot divulge that information for their safety, not until the deed is done. You will meet with our leader by dawn tomorrow, when the word is given that the storm has passed."
Hiruzen nodded, "How will we know who is a loyalist?"
"My people will wear specialised blank white masks with the symbol of the leaf etched onto their foreheads." Shisui explained.
"Very well, I will have the ANBU keep an eye out." Hiruzen looked at both men. "Dismissed, go and do what you have to do, and be safe."
Both nodded, "Yes, Hokage-sama."
Don't you have people for this? Pt II
Katsu just woke up from a refreshing snooze when the hot little blonde Yamanaka entered with a trolley, full to the brim with paperwork. A few of his colleagues looked up from their card-game to send a few whistles and catcalls her way. Katsu straitened himself. It was rare for the Hokage's secretary to come down here. Still, the woman was hot, and since his desk was the closest, she headed to him. He made a grab for her firm backside, but she slapped his hand away.
She gave him a cold glare before pointing at the trolley, "Work."
Katsu snorted. She had apparently been demoted, which explained her lousy mood, and didn't know how things worked. "Send it up to the Hokage sweetie."
He saw her lips slowly curl upwards into a vicious smile. "Guess where it's coming from asshole."
The room suddenly grew so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop. Katsu blinked in shock. He must have misheard the woman. Yeah, that was it. There was no way she said what he think she said, right?
"What?" he croaked.
The woman's smile slowly grew. "The Hokage looked over his work, and found that most of the stuff wasn't nearly important enough for his attention, so he sent it back. Oh, and he told me to read a notice to you all."
Nemu was grinning like a feral predator as she pulled out a sheet of paper and cleared her throat.
"By order of the Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, all members of this office are to show your dossiers that hold your daily notes and personally give detailed information on the work you've done so far today. You are also to give detailed reports on the work you've done the last few years, which will be scrutinised and officially confirmed. Also, if it turns out that one or more parties have not done their work for any amount of time, they are to return their pay for the particular timeframe. Failure to do so will lead to confiscation of private property, such as house, land, personal belongings, furniture and so on. Should the confiscated items not be enough to cover the debt, the involved party will work the debt off by volunteering fifty percent of his monthly pay check until debt is fully repaid. After the sum is paid back, should it be necessary, the parties involved in such an action will be trialled for fraud, stealing from the village, treason, abuse of power, and other charges that may vary according to circumstance. Signed Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato."
"I wouldn't try anything funny, the Hokage was very, very angry. Not that I blame him if he really was doing all the work for years. Just in case it interests you, a full squad of ANBU has used the time I've spent talking to take a look at your workstations. Also, as long as this goes on, you may be observed to keep anyone from trying something stupid, like leaving the country or cutting their wrists. By the way, the Hokage expects that pile to be done by the end of today. If he did such piles daily, then ten people should easily be able to do so, don't you think? Have a nice day." She looked up at Katsu with a smile too serene for this situation.
With that, she left.
Katsu couldn't believe it. His entire existence had just crashed. He looked around. He saw the decorations they had done to the place. He saw the poker-game, saw the cigar-filled ashtrays, saw the nine pool tables, saw the bar, saw the freaking swimming pool. They had turned the office into a lounge, even used the money for several extensions, and if that bitch had told the truth and something in her smile told him she had, then it wouldn't do them any good even if they managed to make it look like a normal office.
God, their dossiers.
They had either not used them, or in worse cases used them as diaries for their more fun days. He remembered Shiro writing a detailed diary entry about a threesome he had with some girls he met in a bar, on that pool-table, in almost criminal detail. He himself had been using his dossier to compile a list of alcoholic beverages he was smuggling to Nami no Kuni. For the love of god they were planning a trip to the capital for a barhopping venture with the village's money, it was all in Noboru's fucking dossier.
Katsu understood one thing.
They.
Were.
Royally.
Screwed.
At that point Noboru, the office drunk, came stumbling back into the office/lounge, dead drunk, barely standing and back from the bathroom. For a second, Katsu thought he heard a snicker, and suspected they were already being watched. The man looked into the grimaces on their faces. "Whutimish?"
Nobody answered.
Meanwhile Nemu had just arrived back at the Hokage's office in time to hear the old man finally lose it. He was laughing like one of those villains from a Saturday morning cartoon show. She didn't care. This was one of the happiest working days in her life. Nemu heard a creek, and looked up to see Naruto edge his way out of the office.
She stood and walked around her desk until she was standing right in front of him. "Excuse me."
When he turned around she smiled, and coming down to her knees enveloped him in a hug. "You are the greatest little boy I have ever met; if you ever need anything just give me a shout, okay?"
"Um, okay, thanks Onee-chan." Naruto had absolutely no idea what was going on, but was happy with the surprise hug.
Glossary
Shinobi – Ninja
Genin – Low Ninja
Chūnin – Journeyman Ninja
Jōnin – High Ninja
Hokage – Fire Shadow
Raikage – Lightning Shadow
Kirinin – Mist Ninja
Konohanin – Leaf Ninja
Kumonin – Cloud Ninja
Ninken - Ninja Dogs
Nukenin – Missing Ninja
Kiri no Shinobigatana Nananin Shū – Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist
Kirigakure no Kijin – Demon of the Hidden Mist
Oni Kyōdai – Demon Brothers
Sharingan – Pinwheel Eyes
Jinchūriki – Power of the Human Sacrifice
Nibi no Nekomata – Two Tailed Monster Cat
Kyubi no Yoko – Nine Tailed Demon Fox
Author's Note 1 – Naruto, all of the characters and locations are all the property of Masashi Kishimoto, I make no profit from this venture.
Author's Note 2 – Okay so I was slacking off in one of my classes and decided to read Azure Cat, Crimson Fox. I realised I hadn't updated since the beginning of summer and decided to do something about it. I started this morning and my eyes are bloody killing me, so now I'm going to shut off and go to bed, lol. Hope you all enjoyed this, and sorry if some of it seemed a little bit rushed.
Author's Note 3 – We are nearing the end of Act 1 of this little story, and the results of how I think the Uchiha massacre/revolt should have happened are about to be known. I just feel that Kishimoto are vilifying the entire clan, and a lot of us, including me, are doing the exact same thing. So I decided to jump off the bandwagon, so to speak.
Author's Note 4 – The Omake is part II of Don't you have people for this? And like last time it was based off a scene from Perfection: Naruto the Chimera by Thanathos. It was one of the funniest scenes I had ever read in a Naruto story, and it couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of people.