Chapter 3:
Naruto nervously fidgeted as he waited, while Sasuke projected an air of nonchalance as he looked outside. They were, yet again, inside Hokkaido, the Edo-style barbecue inside the Uchiha Compound named after one of the neighboring cities with Edo. It began to rain again. Sasuke sighed deeply as he stared at the rain. They were in one of the restaurant's reserved V.I.P. rooms, complete with a tatami floor and roof, a beautiful wooden chabudai and ceramic bowls and chopsticks with a beautiful lacquer finish. Sasuke sat next to the open window dressed in his usual attire-loose green pants with a black shirt and a high collar, purple, short sleeved jacket. Naruto was wearing his usual black and orange jumpsuit. Sasuke flexed his fingers as he stared at the ring Sakura got him when their team first passed the chunin exams, looking at it with nostalgia. He smiled briefly.
"Hey Naruto, you remember when we got theses rings?" Sasuke asked as he looked at Naruto, smiling while he pointed at the ring on his middle finger. Naruto looked at him and smiled as well as he lifted his hand and showed his ring.
"Hell yeah, I remember. Kakashi-sensei took us to Hokkaido as a reward for passing the chunin exams."
"Those were some good times, I still remember Sakura's face when she found out that the inn we were staying in only had mixed baths," Sasuke chuckled, Naruto then smiled and laughed.
"Yeah! Oh, and remember when we played ping-pong until dark? I kicked your ass!"
"I remember that somewhat differently," Sasuke said as he smirked at Naruto as he moved to sit next to him on the tatami floor. Naruto laughed softly as he stared at the ring on his own hand, silver with an orange stripe and a narutomaki charm in the middle. Sasuke's was the same except he had a dark blue stripe with a tomato charm in the middle.
"Hey Naruto, do you ever think about the future?"
"The future?"
"Yeah, the future."
"Hmm, not really," said Naruto as he scratched his head, then looked at Sasuke thoughtfully. "I like to live life in the moment ya know? There's no use in thinking ahead if you don't know what's going to happen. Believe it."
Sasuke sighed deeply as he stared at his ring thoughtfully. "Well, think about it Naruto. After the war happened life has been too slow and too predictable. What's next for us? After your old man retires, you'll take up the mantle of hokage and probably marry Hinata, while I'll probably become part of the Konoha military police force and work alongside my brother, as well as getting married, if not with Sakura then with some Uchiha girl my parents have arranged for me."
Naruto looked at Sasuke with a curious expression. "I guess so, though the marriage part is a bit exaggerated. I don't know if Hinata likes me enough for us to get married," Naruto laughed bashfully and blushed. Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"She's liked you since we were kids, dude."
"What?! Really?! I never noticed," Naruto said in surprise, making Sasuke massage his temples in annoyance.
"Of course you idiot! Why do you think she was even bothering to go out with you now?"
"I thought it was because I'm a big shot hero with charming looks and riveting personality," Naruto winked and smirked at Sasuke who rolled his eyes, sighing in annoyance and massaging his temples yet again.
"Sasuke, you're making it sound as if slow and predictable is a bad thing. I wouldn't mind settling down with a cute wife and a nice house and maybe have some kids. I mean, if that's what the future holds for me then that's fine with me. I'm tired of wars and pointless battles." Naruto smiled thoughtfully at Sasuke and placed his arm around his shoulders. Sasuke looked at Naruto with a thoughtful look in his eye. "Cheer up, Sasuke. I mean, sure, peace isn't what we expected but hey, our village is safe, we have our families and most importantly, we're alive. And we need to cherish that."
"I guess so" murmured Sasuke as the rain came down harder, raindrops came through the open window as they began touch the tatami floor, staining it. Naruto stood up and closed the window, then turned to Sasuke with a worried expression.
"It's really coming down hard. I wonder if the girls are all right."
"They're probably fine. Stop worrying so much Naruto," Sasuke replied, smiling lightly at Naruto. Naruto smiled back and sat next to him.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm just nervous, you know? I really want things between all of us to work out. Especially you, Sasuke. I really want you and Sakura to be happy. You both have gone through a lot especially since the war and you deserve a little happiness, no matter how mundane you think it is, Sasuke."
Sasuke looked at Naruto and smiled warmly as Naruto placed his arm over his shoulder but suddenly he put Sasuke in a choking hold. Sasuke struggled as Naruto tightened his hold, scowling at Sasuke.
"Hey! Let go of me, you blond asshole!"
"You better not go back to that brothel you hear me? Don't think I've forgotten about that, you dick."
"You aren't the boss of me! Now, let me go goddamn it!"
"What possible reason can you have to go back there? Tell me damn it!"
Naruto stayed quiet as Sasuke sighed deeply. Naruto let go of Sasuke and they stared at each other for a while.
"Well, are you going to tell me or not?" Naruto glared, annoyed, at Sasuke.
Sasuke glared back, his face slowly turned red. He took deep breaths and looked at Naruto.
"There's a girl."
"A girl?"
"Yeah, a girl." Sasuke looked away from Naruto's gaze and crossed his arms.
"So what? There are thousands of girls in Konoha. Besides, all prostitutes care about is one thing: money. It's like Jiraiya-sensei always sai-"
"She's different."
"They all say that and behave like that to get money, Sasuke," Naruto said as he looked sternly at Sasuke. Sasuke shook his head.
"She hasn't charged me. Not once since I started seeing her. So your argument is moot."
"Ohhhh, well I guess she must be a freak in bed since you did disappear for various days," said Naruto as he smirked at Sasuke. Sasuke scowled at him, profoundly embarrassed. His face was flushed and he could barely speak without stuttering.
"I-i-its not like that! Damn it, Naruto! Why do you have to make everything sound s-s-so lewd?"
"Well what am I supposed to think? She is a prostitute and that is her job. What other possible reason could you have for seeing her all the time?" Naruto crossed his arms and looked at Sasuke thoughtfully. Sasuke sighed deeply and stared at the tatami floor, his face completely red as he tried to regain his composure.
"I like talking to her. She has very different point of view on many things that I find pretty refreshing. She also listens to me and she's kind, even though she makes horrible tea," Sasuke chuckled slightly. "I don't expect you to understand, Naruto. I know that what I'm doing is wrong but I enjoy her company."
"What about Sakura?" Naruto asked seriously.
Sasuke looked away dejectedly.
"What about her?" replied Sasuke flatly
"What do you mean "what about her"? You know very clearly what I'm talking about here! You guys are dating! Aren't you at least a bit concerned over her feelings if she finds out that you're seeing another woman? And a prostitute at that!"
"Koyuki is my friend, Naruto. I'm not cheating on Sakura by going to see a friend. Besides me and Sakura have just started dating, let's not rush things." said Sasuke as he massaged his temples exasperatedly, Naruto considered Sasuke thoughtfully as he crossed his arms.
"Well, all right. If that's what she is to you, then it's fine by me, although I am surprised. And here I thought you were incapable of talking to women." said Naruto with smirked widely as Sasuke scowled back.
The slide doors opened and there stood Hinata and Sakura, both soaked to the bone and shivering. Naruto quickly got up on his feet and took off his jacket as he went towards Hinata.
"Hinata, are you ok?! You're soaked!" Naruto placed his jacket on Hinata.
She smiled softly at Naruto and grabbed his hand tenderly. "Sakura and I forgot to bring umbrellas while we were leaving my house. But I'm ok Naruto-kun, sorry for worrying both of you."
Sasuke walked up towards Sakura and stood there, staring at her awkwardly. He sighed and scratched his head as Sakura shivered.
"I'm going to get you and Hinata some towels from the bathroom, I'll be right back," Sasuke said as he gestured to a door at the far right of the room.
"Oh, ok...Thanks Sasuke-kun," Sakura said as she smiled shyly at Sasuke. Sasuke nodded his head as he went towards the bathroom. Sakura then sat in front of the chabudai table with Naruto and Hinata sitting opposite of her.
Naruto scowled at Sasuke as he entered the bathroom. "What a dick. I swear, you've got awful taste in men, Sakura-chan."
"Ah, he's not so bad. He's the man I've chosen to love," Sakura smiled.
"Sakura-chan, you deserve better. Like, you deserve a guy that every time he saw you he would want to scream your name from the rooftops and leave you flowers and gifts at your doorstep and would serenade you every chance he saw you," said Naruto passionately while raising his fist in the air.
"And that, Hinata-chan, is why Naruto and I broke up," Sakura stated with a big smile as Hinata laughed shyly as Naruto pouted. "You're so mean, Sakura-chan."
Sakura and Hinata giggled loudly as Sasuke returned with two light green towels. He sat next to Sakura. He passed one of the towels to Hinata and handed the other gently to Sakura. Sakura smiled gently at Sasuke as she whispered, "Thanks, Sasuke-kun."
"You're welcome," he nodded at Sakura politely with a light smile, which made her blush deeply.
Naruto stood up abruptly and looked for the waitress assigned to their room. After a few minutes the waitress entered the room with Naruto and several other waitresses that brought them their food and drink.
Mid-morning turned into evening as they enjoyed each others company. Sakura had placed her arm around Sasuke's arm as she shared jokes with Hinata, who had her hand laced with a blushing Naruto's, who was laughing and smiling at every joke. Sasuke stood up with Naruto and took care of the bill, while the girls were waiting on them.
"Hey, Hinata."
"Yes, Sakura-chan?"
"Have you ever thought about getting married?"
"Oh, well...I would be lying if I said I wasn't."
"Well, I've thought about it a great deal and to be completely honest, I wouldn't mind settling down. I've already got the rank of jonin, served in a war and was a disciple of Tsunade, I've served my country enough to last me a lifetime as well as gotten a lot of positive experiences that have made me grow into a much better person."
"Oh, but I thought you didn't want to get married, Sakura-chan? You said you didn't want to give up being a kunoichi for anything in the world."
"Yeah, but I said that because I hadn't found the right guy yet, you know? Like I had dumped Naruto like two months before and my fling with Kiba ended in disaster and let's not mention the fact that Lee wouldn't stop asking me out and that Neji wouldn't even give me the time of day. My love life back then was a total disaster, Hinata-chan. My only solace was my job, why would I want to give it up?" Sakura served herself a cup of sake and drank it in one gulp. Hinata looked at Sakura and smiled awkwardly.
"That was a difficult time for all of the girls. Remember when Ino tried to seduce Sai? Or when Ten-Ten went on a date with Shino?"
"Oh man! I remember that! We needed like four combs to get all the bugs out of her hair!" Sakura burst out laughing and Hinata joined in.
"I take it that Sasuke-kun is the man you have in mind?"
"Yes. I've never been more happier, honestly. Sure, I will admit that I wish that Sasuke would open up to me and be a tad more affectionate, but I don't mind it. It just makes him cuter and so cool." Sakura blushed and squealed a bit as Hinata smiled joyfully at her and grabbed her hand.
"I'm glad you finally found a man who is deserving of you and makes you so happy, Sakura-chan. Honestly, you picked well. The Uchihas are very handsome men. Sasuke will make a good husband. Besides, I've heard that the Uchihas are very good lovers as well."
"What about you, Hinata-chan? Have you thought about marrying Naruto? I mean, once you overlook the constant cheerfulness, immaturity and never ending energy, he's a nice guy. And I know that he would make a good husband."
"I have thought about it but it is out of my hands, Sakura-chan. My father is the one that determines who I must marry in order to keep the secrets and techniques of our clan from falling into enemy hands, as well as marry someone that will preserve the purity of the blood of the main house. So even if I wanted to marry Naruto-kun, I don't know if I could," Hinata replied sadly. Sakura moved towards her and gave her a hug, grabbing Hinata's shoulder gently and smiling at her.
"Don't worry so much. Ok, Hinata-chan? I mean, Naruto ain't your run of the mill ninja. He's the hero of the fourth ninja war and the son of the Hokage. Your father is not gonna say no to such an accomplished ninja, so everything will be all right."
The girls smiled at each other and laughed again as they hugged each other. The boys entered the room with their umbrellas in their hands and gestured at the girls.
"Hey, are you girls ready to go? We're going to Sasuke's house. His mom made cookies and tea, so he invited us," Naruto said with a broad smile while Sasuke glared at him.
"More like you invited yourselves," said Sasuke as the girls and Naruto laughed.
Naruto grabbed Hinata's hand tenderly and helped her stand up while Sasuke waited for Sakura to stand up. As they went towards the exit, Sakura couldn't help but stare lovingly at Sasuke as she reached towards his hand. Sasuke flinched and blushed as soon as he felt Sakura's fingers on his palm, he extended his arm towards Sakura as she grabbed it tenderly, Once they reached the exit, Naruto and Sasuke opened their umbrellas and walked outside.
They walked close to each other as they made their way to the shopping district of the Uchiha compound. The streets were littered with stores and carts of people selling their wares, the merchants' voices filled the streets as their voices meshed with those of their buyers. Lights of all shapes and colors illuminated the district, giving it a distinct beauty that was amplified with the rain. They stopped at a cart with an abundance of hair accessories and stuffed animals, Sakura and Hinata squealed and gasped as they admired the carts wares. Naruto and Sasuke looked at each other and smiled slightly as the girls tried on various accesories, until they finally settled on something. Hinata picked a frog hairclip with an orange Fox plush and Sakura picked a Red hair bow with dark blue Cat plush, the merchant placed the things in two small pink bags and gave them to the girls.
"That'll be 7,000 yen"
Naruto scrambled for his wallet, and opened it with an aghast expression. He had blown off his entire paycheck paying dinner at Hokkaido. Sasuke placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder as he pulled out his wallet.
"Don't worry, I got it"
Naruto scratched his head embarrassed as Sasuke pulled out a 10,000 yen bill from his wallet. The Merchant looked at Sasuke with a surprised expression
"Wait! Aren't you Sasuke Uchiha? The son of Fugaku Uchiha?"
"Yes" said Sasuke as he nodded curtly at the merchant, the merchant looked at Sasuke with a smile beaming from his face as he bowed at Sasuke
"Please accept my most sincere appreciation and thanks"
The merchant then faced Sasuke yet again
"Your father saved me and my caravan from thieves when I was travelling and offered me a new start here in your compound. I owe him a great debt, it would be dishonorable for me to even think of charging you, please take this for free it's the least I can do" said the merchant as he gestured to the bags in the girls' hands. Sasuke smiled and handed the 10,000 yen bill to the merchant's hands, the merchant looked at the bill with a puzzled expresion.
"Take it and keep the change, it would be dishonorable for me to take advantage of your kindness in such a way. You have a family to maintain and a life to live and its not cheap, so please take it."
The merchant took the bill and bowed yet again at Sasuke, as he and the others kept on walking, Naruto scowled at Sasuke
"How come you always get the free stuff? I'm the hero of the fourth ninja war and that still doesn't happen to me!"
"You wouldn't need free stuff if you knew how to manage your money properly, idiot" said Sasuke flatly
"Says the guy who wasted 20,000 yen on a kabuki poster"
"Listen here, you idiot that was an Ukiyo-e painting, not a goddamn poster like the ones that you buy"
"Pfft painting my ass, that was a poster and you know it."
"Naruto you-"
Suddenly Sakura placed her lips on Sasuke's mouth, Sasuke immediately turned beet red as Sakura then glared at Naruto and laced her fingers on Sasuke's hand.
"Stop picking fights with Sasuke! You should be grateful that Sasuke was there to pay for us, and Sasuke leave Naruto alone, he did pay for our dinner so you should be grateful too."
Both Naruto and Sasuke mumbled apologies under their breaths, Hinata giggled as she took hold of Naruto's arm. The girls walked hand in hand with Naruto and Sasuke looking at more carts and shops sharing jokes and pleasantries along the way when suddenly Sasuke stopped abruptly.
"Sasuke-kun? What's wrong?" said Sakura worriedly, without saying a single word, Sasuke ran, the smell of chrysanthemums and sakura petals lingered in the wind even with the rain, the smell was strong enough for Sasuke to follow, he knew that there was only one person it belonged to. In a small vegetable stand near the entrance to a gambling parlor was a young woman with long black hair plaited to the side, she had a light blue kimono and white obi belt as well as a dark blue haori with white tabi socks and zori sandals, she was carrying a straw basket on her arm while she held onto an umbrella. She was busy negotiating with the merchant when Sasuke saw her, Sasuke stayed there taking in the sight of her as the rain fell on him drenching him like the first time he spent vigilant in front of the brothel. The young woman placed her purchases inside the straw basket as she turned, she faced Sasuke who was wet from the rain, she looked at him surprised.
"Oh, Sasuke-sama what a pleasant surprise, I didn't think I would see you here"
Sasuke merely looked away embarrassed, a million thoughts were going through his mind without him noticing the young woman got closer towards Sasuke until they were merely an inch apart. Sasuke flinched as he turned bright red
"Wha-wha-what are you doing?"
"Shielding you from the rain" said the young woman as she pointed to the umbrella that was above Sasuke's head, Sasuke scratched his head bashfully
"Sorry, I guess I always end up being a nuisance everytime we see each other, Koyuki-san"
"Thats because you're reckless Sasuke-sama, but its ok I find that cute about you" said Koyuki as she winked and smiled at him, Sasuke's ears turned bright red from embarrassment as he looked away again. Koyuki then placed her hand on his cheek and traced his jawline with her fingers, she sighed in exasperation
"Look at you, you're completely soaked…" Koyuki said as she looked at Sasuke with concern, she sighed as she smiled sadly at Sasuke "Don't visit me tonight, please stay home Sasuke-sama"
Sasuke's face contorted into an expression of pure horror, his mind was racing. Worry, sadness, anger and guilt, Sasuke placed his hand on Koyuki's cheek as he stared deeply into her eyes, his voice as racing and high pitched.
"Why? Did something happen? Were you found out? Are they going to-" suddenly Koyuki placed her hand on Sasuke's mouth as she sighed exasperated
"Its not that Sasuke-sama, you're completely wet and I don't want you catching a cold. So please stay home and rest"
"O-oh, I'm sorry Koyuki-san, I always make you worry about me" said Sasuke as he smiled sadly at Koyuki, Koyuki merely giggled as she pulled a handkerchief from her breast and wiped Sasuke's face gently.
"Don't worry Sasuke-sama, I don't mind, but I do mean it, go home and rest if I catch you on my window tonight. I'm pushing you off" said Koyuki as she stuck her tongue out at Sasuke, Sasuke then looked at Koyuki surprised as he then pouted at her.
"You're mean, Koyuki-san"
Suddenly a loud voice and various footsteps was heard amidst the rain
"Hey Sasuke!"
Sasuke turned towards the direction of the voice, Sasuke's face turned into one of horror as he realized that the voice belonged to Naruto. Sasuke fidgeted nervously as Naruto and the girls approached him, Koyuki squeezed his arm in reassurance. Naruto and the girls came face to face with Sasuke and Koyuki. Sakura looked at Koyuki with distrust while Hinata looked at her curiously, Naruto merely froze unable to say a single word.
"Oh, so thats why you look so handsome today! You should've told me you were on a date Sasuke-sama" said Koyuki giggling, Sasuke smiled awkwardly at Koyuki as he tried to avoid eye contact with Sakura who looked incensed.
"I'm not just his date, I'm his girlfriend, I'm Sakura Haruno and you are?"
"Oh, my name is Koyuki, its very nice to meet you" said Koyuki as she bowed politely "If its too much trouble, may I know your friends names Haruno-san?"
"My name is Hinata Hyuuga and this is Naruto Uzumaki" said Hinata as she gestured at Naruto. Koyuki looked at Naruto with a surprised expression
"You mean Naruto Uzumaki, The hero of the Fourth Ninja war, Naruto Uzumaki? Son of the Hokage, Naruto Uzumaki?"
"Yeah thats me" said Naruto smiling shyly at Koyuki, Koyuki's surprised expression turned into one of adoration as she clasped her hands together and blushed slightly
"Oh wow, I never thought I would meet such a famous and handsome person. I'm so glad I decided to go shopping today."
Naruto blushed a deep red from head to toe as he scratched his head in embarrassment, Koyuki pouted at Sasuke "You never told me you were friends with such an important person Sasuke-sama"
"It must've slipped my mind" Sasuke mumbled, Koyuki then bowed towards Naruto and said "Thank you for everything you did to keep this village safe Uzumaki-sama, I hope you will continue to protect this village with all your strength"
Koyuki stood up and faced Sasuke's friends, Naruto chuckled loudly as he grinned at Koyuki while giving her a thumbs up "Don't worry, as long as I'm breathing I'll protect the village so that cute girls like you will be able to walk without fear"
"Oh? Brave and chivalrous, he's a good catch Hyuuga-sama. Be careful that other women don't snatch him up!" said Koyuki giggling, as Hinata blushed deeply and took hold of Naruto's hand. Naruto on the other hand was staring at Koyuki as he smiled dumbly at her. Sakura looked at both Koyuki and Sasuke with an annoyed expression on her face, she grabbed Sasuke by his arm and dragged him towards her.
"Well its getting late, and your mom is waiting for us, right Sasuke-kun?"
"Oh...right, yeah" said Sasuke sadly, Koyuki then nodded curtly as she smiled at all of them
"Well let me not keep you any longer! It was nice meeting all of you and also take care of yourself Sasuke-sama"
Koyuki turned and started to walk as her dark blue umbrella was lost in the crowd and mist, Hinata then looked at Sasuke who kept following Koyuki with his gaze.
"Um, Sasuke-kun how much farther is your home?"
"Oh, its not so far from here, only a couple of more blocks"
"Oh! Thats good, I can't wait to get out of the rain and cuddle with you Sasuke-kun!" said Sakura as she laced her fingers with Sasuke's hand. Sasuke then sighed as he lead his friends towards his house, the rain kept on getting worse until they had to run as quickly as possible towards Sasuke's home. Sasuke lived close to one of the training grounds of the Uchiha compound, he lived in a traditional mansion that had Edo like architecture. Its tiled roof was of a dark blue color while the walls were of a light gray, they arrived at the gate. Sasuke opened it gently as he guided his friends inside, a light shone from the inside of the house as a feminine silhouette was seen moving to and fro. Sasuke approached the large wooden door in the middle of the house and opened it with his key, he gestured Naruto, Sakura and Hinata to enter. The entrance to Sasuke's home was opulent with dark wooden floors and priceless art pieces hanging on its walls, Sasuke placed his jacket on a wooden coat rack that was on his right
"Mom, I'm home and I brought some friends with me!" exclaimed Sasuke as he was taking his shoes off and placing them on wooden shoe rack that was next to the coat rack. A woman's voice could be heard booming through the house as the smell of food followed
"Ah! Sasuke-chan, tell your friends to come in, you all are just in time for dinner!"
"Hey, leave your coats and shoes there ok?" said Sasuke as he looked at his friends, they all nodded at him and proceeded to take their shoes and coats, Sakura immediately took hold of Sasuke's arm as she complained about Naruto taking so long with Hinata laughing at Sakura's remark. Sasuke guided them towards the dining room, Sasuke's dining room was a traditional edo style dining room with a large wooden chabudai and small pillows instead of chairs. Next to the chabudai was a sliding door that connected to the backyard, the sliding door was open as Itachi and Shisui were playing shogi on the tatami porch.
"Yo, Sasuke you're home!"
"Hey Shisui, hey Itachi what did mom make for dinner?"
"I dunno, I think it was rice-"
"We're not staying for dinner Sasuke" said Itachi sternly as he moved a shogi piece
"Why not? I'm starving Itachi" whined Shisui as he moved a piece absentmindedly. Itachi looked at Sasuke and Naruto seriously as he moved a shogi piece "Because we've summoned by the Hokage, we were just waiting for you to get home and check"
Itachi moved a final piece as he stood leaving behind a bewildered Shisui staring at the shogi board, Sasuke nodded at Itachi as he gestured Naruto to follow him and Itachi.
"Whoa hey, wait a second shouldn't I come too? I'm Sasuke and Naruto's teammate, I should be there with them!"
"Haruno-san this doesn't concern you, Naruto and Sasuke were summoned by the Hokage not Team 7. So please stay here with Hyuuga-san while we go and talk the Hokage, we won't be long" said Itachi seriously at Sakura as he gestured Shisui, Naruto and Sasuke to follow them, on their way to the exit Shisui began to complain about Itachi's shogi skills while Sasuke laughed and Naruto complained about missing dinner, the girls looked worriedly at each other as they sat at the table.
Meanwhile at the Hokage's office, Minato looked sternly at the red headed young man that was sitting in front of him. On his right sat a bespectacled woman in a dark green kimono with a golden obi belt and dark blue ninja sandals, her long black hair was groomed in a shimada mage hairstyle with a golden comb. She looked seriously at Minato as she folded her hands on a large book that was on her lap; on his left was tall young man wearing a black kimono like shirt with black trousers and black ninja sandals, his face was framed with a black hood with cat like ears and elaborate purple make up. Suddenly the door opened and in came, a young woman with blonde hair groomed in four consecutive pony tails, she wore a short-sleeved black kimono that with slits along the side with a red sash instead of an obi belt, her black ninja sandals matched her black fingerless gloves. She gestured for Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi and Shisui to enter, Minato stood up to face them.
"I'm sorry to call on you on such a late time, but things have changed and right now we need to be on high alert"
"Dad whats going on? What is Temari, Kankuro and Gaara doing here?"
"So the coup d'etat in the Suna finally happened" said Shisui nonchalantly as he scratched his head, he looked at seriously at Itachi as he nodded and faced the hokage.
"We didn't expect it to be so soon, our informants recently gave us information that the insurgents lacked resources and were not organized enough to mount a successful coup" said Itachi as he crossed his arms, suddenly the woman in the kimono stood up her pointed face stared at Itachi sternly as she spoke in flat tone
"Then your informants were mediocre, we believe that the insurgents were financed and helped by someone in Kyo with enough money and resources for them them to acquire anti ninja weaponry and mercenary troops. As well with competent strategists that enabled them to defeat and take hold of Suna in less than a few days, the flames of political uprisings are spreading leaf ninja. It won't be long until the Daimyos catch word of what happened in Suna and then will be dealing with an even bigger problem."
"Who are you?" Sasuke stated as he looked at the woman, Gaara stood up and placed his hand on the woman's shoulder as he faced them
"This is Kiriko, she's my most trusted advisor, you can trust her and I apologize if comes off as dry, please take no offense." Gaara sighed deeply as he took his hand off Kiriko's shoulder
"But she is right, as your hokage well knows the threat of the samurai is very real. I tried to show to the Daimyos Suna's allegiance in a bid to prevent them from sending their samurai towards us but I'm afraid Suna will burn."
"Samurais? What are you talking about? Samurais haven't been seen since the first ninja war and we ninja have no quarrel with the Land of Iron, why would they be any threat to us now?" said Sasuke worriedly at the Hokage, who merely sighed as he placed his hand on Gaara's shoulder.
"Sasuke, I'm afraid thats not entirely true. At the end of the first ninja war when the samurais retired back to their home in the Land of Iron, a few samurai clans defected from their land in favor of serving the powerful Daimyos of the Five Great Shinobi countries and so they became known throughout the land for their power and strength. Currently there two known Samurai clans, The Gonzen clan who serves the Daimyo of Fire and The Aizu clan which serves the Daimyo of Wind. They are both equally strong and are known for their potent rivalry against each other as well as their military prowess, at the moment the only thing we know is that one of theses clans has been actively working to crush any and all villages who have become rogue states operating outside of the Daimyos control. Konoha had managed to maintain a neutral facade while Suna openly supported the Daimyos in an effort to keep the them from sending theses forces but it seems that it was all for nothing, At this rate we can anticipate that the Wind Daimyo is preparing his forces for a counterattack on Suna, and they will most likely send their samurai."
"Let theses Samurai come, if they wanna a fight then they got one" said Naruto angrily as he pointed at his father "I'm tired of sitting here and not doing anything while our ninja brothers are out there dying while fighting for our right to live without the incompetence of the Daimyos, I'll take down a thousand samurai if I-"
"YOU ARROGANT FOOL"
Suddenly Naruto was interrupted by Kiriko whose face contorted with pure rage as she faced Naruto who was taken aback.
"Do you not know what the samurai will do to Konoha if Konoha decides to help the rebellion in any way?! They will come here and destroy everything you hold dear, Konoha will burn and they will do it with no mercy for woman, child or elder as their blood will pave the streets. You best pray to any god that you worship that the Daimyos send The Gozen clan who will at least grant the women and children as quick death because if it is the Aizu clan, they will enslave and sell the children to the highest bidder while the women are condemned to be raped and tortured for the rest of their lives in the torture chambers of Aizu clan's main residence in Kyo. You have no hope in facing this formidable foe in your current state, you have less than half of your military resources and units since the end of the Fourth ninja war that ended less than a year ago, you have no prior knowledge of even the basics of samurai combat in order to counteract it and you believe that just because you are the jinchuuriki and the hero of this village that you will be able to face them?! You are signing yourself up for an early grave! And you would be a fool to not recognize it!"
The atmosphere in the room became tense after Kiriko's outburst, Naruto was bewildered as the Uchihas remained silent. The sand siblings exchanged worried looks between each other as Minato rubbed his temples in exasperation.
"Kiriko-san is right Naruto, we can't face such a formidable foe blindly it could cost us more than just a few wounded ninja. We need to proceed carefully which is why I called you all here. You are to provide temporary housing for the Kazekage and his family as well as security, now you are some of the best that the Leaf village has to offer so I hope that you take this job as seriously and with the discretion it deserves."
"Of course Hokage, I will place them in protective custody with only the best ninja from the Military Police, they will not leave my sight"
"Sasuke, Naruto and I will take turns guarding them and get them everything they need. The Anbu will provide fake identities and disguises for all of them, as well as grant them a house in the Uchiha compound."
"Good, I have faith in your abilities, now you may leave except for Itachi and Shisui. I would like a word with them in private"
"Understood Lord Hokage" said Sasuke as he bowed towards Minato, Naruto and him guided the Sand siblings and Kiriko outside while Itachi and Shisui approached Minato as he was sitting down in his chair. Minato grabbed a file from one of the drawers in his desk and placed it on the desk. Shisui and Itachi looked at it as Minato pushed it towards them
"I trust that you both are aware of Fugaku's mission to the Land of Earth"
"He had notified both us since he did take ninja from both the Anbu and the Konoha Military Police Force, I'm sure you are here to tell us the reasons regarding the mission" said Itachi as he grabbed the file, Minato sighed as he pulled yet another file from his desk and gave it to Shisui.
"Fugaku's mission is only part of the reason why I have asked to speak with both you. As you well know Fugaku went to help to help the cause in Iwagakure but that's not all. He also went there to curb the assault of samurai already seen tearing Iwa's forces to shreds, before he left for his mission, he had told me of his suspicious regarding samurais infiltrating the village and so he began compiling information on my orders on any possible suspects or places that might house them. Shortly before his departure, he had given me this file as well as telling me some information that left me quite shocked to be quite honest."
"And what information was that, Lord Hokage?" said Shisui as he and Itachi exchanged looks of worry. Minato leaned on his desk towards them as he looked at them seriously
"Fugaku had stated to me that he believed that the infiltrator in the Konoha village was not one but two women hiding inside the village."
"Women? I thought samurai clans were notorious for denying women powerful positions in the clan much less becoming samurai."
"Thats what I thought too until I read Fugaku's report, he came to that conclusion after he researched the Gonzen clan and found that the head of the clan was indeed a woman. That contrary to what is taught in the academy, women can hold prestigious positions inside the clan even become samurai, except that theses women are called by a different name. So that was the reason why Fugaku could not find anything on theses female samurai using the term samurai."
"So what are they called then?"
"They are called Onna-bugeishas, female warriors trained in the art of samurai. Just like our kunoichis they are given special training, the only difference is that Kunoichis learn medical skills that are imperative in a three man while Onna-bugeisha learns how to seduce and deceive men using their feminine charms as well as infiltration tactics. They are highly skilled and extraordinarily dangerous, they are notorious for their beauty as well as their skill, Fugaku inferred that since the Fire Daimyo knew that we would be looking for a man once we caught wind of Iwa's attack, that the best course of action to take would be to send a woman."
"Were fathers suspicious proved correct?"
"Yes, he tracked down every single immigrant that was registered in the Office of Demographics, that came to live here in the past few months. And what he found was that in these past few months that there has been an influx of female immigrants coming to and fro from Edo."
"The capital of the Land of Fire…" said Shisui absentmindedly while Minato nodded
"Exactly, now Fugaku put together a description of what we would be looking for. We're looking for young women possibly between the ages of 20 to 25 with black or brown hair with traditional edo-style tattoos covering her entire back and extending to her wrists, due to the tendency of samurai clans to tattoo themselves. He also estimated that their eye color would fluctuate between green, black and purple as well as their skin color would be pale white, due to this being a characteristic of Gozen clan's women. They would most likely be posing as merchants of some sorts or as shirabyoshi dancers at a tea house, since they are the occupations that most of theses immigrants applied as. I need you two to find out exactly where theses women is and arrest them, once you do that…"
"I assume that we're free to use extreme force if necessary?" asked Shisui as he glanced at the file, Minato merely nodded as he looked at both of them.
"Do not underestimate them, if they so much resist you are free to take them down using any force necessary. Now I trust I don't have to remind both of you of the importance of keeping such an enemy alive."
"No, of course not Lord Hokage, I assume that you would want them interrogated at the headquarters of the Military Police or would you prefer the Anbu prisons?"
"We'll keep them here, I would like to interrogate them myself along with Inoichi and Ibiki. You two are to provide assistance as well, if neither of them can get through to them I want the two of you to use your sharingans to get information out of them. Once they has given us what we need, we can leave them to rot in the prisons of the Anbu, I will tolerate no failure on your parts. Now as soon as you accommodate the Kazekage, I want this to be your highest priority...Am I clear?"
"Yes, Lord Hokage" said Shisui and Itachi in unison, Minato nodded at them as he pointed to the door.
"Good, you are dismissed."
Itachi and Shisui bowed politely at the Hokage as they left his office, outside was Naruto, Sasuke, The Sand Siblings and Kiriko waiting for them. Itachi looked sternly at everyone as Shisui handed him his file, Shisui passed his hand through his hair as Itachi spoke.
"Shisui and Naruto here will take you to an inn where you'll be staying until we can find permanent accommodations for you. In the morning Shisui will take you to Konoha's intelligence division where you'll be given new identities and appearances for you to live in Konoha, Sasuke you stay here, I need to speak with you."
"Brother, I need to leave with Naru-"
"Shisui, Naruto you have your orders, now go"
Shisui and Naruto escorted The Sand Siblings and Kiriko out of the corridor while Itachi waited until they were no longer visible. Sasuke looked at Itachi curiously
"Itachi, what is going on?"
"We can't speak here, meet me at the training grounds near our house."
Itachi did a tiger hand sign and immediately disappeared beneath a cloud of smoke, Sasuke shook his head in disbelief and followed suit. They both appeared instantly in a wooden area, Sasuke, Itachi and Shisui often practiced here so it was a place where Sasuke could feel safe. But right now his head was everywhere and nowhere at the same time, he looked at the files Itachi had on his hands.
"Look, the situation in Konoha has changed Sasuke. First the village of Sound is decimated by an unknown force as well as ninja settlements to the northwest of Takigakure, then Iwagakure is attacked by a samurai who is all but destroying its forces, which prompts the Hokage to send father and an elite group of ninjas to aid Iwa in its efforts and then Suna is subjected to a violent coup d'etat aided by reinforcements supposedly from Kyo which cause The Kazekage and his family to flee to Konoha for their own safety. Things are only going to get worse from here on out and I need to make sure that you are up to the task."
"Brother, you know that I will do everything in my power to make sure that The Sand Siblings are not harmed and-"
"I'm sure you will, but that's not what I'm asking of you Sasuke" said Itachi as he interrupted Sasuke
"Then what are you talking about?"
"Its no secret that you are often visiting a prostitute at that brothel on the edge of the compound Sasuke"
Sasuke sighed deeply as he looked at Itachi who was handing him a file. Sasuke took it and looked at it puzzled
"The Hokage suspects that there are samurai already infiltrating the village, they are hiding out as merchants or shirabyoshi dancers at tea houses and since a prostitute's walls are paper thin, she might know something"
"You want me to use Koyuki-san as an informant?"
"Yes, but I need to know if you are up for this, I can see your attachment to her... Sasuke if it poses an issue...I have no problem doing it myself, I would like to meet the woman who has such a hold on my little broth-"
"No, its fine, I'll do it...I can handle it"
"Are you sure? There is no room for failure Sasuke"
"I can, if its for the safety of the village, I will do anything."
"Good, now I leave you with Shisui's file, study it well, for tomorrow Shisui will come and pick it up. Now I'll see you home Sasuke"
And with that Itachi disappeared beneath a cloud of smoke, leaving Sasuke alone in the training grounds. He smirked as he realized that his life was about to get more interesting from here on out.