Part I: Episode 11
The awkward silence that followed Tsunade's outburst would have been deafening were the two men seated in the Kazekage's office not two of the most cool-headed men alive. The Kazekage sat behind his desk and Orochimaru sat across from him. Unlike the Raikage, the Kazekage was about Orochimaru's height and also unlike the Raikage, wasn't at all aggressive. If anything, the man looked exhausted as he sat across from Orochimaru.
"Now then, Kazekage-sama, would you please tell me just how strained Suna's finances are?" Orochimaru asked. The Kazekage sighed, the latest of many since the Hokage had entered Suna, and pulled a few papers out of his desk.
"As of now, we're breaking even, but we've had to make serious cutbacks in the past few months in order to get there. For whatever reason, our Daimyo has been outsourcing our missions to various other villages." The Kazekage said in a steady voice. The accusation hung in the air, although Orochimaru didn't comment on it. Instead, his eyes glanced over the various financial records and budgets of Sunagakure over the past few years.
"How are you managing to break even now then?" Orochimaru asked, breaking his gaze over the papers to look at the Kazekage. The auburn-haired man glanced down at the desk before grabbing a sheet of paper and putting it on top of the other pages.
"Mostly by stationing units around the Land of Wind. Not even the Daimyo can outsource missions within the country when we have shinobi in the area. We've also managed to get a few high-level missions and our alliance with Kirigakure, shaky as it is, is also helping to cushion the impact of this economic low." The Kazekage's voice was weary and it was clear that he wasn't expecting Suna to be able to break even for much longer. There was another silence as Orochimaru looked over the papers.
"Konohagakure receives about forty missions a month from your Daimyo. If we were to send those back to you, where do you estimate that would put you?" The Kazekage's eyes shifted back and forth as he did the mental calculations. Across from him, Orochimaru did the same calculations.
"For now, that would definitely put us in an advantageous situation. However, winter is coming, so trade with Kirigakure will slow down and I'm afraid we'll be back to where are we now until spring comes again." Orochimaru blinked slowly.
"How much of Sunagakure's revenue is coming from Kirigakure?" Orochimaru asked.
"Approximately 25%," the Kazekage's answer was quick. It was obviously a figure that he had memorized. Orochimaru ran a few more calculations in his head before speaking.
"Konohagakure can math Kirigakure's contributions for about a year." For the first time, the Kazekage showed an emotion other than exhaustion: surprise.
"With all due respect, Hokage-sama, are you sure Konohagakure can afford to do such a thing?" At this Orochimaru's mouth tightened slightly. He was almost positive that Konoha would be able to afford it.
"Yes. I will have to talk with the Council there in order to make sure, but now that we are done with that war against Kumogakure, Konoha should be able to afford doing so." By now, both Kages were looking at each other. The Kazekage's glance was mostly unreadable, although Orochimaru was sure he saw relief somewhere in the younger man's eyes.
"Alright Hokage-sama, with your more-than generous offers, Sunagakure should be able to focus on training our ninja as well as working out more sources of income so this embarrassment does not happen again." The Kazekage's voice was slightly higher than normal, but it still retained his steady, tired drone. Orochimaru nodded and stood up, as did the Kazekage. The two men shook his hands before the Kazekage escorted Orochimaru out of his office. In the hallway, Tsunade and Chiyo sat across from each other. They had been talking but stopped when they heard the door open. Abruptly Tsunade stood and walked towards the two men.
"Forgive me for my outburst for, Kazekage-sama." Tsunade said as she bowed deeply before the Kazekage, who seemed surprised. Behind them, Chiyo snickered. The Kazekage took a breath to regain his composure.
"It's alright Tsunade-san, you had the right to say what you felt. I hold no ill will against you for it." When Tsunade looked at the Kazekage, she suddenly felt very guilty for her tirade earlier. For just the briefest of moments, she saw the sadness in his eyes and before her eyes, he seemed to age yet another decade. Tsunade suddenly felt very young before the man. And then, his poker face returned.
"Thank you again for coming, both of you. Feel free to stay in Sunagakure as long as you please." The Kazekage asked. Both Orochimaru and Tsunade gave slight bows.
"Thank you Kazekage-sama for hosting us. And worry not, we'll be gone in a few days." It was Tsunade who spoke, no doubt trying to make up from before. The Kazekage smiled slightly before returning to his office. When he closed the door, Orochimaru turned and began to exit the building. Tsunade however, turned to look down the hallway.
"Go, damn Slug-hime, the boy will be fine." Chiyo said with her signature cackle. Tsunade smiled.
"Thank you, Chiyo-san. Please tell Gaara-kun I said good-bye and where to find me if-"
"Bah!" Chiyo exclaimed. "I said the boy will be fine. Suna men are strong. They don't get coddled and babied like your Leaf brats." This caused Tsunade to laugh softly.
"Alright. Thank you again, Chiyo-san."
"Good-bye, Slug-hime. And good-bye to you as well, Demon Slayer Orochimaru." Chiyo said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. Orochimaru smiled, even though Tsunade knew he hated that nickname. Both Sannin said their good-byes before exiting the Kazekage's work building. They had barely taken a few steps before Tsunade stopped them.
"Orochimaru, I'm really sorry about what happened in there. I lost my cool and it could have been really bad, not just for you but for the village as well." Tsunade wasn't sure what she was expecting. Orochimaru was never the scolding type. He had always been the one who quietly picked up the slack whenever someone messed up. Still, Tsunade had almost cost the Leaf a valuable ally. Which was why Tsunade was completely unprepared when Orochimaru tilted her chin upwards and pressed his lips onto hers.
It was quick. And even though she had felt Orochimaru several times, his warmth was always a surprise to her. His eyes met hers and he smiled. A genuine smile that only Tsunade ever saw. Jiraiya might have seen it once when they were young and Hiruzen certainly had never seen it. But Tsunade had seen it a handful of times. Not many, but still enough that the image was burned into her mind.
"It's okay Tsunade. There's nothing to worry about."
Shizune almost missed the ANBU ninja sitting in a corner of her room as she stepped out the bathroom. Luckily she was dressed in a towel, but the ninja, a man from what she could tell in the dark, seemed to pay her no mind. Still, Shizune decided it was best to change in the bathroom. The inn room was fairly small, with only a bathroom, a combined living room and bedroom with a couch as the only other piece of furniture, and a miniature kitchen.
As Shizune walked out the bathroom a second time, she noticed the man was still in the corner. With a start, she realized that he had been one of the two ANBU ninja who had led the Konoha unit to the Sunagakure gates. He was so still, Shizune wondered if he was sleeping. Slowly she reached her hand forward.
"Yes ma'am?" He asked, causing Shizune to jump. She was suddenly glad it was so dark so that he couldn't see her blush.
"S-sorry, I wasn't sure if you were awake." She apologized with a deep bow. The man chuckled lightly.
"It's alright. And don't worry, I was assigned to be your bodyguard tonight. So I won't be going to sleep anytime soon." Shizune sat down.
"I'm a medical ninja, I know how ineffective it is to watch someone all night long. Especially since you won't have anything to do." She explained. Shizune suddenly felt very nerdy.
"I'll be fine. I've been undergoing nocturnal training ever since it was decided the Hokage would be going to Suna." From his voice, Shizune felt the ANBU wasn't much older than her. His voice was deep, but in that not-quite-mature young adult manner.
"What about Mitarashi-kun? She's supposed to be sleeping in here too. Why aren't you watching her?" Shizune countered. Behind his mask, the boy laughed.
"I was told to watch this room, so that's what I've been doing all day. If Mitarashi returns, I'll be watching her too. Until then though..." he let his sentence hang. Shizune sighed, not convinced by the young man's words. Still, she was feeling exhausted from the trip. A sudden poof of smoke caused her to jump again. There were now two dogs in the room, one the size of a small bear and the other the size of a tanuki.
"There," the ANBU boy said. "Now even though I won't fall asleep, you have extra protection. Go to sleep, you'll be fine." The big dog regarded Shizune was mild curiosity before going to sleep. The small dog made a disapproving noise before he too fell asleep. The ANBU mask turn to face her.
"Alright, I guess I'll go to sleep." Shizune stood up and took two steps before turning back around to face the ANBU. She stared at him for a few seconds before coming to a decision. "There are energy pills in my medicine pouch. They're marked so you don't have to worry about taking the wrong one." The silence made her feel incredibly self-conscious.
"I won't need them," the boy said in an exasperated tone. "But thanks." Finally content, Shizune nodded and went to crawl into her bed. Her thoughts instantly drifted to the ANBU guy sitting in the corner of her room and before she knew it, Shizune found herself dreaming of what he looked like underneath his mask.
"I just received word from the Council, confirming that Konoha will be able to give Sunagakure what she needs." Orochimaru informed the Kazekage as the two once again met inside the latter's office. The Kazekage nodded.
"Thank you again, Hokage-sama." The Kazekage said as he stretched out his hand. Orochimaru continued as he shook it.
"Kazekage-sama, if I may," he began. The Kazekage looked at him curiously, which Orochimaru took as a cue to continue. "Forgive me for bringing this up, but is it true that your son is a jinchuriki?" The Kazekage's eyes went wide and Orochimaru watched a parade of emotions go through them.
"When I found him in the dessert, I noticed that his chakra reserves were unusually high for someone of his age. Even most jonin don't have that amount of chakra inside of them." The Kazekage said nothing for a long time, but Orochimaru remained calm. At this point, he had the advantage. The Kazekage couldn't afford to turn down Konoha's help. Finally, the Kazekage sighed. The pride and strength left his eyes and now he simply looked like a defeated man.
"I had hoped that if we could just control it, the Daimyo would give us missions again. But while my son's body was compatible with the demon, his mind wasn't. He was too young to fully control its powers and he became a liability. And so I tried to have him killed."
"Then the village...?" Orochimaru asked, making sure to keep his voice neutral. Even though he looked so tired and old, Orochimaru still preferred the Kazekage calm.
"Yes, that was the one-tailed tanuki Shukaku. Luckily I was able to evacuate the villages before anyone was seriously hurt. I managed to get Gaara to bring the demon under control. And then I left him to die." The Kazekage spat the last part with such self-loathing that even Orochimaru felt concerned.
"My apologies, Kazekage-sama-"
"Is there a reason you bought the subject up, Hokage-sama?" There was an edge to the Kazekage's voice that told Orochimaru he had crossed a very fine line. The Hokage's voice didn't waver, however, when he spoke.
"There is. Although the war with Kumogakure is over, no official truce has been signed. We have the Rice Country trying to form to the north and our relationships with Iwagakure and Kirigakure are strained and neutral respectively. Sunagakure is Konoha's one true ally. And it is for that reason that I am bringing this up." Orochimaru responded. Even though he hadn't said it, Orochimaru's words painted a clear picture. Konoha needed Suna just as much as Suna needed Konoha. Just as the Hokage predicted, this bought some of the confidence back into the Kazekage's eyes. He nodded, prompting Orochimaru to continue.
"Having an unstable jinchuriki poses a significant risk to Sunagakure and by extension, Konohagakure." Orochimaru stated flatly.
"I assume you saying all this means you have some sort of solution," the Kazekage said after a few seconds of silence. Orochimaru nodded.
"There's a member of the Uzumaki clan who lives in Konoha. She's too humble to admit it herself, but she is a brilliant users of the clan's sealing techniques and a former jinchuriki herself." At this, the Kazekage locked eyes with Orochimaru but the Hokage's look told him that it wasn't the time for details on why she was a former jinchuriki.
"I am sure that she'd be able to create a more stable seal for your son - something that would benefit both of our villages." It had been a long time since Orochimaru had seen hope fill a man's eyes. He watched as the Kazekage seemed to grow younger, stronger. Even the color of his hair and eyes seemed slightly more vibrant. Surprisingly, the man managed to keep his composure.
"Hokage-sama, you've granted this village more aid than I could have possibly imagined. You have my eternal gratitude."
"You must be the one the Hokage sent," Chiyo said to the woman standing inside of the Kazekage's personal work building. She smiled.
"Yes ma'am Lady Chiyo. My name is Namikaze Kushina and this is my husband, Minato and my son, Naruto." The woman said, introducing the two blond males behind her. Minato looked exactly as Chiyo had heard him described. Handsome, in a beautiful way, and with an almost calming presence. His son looked just like him, aside from the three thin lines on each side of his cheeks. He flashed Chiyo a wide, toothy grin.
"You have a beautiful family, Kushina-san." Chiyo said, her eyes lingering on Naruto who reminded her so much of her own son and grandson. She took out a small piece of candy, but before she could offer it to the boy, the door to the Kazekage's office opened. Inside the Kazekage stood with his youngest son who looked confused and scared but at the same time hopeful. The Kazekage motioned for the boy to leave and for Kushina and Minato to enter.
"Naruto, stay here okay. I'll be right back." Kushina said before she entered the Kazekage's office with Minato in tow. And just like that, only Naruto, Gaara, and Chiyo remained in the empty hallway. Naruto stared blankly at Gaara, who stared blankly back. They were silent for a few minutes until Naruto spoke.
"Are you the Kazekage's son?" He asked. Gaara's eyes flickered towards Chiyo for a second before they went back to Naruto. Gaara nodded and Naruto tilted his head as if Gaara were some sort of puzzle. Finally he smiled and walked up to the boy, extending his hand.
"My name is Namikaze Naruto and I'm gonna be the next Hokage. Since you're the Kazekage's son that means you have to be the next Kazekage." Gaara's mouth fell open as he stared at the boy. He had never been approached by anyone, let alone a boy his age. Gaara looked at Chiyo who looked just as stunned. A smile slowly formed on her face and within seconds she was cackling away. Gaara looked back at Naruto, whose hand was still extended and whose blue eyes were fixed on Gaara expectantly. Slowly Gaara lifted his own hand. A small smile began to form on his face too.
As she laughed, Chiyo suddenly felt a tear stream down her cheek. The old woman ignored it however. For now, she simply laughed at the hope that just maybe Gaara wouldn't have to go through life alone. That maybe, just maybe, this Naruto kid would be the light that kept Gaara from going down the same dark road her own grandson had gone down. That maybe, through Naruto, Chiyo's greatest sin could finally be forgiven.
Author's Corner:
Now first off, NO, NARUTO IS NOT A JINCHURIKI. He had the whiskers when he was born. I know someone was going to say something about that, so I figured I might as well cut that off now. Anywho, um as usual thanks everyone for the support (reviews, favorites, and follows). I might be posting another chapter on Saturday too.
I would like to confirm that I do have a basic schematic of the Shippuden part of this worked out, so there will be a part 3. Which reminds me, I can't wait till part 2 is over. It's so confusing keeping these ages straight with all these time-jumps. Just so you know, the Hyuga incident (or the Raikage incident of chapter 9) happened when Hinata was 3 so Naruto and Gaara are somewhere between 5 and 6 now.
Anko/Kakashi/Shizune might be a thing, I'm not sure yet. It might just be Kakashi/Shizune though. Also, this won't be a NaruSasu fic, but they're gonna have a pretty intense bromance going on. Same with Naruto and Gaara. Like I have the end of part 2 (mentally) written and omg guys the NaruGaa feels are just insane. I'm hoping by the time we get there, I'll be able to write it exactly as I see it in my head.
So yeah, that's most the new developments I got for you guys so I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter. You know what to do from here. I freakin' love you guys!