Several hours later, Naruto sat alone in his office watching the crackling fire with tired eyes. Though he might seem to have been at peace, he was in fact covering everything that he'd talked with the others about. Even though they had started talking after lunch, they hadn't finished until late into the night, supper having been brought in by Hanabi and Tenten at the proper time.
There was a lot of subtle nuances that Naruto would have missed if Hinata hadn't pointed them out, while Haku asked questions that only one not born and raised in Konoha would have thought of. A lot of the points he was reviewing were of the other clans, in particular their leanings, strengths and weaknesses.
Taking the list from top to bottom, he thought about his current standing as a relative outsider, newcomer, and upstart. Tales of his battles had most likely been passed on through the Judgenatrix and Justicar ranks, and via an official report to the clan heads themselves. Meaning that several of the selfsame masters he was thinking about were figuring out that he was not to be taken lightly. Beyond that, he'd have to rely on his unpredictability to make it through the first few months and possibly beyond.
But he had a powerful ally in the form of his downstairs neighbor the Hyuuga clan, who had stated their intention to pledge their fealty to the one that had claimed the two clan heirs as his own, after he proved himself the equal of the current clan head. Hiashi had even sent up a gift basket of cinnamon rolls. At first he wasn't sure what that was about, but Hinata explained that it was a traditional gift in the Hyuuga clan, many of whom were completely addicted to the sweet pastry.
After ensuring that Tenten, Haku, and he got a couple each, they turned the basket over to the Hyuuga sisters. Beyond that, he had found out that the strength of the Hyuuga clan was the power of their eyes to track the dominant and submissive powers of a person, and properly channel them to perform the tasks the Hyuuga wanted. The dual nature of the chakra system confused Naruto until he came to understand that it was as though a person was a coin. Both the heads and tails, or submissive and dominant energies in this case, were present, but only one could be used at a time.
There were theories that one could utilize both elements of their chakra at the same time, but no one had been able to prove it to possible yet. It was said that there was even a bet running on the current powers of where the first person to prove the ability to do so would come from. Larger rewards were being set for those that could select the specific individual.
Below the Hyuuga came the Aburame clan, whose powers rested with their control over insects, and were primarily information gatherers for the guild. They agreed with the Hyuuga assessment of him, and concented to be under his command, so long as he proved to be a viable queen to the hive. And while he wasn't sure if he liked being called a queen, he did appreciate the sentiment of not having to outright prove himself right off the bat.
Conversely below them was a clan that wanted to challenge him right away. He remembered Kiba Inuzuka from their time together at the academy, and knew that he wasn't about to let just anyone be dominant over him. As he was the first master of his generation, he was to take over the clan when his mother ceded control, however he was taking some actions right now for the future of the clan. One of those actions was to challenge Naruto's authority publicly. Most likely, Naruto would have to dual him in the trials... along with Sasuke and Neji.
Thinking about the enemies he seemed to be making, he realized that they were likely to gang up on him. It was possible for multiple masters to team up and challenge a single master, which had happened in the past. But he thought it was more likely that the most patient of them would wait until Naruto had worn himself out on the first two, and then try to swoop in for the victory. Reconsidering the personalies, he found out that not only was it unlikely that they'd team up, but also that he could plot out their order. Kiba would charge in first, followed by Sasuke who had watched the first fight, and finally Neji would strike.
Returning his thoughts to the complex weave of politics and headaches that he'd opened with his can of worms, he reviewed the Akimichi floor. They had gotten out of the guild's businesses a few generations back but retained their floor and paid dues to the guild every year. If it hadn't been for a bad business deal with the Uchiha the generation before they left the guild, they'd have turned their floor into a restaurant/lounge for the residents of the Stone Monolith. Instead it was left locked away until someone could win their contract out from the obstinent Uchiha clan that forbade the conversion.
Naruto couldn't see the reasoning behind the forbidding of making something like that in the Monolith, after all they'd still have dominants and submissives working to a common goal. This one would just not be nearly as sexually focused as most of the current clans were. Which got strange looks from Kakashi and Hinata as he mentioned this during the conversation. Haku had kept up a mask of indifference, but he could tell she sensed something off as well.
Sighing he tipped his head back to stare up at the ceiling quietly for a few minutes. The Akamichi had several successful eateries in the village, so the problem wasn't with them running the business, but rather the Uchiha themselves in his opinion. But maybe it was because Sasuke was such an anal retentive pillow humper that he couldn't see any of the other Uchiha being any better.
Then there was Kakashi's floor, which reminded him that he had to challenge Sasuke for a battle to free the Lord Master from the prick. It wasn't anything personal, he just liked Kakashi, and really loathed Sasuke. Just business after all.
After that came the Yamanaka floor, which had gone under Sasuke's sway when Ino became his submissive. According to Hinata, Inoichi did not appreciate the new owner, and would prefer being pro-guild. Haku wanted to know about their skills and abilities, and it turned out that they were skilled in the inner workings of a person's mind. They'd even found a way to working with the chakra of a person that they were against.
He'd have to be careful if Ino was brought to the field, since he had so much dominant energy, she could quite easily turn that against him. She could also reveal the secrets of his 'Master Space' that he didn't want getting out, after all. Primarily his concern was about Kitsune and the others inside the realm that he had to protect.
After that was the Nara floor, which was more of a library of knowledge than a dungeon. They had gone under the Uchiha banner shortly after the Yamanaka clan, due to a long standing agreement between the two clans of mutual submission and domination. Their powers were their impressive intelligence and the use of shadows to manipulate people, sadly the reverse part of the Nara clan was that they were lazy.
It wasn't just that they were lazy, but it was as though they had barely any motivation to do anything outside of existing. Why they were even in the guild in the first place was a mystery to all but the clan themselves. And they weren't talking.
Apparently the library itself was sealed against the Uchiha, and had been since they'd taken over. To Naruto it seemed that it was a good thing to ban the Uchiha, but since they owned it, the ban had extended to all but the Justicar and Judgenatrix members. While it kept dangerous knowledge out of Sasuke's hands, it also meant that beneficial knowledge was currently lost to the good masters and mistresses of Konoha.
He'd really love to get his hands on some of those scrolls about seals.
After them came the Uchiha clan, that was the source of many of the problems facing the guild and the other clans. They were self-centered, egotistical, and to be quiet honest, rather shitty masters. Their reliance on their sharingan eyes lead to a lack of originality in their combat styles, and little more than mindless drones tormented for days on end at the hands of the Uchihas that had awakened the higher levels of the Sharingan.
Kakashi defended an exception to the rule of the Uchiha clan, in that the one that had left him the eye currently housed in his left socket had been a kind, caring, and generous master to all his slaves. He'd also been something of a prankster, and used his copied techniques in a creative way. And he was the person that Kakashi had modeled his career after, in a loving memory of his former allies and friends.
But that still didn't mean the Uchiha clan didn't deserve it when Itachi went psycho and slaughtered the vast majority of them. Maybe certain members would have been alright if they'd been left alive, after all Naruto remembered Sasuke's mom was very pretty and had always given him treats when she met him.
It was a shame that she died, she would have been quite the hottie even to this day, which he'd wisely kept to himself.
The floor under the asshole of Monolith was the merchant clan: Haruno. They owned many of the import shops on main-street, and used to do quite a lot of the importing of supplies for the masters of the Monolith. Now... now they were exclusive importers of Sasuke Uchiha, which meant that he got all the best goods that weren't made in Konoha itself. And that annoyed the hell out of Naruto for some reason.
Danzo was next with the Shimura floor, and the less said about that disturbing level the better.
The tiny reason that they had to get new flooring was to prevent the blood from getting stuck between the flagstones was the among the very least of the stories he had heard about there.
Next was the Senju clan, who were missing currently due to Tsunade leaving the village after a disastrous incident with her lover, younger brother, and a lot of blood. Currently the floor was in the holding of the Supreme Master, by special request of Tsunade herself, the last surviving member of the clan.
After that was the Sarutobi clan's floor, and both Hinata and the guild reported that it was by far the best of the existing master or mistress clans currently active. He had always focused on the happiness of his slaves, instead of his own. Further he had been granted the title of Supreme Master for a very good reason over any of the others.
Apparently the base level, which was below ground level, reflected the desires of the current Supreme Master, and right now it was a simple office level, with only a few of his most trusted slaves being present. The only people that saw that level and left were Justicars, Judgenatrix, Clan-heads during a meeting in the council hall, or prisoners. Of them the only ones that saw it on anything simulating a regular basis was the Judgenatrix members.
Below the Supreme Master's office level was the Justicar and Judgenatrix floors, which from what Kakashi had told him. If he'd ever see the inside of them, he would never emerge the same, if at all. For some reason, he just felt like taking the Lord Master's word on it.
The common name among the Masters, when well outside of hearing distance of any of the corps members, was Hell.
And the biggest surprise for him, was that if he went to a separate entrance on the top of the mountain, he'd be taken to the levels above him. Which were in fact members of Konoha that had been granted a special placement on the Monolith, but not enough to earn an equal placement with the Thirteen clans. The noteworthy ones among them that the others had told him about were Anko Mitarashi, a pariah of the village due to her former master turning traitor and leaving her behind to take the blame.
The most curious thing he found out about was the cursed seal on her neck, it sounded like something he could remove if he studied up enough, but until he saw it, there was no way to be sure.
Then there was Gekko Hayate, who was a Grand Master of swordsmanship, and one of the key guardians of Konoha. His service to the guild had earned him a place in the Monolith, but his failing health meant that others thought he was an easy target. This assumption led to many defeats at his hands.
Finally there was the holdings of Iruka Umino, whose service as the academy instructor for the guild had earned him a place on the Monolith. Though he was a master, there were rumors that he had made slaves of some of the most wild and uncontrolled people in the village. If Naruto had known that back in the Academy, maybe he wouldn't have given the scarred man that was like a brother to him such a hard time.
Not likely, but it was something to think about.
Yawning widely, he decided to get some fresh air before the day was completely wasted. Walking out of the office, he found Tenten standing on guard and as he moved past her she followed. Getting to the elevator, he paused and turned to Tenten. The slave knelt before him, in a position of fealty but not that she wished to talk to him. "Tenten... what are you doing?"
"Master... the others and I realized that you are likely to be targeted by others, and wish to protect you. We pray that you do not punish us for this, for it is not doubt in your abilities master, but rather concern that they would overwhelm you," Tenten answered honestly, her face turned towards the ground through the entire thing. Smiling fondly at the thought of how his slaves felt about him, he tapped her shoulder lightly.
After she raised to her proper position, he let her see his smile and nodded. "I understand Tenten, and if I had thought about it, I probably have asked for one of you to accompany me... thank you. Do you wish to gather anything else?"
"No master, I have my weapons..." Tenten answered, revealing some storage seals embroidered into the inside of her clothing.
Naruto smiled again, this time it was his broad foxy grin that he'd almost gotten patented, until he got tired of going to the office and arguing his case. "Let's go for a walk then..." Naruto ordered, pressing the button for the elevator.
After they got on, and started the long trip up to the surface, Naruto decided to really get to know the woman currently serving as his escort. "Tenten... I read over your file earlier, and I'm wondering why you went into the submissive path instead of going into being a mistress in your own right?"
The deep blush on Tenten's face indicated that something more than what he thought was going on here. Turning away slightly she lowered her head, and gulped some lump that had formed in her throat. "It's... it's difficult to speak about Master... but I... I must remember I was different then than now... and I beg for you to understand that..."
"You don't have to tell me Tenten..." Naruto offered, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm your master, and the past is what made you into the beautiful young woman that has come to be my submissive... I cannot promise that it will not change my thoughts about you, but I can promise that no matter what, I will not abandon you."
Naruto watched as a change overcame the girl's face. At first it went from the burning blush on her cheeks, to a look of surprise, and then a warm accepting smile with hints of softness that she'd been lacking since he'd known her. It really made her more beautiful, as though she was lowering a wall against the rest of the world. "Thank you master... I joined the slave program because I wanted to fight..."
Naruto didn't see what was so embarrassing about it, but he supposed there was more to the story than what had been stated so far. As she continued, he realized how right he'd been. "But as an orphan I couldn't enter into the domination path without sponsership... so I thought that I would just observe a couple lessons before I make a decision. I had actually been told about the Master of Weapons Gekko Hayate and was going to approach him... but that's when I saw the worst mistake of my life."
Carefully, Naruto pulled the older girl into a hug from behind, and gently rubbed her stomach. "What mistake is that?"
"I fell in lust with Neji Hyuuga..." Tenten bit out, her eyes focusing on the baseboards of the elevator harshly as she felt the burning anger deep inside her. "One minute I'm watching the class, the next I'm signing up to be a submissive, and try to draw Neji's attention. It wasn't until I'd been enrolled fully that I realized two things... Neji Hyuuga was a cruel, hate-filled sadist... and I was forever stuck as a slave. If it hadn't been for Hinata coming to save me, I would likely have been collard by him."
"And?" Naruto asked cautiously while resting his chin on her shoulder lightly.
"And most likely would have been tormented until I was nothing more than a baby bearing shell for him..." Tenten answered in a quiet voice that Naruto had to strain to hear. "Just like what happened to my friend Yori after she was collared by him..."
The silence of the two was only interrupted by the dings as the elevator continued its steady climb to the surface. Breaking the hug momentarily, Naruto pulled a cloth out of his pocket and offered it to her quietly. "Do you have any dreams currently?"
"Y...yes Master..." Tenten admitted quietly while sliding her eyes over to look at her master, and a faint blush dusted her cheeks again. "It's a bit silly... but I'd like to try and become a Weapon Mistress to serve Konoha under you..."
"What training would it take?" Naruto asked calmly, honestly curious about the path she wanted to travel.
At this Tenten's gaze shifted down and away again, and she told him what it would take. "I... I would have to be trained by a Weapon Master or Mistress, and... and be released from my collar..."
That wasn't what he'd expected, but he knew it would have to be something like that. To give the submissive people under him their dreams, he was willing to sacrifice anything that was asked of him. But it hurt to think that they would be leaving him alone for the rest of his life. If it would be for their happiness he would forsake any chance of having a harem.
"I'll talk to Grand Master Hayate about training you..." Naruto stated quietly while closing his eyes to force himself to smile. "I'll always be there to support you girls..."
"Thank you master..." Tenten answered quietly. If Naruto had left his eyes open, he'd have seen the look of concern she shot him. But as he hadn't, she carefully schooled her features as the elevator doors opened, letting her Master proceed her out.